Halo 2

[Missy]

I just received this press release.

Halo 2 Set to Make History on November 9

Limited Edition Halo 2 to be Available for Pre-Order

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today announced that Halo 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the hugely successful and critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved, will land on store shelves on November 9, 2004. In what promises to be one of the biggest launches in videogame history, Halo 2 will be the focus of an extensive marketing campaign that includes cinema, print, outdoor, online and television advertising.

Gamers should mark Halo 2's official launch date of November 9 on the calendar. To mark this occasion, Microsoft Game Studios will soon announce pre-order availability of a limited edition copy of Halo 2, packaged in a unique metal box. In addition to the game, the metal box will contain a second DVD loaded with special content. This exclusive two-disc set includes:

• The Making of Halo 2: Behind the Scenes of Bungie Studios
  
  
• "Featurettes" on game design, animation, music, and more
  
  
• Cinematics and characters that were cut from the game
  
  
• Art Gallery: From Concept to Game
  
  
• Commentaries from the development team
  
  
• And much more
  

Gamestop president Dan DeMatteo predicts that a flood of holiday shoppers will be lining up for Halo 2 this fall. "We're expecting Halo 2 to be one of the most successful launches in Gamestop history. This holiday is going to be a very exciting time for us."

Pushing the Xbox hardware to its very limits, Halo 2 will expand on everything that made the original game great, plus add a wealth of technological and gameplay advances. Significantly improved graphics, enhanced AI, an advanced real-time lighting engine and destructible interactive environments are just a small part of Halo 2’s evolution of design and technology. Every improvement in Halo 2 is designed to take gameplay to a new level; and in the end, to tell a better story.

Utilizing Xbox Live to redefine online play, Halo 2 delivers superior online multiplayer capabilities. Whether playing with a clan on a new multiplayer map, boarding a friend's Warthog, watching a game replay or checking player stats, Halo 2 will bring the social experience to a higher level via Xbox Live.

[Fat DJ]

It better come with a calendar for the next 70 years, so then we'll know when Halo 3 is coming out.

[Mr. Keith]

Awww shit, there goes my hopes of this game coming out sometime in 2005.

[Missy]

I was blown away when I read that Halo was their most recent game.

[drqshadow]

As if I wasn't going to pre-order it anyway.

drq

[Missy]

Here's a link to the Halo 2 teaser trailer that will air in movie theaters in the coming months. (It's roughly 1.3MB, and 45 seconds long.)

[evilmittens]

Sweet. Halo is one ofthe most addicting games ever. Great fun with friends.

[Missy]

The trailer was attached to The Village, and it looked super sweet on the big screen.

It was funny, 'cause Jenny saw my reaction to it and turned to me in surprise. "I thought you didn't like that game," she said. To which I responded, "Yeah, it's overrated, but it's cool to see a video game commercial here." Just think about what that says about the industry and how far it's come.