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Source-www.343industries.org Thank Spades A Az For This Wonderful News Fileshare is up and running! When you see spades make sure you thank him he is the first person in this entire world to post that news in his latest post FILE SHARE IS WORKING!! He told me I could post this,and plus this news needs a lot of attention. Spades Was So Excited- Yes that is right, the file share is up and running right now. Hopefully this is a permanent resolution which will not be taken from us. This is what Halo needed to kick start the numbers and help us enjoy the community forged maps. This week on Custom Game Night is already full of content but I hope to bring you guys more amazing stuff in the future. If any of you run across AMAZING content then please share it with me. I am so excited that this has finally happened. So when you see him congragulate him for being the FIrst person to post this in the world! Like This http://i1227.photobu.../ee438/InvaderD

Halo 4 Specializations An in depth look at one of Halo's new features By: Absolute Dog 343 Industries.org Specializations may be the unique way Halo again sets itself apart from the rest of the FPS on the market. Halo 4 will continue the use of some of the abilities first introduced in Halo: Reach along with the always available sprint. The game will include new abilities in Promethean Vision, Hardlight Shield, Auto-Sentry, Thruster Pack and Regeneration Field. The base player speed is said to be similar to that of Halo 3 which, when coupled with sprint and specializations, should make for some incredibly fast paced and hectic gaming. The first look will my into the recently released information on Specializations. Included will be a combination of developer quotes, narrative from various sources, video and images that will help the reader to gain a better grasp of this subject. This is the basic overview offered by 343 Industries about Specializations and how they affect or integrate with the ranking system, abilities, armors and various other player aspects. It also mentions unlockable items made available by progressing through the various levels. The UNSC Infinity, the largest starship in the UNSC fleet, is your gateway to the Infinity Multiplayer experience in Halo 4 and serves as the center of your Spartan career. Here you will build your custom Spartan-IV super-soldier, and progress your multiplayer career across both Spartan Ops and the multitude of competitive War Games modes. Halo 4 has fifty levels. Once you have advanced through the standard fifty levels, you will get the option to enlist in a Specialization. You can choose the order in which you tackle unlocked Specializations. However once you select one, you must advance through it completely before enlisting in a separate Specialization. Specializations allow you to enlist in specific rank paths. These paths are composed of ten levels each. As you level up through these dedicated paths, you will unlock armor sets, emblems, visor colors, weapon and armor skins, and armor mods – which provide even more options to customize your Spartan-IV to fit your preferred role on the battlefield. These armor mods will work exactly like all other tactical and support mods in the game. They are not tied to specific armor for each Specialization, so you don’t have to wear the armor to use that particular mod. They enhance a small part of the sandbox (meaning good players will still be good, and not good players will still be not good), allowing people to play the style they want to play and experience the parts of the sandbox they like on a more frequent basis. We consider Specializations end-game content because even if you have “access” to all of them on day one, you will still need to reach level 50 before you can enlist in any Specializations. Think of them as giving you control over extending your level cap. Two Specializations – Wetwork and Pioneer – will be available to all players when the game launches, and the rest will gradually be made available in the months following launch. We will be keeping a close watch on player participation post-launch and will roll out the additional six Specializations when the player base reaches certain milestones. There will also be playlists available that do not utilize loadouts or armor mods. That overview included the fact of the 1 through 50 levels of the base ranking system and that once a player reaches the highest level they can then choose which Specialization they first want to unlock. Having to complete it before selecting another is required, but a statement by David Ellis while speaking to IGN indicates that skill earned during this progression may unlock other Specializations. David Ellis...... "By enlisting in a Specialisation you basically raise your own level cap," explained Spartan Ops designer. "With each one, you can extend the level cap a little further. You do not have to rank all the way through again [to unlock another Specialisation]." David spoke to the fact that the Specializations would be more of a reward for players who were dedicated enough to progress up to the fiftieth level in multiplayer and considered to be "end game content". He went on to add, "We'll be watching the level curve of the community closely close launch and will do our best to role Specializations out as we see segments of the playerbase reach max rank." Each class offers nine levels of customization options including armor sets, weapon skins, emblems and visor covers, while a tenth level grants the player with a "game play modifying perk" Specialization Classes_____________________________________________________________________ Wetworks According to recent information offered by 343 Industries we find out that, "Wetwork Specialization is a Spartan optimization for stealth operations which focus on the elimination of an enemy target with the goal of leaving no tactical footprint behind. The Stealth mod armor allows users to move quickly and silently in combat, executing enemy assassinations with lightning fast dexterity. " I think Ryan McCaffrey of IGN put it best by saying,"Halo fans who wore the Hyabusa armor proudly in Halo 3 can now walk the walk in addition to talking the talk. As you may have heard in previous Halo 4 multiplayer footage, these Spartan IVs make some serious noise when they move. How could they not? They’re seven-foot-tall super humans running around frantically while wearing one-ton metal armor. Enter the Wetwork armor mod, which boasts a couple of key stealth-related benefits." His discussion with David Ellis on Specializations led David to point out that, “When someone’s using Promethean Vision, they show up on screen as a big red figure. With this [mod], you still show up, but the only thing that shows up is your outline. And also when you sprint, it adds some sound dampening so you don’t make as much noise. You definitely still show up on radar, let me make that clear.” "Furthermore, the assassination animation will happen faster for you, leaving you vulnerable for a shorter duration of time. " , added McCaffrey. 343 offered additional information about this 'Stealth' armor mod that, "has very sharp shapes and angles, reminiscent of a knife or blade – does a number of things to help a player that likes to get up close and personal. Many times when someone is using Promethean Vision, they scan quickly so if there’s a lot going on, they may miss you. Or you can hope, anyway." This modification with it's faster assassination ability leaves a player less vulnerable to attack from an opponents team mate. Wetworks Weapon Skin as it appears on the DMR Wetworks is one of the two immediately accessible Specializations available to all players out of the box. The other one is Pioneer, so let's take a look at it. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<o>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Pioneer In regards to the other Specialization available on November 6th, 343 Industries states that the, "Pioneer Specialization is a Spartan optimization for deployment into uncharted, hostile territory (such as uncolonized worlds or Forerunner constructs like Requiem) for the purpose of gathering/relaying information." The 'Fast Track' armor modification will allow players to gain more experience points, or 'data', from each gaming encounter which will quicken the pace at which they rank up. McCaffrey says of this variant, "We can’t imagine anyone not starting out by spending a lot of time as a Pioneer, and not just because it's the only other Specialization that everyone will have access to on November 6. Simply, the Pioneer’s Fast Track mod nets you experience points towards the next level at a higher rate, bringing you closer to your high-level goals." Ryan goes on to say, "Ellis and 343 have already planned for the potential exploits of this particular class. “You can change loadouts mid-match, but we put fail-safes in,” Ellis begins. “For Fast Track, you only get extra XP for the amount of time you were using it. You can’t just turn it on right at the end of a match and think you’re going to get extra XP for everything you did in a match." According to additional information from 343 Industries this, "armor mod features armor that has wiring which runs throughout the armor to control temperatures in extreme conditions. Gameplay-wise, it gives the player more post-game experience. In-game, if you get 10 points per kill, you don’t get more at that exact moment, but after the game it modifies the amount of experience your Spartan earns to increase the speed at which you rank up. It’s not for everybody because it takes up a primary spot (that could be used for something like carrying an extra grenade or sprinting longer). And, in case you were wondering, you can’t change to it at the end of a game and get more experience for the entire match." Pioneer Weapon Skin as it appears on the Plasma Pistol That is a preview of the two Specializations shipped with the game, but it important to note the rest of the specializations will be released at a later period unless you purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition which will access to all eight Specializations at the November 6th game launch. Another incentive to purchase the LE if I do say so myself! I will add the rest of the Specializations right here as time permits this evening.

Here is another video of a spartan ops mission this from THC's youtube channel i posted a video before of some one playing this mission but this quality is a lot better and better to see whats happening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9jDOnLgnY4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMFBRxOPCl0&list=PL7EAC761C0DC4C943&index=2&feature=plpp_video A taster of what is too come!

On forbes.com there is a new article on Spartan Op's with Frank O'Connor. Here is the article. For gamers, November 6 isn’t just Election Day. It’s the day when the Halo Nation get their collective hands on the long-awaited Xbox game, Halo 4. But gamers have even more to look forward to than the continuing adventures of the Master Chief and his ethereal AI sidekick, Cortana. 343 Industries will also be releasing the first segment of Spartan Ops, one of ten “episodic co-op adventures” (like a TV series but streamed via your Xbox). The episode sets the context for a gameplay mission. In other words, after you watch the episode, you can actually play it to continue the plot of the episode you’ve just seen. But you don’t just play one adventure per episode. You play five. According to 343 franchise development director Frank O’Connor, “Each week, we’ll introduce five [emphasis mine] 10 to 15-minute missions that continue the story of the UNSC Infinity.” That’s a whole lot of Covenant-killing action—and that’s in addition to Halo 4. (Spartan Ops is free with the purchase of the game, although Halo 4 will set you back $59.99 or $99.99 for the limited edition.) Even though Spartan Ops will be released the same day as Halo 4, Spartan Ops is actually a sequel to the main game. But rather than further the storyline of the Master Chief, the series will follow two Spartan squads, Crimson and Majestic. That way, Spartan Ops will keep spoilers to a minimum. O’Connor, however, offered tantalizing tidbits: “The story of the UNSC Infinity intersects with the Halo 4 campaign, but continues on through Spartan Ops after the events of Halo 4. The UNSC Infinity plays an important role in Master Chief’s adventure, and while Spartan Ops is separate from Halo 4’s campaign, don’t be surprised if you periodically cross paths with the Chief. “In the first episode, you’re going to find the Covenant is doing an archeological dig and has discovered an ancient artifact. You don’t know what it is, but the Covenant wants it, so that’s good enough for you.” The “you” O’Connor refers to is a Spartan supersoldier (either male or female, your choice) that you can personalize with “a new armor modification system that introduces gameplay-enhancing customizations for the first time in a Halo game.” As you progress through the game, you unlock more, presumably more awesome, gear. You can go it alone, but O’Connor said that single-player gameplay will be difficult. However, Spartan Ops supports “matchmaking,” that is, the game “will find you three other players at the same state of the series as you are, so you can play it together and hopefully make some new friends.” (And everybody needs friends who would kill for you, even virtually.) Will any familiar voice actors make an audial appearance? O’Connor said, “We have a couple of actors in the game we haven’t announced. It’s not a star vehicle, but there are great journeymen character actors in the series.” Sounds like a terrific way to introduce and develop the Halo storyline. Heck, it sounds like a terrific way to create a whole new form of entertainment and media delivery. But are these daily episodic missions really only fifteen minutes each? “The gameplay is as long as your friends are cooperating,” said O’Connor.

