While we still play and assess the game for review, we just received this here press release. And in case you were wondering – Halo: Reach is out today. Really.
Johannesburg, South Africa – 14 September, 2010 — The most anticipated entertainment event of the year is almost here. Starting tomorrow, millions of people around the world will embark on a mission of courage, sacrifice and valour in “Halo: Reach,” the prequel to the iconic “Halo” trilogy that became a global entertainment phenomenon and defined a generation of gamers over the last decade.
The “Halo” franchise has been dubbed “a pop culture phenomenon” by Variety magazine and hailed as the No 1 game series of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records.
“When it comes to the size and scope of a franchise and especially the dedication of the fans, no game is bigger than ‘Halo,’” said Yvette van Rooyen, Xbox Product & Marketing Manager in South Africa. “With ‘Halo: Reach,’ we’re delivering on our promise to redefine blockbuster entertainment experiences and ultimately help make this year the biggest ever in Xbox history.”
Tens of thousands of retailers around the world are opening their doors at midnight exclusively to sell copies of “Halo: Reach,” as well as “Halo: Reach” Xbox 360 consoles and accessories. Special marquee launch events are taking place in major cities around the world. A jetpacking Spartan descended on Trafalgar Square yesterday to celebrate the launch of Halo: Reach where over 400 stores in the UK opened at midnight for Halo fans to grab an early copy.
“Halo: Reach” tells the tragic and heroic story of Noble Team, a group of Spartans, who through great sacrifice and courage, saved countless lives in the face of impossible odds. The planet Reach is humanity’s last line of defense between the encroaching Covenant and their ultimate goal, the destruction of Earth. If it falls, humanity will be perched on the brink of destruction.
Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network, which hits South African shores later this year. As evidence of the game’s highly anticipated release, more than 2.7 million players participated in the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta in May, making it the largest console video game beta test on record and more than triple the size of the historic “Halo 3” beta.
The “Halo” franchise started with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001), and has spawned multiple best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, more than 34 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 3.3 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE.
To tie in with the local launch of Halo: Reach, South Africa’s local Xbox Twitter page has been re-launched @Xbox360ZA.
