"Christmas" release for Halo 4

Microsoft has taken a step closer to confirming the release date for Halo 4, today saying it will launch ‘this Christmas’.

It’s known that the game is arriving towards the end of 2012, but typically the Halo games (and other key Microsoft end-of-year shooters) have arrived in September.

‘Christmas’ would suggest a later release in the Q4 period.

That would also put the release much closer to the release of big budget Triple-A games heading to console at the end of year including FIFA 12, Bioshock: Infinite, Resident Evil 6, Assassin’s Creed III and the expected Call of Duty game.

This new detail on the launch was made in announcement detailing Massive Attack producer Neil Davidge’s new role as composer and producer of Halo 4’s soundtrack.

He takes over from Bungie’s award-winning Martin O’Donnell, who made all the previous Halo games’ iconic music.

Halo 4 is, famously, the first game in the series not developed by its creator Bungie, which has since moved on to new projects after divesting from Microsoft in 2007.