This is a serious release and, what's more, from the word go it feels utterly like Halo. It's safe to say that, whatever review scores Halo: Spartan Assault ends up earning now it's hit the digital shelves, nothing about the game is rushed. Perhaps Microsoft was wary of wasting the opportunity – of commissioning a quick and dirty cash-in that, while drawing the eyes of the press, would ultimately do more harm to Halo and Windows Phone alike than good.
If we accept Microsoft owes so much to the franchise for helping to foster a viable space in the console scene, why has it taken the giant quite so long to bring Halo into play as part of its efforts to make a mark in the mobile space? Quick and dirty Perhaps it was actually a platform for gamers. Perhaps tapping into it didn't mean you were selling out. Perhaps, people thought, Xbox was it's own thing. Very early on, Halo made people think differently about Xbox – differently to how they felt about 'Micro$oft'. Throughout the console's life, there were other games and indeed other features – such as Xbox Live - that ensured Microsoft's machine was able to find an audience.īut, by the same token, it's difficult to imagine Microsoft's Xbox business being in quite the rude health it's in now if Bungie's blockbuster hadn't bolstered what was always going to be a difficult launch for the firm. It's somewhat unrealistic to suggest that the fortunes of the original Xbox rested solely on the success of Halo: Combat Evolved. Okay, I'll pick one up for Halo, but I won't be buying anything else.
Seems to be getting a decent reception too. But, hmm, that Halo game looks pretty decent, actually. What the hell does Microsoft know about games, anyway? Is Bill Gates going to try and shove Windows on this so-called X-Box? And why on earth does it come with a hard drive? How dare Microsoft start throwing its weight around in a market that – even with the monolithic giant that was Sony involved – had, though lucrative, almost existed as an industry exclusively for hobbyists. Do you remember how gamers reacted when rumours Microsoft was working on the original Xbox – or, to put it more accurately, the 'X-Box' as it was known by the press at the time – first started popping up in magazines?
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