No show: Halo Wars and Alan Wake miss Microsoft's event

by Christopher Grant { May 15th 2008 at 5:30PM }

When asked why neither Halo Wars nor Alan Wake were at the Xbox Spring Showcase, Microsoft Game Studios general manager, Shane Kim, told us the games weren't suited for the event (he wasn't offering specifics). When pressed to confirm if either would make a 2008 release (like every other game on display at the event), Kim insisted that neither have had release dates announced.

Oh? Don Mattrick – Senior Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Entertainment and Devices Division (ie: the big boss) – sent out an internal memo back in January that seemed to indicate both titles would find loving homes in 2008. We're going to take it as a sign that the company simply wanted to focus attention on Rare's two new titles as opposed to discussing any potential delays to other would-be 2008 releases. We hope ...

Tags: Alan-Wake, Halo-Wars

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

PojoMofo @ May 15th 2008 5:33PM

waiting for E3??

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ May 15th 2008 6:53PM

Where?

copa @ May 15th 2008 5:42PM

In terms of exclusive software, this looks like the year of GOW2 + Fable2 vs. MGS4 + LBP. Based on early impressions, I'm guessing an edge for Sony here.

Also, latests NPD numbers here:

http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080515005261&newsLang=en

PojoMofo @ May 15th 2008 5:49PM

LMAO, +1

*drool* burgers..............

http://photobucket.com/image/"do%20not%20want"/TheAnonymousUsual/DOWANT.png?o=360

Talryyn @ May 15th 2008 5:55PM

Not sure you can compare those, but I see your point. GOW2 and MGS are not on my buy list actually, the other two are.

Have to go grill something now, must eat a burger. ;)

copa @ May 15th 2008 5:55PM

Oh, and the NPD games numbers should be released shortly. Predictions?

PS3 and XBox 360 have been running even the last two months, so the April numbers should show which console people bought more for playing GTA4. Pachter be damned, I think XBox 360 wins this round.

Marty @ May 15th 2008 5:56PM

We've already seen (here on Joystiq) that more people bought 360's during GTA's time, but a higher percentage of people bought PS3's for GTA.

NATO_Duke @ May 15th 2008 6:01PM

You forgot VP2 on that list!

I have the feeling we're all gonna get the shaft on Alan Wake and Halo Wars.

Knight Marquise @ May 15th 2008 6:28PM

Actually Copa, I give the nod to the 360...never been a mgs fan, and while it caters to a percentage of hard core gamers, I don't think it's appeal will cross lines nor have coat tails. (I could be wrong, but honestly would be surprised) & LBP is still an unknown quantity; although it looks promising. Gears of War 2 and Fable 2 are both known quantities and will fair better, I suspect.

Now, if FF, instead of mgs, was coming out this year, I'd give the nod to the PS3 without hesitation, hell Sony gets 4 purchases from me alone for that game.

browntown @ May 15th 2008 6:43PM

I think u should replace LBP with Resistance 2, but then again LBP is something new. REsistance 2 and LBP are really inovative title, resitance 2 with 60 players online, seperate co-op capign with 8 players, and little big planet with user generated content. For me Sony has a better lineup, and nothing on the 360 is inticing me to buy one, but i do want to buy one soon, its just i need to get the money first, but i would buy gears 2 for sure if my friends did, especially if it has co-op. Great year for gamers and they'll be another great one next year.

copa @ May 15th 2008 7:13PM

OK, and the games numbers are out:

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-gta-iv-mario-kart-drive-us-game-industry-sales-to-123-billion-in-april/?biz=1

XBox 360 outsells PS3 in April... by about five units. In your face, Pachter!

Actually, pathetic hardware numbers for both Sony and Microsoft. Is the recession starting to impact us here?

HighFiveJesus @ May 15th 2008 7:13PM

great, the burger with bun fanboys have nothing to argue about with the burger/no bun fanboys. but i suspect a stupid steak troll will have SOMETHING to say thats gonna cause some ruckus anyway.

BenE @ May 15th 2008 9:09PM

I'd give the nod to us gamers. Win-win for Xbox and/or PS3 owners.

