HALO: REACH PLAY ARTS -KAI- Vol. 1 is the latest addition to the PLAY ARTS® -KAI- series by SQUARE ENIX PRODUCTS, and will feature figures of Noble Team members: Noble Six, Emile and Jun. The Vol. 1 action figures are scheduled for a Fall 2010 release, with Vol.2 slated for an early 2011 release.

“The Square Enix Merchandise Division is dedicated to creating collectible action figures that combine high production value and excellent articulation,” said Kanji Tashiro, Merchandise Director of Square Enix, Inc. “The HALO series has captivated fans across the globe, and we are thrilled and honored to be making action figures for its latest entry. We’re confident that even HALO fans that are not familiar with our products will be pleasantly surprised with what we have crafted.”

The Square Enix merchandising division continues to evolve their craft as they work closely with various developers to extend their creative vision and expertise to properties beyond Square Enix franchises. In addition to entries from Square Enix titles such as FINAL FANTASY® XIII and FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST®, the current PLAY ARTS -KAI- line-up includes action figures from a variety of popular titles.

For the unitiated, Halo is signature video game from Microsoft for the Xbox 360. It was created by Bungie and centers on the adventures of Master Chief, a cybernetic super soldier, and his artificial intelligence companion Cortana. This is how Master Chief looks like:

The main format of the game is under the first person shooter game genre. The video game series has already released three sequels with the latest Halo 3 selling more than $170 million.

The newest game in the collection, Halo: Reach, was announced recently during the E3 2009 (June 1, 2009) gaming convention. The video game is planned to be a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved and is slated for a release during the year 2010 in Fall.

So what can we expect if the new Project Natal gaming peripheral is integrated unto Halo: Reach? Well, one should be excited because playing a first person shooter game has always been done using a controller. Imagine if you can venture into the gaming world with just your eye commands and your voice outputs.

As a hint that Project Natal may be integrated into Halo: Reach, there is a recent Microsoft job posting which reveals that the company is under production for a new Halo project which will make ful use of online social communities. Here is the job posting:

“We’re looking to blend console, web, and mobile to create an immersive Halo world that follows the dedicated Halo fan wherever they go. We need engineers that can build connected technology while working in a startup environment.” –Microsoft

Console, web, and mobile – these descriptions are very indicative indeed. If the game will have elements of virtual worlds, then a virtual immersion is more likely to happen in the game.

This will give a new dimension in the usual means of playing the Halo shooter games. The most likely possibility is that the game play will evolve into a type of World of Warcraft scale. Definitely not original but it can be interesting as a new twist thanks to Project Natal.

After all, World of Warcraft still makes use of keyboards. Imagine if Halo: Reach will use Project Natal, you’ll just sit there and play.

Here is one more interesting Easter Egg regarding this interesting gaming possibility. Bungie president Harold Ryan was quoted in the newspaper Seattle Times with the following thought: I absolutely think Reach could be enabled with it.”

Another hint is that the Project Natal gaming peripheral is expected to come out of production in the year 2010. That’s the same year as Project: Natal so that’s more of a coincidence. Moreover, Halo is the premier gaming brand of Microsoft so what better way to release Project Natal than with a bang?