After seeing the image of that *alleged* special edition Halo: Reach controller on the internet earlier this week, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft announced a whole Reach console bundle yesterday.  The limited edition Xbox 360 bundle will include all the goodies that the newly released slimline version has (Kinect ready, WiFi, 250GB HDD, etc.) but all in a silvery UNSC paint scheme.  It also comes loaded with sounds from the Halo universe (like a charging energy shield when you open the disk tray!).  The bundle comes with two of those silver controllers, a special edition Reach headset, limited edition Elite armor, some other media and a copy of Halo: Reach.

The Reach bundle will be available September 14^th for $399.  The limited edition controller and headset will be available separately in late August for $59.99 and $49.99 respectively.

Last night was a long one.  With energy drinks and the Halo: Reach Beta fueling my frenzy, I went long in to the night and awoke this morning to swollen eyes and a strong urge to remove them from my face.  But, having the opportunity to play in the biggest public beta ever is totally worth the pain, right?  I mean, this is something we’ll probably tell our grandchildren about (immediately before they laugh at us for the primitive games we used to play).  Ah, kids… I really don’t care for them.

My early impressions of the beta are pretty good.  That old, familiar gameplay is back and probably tighter than ever.  The new weapons seem fairly balanced and are mostly fun to use.  And playing with the new Armor Abilities has proven entertaining, too; although it’s pretty annoying when the guy you were about to kill drops to his knees and encases himself in glow-y-ness.  It just seems a bit cheap to me.  But I’ll still use it from time-to-time—especially when I see someone else do it—so that we can both be crouched there glowing and not shooting at each other.

My only major complaint during my marathon Reach session was the lack of gametypes and maps.  I seemed to always be doing the same thing over-and-over again.  So I did some research for about 10-seconds and found a statement from Bungie over at the official Halo: Reach Beta site that I will now share with you:

“… [We] will be releasing the maps and gametypes on different dates throughout the duration of the beta test, with only a subset of them being available immediately on May 3rd.

The good news is that once a map or gametype is released, it will remain available through the end of the beta even as other gametypes become available. Below is the schedule of release:

• Grab Bag – May 3
• FFA – May 3
• Arena – May 3
• Invasion – May 7
• Network Test 1/Generator Defense – May 14”

Yay!  So, be patient and enjoy the short time that you and the Reach Beta have together.  See you all later tonight—I’ll be the one stabbing you in the back.

Halo: Reach is going to be 2010's biggest Xbox 360 game.  If you don't believe me, just take a look at the newest gameplay footage in this minute-long video.  Besides all the sweet, Halo-y action that we know and love, it looks like the graphical upgrade is coming along quite nicely.

What do you guys think?  Is Halo: Reach going to live up to your huge expectations?  Does Halo even need Mr. Chief?   Are you more excited about the new campaign or the online multiplayer?  What is the square root of 2,406,372?

Check out the video!  Then head on over to the KontrolFreek Forums and join the discussion about Halo: Reach.

By this time, most of you serious Halo fans have probably read the new issue of Game Informer with its 10-page Halo: Reach story.  Hell, some of you have probably even memorized it, framed it or had it transferred to your arm in tattoo form.  So, if you’re wearing Master Chief Underwear right now, you may want to move along, as there is nothing new here that I can tell you.  For the rest of you, I have written this summary of the Game Informer article to introduce you to some of the cool new things coming when Halo: Reach launches later this year.

Reach will have you starring as Noble 6, the newest member of Noble Team.  You are a Spartan III, a cheaper and more expendable member of the Spartan family.  You’re not quite the badass Mr. Chief is but you’ve got some friends to help you on your way.  Noble Team consists of 4 more Spartan III’s and one old Spartan II who acts as your heavy weapons specialist.

The Covenant you know-and-love-to-kill return but will reportedly be a bit more menacing this time around.  That means the signature cutesy remarks from the Grunts will probably be absent in favor of a more serious, darker tone.  Covenant Elites finally make their return as the alpha-dogs of the Covy forces; and early screens have them walking more upright than you’ve seen them previously.  A new species of Covenant has also been announced.  Cousins of the Jackal, Skirmishers, hunt in packs and flank your squad with tactical prowess.

