Halo 2 “Gameplay” Demo Revealed (E3 2003)

The Halo 2 E3 2003 demo stands out for many infamous reasons, exposing the culture of smoke and mirror showings at E3 along with how misleading a reveal could be. Nevertheless, at the time, it was awesome. Seeing Master Chief return to Earth with a major city under siege, dual-wielding weapons and embarking on an extended clean-up mission against the Covenant was just incredible. Incredibly misleading compared to the final product, sure, but still incredible.

You can now purchase the Gears of War 3 Vault which if you didn’t get a chance to win here yet, you can purchase it at Calibur11.com or at your local retail stores including Gamestop, Best Buy and more.  Here is a link to our contest page for your chance to win the Vault, last minute entries will be accepted… but you must hurry as we will be ending the Gears of War 3 Contest SOON!  You can check out our video feature of the Vault which is the first ever unboxing video as well as a detailed look at all the features of the Vault in action above.  Anyone who purchases (or wins) a Calibur 11 Gears of War 3 Vault can enter to win a full set of life sized COG armor as well, which include the helmet and just screams bad ass!  Here is a link to some more coverage and info on the Vault as well as another press release.  Latest press release below.

DULUTH, MN, September 20, 2011 –Partnering with Epic Games, one of the premier video game developers in the world, Calibur11 today announced that its exclusive Gears of War Vault is hitting retail now.  Available today right as the Gears of War 3 video game launches, the Gears of War Vault is a custom, interactive case for the Xbox 360 Slim that features a high-definition “Bleed-Out” finish, controller cradle and an LED Crimson Omen that interacts and dynamically changes with the gameplay.

As the Gears of War craze goes global, Calibur11 has launched a truly one-of-a-kind sweepstakes whereby one lucky Gears of War fan can win a life-size replica COG armor suit bearing the Calibur11 logo.

“The response from fans, retailers and the industry for our Gears of War Vault has been nothing short of sensational,” said Coy Christmas, CEO of Calibur11.  “We are pleased to introduce a high-quality product that remains faithful to the Gears of War franchise and enhances a player’s experience, and do so with our COG armor suit giveaway.”

“Gears of War 3” is the spectacular conclusion to one of the most memorable and celebrated sagas in video games.  Developed by Epic Games exclusively for Xbox 360, “Gears of War 3” plunges players into a harrowing tale of hope, survival and brotherhood.

In the game, players fight on as Marcus Fenix, the grizzled war hero and leader of Delta Squad. 18 months after the fall of the last human city in “Gears of War 2,” the war against the Locust rages on, but a new enemy has emerged.  Deep beneath the surface, a fearsome new threat, the Lambent, is infecting the planet from within.  With survivors scattered and civilization in ruins, time is running out for Marcus and his comrades as they take up their Lancers to make one last push that will ultimately decide the fate of humanity.

The “Gears of War” series is one of the most popular franchises in Xbox history, having sold more than 13 million games worldwide, and spawning New York Times best-selling novels, an upcoming film and more.

Calibur11’s Gears of War Vault for Xbox 360 Slim is now available at all Best Buy store locations, as well as all major online retailers for a suggested retail price of $89.99.  Customized nameplates will carry a suggested retail price of $17.99.  Online consumers can purchase their Gears of War Vault here, and find out more information on the sweepstakes here.

About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its “Unreal” series, including “Unreal Tournament 3” for PC, PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360®.  Epic’s “Gears of War” franchise has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide and won more than 50 Game of the Year awards.  Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 is the five-time winner of and Hall of Fame inductee for Game Developer magazine’s Best Engine Front Line Award.  Unreal Engine 3 has also held the Develop Industry Excellence Award in its category for the past three years.  Additional information about Epic can be obtained at http://www.epicgames.com.

About Calibur11

Formed in 2010, Calibur11 specializes in innovative lifestyle accessories for the video game consumer, with a vision to create high-end products that satisfies the needs of gamers worldwide.  With more than 70 years of combined industry experience, Calibur11 is ideally positioned to deliver cutting-edge solutions that can be tailored to individual preferences.  More information can be found online at www.calibur11.com.

