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Robot to develop further Halo Wars content, new IP
Recently formed Robot Entertainment has answered the question of who's going to support Halo Wars after its launch on March 3: the people who made it. Robot -- created by ex Ensemble Studios staff, including its founder, Tony Good -- will not only provide online support and community management for the Halo universe RTS, but will be working with Microsoft Game Studios to create future content for the game.Robot will also be working with MGS on the Ensemble-created Age of Empires franchise going forward, with the intent to handle support for current and future titles in the series. In a release issued today, the developer also announced that it has begun work on a new project based on an original IP. Given the various unannounced projects revealed when Ensemble closed its doors, we'd be surprised if this new game turns out to be another RTS.
Ensemble Studios founder creates Robot Entertainment
It's been just under two weeks since Age of Empires and Halo Wars developer Ensemble Studios closed its doors and already one of the two previously announced development studios springing from its demise is forming like Voltron -- appropriately, they've named the new studio Robot Entertainment. Tony Goodman, founder of Ensemble Studios way back in January of 1996, appears to be heading up the studio, whose website promises "big ideas" and ... well ... not much else. Will Robot Entertainment be the studio supporting development of the promised Halo Wars dlc? That remains to be seen but, given co-founder Bruce Shelley's words last month in his final blog post on the community site (which is now shut down), there's roughly a 50/50 chance: "There are at least two new studios being formed by ES [Ensemble Studios] employees and I expect both to do very well." We've put in word to Robot Entertainment for comment and will update this post accordingly as news comes in.[Via Gamasutra] [image]
Ensemble talks controls in Halo Wars ViDoc 3
The third in the Halo Wars video documentary series has been released. The third ViDoc centers around the game's control scheme, which was crafted from the ground up for the Xbox 360. The boys (formerly) from Ensemble Studios discuss how the control scheme came about and explain some of its nuances, such as the circle menu. Sure, you could watch the video to learn about the history of Halo Wars, or you could just watch it to see tiny men slaughter each other. We won't judge.[Thanks, Sgt Barone]
Halo Wars demo enlists over 2 million recruits
With news that the Halo Wars demo on Xbox Live has been downloaded over 2 million times, we tried to think about the why. Why would over 2 million gamers check out this particular demo? We came up with a few reasons: Xbox owners enjoy free demos Xbox owners enjoy games with Halo in the title Xbox owners enjoy free demos of games with Halo in the title So, as you can see, it's really anyone's guess as to why the demo has become so popular. As soon as we find out that why though, we'll be sure to let you know.
Brick by brick preview of Halo Wars Mega Bloks
Action-Figure.com just posted a few pre-release photos of this Summer's upcoming Halo Wars Mega Bloks and, yes, they're mildly cute. You know, in a blocky, mini-fig kind of way. Per the preview photos, we can confirm that most of the iconic Halo characters (and vehicles) will be Mega Blok'ed. Spartans, Elites, Grunts, Warthogs, Ghosts, Hornets, Scorpions and even Banshees are all there. Our only question: Will the building instructions be presented in a radial pie menu? [Thanks, sambob117]
Hello Kitty Xbox 360 dazzles while you frag
You may remember deviantART member Ricepuppet from his days dressing up his Xbox 360 in Domo-kun stylings. He's back, combining our love for console paint jobs with all things Hello Kitty. No matching controller this time, but there's more than enough stars, shades of pink, and cuteness to make up for it. The Sanrio charmer isn't the only new mod he's got, we also spotted consoles adorned with Halo Wars, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Chocobos (of Final Fantasy fame). Now how about we see some of that HK love plastered on a Rock Band drum set?Read - Hello Kitty modRead - Go Go Sonic modRead - Halo Wars modRead - Chocobo racing mod
Listen up! Halo Wars soundtrack debuts on AOL Radio
Even though Monday has all but expired, there's still time to catch a preview of the upcoming Halo Wars soundtrack. All day today, AOL's Video Game Scores channel is exclusively debuting Spartan-inspired songs from the album. The tracks will air every hour, on the hour throughout the evening.The Halo Wars soundtrack will be releasing to stores February 17th, which means it'll be available just in time to melodically accompany your Halo Wars gaming this March and your Mega Blok construction this Summer.
Halo Wars trailer advises us to 'command the forces'
Much like your backseat gamer girlfriend during intense Halo 3 sessions, Halo Wars finally lets you shunt Spartans around, telling them to shoot over here and hide over there. You can experience the real-time stategery for yourself in today's Halo Wars demo, or check out the latest trailer embedded above. "Command the forces" strikes us as particularly helpful advice.If you'd like even more, you can access the official Halo Wars manual at Xbox.com (PDF) -- it's not like you'll read the copy included with the game next month.
