Halo 4

**Hank** · 2012-04-21 09:51

Just from scanning the wiki's summary. Some elites are pro-arbiter (prohuman) and some say fuck the arbiter because he's lying about the prophets and halos and we should rebel against him.

**Qalbert** · 2012-04-28 21:20

http://loudmouthedgamers.com/blog/20...hot-of-halo-4/

Please hold up your jaws, because Halo 4 is beautiful. Microsoft recently held an event during the NFL draft where draftees could get their hands on the game. Someone snagged a screenshot with a quality camera and presto, our jaws dropped.

http://loudmouthedgamers.com/blog/wp...-4-in-game.jpg

**BadKarma** · 2012-04-29 02:19

I hate that I want this game so bad

**myreality** · 2012-04-29 10:53

Guess i know what to use my next vacation time for.

**Qalbert** · 2012-04-30 09:58

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118053273

While it will take years before a "Halo" movie ever makes it to the bigscreen, Microsoft could revive the idea again with a live-action Web series it will launch ahead of "Halo 4" this fall.
The company's Xbox gaming division is putting considerable coin behind "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn," which will play exclusively on male-skewing entertainment website Machinima and online community Halo Waypoint in the weeks leading up to "Halo 4's" release Nov. 6.

Project represents "the largest investment" Microsoft has made in live action to date, the company said.

Xbox is keeping a tight lid on additional details, including the Web series' director and cast, preferring to hype the involvement of its creative team at Comic-Con in San Diego this July.

After several pricey live-action shorts and commercials for previous "Halo" installments -- helmed by Neill Blomkamp ("District 9") and Rupert Sanders ("Snow White and the Huntsman") -- caught on, Microsoft wants to use the "Halo 4" Web series as a way "to make 'Halo' accessible for people who haven't played the games," according to Matt McCloskey, director of franchise business management at 343 Industries, which is taking over the "Halo" franchise from Bungie Studios.

"We wanted to do something unique from a narrative standpoint that's big in scale," McCloskey added.

"Forward Unto Dawn" will play out over five weekly installments, around 15 minutes each, telling an original story about the game's Master Chief and how he inspired a young UNSC cadet who will eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC Infinity spacecraft. Introduction of the new character will tie in with the plot of "Halo 4," while providing a flashback to the beginning of the "Halo" franchise's war between the humans and the evil Covenant.

"Every time we do a live-action commercial the audience says, 'We want to see more so that we can explore the 'Halo' universe a little bit more," said Frank O'Connor, franchise development director at 343 Industries. "Demand grew more and more out of the two little vignettes we'd previously produced."

But Microsoft had to make sure that the Web series didn't just appeal to hardcore "Halo" fans.

Playing the games and reading the books or other "Halo" spinoffs is "a big commitment," O'Connor said. "We needed a way to ensure there was a way for people to get onboard this universe without feeling intimidated." As a result, the Web series is "an origins story that teaches you about a lot of different facets of the ('Halo') universe."

Microsoft faces fierce competition this fall with "Halo 4's" launch, exclusive to the Xbox 360, with Activision Blizzard also releasing its latest game in the "Call of Duty" series, whose previous titles have consistently broken sales records over the last several years.

"Halo 3" became the biggest entertainment launch in history when it was released in 2007, earning $170 million in its first day in the U.S. and surpassing $300 million worldwide in its first week. Last year's "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" blew away that record with a $400 million first-day haul in the U.S. and U.K. and $775 million globally in its first five days.

Still, the "Halo" franchise has generated revenue of more than $2 billion, selling 40 million copies worldwide and spinning off a series of bestselling novels, comicbooks, anime series and toys.

Microsoft considers the Web series "the next step" for the franchise as an entertainment property that could eventually lead to a theatrical feature -- after the plug on one was pulled by Universal and Fox that Blomkamp was to direct and Peter Jackson to produce in 2005.

"I don't think anybody needs any reminding of (the potential)," McCloskey said. "Everyone keeps reminding us of that."

Once the Web series ends its run, Microsoft plans to package the entire production in some form to "live on" on other platforms, McCloskey said.

