Halo 4
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Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn trailer rolls out
Important cinematic lesson: Always go with the cyborg if you want to live. Master Chief's imposing appearance in this live-action trailer for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, which precedes a full web series due in October, comes at just about the right time. Before that we almost thought it was the new Hunger Games.
Halo 4 will work with Microsoft's new tablet ... somehow
Microsoft's President of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, says Halo 4 will interact with Microsoft's upcoming tablet computer, Surface. Exactly how the two will interact, however, remains a mystery. Mattrick noted the news during a VentureBeat event in San Francisco yesterday; later, he reconfirmed the functionality with a reporter on-hand but refused to give any more details.If we had to guess, though, we'd say the only functionality between the two will be the already announced SmartGlass features from E3 (say, using Halo Waypoint, or viewing the game's encyclopedia). After all, Microsoft told us at E3 that SmartGlass will be part of all Microsoft Studios games going forward after its fall 2012 launch.Of course, Microsoft could always go totally off the rails and add full-on gamepad support via Surface's touchscreen. Or maybe just a personal Cortana app where she freaks out and yells at you randomly while you're playing. Maybe they should just stick with the Waypoint stuff.
Certain Affinity developing Halo 4's Forge mode, includes gravity augmentation [Update: now with video]
Halo 4's iteration of the Forge map editor is currently under development at Certain Affinity, the development studio responsible for Age of Booty, Crimson Alliance and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary's multiplayer. The announcement was made during a presentation at Rooster Teeth's second annual RTX event in Austin, TX.While a wide breadth of changes and additions have been made to the Forge editor, most interesting are the "Player Trait Zones," which allow map builders to modify the characteristics of any players that enter the effected area, changing the height of their jumps, the speed at which they run, etc. It's even possible to reverse the gravity in a given area by using "Grav Volume" field.Enhancements have also been made to the objects that can be placed by users: Elements can now be locked in place, magnetized and more efficiently duplicated. The editor's lighting system has also been overhauled; objects placed now cast and receive shadows normally. Finally, a map editor capable of bringing our upside-down film noir Halo dreams to life.Update: Now with video! Thanks, Austin!
Minecraft XBLA Skin Pack also includes Master Chief
What cavalcade of Minecraft skins would be complete without everyone's favorite cyborg? Play XBLA revealed Master Chief as one of the 40 different skins coming to Minecraft on Xbox Live Arcade.As you can see above, Master Chief isn't the only recognizable blockhead in the group. Skin Pack 1 also includes Danklef, a scientist from 'Splosion Man, and Old-School Trials Evolution Guy.%Gallery-159877%
Halo 4 multiplayer footage details Infinity Slayer, Regicide and Personal Ordnance
The good ship UNSC Infinity will play quite the hands-on role in Halo 4's various multiplayer modes, delivering ordnance both to teams and to individual players themselves, provided they've done an awesome enough job during the fight.Unlike previous Halo games where kills would only accrue points for your team as a whole, Halo 4's Personal Ordnance system introduces a secondary, personal inter-match progression system to provide a little extra self-centered motivation. Medals acquired through kills, assists and "style" gameplay (ending a kill spree, killing someone attempting to hijack a vehicle, etc) fill up an Ordnance Meter, which upon being filled completely will allow the player to select from three randomly generated rewards, two weapons and/or grenades, plus one power-up.Each additional round of Ordnance takes 30 percent more gumption to acquire, with most players acquiring one or two rewards per round, according to The Halo Bulletin. Check out the footage above for shots of the system in action, as well as a look at the game's new multiplayer modes Infinity Slayer and Regicide.
Halo 4 requires 'at least' 8GB flash drive, hard drive 'recommended' [Update: MS responds]
As seems to be becoming tradition for the series, Halo 4 will require quite a bit of storage to play. Specifically, Xbox.com notes that players will need "at least an 8GB USB flash drive or an Xbox 360 Hard Drive" in order to play Halo 4's multiplayer mode. Furthermore, the hard drive option is "highly recommended" for those seeking an "optimal" experience.We've contacted Microsoft to see what differences there will be between each option – and exactly what is meant by the fairly all-encompassing term "multiplayer" – but, in the meantime, one thing is clear: in the off chance that you might want to play some Halo 4 multiplayer, you'll need some storage to do it.Update: Microsoft has responded to our queries, noting that "Halo 4 will offer an optimal experience if played using a hard drive, but will deliver a visually impressive and immersive gameplay experience whether you use a hard drive or a flash storage device." Furthermore, as to which multiplayer modes require storage: All of them. Specifically, "the multiplayer modes the storage requirement applies to encompass all Xbox Live-enabled modes."
You can almost see Master Chief in this Halo 4 live action teaser
The Chief is in there, no doubt, but Halo 4's "Forward Unto Dawn" live action marketing campaign has yet to really kick off. As such, the teaser above offers little more than a brief glimpse at Master Chief's super tall, super armored silhouette.