Halo Wars demo now accepting recruits via the XBLM
For the past hour, we've been pacing back and forth, waiting for the content to become available. We're sure you've been doing that same anxious pacing. But the wait is over and, from high atop our blogger soapbox (which makes us feel Elite-sized in height), we're pleased to announce that a Halo Wars demo is now available for download off the Xbox Live Marketplace. Cue thunderous applause and Grunt birthday party-like cheers!The free 1.4GB Halo Wars demo download will give curious (Gold subscriber) gamers a chance to test Ensemble Studios' innovative console RTS controls through a portion of the game -- including a smattering of lovely cutscenes. Enough talk, get to downloading already.%Gallery-23398%
Toys 'R' Us, GameStop get Halo Wars figs this month
McFarlane Toys has announced that Toys 'R' Us, GameStop and an unnamed third retailer will be exclusively selling the company's new line of Halo Wars figures early. The three retailers will begin selling three different 3-packs of the figurines sometime this month, while other retailers will begin selling the toys after the Halo Wars launch in March. Each of the three "First Look" retailers will have an exclusive 3-pack on offer, each containing three 2½ inch UNSC or Covenant figures. McFarlane announced late last year that each pack will priced from $9.99 to $11.99. Find out where each pack will be available in the list below. TBA -- UNSC TROOPS (Blue)1 Spartan (with assault rifle) 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle) 1 Spartan (with dual magnums) Toys "R" Us -- UNSC TROOPS (Red)1 Spartan (with dual magnums) 1 Spartan (with assault rifle) 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle) GameStop -- COVENANT TROOPS (Purple)2 Elites (with Plasma rifles)1 Grunt (with Needler)
Build your own war with licensed Halo Wars Mega Bloks
Here's an interesting business partnership to consider. MEGA Brands and Microsoft Game Studios have entered into an agreement to manufacture officially licensed Halo Wars Mega Bloks construction toys. You read correctly: Halo Wars construction toys that are said to include "iconic characters and vehicles of the video game." You know, things like Warthogs, Spartans and (dare we get too excited) Grunts. Our only worry about the Halo edition of Mega Bloks is that they'll look too much like Mega's current "kid friendly" offerings. If they're a bit more manly, we have no qualms about buying ourselves a Halo construction toy.Halo Wars Mega Bloks construction sets are coming to a retailer near you, Summer 2009.
Halo Wars ViDoc 2 explains why Spartans, Scarabs are awesome
It's not like we really needed an explanation. Oh sure, it's nice to hear the folks behind Halo Wars discussing why the various units are all so cool, but it's another thing altogether to watch a Scarab literally burn its way through a screaming army of marines, or to see a Spartan slam an Elite to the ground and subsequently kick it in the head. The fact that this much detail is present in a game that's played from a bird's eye view only makes it that much more impressive. But enough gab: Watch (and then be sad).
Closing Time: Ensemble's unannounced titles revealed
Cue the Semisonic, folks. After nearly 15 years, Dallas-based strategy developer Ensemble Studios has closed its doors for good. While its library of classic releases are well known to gamers worldwide, a host of concept images for unannounced games were spotted during a recent studio tour by Gamasutra. Among the titles left to collect dust with so many cardboard boxes are a fantasy-adventure RPG called Sorcerer, a platformer called Bam and a game described as "Diablo in space," called Nova. Also revealed in the tour was a concept for a game named Phoenix, which would eventually become the upcoming RTS Halo Wars. Fun fact: Phoenix is a regularly used codename by Bungie Studios according to its official podcast, but Ensemble's use of the name was purely coincidental. It isn't completely bad news for some of Ensemble's former staff, as many will help establish a new studio headed by Ensemble co-founder Tony Goodman. As big fans of the Age of Empires series, we here at Joystiq wish everyone leaving Ensemble Studios the very best of luck and continued success with future projects. [Via BigDownload]
'Best of Halo' Xbox 360 console: Now with more box art
We can't think of a better way to start the work week than with a few high-res photos of the European exclusive Best of Halo Xbox 360 bundle. Believe us, we tried. Galleried below are the three console box shots, which include full frontal, corner angled and the textual backside. Just try not to drool on your keyboard.%Gallery-43653%
Joyswag: Win one of five 'Halo Wars' demo codes
