What do Rio Ferdinand and upcoming game Halo: Reach have in common?

When Microsoft announced they had a ‘very special announcement’ concerning both Bungie’s Halo: Reach and Manchester United footballer Rio Ferdinand as you might expect the assembled press were more than a little bit baffled.

When the announcement was eventually made it has to be said that some were still as baffled. It turns out that that Rio, Jason Bradbury from The Gadget Show, England rugby player Ben Cohen, singer turned presenter Jameela Jamil and a fifth, as yet unannounced, celebrity will be teaming up to form the ‘Halo: Reach Elite Spartan Squad’, a merry band of celebrity gamers who will be honing their deathmatch skills to take on all comers.

A sixth and final member of the squad will be taken from the winner of a UK-wide contest. The competition, launching Wednesday 4th August (see www.xbox.com/lookingforaleader) gives Halo fans and gamers the chance to take part in a series of online mini Halo 3 tournaments in mid-August. Winners will then be selected to attend a launch event taking place in London in September and compete in multiplayer Halo: Reach matches alongside the celebrity members of the Spartan Squad.

Halo: Reach launches in less than seven weeks and to whet the fan’s appetites still further Microsoft have also released a brand new trailer for the game, this time focusing on the darker subject matter of the release; namely the bleak and already written fate of Reach itself (this being a prequel of events already told if you didn’t already know that). The sombre atmosphere reflecting well the mixed feelings felt amongst the Bungie camp as they put the final touches to their final Halo game before heading on to pastures new in the shape of publisher Activision.

Michael Plant

For all the latest gaming news and opinions follow my blog at www.heretherebegamers.co.uk

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