GamesRadar - Halo Wars

Halo Series 7 Action Figures Revealed (News)

Nov 22, 2009

Today McFarlane Toys announced that a seventh batch of Halo action figures will be released in January 2010. They also provided details and photos of each item in this latest assortment, which features characters from Halo 2, Halo Wars, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 3.

343 Industries worries 'constantly' about Halo oversaturation (News)

Nov 6, 2009

Speaking to Joystiq, Microsoft's Frank O'Connor, creative director of 343 Industries, said that he worries "constantly" about the possibility of the market being oversaturated with Halo. When asked about the amount of Halo products out there (namely ODST, upcoming books, more comics, Halo Legends and the recently released encyclopedia), O'Connor said, "I worry about that constantly."

Regarding the various Halo products, O'Connor said, "All of that stuff has existed in the past, and it exists because of one simple reason, which is demand. We wouldn't make it if we weren't continually being asked for it." He added, "We obviously turn down almost infinitely more stuff than we actually produce, but when we produce it there's a good reason and a good plan and a strong demand."

Halo Waypoint goes live: first impressions (News)

Nov 1, 2009

OXM UK: The server is being a tiny bit temperamental at present, probably because half the planet is trying to use it, but we've been able to have a go and bag some Avatar swag.

Achievements that Unlock Avatar stuff in Halo Waypoint. (News)

Nov 1, 2009

To all of those selected for the dashboard update preview Halo Waypoint is now available for download on the Xbox dashboard and I must admit its cooler than I thought it would be. For the most part if you have played any of the Halo games Halo3, Halo Wars, or Halo 3 ODST you should start off with some cool stuff for your avatar. That's right included in Waypoint are avatar awards. Here's a quick list.

1) ODST Helmet - Unlocked by .....

2) ODST Shirt - Unlocked by ......

3) ODST Hoodie - Unlocked by .......

4) Secret - Unlocked by doing nothing

5) Recon Helmet - Unlocked by .......

6) ODST Armor - Unlocked by .......

So if you want all the avatar unlockables once Waypoint drops for everyone get on those acheivements and you'll start with all the gear. So what do you think good idea, or bad idea for Microsoft to include these new unlockables to kick off Halo Waypoint?

Halo Waypoint Beta launches for NNXE previewers, features Avatar Awards (News)

Oct 31, 2009

Early this morning Microsoft finally released the beta version of Halo Waypoint, the new content and community hub for the popular series, onto Xbox LIVE for the fall 2009 system update preview program members. If that wasn't enough, you can now score unique Avatar Awards as well.

Contributors and Cover Art for Halo: Evolutions Revealed (News)

Oct 28, 2009

Tor Books has released the contributor list and cover art for Halo short story collection, Halo: Evolutions.

Halo Waypoint confirmed for NNXE preview program (News)

Oct 21, 2009

Microsoft's resident blogger Major Nelson confirmed today that the much anticipated Halo Waypoint, set to officially launch on November 5th, will be included in the upcoming Xbox LIVE update preview program.

Full Size Halo "Warthog" to be Unveiled at MCM Expo (News)

Oct 1, 2009

The M12 'Warthog' LRV is an A-reg 1984 Land Rover Defender 110, rescued from the GumTree 4×4 yard before its eventual scrapping due to MoT failure. Rebuilt by Props Studios, the vehicle has been fitted with an entirely new body and lifted suspension, along with as a heap of other modifications. It's thought that the vehicle will arrive in London in full working order.

Xbox 360 Top 10 Games List (News)

Sep 20, 2009

As Xbox 360's 4th reunion nears, I have decided to take a look back into this great franchises success. There have been many years of graphical improvement, multiplayer updates, and revised campaign techniques that we have all experienced together. Many companies have thrived because of the success of the Xbox 360 and many ground-breaking games have revolutionized the games industry. Below will be a Top Ten List of The Best Xbox 360 Games of all time, based upon single player and multiplayer.

The best of HaloRadar (Feature)

Sep 18, 2009

Halo is more than a franchise. Halo is a cultural phenomenon. If you need proof, look no further than this page. When Halo 3 launched two years ago, we launched an epic adventure of our own: nearly 50 straight weeks of HaloRadar coverage. ...

Showoff Your Inner Fanboy With Xbox 360 Inspired Zune HD Originals (News)

Sep 17, 2009

Adrian P from AnalogHype writes "If you haven't picked up a Zune HD yet, now is your chance to showoff your inner fanboy with Xbox 360 inspired Zune HD Originals. Ranging from Halo 3 ODST to Lips, you can have your Zune HD to draped up to match your favorite Xbox 360 game"

Halo Wars Xbox 360 price cut to under $31 (News)

Sep 12, 2009

Retailer Amazon.com this week price cut Microsoft Corp.'s Halo Wars for the Xbox 360 to under $31 in a new game sale.

Microsoft: Halo is our 'centre piece' (News)

Sep 10, 2009

Halo is Microsoft's "centre piece" franchise. That's according to Alex Cutting, producer on Halo 3: ODST from Microsoft Game Studios.

