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GamePro reveals Halo Wars co-op, new units, controls and more
We reported a few days back that the latest issue of GamePro magazine would include some new Halo Wars details, facts and info. And now we're pleased to make it known that leaked magazine scans have finally made it online and do offer up a rather satisfying dose of Halo Wars newsness.Halo Wars Addict posted scans of all ten pages of GamePro's Halo Wars article (you know, for those outside the States who can't view the magazine's contents any other way ...) and inside we learn about the game's current control scheme, new UNSC vehicles including Vultures, Cyclops and Cobras as well as mention that the campaign will be a combination of human and Covenant worlds. Also, even more exciting is confirmation that Halo Wars will boast six player Xbox Live multiplayer AND feature two person online co-op as well! Purchase a copy of GamePro's July issue to read about all the Halo Wars goodness or ... uhhh ... go here.[Via Grunts R Us]
New Halo Wars and Halo Chronicles info in latest GamePro
GamePro has revealed the cover of their July issue, which contains new information on Halo Wars. According to GamePro's website, the article will feature new details regarding the Covenant and Spartans as well as new vehicles including prototype Elephants, Wolverines and Vultures. While we're certainly excited about the new Halo Wars details, what's even more interesting is that the cover also states that the article will discuss Halo Chronicles. Fans will recognize the name as one of the rumored titles for Peter Jackson's Halo project. Hopefully the article has some real details regarding the game because, thus far, we've got bupkis.
Halo Wars Alpha is over, new info in July GamePro [update]
click to enlarge Update: The Halo Wars website has made a correction regarding the GamePro cover story. It turns out the story is in the July issue, not the June issue. The latest Halo Wars monthly update has been posted and, as usual, we're treated to a smorgasbord of information that is completely devoid of the kind of meaty details for which we so longingly hoped. There is, however, one small glimmer of hope for some new details in the near future, as the update mentions that the cover story for the June July issue of GamePro will center on Halo Wars. The magazine got a chance to actually play a recent build of the game, so we're hopeful that we'll finally get some concrete details about the game (preferably regarding playable Covenant and Flood ... pleeeeease!).Also, the Halo Wars Alpha, about which we reported last month, has concluded and the devs at Ensemble Studios are apparently very pleased with the feedback gained from testers. According to the update, the much vaunted control scheme was well-received and testers had little difficulty in quickly understanding it. Let's hope so.Finally, Ensemble has posted a high resolution version of one of the screenshots revealed last week. Click the headline image above to view it in all its glory.
Tiny new Halo Wars screens with Scarab action
The folks over at Gamecenteronline posted a pair of new Halo Wars screenshots (they claim three, but one we've seen previous) featuring a nighttime banshee battle and some Scarab-tastic destruction. The only problem is that the screenshots are super tiny little with no high res source in sight. So, enjoy what you can see in the two new screens. Also, if you haven't already done so today, send a prayer to the release date gods that Ensemble can get their Halo RTS out the door sometime in 2008. Its non-appearance at the Spring Showcase has us a bit worried.
Spring Showcase no shows: Halo Wars and Alan Wake
Now that the onslaught of Spring Showcase information has mostly subsided (we've still got some hands-on impressions on the way), we have some time to reflect. There were many games on display at the Spring Showcase, which makes the absence of two of Microsoft's premiere titles stand out. The games about which we speak are Alan Wake and Halo Wars. While Alan Wake is perhaps less anticipated (thanks to its seemingly eternal development schedule and its status as a new IP), it's pretty strange that a high profile title like Halo Wars was absent. According to our friends at Joystiq, who spoke to Microsoft on the matter, the Spring Showcase wasn't considered the proper venue for the two games.It's kind of hard to believe that an event designed around letting journalists try their collective hand at all the latest games isn't the right venue for these games (or any game, really). We suppose it's fair to say that Alan Wake -- a survival horror game -- might require more intimacy to appreciate, but Halo Wars? Perhaps Microsoft thought journos wouldn't be able to grasp the controls in the 30-45 minutes of playtime they were allowed.Whatever the reason behind the decision to leave out two of Microsoft Games Studios' biggest titles from the Spring Showcase, we hope we'll see something soon. And we really hope that their absence doesn't portend any delays.
