London, UK – On October 5, Microsoft and 343 Industries announced the launch of the series premiere of the highly anticipated live-action series, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn,” on Machinima’s new premium channel, Machinima Prime, and Halo Waypoint. The groundbreaking digital series will lead up to the launch of the “Halo 4” video game, one of the biggest entertainment events of the year.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the “Halo” universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war, and leading into the events of “Halo 4.” Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” follows a group of cadets who are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets.

Among these cadets, Thomas Lasky struggles with his doubts about the war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero.

“Halo” fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of “Halo 4” and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience. The story will unfold weekly through a series of five episodes, setting the stage for the worldwide launch of “Halo 4” on November 6.

Directed by Stewart Hendler (“H+,” “Sorority Row”), written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing (“Smallville,” “Spartacus”) and backed by a top-tier production team, including Executive Producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Daniel Cudmore (“X2,” “X-Men: The Last Stand,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 1 & 2”) as the Master Chief, Anna Popplewell (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) as Chyler Silva, Tom Green (“Dance Academy”) as Thomas Lasky, and Ayelet Zurer (“Angels & Demons,” “Munich”) as Mehaffey.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is produced in association with Emmy-winning production company Herzog & Company/HCO (Gettysburg and the forthcomingKilling Lincoln). Continuing its involvement with the “Halo” franchise, Legacy Effects (The Hunger Games, The Avengers, Avatar) is creating specialized costumes and armor, and visual effects are being created by Toronto-based Arc Productions bringing the Halo universe to life with fidelity never before seen. Emmy-winner John Sullivan (“The Pacific”) is serving as the Visual Effects Supervisor for the production.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition. Available as part of the “Halo 4” Limited Edition game bundle for £69.99 ERP, the “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition is an extended 90-minute version of the live-action digital series that will bring the “Halo” universe to life as you’ve never seen it.

In addition to exclusive packaging and a wealth of in-game content, including Specializations, armour and weapon skins, and access to nine upcoming multiplayer maps available post-launch, the “Halo 4” Limited Edition also includes the following bonus content for “Forward Unto Dawn”:

• In-fiction content expanding the characters and stories of “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”
• Special Featurette: “Bringing Gaming into Reality”
• Making of “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn”

Forward Unto Dawn Schedule:

• Episode 1: Available to watch now at Machinima Prime, and Halo Waypoint
• Episode 2: Friday October 12 at 11 a.m. BST
• Episode 3: Friday October 19 at 11 a.m. BST
• Episode 4: Friday October 26 at 11 a.m. BST
• Season Finale: Friday November 2 at 10 a.m. BST

Halo 4 is now available for pre-order in three distinct editions: the standard edition (£49.99 ERP), the Limited Collector’s Edition (£69.99 ERP) and the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 4 console bundle (£269.99 ERP) – for more information visit http://www.xbox.com/Halo-4

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London, U.K. — The new recruits at Corbulo Academy of Military Science, the UNSC’s premiere training facility, gear up for their first-hand training with cyro-sleep in a new vignette entitled “Cryo” from the upcoming live-action digital series, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.”

Synopsis: At the Corbulo Academy of Military Science, cadets receive first-hand training with cryo-sleep, a technology necessary for deep-space travel to other worlds. But for one cadet, trying to get normal sleep the night before his first experience with cryo proves difficult when his head is filled with stories from his very creative room-mate.

To watch the video, please visit Machinima’s new YouTube channel,Machinima Prime or Halo Waypoint.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is a live-action series that takes fans back to the terrifying beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become a leader aboard the UNSC’s greatest vessel: the UNSC Infinity in Halo 4.

Created in partnership with top Hollywood talent from film, television and new media, “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” brings a brand new “Halo” story to life on a scale never before seen in the universe. The series will debut 5^th October on Machinima Prime and on Halo Waypoint as a five episode series.

The “Halo 4” Limited Edition game (£69.99 ERP) will also include the “Forward Unto Dawn” Special Edition, an extended 90-minute version with never-before-seen bonus footage, as well as exclusive fiction and behind-the-scenes content.

Launching on Nov. 6 exclusively on Xbox 360, “Halo 4” is the next blockbuster installment of the iconic franchise that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo 4” continues the story of the series’ iconic hero the Master Chief as he returns to confront his destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. “Halo 4” takes the series in a bold new direction by delivering its most epic and explorative campaign yet, alongside an emotionally resonant story and a groundbreaking multiplayer offering unlike anything before it – setting the stage for an epic new sci-fi saga.

Halo 4 is now available for pre-order in three distinct editions: the standard edition (£49.99 ERP), the Limited Collector’s Edition (£69.99 ERP) and the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 4 console bundle (£269.99 ERP) – please visit http://www.xbox.com/Halo-4 for more details.

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Those who have been following Halo 4 will know that it marks a serious departure for the series. Previous entries in the franchise were developed by the game company Bungie and for the most part concerned themselves with the same events (i.e. the war against the Covenant).

