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AC-130 kill streak rewards!?!  Lots of customization possibilities and new challenges!  Customizable streak rewards?  Have a look see here and then let us know what you think about it here.

Game On!

Halo Universe Breaks New Ground With Unveiling of Halo Legends Anime Project

Microsoft teams up with top anime studios in creating a collection of original short films that take the Halo franchise to new frontiers.

A renowned set of storytellers from some of the world’s leading anime studios in Japan are about to take one of the most iconic franchises in science fiction and video games to a new level. Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with some of the most acclaimed anime creators, today unveiled a new project called Halo Legends, which will bring the Halo franchise and its sweeping sci-fi saga to an entirely new medium, in the form of several original anime short films.

Halo Legends, which will officially debut at a panel presentation today at Comic-Con International in San Diego, is being produced by Microsoft’s 343 Industries and features creative direction from anime pioneer Shinji Aramaki, director of the critically acclaimed Appleseed and Appleseed EX Machina anime features, and Mamoru Oshii, director of the landmark Ghost in the Shell movies, with additional production from Joseph Chou of J-Spec Pictures. The compilation will include a series of short stories that explore different times, themes and characters from the Halo universe and will be distributed globally by Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. company. Influential studios that are part of the project include the creators behind some of the most popular and celebrated anime to come from Japan, such as The Animatrix, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball and more.

“The opportunity to work with talents such as Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii and others from some of the greatest anime studios is a very rare opportunity for Microsoft,” said Frank O’Connor, Halo franchise development director and provider of story and creative direction for 343 Industries. “We’ve seen the world through Master Chief’s eyes, and we’ve experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and Halo fans alike are in for a real treat.”

Set hundreds of years in the future, the Halo series of games and novels chronicle mankind’s struggles against an alien collective known as the Covenant. The Covenant is scouring the universe for relics it believes will lead it to a new life and is destroying civilizations and planets that stand in its way. The most prolific hero from the fiction is a super soldier or Spartan known as Master Chief, who is the main protagonist in the original trilogy of Xbox and Xbox 360 Halo titles. In the trilogy, Master Chief discovers that the Covenant is intent on activating a series of mysterious ring worlds known as “Halos,” which would ultimately exterminate life throughout the universe. He becomes mankind’s champion in a race against an unrelenting enemy in its most desperate hour. Through The New York Times best-selling novels, comics and additional Xbox 360 games such as Halo Wars and the upcoming Halo 3: ODST, the universe has grown and tales of other heroes have emerged.

“Halo and its characters are a very natural fit for anime,” said Aramaki, creative director for the Halo Legends project. “As a fan of the Halo universe, it is an honor to work with Microsoft and my very talented peers from other studios to create this collection.”

Studios involved in the Halo Legends project include Bones Inc., Casio Entertainment Inc., Production I.G, STUDIO4˚C and Toei Animation.

* Bones. Founded in 1998, Bones has become one of the top animation studios in Japan in less than a decade. The studio is best known for its incredible body of work on mega-hit franchises such as Cowboy Bebop: The Movie, Fullmetal Alchemist, Sword of the Stranger and Eureka Seven.
* Casio Entertainment. Casio Entertainment was founded in 2004 and is renowned for its visual effects work on the movie Dai Nipponjin (Big Man of Japan), which was officially invited to the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2008 Asian Film Awards. Casio Entertainment is also known for its computer-generated animation support work on several top Japanese video games.
* Production I.G. Production I.G has produced a number of acclaimed feature films, original video animation, TV shows and video games. For their storytelling and quality of animation, Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade and Blood: The Last Vampire have earned critical accolades in Japan and all around the world. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, directed by Mamoru Oshii in 2004, was the first Japanese animation feature ever to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes.
* STUDIO4˚C. STUDIO4˚C is one of the top animation studios in Japan. Founded by the industry veteran Eiko Tanaka and acclaimed animation artist Koji Morimoto, it has become globally known for its uncanny ability to marry the spirit of high art with mainstream anime aesthetic. STUDIO4˚C is known for works including The Animatrix, Tekkonkinkreet and Batman: Gotham Knight.
* Toei Animation. Toei Animation, established in 1956, is the oldest animation studio in Japan. Toei has produced the largest number of global hit TV anime series for kids, such as Dragon Ball, Digimon, Sailor Moon, One Piece and many more.

The complete Halo Legends collection will be distributed by Microsoft partner Warner Home Video, which will have more to announce on its release and distribution plans soon.