Halo Wars audio designers make birds you can't see
The Halo Wars RTS Chapter on Bungie.net has conducted an interview with Ensemble Studios' Kevin McMullan and JD Smith, the two people in charge of the audio in Halo Wars. Again -- as seems to be a trend with Halo Wars -- you won't find any breathtaking news in the interview, but it does serve as an interesting glimpse into the development process. McMullan and Smith discuss how complex the soundscape is in RTS games, which combine the sounds of combat, dialogue, UI effects, and music all at once. They also talk about the challenge presented by creating sound for a Halo RTS that has to stay true to the series and yet still create its own identity. Finally, and perhaps most interesting, is the discussion of creating ambient sound effects. In particular, Smith mentions creating birds that aren't graphically represented in the game, but instead are represented solely through moving, intelligent sounds. Fascinating stuff. Even more fascinating is Smith's source file he used to create one of the game's bird calls: his 3-year-old daughter. Hit the "read" links below to read the interviews and hear the sound files.Read - Interview pt. IRead - Interview pt. II (including sound files)
Halo Wars designer talks controls, DLC, and more
Australian site Gameplayer recently managed to snag a few minutes with Graeme Devine, lead designer on Halo Wars at Ensemble Studios. While there are no earth-shattering announcements to be pulled from the interview -- sorry kids, still no confirmation of playable Covenant or Flood -- there are still a few tasty bits to be gleaned. First of all, Devine reemphasizes that one of the main goals of Halo Wars is to prove that RTS games can work without a keyboard and mouse. With this in mind, the team at Ensemble created simple controls, consolidating similar actions -- such as different types of unit selection to presses of a single button. For example, single press of the A button will select one unit, a double click will select all units on screen, and a triple click will select the entire army. Another addition, all levels have been designed so that they can be completed without rotating the camera. Sure, players can rotate the camera, but they don't have to.Finally, Devine mentions that there may be a level editor included with Halo Wars and also details Ensemble's plans for downloadable content. At the moment, new units and maps are definitely in the works. Even more exciting, Ensemble is considering releasing extra campaigns as well. Hit the "read" link for the full interview.
Halo Wars April update talks strategy, music
The monthly Halo Wars update for April is up. Unfortunately, there isn't much news concerning gameplay (sorry folks, no playable Covenant or Flood yet), but that won't stop us from detailing what was there. What little info there was regarding gameplay centered around the cancellation of Ensemble's internal tournament. The tournament is still coming, but the team decided to wait for a few more things to be implemented in the game. Said things are referred to as "really cool stuff" and should complete "the game's full arsenal," so the team thought it would be best to wait. Other tweaks are also being made to air vehicles which are apparently a little too effective for hit-and-runs. Oh, and Scorpion tanks, while resource-intensive and slow to build, are proving quite popular among the Ensemble staff (imagine that). The update also details a rather effective counter to an opponent that favors building Scorpions (hint: go Marines!).The rest of the update focuses on the game's music. Essentially, Music and Sound Director Stephen "Big Al" Rippy is currently walking a tightrope between making sure the game's music holds true to the Halo universe while still being able to expand upon the work already established by Bungie's Marty O'Donnell (who likes Rippy's work, incidentally). For what it's worth, Rippy says all of the music for Halo Wars is now in the can (assuming there are no more significant changes). Let's hope that means we can get a closer look at the full game soon.
