The New Face of Real Time Strategy - Halo Wars
by Jesse GarnerWith the extreme popularity of real time strategy games in the PC world (games like Command and Conquer, Red Alert, Age of Empires, the list goes on and on) you would think that these games could port over to console systems and become an instant success. Especially considering the easy access to multiplayer live gaming which the Playstation and Xbox systems have delivered with all of their popular racing and fighting games.
But in reality the lack of success for real time gaming in the console arena has long been a problem for the big three. RTS games are much more difficult to play effectively without the mouse and keyboard. Players of console action games don't seem to want to get over the learning curve of using the controller instead of a mouse, creating a difficult obstacle for consoles to overcome.
The future of RTS is now here! With Ensemble Studios' near release of Halo Wars for the Xbox 360. Yes thats right, Ensemble Studios, creator of Age of Empires, is releasing its spin on Halo. Will the fact that you have a control pad instead of a keyboard hurt this game? That is the ultimate question. Ensemble's dedication to designing controls that work for real time strategy, and because of the immense popularity of Halo and its sequel, think that gamers will jump all over this new approach to their favorite game. Halo players are so into anything "Halo" that they will overcome the not so subtle differences between RTS on PC and console.
Bringing the 360's most popular game into the most popular PC game format is going to change the face of real time strategy forever.
Jesse Garner is a member and writer for Halo Wars World Gaming CommunitynnArticle Source