“As a leading entertainment distributor and a company identified with premier anime content, we’re very pleased to be working with Microsoft on Halo Legends,” said Amit Desai, vice president, Family, Animation and Partner Brands Marketing, Warner Home Video. “The combination of the talent involved and the Halo brand ensure the collection is something consumers are really going to enjoy.”

A preview of select Halo Legends episodes will first debut on Xbox LIVE, the largest gaming and entertainment network in the world, starting this fall through a new experience called Halo Waypoint. Launching in fall, Halo Waypoint will be a new destination for Halo fans on Xbox LIVE around the world. It will inform fans of the latest Halo news and activities, and grant access to content ranging from podcasts, trailers and screenshots, to exclusive video footage you won’t find anywhere else.

It also will provide a new challenge for Halo gamers with a career system and player rankings tied to both in-game and out-of-game accomplishments related to Halo. In addition to the limited, early episode premieres, Halo Waypoint will debut several behind-the-scenes videos that chronicle the making of Halo Legends.

More information will be shared about Halo Legends today at a panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego. The Halo franchise panel will be hosted by O’Connor, moderated by Chou, and will feature guests Aramaki; Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, president of Production I.G; and Tanaka, president of STUDIO4˚C. The panel takes place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. PDT in Room 6BCF of the San Diego Convention Center. Halo Legends panelists will sign autographs at the Microsoft Xbox 360 booth in Hall G #5225 from 6 to 7 p.m. There also will be a signing at the Warner Bros. booth Hall F #4329 on Friday, July 24, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., with O’Connor and 343 Industries’ managing editor Kevin Grace on hand to answer questions about the project. In addition, the first trailer for Halo Legends will debut exclusively tonight on “GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley,” airing at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on Spike TV.

Game On!

Back in February of this year, Microsoft announced that they’d be entering the retail market after hiring Wal-Mart retail guru, David Porter.  Well, on Wednesday, 7/15 Microsoft confirmed that the first reatil locations will indeed open this fall, and that many locations will be right near/next to Apple stores. 

“As we progress on our retail strategy there will be scenarios where we have stores in proximity to Apple,” a representative told CNET News. “We are on track to open stores in the fall time frame.“

Microsoft has also already launched an online store, where you can buy their products direct.  We’ll be watching to see how both the online and retail locations perform once they’re up and running. 

Game on!

According to Remedy, it’s all up to Microsoft:

“Thank you for your continued interest in Alan Wake. It is accurate that we are currently working exclusively on the Xbox360 version of Alan Wake. PC plans are currently open, and therefore it’s safe to say that at least a simultaneous launch with the Xbox version will not happen at this late stage. Remedy has a deep heritage in PC gaming and would love to see a PC version available to its PC followers, ultimately however this decision lies with our publisher.”

It’s rare for the Xbox 360 to get exclusives that don’t also come out for PC.  I’d still expect the game to be out for PC at some point but it looks like, initially, the 360 will be the only way to play.

Game on!

Halo Wars!New Melees & Playgrounds Await Fans in the “Historic Battle” Game Add-on Pack for “Halo Wars”

UNSC or Covenant legs, mobilize your troops and report for duty at your next assignment in “Halo Wars,” the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console. Microsoft and Robot Entertainment expand the field of engagement with four new multiplayer Skirmish maps that highlight key turning points in the UNSC/Covenant war. Take on ruthless A.I. or live opponents in these brand new battlefields with the “Historic Battle” Game Add-on Pack, available on July 21 for 800 MS Points in all Xbox LIVE enabled regions.

“Historic Battle” expands the universe for “Halo Wars” fans with four new multiplayer maps with varied terrains for players to find their competitive edge by using unique features of each map. The four new maps include:

· Barrens (1v1 Map): Difficult terrain channels units into killing zones. The side that controls the Forerunner artifacts will have the advantage.

· Blood River (1v1 Map): Secure base locations on nearby cliffs overlook this naturally red-tinged river. The soldiers that fought over its two narrow crossings gave the river its name, which has since taken on a greater meaning.

· Glacial Ravine (3v3 Map): A snow-topped mountain range forms a natural barrier that cuts this region in half. Control of the two energy walls at the narrow central pass often determines the outcome of the battle, though clever use of the Sentinel Factories may play a role as well.

· Memorial Basin (2v2 Map): The high ground in the middle offers good cover for infantry, while the generally open terrain transforms organized battle plans into bloodbaths.