With the looming release of Bungie's Halo 3: ODST, Halo is back in the spotlight. And Cutting told VideoGamer.com that Halo is still massively important to Microsoft.

"Halo is our bread and butter," he said.

"It is a centre piece for us. We will invest in Halo as much as we can to make sure it's a healthy, respected, fun franchise, and we will continue to do so."

Dealzmodo: Gadget Deals of the Day by Gizmodo (Sep 01, 2009) (News)

Sep 1, 2009

Chris Jacob of Gizmodo writes:

"Dealzmodo has a ton of great deals on audio and video gear today, along with some big discounts on big-name games. Check out the combo deal on the Bravia, and the great price on the Sennheiser headphones."

The fantastic deals today in gaming (copypasted from the article) are :

• Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Game of the Year Edition (360) for $29.98 plus free shipping (normally $37).
• Bioshock (PS3) for $19.99 (normally $28).
• The Bigs 2 (360/PS3) for $39.99 plus free shipping (normally $54).
• DSi Console with Rhythm Heaven for $169.99 plus free shipping (normally $198).
• Halo Wars (360) for $30.99 plus free shipping (normally $37).
• Guitar Hero 5 plus Guitar Hero Van Halen (360) for $54.90 (normally $110).
• Fallout 3: Operation Anchorage and Pitt Expansion (360) for $14.90 (normally $20).
• Nintendo Wii Remote Controller for $27.99 plus free shipping (normally $38).
• Penny Arcade Episode 2 (360) for 800 Points (normally 1200 Points).
• Rise Of Lost Empires (iPhone/iPod Touch) for $0.99 (normally $2.99).

RISK: Halo Wars Trailer (News)

Aug 11, 2009

While it isn't a video game, RISK: Halo Wars Collector's Edition offers fans a way to expand the Halo Wars universe and we thought it was worth checking out....

Halo Wars On Sale for $39.99 @ Gamestop (News)

Aug 8, 2009

JPS Reports: "Gamestop announced today the on-going sale for this weekend. If you still have not played Halo Wars, this might be the good time to get it as Gamestop has the game on sale for $39.99 saving you $20..."

New Halo Xbox 360 Pro Bundle Revealed (AUS) (News)

Aug 4, 2009

Ausgamers:

Microsoft Australia have announced Christmas early with an Xbox 360 Pro Bundle packaged with both Halo 3 and Halo Wars, available nation-wide from August 6th (at participating retailers).

Sounds like a pretty sweet deal if you haven't made the console jump yet, and at AU$449 (RRP), you could do a lot worse in the bundle department. For those not in the know, the Pro Bundle comes packaged with a 60GB HDD, wireless controller, HDMI in, headset and ethernet cable.

Halo Wars Leaderboards Update (News)

Jul 31, 2009

Major Nelson writes:

"I wanted to make you aware of an unfortunate incident that has resulted in the loss of all data on the Halo Wars Xbox LIVE Leaderboards. This includes all singleplayer, multiplayer and Trueskill leaderboards, as well as all matchmaking data, resulting in the Halo Wars leaderboards being reset to original launch day status."

Halo Wars Stats Wiped in XBLIVE Glitch (News)

Jul 29, 2009

A server problem with XBLIVE has wiped out all Halo Wars stats.

Halo Waypoint Further Detailed By Microsoft (News)

Jul 25, 2009

Microsoft's announcement of Halo Waypoint, the Halo "destination" coming to Xbox Live this Fall, was light on details, overshadowed by the reveal of the Halo Legends anime series. Fortunately, 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor was at Comic-Con to clear things up.

Waypoint will offer Halo enthusiasts access to audio and video content in addition to community features and the option to follow your "Halo career." O'Connor explained that Waypoint will track the Halo games you play, the achievements you unlock and other aspects not directly tied to "Halo 3, Halo Wars, and Halo games ongoing."

O'Connor says that Waypoint, accessed from the Xbox 360 dashboard, and likely from the My Xbox section, will be a "really good place for you to interact with other people."

"There's a lot more to Waypoint than just watching movies and listening to podcasts," he said, saying that fans of the series are underserved on their Xboxes.

Halo Franchise: What's Next? (News)

Jul 23, 2009

G4tv.com's liveblog from the Comic-Con panel, Halo Franchise: What's Next? is live and in progress.

Halo Waypoint to launch this autumn (News)

Jul 23, 2009

Microsoft has announced that this autumn it will launch Halo Waypoint, a new destination for Halo fans on Xbox LIVE.

New Gears of War Female Character (News)

Jul 22, 2009

X360a writes:

"Following a distress signal from the overrun city of Jilane, Delta Squad is dispatched to investigate with the help of a unique "scout" named Alex. The team, with the help of Sigma Squad, will explore one of the darker elements of the Gears universe, and to tell this unique and harrowing tale, series writer Joshua Ortega will be joined by Epic Games president Mike Capps! Further exploring the world of the sensational hit video game!"

