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Fan-favorite Halo 2 map Coagulation returns as Bloodline
Among the many, many multiplayer maps included in the Xbox One's upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a remake of Halo 2's Coagulation, boasting improved graphics, new vehicles and a pair of EMPs that will stop Warthogs in their tracks. Xbox Wire describes Bloodline as "like a "Best Of" collection for all the iterations of Blood Gulch," but notes a few key additions that weren't seen in prior Blood Gulch homages. In Bloodline, Hornet attack ships spawn behind both red and blue bases, the map features a new, neutral base stocked with weapons and vehicles at its midpoint and if you find your base being overrun by Banshees and Warthogs, you can shut down all of your mechanized attackers at once with an EMP burst. And, of course, the map includes all of the rocket launchers, sniper rifles and explosive pink shard cannons players have come to expect from Halo. Beyond the break you'll find a video highlighting Bloodline's multiplayer gameplay. If you've ever squeezed off a few rounds in any iteration of Blood Gulch, it should seem immediately familiar. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo 2: Anniversary documentary lands on Friday
Remaking the Legend – Halo 2: Anniversary, a documentary about the creation of Halo 2: Anniversary, is due to premiere on October 31 free on Xbox Video and streaming on Twitch at 11AM PT / 2PM ET that same day, with additional airings to follow. The film will be available on the Halo Channel on November 11, and it will re-air on Twitch on November 1 and 2. See the full schedule after the break. Remaking the Legend delves into the history of the Halo franchise with an emphasis on the creation of Halo 2: Anniversary from 343 Industries and Microsoft. "How do you remake a title that is so beloved by fans?" Tina Summerford, Director of Programming for 343 Industries asked in an Xbox blog post. "How do you decide what must stay the same and what can be updated? It takes an army to build any game and we realized this process was one that the Halo Nation rarely gets a glimpse into. We hit the road to capture the process from top to bottom, talking to all of the key players who helped bring Halo 2: Anniversary into the next gen and giving our fans unprecedented access to this process."
HaloFest to stream Halo 5 multiplayer, Nightfall's premiere next month
Halo devotees can get an early glimpse at Halo 5: Guardians' multiplayer mode during HaloFest, an upcoming live broadcast event that will also host the world premiere of the digital series Halo: Nightfall. Starting at 8 p.m. PST on November 10, players can tune in at Xbox.com and Twitch.tv/Halo to see exclusive beta footage, developer interviews, and the first episode of Nightfall as part of HaloFest. On November 8-9, Microsoft will additionally host coverage of The Master Chief Collection Launch Invitational, a global multiplayer tournament in which 32 top Halo 2: Anniversary players compete for $50,000 in prizes. Microsoft's streamed event leads up to the launch of the Xbox One series compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which hits retail on November 11. [Video: Microsoft]
343: Halo Collection's launch patch negates a second disc
Following outrage at a 20GB day-one update planned for the upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection, head of Halo franchise development Frank O'Connor took to NeoGAF to defend the design decision. According to O'Connor, that 20GB of data is not a fix for in-game issues, but is instead game content that would have otherwise required that the game ship on multiple Blu-ray discs. "The game is designed to run as a single, unified product, digital is seamless obviously, but we also wanted disc users to have the same experience, without swapping discs," O'Connor told one irate fan. He then added that a title update (read: patch) would be included in the 20GB update, but that it is a "tiny fraction" of the total download. "We realize that this isn't ideal for everyone, but it's the path to the smoothest eventual experience." While we won't know for sure what's included in the update until it arrives, O'Connor's claim that the game was simply too large to fit on one disc has merit. As we've explained, Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes remastered versions of the first four Halo games, as well as over 100 multiplayer maps. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo 2: Anniversary getting a making-of documentary
In an upcoming documentary that's bound to make the wait for Halo: The Master Chief Collection's November 11 launch more painful, fans will get a peek at what went into tackling the compilation's most-anticipated piece. 343 Industries has released the above teaser for Remaking the Legend - Halo 2 Anniversary, which appears to be a reflection on Halo 2's initial significance as well as the work involved in bringing it to Xbox One. Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, Xbox spokesperson Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb and 343 Studio Head Bonnie Ross are among the figures featured in the trailer, which signs off by promising the full work is coming soon. [Image: 343 Industries]
Halo: Master Chief Collection worldwide launch pushed up
Microsoft and 343 Industries have moved the worldwide launch date of Halo: The Master Chief Collection up to November 11, the same day as the North American release. The game was originally due out on November 11 in North America and November 14 internationally. Most countries will now get the game on the same day, with a few exceptions: Belgium's date is now November 12, Japan is November 13, and France is November 14. "Some fans expressed disappointment in our original planned release date of November 11 in North America and November 14 in several other territories around the world. We heard you loud and clear," 343 Executive Producer Dan Ayoub said in a letter. He continued, "Given the social aspects of the experience, we were really happy to get it as close to a simultaneous worldwide release as possible so that we can all celebrate on November 11 and start playing together." Spartan Ops, the co-op campaign from Halo 4, will not be included in The Master Chief Collection at launch – instead, it will hit the game in December. The Master Chief Collection is 45GB, and there will be a day-one update estimated at 20GB, Ayoub said. "Yes, the update is large, but we weren't about to cut corners to save disc space," he said. "This ensures that you are getting every bit of Halo goodness we can fit in. Our work is not done, however, as we continue to tune, tweak and optimize the online experience to ensure a smooth multiplayer launch." As a reminder: here's everything in the MC Collection.
