Halo Wars Concept Art

Now that Halo Wars is out the door and Ensemble Studios has gone the way of the dinosaur, former employees of the developer have seen it fit to release some of the game’s amazing concept art.

There’s seriously some spectacular stuff here, worthy of desktop wallpapering if only it were big enough, visual inspiration for many of the game’s gorgeous cut scenes.

Hit the jump for the full gallery.
read more »

HW TV Korean Halo Wars TV

Korean gamers don’t just love playing video games, they also love watching others play the games too! Korean network MBC Game has been broadcasting real-time-strategy game StarCraft matches for years. So, we guess, broadcasting RTS Halo Wars makes sense.

MBC Game also broadcasts Warcraft III, Tekken and Counter-Strike. As game site Siliconera points out, all 3 home consoles are available in Korea; however, none of them have reached the popularity of PC gaming. Perhaps that guy’s spiffy vest will help.

Starcraft TV Network Gives Halo Wars Its Own Show [Siliconera]

In what we’re calling one of those wtf moments…New York based PalTalk Holdings filed suit against Microsoft over 2 years ago, claiming that the software giant violated two patents with its Xbox Live service, singling out the multiplayer infrastructure of its Halo games.

PalTalk wants $90 million from Microsoft, a case which went to trial in Texas this week, according to a report from Bloomberg. Lawyers have begun making their respective cases.

According to PalTalk, which purchased the two patents under contention from company MPath Interactive Inc., Microsoft had met with the patent holders to evaluate their technology. Microsoft doesn’t try to refute that claim, but said it decided to pursue other multiplayer technology solutions for Live, working with another party.

Microsoft asserts that PalTalk is way overvaluing the patent’s worth—which were purchased for $200,000—and that the the publisher’s decision to seek alternative tech was “upsetting to PalTalk and its employees.”

We’re sure they’ll work it out and your Halo 3 multiplayer sessions will never know the difference though.