REDMOND, Wash. – Nov. 1, 2012 –
Brace yourselves, vampires, werewolves and clandestine super-spies.
Hailed by Newsweek/The Daily Beast as potentially the “biggest
entertainment launch of 2012 in any medium,”1 “Halo 4” ushers in the
return of the Master Chief when it hits retail stores worldwide on
Tuesday, Nov. 6.
Microsoft kicked off the “Halo 4” launch excitement in bold
fashion earlier this week, transforming some of the most iconic
landmarks in the Principality of Liechtenstein into a real-life replica
of the “Halo” universe. Dubbed “Experience Halo,” for the night of
Tuesday Oct. 30, more than 70 media and fans from 16 different countries
were taken on a dramatic “Halo 4”-inspired adventure in sub-zero
temperatures as part of a UNSC military crew. They saw Liechtenstein’s
iconic Balzers Castle become an imposing military fort, a working mine
become a war-torn battleground, and hundreds of props and pyrotechnics
combined to explosively welcome Master Chief back.
Speaking at the event, Frank O’Connor, franchise development
director of 343 Industries – the studio behind “Halo 4” – said that
“Halo” had sold more than 46 million copies worldwide and generated more
than US$3 billion in value for the franchise since inception in 2001.
“It has been almost five years since ‘Halo 3’ launched, and people
have been waiting all that time for the return of the Master Chief,”
O’Connor said. “‘Halo’ has literally shaped entertainment history, and
it has defined a generation of gamers, and we’re looking forward to
bringing everyone the next chapter in the experience.”
According to Chris Lewis, vice president of the EMEA Interactive
Entertainment Business at Microsoft, of all the launches that Xbox has
done to date, the “Experience Halo” event in Liechtenstein was the most
creative and all-encompassing. “To come to this location and celebrate
with our most devout ‘Halo’ fans was a real privilege, and it just sets
the stage for next Tuesday’s global launch,” he said.
Beyond the Liechtenstein event, marquee launch events are planned
in more than 30 major cities worldwide, including Seattle, Paris,
Berlin, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Dubai
and Sydney. In total, more than 10,000 retail locations in more than 40
countries around the world will host launch events on Nov. 6.
In the United States, midnight madness events will take place at
retail locations across the country, including a signature event at the
University Village Microsoft Store in Seattle where fans will have the
chance to meet the 343 team and get early hands-on time with the game.
In Europe, more than 700 retail outlets will host midnight openings, and
on the night of Nov. 5, a spectacular stunt will take place between the
O2 Stadium and Tower Bridge on the Thames River in London.
Witness how Xbox 360 turned the beautiful Principality of Liechtenstein into a futuristic battlefield direct from the Halo universe, and plunged over 70 Halo fans into a heart-stopping real world experience.
In Germany, fans will get hands-on with “Halo 4” and view a
screening of the complete “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” series in Hamburg,
Berlin and Frankfurt. In Paris, “Halo 4” will be showcased during the
Paris Games Week, the biggest gaming fair in France with more than
200,000 visitors this year. And across Australia, more than 200 EB Games
stores will be open for midnight madness events, and flagship events
will run in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Some of these events will also give fans the opportunity to be
among the first to play “Halo 4” before it goes on sale at midnight Nov.
6, win coveted “Halo”-themed prizes, meet the creators of “Halo 4” from
343 Industries, and take photos with the Master Chief and the
brand-new, real-life, built-to-scale “Halo 4” Warthog.
The standard edition of “Halo 4” will be available for $59.99 (U.S. ERP 3),
and the Limited Edition, which includes an extended 90-minute version
of the live-action digital series “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” and
additional bonus content, will be available for $99.99 (U.S. ERP). Fans
can also pick up the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo 4” Console Bundle
for $399.99 (U.S. ERP) and a standalone Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo
4” Wireless Controller for $59.99 (U.S. ERP).
1 Source: Newsweek/The Daily Beast: David Fincher and Conan O’Brien: Halo 4’s Secret Weapons
2 Spartan Ops also requires Xbox LIVE Gold membership and a Xbox 360 Hard Drive or 8G USB (sold separately).
3 Estimated retail price. Actual retail prices may vary.
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