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]
White Xbox One Master Chief Collection bundle Brazil-bound, 'no plans' for US release
Xbox One owners in Brazil can look forward to a shiny white Xbox One in early 2015, when it will arrive carrying a copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection in its box. Microsoft announced the special Xbox One / Master Chief Collection bundle this week during the Brazil Game Show, later telling IGN that it will also release in "select additional markets." It will cost 2,000 BRL. Unfortunately, a Microsoft rep also confirmed to IGN that the company has "no plans" to release the bundle stateside. US residents who prefer white can still find satisfaction via the Sunset Overdrive bundle though, which will contain a white Xbox One and a copy of Insomniac's Xbox One-exclusive energy-drinking-mutant-apocalypse romp when it launches on October 28. [Image: Microsoft]
343: Halo 2 Anniversary campaign not at native 1080p
The upgraded port of Halo 2 included in the Xbox One-exclusive series compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection will not output at a native 1080p resolution, developer 343 Industries confirmed in an interview with IGN this week. The porting process initially placed Halo 2: Anniversary at 720p, due to a hardware-pushing feature that allows players to switch between its original graphics engine and an updated audiovisual presentation instantly. Further tweaking allows Halo 2's campaign to run at 1328x1080 in the retail version of The Master Chief Collection, putting it a step behind the other games in the bundle, which perform at a native 1920x1080 resolution. Microsoft initially pledged that all games in The Master Chief Collection would hit a consistent 60 frames-per-second performance at 1080p. 343 executive producer Dan Ayoub explained that Halo 2: Anniversary's current 1328x1080 resolution required a last-minute push from its development team. "The campaign of Halo 2: Anniversary looked fantastic at 720p with the level of detail and clarity it gave us, but like every other aspect of the game and tech, we wanted to push it further," Ayoub said. "So in the last weeks of development, our teams were able to meet a stretch goal and the campaign of Halo 2: Anniversary now runs 60 fps at a crisp resolution of 1328x1080, which is a significant and meaningful boost in image quality we think fans are really going to appreciate. All of the other games across the entire package of The Master Chief Collection run 60 fps at 1920x1080 native." [Image: Microsoft]
The Master Chief Collection getting Halo 2's 'Warlock' map
The final Halo 2 map being remade for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection is Warlock, Microsoft announced today. The multiplayer map was itself a remake of the Wizard map from Halo: Combat Evolved. Warlock, now known as "Warlord," joins five other multiplayer maps from Halo 2 that will return in the The Master Chief Collection: Ascension, Coagulation, Lockout, Sanctuary and Zanzibar. The map will include "additional cover, new skill jumps, and a new weapon in the center," according to Certain Affinity President Max Hoberman, former multiplayer lead designer for the original version of Halo 2. Microsoft first revealed the collection during its E3 2014 press event in June following rumors of the bundle's existence in May. Halo: The Master Chief Collection packs together Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4, and is Xbox One exclusive. It will also include formerly PC-exclusive maps from the first two games. The collection will launch on November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo, Halo 2 PC-exclusive maps included in Master Chief Collection
A collection of maps formerly exclusive to the Windows PC versions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 will be included with the upcoming Xbox One series compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection, developer 343 Industries revealed today. Returning maps include Timberland, Death Island, Gephyrophobia, Danger Canyon, Ice Fields and Infinity from Halo CE, along with Halo 2's District and Uplift. PC-exclusive weapons like the Flamethrower and Fuel Rod Gun are also slated to return, and veteran console players will be able to filter them out by choosing an optional "classic" weapon set. Halo: The Master Chief Collection premieres on November 11. [Image: 343 Industries]
Halo: The Master Chief Collection revitalizes Halo 2's Lockout
One of the most beloved maps from Halo 2, the twisty-turny Lockout, is getting an extreme makeover in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Apart from looking much, much better, the new-and-improved Lockout will feature a few new gameplay twists, notably some extra cover near the grav lift and "a dynamic element that should help counter an entrenched group of enemies." See it for yourself in new screens and a trailer after the break. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo: is it the TV you're looking for?