Halo Wars Historical Battle Map Pack Hits Xbox Live (News)

Jul 21, 2009

New Halo Wars DLC in the form of the Historical Battle Map Pack has arrived on the Xbox Live Marketplace and is now available for download.

IGN: Live Marketplace Today: 7/20/09 (News)

Jul 21, 2009

Just about every weekday, new content is released on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's so much to sort through, sometimes it's hard to know what's new and what's old. Each day, IGN brings you a list of the latest demos, in-game content, themes and gamer pics. Check back every weekday to see what's new on Marketplace.

Halo Wars: "Historc Battle" Add-on Pack (News)

Jul 14, 2009

RatedG4Gamer Press Centre: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JULY 14, 2009 – "Historic Battle", the latest update for "Halo Wars", introduces four new multiplayer Skirmish maps that highlight key turning points in the UNSC/Covenant war. This add-on pack will be available for 800 Microsoft Points on Xbox LIVE from July 21st.

Halo Wars Balancing Patch Soon (News)

Jul 10, 2009

Eurogamer:

Microsoft, Robot Entertainment or whoever has updated the Halo Wars website with news of an upcoming Title Update that re-balances units and fixes a few bugs.

The update should be released "in a few weeks" and follows on from May's Strategic Options DLC, which introduced three new game modes. Check out the changelog below for the full list of changes.

Xbox360 Ultimate Halo Bundle (News)

Jul 8, 2009

Xboxic reports: A European Xbox360 games retailer has revealed details of an upcoming console bundle 'Ultimate Halo Pack' which Microsoft will start shipping on the launch of Halo3: ODST. Since the retailer has now removed details (possibly) because Microsoft has not yet made an announcement, a screenshot was taken to prove its existence.

Halo Wars Updated To 1200 Gamerscore (News)

Jun 30, 2009

Halo Wars has recived an update of four new achievements totaling 100 Gamerscore, taking the new total to 1200 Gamerscore.

Halo Wars Update #3 Coming Soon (News)

Jun 10, 2009

Halo Wars will be getting another patch soon to fix balancing issues and some bugs.

Halo Wars Moves to the Kitchen Table - Risk - Halo Wars Edition (News)

Jun 8, 2009

If you wanted to bring Halo Wars with you camping but don't have a long enough extension cord, Risk - The Halo Wars edition might be just right for you.

Amazon tactically cuts one third off Halo Wars price for today only (News)

May 22, 2009

Amazon's daily deal features Ensemble Studios' Halo Wars, offering the game at the discounted price of $39.99 for the standard edition. It's a game that many on the Joystiq staff find to be "the tops," though others on the staff have found it to be "mildly satisfactory." It's caused a rift, one you need not bother involving yourself in because, hey, cheap game! And, should you decide to pick this up, you could always apply those saved duckets toward some of the new DLC. Just saying ...

Lead Designer of Halo Wars responds to new Halo Wars DLC Controversy (News)

May 19, 2009

None of the DLC was on the disc when it shipped. The game modes are a small download because they are rules. There is some new content, but it's obviously a different type of content compared to a map. Also, the recent patch added a bunch of missing support/engine groundwork for both DLCs.

We are limited in the number of matchmaking buckets we can use due to Live. We left a bunch of buckets available for the DLC, but perhaps we made too many team oriented buckets. We'll evaluate changing/modifying that as we get feedback. FWIW, since the DLC modes are generally more team-based than the default game, we skewed the new hoppers to be team-focused as well.

dave

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Pottinger
Lead Designer, Halo Wars

Halo Wars' Strategic Options DLC is only 2 MB (News)

May 19, 2009

As if the overpriced price tag of 800 Microsoft Points isn't enough, the Halo Wars' Strategic Options DLC is only 2 MB. Therefore, you may be paying for content already in the game.

Halo Wars: Strategic Options DLC Hits Today (News)

May 19, 2009

The DLC finally hits today for 800 MS points.

New Halo Wars maps revealed by Halo Wars (News)

May 13, 2009

Of all the places Joystiq expected to hear about new Halo Wars maps, they didn't think it would be within the game itself. If you're very, very patient -- seriously, it takes around half an hour -- the information crawl that scrolls across the bottom of the main menu will show the names of three upcoming maps. The crawl also mentions the recently revealed gameplay modes from the upcoming "Strategic" Options DLC. The three maps mentioned are Barrens (1v1), Blood River (1v1) and Memorial Basin (2v2).

Halo Wars Patch Notes Released (News)

May 12, 2009

The Halo Wars Title Update is ready to go live in the next day or so. You can check out the patch notes by clicking on the link. It contains bug fixes, some balance changes as well as adding a couple cool features like allowing Flaming Warthog and Honor Guard Wraith skins in multiplayer.

The Title Update also gets your console ready for the first Halo Wars DLC pack coming soon! More news about the upcoming DLC will be along shortly, keep an eye on HaloWars.com for more information.

