BCossette Writes:

Console gaming will never be the same again, as Microsoft Game Studios has announced a June 28 release date for the highly anticipated Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. The multiplayer expansion pack, which is the first of its kind for a console title, contains nine new multiplayer maps to push gamers' skills to their limits.

The retail package also contains two new videos: an animated side-story from the single-player story in New Mombasa and a mini-documentary that includes interviews with the map designers, combat strategies and fly-throughs of the new maps. The retail pack also allows gamers who prefer offline play via system link and split-screen to upgrade their Halo 2 experience with new maps. The retail version of the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack carries a suggested retail price of $19.99 (U.S.).

As a special bonus, Xbox Live subscribers will get an early chance to check out four maps from the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack in late April. Two maps, Containment and Warlock, will be presented by Mountain Dew at no cost to Xbox Live subscribers. Two additional maps, Sanctuary and Turf, can be purchased via Xbox Live for $5.99 (U.S.). To complete the Map Pack collection, subscribers can download the five remaining maps on June 28 for $11.99 (U.S.).

Set in a Forerunner environment on Delta Halo, Containment is a massive, icy outdoor environment suitable for vehicle combat and large team objective games such as Capture the Flag. Warlock, a small to midsized indoor arena set in ancient Forerunner ruins, offers ample opportunities for a variety of gametypes such as Territories, Slayer, Team Slayer and more. Located in the streets of Old Mombasa near the wreckage of a downed Covenant Scarab, Turf is a midsize asymmetrical urban combat environment with narrow streets, dark alleyways and heavily defended buildings. The sunlit remains of an ancient Forerunner temple, Sanctuary is a medium-sized symmetrical environment excellent for Capture the Flag, Assault, Territories and Slayer games.

More information on the individual maps and the Multiplayer Map Pack can be found at http://www.bungie.net.

About Halo 2

Halo 2, the most popular Xbox game to date, has sold more than 6.5 million copies worldwide since its November 2004 release. Launched to critical and consumer acclaim, the game has earned more than a dozen awards, including several for "Game of the Year," "Best Soundtrack" and "Best Shooter."

Pushing the Xbox hardware to its very limits, Halo 2 expands on everything that made the original game great, while adding a wealth of technological and gameplay advances. Significantly improved graphics, enhanced artificial intelligence (AI), an advanced real-time lighting engine and destructible interactive environments are just a small part of Halo 2’s evolution of design and technology. Every improvement in Halo 2 is designed to take gameplay to a new level -- and in the end, to tell a more compelling story.

Utilizing Xbox Live to redefine online play, Halo 2 delivers superior online multiplayer capabilities. Whether playing with a clan on a new multiplayer map, boarding a friend's Warthog, dogfighting in Banshees or checking player stats, Halo 2 brings the social experience to a higher level via Xbox Live. More information about Halo 2 is available at http://www.halo2.com.

We're hoping to have much more detailed info on the new maps and downloadable content soon. News-Source: http://teamxbox.com