Master Chief meets Cortana in Halo

Paramount+ has released a new trailer for its live-action adaptation of Halo, executive produced by Steven Spielberg (Jaws), and I'm here for it in the wake of The Mandalorian on Disney+.



Read the official synopsis:

"Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, Halo the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."

The upcoming live-action series is set in a 'Halo Silver Timeline' and won't be part of a larger shared transmedia universe (see Star Trek). Master Chief is played by Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor reprises the role of Cortana. Jen Taylor is amazing as Cortana but the live-action avatar is creepily jarring. Is there time to fix it in post?

Halo the series starts streaming exclusively on Paramount+ on 24th March. There's no news when it will be available in the UK, but Paramount+ is launching in partnership with Sky soon.

Has the new Halo trailer got you excited? Let me know in the comments below.

Power On: The Story of Xbox

Microsoft has released a refreshingly candid 6-part documentary series chronicling the creation of the Xbox, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Like many avid gamers in the early noughties, I bought an original Xbox solely to play Halo: Combat Evolved.



From Xbox Wire:

“As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Xbox this year, we invite you behind-the-scenes for this first-ever comprehensive and authentic history of Xbox, where you’ll hear directly from the team that lived through the compelling and challenging 20-year journey. This docuseries will be a nostalgic walk down memory lane for those who have been Xbox players since day one and an eye-opening origin story for those who are newer to gaming!”

Have you watched Power On: The Story of Xbox? What are your Xbox memories? Let me know in the comments below.

Halo series has The Mandalorian vibes

Halo Infinite from 343 Industries was released to critical acclaim on Wednesday.

Immediately, I dived into the highly-anticipated campaign free on Game Pass Ultimate. Halo Infinite's opening level rinsed away any residual memories of Halo 5 on Xbox One.

The Weapon. That is all.

Incidentally, Halo Infinite is a sonic showcase for my newly-acquired Sonos Beam (2nd Gen) compact soundbar, which I unreservedly recommend to all fellow gamers and audiophiles alike. It's a TARDIS with a Dolby Atmos soundstage bigger, much bigger, on the inside.

A first look at the new Halo live-action series on Paramount+ dropped during last night's The Game Awards, and it looks like the ViacomCBS-owned streamer may have its own The Mandalorian.



Read the official synopsis:

"Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, Halo the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."

Master Chief will be played by Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor will reprise the role of Cortana.

Halo The Series, executive produced by Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park), is expected to debut in early 2022 exclusively on Paramount+. Are you excited? Let me know in the comments below.

Steven Spielberg's Halo on Paramount+

Halo has had a long journey to the screen.

Directors Sir Peter Jackson (King Kong) and Steven Spielberg (Jaws) were attached to various projects that never materialised. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn was a web series released to promote the fourth instalment in Microsoft's multimedia franchise in 2012.

So, it was a surprise to see an official teaser for a live-action series, executive produced by Spielberg and announced by the man himself during the infamous launch of the Xbox One in 2013, finally coming to Paramount+.



Paramount+ dropped the teaser during the Xbox 20th anniversary celebration on Monday. Master Chief will be played by Pablo Schreiber and Jen Taylor will reprise the role of Cortana.

In related news. Microsoft announced the immediate availabilty of its free-to-play Halo Infinite multiplayer. Multiplayer is much more fun than I ever imagined on Xbox Series S! More so, as I've not bothered with multiplayer (outside of Destiny 2 Fireteams) since I stopped playing Call of Duty. The AI Bots are among the best I've ever played alongside/against! It's easy to forget that they're not human!

The Halo series is expected to debut in early 2022 on Paramount+. Are you excited? Let me know in the comments below.

20 years of Xbox

20 years ago, the original Xbox was released in North America, marking Microsoft's holiday debut into a console space dominated by Nintendo and Sony's PlayStation.

As I've written previously, my Xbox journey began with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2002. Dead or Alive 3, TimeSplitters 2 and The Sims took up my time, too. I was impressed with the monster-sized box until an infamous fire hazard issue in 2005. Microsoft posted a cable with a trip switch to affected customers (myself included).

However, I binned the now worthless machine and never envisaged owning another Xbox...

Then, I won an Xbox 360 S after entering a LOVEFiLM competition in 2012. This introduced me to the Mass Effect trilogy, and my unexpected Xbox homecoming culminated in Halo 4. All the while, my PlayStation 3 (PS3) gathered dust.

Subsequently, I've owned an Xbox One with Kinect, Xbox One X and Xbox Series S. Having gone digital during the Xbox One generation, the Series S was a no-brainer.

Xbox backwards compatibility has enabled gamers (myself included) to discover or continue to play video games from previous console generations. As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I've been able to experience classic BioWare titles Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) I & II and Jade Empire.

Game Pass Ultimate (combined with Microsoft Rewards) has saved me money, and Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite will be festive favourites during the holiday season. The former is a quintessential arcade racer set in an open world social hub and contender for Game of the Year (GotY)!

Microsoft has released an Xbox 20th Anniversary Wireless Controller (affiliate link) in classic black with green touches that hark back to the beginning.

The Redmond-based company is streaming a celebration of all things Xbox today.



What are your Xbox memories? Do you have a favourite Xbox console generation? Let me know in the comments below.

Halo Infinite this December

Originally delayed just months before the launch of Xbox Series X|S consoles last November, as promised Halo Infinite will be released this holiday season. However, the co-op campaign, a longtime staple of the series, will not be included at launch. Nor will Forge mode. This has irked some fans, but I'm here for the single-player campaign.