Halo Wars Creators Working On iPhone Game: World War Robot (News)

May 9, 2009

AppGamer write... "NewToy are kind of an unsung hero, you may not have heard of them but you've definately heard of their games. These guys brought you the entire Age Of Empires series alongside the recent smash hit Halo Wars for the Xbox 360. It probably interests you to know that they are now turning their attention to the iPhone. Their first project is a collaboration with artist and writer Ashley Wood, the guy who created the worlds first digital graphic novel for the PSP cunningly titled "Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel".

Wow, so thats quite some pedigree these guys have. Here's what NewToy have to say about the project..."

Video game villains who got away with it (Feature)

May 1, 2009

People like to see good triumph over evil. It's the reason Superman always wins despite getting stabbed in the face with shards of Kryptonite. Why John McClane beats a skyscraper full of heavily-armed terrorists with nothing but a string vest. And why those pesky S.T.A.R.S. agents always get the better of the T-virus. Sometimes, though, there are games brave enough to spit in the face of convention and let their no gooders go ...

2channel founder Hiroyuki to host Halo Wars Night (News)

Apr 25, 2009

andriasang.com writes:
"Volume 74 of Microsoft's Xbox Live Park online events has a somewhat unexpected guest. Microsoft announced today that 2channel founder Hiroyuki Nishimura will host the series' Halo Wars Night event on May 9 from 19:15 to 22:00.

Nishimura will be joined by Halo Wars JP community members Airlity and Nemuke, known as top Halo Wars players. The three will team up for tag team play on the game's Fort Deen map."

24/04/09 Top Gaming News Summary (News)

Apr 23, 2009

From Xbox to PS3 to DLC and even a Free Realms Beta Key, I cover the top news across all current-gen gaming platforms, into a short easy-to-digest summary.

Missed out on the past few days of gaming news? Want to hear the top stories? Check it out after the jump

Halo Wars Strategic Options DLC Adds New Modes, Achievements (News)

Apr 21, 2009

WorthPlaying writes: "Halo Wars is an RTS game based on the Halo universe where players will command armies of familiar and new UNSC units in its initial encounters against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. Robot Entertainment is not only working on new title update, but today revealed the Strategic Options DLC which will add three new multiplayer modes."

Halo Wars to get patched soon, multiplayer bugs will be fixed (News)

Apr 15, 2009

Halo Wars official website has release some information and will release more infomation on the upcoming Halo Wars Title Update, or patch, here on HaloWars.com over the next few weeks.

The 10 greatest mustaches in gaming history (Feature)

Apr 9, 2009

Video Games and facial hair have long had a close bond, be it the soul patch on the Prince of Persia, Gordon Freeman’s goatee, or the five o'clock shadow on every single character made with the Unreal 3 Engine. But while most games have people (mostly men) with some bit of hair growing beneath the nose but above the mouth, there are too few with just a mustache adding character to their faces. ...

Halo Encyclopedia coming (News)

Apr 7, 2009

Crispy Gamer:
For those who can't get enough Halo information, DK Publishing has announced they are publishing the Halo Encyclopedia in 352 glorious full-color pages. The book is planned for a November 2009 release.

The press release at this point says the book will cover just the games. A call to the publisher has them scrambling to check if the books will be included as well, since the stories were sanctioned by Bungie and Microsoft. The forward of the encyclopedia will be written by Frank O'Connor, who left Bungie as content manager in May of last year to work at Microsoft and more closely with the Halo franchise.

Halo Forerunner Trilogy debuts 2010 (News)

Apr 6, 2009

Sci-Fi guru Greg Bear will be putting together the lore of the Forerunners in a trilogy of Halo books, the first set to hit shelves in 2010.

Banjo/Viva Pinata 2 $20 Each, Lips $40, Scene It 2 Bundle $30 and other Xbox 360 Deals at Amazon (News)

Apr 6, 2009

gmagnus of CheapAssGamer informs the masses of a discounted games offered at Amazon.

Bungie Weekly Update: 03/20/09 (News)

Mar 21, 2009

Bungie writes:

"So how long will these folks be hunkered down, you might ask, looking for any glint of information that might lead you to the retail release date of Halo 3: ODST? Nice try. Fall 2009, friend. But, divorced from any terms that would reveal, remark, or even hint upon a hard and fast release date, we can answer the question on its own merit. How long will they be hunkered down?

Looks like we're ready to wrap up yet another week. If you're heading off to GDC, we hope to see you there. Step on up, shake our hands, but please, no creepy stuff. There's only so much antibacterial to go around at a conference of this size.

If we don't see you there, feel free to hang out around Bungie.net. We'll make sure the standard routine stays in check. You make sure you stay safe and Stay Tuned.

P.S. 04/09/09"

Halo Wars Reaches One Million Sales (News)

Mar 19, 2009

Microsoft announced today that Halo Wars has reached more than one million sales worldwide, making it the most sucessful real-time strategy game on any current generation console.

