Halo Wars

Halo Wars is a Real-time Strategy computer and video game. Collaboratively designed by Ensemble Studios and Bungie Studios, the game is set for release on the Xbox 360 on Nov 1, 2007. Announced during Microsoft's X06 media briefing on September 27, 2006, details of the game first appeared on 1UP.com. A pre-rendered trailer for the game was shown at X06. The trailer can be downloaded from the official website or from the Xbox 360 Marketplace. Alternatively, it can be viewed at You Tube Trailer.

The Halo Wars official FAQ states that the game will take place prior to the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, allowing the player to control the crew of the ship UNSC Spirit of Fire in the first battles against the Covenant. Bungie Studios has reported that the game is already in playable form, stating that it is "going to be awesome".

Halo Wars was first hinted at in the art book that came with the collector's edition of Age of Empires 3. The last page of the art book showed images from five different Age of Empires games, including the three titles that had already been released. Two images represented unreleased games, including a hypothetical Age of Empires 4 (depicting a World War 2 or Vietnam War-era soldier) and Age of Empires 5, depicting a distinctly science-fiction character design. This may have been intended to represent Master Chief from the Halo universe.

Confirmed Elements
The following are known elements within the game that have been shown in concept art and pre-rendered trailers for Halo Wars.

UNSC
 * Infantry
 * UNSC Marines
 * Spartan Group Omega
 * Vehicles
 * Scorpion Tank
 * Warthog
 * Pelican
 * Shortsword
 * Unidentified UNSC dropship (possibly an Albatross)

Covenant
 * Infantry
 * Covenant Elite (with energy swords)
 * Covenant Hunter
 * Covenant Grunt
 * Vehicles
 * Banshee
 * Ghost
 * Scarab

Trivia

 * The sound in the trailer made first by the Elite is almost identical to the sound made by the Predator from the film Predator
 * This is also coupled with the part where all the Elites appear from camouflage from thin air. This is a lot like a scene in Alien Vs. Predator where the Predators all appear from invisibility, which itself is much like a sceen from the film The Fog. This may fuel more of the rumors that the Elite were derived from the Predator, which has seemed to borrow the invisibility system, sounds, and their split jaw from it.
 * The dropships that are seen landing have a strange resemblance to the landing pods in Starship Troopers.
 * The Elites seen on the trailer do not appear to have energy shields.
 * While the soldiers in the trailer use Battle Rifles, the BR55 rifles were not ready for field use until 2552. they may be previous versions of the BR55, or the MA5K/MA2B.
 * One of the Spartans speaks in the trailer. His voice is not the same as the Master Chief's.
 * The Elite in the middle of the 'Cannon Fodder' picture is holding dual plasma swords. That might be because you *MIGHT* be able to dual-wield swords in Halo 3, although Bungie denies this. Talk about it here.
 * There appear to be mobile buildings that can lift off and land for the UNSC. This is similar to the Terran buildings in StarCraft.