Bungie has told G.I. that many of your favorite weapons will return but have been “re-imagined” to be more realistic in their look and sound.  You will also get to wield some new firepower like the DMR (Designated Marksman Rifle) and the Needler Rifle, with the former being somewhat of a cross between a Battle Rifle and a Sniper Rifle.  Gone will be the Flame and Spike grenades, leaving you with only the original duo of Plasma and standard UNSC Frag.

Reach’s health system will be similar to that of Combat Evolved, where Health Packs are needed to restore your health.  There will too be some armor abilities that you can pick up and activate.  There is a Sprint Ability that lets you run at high speeds for short intervals, and Master Chiefs’ favorite, Active Camouflage, makes a comeback.  Speaking of Active Camouflage, context sensitive melee kills using a Combat Knife can occur if you’re sneaky enough and hold the melee button behind your foe.

Maybe the most exciting details revealed by G.I. are the ones about the new tech upgrade promised by Bungie.  In Reach there will be far more detail all across the board—guns, characters, water, rocks, vehicles, lighting,  effects and textures have all been given a new layer of polish that the Halo series has been needing for a while.  The new tech also allows for larger spaces for exploration and twice the number of enemy AI that can be on screen at once—allowing Bungie to increase the scope and size of the battles you’ll be fighting in.  Player and character animation is set to be much better this time, too.  Motion capture is being implemented by Bungie for the first time in franchise history and some animation duties are even being handled out-of-house for Reach.  Employing Image Metrics to handle some of the facial animation duties should ensure the days of fugly-faced NPC’s in the Halo games are finally gone.

Well, there you have it.  Everything known so far about Halo: Reach in summary.  Now you don’t need to spend money on this month’s issue of Game Informer.  You can now donate that money to Haiti or get a hooker or something...

Anyway, Reach should definitely be 2010’s biggest exclusive Xbox 360 game.  Bungie seems hell-bent on proving that they can continue to make great games even in the AC (After Chief) era.

I can’t wait for Reach’s beta to start (hopefully really soon) and the full release later this year.

Well Freeks, 2009 is in its final hours.  With 2010 approaching fast, we sadly say farewell to another decade and look ahead in anticipation to the New Year.

This year was certainly a great year for gamers; with a steady stream of A+ sequels and even a couple of fantastic new IP’s (here’s to you, Borderlands), 2009 helped solidify that this “Next Gen” has been the “Best Gen” so far.

And next year is poised to be one of the greatest years in the history of gaming!  2010’s lineup of awesomeness is set to melt your face and utterly destroy your piggy bank.  Games like Final Fantasy XIII, Gran Turismo 5, BioShock 2, Epic Mickey, Crackdown 2, God of War III, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Red Dead Redemption and, of course, Halo: Reach are all likely to rock—and I’m positive there will be a few surprises that will make you salivate, too.

So, cheers!  Here’s to a great year of gaming and the best to all of you in 2010.

Oh, and the holiday coupon code “xmas09” is still valid for 10% off all KontrolFreek products at our store.  You really should make it your New Year’s resolution to bring up that Kill/Death ratio.

In anticipation of Spike’s big Video Game Awards show on 12/12, Bungie has launched its official Halo: Reach website.  There’s not much on the site at this point other than the E3 ’09 trailer that we’ve all seen before, some wallpapers and some “Intel” items that give you a little (very little) information about planet Reach. 

Most of the links on the page are locked right now, but check back after tomorrow’s big awards show—where Bungie is set to premier the Halo: Reach trailer—for possibly more content*.

As for me, well, I just can’t wait for that Beta I purchased with my copy of ODST to start.  Hurry up 2010!

*Checking back right after tomorrow’s show may lead to disappointment, frustration, suicidal thoughts, cats meowing, and non-lubricated robot dances.  But seriously, Bungie definitely promises more content coming in 2010.

It’s like I said the other day, “Secrets are hard to keep these days.”  All it takes is a quick picture and an email from somebody’s Blackberry to get the whole world talking.  This time it’s Bungie in the middle of the frenzy—and they are not happy.  Community members from Bungie’s official forums are getting banned for even a mention of these blurry shots of the forthcoming Halo Reach—pretty much confirming the authenticity of the photos.

I’m not going to speculate on anything that I see in the shots in fear of Bungie’s secret police coming to my house and taking me away, so I’ll leave all prognosticating to you.  One thing I will say, though, is that it looks awesome, and I can’t wait!