Halo: Reach

LONDON – 29 July 2010 - In less than seven weeks, the epic battle for humanity’s survival will begin with the launch of the most anticipated game of 2010, “Halo: Reach.” To prepare the millions of fans worldwide awaiting the prequel to the blockbuster “Halo” trilogy, Bungie and Microsoft today released a stunning new trailer that offers a glimpse of the heroic themes and non-stop action in the most ambitious campaign in “Halo’s” history. Featuring a stirring sample of the original score by famed “Halo” composer Marty O’Donnell, the breathtaking trailer showcases several dramatic sequences from the game, including the Covenant invasion of the planet Reach and Noble Team’s effort to take the fight from the planet’s surface to space.

The debut of the new campaign trailer follows a slew of exciting “Halo: Reach” announcements at Comic-Con last week, including the world premiere of two brand new multiplayer experiences in “Halo: Reach”: Forge World and Firefight Versus. Forge World is a vast new environment in “Halo: Reach” with unlimited creative potential that will allow players to create and share their unique map designs over Xbox LIVE. Firefight Versus is a brand new multiplayer mode that pits a team of player-controlled Elites with Covenant AI support against a team of player-controlled Spartans. With an epic campaign, diverse competitive and cooperative multiplayer experiences, robust user-creation tools, player rewards, and more, “Halo: Reach” is the most ambitious “Halo” game ever and promises to set a new standard for action-packed entertainment, replayability and customisation.

Additionally, Microsoft and Bungie announced a stunning lineup of custom-designed “Halo: Reach” hardware products at Comic-Con, including the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle, “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Headset. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle has a suggested retail price of £249.99, and will be available on 14th September. The “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and Wireless Headset will be available on 3rd September for the estimated retail prices of £39.99 and £34.99, respectively. All three products are available for preorder today while supplies last.

“Halo: Reach” is currently available for preorder in Standard, Limited and Legendary editions at participating retailers worldwide. The Standard Edition has an estimated retail price of £49.99, and the Limited and Legendary editions of the game will retail for £59.99 and £99.99, respectively, and are packed with extras fans won’t want to miss. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet, by making a pre-order reservation at participating retailers.

Developed by award-winning studio Bungie exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo: Reach” launches in the UK on Sept. 14, 2010.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The BBFC requires that all trailers with 18 certified content must be behind a BBFC compliant age-gate with no exceptions.

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About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier home entertainment and video game system. This November, with the addition of Kinect, Xbox 360 will forever transform social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play — no controller required. Xbox 360 is also home to the best and broadest games as well as the largest on-demand library of music, standard- and high-definition movies, TV shows and digital games, all in one place. The entertainment centre of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the leading social network of 25 million Xbox LIVE members to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information about Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with the goals of developing games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and then to sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 15 years, Bungie has captivated fans and created engaging universes that spawned the Marathon trilogy and the first two Myth games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world, and is more recently known for creating the blockbuster “Halo” franchise. Currently, the 180-person strong independent studio is hard at work finishing its most ambitious title ever, “Halo: Reach.” More information about Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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