Halo Waypoint Expands And Halo Motion Comic Coming Soon

From April 15th, Microsoft are making some changes to Halo Waypoint on Xbox LIVE and are adding a range of new features. Stat tracking, community sharing and game-launching options will be making their way to the Xbox hub for all things Halo on Friday and Microsoft promise it will be faster and operate more smoothly. In addition, 343 Industries – the new company that is taking over development of Halo-related products after the departure of Bungie for Activision – has announced the release of “The Mona Lisa”, a dramatic Motion Comic that will launch on Waypoint on April 23rd. And finally, to mark the occasion, a new collection of Avatar clothing items and accessories are also coming your way.

Halo Waypoint Gets New Features, Faster

For the first time, your “Halo: Reach” service record will be fully accessible from Waypoint, making everything from detailed game history to weapons stats and Challenges available at your fingertips, anytime you’re using your Xbox 360. There’s even a brand new “Compare with Friends” feature that lets you compare your stats against your friends and rivals, along with two new Waypoint career levels. You can also get many of these same great Waypoint features on Windows Phone 7 with the Waypoint Application available in the Windows Phone App Store and on the web at http://HaloWaypoint.com.

The update also adds the ability to launch the Games on Demand version of “Halo: Reach” straight from Waypoint, and introduces a new video player which features the same “Instant On” streaming technology utilised by Zune, making the viewing of “Halo” fiction and community videos on Waypoint over Xbox LIVE faster and easier.

“The Mona Lisa” Premieres on Halo Waypoint next Saturday, 23 April!

“The Mona Lisa” is a vivid motion comic that retells a dark tale from the “Halo Evolutions” anthology, set shortly after the events of “Halo: Combat Evolved” and brought dramatically to life by leading production studios ONE and Pyramind. Sent on a highly-classified mission in the debris field of the Halo artefact, the crew of the UNSC Red Horse discover a derelict prison ship – the Mona Lisa – adrift in space. When a contingent of marines board this vessel, they come face to face with a more terrifying threat than the Covenant and are forced to battle for their very survival. “The Mona Lisa” will be available for Waypoint on Xbox LIVE, Windows Phone 7, and on the web when it premieres next Saturday, so be sure to tune in!

Fresh Line-up of “Halo” Avatar Items and Action Figures Kick Off Spring in True Spartan Fashion

Make sure you look your best while battling to save the galaxy with a fun new collection of “Halo” Avatar gear and props, including a new selection of Spartan helmets and Red vs. Blue T-shirts for campers and Grifball fans alike. Available 14 April on Xbox LIVE, this new Avatar collection also includes the single most infectious prop we’ve ever grown – a Flood infection form for your Avatar to (very carefully) nurture and love!

All of these items will be releasing over the next few weeks, starting today with the Avatar collection – so keep an eye on Xbox LIVE for more details.