Xbox Newsbeat w/c 05.01.15
Halo 5: Guardians Pre-Order Details Released, Multiplayer Beta Online
Pre order your copy of Halo 5: Guardians today and get ready to continue the story of the Master Chief this spring 2015
The quest of the hunter and the hunted has begun as the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta kicked off on 30 December 2014, giving fans around the world their first taste of the next evolution of Halo combat.
Launching in spring 2015 exclusively on Xbox One, Halo 5: Guardians continues the story of the Master Chief. Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked. But when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, a new Spartan is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.
With three pre-order editions to choose from, eager fans can reserve their copy of Halo 5: Guardians:
- Standard Editionfor $99.95 AUD – Halo 5: Guardians
- Limited Editionfor $149.95 AUD – Available from EB Games, JB Hi Fi and MS Store, the Limited Edition* of Halo 5: Guardians delivers new digital content to enhance Spartan combat plus exclusive** items all wrapped in a uniquely designed steel book
- Limited Collector’s Editionfor $329.95 AUD – Exclusive to EB Games in Australia, the Limited Collector’s Edition is a premium edition of Halo 5: Guardians for collectors and Halo fans alike. The Limited Collector’s Edition*** contains the Limited Edition as well as additional content including a commemorative, numbered statue designed by 343 Industries
To pre-order your copy from the Microsoft Store or your favourite retailer, visit the Halo 5: Guardians Pre-Order page.
In addition to the pre-order options now available for Halo 5: Guardians, fans who purchased Halo: The Master Chief Collection, can experience the next evolution of Halo combat in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, starting today through Jan. 19, 2015. Halo: Nightfall and Halo: The Master Chief Collection content unlocked in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta can be carried over to Halo 5: Guardians when it officially launches in spring 2015.
* Limited-quantity offer at participating retailers.
** Timed-exclusives, may be available elsewhere at a later date.
*** At participating retailers, while supplies last.
For all the latest news surrounding Halo 5: Guardians and additional media assets, please visit the Xbox Wire.
Forza Horizon 2 G-Shock Car Pack Now Available
Are you ready to hit the roads of Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One in some new rides?
Welcome to the New Year! Are you ready to hit the roads of Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox One in some new rides? You better be because the G-Shock Car Pack is lighting up the New Year with some amazing vehicles. Leading off the pack is a Forza First: the 2015 Nissan IDx NISMO is making its videogame debut in Forza Horizon 2. The IDx prototype harkens back to Nissan’s storied automotive history, with its compact size and aggressive appearance, and looks to the future with some serious under-the-hood performance. Take a spin in this gem, and you will be startled by its performance and charmed by its presence. The remaining cars of the pack also have “Horizon Festival” written all over them. Take the classic Subaru Brat or the 1975 Ford Bronco, for example, vehicles that brought a new kind of fun to driving. Need a heavy duty weapon of destruction? The Shelby Raptor is just that. Or, if you are looking to finesse your way to victory, the Ferrari 500 Mondial is just the ticket. The G-Shock Car Pack for Forza Horizon 2 on Xbox One is available today for $6.65 AUD in the Xbox Live store. Starting today, also available this month for free for all Xbox One players is the 2010 Mazda Mazdaspeed 3.
For the full G-Shock trailer, a deeper dive into what these cars have to offer and a range of media assets, please visit the Xbox Wire.
What’s been in Weeks 1 and 2 of the Halo 5: Guardians Beta?
Stay tuned to the Halo Channel for all the latest updates on Halo 5: Guardians and the rest of the ever-growing Halo universe
As mentioned above, the long-awaited Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta kicked off on Xbox One for all of the Master Chief Collection owners out there, and it’s still available for download. The Multiplayer Beta runs three full weeks, wrapping up on Tuesday, January 19, 2015. That’s quite a lot of ass-kickin’ time, so here’s a quick guide to what the first and second weeks in Halo 5: Guardians had to offer.
In Week 1, you got to jump into the Truth and Empire multiplayer arena maps for some high-octane 4 v. 4 action. Truth (which you may remember as one of the central subjects from our recent “The Sprint – Making Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta” series) is a homage to one of Halo 2’s most-loved arena maps, Midship. Its symmetrical design features opposing bases, and two high points connected by the centre platform. The Pink Tower returns as a key area to control, as it offers the highest elevation in the map. The legendary energy sword, Prophets’ Bane, is located on top of the centre platform.
Meanwhile, Empire is a symmetrical urban map that features duelling snipers, as well as a defensible tower where players can control the map. Once a team holds the tower, the other team’s sniper can employ guerrilla warfare tactics to surprise and eliminate the tower sniper – giving their allies an edge when pushing the power position.
Week 2 brings back fan favourites like the Battle Rifle, Magnum, Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR), Energy Sword, Sniper Rifle and the Submachine Gun (SMG), plus the Light Rifle and the UNSC Hydra! And, just as exciting, you got four new maps – and one new gameplay mode – to try them all out in. Tight corners and predictable routes make Regret a fantastic map for a straight-up fight; no hiding on this one! Holding the top floor of this jungle-themed map allows teams to lock down the bases where players tend to spawn. It’s a risky move, but grabbing the power weapon at Bottom Mid will give your team a significant advantage off the break. And on Eden, stay high to dominate your foes from the Top Catwalk and Red Nest. Pitched battles for the sniper rifle and energy sword off the initial spawn allow teams to control the pace of the match. Inspired by competitive paintball fields, Crossfire shows off the awesome new Breakout mode, combining the cover-based combat of paintball with the verticality of Halo. Hold the map from the BR Tower, or slink your way through the trenches to flank your opponent. The House and Stage areas hold grenades to flush out opponents holed up in power positions. And finally, Trench is a focused combat environment that will test your Halo 5: Guardians team tactics. Focused fire is key to gaining an advantage on this map: After the first enemy player falls, teams can exploit crucial flanking paths that will give them the jump on remaining hostiles and allow them to avoid the open mid.
And of course, if you need a break, you can always relax and watch the action in Halo 5: Guardians‘ spectator mode. Everybody needs a breather every now and then, even in something this mind-numbingly awesome.’
That’s a heck of a lot of new content – and we’ve got even more coming next week! Stay tuned to the Halo Channel for all the latest updates on Halo 5: Guardians and the rest of the ever-growing Halo universe, and enjoy your time in the Multiplayer Beta!
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