Halo Wars alpha spotted on Xbox Live
We've been receiving reports for the last few days that a Halo Wars alpha is floating around on Xbox Live. Now, thanks to 360Sync, we have picture proof of its existence. For whatever reason, the alpha has the title "Sway," though it's clearly the Halo Wars alpha according to the status message underneath. What does this mean to the common gamer? Well, not much really. Keeping in mind that an alpha test can precede a final product by many, many months -- the Halo 3 beta came out four months before the final release -- this doesn't mean we're that much closer to seeing Halo Wars hit the shelves. Still, who knows, maybe a public beta is in the works for Halo Wars. At the very least we should have a demo to look forward to.In the meantime, we'll just have to be jealous of those lucky alpha testers.
Rumors of Halo Wars PC now officially squashed
Sorry PC fanboys, you can consider the rumor officially squashified. After word hit the intertubes that Microsoft and Ensemble Studios were developing Halo Wars for the PC to participate in some cross platform play with the Xbox 360 version, Microsoft felt the need to step in. Step in and deny Halo Wars PC's very existence.After being confronted with the rumor, Microsoft told IGN that "Halo Wars is being developed from the bottom up for the Xbox 360 and its control scheme to ensure that we deliver a groundbreaking console RTS experience. Given that, we have no plans to develop 'Halo Wars' for Windows Vista at this time." Well, that's a pretty blunt statement ... so ... no Halo Wars PC then. Sounds good.
Rumor: Ensemble planning a Halo Wars PC release
The always disturbed crew over at the ANGRY pixel have jump started the rumor mill once again with a claim that Halo Wars is also being developed for the PC.According to one of their Microsoft insiders (who contracted a "case of verbal diarrhoea"), the ANGRY pixel claims that Ensemble is planning on bringing Halo Wars to the PC as part of Microsoft's Games for Windows initiative and, get this, will feature cross platform play with its brother on the 360. They say that Ensemble was ready and willing to take on both 360 and PC Halo Wars development and were up for the challenge to completely integrate cross-platform gameplay. They also mentioned that the PC version may include a map editor (nothing too fancy for a PC RTS), but that the custom maps would be playable on the 360 as well.Rumor or not, Halo Wars PC isn't all that far fetched of an idea. If it doesn't come to fruition day one when Halo Wars on the 360 releases, we wouldn't be one bit surprised to see its PC release come six months down the road.[Via CVG]
Ensemble auctions off signed 'Age of ...' series for Child's Play -- free global shipping
We got a little note today from Ensemble Studios, best known for the Age of Empires series and currently creating Halo Wars, stating that the company created an auction on eBay with all proceeds going to Child's Play. The auction involves everything you see above (essentially the whole Age of series), signed by the Ensemble development team. Estimated value is $300 and as of this writing the bidding was at $280. You guys can push that up -- it's for charity!We spoke with Ensemble Studio's Producer Brian Lemon to find out why the company decided to do this. He explained that the studio already donated something similar to the Child's Play auction which occurred in Seattle, but wanted to give its fans around the world a more public opportunity to win the package. To show its commitment, Ensemble made worldwide shipping of the bundle free. A nice idea for a good cause.
New Halo Wars gameplay trailer [Update]
Was that thirty seconds of Halo Wars gameplay footage from July not enough to quench your thirst for wanton Spartan vs. Covenant destruction? A new, ten-minute gameplay trailer with narration is now available in HD over Xbox Live. The trailer goes over how the controls currently work, as well as show off some of more acute details of the game (spoiler: UNSC troops do push-ups). If you can't fire up your Xbox 360 (either because of circumstance or an irksome Red Ring), the new video is embedded above for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to check out our impressions of the game from this year's E3. [Update: D'oh! Due to extenuating circumstances -- our Xbox 360s are sleeping with digital fishes -- we took the word of the press release that the Halo Wars trailer would be available on Xbox Live. You can still enjoy the video, in standard definition, via the embedded video above.]
