To be honest, Microsoft doesn't have a lot of big console exclusives this year. Many of the company's high-profile releases can be found on Sony's machine as well, but there's one title in particular that is basically guaranteed to move hardware for Microsoft: Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
This is one of the biggest titles of this holiday season, and it's understandable that the publisher is favoring that particular title over all others. Microsoft is looking to take advantage of Halo's momentum and turn it into console sales, and the best way to do that is to bundle the two together.
It's no surprise that, at the Brazil Game Show last night (via IGN), Microsoft unveiled a brand new Halo: The Master Chief Collection Xbox One bundle. What is a surprise, though, is that the bundle won't be making its way to the U.S. anytime soon.
That's right, Microsoft's biggest Xbox One bundle will not see a U.S. release at launch. The publisher said that it did not have any plans to bring the bundle stateside, and that Brazil won't even see the bundle until early next year. The only other details that Microsoft would confirm was that the bundle features a white Xbox One and a copy of The Master Chief Collection.
The most likely explanation for the lack of a U.S. release is so that Microsoft doesn't step on its own toes. The company is already set to release two separate Xbox One bundles this fall: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare will receive a customized Xbox along with the game, and Sunset Overdrive will be released alongside a bundle in just a few weeks.
Considering that the Sunset Overdrive bundle contains a white Xbox that's strikingly similar to the Brazilian bundle, it's easy to assume that the hardware in both is the exact same, just shipped with a different title. Though, while Sunset Overdrive looks like a great game, it's curious that Microsoft didn't immediately jump to Halo when planning its console bundles.
While it's not a new console bundle, U.S. Xbox owners will see a new update that adds extended customization features to the console. On the Inner Circle podcast, head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, stated that fans have been asking for further customization options for the console, and that the team is currently working to implement customizable themes and background images, as well as the ability to take screenshots from the console. Currently, there's no planned release date for these new features.
U.S. fans might not be getting a new console bundle, but Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be released on Nov. 11.
