In its latest website refresh, RTS veteran Ensemble Studios has provided an update for Halo-strategy crossover Halo Wars, revealing that the Xbox 360 exclusive title is fully playable and "fairly polished".
"Last week, a bunch of Microsoft Games Studio (MGS) big wigs were down here to view the latest build of our game," the update reads. "This was more than a conventional milestone, as they sat down to play the game and get a hands on feel on how the project is really coming along."
"Our
In a trickling update on its official website, RTS veteran Ensemble has released a new Halo Wars image, but don't get too excited; it's only more concept art.
But while it's not in-game, the pic does reveal a new vehicle that will likely crop up as a controllable unit in Wars; a sort of Command & Conquer Orca with a big laser gun on the
It's funny to look back and remember that Bungie's original concept for Halo was as a PC RTS, which is probably why the universe fits so snugly with Ensemble's vision for Halo Wars.
Of all the genres jumping ship to console land, RTS was always one that would never be the same without the comfort of a mouse and keyboard. That's exactly why the Age of Empire boys are ignoring the genre conventions of the past, and building Halo Wars from the ground up for Xbox 360.
What crazy ideas do they
Aug 28, 2007
Here's your first, solid look at the Halo RTS we're gagging to get our hands on. Mainly to see if Ensemble's hyperbole about the game working so well on a pad turns out to be true...
The video (find it below) walks though a bit of the game's building features, a small battle and then a much bigger battle. You'll see all-new vehicles created for the RTS alongside old favourites like the Banshee, Ghost, and Warthog.
May we suggest you sit tight right until the end for a look at
Nov 9, 2007
Halo 3's out, Bungie's off the MS leash, but there's no time for rest as studio manager Harold Ryan reveals the developer is already hard at work on not one, but two new IPs, and new Halo games.
"We're actively engaged with the senior staff here on a couple of new IPs right now, but the team that can generate cool Halo games is still running full-speed as well," Ryan has revealed in an interview with Develop magazine.
Speaking about Halo and the split with Microsoft, he said,
Jan 2, 2008
If you weren't interested in Halo Wars before, these first awesome multiplayer shots could well change your opinion.
Now, this is the Halo stuff we're after; prancing Elites, waddling grunts and a crap load of tanks, banshees and purple
Jan. 8, 2008
For more of our weekly HaloRadar coverage, click here.
Halocide. If that isn't a recognized term, then we're officially coining it here and now. Sure, Forge's map editor serves up some fantastic multiplayer customization, and Theater offers more than an occasional glimpse at ragdoll amusement. But after making the video below, we can honestly say nothing shimmers quite so fine as elaborately laying out the hilariously macabre details of your own demise.
The coward's way out?
For more of our weekly HaloRadar coverage, click here.
Judging by your submissions, most of you share our current obsession with Halo suicides. There's just something about Master Chief's expressionless ragdolling that turns us into giggling school girls. We can't explain why, but our therapists assure us that reveling in the grisly demise of the iconic uber-patriot "doesn't make you a bad person." Good to know, given the "epic lulz" all your videos generated around our office.
And we want
Halo Wars is rumoured to be Microsoft's next full-bloodied first-party game to support cross-platform play between PC and Xbox 360.
According to rumour circulating, a PC version of the RTS is going to be announced at next month's GDC in San Francisco.
To be honest, we wouldn't be at all surprised if Halo Wars was confirmed for PC at some point. Previous games in the Halo franchise have appeared on the platform, after all. Though this is a slightly different kettle of fish.
Cross-platform
There's a solid line-up of first-party Xbox 360 titles on show at Microsoft's spring media summit, but one notable no-show is Ensemble's Halo Wars, which was originally due to be shown at the San Francisco event.
So where is it? We asked Microsoft Game Studios boss Shane Kim: "We're not showing Halo Wars here today because we wanted to focus on these titles," he said. "When we show titles we want to show them when they are ready. We've
