Microsoft and YouTube partner for Halo 5 launch event "Halo 5 Live"

In years past fans would line up for the institution of midnight game launches which included titles the likes of Halo. With the advent of digital purchases and gamers opting to pre-load titles (the digital equivalent of pre-ordering) ahead of release day, the spectacle of midnight store launches isn’t always what it used to be.

In this new generation of gaming it would seem that Microsoft is adapting to the changing times. On October 27 Microsoft is teaming up with YouTube to celebrate the global launch of Halo 5: Guardians. Kicking off at 6 p.m. EDT and finishing at midnight “Halo 5 Live” which will stream exclusively on YouTube will feature exclusive gameplay reveals, celebrity appearances, live interviews with the 343 Industries development team and much more.

“Halo 5: Guardians” is the most ambitious addition to the $4.6 billion sci-fi franchise to date, bringing together a gripping story, deep character narrative and teamwork-based gameplay. As a mysterious and unstoppable force threatens the universe, the Master Chief has gone AWOL and the UNSC’s elite man hunter, Spartan Locke, is tasked with hunting him down. As the pursuit unfolds, players can band together in a four-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds, or challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes.1

“‘Halo 5: Guardians’ is the game we have always dreamed of making, and it was important to us that Halo fans in every corner of the world could join us in an epic-scale launch celebration,” said Bonnie Ross, corporate vice president and head of 343 Industries. “Whether they tune into the live broadcast on YouTube or come out and celebrate with us in person at one of our global fan events, we hope Halo Nation will help make ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ the biggest game launch in history”.

The event will feature the world premiere of “Halo: The Fall of Reach” episode one, a roundtable with Halo 5’s writers and actor Nathan Fillion, and documentaries featuring Halo superfans. There will also be special live events held all around the world in New Zealand, Hong Kong, New York, and others.

“Millions of our fans around the world are waiting in anticipation of the launch of ‘Halo 5: Guardians,’ so we wanted to do something special for them and launch a video game in a way that has never been done before,” said Aaron Greenberg, head of games marketing for Xbox. “We are excited to stream the ‘Halo 5: Guardians’ launch exclusively through YouTube so fans can share in a New Year’s Eve-like countdown moment together.”

Special fan events will take place at all Microsoft stores. All stores will be streaming the “Halo 5: Live” broadcast and are offering an exclusive Halo poster with a $25 purchase, early gameplay and more for the midnight launch of “Halo 5: Guardians.” Fans can also enter a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to Seattle for a tour of the Xbox and 343 studios. More information can be found on the Microsoft store Facebook page.

Source: Major Nelson