Halo is by far Microsoft's biggest weapon in the console war against Sony, and the company spares no expense to make sure it stays on the lips of every Xbox gamer. Microsoft's latest Halo effort is the Halo Channel, coming to Xbox One later this year.
Microsoft announced the news at Gamescom, Europe's largest video game trade show. In many ways the Halo Channel is an evolution of the Halo Waypoint found on Xbox 360, which serves as a home base of sorts for everything Halo. The Halo Channel will work in a similar way, as it will be the hub for the upcoming live action show "Halo: Nightfall" as well as the Halo 5 beta.
Users can learn more about characters of the Halo universe, check out community created content and watch exclusive behind-the-scenes footage on the Halo Channel, which will also include social and interactive elements as users watch and explore content. Using the app and completing challenges will unlock exclusive rewards, and the app also comes with built-in Twitch integration.
The announcement (via IGN) came coupled with more news on the Halo 5: Guardians beta. Microsoft announced that anxious gamers will be able to get their hands on an early version of Halo 5 multi-player on December 29, and that it will be a bit of a departure from the last several Halo titles. The beta will specifically focus on four-on-four combat across seven smaller, arena style maps. Developer 343 Industries says it is looking to bring Halo back to the competitive, arena type play style that so many gamers fell in love with all those years ago during the days of Halo and Halo 2.
Players will be able to customize their armor, though all characters will start with the same weapons. It's a departure from the fully customizable loadouts 343 put into Halo 4, and it seems 343 is really looking to bring back the feel of older Halo titles by putting an emphasis on weapon and map control. Some content in the beta will be carrying over to the full version of the game when it is released sometime in 2015.
Every player who purchases Halo: The Master Chief Collection this holiday will receive "Halo: Nightfall" and be granted access to the Halo 5 beta, which will be live for a three week period from Dec. 29 to Jan. 18. Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes Halo Anniversary, the new Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4, and will be available on Nov. 11.
