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Halo: Spartan Strike goes top-down on PC, mobile in December
Microsoft announced a new top-down Halo spinoff today for PC and mobile: Halo: Spartan Strike. Developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games, Spartan Strike will arrive on Windows 8 devices and Steam on December 12 for $6. Spartan Strike bears strong resemblance to the developers' other third-person shooter that launched in July 2013, Halo: Spartan Assault, though it is not a direct sequel. Rather, the upcoming shooter is set during the events of Halo 2 and has players guiding a Spartan through cities, jungles and other environments while using an "all-new arsenal of weapons, abilities and vehicles" such as the series' popular Warthog vehicle. Spartan Strike will include 30 missions filled with Covenant and Promethean enemies. Head past the break for Halo: Spartan Strike's launch trailer. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
You can queue up June's Xbox One freebies for download now
Xbox One owners that have waited since Friday's announcement of this June's Games with Gold freebies to click that shiny download button are now able to do so. This month's free games, available only to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, are Max: Curse of the Brotherhood and twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Assault. Microsoft announced last month that June would be its newest home console's first time dancing with the both the Games with Gold and Deals with Gold programs. The month's discounted Xbox One games are NBA 2K14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts, which join a handful of sales on Xbox 360, including Saints Row 4 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Additionally, Xbox One players can pick up Crimson Dragon for half-off ($10). Xbox 360 owners will need to wait until June 16 for Charlie Murder and Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, while Dark Souls is available as a freebie now and until June 15. [Image: Press Play]
Games with Gold doles out Xbox One freebies in June
Microsoft's Games with Gold program will give away five games to Xbox Live Gold members in June, including its first free offerings for the Xbox One. Xbox One subscribers will receive free copies of Press Play's 2.5D platformer Max: The Curse of Brotherhood and 343 Industries and Vanguard Entertainment's twin-stick shooter Halo: Spartan Assault in June, marking the one-year anniversary of the Games with Gold program. Xbox 360 owners, meanwhile, can expect to see Ska Studios' co-op XBLA brawler Charlie Murder, From Software's Dark Souls, and Capcom's Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition throughout the month. Availability dates for next month's featured games have not been announced. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo: Spartan Assault charges to Steam on April 4
Halo: Spartan Assault, the twin-stick shooter spinoff of Microsoft's popular first-person shooter series, will arrive on Steam on April 4. Developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Entertainment, the game will cost $4.99 on Valve's distribution platform. Additionally, players can pick up the game for $1.99 on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 on Microsoft's store from April 3 - 9, at which point it will be permanently reduced to $4.99. Halo: Spartan Assault first arrived on Windows 8 PCs and tablets in July 2013. The game later found a home on Xbox One in late December 2013 before landing on Xbox 360 in January. Set before the events in Halo 4, Spartan Assault explores the origins of the Spartan Ops program through 30 campaign missions in addition to weekly XP challenges. Halo: Spartan Assault will be the first game in the series to launch on Steam, and will support the wired Xbox 360 game pad as a control option. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo: Spartan Assault drops tomorrow on Xbox 360
343 Industries and Vanguard Entertainment's twin-stick shooter spinoff Halo: Spartan Assault will launch as a downloadable game for the Xbox 360 tomorrow, following up on previous releases for the Xbox One, Windows 8, and Windows Phone. Played from an overhead perspective, Spartan Assault features an array of missions that players can tackle alone or with friends in an online co-op mode. The Xbox 360 version of Spartan Assault is bundled with the "Operation Hydra" expansion, which adds new weapons and an additional five levels on top of the game's 25 campaign missions. The Xbox 360 version of Halo: Spartan Assault will be priced at $14.99 when it hits the Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow. Players who purchased the Windows 8 or Windows Phone versions of the game before December 15 last year can get the Xbox 360 edition at a discounted rate of $4.99.