Set your sights on Halo 4 multiplayer map 'Longbow'
What is it about shooting expensive cyborgs in the snow that is so gosh-darn appealing? We have fond memories of performing murders in Sidewinder and Snowbound, and now Halo 4 continues the snowy tradition with Longbow.Longbow is a map located in the northern polar region of the planet Concord, specifically designed to showcase one of Halo 4's new game modes – but 343 isn't talking specifics yet. "Each side is a very similar plan and path, but distinct enough to get a peripheral sense of being in a distinct 'zone' in the map," the blog post on Halo Waypoint explains. Longbow supports both traditional on-foot combat modes and more grand vehicle-based skirmishes.If you want to check out Longbow before anyone else, Microsoft will be showcasing it during the Rooster Teeth Expo in Austin, Texas on July 7 and 8, where the public will be able to get their first glimpse at War Games, the competitive multiplayer side of Halo 4.%Gallery-159487%
Master Chief and his cryotube toy set
Master Chief is getting a cool deluxe figurine set from McFarlane Toys featuring everyone's favorite interstellar peace-keeper in a UNSC cryotube. The set includes a posable Master Chief, the cryotube (complete with realistic frost detail) and a pistol, and will be available in August.McFarlane is also developing figurines of Master Chief, an Elite Zealot, a Storm Grunt, a Spartan Warrior, Cortana, a Spartan Soldier and two new enemies, the Crawler and the Watcher.The cryogenic Master Chief appears to be extremely similar to the initial prototype McFarlane showed off in February, which means we still wonder how he goes about turning his head between Madonna's cast-off shoulder pads. At least his all-essential forearms are protected.
Mad Catz partnering with Microsoft Studios for Halo 4-branded headsets
Looks like Mad Catz has more up its sleeve than just the Wii U accessories it announced at E3 last week. The company just announced a partnership with Microsoft Studios to create Halo 4-branded gaming headsets. Mad Catz says it worked with sound engineers to make sure the headsets complement Halo's "epic sci-fi universe." Alas, that's about all we know right now. Photos and pricing into remain MIA, though the accessories maker says the products will be available in time for the 2012 holiday season.
Expect SmartGlass support in every Microsoft Studios game going forward
Microsoft's SmartGlass initiative aims to enrich the entertainment offerings on Xbox with an informative, context-sensitive "surface," spread across compatible tablets and smartphones. Phil Spencer, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, tells me you can expect SmartGlass support from all of the company's games after the feature becomes available this fall."It just makes so much sense for a developer who wants to supply, maybe not time-critical information, like 'that enemy is getting ready to shoot you,' but information that augments what's happening on screen," Spencer says. He used last year's Halo Waypoint Atlas app, which offered multiplayer GPS tracking, as an example of how SmartGlass features could share additional game information without hampering the moment-to-moment gameplay. "And then you're even going to see situations like with Ascend, where there's actually gameplay that happens on the phone, even when you're away from your television and that interacts back with the online game that's happening. So I think you'll see information sharing, context sharing while you're in the room, with video and with games, as well as gameplay happening in more distributed environments."SmartGlass will be encapsulated in a single app that syncs with your Gamertag and enables features based on what you're playing or watching (provided they support SmartGlass). "You don't have to log in and out of each app – you know, 'I'm gonna start the Mass Effect app, and now I'm gonna start the Game of Thrones app.' So you have this surface, this smart surface," Spencer says, "that sits on any device that you already own that's always in sync with what's happening on the television, and it knows where to go and grab the right content to display at the right time, to make sure that if you're playing Halo, then the Halo surface is available on SmartGlass."During its E3 2012 press conference, Microsoft showed a concept of what might become Halo 4's SmartGlass functionality. The app, as shown, allows players to track stats and send game invites via tablet or smartphone. Microsoft has said that it supports the "device you already own," but hasn't directly addressed SmartGlass variations between iOS, Android and Windows 8.
Seen@E3: a 'real' Halo Warthog
Okay, so it's not the very real, very drivable Warthog that Weta crafted for Neill Blomkamp's Halo 3 short films, but the life-size Warthog prop in Microsoft's E3 booth is still pretty neat. Check out the video above for a quick tour of Halo's iconic chariot of death.
Halo 4's Spartan Ops content could span more than one season
It looks like Halo 4's weekly, episodic cooperative mode, Spartan Ops, may go further than expected. Spartan Ops serves as a secondary campaign designed to compliment Halo 4's single-player campaign, and will be offered up via weekly episodes across a "season," similar to a television show. During our demonstration of Spartan Ops at E3, 343 Industries franchise development director Frank O'Connor referred to the episodes included with Halo 4 as the "first season" of Spartan Ops content. Does that mean there are more seasons in the works?"Right now we're saying one season, but we're like a TV show, we have to see if people like our TV show." Basically, the possibility of future seasons would seem to hinge on whether people like Halo, so we'll just have to wait to see how that pans out.
