http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content...e=ret&aid=2553
Halo Deluxe - Microsoft's secret weapon for Christmas?
Rob Fahey 10:57 12/11/2003
The Master Chief may be going online sooner than expected
Speculation over a major announcement which Microsoft has pledged to
make on November 15th, the second anniversary of the Xbox launch date,
points to the launch of a new version of Halo with Xbox Live support.
A number of different rumours have circulated regarding the
announcement, including the rather unlikely possibility that the
launch of Halo 2 - currently scheduled for 2004 - might actually be
pulled forward to Christmas.
However, a member of the Bungie development team moved to quash such
rumours, stating that "I can confirm with absolute certainty that Halo
2 is NOT coming out in 2003," going on to question what "possible
benefit" there would be in a launch shrouded in such secrecy.
What does seem entirely possible, however, is another rumour
circulating about the announcement - namely that on November 15th
Microsoft will roll out a new version of Halo, branded as Halo Deluxe
Edition, which will feature online multiplayer capabilities over Xbox
Live for the first time.
This speculation gains credibility from the appearance of a Prima
Official Strategy Guide for Halo Deluxe Edition on the publishing
company's website, with a launch date of December 2003 - an
embarrassing mistake by Prima if they turn out to have blown
Microsoft's surprise, but surely a pointer that MS has something
Halo-related in the works.
An online version of Halo would make sense. The game already enjoys
significant popularity online through the unofficial Xbox Connect
tunnelling software, which fools Halo into believing that other
systems on the Internet are actually on a LAN with it, but this
connection can be unreliable and laggy at times. The launch of Deluxe
Edition - which would presumably arrive at a budget price point -
would also be a perfect opportunity for Microsoft to bundle a demo of
Halo 2, building anticipation of its biggest 2004 title even further.
We'll know for sure in three days when Xbox celebrates its second
birthday in the USA.