Xbox 360

LONDON – 22 July 2010 - The biggest game of 2010, “Halo: Reach,” is getting the ultimate hardware treatment. Launching with the game on September 14, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle provides both an incredible value and a stunning way to celebrate the iconic franchise. Available exclusively at GAME and gamestation, the bundle will launch with matching custom “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controllers. Additionally, Microsoft and Bungie revealed an onslaught of other “Halo: Reach” news today at Comic-Con International, including a first look at Forge World, Versus Firefight mode and more.

The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle is Available for Pre-Order from GAME and gamestation today

The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle features an exclusive silver design and comes with two custom Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers with artwork inspired by the game, a Standard Edition copy of “Halo: Reach,” a token for the Limited Edition Elite armour set, an episode of “Halo Legends” and a “Halo: Reach”-themed Xbox 360 wired headset. As an added touch, the specially designed console in the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle not only captures the look and feel of the game, but also features custom sound effects from the “Halo” universe.

Designed by Bungie, the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle includes all the features of the newly designed Xbox 360 console, such as a 250 GB Hard Drive and the fastest built-in Wi-Fi for the easiest connection to Xbox LIVE. The bundle is available in limited quantities and only while supplies last, so fans who want to own a piece of the “Halo” mythology are encouraged to pre-order quickly. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle is available for £249.99, and will be available from all GAME stores on 14th September. To offer a closer look at the contents of the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle, Microsoft and Bungie unveiled an unboxing video of the bundle, which is available for download today on Halo Waypoint and Halo.Xbox.com and can be viewed on both GAME and gamestation’s websites.

Adam Davis, Trading Director for GAME and gamestation comments: “We’re delighted to have secured this exclusive. Our customers in GAME and gamestation are already really excited about Halo: Reach and this limited edition Xbox 360 will be a must-have for Halo fans. The bundle offers amazing value and adds an extra dimension to one of the mostly hotly-anticipated launches of the year.”

“Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and Wireless Headset Available from early September

In addition to the exclusive new console bundle, Microsoft and Bungie unveiled the “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller and the “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Headset, both of which feature a distinctive silver colour and exclusive “Halo” artwork by Bungie. Available on 3rd September for £39.99 the “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Controller includes an Xbox LIVE token for an animated Covenant Banshee Avatar item. The “Halo: Reach” Limited Edition Wireless Headset will also be available on 3rd September for £34.99. Both accessories are being produced in limited quantities and are available for pre-order at participating retailers.

Forge World and Versus Firefight Modes Revealed

Continuing the “Halo” tradition of offering players a ground-breaking level of customisation, Microsoft and Bungie announced Forge 2.0, a robust set of new editing tools built into “Halo: Reach” that will empower aspiring game designers to easily create and share their unique “Halo: Reach” multiplayer map creations with the world. Set on one of the series’ iconic “Halo” rings, Forge World is a massive, beautifully-rendered landscape that serves as a giant canvas for players to build unique map creations alone or cooperatively with up to seven friends on Xbox LIVE or system link, or three friends via split-screen. Utilizing the upgraded Forge 2.0 toolset, Forge World holds unlimited creative potential for millions of armchair designers to sculpt, build and share the most intricate and visually stunning maps they can imagine. To showcase the new features in Forge 2.0, Bungie released a new ViDoc that will take viewers on a whirlwind tour of Forge World, which is available for download today on Halo Waypoint, Halo.Xbox.com and www.bungie.net.

Developed by acclaimed studio Bungie exclusively for Xbox 360, “Halo: Reach” launches in the UK on September 14, 2010. “Halo: Reach” is available for pre-order in Standard, Limited and Legendary editions at participating retailers worldwide. The Standard Edition has an estimated retail price of £49.99, and the Limited and Legendary editions of the game will retail for £59.99 and £99.99, respectively, and are packed with extras fans won’t want to miss. As a special bonus, fans can receive a token to unlock an exclusive in-game Spartan Recon Helmet, by making a pre-order reservation at participating retailers. Fans are encouraged to pre-order quickly as quantities of the Limited and Legendary editions are selling fast and are expected to be completely pre-sold by launch.

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For new Firefight screenshots and high-resolution images of the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle and accessories, Covenant Banshee Avatar item, and .wmv versions of the Forge World ViDoc and the Xbox 360 Limited Edition “Halo: Reach” Bundle unboxing video, visit (do not publish this URL): http://edelman.psni.com/public/Halo%20Reach/.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The BBFC requires that all trailers with 18 certified content must be behind a BBFC compliant age-gate with no exceptions.

Additionally, Microsoft and Bungie are giving attendees at Comic-Con International the first public hands-on with the Firefight multiplayer mode at the Xbox booth, including the newly unveiled Versus Firefight mode, which pits a team of player-controlled Elites with Covenant AI support against a team of player-controlled Spartans. Everyone who plays a Firefight match will receive a free token to unlock an exclusive Noble 6 helmet for their Xbox LIVE Avatars.

The “Halo” excitement at Comic-Con continues throughout the week at the Xbox booth, and on Sunday there will be a special “Halo” panel hosted by 343 Industries at 11:00 a.m. in Room 32AB. “Halo” franchise development director Frank O’Connor hosts this panel of renowned “Halo” creators to discuss the future of the broader “Halo” universe, including appearances by authors and representatives from long-standing partners including Tor Books and Marvel Comics. Additionally, a few lucky fans will receive Comic-Con exclusive commemorative posters celebrating the “Halo” universe by attending the panel event.

For consumer media enquiries, please contact:

Baz Singh / 020 3047 4024 / balraj_singh@jcpr.com

Nik Thakkar / 020 3047 4087 / nik_thakkar@jcpr.com

For specialist media enquiries, please contact:

Dominic Carey / 01189 095334 / v-docare@microsoft.com

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier home entertainment and video game system. This November, with the addition of Kinect, Xbox 360 will forever transform social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play — no controller required. Xbox 360 is also home to the best and broadest games as well as the largest on-demand library of music, standard- and high-definition movies, TV shows and digital games, all in one place. The entertainment centre of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the leading social network of 25 million Xbox LIVE members to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information about Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com.

About Bungie

Bungie was founded in 1991 with the goals of developing games that combine brilliant technology, beautiful art, intelligent stories and deep gameplay, and then to sell enough of those games to achieve its real goal of total world domination. Over the past 15 years, Bungie has captivated fans and created engaging universes that spawned the Marathon trilogy and the first two Myth games, hailed as classics by critics and gamers around the world, and is more recently known for creating the blockbuster “Halo” franchise. Currently, the 180-person strong independent studio is hard at work finishing its most ambitious title ever, “Halo: Reach.” More information about Bungie can be found at http://www.bungie.net

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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