Spartan Ops: Season 1 Trailer. http://youtu.be/e8tiwMTU0ag "A new trailer for the first season of Halo 4's Spartan Ops Mode has been released on Halo Waypoint today, showing the episodic saga that you'll be able to tune into weekly to watch and play with your friends. You'll build your ultimate Spartan and engage in 50 new co-op missions spread across 10 episodes with your buddies, just for the first season that's included with Halo 4. More Spartan Ops seasons will be released regularly, with the first season on the game disc. Check out the Spartan Ops season one trailer below. Halo 4 is out on November 6th. That's one week! One!"

There are spoilers ahead for people who have not yet played Spartan Ops. This is the first Spartan Ops Episode: Departure. Read below for more details Source: G4TV.com In Halo 4, Spartan Ops is the brand new co-op mode where you control members of the Majestic Squad in order to complete objectives. Spartan Ops chapters are scheduled to be released weekly by 343 Industries, and in the video below, you can check out the gameplay and cinematic video from the first Halo 4 Spartan Ops episode, "Departure." Halo 4 Spartan Ops "Episode 1: Departure" Gameplay Video

343 Industries promised weekly Spartan Ops episodes and it's sticking to that promise. Episode 2 will be out on Monday. Read below for more details Source: Computerandvideogames.com Spartan Ops: Episode Two, which contains five new missions and an accompanying new CG cinematic, will be available for free via Xbox Live next Monday, November 12 at 11am GMT (3am Pacific). We've got a teaser trailer for you here, and below that, some blurb on what to expect from events in Episode 2 (left until last in case you're on a super-stringent spoiler blackout). http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TByBdJAUoD4 This week on Halo 4: Spartan Ops -- The mysterious artifact recovered from Requiem takes control of vital systems on board the UNSC Infinity, forcing the Spartans of Crimson and Majestic back down to the planet to look for a way to free the ship. Commander Lasky and the UNSC need you, Spartan...get back in the game!

This is what halouniverse said about this picture "A few hours ago, it leaked online a fantastic artwork by Halo 4 representing a new Multiplayer/Spartan Ops map, which however do not yet know virtually nothing, except some possible detail due to its appearance. The map, of generous size, and that has some human structures, seems to fit the frenzied clashes Big Team Battle that Halo has always been accustomed. Furthermore, since there are no mountain ranges scattered in the middle of the arena game, you can expect the use of aircraft. I propose to follow the artwork, stay tuned for updates." Write in the comments below what you think this map may be and if its Multiplayer or Spartan Ops.

