Microsoft, Halo | featured news

The Oscar-winning filmmaker re-teams with Tim Miller, visual effects lead from "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Video games these days are big Hollywood productions. A team of more than 200 people at Microsoft’s 343 Industries studio has been developing Halo 4 over the past four years. The new game, which launches Nov. 6, is being complemented by a full transmedia entertainment plan.

Gears of War 3, which arrives in stores Tuesday, is Microsoft's biggest Xbox exclusive game ever out of the gate — surpassing even pre-orders for the flagship Halo games. Sales of this final chapter in the Gears series topped 1.3 million at last tally and are expected to surpass the first two installments, which sold about 13 million copies combined.

In the last week’s time, Nintendo has unveiled its brand new Wii U home game machine, Sony has taken the wraps off its handheld PlayStation Vita gadget and Microsoft has breathed new life into the historic “Halo” game franchise.

Stores across the world are opening their doors at midnight for the launch of Microsoft's latest video game, Halo Reach.