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E3 2011: Halo: CE Anniversary confirmed

By Eddie Makuch

Microsoft confirms Xbox 360 HD rerelease of Bungie original dropping November 15, 2011--10 years to the day after original Xbox release.

LOS ANGELES--Even though founding Halo developer Bungie Studios is no longer creating Halo games, the series is far from dead. Today at Microsoft's 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo media briefing the company officially announced an overhauled rerelease of the original Halo: Combat Evolved.

Microsoft is officially bringing Master Chief's first adventure back to life.

Microsoft is officially bringing Master Chief's first adventure back to life.

It had been widely rumored for months, but today Microsoft ended the speculation and announced Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary for the Xbox 360. The title is a rerelease of the original Halo game with a fully remastered campaign, Xbox Live co-op support, and seven bundled multiplayer maps.

Additionally, according to developer 343 Industries' David Ellis, gamers will be able to "switch between classic and new graphics in real time" in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will ship on November 15, 2011, exactly 10 years after the release of the critically praised Halo: Combat Evolved in 2000.

Also announced during Microsoft's media briefing this morning was word that 343 Industries--which has been on a hiring spree as of late--is currently developing Halo 4. Unfortunately, further details concerning that game are not available, but the game is expected to ship by holiday 2012.

84 Comments

  • DatoGubiev

    Posted Dec 24, 2011 9:14 am GMT

    Please make PC ~~~~~~~~~~~~MULTIPLAYER~~~~~~~~~~~ version at least!

  • Printul_Noptii

    Posted Jun 17, 2011 11:34 pm GMT

    @michaelbilby not sure if trolling but if you don't then lol just..... looool

  • Printul_Noptii

    Posted Jun 17, 2011 11:31 pm GMT

    also I dunno why so many people complain about the library level ?! Yeah it was long and repetitive but you could mow down the flood with the AR and shotgun even on Legendary it wasn't that hard. Truth and Reconciliation on the other hand is was a different story....

  • Printul_Noptii

    Posted Jun 17, 2011 11:28 pm GMT

    The reason why they won't release it on the PC is simple, its to boost Xbox sales and MS gave up on PC ports a long time ago after the fiasco with Halo 2 Vista only and Gears of War PC, I am somehow impressed Fable 3 made it to the PC as well.

  • Wind_Whishper

    Posted Jun 10, 2011 6:49 am GMT

    That's neat.

  • D-RS

    Posted Jun 8, 2011 9:16 am GMT

    @Agent3sephiroth : I hope they fix it , because it is way too long and repetitive , and by Library , i mean the level where you kill Flood non-stop.

  • michaelbilby

    Posted Jun 8, 2011 7:50 am GMT

    @ foojam
    Because what i originally wrote was a opinion not a statement.

  • michaelbilby

    Posted Jun 8, 2011 7:47 am GMT

    @ foojam
    So tell me your opinion why 343 won't release HALO 3,ODST AND REACH on the PC.

  • foojam

    Posted Jun 8, 2011 7:09 am GMT

    @ michaelbilby

    You are an ignorant dumb, you write a wrong statement, the guy corrects you and you keep on commenting the same sh*t. Any modest pc overpowers xbox360 and ps3, ffs, make some research before you post your nonsense.

  • Agent3sephiroth

    Posted Jun 8, 2011 4:45 am GMT

    @D-RS "....because the levels are going to be remastered (Remove the Library level please!)..."
    Er... dude how is this a triibute to original halo if you remove a level from that game? In fact how is it HALO, the galactic super weapon at all, if there's no library?

  • SolidTy

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:00 pm GMT


    @D-RS : Thanks for the scoop, D-RS. You rock!

  • D-RS

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 12:26 pm GMT

    @SolidTy : Again The game will feature a competitive Multiplayer mode(7 maps) which works the same Reach Multiplayer (the same servers) , and you can install the maps to your hardrive and play them with Halo reach.

  • D-RS

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 12:21 pm GMT

    @SolidTy : I will feature halo 1 , running on a new engine(reach engine) with all the armor stuff i think , you can also play the original levels with the old graphics also, because the levels are going to be remastered (Remove the Library level please!) , also the game will have 7 HALO CE Maps and 1 Map Damnation from Halo 2 , that you can install to the hardrive and play them in Halo Reach , it will have Co-op , Xbl and offline , and it will cost 40 $ .

  • michaelbilby

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 12:16 pm GMT

    Pakundo I am PC gamer and a XBOX 360 gamer as well and forgive me for saying this (because i have already got into trouble with someone else because of the comment i wrote) the reason why they brought Halo 1 and 2 out to pc was because the original xbox was based on the pc. but with the newer Halo games microsoft knew that a pc would not be able to handle the new games, (even with all the graphic and reader cards you get for the pc). And in my experience a better than average PC is worst than the XBOX 360 in terms of hardware and software.

  • Femto513

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 10:16 am GMT

    Halo CE was released in 2001, not 2000.

  • Pakundo

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 7:36 am GMT

    michaelbilby, you're either a troll, or dumb.
    Because it's quite the opposite - a better than average PC is better than the 360 in terms of hardware.
    They didn't bring these games to PC for the exclusivity.

  • steelmouth

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 6:12 am GMT

    The worst thing about remakes is that every now and then when technology advances someone will always think its a great idea to make a Re-Re-Re HD remake of that classic from 10 years back, it just never end

    To all the developers remember things become classics because they were great at release and are no longer available, and their unavailability makes them even better, I have never played Halo CE but i heard and belief it is a great epic master piece of a game but now am get this HD remake and chances are it will not match my over ambitious expectation of its awesomeness

  • michaelbilby

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:53 am GMT

    Pakunko i am sorry to say but the reason why microsoft never brought out halo 3,odst or reach on the pc because the pc simple cannot handle all the graphics, engines and the other areas of the games

  • PixelAddict

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 5:30 am GMT

    The great surprise I got from this was the multiplayer maps. My friends and I did quite a few LAN parties with multiple Sony WEGA TV's hooked up and had a blast. . . Can't believe that was 10 years ago!

    I cannot wait. Rage is a must buy, Uncharted 3 and Gears 3 are automatics. But THIS may be my most anticipated title of the year.

  • Pakundo

    Posted Jun 7, 2011 1:51 am GMT

    I know Microsoft really loves the Halo franchise as an Xbox 360 exclusive, but that means they completely forgot about us PC fans.
    Yes, us, who got Halo PC on 2003, which is until now one of the most played online shooters that are over 5 years old.
    Us, who got Halo 2 Vista only on May 2007, without support at all.
    Us, PC fans of the series, who never got Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, or Halo: Reach.
    I won't mention Halo: Wars, because it is outside of the main franchise in my opinion, but you get my point.

    I still want to finish the fight, and it's not 2007 anymore.
    It's 2011.