NEW HALO 4 PROMETHEAN WEAPONS VIDOC! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15Ksq4dvLuk&feature=g-all-u In other news the Halo Bulletin was released today, Here's what 343 has to say has to say about the weapons: *Lots more info coming soon!* Chris King (Lead Sandbox Designer), David Ellis (Spartan Ops Designer), and Christopher Blohm (Senior Sandbox Designer), along with Josh Holmes, Alyson Szymanski, Humberto Castaneda, Jeremy Patenaude, Brad Welch, Vic DeLeon, Paul Featherstone, Ali Zandi, Bill Clark, Kynan Pearson, Robert Pearsall, Chase Thompson, Jayce Diaz, Annie Wright, Leonard Holman, Sam Wolpert, and Tom Mathews joined me to share their thoughts about this particular subset of weapons. The Forerunners utilize the following base weapons: BOLTSHOT DESIGNATION: Z-110 Directed Energy Pistol/Exotic MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10 Forerunner particle dilator used for both its precision at mid-range and its burst functionality when up close. David - It’s taken a while for me to completely wrap my head around all the combat options the Boltshot provides, but I think I’m finally there. In fact, for non-vehicle maps it’s pretty much my go-to secondary weapon at this moment in time. Timing the bolt blast effectively sets the average player apart from someone who will gladly wreck your face with a pistol. The animations in particular help to set this weapon apart as a beast. The first time you pick it up, your Spartan’s entire arm convulses as if you’re not sure if your Mjolnir will be able to contain all the energy packed into this tiny weapon of destruction. Chris B. - This is a fascinating secondary weapon. With two fire modes, it gives you options… and we all need options. I rate it slightly under the Magnum when firing normally. The beauty comes when you figure in the charged shotgun-like blast. For players who enjoy the corner fight or lurk-about it can be a killer. Also on some maps, like Adrift, it can be used to great effect. I should say great effect in the right hands. It takes some skill and time to get a feel for the optimum range and the timing, but it is extremely satisfying to disintegrate a hard charging enemy that dismisses your pistol. Chris K. - This gun has a bit of a learning curve on it but once you figure it out, it’s a ton of fun. It features two firing modes (similar to a Plasma Pistol). The primary firing mode does headshots and fires extremely fast. However, it doesn’t have a scope and each individual shot is relatively weak. This makes it a great option for playing cleanup on enemies up close. The secondary firing mode is where things get really interesting. If you hold the trigger down, four flaps on the gun flip open and it does a powerful charge shot that functions like a shotgun blast. The blast is extremely powerful but it is also hard to pull off as you will need to learn the timing as you can’t hold the trigger down indefinitely (much like the Railgun, it will eventually auto-fire). It’s also only effective at extremely close ranges. I think of all the Forerunner weapons, this one has the coolest animations of the bunch (and that’s saying something, as they are all pretty cool). The reload and charge-up animations are totally rad! Paul (Assistant Director of Photography) - The Boltshot has become my go-to sidearm in MP because of the double functionality of the charge blast. Nailing someone coming around the corner with a one-shot kill is always satisfying. Sam (Software Development Engineer) - I love the Boltshot because of its secondary fire mode. It's the ultimate risk/reward trade-off: you have to start charging at exactly the right time or the blast will fire before your enemy is at point-blank range. Get your timing right, though, and this handy little Forerunner pistol will send your opponents straight to deathcam with a single shot. Unleashing the Boltshot on an unsuspecting player coming around a corner is immensely satisfying. It's also a great weapon to pair with weapons that are more effective at longer ranges, like the BR, DMR, and LightRifle. Charging opponents wielding short-range weapons got you down? Don't worry, a couple of encounters with your trusty Boltshot will make them think twice about coming near you, making it that much easier to pick them off with a series of well-aimed headshots from your rifle of choice. SUPPRESSOR DESIGNATION: Z-130 Directed Energy Automatic Weapon MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 48 Fully automatic Forerunner infantry weapon, firing bolts of hard light in rapidly accelerating succession. Chris B. - People say “spray and pray”. I say, in the right situations, feather the trigger and dance on the corpses. On tight maps, one of my favorite loadouts is the Firepower package with a DMR and Suppressor (DMR for the heavy lifting and the Suppressor for the CQB and cleaning up). Mid-range combat with a Suppressor, just say no. Seriously. David - At first glance, the Suppressor might seem like a less accurate cousin to the AR, and you might not be entirely wrong in that initial assessment. However, this Forerunner SMG has a special place in my heart as it just plain shreds enemy Knights at close quarters. As Chris said, this weapon should only be used at closer ranges, but if you’re smart about positioning your Spartan relative to sightlines and geo, you will be rewarded. Chris K. - If you like close-quarters combat in tight spaces, this is the gun for you! Individual shots are relatively weak, but it more than makes up for it with sheer brute force. It features an enormous clip (48 bullets) and the fastest firing rate of any of the fully-auto primary weapons (roughly 150% faster firing than the AR or Storm Rifle). The projectiles slow down over time so to be effective, you really need to use it like an SMG, although you can still psychologically overwhelm enemies at range with a barrage of projectiles. I find myself always rolling with the Suppressor on Adrift as the tight hallways really favor the strengths of the gun. It’s oh-so-satisfying to have someone come around a corner and be able to unload half a clip into them before they even realize what hit them. Alyson (Producer) - The suppressor has slowly won me over and become my favorite Promethean weapon. It feels good, sounds good, and breaking a Knight’s shield just before finishing him off or the popping death of a Watcher is a satisfying kill. Annie (Editor) - There are players who operate like armored ninjas with guns: Swift, precise and most of all stealthy. This gun is not for those people. This gun is for players like me, whose strategy (if I can be said to have one) is more along the lines of “Expect to die, shoot anything that moves, and try to take as many of those moving things with me when I go”. I’ve always preferred closer combat to long-range attacks, and the Suppressor allows me to get fairly near and still cover a pretty decent area without sacrificing too much in the way of power. Combine with the Ammo Upgrade to put your carrying capacity over the top and Shield Package to make up for lack of cover if you want to experiment with the Suppressor on larger maps, and you’re in pretty decent shape! Brad (Lead Designer) - At very close range, the Suppressor lays down the smack far more quickly than either the AR or Storm Rifle. It's a great weapon in maps such as Adrift where you have plenty of cover and corners. If you play the ambush game or use cover to quickly close distance, you can be devastating with it. The Suppressor's effective range drops off quickly, so you don't want to get caught in the open or a long hallway with it. Pair that sucker with some form of precision weaponry - a Magnum or use the Firepower Tactical Package to get a second precision primary. SCATTERSHOT DESIGNATION: Z-180 Close Combat Rifle/Asymmetric Engagement Mitigator MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 Close-combat weapon with a deadly blast at short-range and a versatile ricochet effect against hard surfaces. David - The Scattershot is a perfect example of the combined efforts of the sandbox designer plus the animation, art, and sound teams really creating a showpiece weapon. I think it’s been mentioned before, but the Scattershot (in its current incarnation) helped the team for a cohesive vision about the Forerunner weapons in general. Much like the UNSC shotgun, it’s absolutely satisfying to blast away foe after foe in close quarter encounters. Word of warning though: Because of the lightshow ignited with every trigger pull, this weapon is more difficult to conceal than its human-themed counterpart. Chris B. - Not your Dad’s UNSC Shotgun. It’s not as straight of a beast as the raw power of the human tech, but it gives you a little more tactical flexibility. I find its range slightly extended from that of the a shotgun and occasionally will try to bank shots with the higher ROF of the Scattershot. Plus… disintegration. Chris K. - By now, I’m sure most people are pretty familiar with this one. It’s a Forerunner shotgun, with ricocheting bullets that allow for really interesting tactics in tight spaces. Oh, and if you blast a guy up close, you get that totally sweet Forerunner incineration effect. This gun is definitely in my top three favorite power weapons. The FX, the animations, and it’s just so satisfying to fire. If you use it correctly, you can go on an absolute terror. One pro-tip – I see some people try to use this from longer distances than they should. Don’t be fooled by the projectiles; this weapon is lethal up close but you won’t have much luck starting a dual against a DMR player 100’ away. Vic (Lead Mission Artist) - I love the Scattershot because it’s so much freaking fun to use. I can’t compare it to any other weapon. You can aim for your target like most weapons, which is no doubt how you will fire it for the first time like I did, but once I understood the projectiles and how they ricochet off hard surfaces (the non-meat-made surfaces), I started using it more strategically – aiming at floors, walls and ceilings. I’ve been able to bounce shots off corners and nail players, taking out shields then going in for the death blow. (It’s true, I have been known to shriek wildly when I get one of these in a game). Josh (Creative Director) - The Scattershot is what would happen if a shotgun and a roman candle made deadly babies. Essentially a futuristic shotgun that explodes with the heat of a miniature sun, the Scattershot will disintegrate anyone that takes the full brunt of its attack. As an added bonus, you can bounce projectiles off surfaces, making bank shot kills utterly possible. Kynan (Lead Multiplayer Level Design) - I like the Scattershot because Brrrrauwwww… Brrrrauwwww… Brrrrauwwww… Brrrrauwwww… Brrrrauwwww!! LIGHTRIFLE DESIGNATION: Z-250 Directed Energy Engagement Weapon MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 36 Precision weapon that uses particle acceleration to fire beams of hard light for mid-range to long-range combat. David - Best of both worlds, master of subtlety, these are terms that I just wrote to describe the LightRifle. Neither quite captures the complexity of this piece of kit. I find both firing modes are a tiny bit less forgiving than the DMR and BR, but definitely put in the time to master the subtle idiosyncrasies of the LR. Your efforts will be rewarded. Chris B. - Of the rifle class, the LR offers a bit more tactical options for the player (I’m sensing a theme here). It gives you the best of the BR and the DMR, depending on if you are scoped. Don’t be thrown off by the distinctive sound or the scope; use it to its strengths in all encounters, and you will be happy. Chris K. - The LightRifle is a long-range semi-auto precision rifle. It features a 3x zoom, hitscan projectiles that do headshots, but, most importantly, it features two firing modes. The best way to think of it is a hybrid of the BR and DMR. When firing from the hip, it fires in three-round bursts, similar to a BR. Once the player zooms however, the gun switches over to a more powerful firing mode and combines the normal three projectiles into a singular shot. When zoomed, the LightRifle can kill a Spartan in four shots (w/headshot). That being said, there are still tradeoffs here that make it balanced in line with the other semi-auto weapons. It fires slightly slower when zoomed, and it’s just a smidge less viable from the hip versus the other stuff. Overall, this is a formidable weapon and has developed a cult following internally at 343. Josh (Creative Director) - The Light Rifle provides the ultimate in versatility when it comes to a mid-to-long range precision weapon. In many ways, it's a combination of the BR and DMR. It's a little slower to transition into zoom compared to the BR and DMR, and you give up some additional situational awareness, but the sound alone is enough to strike fear into the heart of your opponent. BINARY RIFLE DESIGNATION: Z-750 Special Application Sniper Rifle MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 2 Extreme-range sniper rifle, designed to take down even heavily armored infantry with a single shot. David - Poo-inducing. That’s how I describe the gut-clenching terror shuddering through my body every time I see the telltale laser sight of the Binary Rifle projecting across the map. Unlike other sniper rifles, this beastly harbinger of death is a one-hit kill rifle. ONE HIT. It’s a pretty rare ordnance drop and in Matchmaking, it doesn’t carry much ammo. But if you see the HUD marker announcing its arrival on the battlefield, RUN. Either towards the Binary Rifle in a mad, Hunger Games-like scramble, or away as fast as possible in the hopes that person wielding this weapon has difficulties tracking targets over extreme distances. Chris B. - Boss. That’s really it (This gun rules. It has a hefty tell, but when your enemies are nothing more than carbon blowing away on the wind, why do you care?). Chris K. - This gun is absolutely devastating! When someone manages to get one of these in MP, it’s a game changer. At its core, it’s a Forerunner sniper rifle. Unlike the other sniper weapons in the game, you don’t necessarily have to get a headshot though to score a kill. If you hit a Spartan anywhere, they will quickly incinerate from the point of impact in a spectacular fashion. That being said, there are some significant tradeoffs in using this weapon. For starters, it has a clip size of two, meaning you will need to reload more often than you will with the other sniper rifles. In addition, it is extremely inaccurate when shooting from the hip (think shotgun-sized firing cone, meaning you shouldn’t expect to have much luck no-scoping unless you are in someone’s face). And finally, when scoped, several laser sights on the gun are enabled that act as a tell to opposing players (think a more in-your-face version of the Splaser tell). I love the way this gun instantly changes the dynamic in MP, though. When someone gets one and scopes it and you see the lasers aiming towards you, it’s time to stop what you are doing and get to cover pronto! Humberto (Producer) - I absolutely love disintegrating enemies with the Binary Rifle, which is essentially the Forerunner sniper weapon. Watch out for Crawlers peeking out with that ominous red light, though. All they need is an instant and then… ZAP! Total protonic reversal. Josh (Creative Director) - Like the name implies, the Binary Rifle is a one-shot instakill when you hit anywhere on your opponent's body. Nothing is more satisfying than zooming in and nailing an opponent from across the map, and watching as they are immediately incinerated from the point of impact. Chase (Audio) - I love watching someone derez after a headshot with the Binary Rifle. That weapon just feels so dangerous and powerful, and sounds so huge that I can’t resist picking it up every time I see one! Jeremy (Franchise Writer) - This weapon is no friggin’ joke. Last week, we were playing Regicide on an unannounced map, which is a large symmetrical map that fans will unquestionably dig – evergreen, plenty hilly, and Forerunnerlicious. Generally speaking, you don’t play Regicide on maps this large, but we were doing it, and it was AWESOME. At any rate, I had been trading the King spot with one other player the entire match, and it looked like he was going to pull away with it because time was running out and he had just climbed into a vehicle that is a straight-up death dealer. He was about to square-off against three other players who were rushing him with small arms (not sure what they were thinking). They didn’t have a chance, it was a certain win for him... until an ordnance drop fell from the sky: The Binary Rifle! I raced to it, drew it up and fired on two of the other players, instantly turning them into ash. I reloaded, fired on the third for another instant kill, and then fired on my nemesis to secure the victory. And his -Yoink!- exploded into a million pieces. Such a crazy ending to such a crazy match. Jayce (Spartan Ops Designer) - The Binary Rifle, or Bi-Ri as it’s affectionately called, is my favorite Promethean weapon hands-down. It’s incredibly powerful in the right hands (or wrong hands, if you’ve come up against a Knight Ranger). The trade-off here is the two-shot ammo capacity, but two shots are all you really need. If you’re good, an Elite will go down in one hit, while a Knight typically takes two. Just don’t miss. Ali (Systems Designer) - The Binary Rifle is a great way to spear through multiple Spartans with one shot. It’s quite interesting because it will give away your position when you are zoomed in as a counter balance to its lethality. You can also try to use it like a shotgun, which is quite BAUS! Robert (Test) - Lift the Binary Rifle to your eye, double zoom-in on a Promethean Knight, reticle between his eyes and pull the trigger to feel the WHUMP of the energy leave the weapon as he derezzes. Kynan (Lead Multiplayer Level Design) - The Binary Rifle is my favorite Halo power weapon ever. It’s like Christmas every time you pick it up. A one-hit kill no matter where you hit an enemy. It’s sooo good when you just barely clip someone’s foot and then watch as they fragment into thousands of angry burning embers. I also love that even though it’s incredibly powerful, when someone is zoomed in and looking to take a shot, you can see a laser leading to everything they are looking at. Points you right to where they are. INCINERATION CANNON DESIGNATION: Weapon/Anti-Materiel Z-390 High-Explosive Munitions Rifle MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 1 Powerful shoulder-mounted weapon that launches highly charged particles at a target with explosive results. David - I love watching someone use the Incineration cannon for the first time, as it often ends in hilarity and self-immolation. The submunitions offer a new wrinkle to the concept of the traditional “rocket launcher” weapon class. You definitely want to make sure you keep your distance from your intended target in as many situations as possible, but I try to use the particular personality of this weapon to my advantage. Enemy camping around the corner? Well, fire your main shot as close as possible and watch the submuntions bounce and explode right on top of your unsuspecting foe. Campaign pro tip: Beware the Incinerator-wielding Knight Commanders. They are deadly. You cannot outgun them so you’re required to outthink them. Chris B. - Devastating, and at times fickle. The main round is slightly less deadly than the UNSC Rocket Launcher but also MIRVs into four submunitions. These subs can catch the people that try to jump the main round, as they can bounce out and hit people on the edge of the area-of-effect that survived the main, and they can break your heart occasionally by missing entirely. With great power comes great heartbreak (or something like that). It’s a fun weapon to use in all cases, especially against vehicles and groups of enemies. Try shooting it at a low ceiling above an enemy sometime. Chris K. - This is another Forerunner Weapon that has the ability to incinerate opponents. This can lead to especially impressive multi-kills given the large area-of-effect/submunitions. Not too long ago, I was able to kill four enemies with one shot, and watching them all dissolve in front of me was about as satisfying as it gets. Another cool moment I witnessed with this one involved a teammate firing it near a speeding Warthog with three enemy passengers, all of which were killed and starting dissolving while seated in the ‘Hog. Rad! Worth noting here, this weapon has an especially long reload time; you have to reload between every shot, and the projectile itself is fairly slow. This means you really need to connect with your shot, or you will be at a disadvantage to your opponents. Bill (Software Development Engineer) - My favorite weapon is the Incineration Cannon. Even just the initial warhead is punchy and powerful. When you add in the chaos of the submunitions flying around, it’s a recipe for mayhem and destruction. The fact that whoever you just wrecked is dissolving into a million glowy bits is the icing on the cake. The awesome reloading effects as you prepare for another shot is the cherry on top. Leonard (UI Engineer) - You just gotta love the Incineration Cannon; it’s like a Rocket Launcher that spawns baby Promethean bombs. It’s a pain in the ass when your enemy has one aimed at you since you know you’ll likely turn into Promethean fairy dust. However, when the tables are turned and you’ve got one of these bad boys slung on your shoulder, you know whoever you see next is pretty much dead. Another cool thing about this gun is, if the initial hit doesn’t kill, the splash damage will likely finish what your aim couldn’t, plus it will likely take out anyone or anything near it! The only real drawbacks are the reload speed and that you’ll likely shoot your eye out if you’re not careful... splash damage works both ways. Sam (Software Development Engineer) - Apparently, the Forerunners don't mess around when it comes to blowing stuff up. The Incineration Cannon is probably my favorite weapon in the game. It's like the Rocket Launcher, if the Rocket Launcher fired an oscillating cluster of energy that disintegrated any unfortunate soul it came into contact with. Rockets explode on impact; on impact, the projectile fired by the Incineration Cannon divides into *more* packets of energy that *also* disintegrate anyone unlucky enough to be in the way. Explosions are awesome. Fountains of disintegration are awesomer. Tom (Software Development Engineer) - This thing is a beast. If you see it pop up on your HUD, get ready with your grenades as you close distance because there’s going to be another few Spartans making a beeline for it. Once you have this beauty in your hands, aim carefully because you have to reload after each shot. But it’s so very, very worth it: the gentle pull of the trigger sends out a number of projectiles weaving towards your foe. Upon impact, these projectiles then blossom out from the initial detonation into a cascade of secondary explosions. Nothing feels better than slamming a fresh round into the cannon while watching three or four of your enemies disintegrate into electronic dust. PULSE GRENADE DESIGNATION: Z-040 Attenuation Field Generator/Localized MANUFACTURER: Unknown/Forerunner Origin MAGAZINE CAPACITY: N/A A field-effect-generating attenuation device used to overload both simple and complex power networks, forcing them temporarily offline. David - The Pulse Grenade is an odd beast. It’s extremely powerful in the right hands, but it requires you to use it differently from other Halo grenades. I find it be most useful as an anti-vehicle or area-ofdenial weapon. Chris B. - The Pulse Grenade adds a lot to the dynamic of the battlefield. It does constant damage for the life of the sphere, but you should be most concerned about the blast when the sphere forms and when it collapses. Since it doesn’t bounce, you can place it accurately. Try throwing at a person’s feet for a huge hit on their shields, or throw it behind them and force them back into it. Or, if you need to run for your life, throw it down and go. Enemies rarely will charge through it, and the screen shake can throw off that final killing shot. Remember, you only get one with a normal loadout, but it can change the battlefield, so don’t shy away from its use. Chris K. - Functionally, this is somewhat similar to the Halo 3 Power Drain. It’s a bit different from the other grenades in that it doesn’t bounce off surfaces; instead it will stick to the ground/walls and then pop out and detonate a split-second later. This means you can be a bit more precise with it than you can with the frag or sticky ‘nades. It also makes for some interesting ambush options when you consider the bounce (for example, toss it above the ceiling in front of a door way to surprise someone before they run through). It’s great for area-of-denial and is a favorite of mine for objective-based MP modes. As mentioned above, one significant tradeoff with the Pulse Grenade is that you only get one grenade by default in MP (two w/the Grenadier Armor Mod). And that wraps up today’s feature about Forerunner weapons. Stick around, though, because I still have lots to talk about. And “lots” is an understatement.