Halo: Spartan Assault now available on Xbox One
Halo: Spartan Assault is now available on Xbox One, just in time for the holidays. The top-down shooter is $14.99 and out one day earlier than it was expected to launch on the next-gen platform. The game is still coming to Xbox 360 in January after it already arrived on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 devices in July. Developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games, Halo: Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and those of Halo 4. In it, players take control of either Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis, completing more than 30 missions against Covenant forces. The game includes online cooperative multiplayer as well, though it will not be cross-compatible between Microsoft's two home consoles. [Thanks, Chum!]
Halo: Spartan Assault coming to Xbox One on December 24th for $15
We knew Halo: Spartan Assault would be making its debut on Xbox One at some point this month, but today Major Nelson made the title's release date official. Starting December 24th, the new series spinoff will be available as a digital download for $15, with availability set to be worldwide. To make the deal sweeter for some, Microsoft is giving Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 users who buy the game before December 15th a way to get the Xbox One version at a discounted rate of $5. Meanwhile, it appears Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox 360 has been delayed, as Major Nelson revealed that it won't be available on said platform until sometime in January 2014. While you wait for it to arrive, check out the video after the break and get excited about your next adventure as a Spartan soldier.
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Halo: Spartan Assault hits Xbox One on Dec. 24, Xbox 360 in January
Halo: Spartan Assault will hit Xbox One as a downloadable title on December 24 for $15, Microsoft announced today. It will come to Xbox 360 in January. Halo: Spartan Assault is a top-down, twin-stick shooter already on Windows 8 PCs, tablets and phones. Those who purchased the game for these platforms before December 15 can pick it up for $5 on Xbox One. In October, Microsoft announced that Spartan Assault would come to Xbox One and Xbox 360. The console versions include an online co-op mode and the Operation Hydra expansion.
All Xbox One games follow 'same policies' for Achievements [Update]
Update: A Microsoft representative gave Joystiq the following statement: "On Xbox One, developers can choose to award up to 1000 Gamerscore at release for any game, including downloadable digital titles. They can also choose to add more achievements and Gamerscore via DLC and new content releases, so many titles will eventually offer additional Gamerscore over time as the experiences expand and evolve." Xbox One games, whether purchased at retail or downloaded through the Microsoft Games Store, will adhere to the same standards for Achievements and Gamerscore. "On Xbox One games are games. All games follow the same policies for achievements and Gamerscore," a Microsoft spokesperson told XBLA Fans. The statement was spurred by a published Achievement list for the Xbox One version of Halo: Spartan Assault, which was announced for Xbox 360 and Xbox One late last month. Xbox 360 Achievements says the game will have 1,000 Gamerscore. The Xbox One, which comes with an improved Kinect sensor, controller, chat headset, HDMI cable and Quick Start guide, launches next week, on November 22, in 13 different markets. The console will cost $500 in the US, €500 in Europe and £430 in the UK.
Halo: Spartan Assault storms Xbox One, Xbox 360
Microsoft has announced Halo: Spartan Assault is coming to Xbox 360 and Xbox One this December. Multiplayer between Xbox One and Xbox 360 is not supported. Halo: Spartan Assault is an omni-directional top-down twin-stick shooter originally unleashed on Windows-based PCs, tablets and phones by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games. Set between Halo 3 and Halo 4, the game chronicles covert Spartan Ops missions during the period of ceasefire between the UNSC and Convenant.
Halo: Spartan Assault expansion bringing Xbox 360 controller support this week
Halo: Spartan Assault, 343 Industries' top-down mobile shooter, will receive an expansion on Thursday called "Operation: Hydra." The expansion adds five new missions and more achievements on Xbox Live, and includes support for wired Xbox 360 controllers. Operation: Hydra has players investigating an intercepted alien signal on the planet Draetheus V's moon. Halo: Spartan Assault is available now for Windows 8 PCs and tablets for $6.99.
Halo: Spartan Assault out now for Windows 8 devices
Heads up, soldier. Halo: Spartan Assault, the omnidirectional shooter spinoff set in the Halo universe, is now available on Windows 8 devices. That means Windows 8 PCs and tablets, including Surface. You can also nab the game on Windows 8 phones – so long as Verizon is your carrier, that is. If you prefer your spinoffs with a little more context, Microsoft and Dark Horse have also produced a prequel comic series, Halo: Initiation. You can find a preview of the first issue on the Dark Horse website.