Microsoft isn't alone in turning to live action to promote its games.

Last year, Warner Bros. scored with the Web series "Mortal Kombat: Legacy" (which also unspooled on Machinima) to hype the reboot of Midway Games' "Mortal Kombat," while Bethesda Softworks produced a live-action short for fantasy game "The Elder Skrolls V: Skyrim." More recently, Ubisoft enlisted "Logorama" helmers Francois Alaux and Herve de Crecy and Ridley Scott's RSA to produce "Ghost Recon: Future Soldier" as a 30-minute live action short to serve as a prequel for the upcoming game. Videogame publisher also produce live-action shorts for its "Assassin's Creed" franchise.

McCloskey stresses that the "Halo 4" Web series is "not just a marketing piece" to promote the game. "We wanted to go way beyond that and transform this live-action exploration from advertising into a full standalone product that people will enjoy."

**Hank** · 2012-04-30 11:05

It's probably feeding off of nostalgia, but Halo releases are one of the few game launches that genuinely get me excited. My friends and I usually call out of work and play it together.

**Weltall** · 2012-04-30 11:28

This will be the best thing to happen to home consoles in so long...

**Qalbert** · 2012-05-03 19:22

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/featur...of-halo-4.aspx

Get a look at 343's redesigns of classic UNSC weapons and catch the debut of an all-new Halo gun.

Misriah Armory has been very busy. As you'll see in 343 Industries' designs and descriptions of some of the guns appearing in Halo 4, the manufacturer has a very lucrative contract with the UNSC. Old favorites like the assault rifle, battle rifle, DMR, and sniper rifle will all be returning. The very last weapon, the railgun, will debut for the very first time in Halo 4.

Go ahead and get the first details of all the guns now, and be sure to click on the images for a better look.

ASSAULT RIFLE
DESIGNATION: MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System
MANUFACTURER: Misriah Armory
The MA5D ICWS is an exceptionally resilient gas-operated, magazine-fed, automatic rifle designed to execute close-quarters combat with lethal efficiency, regardless of hostile counter-op environmental conditions or duration of use in the field.

BATTLE RIFLE
DESIGNATION: BR85 Heavy-Barrel Service Rifle
MANUFACTURER: Misriah Armory
The BR85HB Service Rifle is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, semi-automatic rifle optimized for three-round burst firing, and proven to be an extraordinarily versatile weapon at a wide variety of ranges and in the hands of a capable marksman.

DMR
DESIGNATION: M395 Designated Marksman Rifle
MANUFACTURER: Misriah Armory
The M395 DMR is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, marksman rifle that maintains a smart-linked, telescopic, rail-mounted sight for scout personnel. This rifle favors mid-range to long-range combat, offering impressive stopping power.

SNIPER RIFLE
DESIGNATION: Sniper Rifle System 99-Series 5 Anti-Materiel
MANUFACTURER: Misriah Armory
The SRS99-S5 AM is a gas-operated, magazine-fed, semi-automatic sniper rifle with exceptional accuracy and the ability to simultaneously breach both energy-shielding and high-density armor, making immediate kills nearly effortless when this weapon is properly utilized.

RAILGUN
DESIGNATION: Asymmetric Recoilless Carbine-920
MANUFACTURER: Acheron Security
The ARC-920 Railgun is a compact-channel linear accelerator that fires a high-explosive round at incredible speed, delivering both kinetic and explosive force to both hard and soft targets alike.

basic design pics at link

**Hank** · 2012-05-03 20:24

I wonder how they'll tweak the BR and DMR to coexist.

**Serra** · 2012-05-03 21:39

If the DMR fills the role of the Carbine from Halo 2 and 3, it should be ok.

**Kuishen** · 2012-05-04 05:02

Assuming Railgun will be the equivalent of Beam Rifle from 2 & 3. I fucking love anything with the name Railgun on it though, so I'm sure it'll be awesome. As long as it's not like the Beam Rifle from Reach then all will be ok.

**meeeeeep** · 2012-05-04 05:15

I expect the Railgun to be more like the laser. "Hard and Soft targets alike" makes it sound like it excels at vehicle killing as well as regular infantry.