Many fans (myself included) assumed Halo Infinite would launch in late November to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved's release in North America, but Microsoft has chosen 8th December. Presumably to avoid clashing with Call of Duty: Vanguard, as a friend suggested.

Along with the announcement, a limited edition Halo-themed Xbox Series X and Elite 2 wireless controller were available for pre-order during Gamescom 2021. Needless to say, the Series X console sold out in minutes with listings on eBay at significantly inflated prices. Elite 2 (affiliate link) is available (while stocks last). As someone who has bought countless controllers and joysticks over decades, this will be the most expensive I've owned to date.

For anyone who misses out on the limited edition goodies, there's a free Halo Infinite dynamic background for Series X|S. Settings > General > Personalization, then scroll all the way down to Dynamic Backgrounds, and finally, you'll find Master Chief waiting for you at the end of all the background options. You're welcome.

The next instalment in one of video gaming's most iconic franchises is looking promising (it can't be worse than Halo 5, can it?) and I'll be playing the campaign day-one on Series S on Game Pass Ultimate.

Are you excited about Halo Infinite? Let me know in the comments below.

Halo Infinite campaign teased at E3

Microsoft is celebrating the 20th anniversary of Xbox and Halo through November.

During yesterday's Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase at E3, Halo Infinite's campaign was teased with the introduction of a mysterious new Cortana-like AI companion. She's tasked with impersonating Cortana and helping Master Chief destroy her forever, which should lead to a tense interpersonal conflict in what promises to be John-117's final battle.



“We are continuing the story of the Master Chief and Cortana from Halo 5, but also telling a story that’s welcoming for new players,” wrote Halo Infinite head of creative Joseph Staten in a blog post. “Cortana’s fate is one of the Infinite campaign’s big mysteries, and early in the story, you will meet a new UNSC AI, ‘the Weapon,’ that was created to help stop Cortana. Together with the Pilot, the Master Chief, and the Weapon begin an epic adventure to explore Zeta Halo, defeat the Banished forces who control the ring, and unravel even more mysteries along the way.”

Although there wasn't any campaign gameplay shown during the Mass Effect 2-inspired presentation, it's captured my imagination and encouraged me to pick up an Xbox Series S at the weekend. Why not a Series X? I already own a PlayStation 5 (PS5), and the Series S with its matching livery will be my console of choice for all things Game Pass going forward.

Game Pass is making Sony's first-party PS5 titles look prohibitively expensive and the strategy is working for Microsoft.

If the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase wasn't enough, you can look forward to Xbox Games Showcase: Extended, featuring internal studios including Ninja Theory, this Thursday.

Halo Infinite will be released over the holiday season after being delayed from last year. The next instalment in the beloved franchise looks incredible and I'll be playing day-one on Game Pass Ultimate.

Are you excited about Halo Infinite? Let me know in the comments below.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox One

Halo 5: Guardians will launch in tandem with the Steven Spielberg produced television series in fall 2015. So, it's not unexpected to read rumours of a remastered collection bundling Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4 for Xbox One later this year.

Engadget's source suggests the collection will focus on Master Chief John-117 and his adventures with AI companion Cortana.

Microsoft's Xbox division is undergoing a reboot with the appointment of Phil Spencer. Spencer is an avid gamer and arguably ideally suited to be at the helm.

The Richmond-based company is effectively backtracking on last year's infamous media briefing, where the focus was on Kinect, at E3. A Kinect-less Xbox One bundle will be available from June and third-party entertainment apps will no longer be behind the Xbox Live paywall, which adopts Sony's PlayStation Network playbook.

Xbox 360 backwards compatibility is also mooted.

Is this positive news? Let me know in the comments below.

Generation Xbox

Microsoft wants video gamers to "finish the fight" when the last chapter of its "Halo" trilogy comes out next week, but a carefully crafted merchandising strategy will make sure Master Chief lives on for years to come.

"Halo" is crucial to the success of Microsoft's Xbox video game business, which has lost billions of dollars since it was started in 2001 as a way to counter Sony Corp's growing dominance.

Hailed by some as the "Star Wars" for Generation Xbox, the "Halo" franchise has spawned a mini-empire of licensed toys, clothing and tie-ins. The game features a space marine called Master Chief trying to save humanity from an alien army known as the Covenant.

Xbox 360 Halo 3 Limited Edition Console

The console features an exclusive "Spartan green and gold" finish and comes bundled with a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB Hard Drive, Headset, Play & Charge Kit, and exclusive Halo 3 Gamer Pics and Theme (available via Xbox LIVE download).



Box contents:

*Halo 3 Special Edition Console
*Halo 3 Special Edition Wireless Controller
*Halo 3 Special Edition 20GB Hard Drive
*Halo 3 Special Edition Wired Headset
*Play & Charge Kit
*Halo 3 Special Edition Gamer Pics and Theme (Exclusive download via Xbox LIVE)
*Component HD AV Cable
*Ethernet Cable
*HDMI Port
*Xbox LIVE Silver Membership
*One-month Xbox LIVE Gold Membership

Halo Effect

In 2002 I purchased an Xbox solely to play Halo, which was originally developed for the Mac platform by Bungie (prior to Bungie's purchase and subsequent integration into Microsoft Game Studios)!

The epic saga continues with Halo 3, the hugely anticipated third chapter in the highly successful and critically-acclaimed Halo franchise. Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood, and the entire human race to a dramatic, pulse-pounding climax.

Halo 3 represents the third chapter in the Halo trilogy—an international award-winning action series that grew into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.5 million units worldwide, logging more than 650 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox Live, and spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel, an upcoming film adaptation, and more.

However, will Halo 3 be eclipsed by Mass Effect?