Halo 3 Is Number One Xbox Live Title For Week of March 9th (News)

Mar 17, 2009

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU's)

1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty: WaW
3 Call of Duty 4
4 Gears of War 2
5 GTA IV
6 RESIDENT EVIL 5
7 Halo Wars
8 Left 4 Dead
9 FIFA 09
10 STREET FIGHTER IV

Halo Wars and Halo 3 combined hardware bundle spotted, snapped (News)

Mar 17, 2009

VG247: One of our magic retail sources just popped through a couple of shots of a new 360 bundle, this one featuring a Pro, Halo Wars and Halo 3 in the same pack. See them after the break.

Halo Wars $40 at GoGamer.com (News)

Mar 15, 2009

Socroendo.com Writes: GoGamer.com has Halo Wars for Xbox 360 for only $40 w/ free shipping.
Limit 1 per customer, while supplies last. Free shipping. Don't miss out on this great deal!

Halo Wars 2 still possible on Xbox 360? (News)

Mar 12, 2009

The 100% Completion achievement description in Halo Wars reads "Ready for the Sequel", hinting that developers from the now defunct Ensemble Studios might have known they'll work with Microsoft again in the future.

The VGB writeup indicates that Robot Entertainment can team up with the internal MGS team, both made up of former Ensemble employees, since they are already working together on Halo Wars support and DLC; to make Halo Wars 2 at some point in the future.

Gamefly Charts: Halo Wars Dominates Again (News)

Mar 10, 2009

GamerDeals.net writes:

"Some would argue that the Gamefly 'most queued' should be taken with a grain of salt. Generally, it is apparent that the Xbox 360 is the most common rental platform that absolutely skews the results. In addition, one could argue that a title that appears near the top of the list is there because it is worth a rental versus a purchase. With that being said, it is still a decent gauge on the level of interest for a particular game.

For the week of March 10, 2009, Halo Wars once again takes the top spot on the cross-platform Gamefly Top Ten 'Most Queued' list. Following close behind is Resident Evil 5 (PS3, Xbox 360). MadWorld is at the top of the Nintendo Wii Queue as well...

Queue up the complete Gamefly Top 10 most requested lists:"

Starcraft TV Network Gives Halo Wars Its Own Show (News)

Mar 6, 2009

Korea loves Starcraft so much that local television network MBC Game started broadcasting Starcaft matches on TV. The network expanded to other televised video game matches for Warcraft III, Tekken, and Counter-Strike. Starcraft is still by far the most popular show on MBC Game with league matches frequently rerun.

Now MBC Game is making a show just for Halo Wars, Microsoft's Halo based real time strategy game. Korea loves Starcraft and other real time strategy games. Will they love Halo Wars and perhaps the Xbox 360 too? All three consoles are in Korea, but none of them have been a smash hit compared to PC gaming.

Halo Wars: Guide to Skulls and Black Boxes (Feature)

Mar 6, 2009

Just as in the shooters, Halo Wars’ skulls unlock powerful cheats that can make the RTS much easier, much harder or much, much sillier. The black boxes, meanwhile, complete the game’s timeline and are necessary if you want to understand the Halo franchise’s entire history. ...

TalkRadar 41 – Rap: The Podcast (Feature)

Mar 6, 2009

Quote of the Week: [On IGN’s review breakdowns] How do you even score a game’s sound anymore? What if my soundtrack is all Beethoven and Led Zeppelin? Insta-10! ...

Halo Wars Collectibles Guide - Mission 14: Reactor (Video)

Mar 6, 2009

Halo fans rejoice! RTS fans grieve!

Halo Wars Collectibles Guide - Mission 9: The Flood (Video)

Mar 6, 2009

Halo fans rejoice! RTS fans grieve!

Halo Wars Collectibles Guide - Mission 8: Anders' Signal (Video)

Mar 6, 2009

Halo fans rejoice! RTS fans grieve!

GAME Cut Xbox360 Elite Console Prices (News)

Mar 6, 2009

Presumably in anticipation of the Resident Evil 5 Console Bundle due to arrive next Friday, GAME have reduced the price of their Xbox360 Elite Consoles by more than 13%.

TGR: Halo Wars Map Pack Impression Do you think we are impressed? (News)

Mar 5, 2009

Bungie is readying another map pack for the Xbox 360 flagship shooter Halo 3. Following in the footsteps of Legendary and Heroic comes the Mythic Map Pack, which eager players can first acquire on March 3 when the limited edition version of Halo Wars is released. The pack will be purchasable on Xbox Live at a later date, as yet unannounced, and will almost double the total number of maps available for Halo 3 from the 11 that originally shipped with the game up to 20.

Weekend Deals: Halo Wars (News)

Mar 5, 2009

Brandon at Digital Something writes,
"We've got an early edition of Weekend Deals this time around with Newegg selling Halo Wars for $56.99 with free shipping. So if you've been wanting to check the game out but you aren't quite willing to pay full price, now's the time to buy it. Check out the details here."