[Emails have been sent out! Check your inbox and/or spam folder. Thanks for entering, everyone!]Since the beginning of time, man has attempted to unlock the secrets of two ancient mysteries: 1) The meaning of life and 2) how the hell you make an RTS both intuitive and enjoyable using a console controller. On February 5, Halo Wars will attempt to answer the second of life's greatest mysteries when a demo for the title releases on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Will it succeed where others have failed or will it too suffer a tragic fate of mediocrity? We don't know, but this week you have a chance to find out by winning an advanced code for the demo courtesy of Jade, Jake and the entire Xbox Canada Community Blog. Here's how you win: Leave a comment conveying your completely accurate (even though you've never played it) review of the Halo Wars demo. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 5:00PM EST, today (February 2, 2008). We'll randomly select 5 winners at that time to receive an Xbox Live Marketplace code to download the demo of Halo Wars (ARV: $0.00). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here
Ensemble co-founder says goodbye as studio closes
Today Ensemble Studios co-founder Bruce Shelley wrote his final blog for the company, which is set to shut its doors forever now that work on Halo Wars is complete. Shelley said that "about 60%" of the staff that worked on the first Age of Empires title stayed with the company for its entire lifespan, making for some mixed emotions during the studio's final week. "Boxes are piled in the hallways for trash; people are giving away games and other stuff they don't want anymore; computers are being wiped; and our corporate IDs are being turned in," he said, adding, "Although we will be keeping in touch through some alumni initiatives, many of us may not cross paths again." He then went on to thank everyone that supported the studio throughout the years. According to Shelley, "at least two new studios" will be formed by former Ensemble Studios employees, one of which will handle Ensemble Studios Online and post-launch support for Halo Wars. We wish all Ensemble Studios staff members the best of luck in their new endeavors. [Via Big Download]
Lucky Europe receives 'Best of Halo' Xbox 360 bundle
Because Halo Wars is in dire need of more promotion and marketing (not really), Microsoft will be releasing a special edition Xbox 360 console dubbed the "Best of Halo edition". Swedish retailer Webhallen has the listing, mentioning the bundle will ship February 27th and will include all the standard 360 Pro amenities (60GB HDD, wireless controller, headset, cables, etc.) with the addition of both Halo 3 and Halo Wars. And for 2795 kr or about $350 USD, it's actually a decent deal.As far as we know, Europe will be the only market this Best of Halo Xbox 360 will see a release in. But that doesn't mean Stateside fanboys can't keep their fingers crossed and continue to pray to the prophets above.[Via Teamxbox]
Ensemble already 'looking into' Halo Wars DLC
Even though Halo Wars has already gone gold, Ensemble Studios isn't sitting back twiddling its thumbs and drinking celebratory martinis. In fact, the developer is busy plotting post-launch plans and even kicking around the idea of Halo Wars DLC. "We are committed to supporting the franchise," studio producer Jason Pace told Electricpig in a recent interview. Pace admitted that while the studio doesn't have definite plans, "additional downloadable content is something we're looking into." We just hope that Ensemble's studio closure doesn't factor into the DLC decision. And if we end up receiving additional Halo Wars content, our only requirements are that it be cheap, expansive, cheap, story driven and well ... cheap. Get our drift?
Want to control the Flood? Play Risk: Halo Wars
Last week, the folks at USAopoly revealed that they had nabbed the Halo license and planned to release a special, themed edition of the board game Risk, soon after the retail release of Halo Wars. Set to hit the street in July, Risk: Halo Wars features three playable factions (UNSC, Covenant and that pesky Flood), 42 territories with six sectors and 250 plastic playing pieces that represent each of the three factions. The themed set has a MSRP of $39.99. It may not be the new Halo announcement many were hoping for, but a Halo-themed Risk set has, "Yes, please," written all over it.[Update: Image gallery now includes a snap of the game board and pieces.]%Gallery-43278%
Win early access to the Halo Wars demo
On March 3, the final game from famed developer Ensemble Studios will make its way to retail. Halo Wars takes players from the first-person perspective to the real-time strategy realm and has quickly become one of the Xbox 360's most exciting releases of the early 2009 calendar. On February 5, a demo for Halo Wars will drop on the Xbox Live Marketplace but, why wait that long? Planet Xbox 360 and MLGPRO are giving away 10 codes each to get the demo on January 29. Each site has different methods of registering to win, so make sure to check them both out. Good luck to all the impatient gamers salivating at a chance to pick up the demo early.[Contest: Planet Xbox 360][Contest: MLGPRO] Gallery: Halo Wars (XBL Demo)
