Halo: Reach demo released

By Robert Purchese Published 24 May, 2011

Single-player, multiplayer, co-op.

Microsoft has released a demo for Halo: Reach.

It offers the single-player Long Night of Solace mission, the competitive multiplayer Powerhouse map and an unnamed co-op Firefight mission.

Halo: Reach launched September 2010 and became the fastest-selling Microsoft game of all time.

This week, MS will discount Halo: Reach to £40 on Xbox Live Games on Demand. Most online shops offer it cheaper, though.

Eurogamer awarded Halo: Reach a whopping 9/10. "Reach is an encore, a victory lap, a crowd-pleasing last hurrah for a series that most definitely won't end here, but will just as definitely never be the same again," wrote Oli Welsh.

15 minutes of a Halo: Reach Firefight.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • eltonpr0n #1 1 year ago

    Got to laugh at MS discounting the game to £40. Ridiculous that they are charging 50 quid for it.

    The future of videogames. Digital distribution and fixed prices.

  • telboy007 #2 1 year ago

    "This week, MS will discount Halo: Reach to £40 on Xbox Live Games on Demand. Most online shops offer it cheaper, though."

    No shit sherlock! ;)

  • Murbal #3 1 year ago

    To £40? How much is it at the moment? The prospect of a digital distribution only future frightens me :-(

  • DigitalScars #4 1 year ago

    Is a bit of a joke discounting it to £40 when that's usually the entry level for a new release...oh and a demo for the game nearly a year after release?

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #5 1 year ago

    Considering they bypass shop fees, it's a mystery why they can't at least compete with their price if not go lower. Don't they want to establish Games on Demand as a destination for Xbox 360 games?

  • RodHull #6 1 year ago

    The mind boggles. A demo released eight months after the game hits the shelves, and a download price double that of most retailers. They've got Dead Rising 2 for £19.99 which is almost a reasonable price, do they really think this will entice folks to buy Halo Reach on impulse?

  • iriihutoR48 #7 1 year ago

    You could get it at amazon.co.uk (and other online retailers) for less than £40 at release so them "discounting" it to that price now is a big fat joke. I found the game incredibly disappointing as far as the single player goes. The multiplayer wasn't all that much of an improvement either even if less of a disappointment.

  • P1GEONPOO #8 1 year ago

    £17.86 at shopto

  • Gambit1977 #9 1 year ago

    They always say it's down to the publisher how much games are on there...their own game discounted to £40 is a joke :D especially as it's £15 in tow

  • azazel76 #10 1 year ago

    19 quid in asda probably get it cheaper than that elsewhere

  • sonicyoda #11 1 year ago

    I remember the days when demos came out before the game to help the consumer decide on a purchase.

  • Toothball #12 1 year ago

    In the UK it's discounted to £40. In the US however, it's discounted to $40 (from Kotaku). Classic example of exchange rates gone wrong.

    I really like Digital Distribution, but this would still have me wavering a little if I wanted to buy Reach. Games on Demand prices have been getting a bit better with many games seeing permanent discounts eventually. I don't get why they've set the bar so high with this one though.

    Also, I saw a few new copies of the Legendary edition in Gamestation last week, for only £50. I did have a bit of a chuckle at that.

    Edit: fixed link. Schoolboy error
    Edited by Toothball at 24/05/11 @ 16:34

  • Titusballsac #13 1 year ago

    Microsoft can't sell games on demand cheap because the retailers, their biggest source of revenue for games, would then refuse to stock the Xbox 360 games entirely. That's why when a game does finally make it on to games on demand (months later) the price is always the same as the retailers or more. It's gonna happen but retailers will try stop it as long as possible!

  • Teamallstar #14 1 year ago

    What a joke!! And there are a bunch of map packs to buy!!

  • Ryze #15 1 year ago

    @Bertie

    I know - it's ludicrous. If only one of us knew a journalist from a major gaming website and could ask them... oh wait!?

  • linea #16 1 year ago

    I'd be interested to see sales figures for games at those prices.

    I do have a mate who's bought some games via the service due to basically being too lazy and impatient to wait/go outside the house. Given the presumably ludicrous profit margins perhaps it makes sense?

  • Toothball #17 1 year ago

    @linea

    I've bought a few Games on Demand and I generally quite like the service. The laziness doesn't come from not wanting to leave the house to get the game though. It comes when you find you don't have to get up off the sofa to play it. That part most people haven't realised yet.
    Edited by Toothball at 24/05/11 @ 16:39

  • Haunted_Tree #18 1 year ago

    I think this is negative reinforcement marketing - if someone sees it on Games on Demand for £40 and then online / high street for £25 they think they are getting a bargain and so more inclined to purchase. The consumer looks to the price differential rather than the cost or perceived value. How many of us have bought crap just because it was on sale?

    Microsoft and Bungie profit either way (and then again if they buy a map pack or avatar gear).

    Bit silly to throw out a demo now though.