“Historic Battle” also adds four new Achievements worth a total of 100 points:

· Tour Coming Through: Hot drop 50 squads to your Covenant Leader in a single game on Memorial Basin (30 points)

· Never Leave a Man Behind: Finish a game with 5000 net resources contributed to your teammates on Barrens (15 points)

· Drain Cleaner: Kill 20 enemy squads with a continuous Covenant Leader Power on Memorial Basin (30 points)

· Killjoy: Disrupt 5 active Leader Powers in a single game on Blood River (25 points)

“Halo Wars” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ PEGI and is available worldwide. For more information including screenshots from the “Historic Battle” Game Add-on, visit here visit or here.

Game on!

It has been confirmed that Infinity Ward will offer a ‘Prestige Edition’ of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, which will include a fully functional pair of night vision goggles.  There’s been no word on a price point yet, but we’d expect it to be considerably more than the ‘Hardened Edition’, which is $80. 

A cool offering, but I’m forced to wonder how many gamers will blow the extra cash on this perk.

Game on!

Things are heating up on Xbox LIVE® Arcade – The 2nd Annual Summer of Arcade kicks off on July 22!

Mark your calendars: Xbox LIVE Arcade is once again bringing you the hottest and biggest downloadable blockbusters!

Last year, Xbox LIVE Arcade marked a new era of quality downloadable games during the first annual Summer of Arcade program with “Castle Crashers,” which was voted Best Game of the Year in the 2008 Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards and has generated more than $10 million in revenue to date. The imaginative and innovative “Braid” peaked as one of the top five selling Xbox LIVE Arcade titles of 2008 and boasts the highest Metacritic rating of all Xbox LIVE Arcade games to date, proving that Xbox LIVE Arcade is home to the best and brightest digitally distributed games available.

This year, Xbox LIVE Arcade is at it again. No matter what kind of games you enjoy, the second annual Summer of Arcade turns up the dial with original Xbox 360 exclusives like the award-winning “Shadow Complex,” the fresh and ridiculously funny award-winner “Splosion Man,” and remade classics like “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.”

“The second annual Summer of Arcade continues our legacy of delivering the most popular downloadable games right to your Xbox 360,” said Scott Austin, director of digitally distributed games at Microsoft. “Last year’s program introduced blockbusters that changed the face of Xbox LIVE Arcade. This year, we’re excited to take Arcade to a whole new level and deliver on our promise of quality yet again with all-new smash hits like the highly-anticipated ‘Shadow Complex’ and ‘Trials HD.’”

The second annual Summer of Arcade begins July 22.

July 22: Splosion Man™ | 800 Microsoft Points

(Twisted Pixel Games/Microsoft): Fools they were, to tread where knowledge should stay forbidden.  For what emerged was not a man - it was a Splosion Man. ”And all who saw him were sploded, for he was the fire and they were but meat.” Able to splode himself at will, the Splosion Man launches his way through levels as an uncontainable force.  From Twisted Pixel Games, developer of the award winning The Maw™, Splosion Man will keep you on your toes as you play through more than 50 single-player levels and 50 multiplayer levels. Nominated by GameSpy, Gamespot, IGN, and 411mania, this meat-riddled splosion-fest took several Best of E3 awards including Best Platformer and Best Downloadable Game.

July 29: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 | 1200 Microsoft Points

(Backbone Entertainment/Capcom): One of the most popular fighting games of all time, “Marvel vs. Capcom 2,” arrives worldwide on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Choose from 56 legendary characters from Marvel Comics and Capcom history, including Ryu and Wolverine. With online multiplayer over Xbox LIVE and enhanced HD graphics, decide your own dream team in the ultimate tag-team fighting experience.

August 5: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Turtles in Time Re-shelled | 1200 Microsoft Points

(Ubisoft Singapore®/Ubisoft®): Cowabunga dude!  Marking the franchise’s 25 anniversary, everyone’s favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is back with a brand new look in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.” The arcade classic has been revamped with all new 3D graphics, but the same classic beat ‘em up gameplay.

August 12: Trials HD | 1200 Microsoft Points

(RedLynx/Microsoft): Nominated for GameSpy’s Best Downloadable Game of E3 award, “Trials HD” is guaranteed to get our heart racing.” Put on your helmet, and rev your way through “Trials HD,” a full-featured, physics-based motorcycle racing platformer in stunning HD graphics. Tear up more than 50 tracks and test your metal in two unique game modes: Race and Skill. Create, share and download an unlimited number of free tracks with the level editor, and customize your rider to fit your personality.