The following is about the Covenant weaponry in the game. There is video and much more below. Enjoy! Read below for more details From: http://blogs.halo.xbox.com/Headlines/post/2012/09/19/The-Halo-Bulletin-91912-.aspx By: Bs Angel Au is on the horizon Our eyes are bloodshot, our work areas are full of empty energy drink cans, and our beds have filed a formal request to spend more than two hours per night with us. Our spirits remain high, though, because we're almost there. Au is on the horizon … As we work around the clock to put the finishing touches on Halo 4, our studio is focused on three main things: finding bugs, fixing bugs, and arranging a cage match between Caitie and Hoop (two of our developers on services). Actually, we’re trying to arrange a triumvirate of events, which includes the aforementioned cage match, a Gangnam Style dance off, and a Nerf war but either way, my money is on Caitie. Primarily because I like the thought of keeping my money. Our PR and Marketing teams are also going full speed ahead, as they prepare to kick things into overdrive. I snuck a peek at their calendar for the next few months, and let’s just say they have more than a few surprises up their sleeves. Some of those things you will see in stores, others will aid you in your eternal quest for nourishment, and a few of them have the potential to blow your mind. (I say potential because they will blow your mind if you like awesome things, but maybe not if you don’t like awesome things. Take that as you will.) By the way, Halo 4 launches in less than 50 days. If you’re not ready, I suggest you get ready, and what better way to do that than by learning about the Covenant weapons you will soon have at your disposal? Halo 4’s Covenant Weapons The Covenant weapons in Halo 4 presented us with an interesting design challenge. Traditionally, they haven’t been as popular as their UNSC counterparts, and they get much less use across the board. From a high level, we still wanted them to feel alien, futuristic, and technologically advanced (or at the very least, foreign) when compared to human weaponry, but we also wanted them to be equally viable choices.This was not an easy problem to solve. There are a lot of gameplay specific reasons why Covenant weapons function the way they do. The blue/purple/pink color schemes and higher-pitched sound effects are intended to contrast the UNSC weapons and make enemy fire stand out. The projectiles are intentionally slower so that when fighting AI, the player is able to react and dodge them. They also tend to drain shields faster than armor health because it adds tension and creates situations where the player feels like they are escaping a fire fight by the skin of their teeth. In short, the weapons were designed to be fun to fight against, and some of these properties work against making them fun to use. So how did we resolve these issues? On the aesthetics side, we felt like the shiny textures, bright colors, and flawless models of the past made them read a bit too toy-like, so we tried to make everything slightly more grounded. We did that by showing more wear and tear (such as scuffs and imperfections) and using new textures that made the guns look like they were created from hard metallic alloys (instead of plastic). The audio for all Covenant weapons went through several iterations until they felt a bit more punchy and visceral, while still sounding alien. As far as gameplay goes, we changed the weapon properties to make them better equivalents to UNSC weaponry. For example, the projectile speeds are drastically increased when the player uses them so that they are easier to hit targets but when AI fires them at the player, they are slower so that they are still fun to dodge. Finally, we spent a lot of time on the interface components. Two such examples are the zoom scopes, which were made to have a much more alien feel when using the guns, and the digital displays and reticles use of a similar alien language. Halo 4 features nine Covenant weapons, with a mix of old and new. Take a look at them in action by watching the following (brand new!) video, and then we’ll chat a bit about how they feel when you’re using them on Halo 4’s virtual battlefields. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4NLJpTXOtU&feature=player_embedded If you’re interested in the audio side of things, get your headphones ready and crank up the volume because we'll be releasing the version without music shortly. Frank O'Connor (Franchise Development Director), David Ellis (Spartan Ops Designer), and Chris King (Lead Sandbox Designer), along with Jeff Guy, Jayce Diaz, Joel Gifford, Kynan Pearson, Ali Zandi, Alyson Szymanski, Todd Colby, Josh Lindquist, and Chris Howard joined me to share their thoughts about this particular subset of weapons. The Covenant utilizes the following base weapons: PLASMA PISTOL DESIGNATION: T-25 Directed Energy Pistol MANUFACTURER: Iruiru Armory MAGAZINE CAPACITY: N/A Directed-energy weapon capable of semi-automatic firing and a scaled-burst effect which disables electronics. How it feels: Frank - Absolute beast, tempered by the fact that you’ll deplete your charge quickly and are brutally punished for running around with it pre-charged all the time. I had it in one of my go-to loadouts on a semi-permanent basis but I’ve kind of moved away from that, except where early vehicle domination seems likely. David - Let me answer your first question: No, we’re not introducing the Halo 2 Noob Combo as a standard loadout in Halo 4. While the Plasma Pistol still strips shields, in my experience it doesn’t track nearly as much at a distance when compared to previous titles. It’s still very useful against shielded enemies (UNSC and Covenant alike) but as Frank mentioned, pay attention to your remaining charge. Chris - Don’t be deceived by the toy-ish looks. This is a powerful gun! To be effective with the normal shot, you will need to use it at close ranges because the projectiles are extremely slow relative to other weapons. And since players spawn with it from the get-go as a secondary weapon, we’ve had to retune the number of charge shots down from the past (when charging, the energy drains pretty quickly in multiplayer compared to the past). It’s still a great choice, though, especially on vehicle maps. If you are a fan of the Noob Combo, I’d recommend trying to scavenge a Magnum as a backup. The Halo 4 pistols all have faster animation timings than in the past, allowing you to switch to them faster than any other weapon in the game. Charged Plasma Shot + Magnum headshot = WIN! Jeff (Test) - The Plasma Pistol continues its role as one of the strongest utility weapons in the Covenant arsenal. Its ability to strip enemy shields or disable enemy vehicles makes it a dangerous and deceptive weapon in the hands of the right player. There’s something so satisfying about landing a charged shot against a Banshee and watching it fall from the sky, the pilot helpless to avoid his descent to an inevitable barrage of fire from your appreciative team members. The soaring green blasts in any PvP match are a reminder that you are only one good shot away from being defenseless against headshots. The sound of the charged weapon rounding the corner as the player un-crouches from cover to engage you stops your breath for a moment. The sting to a Spartan’s hands when the weapon overloads from charging too long is a bittersweet reminder that the weapon remains destined for the hands of the tactical player. NEEDLER DESIGNATION: T-33 Guided Munitions Launcher MANUFACTURER: Lodam Armory MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 18 rounds Exotic guided-munitions weapon firing crystalline shards that home in, impale, and detonate on soft targets. How it feels: Frank - The Needler is not my favorite weapon in terms of efficacy – and you’ll see that in my Reach stats, but as something I used to only use in cases of last resort, I’m finding it more and more useful in Campaign and Spartan Ops than ever before – and taking out Elites and Promethean Knights by supercombining can be a great way to break up strategic logjams in big encounters. David - Here’s some friendly advice for your Legendary Campaign runs in Halo 4: make friends with the Needler. For clearing out Elites and Knights, it has quickly become the pick-up weapon of choice at higher difficulty levels in both Campaign and Spartan Ops. Chris - The Halo 4 Needler is probably the most powerful version of the gun to date. I love the new, more mechanical firing sounds of the gun as it feels more visceral. One of the big changes this time around is that the needles stick to shields again (in Reach, the needles only supercombined when shields were down). This makes it deadly for sure. However, its effectiveness is tempered by the overall faster pace of the game, which gives players a better chance of avoiding the needles. If you catch an opponent off-guard, they are in for a world of hurt. Chris H. (SDE) - The Needler has received a damage and speed boost, which definitely makes it more powerful this time around. It’s always been a fun gun to use, but now it’s extremely satisfying and almost always a good idea to pick up if found on the battlefield. Josh (Senior SDE) - The Needler is so bad-ass, some of us call it the “noobler”. It feels like the Halo 2 Needler to me. It will wreck your -Yoink!- STORM RIFLE DESIGNATION: T-55 Directed Energy Rifle/Advanced MANUFACTURER: Lodam Armory MAGAZINE CAPACITY: N/A Fully automatic, directed-energy weapon, widely considered the successor to the traditional Plasma Rifle. How it feels: Frank - This isn’t accurate in terms of power or performance, exactly, but in a way I am reminded of the Brute Plasma Rifle from Halo 2 in terms of ferocity and sheer visceral pleasure. Of course it doesn’t work well at long range and can’t be dual wielded, but that’s my snapshot impression, if it makes any sense. David - The Storm Rifle fills a role similar to that of the UNSC Assault Rifle, but somehow the Storm Rifle is just plain more frightening to come up against. Early in development, there weren’t a lot of people using this weapon, despite how effective it was at close range. That changed overnight when the weapons effects and sounds started to come online. Chris - This is a fantastic close-range weapon, once you figure out the rhythm on the overheat. I especially love using this weapon on smaller maps or in tight areas as it’s incredibly lethal. It doesn’t have the range or accuracy of the AR but if you manage the heat well, you can continue firing for quite a while and it will give you a significant advantage over other weapons that require longer reloads. It takes some getting used to, though. If you just hold the trigger down and let the gun reach its overheat state, you are faced with a long cool down penalty. Alyson (Producer) - The first level of the campaign is set up really nicely for the Storm Rifle. Use a charged shot on the Plasma Pistol to knock down the Elite’s shields, then pop him with the Storm Rifle, and finally finish off the fodder of Grunts. Then pick up the Plasma Grenades for yourself. Mwhahahaha! Todd (UI) - Before Halo 4, I was lukewarm on Covenant weapons. I never felt like I got the meaty feedback I got from UNSC weaponry. The Storm Rifle has converted me to the Covenant arsenal – half of my loadouts are customized with it in mind. Its rapid fire rate makes it perfect for run-and-gun, and covering teammates has never been so rewarding. When I engage enemies with the Storm Rifle, it’s like I’m repeatedly slapping my opponent in the face with a thousand fruit roll-ups. Delicious victory. COVENANT CARBINE DESIGNATION: T-51 Carbine MANUFACTURER: Iruiru Armory MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 18 rounds Notable semi-automatic mid-range accuracy, firing ballistic rounds unlike most other Covenant weapons. How it feels: Frank - It’s the Carbine. I have always felt it was a perfectly good sub for BR and DMR and indeed sits somewhere between the two in terms of its utility for my style of play – but I have tended to avoid it every now and then because of the super-visible contrail. For some reason, in Halo 4 that hasn’t been much of an issue for me – or it was my imagination to begin with, but I have been using it more and more and in Campaign, it’s essential. David - I can’t decide if it’s the size of the bolts you fire or some other intangible, but the Carbine feels (to me) like the most accurate weapon in the game. I find it especially useful for when I’m waiting to launch an ambush. Against inexperienced foes, the barrage of rapid fire shots can cause enemies to panic and make mistakes… to their doom. As Chris mentions below, it’s great as a finishing weapon. I would recommend pairing it with a Plasma Pistol or Storm Rifle. Chris - Mathematically, this is the most lethal long-range rifle in the game in a one-on-one encounter. It fires