Verizon gets Halo: Spartan Assault first in the US
The Windows Phone version of Halo: Spartan Assault will come to the US exclusively via Verizon – at least initially. Verizon makes no mention of how long its exclusivity will last, noting only that Verizon customers will get the Halo spin-off "first." The game will be sold for $6.99 and will be compatible with all four of Verizon's Windows Phone 8 models. If you don't have a Windows Phone (or a Verizon contract), Halo: Spartan Assault is also headed to Windows 8 PCs and tablets. The game is slated to arrive this month.%Gallery-190251%
Halo: Spartan Assault breaks off peace for Windows 8 PCs, tablets and phones
Microsoft has announced the impending arrival of Halo: Spartan Assault, an omni-directional top-down shooter for Windows 8 devices. Set between Halos 3 and 4, the space-hoop stopgap will be available this July for an "estimated retail price" of $6.99, though the Windows 8 version (supporting PCs and tablets) will be sold separately from the game made for Windows Phone 8. As with other twin-stick shooters, Halo: Spartan Assault hinges on maneuvering your character out of harm's way while aiming and firing back in 360 degrees. The game retains controllable vehicles, established franchise weapons (see: canon canons) and covenant enemies, but moves the perspective to high above the battlefield and replaces the controls with a touch-screen interface. It's obviously more simplistic than Halo proper, and certainly more likely to be mentioned in an article with Microsoft's range of Surface tablets. Halo: Spartan Assault is developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games (Greed Corp, Gatling Gears), and comes complete with leaderboards, weekly challenges, and connectivity rewards for Halo 4, firstly in the form of new Spartan emblems. It will also be accompanied by a three-part prequel comic series called "Halo: Initiation." If dragging thumbs across a capacitive screen isn't ideal, you can play the Windows 8 version of Spartan Assault with a mouse and keyboard. According to Microsoft, "Halo: Spartan Assault will add support for the Wired Xbox 360 controller for Windows on Windows 8 PCs, tablets and Surface devices shortly after launch, via a title update."%Gallery-190251%
Halo: Spartan Assault revealed for Windows Phone and Windows 8, we go hands-on
Between the Xbox One, Steven Spielberg's latest TV project and the approach of E3, fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new Halo game. 343 Industries has heard their pleas, but its answer is somewhat unexpected -- the next game in the legendary franchise isn't for Microsoft's next-generation game console, but for the company's mobile and tablet platforms. Built specifically for Windows Phone and touch-enabled Windows 8 devices, Halo: Spartan Assault hopes to offer the essence of Halo in a portable format. Engadget stopped in at the game's launch event to take a look. "In a nutshell, it's a top-down twin stick arcade-style action shooter," explained Dan Ayoub, executive producer at 343 Industries. "Really, a brand new way to play Halo." Ayoub told us that the game was designed to push the limits of phone and tablet graphics, stressing the Halo franchise's history as a trailblazer on Microsoft platforms. "We wanted this to be no exception," he said, inviting journalists at the event to try the game for themselves. We picked up a nearby Surface Pro slate and tucked in. %Gallery-190250%
Report: Microsoft registers bundle of 'Halo Spartan Assault' domains
Microsoft, by way of private domain registrar service MarkMonitor, has registered a handful of domains related to the Halo universe, Fusible reports. The addresses, HaloSpartanAssault.com, Halo-SpartanAssault.net and similar other variants were all registered within the last few days, and while Microsoft's name is not explicitly attached to any of the related whois reports, the behemoth company has historically used MarkMonitor to claim sensitive URLs in the past. As of press time, the newly-registered domains do not resolve or redirect to any websites, Halo-themed or otherwise. If we had to guess, which we absolutely do not, we'd wager that Halo: Spartan Assault is the name of an Xbox One football game set in the Halo universe, running on the NFL Blitz 2000 Gold Edition engine.
