Gaming News Round-Up: March 22nd, 2005

Today's wrap-up includes advance news on a possible Halo 2 add-on, as well as information on veteran Hollywood talent being drafted by Electronic Arts. - Electronics Boutique now features a listing for the Halo 2 X-Pack, which appears to be a disc containing a new cinema sequence, a short documentary, and 9 new multiplayer maps for Microsoft's best-selling Xbox first-person shooter. The disc, which costs $19.99, may be a way to make extra Halo 2 content available to those without an Xbox Live subscription; however, Bungie has not commented further yet, other than to mention that "our entire plan is designed to make new content available for everybody, those with Xbox Live and those without Xbox Live." Microsoft's keynote speech at the 2005 Game Developers Conference stressed the importance of micropayments and further monetizing a game's installed base, and it's possible that the X-Pack could represent the first step toward that scenario. - John Milius, director and writer behind films such as Conan the Barbarian and Red Dawn, has signed on to provide the 'screenplay' for Medal of Honor: European Assault, the upcoming entry in Electronic Arts' successful World War II-based first-person shooter franchise. Milius, a military buff in addition to professional writer, said that "Video games provide a great medium for storytellers like me, and the authentic WWII subject matter of the Medal of Honor franchise is a great premise for a storyteller." Milius' story will focus on the Office of Strategic Services and its first field officer when the game comes out in summer 2005.