August 19: Shadow Complex | 1200 Microsoft Points

(Chair Entertainment and Epic Games/Microsoft): Winner of numerous Best of E3 awards including Best Downloadable Game from 1UP, IGN, GameTrailers and G4TV, “Shadow Complex” is the next evolution in downloadable games. “Shadow Complex” marries the quality and depth of a full retail title with the stunning visuals of Epic Games’ industry-leading Unreal Engine 3, and a classic side-scroller. Set in the world of Orson Scott Card’s best-selling novel, “Empire,” Shadow Complex provides more than 10 hours of in-depth gameplay and introduces a compelling universe in which you collect items and power-ups, and evolve your character into a force of destruction.”

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Turtles in Time Re-shelled” is available worldwide, excluding Japan and Korea. All other games will be available worldwide.  More detailed information about Summer of Arcade can be found by visiting here.

*This is the current release schedule. As with everything game release related, dates are subject to change.

Game on!

Are you one of these twitter fiends?  Do you like hearing what 360 Rant Rave has to say?  Good news for you then.  We now have an official Twitter account where you can receive updates from any of the staff.  Or you can follow our individual tweets.  They are all listed below.

Official 360RantRave Twitter

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Follow our personal ones or stay tuned to the Official 360 Rant Rave Twitter for updates on our main page, upcoming Raves and all things 360 Rant Rave!

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New competitive multiplayer maps for “Halo 3: ODST” revealed

Lock and load! When “Halo 3: ODST” drops this Sept. 22, it will deliver a completely new campaign, a new cooperative multiplayer experience called Firefight, the complete “Halo 3” multiplayer experience on a standalone disc, and new competitive multiplayer maps for “Halo 3” you won’t find anywhere else. Microsoft and Bungie today revealed the remaining three multiplayer maps which are sure to get fans around the world excited. 

The three new “Halo 3: ODST” maps are Heretic, Citadel and Longshore:

Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the “Halo 2” arena Midship makes its long-rumored debut in “Halo 3.” The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents. 

Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.

Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore’s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.

Developed exclusively for Xbox 360 by acclaimed developer Bungie, “Halo 3: ODST” is a new game in the “Halo” saga that lets people experience events leading up to the epic story told in “Halo 3” through the eyes of an ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Trooper), as they search for clues leading to the whereabouts of their scattered squad and the motivations behind the Covenant’s invasion of New Mombasa.

In addition to a brand new campaign, “Halo 3: ODST” introduces a new cooperative multiplayer mode called Firefight which allows “Halo” fans to experience co-operative gaming in a whole new way: they will be fighting as members of an ODST squad against waves of increasingly challenging enemies across a variety of battlefields. This experience is made even more intense with the integration of “Halo 3’s” “skulls,” which progressively activate as time goes on to alter the gameplay and up the challenge. Players will battle through wave after wave in search of high scores, Achievements and bragging rights.   

“Halo 3: ODST” also includes a second standalone disc with three new “Halo 3” multiplayer maps, all original “Halo 3” maps, as well as the “Legendary,” “Heroic,” and “Mythic” Map packs for a total of 24 maps. 

Purchasing “Halo 3: ODST” will ensure “Halo” fans get access to the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta when the beta goes live in the future. Announced at E3 2009, “Halo: Reach” is the prequel to the blockbuster “Halo” trilogy and is scheduled for release in fall of 2010. 

“Halo 3: ODST” is available for pre-order in both a standard package and a “Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack” which includes the game and an exclusive, laser etched Wireless Controller. If you pre-order “Halo 3: ODST” at participating retailers, you will receive a token to unlock grizzled UNSC hero Sgt. Johnson as a playable character in Firefight. The “Halo 3: ODST Collector’s Pack” is available for pre-order in the US exclusively at GameStop, and is available worldwide at other participating retailers. “Halo 3: ODST” will have a suggested retail price of $59.99 USD and the Collector’s Pack will have a suggested retail price of $99.99 USD. “Halo 3: ODST” is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and PEGI 16+.   Read more from Bungie.

Game on!

Deploy into World War II combat! “Battlefield 1943™” arrives on Xbox LIVE® Arcade

Attention! Get armed and ready to enter the World War II Pacific Theater of Operations. The fully-featured, action-packed “Battlefield 1943™” is available for quick and convenient download on your premier destination for digitally distributed games, Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, July 8.

Build your rank as a fierce fighter pilot, a steel-fisted tank commander, or even a skilled rifleman. Log on to Xbox LIVE where you and up to a whopping 24 players can engage in historic battle between the US Marine Corps and Japanese Imperial, whether it´s in the sky, on land or across the sea.

Published by Electronic Arts and developed by EA Dice, “Battlefield 1943™” will be available for 1200 Microsoft Points worldwide, excluding Korea. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.  For more details, go here. 

*Xbox LIVE Gold membership required for online multiplayer

Game on!