Sometimes it's cool to be a Halo fan, because let's face it: you're in the majority. Other times, however, it ends up feeling just...dirty. Not a guilty kind of dirty; more like a whoa, hey, who's touching me from behind dirty.
This post has a dual purpose, I suppose. On the one hand, it's an announcement of sorts -- on the other, it's a disgusted spit (ptui!) of contempt.
February 2009, gamers will be able to buy Halo Wars in the standard or Limited Collector's Edition formats, the latter of which is a shameless attempt to lure in Halo fans that otherwise wouldn't be interested.
Aside from some neat collectibles, the Limited Collector's Edition will provide Halo 3 players with exclusive early access to three of the Mythic Map Pack's five maps.
While this is all well and good for those who like this sort of thing, it stinks of underhanded marketing: first because it's obviously a cheap draw for Halo 3 players, and second because presumably those who pay extra for the Halo Wars Limited Collector's Edition will still have to eventually shell out the full price of the Mythic Map Pack in order to get the remaining two maps.
Click the "Read More" link to see the full details straight from Ensemble Studios.
Today, Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios announced that the much-anticipated strategy game “Halo Wars” will be landing at retailers worldwide this February in both a standard and Limited Collector’s Edition format. Taking the “Halo” battle beyond the first person, “Halo Wars” puts players in command of the battlefield and combines the intensity of “Halo” with a riveting new story that precedes the events of “Halo: Combat Evolved.”
- Three New “Halo 3” Multiplayer Maps – Be one of the first to experience the Mythic Map Pack from Bungie which includes three new maps, “Assembly,” “Orbital” and “Sandbox”
- Halo Wars: Genesis – a beautiful graphic novel by Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund chronicling the first military campaign against the Covenant. The novel centers around the Sprit of Fire on a mission to discover why the Covenant are so interested in the world of Harvest
- Unique In-game Vehicle – “Honor Guard” Wraith
- Six Leader Cards – Leaders possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle
- Spirit of Fire Patch – Start the journey as an official Spirit of Fire crew member
Source: Haloars.com