Halo 4, on the other hand, marks the beginning of a new trilogy and is being developed by 343 Industries, a company created specifically to create Halo games ever since Bungie  became and independent company. Although 343 Industries is responsible for last years Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a remake of the first game, which makes Halo 4 the first time the company has created a game from scratch.

Some have complained about the graphics, but the game seems to be bringing Halo back to its roots. Several have noted that the game will be less of a straight-forward first person shooter and instead incorporate more elements of mystery, exploration, and discovery. Basically, the game will be more like the critically acclaimed original game and less like Halo 3 ODST.

The plot kicks up four years after Halo 3. Master Chief and his AI, Cortana, crash land on a Forerunner planet after being lost in space. The Forerunners were a species of enlightened aliens responsible for creating structures such as the Halo the series is now known for. The campaign is set on an artificial planet known as Requiem. Although the Covenant is now peaceful, a rogue group has splintered off, known as the Storm.

This time around, the story is being planned as a trilogy from the onset, which hopefully means the story will be split up between the three games, with no more annoying cliff hangers like in Halo 2. Halo 5 is planned to be a darker game than 4, and 6 will wrap things up.

Little information is out about multiplayer, but here is what has been shown so far: Two new modes will be included, Regicide and Infinity Slayer. Regicide consists of a free for all where one person is marked as the “King.” Killing other players will still net people points, but slaying the king will give out the most. The more players the king kills, the more points the player who commits the regicide receives. Infinity Slayer is a lot like normal Slayer, except weapons spawn over the course of the game, not just at the beginning of the match.

Also new is “personal ordnance.” This feature rewards individual players (as opposed to teams) for kills, assists, team support and completing objectives. Personal ordnance will play a part in all multiplayer modes, but has the biggest effect in Infinity Slayer.

In addition, players who still only have a 4GB HDD are out of luck. Installing multiplayer requires 8GB. This is not needed for single player mode.

Despite being announced at 2011’s E3, details on Halo 4 are still scarce. Stay tuned for more Halo 4 news from Toonari Post leading up to its worldwide release on November 6.

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San Diego, U.S.A. — At the San Diego Comic-Con International, the world’s largest pop culture convention, 343 Industries and Microsoft unveiled the official trailer for ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn,’ the landmark live-action digital series based on the best-selling Xbox franchise. The series will be initially distributed worldwide by Machinima, debuting on its new channel, Machinima Prime, as well as on Halo Waypoint, on Oct. 5, 2012.

‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ will unfold through a series of five episodes, setting the stage for the worldwide launch of ‘Halo 4′ on Nov. 6. The official ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ trailer is now available on Machinima Prime and on Halo Waypoint. Machinima will also be releasing exclusive content, backstory and character pieces leading up to the launch of this highly anticipated series.

‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ tells an exciting story of heroism and sacrifice on a scale never before seen in the Halo universe, taking fans back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war and leading into the events of ‘Halo 4.’ Set against the backdrop of a United Nations Space Command (UNSC) military academy, a group of highborn cadets are training to be the next generation of soldiers in the UNSC’s ongoing war with insurrectionists in the outer colonial planets.

Among these cadets, Thomas Laskystruggles with his doubts about this war, and with the burden of expectations he may not be able to carry. As Lasky comes to terms with his potential as a military leader, the terrifying alien alliance known as the Covenant arrives and turns his world upside down. Inspired by the Master Chief, he must decide what it means to be a hero. ‘Halo’ fans who experience Lasky’s thrilling origin story in ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” will be rewarded with special insights into the story of ‘Halo 4′ and the “Halo Infinity Multiplayer” experience.

Directed by Stewart Hendler (‘H+,’ ‘Sorority Row’) and written by Todd Helbing and Aaron Helbing(“Smallville,” “Spartacus”), ‘Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn’ features a diverse cast of established and up-and-coming Hollywood talent, including Tom Green (‘Dance Academy’) as Thomas Lasky, Anna Popplewell (‘The Chronicles of Narnia’) as Chyler Silva, Daniel Cudmore (‘X2,’ ‘X-Men: The Last Stand,’ ‘The Twilight Saga’) as the Master Chief, Ayelet Zurer (‘Angels & Demons,’ ‘Munich’) as Mehaffey, Mike Dopud (‘Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol’) as General Black, Enisha Brewster (‘Footloose’) as April Orenski, Masam Holden (“Grey’s Anatomy,” ‘Elizabethtown’) as Michael ‘Sully’ Sullivan, Osric Chau (’2012′) as JJ Chen, Iain Belcher (“Supernatural”) as Vickers, and Kat De Lieva as Dimah.

“Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn” is backed by a top-tier production team led by executive producers Lydia Antonini and Josh Feldman, former Warner Bros. and Playtone executives, respectively. Continuing its involvement with the ‘Halo’ franchise, Legacy Effects (‘The Hunger Games,’ ‘The Avengers,’ ‘Avatar’) is creating specialized costumes and armor, and visual effects are being designed by an award-winning team led by John Sullivan (‘The Pacific’). Production services are provided by Herzog & Co.

An extended, 90-minute Special Edition featuring additional footage and bonus content will be availableNov. 6 in the “Halo 4″ Limited Edition and on on-demand video services.

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