Surface will service Halo 4
Wednesday, July 11, 2012 2:19 PM
Microsoft has revealed that its forthcoming blockbuster game, Halo 4, which launches on November 6th 2012, will be enhanced by connectivity with its brand new Surface family of tablet computers.
The disclosure was made by Microsoft executive Don Mattrick during a panel discussion at VentureBeat's fourth annual GamesBeat 2012 conference in San Francisco.
Although Mattrick, the firm's president for interactive entertainment business, confirmed the comments with a VentureBeat reporter after the session, he did not offer up any details of how this link-up will work and what extra features it will offer Halo gamers.
However, it seems highly likely that the Halo 4/Surface pairing will involve the use of Microsoft's SmartGlass technology, which it demonstrated at E3.
SmartGlass is designed to bring all of a user's devices - console, phone, tablet and TV - together to provide a more in-depth entertainment experience.
The technology allows, for example, the user to call on additional information on their mobile device to what is being displayed on their TV, such as maps showing where the action is taking place or character biographies.
This development is likely to concern Nintendo, whose Wii U console, which has its own dedicated touch-screen controller, launches later this year. If Microsoft can start churning out its own touch screen/gaming tie-ins, it will certainly take some of the shine off the Japanese manufacturer's innovative console development.
With no new console on the horizon, Microsoft is hoping that blockbuster titles like Halo and now these SmartGlass developments will keep gamers happy until an Xbox 720 or Xbox 8 is released.
"We're confident 2012 will be the most successful year in Xbox history," Phil Spencer, corporate vice-president of Microsoft Studios, said in April.
"Millions of fans worldwide have been eagerly awaiting the opportunity to step back into the boots of Master Chief."