We'd like to take a moment to console the people with limited reading comprehension who saw "Square Enix" and "Halo: Reach" in the headline and assumed, for the splittest of seconds, that the former was working on a Kingdom Hearts-esque mash-up in Bungie's franchise. The truth is much less titillating: Square Enix Products is manufacturing and distributing three action figures from the Halo Reach franchise this fall under its Play Arts -Kai- toy label.
The first three members of Noble Team to be included in Vol. 1 of the Reach toy line are Noble Six, Emile and Jun -- three names which likely don't carry much resonance with you, considering the game isn't out yet. Hopefully Squeenix's second set of figures, due out early next year, will be a tad more recognizable. Click past the jump to see the first three figures in a Halo Waypoint video from Square Enix's Comic-Con booth.
#rumor
Microsoft's online store today briefly listed a Halo: Reach Xbox 360 bundle for $399, pairing the console with a special edition silver-colored controller whose existence also slipped out. More »
#microsoft
A product listing briefly appearing on Xbox.com revealed a sleek and sexy silver Halo: Reach branded Xbox 360 controller, likely release in conjunction with Bungie's Halo swan song this fall. More »
Ars Technica is reporting that Microsoft is on the verge of announcing a Halo: Reach Xbox 360 hardware bundle. The $399.99 package will contain a silver version of the new Xbox 360 S (equipped with a 250GB hard drive), a copy of the game (of course!) and two wireless controllers. The bundle was detailed by -- who else? -- the Ars Mole and would likely be released alongside the various retail editions of the game on September 14.
Further evidence for the Reach-branded hardware comes by way of Joystiq reader "killer rin," who sent us a link to this Xbox.com page (now removed), which had advertised a Reach-themed controller (captured above) for $60. The controller appears to reflect the design suggested by Ars' report.
The most recent Bungie update is a doozy. There's over 5000 words of Halo: Reach goodness in there, so allow us to distill the important bits. First of all, that nifty hologram ability from the Bungie Day video two weeks back? Totally real and available as an armor ability in Reach.
Second, Bungie has dropped a somewhat massive image -- check it out in the gallery below -- showing off exactly which items players will see in the Halo: Reach Armory on day one. Any Halo fan is bound to notice that Cortana shows up at the bottom of the image, alongside Sgt. Johnson, Master Chief and Sgt. Buck (AKA Nathan Fillion). Will these be playable characters? Voices for Firefight? We've contacted Bungie to see if we can find out.
Finally, Halo: Reach Avatar Awards have been revealed, comprised of the helmets worn by Noble Team. These will be unlocked by completing certain actions within the game.
#halo
When Halo: Reach is released, players will be able to choose from a wide selection of customisable armour components to get their Spartan looking just right. Here are the pieces of kit you've got to choose from. More »
343 Industries is teaming up with This Spartan Life to offer the latest season of episodes via Halo Waypoint. For the unaware, This Spartan Life is a self-described "talk show in game space," a discussion that takes place in-game which is recorded and then uploaded onto the internet in 30-minute episodes called modules. The show has tackled all kinds of topics in its nearly five year run -- things like net neutrality -- and was even featured on NPR.
Past the break, you can watch the trailer announcing the collaboration and see what the This Spartan Life guys have lined up for upcoming episodes. There's no word on when the show will be available via Halo Waypoint, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we get the info.
#toys
Noble Team, the squad you'll be joining in Halo: Reach, only has six members. For the upcoming San Diego Comic Con, however, Bungie has drawn up a seventh member, available only in action figure form. More »
#halo
Halo: Reach's Legendary Edition is impressive, but it's also expensive. Those wanting a fancy edition of the game and not a disintegrating bank account may prefer this "Limited Collector's Edition" instead. More »
For nearly three months you've stared long and hard at the $150 Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach, but let's face it -- handing over $80 for the Limited Edition is a lot more palatable. Here's what you'll get:
Custom case modeled after a recovered ONI data module
In-game Elite armor set for multiplayer
Artifact bag, which contains the personal notes and documents of the creator of the Spartan program: Dr. Catherine Halsey
The latest Bungie Weekly Update revealed the studio's fairly brilliant strategy for foiling the attempts of haxx0rs who planned on leaking the Achievements for Halo: Reach. All the team has to do, you see, is leak the Achievements first. Not the full, detailed list, mind you -- just the icons, which are posted in the image seen above.
The game's 49 unlockable honors are broken down into five groups, Campaign (23), Firefight (7), Multiplayer (4), Training (6) and Player Experience (9). You can find the descriptions of six of the Achievements posted after the jump. For all the rest, you're just going to have to use your imagination. For instance, that one with the Caduceus on it? We're pretty sure that's the Achievement for when you put down your guns, go back to school, and become a Registered Nurse.
#cheevos
Bungie's latest update features the icon art for all 49 achievements in Halo: Reach, but didn't name or provide the GamerScore payout for all of them. Still, here's what we do know: More »
Did you really expect any less? Of course Halo: Reach is getting a full line of toys ... er, action figures, with which you can tastefully decorate your abode. Also, those of you attending the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con will find an "exclusive" figure only available there (or until it's decided that it gets sold everywhere else). We've got a full list of the wares just after the break, and pictures can be found over on Spawn.com.
#comics
The Halo Fall of Reach novel set up the fiction for this September's Halo Reach game. The writer of the new Halo Reach comic teased some new insights into the making of a Master Chief. More »
For those of you who have to keep your Spartan dressed in the latest styles, GameStop is offering exclusive armor and helmet configurations with pre-orders of Halo: Reach. Those who reserve the game will receive tokens for a Spartan Recon Helmet with Visor/Blast Shield and a UA Multi-Threat Mjolnir Mark V(B) Armor, which features a unique chestplate design and a grenade belt. Can't you hear it? "Hey, (your name here)! Looking good in that UAMTMMVBA!" You and your Multi-Threat, Blast Shield-sporting friends can mock the Spartans who dare to show up wearing default armor.
Of course, you also receive a $20 coupon, just like those offered by Walmart and Amazon.
#preorderbonus
If you want to look like a battle-hardened, Covenant-crushing space marine type, yet don't want people to forget how much you love to party, then GameStop has the Halo: Reach preorder incentive for you. More »
Today is July 7, a normal day for most human beings but a very special day for Bungie devotees. That's right, it's the seventh day of the seventh month, which signals the arrival of Bungie Day, along with a special present for Halo: Reach fans in the form of a new video from the folks at Rooster Teeth. Blood Gulch, probably the most well-remembered map in Halo history, returns and, as you'll see, it's both very familiar and very different (especially considering that you can leave the canyon).
The video also teases a new armor ability -- which could be a joke, mind you -- that allows players to create a holographic decoy. And hey, is Sarge using the jet pack and carrying the flag? That was a no-no during the beta. Check it out after the break.
#bungie
It's Bungie Day, and the developer celebrates with a new video featuring Rooster Teeth's Red Vs. Blue crew coming home to a new and improved Halo: Reach version of the Blood Gulch map. More »
#screengrab
No woman can resist the musky allure of Spartan armor. Spied at the filming of a commercial that's (probably) being filmed for Xbox 360 shooter Halo: Reach, as snapped by On Set LA. Thanks, Laird! More »
Oh, Halo: Reach? That old thing? It's been out, like, forever. You definitely shouldn't be paying full price for that ancient relic. Newegg's got you covered -- for a limited time, you can (pre)purchase Bungie's old-as-dirt shooter for $44.99. C'mon, gang -- do your part to preserve the classics.
