'HALO WARS' release date announced

By Hector Cortez Nov 6, 2008, 19:19 GMT

Microsoft announced today that “Halo Wars” will arrive at retailers worldwide on February 28, 2009.

Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble Studios announced today that “Halo Wars” will arrive at retailers worldwide on February 28, 2009 in both a standard and Limited Collector’s Edition format.

Developed by Ensemble Studios, the creators of the critically-acclaimed “Age of Empires” series, “Halo Wars” was designed specifically for Xbox 360 and brings the RTS genre seamlessly to consoles. According to Microsoft, the controls, resource management and unit command have been redesigned to give players the fluid experience found in PC RTS games.

The Limited Collector’s Edition will feature:

Three New “Halo 3” Multiplayer Maps – Be one of the first to experience “Assembly,” “Orbital” and “Sandbox”

Halo Wars: Genesis – a graphic novel by Phil Noto, Graeme Devine and Eric Nylund chronicling the first military campaign against the Covenant. The novel centers around the Sprit of Fire on a mission to discover why the Covenant are so interested in the world of Harvest.

Unique In-game Vehicle – “Honor Guard” Wraith

Six Leader Cards – Leaders possess elite skills which can turn the tides of battle.

Spirit of Fire Patch – Start the journey as an official Spirit of Fire crew member.

As an added bonus, fans who pre-order “Halo Wars” will receive a pre-order card to download a special in-game Warthog vehicle with flame decals from select participating retailers.

The standard edition of “Halo Wars” will have an estimated retail price of $59.99 and the Limited Collector’s Edition will retail for an estimated price of $79.99.