Microsoft Officially Revealing Halo 4 This Month

Halo 4 will finally make an appearance this month at Microsoft's Xbox Spring Showcase in San Francisco.

Typically we don't cover console games, but the Halo franchise is an exception. Most of us have played -- and still own -- at least one of the seven titles released over the course of eleven years, maybe even the original Halo on PC (just admit to having an Xbox, it's ok, we understand). That said, many readers may be waiting anxiously for Halo 4, Microsoft's first full-fledged venture into the Halo universe without holding Bungie's hand.

The new installment will be the first chapter in the new "Reclaimer" trilogy, developed by 343 Industries, a studio created by Microsoft to handle the Halo IP once Bungie signed off. Previously 343 Industries gave the original Halo an HD spit-shine and re-released it as Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary in November 2011. Now its first full-blown Halo game is slated for a Holiday 2012 release.

NeoGAF is now reporting that an article in Finnish magazine Pelaaja claims that Halo 4 will be revealed at Microsoft's Xbox Spring Showcase on February 29 (aka Leap Day) in San Francisco. If true, this will be the first time we've seen Halo 4 since Microsoft offered a little taste of concept art last year at E3 2011. Backing up the report, an image has appeared on Twitter that looks to be a scanned event advertisement (pamphlet).

That said, sounds like we have an event to attend towards the end of the month. Has Microsoft milked the Halo franchise to the point of exhaustion, or could there never be enough Halo? 343 Industries is hoping to take the franchise "back to what made Halo 3 so amazing," but we're wondering if it's time to retire Master Chief's helmet. Or at least, bring the franchise back to the PC if Microsoft insists on milking the Halo cow a little longer. Talk about sore nipples, though.

Hear that Microsoft? Bring Halo 4 to Windows PC and make it cross-platform, pitting the console fanboys against the hardware junkies.