extremely fast – double the rate of the other rifles. But it doesn’t have the range of the DMR or LightRifle, and each individual shot is relatively weak. A player that can land the bulk of their shots and manage their ammo well can be extremely successful with it, though. Because of its headshot capability, it is also a great weapon for playing cleanup with teammates (have them drop opponent shields and then score the headshot). I love using this weapon but I can only use it in short bursts. The firing rate is so fast, it makes my fingers tired after a while! Joel (Test) - The Covenant Carbine is an absolute terror when going up against unshielded foes. Bringing it into Spartan Ops missions against Grunts, Jackals, and Crawlers allows you to quickly drop waves of enemies, provided you can land the headshot. In PVP, it has a little trouble getting through enemy shields, but the precision and high rate of fire allow you to constantly bombard your opponent. Ali (Systems Designer) - It’s my go-to weapon on the Covenant side because it’s the anti-Grunt and Jackal weapon from a distance, and it caters to my somewhat stealthy play style. I enjoy the firing rhythm and the punch it delivers.It’s fascinating compared to UNSC rifles because the look, feel and audio feedback are unique and alien, especially when scoped in. BEAM RIFLE DESIGNATION: T-27 Special Application Sniper Rifle MANUFACTURER: Merchants of Qikost MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 10 shots Extreme-range sniper rifle, charging ionized hydrogen gas into a lethal beam of accelerated particles. How it feels: Frank - The Beam Rifle always felt a bit more solid and frightening to me than at least one or two iterations of the UNSC sniper. Now I prefer the UNSC sniper overall, both aesthetically and in terms of performance, but the sonic impact of the Beam Rifle is super satisfying. Like the Carbine, they seem to be easier to find in Campaign than human snipers. It’s also a bit easier to know where you’re being pinged from [with the Beam Rifle]. David - First off, I love that a proper Covenant sniper weapon is back for Halo 4. It’s been sorely missed. Secondly, the new HUD elements on the Beam Rifle when zoomed in really help to sell this as a piece of alien technology. As before, the meta-game of managing the heat of your rifle and firing on enemies means that every shot counts. Get too hasty and you’ll be looking down at your dead body in the flash of venting gas. Chris - I love the Halo 4 version of the Beam Rifle! This thing is ridiculously large and imposing looking, and it has a really mean firing sound. Because of its enormous size, it does have a decent amount of recoil between shots but the firing rate is the fastest of the snipers and if you manage the heat state of the gun, you can get off all shots in quick succession without an overheat or reload. One other pro-tip on this one: it’s the best sniper rifle for hip shots in Halo 4! Kynan (Lead Multiplayer Level Design) - The Beam Rifle is sick. What’s not to like about being able to clear out an enemy team with a single weapon that when used correctly doesn’t require a reload… and the sound is so satisfying. CONCUSSION RIFLE DESIGNATION: T-50 Directed Energy Weapon/Heavy MANUFACTURER: Merchants of Qikost MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 4 rounds Similar to other Covenant mortar weapons, firing explosive bolts of plasma at close-range to mid-range distances. How it feels: Frank - I have always found this weapon to be useful in close quarters combat and even against vehicles as a “confuser” – and I think the combination of fireworks and physics does a tremendous amount to add chaos and doubt to a battlefield. While I don’t use it except in desperation in Campaign, in MP I will absolutely grab it as a secondary, or when I am out of ammo on a primary. Chris - The Concussion Rifle and Brute shot have always been somewhat controversial in that players either love them or hate them – there doesn’t seem to be an in-between. The biggest change to the Halo 4 Concussion Rifle are the stronger physics impulses from the explosions along with faster projectile speed, which makes it work better in more open spaces and from a longer distance. That being said, I wouldn’t recommend trying to use this in a duel with a DMR from across the map. I love the firing rate on this weapon but IMO, the best part about it is the emergent sandbox moments you can get from the strong physics impulses on the explosion. Try drilling a speeding enemy Warthog from the side, and watch as hilarity ensues! David - I suppose you can put me in the latter of Chris’s camps as I still haven’t quite been able to wrap my brain around this iteration of the Concussion Rifle quite yet. It’s great against vehicles and the physics impulses are great, but I suppose I’m a simple man and I like blowing stuff up in a shower of fire and brimstone. Jayce (Spartan Ops Designer) - Against AI, it can topple vehicles and has a fast enough firing rate to scatter large groups, and against other players it has the uncanny ability to cause confusion and pain at a safe distance. It is the ultimate noise gun, a disruptor that can leave enemies in complete disarray before they die. Chris H. - I am impressed with the precision the AI can wield the Concussion Rifle with in Spartan Ops. They are really good at juggling my lifeless body after they obliterate me. FUEL ROD CANNON DESIGNATION: T-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon MANUFACTURER: Merchants of Qikost MAGAZINE CAPACITY: 5 rounds Typically used against heavy armor by launching charged fuel rods which violently detonate upon impact. How it feels: Frank - A great weapon, not exactly a Covenant Rocket Launcher, but not too far off – also one of the weapons that oddly enough, really shows off some of the environment mapping on our surfaces. You really get a “feel” for whatever space you’re in based on the reflectivity and the way it catches color and light. David - For me, the Fuel Rod Cannon sits somewhere between the Rocket Launcher and the Brute Shot, with regard to how I use it. Against Covenant or Promethean forces, you can clear out the cannon fodder with relative ease, but against more evenly matched enemies, expect to need multiple hits to drop them. Chris - Traditionally, the Fuel Rod hasn’t gotten a lot of love in Halo multiplayer. This has changed in Halo 4. This is another case where I am really excited about the direction the audio and FX teams went in with the weapon. It’s not drastically different but the changes just make it feel that much more satisfying and visceral. As with the other “area of effect” weapons in the game, the projectile speeds have been increased on this one, and we’ve fine-tuned the blast radiuses just a tad. Despite the faster speeds, you will still need to land a couple fuel rod shots to finish off an opponent, as an individual blast isn’t powerful enough to kill someone. Because of the large magazine size on this one, it’s also great for area of denial as well. ENERGY SWORD DESIGNATION: T-1 Energy Weapon/Sword MANUFACTURER: Merchants of Qikost MAGAZINE CAPACITY: N/A Composed of superheated plasma, this sword remains the preferred close-quarters weapon of specialized Elites. How it feels: Frank - I am just eating it with this right now. I thought universal Sprint would give me a huge advantage, but the reality is it flattens it out for me. I used to go on crazy tears with the sword, but now I find myself being stopped short – that “gun game” thing people are referring to more and more seems to be hitting me where it counts during would-be sword sprees. I do find myself on the receiving end of it a fair amount, however. Chris - To Frank’s comment, I think one of the mistakes I see people making with our sword is that now that players move faster with Sprint by default, they assume they can just run at opponents and kill them with the lunge from far away. This is a mistake – you still need to be somewhat sneaky with it. That being said, if you can restrain yourself from going all Rambo and just use it in tight spaces, it’s as lethal as ever. Important changes include making it swing much faster than it has in the past and eliminating those pesky melee parries (no more “CLAAAAAANG!” unless the other person also has a sword). One final pro tip: when sprinting with normal weapons, if opponents shoot you, the shots will slow you down a tad. A sword wielding player is immune to this! David - It’s big, it’s made of hard light, and it will wreck your world if you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. I think Frank and Chris covered everything else. Kynan - I love the sword in combination with the Thruster Pack. There’s no better feeling than sprint jumping off the roof of a building into a crowd below and then thrusting to dodge or close distance, putting you perfectly in range to cut through them all like butter. GRAVITY HAMMER DESIGNATION: T-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer MANUFACTURER: Recovered from field (originally Sacred Promissory) MAGAZINE CAPACITY: N/A Crude yet formidable close-range Brute weapon, substantially improved by way of a powerful gravity drive. How it feels: Frank - For me, it’s kind of the opposite philosophy from a lightsaber, an inelegant weapon for a more barbaric time. I love the fact that the splash effect can buy you some distance, even when you whiff it badly. I love the fact that a direct hit is a cast-iron guarantee of success, and I love the fact that you feel almost exactly like Donkey Kong for a similar amount of swings at the “barrels” the sandbox presents you. And yes, I know Mario is the one swinging the hammer, but it’s important to make the Donkey Kong analogy sing! David - I think this says everything. Chris - The saying “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here. This is one of my all-time favorite Halo weapons. There aren’t a ton of changes that we made to it – more like nuanced tweaks. The animation speeds are a tad quicker, the area of effect has been expanded, the damage tuning tweaked but overall, it’s pretty similar to past incarnations. Probably the biggest change comes in the form of the physics impulses – they are much more powerful now to compensate for the beefier vehicles in the game. This has the awesome side effect of making the Gravity Hammer ragdoll players and objects much more than it has in the past. In short, you should expect the hammer to function similar to past versions, but with more showboating flair! And that wraps up today’s feature about Covenant weapons. Don't leave yet, though, because we're about to breakdown the different editions of Halo 4. Join me, won't you? A breakdown of the different editions of Halo 4 On November 6, there will be several different options available for those interested in purchasing Halo 4. As this information came out in waves, there has yet to be a central location for seeing all the relevant details in one place. Until now. Below you will find the different editions of Halo 4, along with what each edition comes with. Clicking on some of the fields will open a picture or take you to an article with additional information. Completionists worrying about the fact that exclusives mean certain items may never be available to them have been noted, and we’re definitely considering ways to make the entire gamut of items available at some point in the (relatively distant, since we obviously wish to give our retail partners plenty of room) future. It's also worth noting some readers have noticed that GameStop has stopped taking Limited Edition pre-orders online – and we suspect GameStop gets the lion’s share of US pre-order Limited Edition units. Some overseas retailers have also stopped taking Limited Edition pre-orders so without jinxing it, we can confirm that this generally happens when they run out of inventory. We’ll keep an eye on that situation and keep you apprised. Halo 4 Standard Edition $59.99 USD Standard Edition Copy of Halo 4 Halo 4 Limited Edition $99.99 USD Halo 4 War Games Map Pass Launch Day Access to Six Specializations UNSC Infinity Briefing Packet Special Edition of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn In-Game Prime Armor Skin In-Game Prime Weapon Skin - Assault Rifle In-Game Prime Emblem Recruit Armor Avatar Costume Avatar Cryo-Tube Prop Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 4 Console Bundle $399.99 USD Two Exclusive Forerunner Controllers Standard Edition Copy of Halo 4 Wired Headset 320GB Hard Drive Built-in Wi-Fi In-Game FOTUS Spartan Armor In-Game Imprint Weapon Skin – LightRifle In-Game Unicorn Emblem FOTUS Armor Avatar Costume Avatar Promethean Crawler Prop Halo 4 War Games Map Pass $24.99 USD Access to Nine Competitive Multiplayer Maps (Three Future War Games Map Packs, Each Including Three Maps) In-Game Scanner Helmet In-Game Strider Helmet In-Game Falcon Emblem