Halo Wars sells 250,000 units on day one in the Americas (News)

Mar 5, 2009

Sales of Halo Wars are expected to comfortably pass one million worldwide, likely hitting 2-3 million making the title easily the most successful Xbox360 RTS game to date, with the title already having sold over 200,000 units outside of the Americas.

Halo Wars in 90 seconds (Feature)

Mar 5, 2009

You don’t have time to draw out strategic plans and command dozens of your Spartan soldiers to take out the Covenant. Either you’re used to running and gunning down Grunts and Elites with your trusty battle rifle, or you just plain don’t like all this RTS BS. Whatever the case, we’ve come to the rescue to make things easier for you. Here is the entire Halo Wars story in 90 seconds. ...

Xbox 360: The Games of March (News)

Mar 3, 2009

GamerDeals.net writes:

"A decent selection in just about every game gender is available this month for the Xbox 360.

Highlights for the month of March 2009 include the just released Halo Wars, Tom Clancy's HAWX, Resident Evil 5, Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, and Guitar Hero Metallica.

What titles are you looking forward to?

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the month of March 2009 on Xbox 360!"

Halo Wars includes final farewell from Ensemble Studios (News)

Mar 3, 2009

Joystiq:

"With today's (North American) release of Halo Wars, we thought we'd share Ensemble Studios' heartfelt goodbye message included in the game's end credits. The video, which shares the same sentimental weight as Bruce Shelley's final remarks, starts with a message to all of Ensemble's fans and is followed by individual notes from everyone on the development team."

Msoft: I Doubt We've Seen the Last of Master Chief (News)

Mar 3, 2009

Speaking to USA Today, Halo franchise development director Frank O'Connor hints that we may have more Master Chief in store for us in the future.

"I doubt we have seen the last of Master Chief," O'Connor told the paper. The bulk of the article is about upcoming Halo 3: ODST, which O'Connor says is significantly more than an add-on.

Weekend Ads in a Nutshell for Sunday, March 1, 2009 (News)

Mar 1, 2009

GamerDeals.net writes:

"Kick back the lazy boy, slip on your fuzzy slippers and enjoy these piping hot weekend ad video game deals for the week of March 1, 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)!"

Halo Wars Skulls (News)

Feb 28, 2009

Locations of every halo wars skull in the game, by DuelGame.

This week's new video game releases (week of 3/2/09) (News)

Feb 28, 2009

There's a nice variety of games to select from in the week ahead. Halo Wars will be the biggest release this week and will open the RTS (real time strategy) genre to more players. With the Halo crossover, probably more gamers will experience a home console RTS game than ever before on the Xbox 360. Baseball fans have MLB '09 on the PS3 and PSP as well as Major League Baseball 2K9 for just about every platform. Tom Clancy's HAWX brings some nice air combat gameplay. Make sure to try the downloadable demo if you haven't yet. The demo is available from Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. Phantasy Star Portable (PSP) debuts on the PlayStation Portable. There's a demo for that too, but Phantasy Star fans will probably be eager to pick up SEGA's RPG anyway. For the Wii, Sonic returns in another one of his storybook games, Sonic and the Black Knight.

New Video Game Releases for the Week of March 1, 2009 (News)

Feb 28, 2009

Gamerdeals.net writes:

"Highlights this week include Halo Wars (Xbox 360), Tom Clancy's HAWX (PS3/Xbox 360), Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii), Major League Baseball 2K9 (Xbox 360/PS3/Wii/PS2/PC), MLB 09: The Show (PS3/PS2/PSP), Empire: Total War (PC), plus many more...

Check out the full list of new video game releases (USA) for the week of March 1, 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC!"

Halo Mythic Map pack releases, global recession just got worse (News)

Feb 27, 2009

Console Monster writes: "The Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack is now available with limited edition copies of Halo Wars, released today, but what you may not know is that the content has reached the Xbox Live Marketplace. The price of the content is 99,999 Microsoft Points, equivalent to about £82,999.17 (it took a lot of fingers to work out). Once you have the funds, there is the slight problem of not being able to purchase the content as the following error occurs: "This offer is not valid in your region, or it has expired."

The only way of obtaining the Mythic Map pack early is to buy the limited edition of Halo Wars, competitions on the Internet or waiting for the official release in a few weeks. It has also been revealed the Mythic Map pack, along with others, will come bundled with Halo: ODST - releasing in Autumn. The content appears to have been on the Marketplace a few weeks now, originally releasing on the 11th February. It weighs in at 328 MB..."

Do you need Halo 3's newest maps? (Feature)

Feb 27, 2009

We could’ve sworn we finished the fight after the release of Halo 3 in September 2007, but Bungie’s going to make sure we finish the fight again and again by releasing the Mythic map pack on March 3rd. But don’t get too anxious to log in to Xbox Live Marketplace to download it – this new map pack will only be available if you purchase the Limited Edition of Ensemble Studios’ Halo Wars, a new strategy game based on the Halo franchise. Unless you want to wait until later on in the spring to download the Mythic map pack for 800 Microsoft Points, be prepared to shell out 80 greenbacks for a game you might not even want (we can already see confused folks trying to return their copy of Halo Wars and asking where the hell Master Chief was). So the real question is, is it worth it? We’ve played through all three new maps included in the Mythic map pack and reveal the good, bad and the ugly. ...