Epic, Epic Games, Crimson Omen, Delta Squad, Gears of War, Gears of War 2, Gears of War 3, Infected Omen, Marcus Fenix, Unreal, Unreal Engine, UE3, and Unreal Tournament are trademarks or registered trademarks of Epic Games, Inc. in the United States of America and elsewhere. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

The Calibur 11 Gears of War 3 Vault is one hell of a gaming accessory.  It is detailed as a work of art from the art on the packaging on the product inside and out to the actual vault that is so cool looking, you could almost see it as a sculpture… one bad ass sculpture.  On top of the cosmetics of it, the Gears 3 Vault is interactive while you have your choice of six different setting and just ‘off’.  The modes are literally described by Calibur 11 as 1) Center Light, 2) Light Perimeter, 3) Light All, 4)Center Light activated by game’s Death Mode sound, 5) Full Lighting activated by Death Mode sounds, 6)Pulsating Light activated by Death Mode sounds and of course the last being Off once again.  So there are all these multiple modes that can be set to so you can really enhance your gaming experience.  It could not have been more easy to hook up to the Xbox 360 Slim with there being less screws and more snap on features.

Gears of War 3 Vault contents include the Gears of War Body, Gears of War Infected Omen, Headset/Controller Cradle, and the Official Licensed Gears of War lower nameplate.  The Vault features Integrated Game Interaction, Gears of War Omen LED/USB Lighting Effects, Interchangeable Parts, Increased Console Airflow and it helps preserve your Xbox 360 console.  Calibur 11 Vaults including this one are completely customizable where you can purchase parts from their site and put them on or swap them on your vault.  Not to mention that Calibur 11 will surely be releasing new vault pieces to customize your vault with.  The future of the company could go anywhere from here, giving them the ability to make other vaults for other games that may have their own unique art style or integrated game interaction.  So we can look forward to see what exactly Calibur 11 has to offer in the future.  Personally I cannot wait.  The Gears of War 3 Vault will also be available at participating retail stores as well such as Gamestop, etc.

Here is the Official Calibur11.com Site where you can purchase the vault as well as other vaults, vault pieces and apparel.  Purchasing the vault will also give you the chance to win a full life size set of COG armor, with the helmet included.  Get a sneak peek at it right here.

The redesigned console was launched last month by Microsoft, and it led to the system experiencing stupendous success worldwide, with the Xbox 360 being propelled to the top of the hardware charts worldwide, even Japan.

However, the announcement of the new Xbox 360 S Arcade, which has the same functionality as the existing model, only with matte black finish and reduced 4GB of internal storage,  retailing at $199, gives Microsoft significant head room to reduce the price of the system next year.

“The new arcade SKU is very attractive at $199, and suggests that the standard SKU at $299 is very profitable, giving Microsoft room to cut price on the more expensive SKU,” Pachter said, explaining his stance to CVG 

“I don’t expect that until next year, but think pricing on the new arcade SKU is a signal that price is coming down next year.”

Of course, a price cut could help Microsoft sustain the kind of success the new model has been experiencing.

The Xbox 360 S, which is marketted officially as simply the Xbox 360, launched in the UK midnight earlier today across four hundred GAME and Gamestation stores, and apparenty, the consumers have lapped it up.

“At midnight, over 400 GAME and Gamestation stores opened across the UK to allow our customers to get their hands on the new Xbox 360,” Neil Ashurst, head of PR for GAME and Gamestation, said.

“There has been amazing demand for the new version of this ever-popular console, which includes a new slim design, 250GB hard drive and built-in WiFi connectivity. There was a fantastic atmosphere in our stores as hundreds of people queued to be one of the first to play on the new console.”

The Xbox 360 Slim launched in the US last month, where it helped sales rise by a whopping 88 per cent year-on-year for the month of June. In the UK, it costs £200 and seems to be largely worth it, to be honest.

The listing say that a “4GB Xbox 360 Arcade System Bundle” is due for release on August the  20th and it will cost €149. After that, the listing disappeared and that page hasn’t been seen online since.

After the release of Xbox 360 Slim, Microsoft said they might be looking at relaunching a new Xbox 360 Arcade model in the US to meet the demands of the public.

Keep looking out for more information on this matter.