Here is a screen shot of what is supposedly called the "Incinerator Cannon" it appears this will be the Promethean/Forerunner Equivalent to the Human Rocket Launcher. Credits to Mysterion from Halo waypoint. Im guessing that this weapon maybe the same weapon that was leaked a number of weeks or months ago below but it does have differences maybe its a different all together.

Source-GamerAnx 343 Industries has announced there still is Easter eggs in the campaign not found yet! Halo 4 contains more secrets and easter eggs than previously imagined. Although players have had no difficulty in finding lore terminals scattered throughout the game, Halo 4's developers 343 Industries say that not everything has been found, and have provided a few hints on how players can uncover these secrets. Unlike previous Halo games, which forced players to discover hidden skulls to unlock higher difficulty levels for the game, Halo 4 provides these skull modifications from the very start, essentially removing what could have served as an additional secret to unlock. However, 343 says that there's more secrets in the game than players think. "The Halo 4 Campaign still contains many secrets left uncovered," wrote the game's lead campaign designer Jesse Snyder, "Did you find any secrets as you played through Campaign? Initially, fans found many things that they thought were Easter eggs. "Discovering that, in fact, many were still hidden, we were relieved. Avid secret hunters claimed that some of our treasures would be found within days of launching the game. ‘Certainly, they’ll find them any day now,’ we thought. Time would prove both us the aforementioned secret hunters wrong. The developer said that 343 Industries intends to release some hints to help players discover these easter eggs and secrets without telling players where they are outright. He hinted that players who discovered them before the hints went out would be rewarded for their tenacity. "Additionally, we’ll be giving you more hints in future Bulletins. Knowing how well we’ve hidden our easter eggs, it only seems fair. Even though this may sound cliché, ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.’ Never stop searching. Some secrets might be right in front of you.” In the same blog post, 343 Industries released a few tips to help get players started.