Buy.com to Offer Halo Wars Limited Edition for $67.99 (Reg. $79.99) (News)

Feb 27, 2009

Gamerdeals.net writes:

"Buy.com has just notified us that they will be offering Halo Wars Limited Edition for a low $67.99 ($79.99 list) starting Monday, March 2, 2009.

Right now, you can order the Halo Wars Regular Edition for $52.99 (save $7).

In addition to including the standard retail version of Halo Wars, this Collector's Edition includes the following goodies..."

Halo Wars lands in SA today (News)

Feb 27, 2009

Halo Wars, Ensemble's real-time strategy game set in the Halo universe, releases across South Africa today, exclusively on Xbox 360.

Gamers have been feverishly playing the demo since it landed on Xbox Live earlier this month.

GameStop to Host Halo Wars Midnight Launch Events Nationwide (News)

Feb 27, 2009

GameStop today announced that it will host midnight launch events for Microsoft's Halo Wars at more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Starting at 10 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2009, customers can visit their local GameStop and get in line to be the first to get their hands on the newest Halo game.

Fans will have the opportunity to bring out their inner Warthog by participating in one or more of the following events:

Halo Wars: Expanded Universe trailer (News)

Feb 27, 2009

It's lots of people talking about Halo in general, including everyone's favorite Halo person, Frank O'Connor.

What the Sam Hell are you waiting for?

Halo Wars will not be available in Portuguese and will arrive in Brazil on the 2nd week of March (News)

Feb 26, 2009

Gamevicio writes:

"The fans of the Halo series will have to wait a little longer to play the new title of the franchise, the RTS (Real-Time Strategy) "Halo Wars". The game should arrive in Brazil only in the second week of March, while the worldwide launch of the title is scheduled for the 3rd of next month. "

Translated by Google

Customized Halo Wars Console, not available at Retail (News)

Feb 24, 2009

Strategy Informer is giving away a customized Halo Wars Xbox 360 console. This Xbox 360 console isn't available at retail.

GameStop Chooses Halo Wars Over Killzone 2 for Midnight Launches (News)

Feb 24, 2009

I just returned from my local GameStop store and left after a very interesting conversation with the location manager; apparently 95% of the Killzone 2 midnight launches have been cancelled (called and confirmed in some locations - waiting on response from corporate), surprisingly all the late-night openings for Halo Wars are still going forward as planned.

Is your local store canceling their midnight launch as well, let us know in the comments?

Gamefly Charts: Halo Wars Still on Top (News)

Feb 24, 2009

Gamerdeals.net writes:

"For the week of February 24, 2009, Halo Wars continues to takes the top spot on the cross-platform Gamefly Top Ten 'Most Queued' list. Following close behind is Street Fighter IV (PS3/Xbox 360), and Killzone 2 (PS3). MadWorld is at the top of the Nintendo Wii Queue as well...

Queue up the complete Gamefly Top 10 most requested lists:"

OXCGN Halo Wars Exclusive Competition for Aust/NZ Entrants (News)

Feb 24, 2009

OXCGN Exclusive Competition:

"A unique once only prize pack worth in excess of $AU350 is up for grabs from MIDDAY Tuesday 23rd February and will be drawn on Friday 6th March at 7pm AEST, just prior to OXCGN's first Playdates which will on XboxLIVE at 8pm Friday 6th March AEST.

Remember, the Halo 3 Mythic Map Set including Orbital, Sandbox and Assembly are included in the Halo Wars Limited Edition available on February 26th (Aust)."

GameStop hosts Halo Wars pre-launch tournament (News)

Feb 24, 2009

GameStop is holding a tournament in Halo Wars throughout 1,000 of its stores in the U.S. this Saturday, February 28, 2009. It's a single-elimination, one-on-one tournament that should start at 2pm (call your local store for the exact time). Each store's winner will walk away with a copy of Halo Wars CE and a T-shirt. 2nd place winners will receive a T-shirt and a long, quiet ride home in mom's minivan.

Kids review the darndest games! (Feature)

Feb 23, 2009

We hear it all the time. “GamesRadar, psshh… That site’s written by 12-year-olds.” So, as part of an inability to take criticism, as well as an “Editor for a Day” position auctioned off to raise money for California public schools, we went out and commissioned the real deal. ...

Release This: Killzone 2 Premieres in U.S., UK Gets Halo Wars (News)

Feb 23, 2009

Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list.

This week will bring Killzone 2 and Puzzle Quest: Galactrix stateside, along with other awaited titles like Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, and Peggle: Dual Shot. Gamers in the UK will soon receive Halo Wars, meanwhile, as Japan gets Ryu ga Gotoku 3 and Game Center CX: Arino no Chousenjou 2.