The custodians of Halo have considered "what it means to move television forward," says executive producer Kiki Wolfkill. It's an unusual line coming from 343 Industries, maker of Halo 4, but it shows a more practical streak than Microsoft's own (and now defunct) Xbox Entertainment Studios. 343's Halo Channel is an Xbox One and Windows 8.1 app that works like a giant web for the Halo franchise, ensnaring original TV programming, games, news, Twitch streams, social activity, franchise fiction and, by the looks of it, any Halo fan who uses it. Tapping into your Xbox profile, it'll recognize you and suggest content based on what you've played, watched and read before. "We will always curate a stream," Wolfkill says.
Halo 5: Guardians beta shifts to Dec. 29 [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
The beta for Halo 5: Guardians begins on December 29 and ends on January 18, developer 343 Industries announced during Microsoft's Gamescom press conference. This is a slight shift from the initial beta launch dates of December 27 - January 17. Things unlocked in the beta will carry over to the full launch of Halo 5. Halo 5 marks a return to the franchise's "legacy of competitive multiplayer," 343 said. The game is due out in 2015 on Xbox One.
Master Chief Collection features skill-based ranking as per Halo 2 [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
Here's one tidbit from Microsoft's Gamescom conference that's sure to please fans of Halo 2's multiplayer: 343 Industries' producer Dan Ayoub announced the upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes a skill-based ranking system with leveling "identical" to that of Halo 2. The news followed the newly unveiled Halo Channel "digital network" for the upcoming Xbox One compilation. The remastered bundle includes Halos 1-4 as well as access to the live-action Halo: Nightfall TV series, and it's launching in North America on November 11.
'Halo Channel' digital network announced [UPDATE: Trailer added!]
Microsoft announced the Halo Channel during its Gamescom 2014 press event today. The channel is a digital network dedicated to original content centered around the first-person shooter series for Windows and Xbox One. The Halo Channel will host gameplay streams powered by Twitch, and also offers support for connected second-screen devices, such as tablets. Similar to the Xbox 360's Halo Waypoint channel, players will be able to launch games from the network, which also organizes multiplayer data, videos, player rewards and social networking tools. [Image: Microsoft]
A Halo 2 cutscene transforms for The Master Chief Collection
How much work does Blur Studio put into revamping and remaking Halo 2's cutscenes for Halo 2 Anniversary? Quite a bit more than the minute-and-a-half's worth you see in the video above, but we're okay with a highlight reel. If you want to see just how far visual fidelity has progressed since 2004 and the original Xbox, take a look at the trailer Microsoft, 343 Industries and Blur showed during their panel at San Diego Comic-Con this year and watch as Miranda Keyes transforms from polygonal puppet to a soldier straight out of the uncanny valley. If Blur's work makes you hungry for more, you won't have to wait much longer: Halo 2 Anniversary will be included as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which hits Xbox One on November 11 this year. [Image: Blur Studio]
Commander, watch the Master Chief Collection, Mass Effect SDCC panels
If you weren't able to attend, Microsoft and BioWare have published full video of their respective San Diego Comic Con panels on Halo: the Master Chief Collection and the next Mass Effect. If you've got 90 minutes spare, you could do worse than perching right here and checking them out - the Halo video's up top with Mass Effect below the break. If you've been lost in space for the last month and this is the first you've heard of either of these things, let's fill you in. Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a remastered compilation of Halos 1-4, and it's coming to Xbox One on November 11. It also includes access to the Ridley Scott live-action Halo: Nightfall series, as well as the Halo 5 multiplayer beta, due to begin in December.
Halo 2: Anniversary's new cinematics are a Blur of beauty
Halo: The Master Chief Collection made an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con this week, bringing with it new screenshots of the re-imagined "Zanzibar" map and a trailer showcasing Halo 2: Anniversary's revamped cutscenes. Blur Studio, which has had its hand in many of today's most visually spectacular cinematics and commercials - including those for Halo 4 and Batman: Arkham Origins - is the company to thank for Master Chief and friends' high-res makeovers, while 343 Industries and Certain Affinity can claim responsibility for the new Zanzibar. Scope out the map and concept art below to prep yourself for the battles waiting for you on November 11. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo: Nightfall trailer shows a guardian of the galaxy in action
Couldn't make it to San Diego Comic-Con to check out the first look at the Ridley Scott-produced digital series Halo: Nightfall? Don't worry soldier, the UNSC's got your back. And by "UNSC" we mean Microsoft, 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions, which have collectively released the first trailer for Nightfall. Go on, take a look - this mission intel isn't classified. If you're just joining us, Halo: Nightfall is the live-action interlude story that takes place between Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. Its plot centers on Agent Locke, a character new to the Halo universe, who leads a team of soldiers from the Office of Naval Intelligence as they investigate terrorist activity on the distant planet of Sedra. Judging by the trailer, things don't look too bright. Even so, we're not too worried - if Agent Locke and his crew can escape the shuttering of Xbox Entertainment Studios, surely they can handle whatever comes their way in Nightfall. Right? Halo: Nightfall will be accessible to anyone who buys Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox One this November. [Image: Microsoft/Scott Free Productions]