Read below for more details Source: Halo Waypoint The accelerated ticking of our internal clocks can only mean one thing: the big day is almost here. Our bodies are ready. Is yours? Instead of the traditional nine months, it’s taken us more than three years to create (what we hope you will find to be) our masterpiece, and in a mere four days, we will hand our baby over to you. It’s been a long and arduous journey, full of grueling days and sleepless nights, and the fact that we’re so close to launch is nothing short of surreal. Butterflies are flying laps around our stomachs, and we anxiously wait to hear what you, the Halo community, think of the newest title in your beloved franchise. As the clock struck midnight last night, reviews began pouring in. The majority of us at the studio stayed up all night reading them, and we’ve been overwhelmed and humbled by the response. As we prepare for the masses to begin populating Halo 4’s virtual battlefields, we’d like to offer you a brief review round-up, brought to you by your friendly neighborhood media outlets. There are too many to include here, so we trust that you know how to find the rest. Experience Halo Every day I get to experience Halo. Tuesday, though, thanks to the EMEA Xbox team, I got to do it like never before. I was recently whisked away to Liechtenstein, a beautiful country lying entirely within the Alps. For one day only, the mountainous landscapes of the normally tranquil countryside became the stage for a real-life experience set in (a replica of) the Halo universe. Taking over some of the country’s most iconic landmarks, including a 13th century castle and a working mine, fans and worldwide media from 16 different countries were catapulted into this off-world environment to take part in a theatrical experience which saw them travel to a top secret location before being unexpectedly thrust into a war zone which re-created brutal battle grounds through pyrotechnic explosions, thunderous sound effects and cinematic set builds. The experience started with a deceptively uneventful bus ride from Switzerland to Liechtenstein. To fill the time spent in transit, we were treated to a viewing of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn (Yes, I saw the ending. No, I will not tell you what happens.). Then, the bus pulled off into a deserted area, with nothing but patches of dirt, clumps of trees and the cover of darkness to greet us. Well, nothing but the aforementioned things if you weren’t to count the dozen or so military vehicles, downed helicopter and 15 soldiers mingling suspiciously in the distance. The second the bus rolled to a stop, the soldiers welcomed us, asking us nicely to exit that vehicle and get on a different one. And by asking us nicely, I mean yelling at us at their top of their lungs while delivering small amounts of spittle to our frightened and confused faces. I might have pooped my pants. Several different times. After climbing into the back of an unlit military vehicle, I chattered nervously with the others temporarily trapped there with me about what could be coming next. The windows were blacked out, as was the barrier between the back and the front, so we huddled together in a cramped, dark space lit only by adrenaline and the soft glow of mobile devices. Ten minutes later, we were delivered to a military camp in the countryside, which was actually a local farmer’s field that had been transformed into a post-apocalyptic battle ground (a total of 280 props, three makeshift tents and one helicopter helped complete the transformation). Smoke and the bark of soldiers’ orders filled the air as we scurried to pick up supply bags and find a seat in one of the tents. Once everybody was situated, Dr. Halsey (played by none other than Jen Taylor) came out to debrief us on the current situation. Our help was needed to decode a series of cryptic clues. If we were successful, we would save mankind from extinction by fighting off the threat of an attack. If we weren’t, well… that wasn’t an option. We were divided into three different groups, each of which was assigned to a leader, and then off we went, deep into a working mine (that was turned into a movie film set for the day with a team of six pyrotechnic specialists re-creating explosions with fire balls and sound effects). I had several near death experiences, one of which involved my attempt to get a poncho on. Helpful hint: If you’re wearing an adorably fluffy coat with a hood, remove said coat before attempting to put on a poncho. Otherwise you’ll flail around like an idiot for an extended length of time, much to the chagrin of every single soldier, the rest of the participants and your lady boss that is of course standing right behind you. As we went deeper and deeper into the quarry, explosions rocked the walls and smoke filled the tunnel. After encountering a distraught doctor, we began sifting through the dirt in an attempt to find a glyph. After unearthing one (it’s worth noting Frankie delicately used a spade while everybody else dug around frantically with their hands), we ran out of the mine, driven to a frantic pace by both the soldiers and a series of thunderous explosions. Upon safely reaching the entrance, we breathed a sigh of relief and delivered our glyph into the hands of an awaiting doctor. The other two teams also found glyphs, so Dr. Halsey talked us through piecing them together. As that was happening, a nearby disturbance turned our attention back to the mine, where we saw a faint glimmer of light that could only mean one thing: Something (or someone) was coming out of the tunnel. The lights got brighter, shining directly into our eyes and rendering us temporarily blind. Before our vision cleared, we could barely make out a puma-shaped outline, and then we caught sight of the Master Chief, riding in the back of a Warthog. As his chariot of choice came to a stop, a series of pyrotechnic explosions at first startled us, but then caused an eruption of cheers. Our hero had arrived. Now that we were officially safe, we were transferred to the Gutenberg Castle, one of the most important historical landmarks of Liechtenstein, which had taken on a new guise as a futuristic military fortification. There, with the Master Chief in tow, Cortana congratulated us on our success and briefed us on our next mission (which you’ll be tackling on November 6). Then we played Halo 4 until the wee hours of the morning. If you’re on Twitter, keep an eye on the #ExperienceHalo hashtag for more coverage from the attendees. A little birdie tells me Nak3d Eli is working on a video as we speak, that he’s recounting his experience at this event via Twitter, so that’s a good place to start should you desire additional coverage. Here’s the official wrap-up video, to give you a small visual taste of what actually went down. Enough about that particular experience, though. Let’s chat a bit about the one you’ll soon be having, come November 6, shall we? Section 3 Last night I dreamt about physics, waldo and ancient melodies. /START FILE/ //CLASSIFIED/ //ATTENTION ALL OPERATIVES: HIGH PRIORITY INTEL RECEIVED, REVIEW IS MANDATORY/ //CLASSIFIED/ . /END FILE/ Halo 4 Pre-launch Q&A As this is the last Bulletin before Halo 4 launches, I thought we would continue our customary tradition of Q&A sessions with Frankie. Kevin Franklin, Humberto Castaneda, Chris Davidson and Brad Welch also provided some of the following answers to your numerous game-related queries. So, without further ado, here is one last Q&A, the Q of which were provided by you, and the A of which were provided by us. Will Spartan Ops have consecutive seasons, and when can we expect their release? - GristlyStew721 Spartan Ops is being treated just like any other "TV show" and we'll wait and see how it's received and digested before moving forward. We have some very cool story ideas and some ways to continue the arc of the Spartan Ops series, but it's a pretty grand experiment and we will apply our learnings from that experience in appropriate ways. Will there be a skill-based ranking system? - xBrutaIity We are tracking all player skill data and while it will not be exposed in the game UI at launch, we have some ideas about how to give players access to that information, in a useful way, in the not-so-distant future. What playlists are going to be available at launch? - SensoryFour34 Infinity Slayer – 4 v. 4 The newly introduced Infinity Slayer variant allows Spartans to earn points during the course of a match, which can eventually be leveraged to call in ordnance from overhead. Ordnance drops within Infinity Slayer consist of three selectable but randomly generated weapons or power-ups, the latter of which can alter a Spartan’s speed, shielding or ability to issue damage. Big Team Infinity Slayer – 8 v. 8 Same as above, in an 8 v. 8 setting Dominion – 6 v. 6 Teams are pitted against each other to capture, fortify and resupply bases to win. After infiltrating a base, a player can capture it for their team, whether it is a neutral base or a base previously claimed by the enemy. When a team has held a base for long enough, it will automatically fortify, defending itself with turret emplacements and energy shields. Holding a base earns teams points for each resupply, and provides teams with heavy ordnance drops and vehicles each supply cycle. Regicide – 6-player FFA The Spartan in first place is the King. As the King racks up kills, their bounty increases, thereby increasing the points other Spartans gain from killing the King. All other Spartans’ heads-up displays and motion sensors give away the King’s location at all times during the match, aggressively focusing combat wherever the point leader happens to be. Flood – 10 players Within this War Games simulation, the deadly parasite has returned – a group of Spartans have been transformed into incredibly fast and deadly Flood combat forms. As the Flood, players are forced to destroy uninfected Spartans, converting them into Flood combat form allies. As an uninfected Spartan, the player’s goal is to survive the seemingly never-ending Flood onslaught, staving off transformation into the parasite. Capture the Flag – 5 v. 5 Played with up to four teams, each of which has their own Flag. The goal of each team is to steal an enemy team’s Flag, while protecting their own. Once a team has grabbed a Flag, they must return it to their own capture point to score. Flag carriers are only able to use a Magnum or the Flag itself as a weapon. Oddball – 5 v. 5 With up to eight teams in combat, the goal of the War Games simulation called Oddball is to hold onto the ball the longest. While holding the ball, a player or team will gain points, but the player holding the ball is unable to defend themselves with their weapon. Players are also able throw the ball or use it as a weapon for close-range melee attacks. King of the Hill – 5 v. 5 Reminiscent of schoolyard skirmishes, the War Games competition known as King of the Hill pits up to eight teams against each other in a struggle to hold a specific territory. While this is a classic game type, its most recent iteration offers a variety of new scoring methods, including a focus on individual performance in addition to the team’s collective effort. Team Slayer Pro – 4 v. 4 This playlist features the following settings: No Radar, 3 Loadouts (DMR, AR or BR with 1 grenade and Resupply Tactical Package), Player Movement Speed, Reload Speed and Weapon Swap Speed set to 110%, Friendly Fire ON, Score to win Round 60 Kills, No Map Loadouts, and No Custom Loadouts. I was thinking about starting Spartan Ops with my friend before starting the campaign. Will the first episode spoil the campaign? Major spoilers? Mild spoilers? - Superman x JLA There are a couple of big ideas that are obvious, and don't read any further if you don't want those spoiled, such as the fact that a couple of characters and ships have "made it" but beyond that it won't necessarily spoil or ruin the campaign. However we still advise people to play them in the correct chronological order. Will there be a UNSC flying vehicle (Falcon, Hornet, etc.) on the multiplayer side of the game (excluding Spartan Ops)? - Phat M0nk3y4 Not in Multiplayer but there are some interesting options available in Campaign. Will your Halo 4 milestone unlock exclusive armor for Halo 4? - MSchnelkz 17 There will be an armor set and some emblem unlocks available in the CLASSIFIED section of Waypoint. You will need to find codes (hint: Check the Bulletins) and play Campaign, Spartan Ops and War Games in Halo 4 in order to unlock. We recently got our first look at the Crimson, Majestic and Castle Map packs, expected to be out in December, February and April respectively. Can we expect any more map packs after these, and at what frequency? - GristlyStew721 We are obviously still working on those maps, some of them playable now, although not polished and some (the more distant ones) are basically concept art and geometry at this time. We will ultimately have to put sensible limits on how much DLC we create to prevent too much splintering of content and playlists. So, while some of that can be done via playlist and hopper management, the reality is that whatever we do on top of the announced maps will have to offer something logical to the existing suite. Can Sprint be disabled? - Buffdaddy Jama Sprint is a base trait for all Spartans, but you can, as always, adjust the upper limit of your Spartan's speed in custom game player traits. In the “Traits” section of the custom game menu, players can tune a Spartan’s movement speed from 0% of default to 300%. When tuning a player’s movement speed, Sprint scales as well. Sprint itself cannot be disabled, but there are many other ways to modify player speeds, including power-ups and trait zones. Is it true that Theater isn't available in Campaign and Opartan ops? If so, what was the reasoning behind this and will there be a future patch or download to fix this? - unip8 Theater Mode in Campaign did not make the cut for launch for various reasons of scheduling, rendering issues and some significant engine changes. However, we are treating Title Updates very differently for Halo 4 and rather than simply using them as opportunities for simple big fixes, we are thinking of them as a way to sustain and grow features and options, so it is possible you could see Saved Films made available for Campaign (as well as some other significant features) at some time in the not-too-distant future, but that's yet to be determined. At what SR rank will the BR be unlocked? - Ommageden The BR and DMR are unlocked VERY quickly. Unless you wear a blindfold and earmuffs, you should have both unlocked before the plastic wrap from your packaging hits the floor. It's also vital to note that they are unlocked for you to customize your Spartan with. There are plenty of playlists that will make default loadouts that include those weapons, available to people with no Spartan Rank whatsoever, including guests. How many slots will we get in Halo 4's File Share? More importantly, is there going to be a Bungie Pro equivalent? - Jeff McRae There will not be a Bungie Pro equivalent, but all users will have 25 slots for their personal catalog. How does the install process for Disk 2 work? Can we play off Disk 2 without installing it? And if we do install Disk 2, can we play all that content while using Disk 1? - IIBloodDaggerII Disc 2 contains largely multiplayer content. You can put it in at any time, even before Disc 1, and install the content. You will get a nice slideshow, some pretty music and a gradual progress bar. After a few minutes, you can remove that disc and never deal with it again. Everythingmultiplayer, including Spartan Ops, Forge and Campaign can then be launched from Disc 1. You can, of course, also install Disc 1 to your storage device to make loading quicker and reduce wear and tear on your optical drive, but that's optional and is a 360 system feature, not a necessity. If you preorder weapon skins (e.g., Arctic BR from GameStop), will they unlock the weapon as soon as you redeem the code, or will you have to unlock the weapon before you get the weapon skin? - a zoojoo You'll get immediate access to that weapon (or armor for that matter) with that skin; you don't have to rank up or spend Spartan Points. For weapons this is mostly a fairly small head start, since the skinned pre-order weapons are low in the ranks, but some of the armor skins will definitely give you earlier access to that type of armor. How will Split Screen work in Halo 4? - The Little Moa Split Screen support in Halo 4 is identical in most respects to Halo: Reach. Two player split in Campaign and Spartan Ops, and four player split in War Games and Forge, although we may restrict this in some matchmaking playlists. Clan support was a feature that got many players into the competitive spirit of Halo Multiplayer in a challenging-yet-rewarding way. Why has this feature died, or rather been missing in action, since Halo 2? Was it ever considered for implementation in Halo 4, and what was the deciding factor in it not being included? - u4iX As we mentioned before, we plan to continue consistent and meaningful sustainment updates to improve and enhance player experience. Social constructs are something we too have missed since Halo 2, and we're looking at interesting ways to improve those experiences in the not-too-distant future. I will be using that expression a lot. Get used to it. Will the Mammoth be featured in Multiplayer? - TheLateLateShow The Mammoth is currently only used in Campaign. Can you talk about what criteria matchmaking uses to find suitable teammates and opponents? What does the system prioritize? Location, connection, skill, etc.? - NYSTOFMIND23 Matchmaking will use geography, connection data, history and skill to determine player populations per game. Skill and connection get very high priority, but there will be other factors involved. I should also note that the simplification of our hoppers and playlists means that the quality of those matchmaking criteria will be improved through population density and that alone will make a huge difference. Have you guys come across any hilarious bugs/glitches in earlier builds of the game that you'd like to share? - Plain Ben We collected a ton of "best bug ever" stuff including movies and animated gifs. It would be fun to make some of those available in the future. We have some pretty funny Derptana faces caused by animation and mo-cap bits that are horrific and hilarious. What is Extraction? - DR ROCKSO 721 In the game type Extraction, Spartan teams are tasked with the retrieval of assets from various sites using prototype translocation technology. Once a team has found a viable site, they must initiate the extraction process with a quantum marker and its spherical translocation beacon. As the extraction process occurs, teams must defend their beacon in order to prevent others from converting the existing extraction process into their own favor. What can you tell us about the betrayal booting system in Halo 4? - omarlotrc Betrayal booting takes game type and "deliberateness" into account and while in a lot of ways it's similar to the prior incarnations, we've tried to be cleverer about what the game thinks is deliberate versus accidental. And Join In Progress should help ameliorate the negative impacts for everyone involved. How awesome will Halo 4 be? On a scale between 1-343. - Dont pass gass I will answer this when players give us their impressions in less than a week. Speaking of which, see you then! Through the scope of my Battle Rifle, of course… <3, bs angel

