U.S. markets close in 4 hours 15 minutes

  • S&P 500

    3,837.94
    +8.60 (+0.22%)
     

  • Dow 30

    31,168.15
    -233.86 (-0.74%)
     

  • Nasdaq

    13,267.66
    +148.23 (+1.13%)
     

  • Russell 2000

    2,202.82
    +2.65 (+0.12%)
     

  • Crude Oil

    62.47
    -1.06 (-1.67%)
     

  • Gold

    1,719.60
    -55.80 (-3.14%)
     

  • Silver

    26.35
    -1.33 (-4.82%)
     

  • EUR/USD

    1.2098
    -0.0088 (-0.73%)
     

  • 10-Yr Bond

    1.5130
    -0.0050 (-0.33%)
     

  • GBP/USD

    1.3951
    -0.0062 (-0.44%)
     

  • USD/JPY

    106.6680
    +0.4380 (+0.41%)
     

  • BTC-USD

    47,920.38
    -3,059.59 (-6.00%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    961.94
    +28.80 (+3.09%)
     

  • FTSE 100

    6,468.71
    -183.25 (-2.75%)
     

  • Nikkei 225

    28,966.01
    -1,202.26 (-3.99%)
     

New 'Halo Infinite' screenshots tease a more detailed world

Jon Fingas
·Associate Editor
·1 min read

The first footage of Halo Infinite gameplay didn't sit well with gamers, to put it mildly, but there are signs of progress. 343 Industries and Microsoft have shared a fresh batch of screenshots that give you a sense of how the Xbox Series X/S title's visuals have evolved over the past several months. While there aren't really any character studies ("Craig" is nowhere to be found), the Pacific Northwest-inspired Zeta Halo environment appears slightly grittier, realistic and... well, more next-gen.

Infinite is characterized as a "spiritual reboot" whose art and mechanics are meant to recreate the feel of playing early Halo games, even as they (hopefully) push the series forward. That includes redesigning enemies like Jackals and Grunts to look more like their initial versions, art lead Justin Dinges said. With that said, there are clearly touches that benefit from modern hardware, such as an environmental lighting system that can change the mood based on the time of day.

The delayed and troubled title is now slated to ship sometime in the fall. It's not clear just how much the new Halo's graphics will have improved by then, but it's evident 343 and Microsoft want the series' next-gen debut to hit the right visual notes.

Recommended Stories

  • PlayStation 5 SSD expansion will reportedly be unlocked this summer

    There's word that you'll finally be able to put another drive into the PS5's currently empty M.2 expansion slot starting in the summer of 2021.

  • 'Pokémon Diamond' and 'Pearl' remakes are arriving on Switch later this year

    The new versions of the Nintendo DS classics each have their own legendary Pokémon to find.

  • EA's upcoming Dragon Age game won't feature multiplayer after all

    The next Dragon Age game will no longer have any multiplayer components as originally planned.

  • 'Pokémon Legends Arceus' is an open-world prequel coming early 2022

    'Pokémon Legends Arceus' promises a brand new open-world gaming experience that will explore the Sinnoh region's origins in early 2022.

  • The Workout and Diet That Gave Me Shredded Abs in 11 Weeks

    I hadn't trained for six months due to the pandemic. Now I'm in the best shape of my life.

  • ‘Halo’ TV Series Moves From Showtime To Paramount+

    EXCLUSIVE: Halo‘s long road to the small screen has taken one final turn. Showtime’s anticipated series based on the hugely popular Xbox video game franchise will migrate to Paramount+ and be available exclusively on ViacomCBS’ streamer. The announcement will be made during the ViacomCBS Streaming Event this afternoon. Produced by Showtime in partnership with 343 […]

  • GameStop Can Justify Its Valuation By Turning Into A '5,000-Store Introduction To Crypto,' Says Cramer