Epson's high-end HTIB: the Ensemble Home Cinema System
Home cinema newbies can collectively rejoice, as even Epson has stepped up to the plate and is offering a high-end HTIB of its own. The Ensemble Home Cinema System provides "everything" (even patience?) you need to turn your den into a theater worth being proud of, and includes your choice of a 1080p or 720p Epson projector, 100-inch motorized screen, a 5.1 Atlantic Technology surround system, ten-inch subwoofer with built-in amplifier, AV controller with twin HDMI inputs and an upconverting DVD player, and a pre-programmed universal remote that takes the fun frustration out of establishing a one-button setup. Interestingly, Epson claims that the entire installation can be completed in a mere four hours, so if you're inches away from tearing your hair (or walls) out, simmer down and hand over your $4,999 (720p) to $6,999 (1080p) to handle HT the easy way.[Via AkihabaraNews]
Ensemble: Halo Wars demo before release
Gamers tend to be (understandably) cautious when it comes to real time strategy games on consoles. The reason for this is simple: RTS games on consoles have been uniformly bad, with the (arguable) exception of Battle for Middle Earth II and Command & Conquer 3 on the Xbox 360. Even with those games, however, the controls are far from perfect, which becomes abundantly clear in later levels. Halo Wars hopes to change all that, or so we were told by Ensemble. Still, we'd like a bit of a safety net if you please. Lucky for us, the folks from Ensemble told us during our Halo Wars E3 presentation that there is a demo on the way. According to producer Chris Rippy, the demo will arrive "for sure before the game comes out." While we were generally impressed with the Halo Wars presentation, our one nagging concern was the control, so it's nice to know that we'll all be able to try before we buy. Halo Wars touches down in 2008.
Rumorang: Halo Wars Dec. 31st Release? Exobably not
We got a couple tips about GameStop listing Halo Wars' release date as 12/31/07, and before this spreads like wildfire, we'd just like to point out this reeks of pea soup. Excardon our logic here, but why would Halo 3 and Halo Wars release in the same year, let alone Holiday season? Obviously, GameStop is just trying to secure some pre-orders, but you may want to get a canceltation on those before you get your hopes up. Once we get some concrete details on the development and release on Halo Wars, we'll report it here. No probalo![Thanks, Joseph]
The latest on Halo Wars: mocap goodness
It's been a long time coming (and we're a week late getting to it), but the latest update on Halo Wars has finally arrived. Posted on the Halo Wars forums, the update centers around a recent motion capture session (mocap to the kids). The makers of Halo Wars set up some test sessions with an LA motion capture studio, House of Moves, to see if mocap could be beneficial to Halo Wars. So, several actors were set up with light reflecting ping pong balls and asked to re-enact scenes from the game. They even set up a plywood warthog and gave the actors some crazy stilts to emulate the way Elites walk. See more pictures after the break.
Halo Wars art, new info in December
The Playstation 3 and Wii are launching this week, and it looks like Microsoft wants to make damned sure that players remember why they love Xbox. We're talking about Halo, of course. The above piece of concept are showed up in our inbox a few minutes ago. It's a UNSC Shortsword bomber, one of the units available in Ensemble Studios upcoming 360 RTS, Halo Wars. We went over to the official Halo Wars site just to see if anything was new. Sure enough, Ensemble has posted an update on the game's progress. In truth, the update is really just there to let us know that they plan to do monthly updates from now on. Still, Ensemble takes the time to congratulate Bungie on Halo's fifth-iversary and welcomes gamers to share their ideas for Halo Wars. If you have an idea, or just want to share your enthusiasm, head over to the Halo Wars forums -- you can also download hi-res versions of the above concept art in their image gallery. Expect a real update in December. What would you like to see in a Halo RTS?
Halo Wars trailer gives us goosebumps
Okay, so you missed the X06 briefing and the Halo Wars trailer. Your 360 crapped out on you and you couldn't download it from Marketplace. To top it all off, your slavish devotion to X360F prevents you from looking it up on one of the internets. It's okay, friend, we understand your pain. You need merely click "continue" to see the video embedded after the break. And by the way, that headline is not a joke. It gave us goosebumps (well, maybe not Ken, but he is made of sterner stuff than I). So, who wants this game? Raise your hand.