Seen@E3: Halo there, it's a Spartan bathroom
We have had a tradition of interesting things happening in the bathrooms at E3. Whether it's the crass or simply taking care of business, the WC can be a happening place.This time around it was far more innocent, because while doing post-relief actions, we noticed the mirror proclaims in bold letters: "You're looking at the next great Spartan." It is quite motivational and a great way to get back into the fight of E3 2012.
Halo 4 takes us on a tour of the UNSC Infinity
The thing about even massive fictitious space ships is that it takes a ridiculous amount of fictitious time and fictitious manpower to construct them. Take Halo 4's UNSC Infinity, for example. It's not like you can just imagine it and it exists – no, you've got to deal with non-existent labor unions and the like.But, hey, all that trouble seems like it'll be worth it for War Games and Spartan Ops, Halo 4's expanded multiplayer modes offering weekly co-op missions and deep character progression system.%Gallery-157174%
Halo 4 gameplay demo reveals Forerunner weapons, new enemies
Microsoft opened its E3 2012 press briefing with a live gameplay demo of Halo 4. Finally, that demo is available for you to see all over again. 343's Halo 4 demo featured a slew of new enemy types, along with Forerunner-based weaponry. Other additions include Master Chief's ability to switch visor modes to an infrared mode to scan the area featured in the demo.The demo was impressive, looking like it mixed the styles of Halo and Metroid Prime. Halo 4 launches on November 6, 2012.A new trailer is also available after the break.
Halo 4 pre-order bonuses include Deadeye helmet, Web armor skins
If Master Chief were a superhero in the Marvel universe, he'd probably be called Space-Man and his armor would have seen dozens of disparate artistic interpretations over the years, from 1940s Americana to bloodthirsty zombie. He could have even looked like a melted candy cane, just as he does in one of the Halo 4 pre-order bonus skins revealed for EB Games, Play and Amazon today.EB Games (Canada) has camo-style battle rifle and festive armor suit skins, Amazon gets the "Web" armor skin and Play puts Master Chief in the "Deadeye" helmet skin. GameStop also lists a pre-order bonus, the "Forest" armor skin, but hasn't yet provided an image.
Gorgeous Halo 4 concept shots found on Xbox Live Marketplace
Halo 4 isn't all Master Chief and his revamped blue buddy. It's also got giant, uninhabited spaces with incredible views, as seen in the two Xbox Live Marketplace "Premium Themes" that Little English Halo Blog snagged.The vista above – full of upside down buildings hanging precariously over a mountain range and marked with a UNSC shuttlecraft of some form – seems to be a Forerunner world of some form, but we can't be sure. As for the second screen, it looks like an engine room, but then we're not exactly future engineers.
Halo 4's 'Infinity' multiplayer to introduce Spartan Ops, War Games
As the November 6 launch of Halo 4 approaches, Microsoft is doling out more information about its multiplayer modes, collectively known as "Infinity Multiplayer" (surprise!). The game will introduce a brand new mode called Spartan Ops, which tells the story of the UNSC Infinity, the massive ship that serves as Halo 4's multiplayer hub (pictured). Spartan Ops will serve as an episodic continuation of Halo 4's campaign, with weekly cinematic episodes that "center on the UNSC Infinity leaders and crew, and a new team of Spartans – Majestic Squad." Each episode will include new missions, allowing one to four players to "explore the corners of Requiem in these objective-based missions, and help uncover the secrets of the mysterious Forerunner world."Halo 4's competitive multiplayer will be known as War Games and, as previously detailed, will offer plenty of character progression and customization, such as armor specializations that enable "combat enhancements" tailored to specific play styles.Both War Games and Spartan Ops are included with the standard edition of Halo 4, though those willing to pony up the dough for the $99 special edition will also receive 9 maps (to be doled out across three map packs after launch) and early access to six armor specializations.
Halo 4 Limited Edition includes multiplayer map DLC, videos
Microsoft revealed Halo 4's Limited Edition today, and there's not a cat helmet to be found. Instead, the $100 package gets you a fancy box, a "UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet," and a host of in-game bonuses, expanding the multiplayer experience.The LE includes the "War Games Map Pack," a voucher for "three future competitive multiplayer map packs, each including three locations, available for download post-launch on Xbox Live." It also includes early access to six multiplayer Specializations, which will only be released at launch in this package; they'll be "released over time" to the general audience.Other digital bonuses include an exclusive armor and weapon skin, an in-game emblem, and an Avatar prop. The LE also includes an "extended 90-minute version" of the Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn video series, extra featurettes, and making-of videos.