    CNBC host Jim Cramer said Thursday that GameStop Corporation (NYSE: GME) could justify its share price by turning into a cryptocurrency play. What Happened: The “Mad Money” host made references to other companies like Paypal Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: PYPL) and Nvidia Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), both of which are linked in some way or the other to cryptocurrency at the present. “If GameStop were to turn itself into a 5,000-store introduction to crypto, make it so that they sell $1 billion worth of stock ... and buy crypto with it, and then make it so it’s an international gaming place where you win bitcoin, I think you can justify the stock price,” theorized Cramer. “I have not been able to come up with anything else, but this works. And it doesn’t have to be bitcoin. We can make it crypto.” See also: How‌ ‌to‌ ‌Buy‌ ‌GameStop‌ ‌(GME)‌ ‌Stock‌ Cramer said if GameStop turns itself into a “crypto information place” and has worldwide games with no latency it would add to the credibility of GameStop investor and Chewy Inc. (NYSE: CHWY) co-founder Ryan Cohen. The former hedge fund manager also pointed to the upcoming resignation of GameStop CFO Jim Bell and said, “CFOs, they tend not to have bitcoin on their balance sheet. Perhaps Jim Bell, that’s what he didn’t want.” Cramer called Cohen a “big thinker” and said “I have a feeling that this is the way to get this stock higher. I can’t come up with another way.” Why It Matters: GameStop, AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE: AMC), BlackBerry Ltd (NYSE: BB), and Nokia Oyj (NYSE: NOK) shares were buoyed in a short squeeze carried out by Reddit forum r/WallStreetBets. A notable poster on the forum — “Deep F---ing Value” — who has been credited by forum members for pointing out the short squeeze opportunity told U.S. lawmakers that he likes GameStop stock. “As far as I can tell, the market remains oblivious to GameStop’s unique opportunity within the gaming industry,” said the poster whose real name is Keith Partick Gill. On Wednesday, Cramer called the over 103% rise in the shares of GameStop “a mockery,” and questioned, “Where is the government?” Alma Angotti, a former Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorney said that heightened interest from regulatory bodies could be expected. “I think both Congress and the SEC will be studying that balance between orderly markets and letting people invest what they want to invest for whatever reasons they want to invest even if it doesn’t make sense to us,” CNBC reported. Price Action: GameStop shares closed nearly 18.6% higher at $108.73 on Thursday and fell 2.51% to $106 in the after-hours session. For news coverage in Italian or Spanish, check out Benzinga Italia and Benzinga España. Photo courtesy: EPIC via Wikimedia See more from BenzingaClick here for options trades from BenzingaTesla Stock Performance And WallStreetBets Mentions Have A 'Real' Connection: BarclaysWhy AMC Shares Spiked 20% Today© 2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

  • Xi Jinping declares China has achieved 'human miracle' of eliminating extreme poverty

    Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday declared his country had achieved the "human miracle" of eliminating extreme poverty, though questions continue to surround the Communist Party’s criteria for making the claim. In a glitzy ceremony in Beijing, Mr Xi bestowed medals on officials from rural communities, some wearing traditional ethnic-minority attire, and promised to share this "Chinese example" with other developing nations. "No other country can lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in such a short time," Mr Xi said. "A human miracle has been created that will go down in history." China last year claimed it had achieved its long-trumpeted goal of lifting all of its people above a poverty line of $2.30 (£1.60) in daily income. That is slightly above the World Bank’s lowest threshold of $1.90, but below what is recommended for higher-income countries. The World Bank says China has lifted more than 800 million people out of extreme poverty since turning to market reforms in the 1970s, after decades of state planning and Maoist campaigns that had stifled the economy. China is now "providing help to developing countries" still struggling with poverty, Mr Xi said. In 2015, Mr Xi vowed to eradicate extreme poverty by 2020, a pillar of the Communist Party’s goal to build a "moderately prosperous society" by the 100th anniversary of its founding later this year. Ahead of the deadline, the government poured billions of yuan into infrastructure such as roads and modern apartment buildings, and offered tax incentives and subsidies to impoverished rural communities. The standard of living in China has indeed changed dramatically since the 1970s, with hundreds of millions living consumer lifestyles that past generations could not have imagined. But Beijing’s claims have met with scepticism. Critics have pointed to the relatively low poverty line, claims of corruption cases linked to poverty funds, and perennial questions over whether official data is massaged to meet party political objectives.

  • ‘She is a financial idiot and partier’: I loaned my sister $4,780 for a lawyer during her divorce. I am still chasing her to repay me

    ‘She earns $90,000 to $95,000 a year, but this year’s excuse is that she is in arrears for child-support payments.’

  • Fans shocked by Scott Disick's 'creepy' age gap with new girlfriend: 'Something inherently wrong there'

    People are questioning the 18-year age gap between Scott Disick and his new teenage girlfriend.

  • 'The Mandalorian' Season Three Is Already Heading In a Totally New Direction

    Here's everything to know about what comes next for Baby Yoda and Mando.

  • Pixar-like PS4, PS5 and PC game 'Kena: Bridge of Spirits' lands in August

    A new trailer shows off the animation skills of Ember Lab.

  • Tiger Woods was unaware of his ‘grave injuries’ in aftermath of collision, police say

    Deputy who was first on scene of accident said reaction was ‘not uncommon in traffic collisions’

  • Triller's winning bid for Teofimo Lopez's next fight leaves Top Rank shook

    Top Rank’s woes will be worsened if Triller is able to make the Lopez fight a big seller.

  • Pokémon at 25 is stronger than ever

    We look into how Pokémon continues to endure after 25 years.

  • 'WandaVision' Fans Are Never Going to Be Ready for This Season 1 Episode News

    Wait .. WHAT!?

  • AL Power Rankings: Where do Yankees land entering 2021 MLB season?

    Where do the Yankees stand in the American League entering the 2021 MLB season?

  • 'My new lifesaver!': This bamboo face mask is cooling and breathable — and on sale at Amazon

    Choose between four different sizes for a perfect fit.

  • AT&T Spins Off DirecTV to Set Stage for an NFL Sunday Ticket Shakeup

    AT&T has initialized the long-rumored sale of a 30% stake in DirecTV to the private equity firm TPG Capital, in a transaction that will see the telecommunications spin off the pay-TV asset. Under terms of the deal, TPG will pay AT&T $1.8 billion in cash for its stake in the subscription-video unit, which includes DirecTV, […]