343 Industries Grows “Halo” Universe with New Waypoint Features and Dramatic Motion Comic

10th Anniversary “Halo” franchise celebration kicks off this August

Starting 15 April, your definitive online “Halo” destination will unlock new corners of the “Halo” universe as a slew of new features arrive for the Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint, including stat tracking, community sharing and game-launching options.

Additionally, 343 Industries is excited to release even more news today to kick off the spring season, including the premiere of a brand new motion comic series entitled “The Mona Lisa” on 23 April and a fresh line-up of “Halo” Avatar items and action figures. Halo Waypoint Gets New Features, Faster

This Friday, Halo Waypoint, your source for “Halo” news, community content and insight into the “Halo” universe, will receive an update with numerous new features – and a significant performance boost for the entire experience, making Waypoint faster and smoother.

For the first time, your “Halo: Reach” service record will be fully accessible from Waypoint, making everything from detailed game history to weapons stats and Challenges available at your fingertips, anytime you’re using your Xbox 360. There’s even a brand new “Compare with Friends” feature that lets you compare your stats against your friends and rivals, along with two new Waypoint career levels. You can also get many of these same great Waypoint features on Windows Phone 7 with the Waypoint Application available in the Windows Phone App Store and on the web.

The update also adds the ability to launch the Games on Demand version of “Halo: Reach” straight from Waypoint, and introduces a new video player which features the same “Instant On” streaming technology utilised by Zune, making the viewing of “Halo” fiction and community videos on Waypoint over Xbox LIVE faster and easier.

“The Mona Lisa” Premieres on Halo Waypoint next Saturday, 23 April!

“The Mona Lisa” is a vivid motion comic that retells a dark tale from the “Halo Evolutions” anthology, set shortly after the events of “Halo: Combat Evolved” and brought dramatically to life by leading production studios ONE and Pyramind. Sent on a highly-classified mission in the debris field of the Halo artefact, the crew of the UNSC Red Horse discover a derelict prison ship – the Mona Lisa – adrift in space . When a contingent of marines board this vessel, they come face to face with a more terrifying threat than the Covenant and are forced to battle for their very survival. “The Mona Lisa” will be available for Waypoint on Xbox LIVE, Windows Phone 7, and on the web when it premieres next Saturday, so be sure to tune in!

Fresh Line-up of “Halo” Avatar Items and Action Figures Kick Off Spring in True Spartan Fashion

Make sure you look your best while battling to save the galaxy with a fun new collection of “Halo” Avatar gear and props, including a new selection of Spartan helmets and Red vs. Blue T-shirts for campers and Grifball fans alike. Available 14 April on Xbox LIVE, this new Avatar collection also includes the single most infectious prop we’ve ever grown – a Flood infection form for your Avatar to (very carefully) nurture and love!

10 Years of Halo...

The Halo franchise will be enjoying its 10th Anniversary this year, with celebrations kicking off at the Penny Arcade Expo Prime in Seattle on 26, 27 and 28 August. Stay tuned for more information about the celebrations.