Burritoclock @ May 15th 2008 5:43PM

I think I am officially going to give up on Alan Wake.

Talryyn @ May 15th 2008 5:52PM

I hope they will be shown as playable at E3, or soon. Alan Wake is still on my buy list, unless it turned to crap somehow. But a 2009 release is fine with me, have enough on my list already, plus still titles sitting unopened.

Halo Wars, well it has Halo in it, but I have not been into RTS for sometime. They all seem easy, build the biggest army, and win.. Should be pretty.

Marty @ May 15th 2008 5:55PM

Note to Joystiq:

Internal memos released back in January are not official announcements.

Christopher Grant @ May 15th 2008 5:59PM

So they're entirely irrelevant. You're right. We'll wait for press releases from now on.

But seriously, kids – MS is being conservative with announcing release dates for these titles. If they're not due until 2009, why not say so? If the big boss had them slated as 2008 several months ago, that's a pretty solid indication that's what they're aiming for, no?

GI-Joe @ May 15th 2008 6:02PM

*Poke*

PojoMofo @ May 15th 2008 6:03PM

That is my fear, If they are aiming for 2008, and they are not even metioned in the spring showcase. That is not a good sign

Marty @ May 15th 2008 6:28PM

Sorry Christopher - my comment was mostly meant in jest.

There are really only a few reasons why they might not be forthcoming about the release dates of these games...
• I'll come right out and say it: the games might end up being canceled
• They may want to release the games at strategic times (opposed to other console launches, so the dates are tentative
• They truly don't know when the games will be out because development details have been pretty sketchy (at least, it seems that way from this side of things)

343 Guilty Fart @ May 15th 2008 6:02PM

These were really the only two games I was looking forward to this year. Shit.

Talryyn @ May 15th 2008 6:25PM

Well Ensemble should not have a hard time getting Halo Wars out the door, it is what they do best. Alan Wake, Remedy, I will wait, maybe more news on Alan is a good thing, if it is a 2009 release, I do not want to see footage only to wait another year.

NPD guess - 360 sells more due to GTA bundles at BB and CC. I got my second 360 with a free copy of GTA, and they manager of that store told me 360's were selling like mad.

Talryyn @ May 15th 2008 6:26PM

Not a good thing I mean, darn lack of edit and bad spelling.

Xelloss @ May 15th 2008 6:30PM

Hopefully they are delaying to make Halo Wars for the PC. However, no excuses for Alan Wake to not show.

browntown @ May 15th 2008 6:46PM

Whats funny is that killzone 2 has been shown before this and they were anounced at the same time. Halow wars was announced over a year ago. See 360 has delays too. I don't care for halo wars, but alan wake had some potential, hopefully they aren't having any problems and instead just need more time to make a better game.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ May 15th 2008 6:54PM

Hurray for actually spending time on game development instead of revving up the hypemeter.

xFenixKnightx @ May 15th 2008 7:01PM

One of my best buds is HUGE Halo fan and RTS freak. So when he heard about Halo Wars he started frothing at the mouth but from the looks of it this is gonna be an 09' game. Alanwake has lost my interest unfortunately.

I'll take Gears 2, Banjo K3, Left 4 Dead, NG2 and Too Human (never played Fable). It's a pretty stellar lineup for a console that has no games in 08' and had all already used all its "bug guns".

nick @ May 15th 2008 7:01PM

I'm still looking forward to Alan Wake, and haven't even remotely given up on it yet. The only thing I find strange is that it's never mentioned anymore by anyone, even after it was shown as a tech demo-- what 2 years ago? Remember? That physics one. Looked pretty cool back THEN.

And speaking of games that have fallen off the rader, whatever happened to War World? Wasn't that supposed to come out a year ago?

browntown @ May 15th 2008 6:47PM

It was over 2 years ago. But it did look good, but are u sure it was a tech demo and not cgi, cuz if it was a tech demo they should have made some progress on the game by now.

nick @ May 15th 2008 7:01PM

What I saw was a tech demo as it was being controlled in real time by the developer to demonstrate the world physics. We saw Alan Wake walk around and destory items in the environment. In fact, he almost got clobbered by a vehicle he blew up that was launched in the air and then landed beside where he was walking.