Halo 4 live-action Launch Trailer is being executive produced by David Fincher. Read below for more details Source: Xbox360Achievements.org Microsoft has hired some top Hollywood talent to bring Halo 4’s live-action launch trailer to life, including Fight Club and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo director David Fincher and the visuals effects lead from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. The launch trailer promises to deliver “an emotionally-charged look at the backstory of Halo’s iconic hero, the Master Chief.” It will premier during Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in America on 18th October and no doubt be all over the internet shortly after. Called Scanned and filmed in Prague, the trailer is a two minute long live-action affair that “continues the franchise’s tradition of expanding the universe through award-winning live-action stories, adding to the lore and anticipation for the next chapter in the landmark franchise that has sold more than 43 million game copies worldwide and generated more than $3 billion in franchise sales.” Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s visual effects leader Tim Miller directs. He says, “I’m excited about the opportunity to direct the ‘Halo 4’ launch trailer in creative partnership with 343 Industries and David Fincher.” “Halo is one of the most iconic sci-fi universes, with a depth that allows for amazingly cinematic and emotionally riveting stories. The chance to tell a story that explores never-before-seen facets of Master Chief’s journey is an honor. “Our goal is to deliver a blockbuster, Hollywood-quality trailer that raises the bar for the award-winning legacy of live-action Halo storytelling and gets fans stoked for the return of Master Chief.” David Fincher executive produces. He says, “I enjoy collaborating with Tim Miller, who is at the visual and technical forefront of hybridised live-action/CGI – not only pushing the boundary but defining it.” And finally, 343 Industries’ franchise development director Frank O’Connor gushed, “As a studio, we’re incredibly excited to be working with one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed directors and one of its top visual effects leads to bring our creative vision for the launch trailer to life. “Their involvement is a testament to the significance of ‘Halo’ as a pop culture touchstone, and we think fans are going to be blown away when they see the final piece.” Halo 4 is out November 6th. The first still from the trailer is below.

There are 7 Terminals in Halo 4 in Chapters 2-8, each unlocks a video on the Halo Waypoint website and Xbox app. One bonus Terminal is already unlocked (the first video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHDqGfVSEhs

Dan Webb gives us a hands on preview of Halo 4's campaign. Spoilers ahead, turn away now if you don't want anything revealed. Enjoy for those that do! Source: http://www.xbox360achievements.org/news/news-13009-Halo-4-Campaign-Hands-On-Preview---The-Hardest-Halo-Yet--Me-Thinks-So-.html Read below for more details (Note that i am quoting him) Halo 4 is scheduled for a November 6th release.

"The world's first ever Halo 4 montage, from Tashi -http://www.twitter.com/tashi0106 - These clips were captured all in one day. Enjoy, thanks for watching, and please share this video with your friends on Twitter and Facebook!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnG4D8WLnsY&feature=g-all-u

The other day GrifballHub held an interview for Halo 4 forge and they answered some questions. What new tools can Forgers look forward to in Halo 4? "We have added a variety of new tools to the Halo 4 Forge feature set that we hope will become productivity enhancers for the creators amongst you. Two of them are: Magnets – All structure pieces now have “magnets” attached to them. When the magnet system is turned on, this will cause pieces to automatically attract to each other. This makes it significantly easier to line objects up correctly. Duplicate Object – You can now duplicate the object you are targeting at the press of a button. Combining this with magnets makes it super quick to build out objects that use the same piece (for example, bridges"). What options are available for Player Trait Zones? "There are a ton of options (and too many to list!) but here are a few of them: Shields and Health - Zones can be created to modify damage resistance, shield multiplier and recharge rate, etc. Movement – Zones can be created where player movement speed and jump height are greatly altered. Player visibility – Zones can be created to affect player visibility." What do you think is the most innovative change to Forge in Halo 4? "We’re excited about the Player Trait Zones. We have been playing with these for a while and have come up with some really cool levels. But we know that we have only scratched the surface and can’t wait to see what all of you can do with them!" Has Forge been made more approachable for novice Forgers? If so, how? "We have worked hard to make this mode more accessible for first-time Forgers. The two largest changes are: D-pad menu – When in Monitor mode, a D-pad menu now appears in the corner of the screen. This menu is contextual and changes based on what the player is targeting. Players will now be able to use the D-pad in a variety of ways, and we think this will make the interface more intuitive for new Forgers. Targeting enhancements – When you target an object in Forge, it now highlights based on its state and there is a small window below the object that tells you its name. We are hoping this will make it easier to select objects and know what kind of object you are holding." What options are available to players to give their maps a unique look or feel? "The big change in Halo 4 is that there are now three Forge environments instead of a single Forge World map (each of these environments is different in terms of aesthetic and geographical theme). Outside of maps, all the ways to modify aesthetics in Reach remain in Halo 4 – lighting, special fx, etc. as well as an expanded palette of Forge building pieces." Will the Grid be making a return as a placeable object? "Yes. The grid will be placeable in the three Forge environments." Will the coordinate system be coming back? "You bet!"

Kynan Pearson and Lori Zawada give us an in-depth tour of the three beautiful Forge mode maps. Read below for more details Source: Gamespot.com Erosion 3 areas: Interior (empty room for grifball) Outside (Natural Terrain, Lots of hills, ramps, and caves, The Cave area (Turquoise water on the bottom, little lakes, Pillars) Ravine 3 areas Forerunner Structure Areas (Flat metal land) Rolling green hills areas The ravine itself Impact 3 areas Asteroid 1 (Contains the UNSC Base) Asteroid 2 (small flat area) Small UNSC base (3 levels)

This video is not a leak and given the green light to post. This video is by BravoMLG. There aren't really an spoilers but if you want to save the game to it's fullest climax, I don't suggest watching just yet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47lQ4WPCHcY&feature=g-all-u "The video and introduction to "Infinity" mode in Halo 4. There are no story spoilers in this video, but if you do not want to watch this until November 6th, click out now! Otherwise, thanks for watching and enjoy! Next video coming at pm EST time! This video has been approved by Microsoft PR."

BravoMLG walking us through the starting weapons & loadouts, armor, and more in the Infinity main menu! This is what every Halo 4 player will start with when playing the game for the first time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zfw6ZVrsa2Q&feature=g-all-u

Click here for our tour of all the multiplayer maps http://bit.ly/SxFi79 Lead multiplayer designer Kevin Franklin walks us through an Extraction match. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yqHUBjJU6o&feature=g-user-u

343i and IGN take you on a tour of all 10 Halo 4 multiplayer maps including an exclusive first look at "Vortex." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qDYprvhhX4&feature=plcp