The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending February 28th, 2009.

Weekend Ads in a Nutshell for Sunday, February 22, 2009 (News)

Feb 23, 2009

Gamerdeals.net writes:

"Kick back the lazy boy, slip on your fuzzy slippers and enjoy these piping hot weekend ad video game deals for the week of February 22, 2009 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 (PS3), Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, PSP, Nintendo DS, and PC (USA)!"

Halo Wars Middle East Midnight Launch (News)

Feb 22, 2009

Halo Wars will be launched in the UAE at 0:01 on Friday, 27th February 2009 at Virgin Megastore, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Gamers can register online at www.megamers.com/halowars to receive free goodies along with your purchase during the launch event.

Halo Wars (Review)

Feb 20, 2009

A whole new genre for one of the most valuable properties in gaming, or a basic Command & Conquer-alike with the Halo name slapped on? Our early enthusiasm waned with the closure of Ensemble and a less-than-stellar preview version, and despite trying our best to see the positive side, Halo Wars remains a damned difficult game to warm to. ...

Bonfires Studios Second Company to Emerge from Ensemble (News)

Feb 19, 2009

GamePlasma writes:

"Another company has emerged from the ashes of Ensemble Studios, creators of Age of Empires and Halo Wars. The new company is called Bonfire Studios and is currently staffed with 35 people and will be announcing an original IP in the coming months. The Bonfire team is made up entirely of former Ensemble studios employees."

First pictures of the new HALO Wars toys (News)

Feb 19, 2009

Quote from Tiltedscreen.com

"On 16 February 2009, 20th Century Fox announced that they would be releasing toys based on the popular Halo Wars video game.

Today Tiltedscreen.com has dug up some photos of the upcoming toys."

Halo Wars FREE with every Xbox 360. (News)

Feb 18, 2009

Press Release.

"SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - February 19, 2009 - Halo WarsTM, the next instalment in the blockbuster Xbox 360 Halo® franchise, will hit shelves on February 26th 2009. To celebrate, Xbox has today announced that every purchase of a new Xbox 360 console will receive a copy of Halo Wars* at no additional charge."

Currently Australian ONLY Offer...

Halo Wars is leaked online for pirates to enjoy (News)

Feb 18, 2009

Fuller of XboxInsider writes: "The highly anticipated Halo Wars is currently being downloaded all around the world by pirates. Halo Wars, which is set to release February 27th in Europe, and March 3rd in the US. The release weighs in at 7gb, and is apparently region free. This news comes after Street Fighter 4 was leaked on the 10th of this month. Developers/publishers/websites really need to tighten security, to stop these games getting leaked so early."

Halo Wars (Screenshots)

Feb 18, 2009

Halo Project Taken Over by Robot (News)

Feb 17, 2009

One of the most celebrated series in the world has now partially been taken over by a new robot overlord.

Ex-Ensemble Studios Team Open New Studio (News)

Feb 17, 2009

Robot Entertainment announced today the formation of its new game development studio in Plano, Texas. Founded by many of the original founders of Ensemble Studios, Robot has a staff of 45 comprised entirely of former Ensemble employees. Robot's team developed the hit franchise Age of Empires, selling over 20 million units worldwide, and the soon-to-be released Halo Wars for Xbox 360. Tony Goodman, the founder of Ensemble, is the CEO of Robot.

Robot Entertainment official; working on 'additonal content' for Halo Wars (News)

Feb 17, 2009

Following an unveiling last week, Robot Entertainment has officially announced itself today, confirming that the independent studio is in fact made up of Ensemble veterans.

Starting where Ensemble ended after it was closed by Microsoft, Robot is developing "additional content" for the now deceased studio's final project, the Xbox 360 strategy title Halo Wars...

Gamefly Charts: Halo Wars Topples Killzone 2 (News)

Feb 17, 2009

Gamerdeals.net writes:

"Last week, Killzone 2 made gamefly chart history by being the first PS3 exclusive title to top the typically Xbox 360 dominated cross platform list. The historic week at the top of the Gamefly charts was short lived as Killzone 2 has been toppled by Halo Wars.

For the week of February 17, 2009, Halo Wars takes the top spot on the cross-platform Gamefly Top Ten 'Most Queued' list. Following close behind is Killzone 2 (PS3). House of the Dead: Overkill is at the top of the Nintendo Wii Queue as well...

Queue up the complete Gamefly Top 10 most requested lists:"

Halo Wars Toys On The Way (News)

Feb 16, 2009

The highly anticipated release of "Halo Wars", the newest video game in one of the most successful entertainment franchises, is just a few weeks away. In preparation of its release, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox L&M), licensing agent for Microsoft Corp., will unveil an all-new toy line-up from partners USAopoly, MEGA Brands and McFarlane Toys at Toy Fair.

Times Online - Games Reviews: Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars, Killzone 2 (News)

Feb 15, 2009

Times Online reviews for: Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars, Killzone 2