I was just yesterday thinking that Microsoft has remained uncharacteristically quiet when it has come to the impending release of Halo 5: Guardians. Sure, they showed off a bunch of new features at this year’s E3, and we’ve seen the typical array of both gameplay and cinematic trailers, but Halo launches have always been incredibly hyperbolic. One need only look at the ludicrous (though admittedly very fun) trailers that the series has had over the years. Remember the ‘Believe’ trailer? How great was that?
But with the game set for release in under two weeks, Microsoft has now revealed that they’ll up the ante this year with a live launch event that sounds suitably ridiculous. A 6-hour live show that will be broadcast to viewers live via YouTube, Halo 5: LIVE will feature “exclusive gameplay reveals, celebrity appearances, live interviews with 343 Industries, and special tune-ins from around the world.” I’m not sure what “special tune-ins” are – does that mean people more important than us regular plebs will be watching? – but looking at more details regarding the event reveals that it’s going to be even more over-the-top than some of the stupid shit we see being pulled off at E3.
For one, Microsoft states that “a lucky fan in Australia will play Halo 5: Guardians from a helicopter flying over Sydney, as gameplay is broadcasted via a screen suspended from a second helicopter.” That sounds awfully expensive, unnecessarily complicated and dumb, and I think I might love it.
Another unfathomably preposterous event that will be taking place during the event will see a “Halo superfan from Japan who has played over 10,000 hours of Halo, Master Chief and Agent Locke action figurines will travel to the edge of space for the most epic Gamertag selfie.” If that wasn’t enough, a Taiwanese cosplayer will also build a replica of Master Chief’s helmet using “30,000 Swarovski crystals.” That doesn’t sound particularly practical for a Space Marine fighting battles with aliens in the far reaches of the galaxy, but at least he’ll look fabulous while doing so.
The whole thing sounds like it could well be the most expensive car crash we’ve yet seen in the medium, as judging from my many years of tuning into E3 and every other major video game convention, things tend to get very awkward when gaming events focus on anything other than video games. With that being said, there is still no chance that I’m missing out on watching this mess.
Halo 5: LIVE will begin at 6PM EDT on October 26, and conclude at midnight when Halo 5 officially launches on October 27th. Watch the announcement trailer below:
