14 DAY TRIAL // We already know that Halo: Reach will include four interesting multiplayer modes when the beta comes on May 3 and that Bungie is ready to welcome more than 3 million players from around the world to the game, hoping that they will be offering significant feedback linked to the experience, which can be used to improve Reach before the official launch date.
And Brian Jarrard, who is the community manager at developer Bungie, is also saying that Microsoft is set to prepare a “more grandiose marketing effort” on a “a much higher scale” than those we witnessed for the launch of Halo 3: ODST last year. It's not clear when this promotional campaign will debut, as Reach does not have a definitive launch date at the moment.
Certainly, both Bungie and Microsoft hope it will do better than ODST, which was the ninth best selling game in the United States, moving more than 2.3 million units according to figures from the NPD Group.
Halo: Reach will again bring the Spartan to the fore of the action, with squads being more important than ever before and different characters getting the option to choose loadouts. Possible abilities linked will include jetpacks, active camouflage systems, long spring and armor lock, which makes the player tougher but also less mobile.
The two confirmed that no motion tracking control system would be introduced in Reach. Jarrard revealed that “Natal didn't exist until Reach was already two years into development. That alone creates issues. Secondly, it's not the type of control experience that we think lends itself to this type of game. We're comfortable with it; Microsoft is, too.” All those interested in videogames that will be using Natal when it comes out in the fall will need to wait until June 13 when the Redmond-based company has a big event planned to show off its wares.