  • Pehmu #19 1 year ago

    Limited Edition cost me £18.

  • Darren #20 1 year ago

    I saw Tekken 6 for a reasonable £14.99 on Games On Demand last night but most of the games on there on obscenely overpriced in my opinion and it's laughable that Microsoft are promoting the download version of Halo Reach for a discounted £40 (like, wut?) on the back of a demo that is eight months late!!! What strange people. What ever next... a demo for Alan Wake, going cheap for £40 too? :?

  • mickey2002 #21 1 year ago

    @Titusballsac

    Thats the same as Amazon not taking the games because Play has them. Like a video game only company is going to say NO to stock aka their only rev so only profits. Telling me GAME would stop stocking 360 games if M$ matched or made them a bit cheaper on demand. ? Yeah right.

  • DavoTheDiv #22 1 year ago

    Someone, somewhere, will at sometime still buy this.

  • BigDannyH #23 1 year ago

    I think they are worried about their relationship with retailers. Not sure why though as I'm sure Game et al need Xbox games more than the other way around.

    Although what happens to present buying at Xmas? Xbox Live points all round and then the service crashes from excess demand on Xmas morning.

  • sheldipez #24 1 year ago

    Halo Reach Games on Demand £40
    Features: The game
    -------

    Halo Reach Limited Collector's Edition for £21.99 @ MyMemory
    Features: Game disc housed in recovered ONI ”black box”
    Exclusive Sangheili armor set for use in Multiplayer modes.
    Artifact bag containing Dr. Halsey's personal journal
    Dr. Halsey’s ONI Security Badge.
    Embroidered Spartan II Patch.
    Waypoint Avatar Gear
    + resale value on ebay or trade in
    Edited by sheldipez at 24/05/11 @ 16:54

  • Eldritch #25 1 year ago

    "MS will discount Halo: Reach to £40 on Xbox Live Games on Demand"

    Ambassador, truly, you are spoiling us!

  • wizlon #26 1 year ago

    Sorry, discounted from £40 to what?

    Sorry, discounted to £40.... WHAT!!

  • homerramone #27 1 year ago

    "Microsoft can't sell games on demand cheap because the retailers,"
    This is almost certainly the case. But is it not so that the publishers (whom M$ are claiming are the ones setting the prices for this) are pissed off with ye olde high street shop for selling their games second hand.
    Hmmm... I can see a solution here...

    Oh and gotta love the Zavvi advert next to the arcticle :-)
    Edited by homerramone at 24/05/11 @ 17:09

  • Deckard1 #28 1 year ago

    Finally!! Been waiting on a demo before I made a purchase.

  • Retrogamer101 #29 1 year ago

    Aside from Reach, most of the prices are quite reasonable. Tales of Vesperia for 19.99 is excellent compared to the average eBay price of 40 . A very difficult title to find in the shops and a quality game, too.

  • RedSparrows #30 1 year ago

    BEST SHOOTER AROUND

    It needed shouting.

    /ticks off HDF task for the day

  • Watkins #31 1 year ago

    Anyone want to have a stab at explaining this?

    http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-/102...

  • coolbritannia #32 1 year ago

    Really retro? I always thought all the games on there were a rip off?

  • TRUTH #33 1 year ago

    Halo Reach was waaaaaaaaaay! to similar to Halo 1,2 & 3;: The environments, enemy, AI, weapons, music, graphics, gameplay, story - all just repeated. All the fuss about major huge battles and advanced AI - WHERE!..it was all to similar to 2 & 3.

    Oh! NBA Homecourt (a great cult Basketball game) is actually cheaper on G.O.D, well worth getting if you like games like Fight NIght, NBA Jam and love playing online: great graphics, animation, sound and most importantly gameplay!
    Edited by TRUTH at 24/05/11 @ 18:07

  • Xboxfanuk #34 1 year ago

    £40.00 doesn't irritate me. What irritates me is that it didn't release on digital until 6 months after it's street date. If they released it for £50.00 on digital on day and date of retail people would be cheering.

    Come on, screw GAME and those whores, release day and date!

  • kingcrowbar #35 1 year ago

    Strangely MS seem to be cheaper with GOD than GAME are with discs here (Czech Rep.)
    £28 vs. £39

    They're still not getting my card details though.

  • menage #36 1 year ago

    Cool. never played this, now i can scratch that itch and have enough in the end.

  • BlinkeredAxis #37 1 year ago

    Errr, just above this article on EG is an ad for Zavvi selling Halo Reach at £24.85!

    If you're an xbot and haven't played it yet, do so immediately. Just don't pay 40 quid...

  • Ashcroft #38 1 year ago

    I got the LE of Reach for £15, what kind of bell end is going to pay £40 for this?

  • IMD1_Pk #39 1 year ago

    If it includes the DLC like Halo Wars Digital release does then it's worth it. They should do that instead.

  • irve77 #40 1 year ago

    hmmm £17.99 vs £40

    Hmmm