NoFrag

Microsoft ne fait rien comme tout le monde, et a débuté l'E3 avec 24 heures d'avance sur ses petits copains. L'éditeur américain en a profité pour annoncer une date de sortie pour Halo 2, le 9 novembre 2004, et lâcher 8 nouvelles images du titre.

Pour compenser cette sortie tardive du titre, Microsoft proposera en précommande une « version limitée » du jeu, avec un super making of et pas grand chose d'autre. IGN a aussi une preview longue (comme d'habitude chez eux) et super positive (pareil) du jeu.

Le communiqué de presse :

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.