Witness the dramatic "Birth of a Spartan" in the stunning live-action short for "Halo: Reach"

Brace yourselves for a riveting glimpse into one of the darkest secrets of the “Halo” universe. This week is the premiere of “Birth of a Spartan,” a live-action short directed by award-winning director Noam Murro.

“Birth of a Spartan” is a stirring depiction of the transformation of Carter 259, the future leader of Noble Team in “Halo: Reach,” from an ordinary young man to a superhuman Spartan warrior.

The highly classified bio-augmentation procedure is a Spartan candidate’s final and most difficult ordeal before joining the ranks of the legendary soldiers. The dramatic interpretation of Carter’s rebirth as a Spartan embodies the themes of courage, sacrifice and honour in “Halo: Reach” and gives viewers a unique look into the origins of a central character in the upcoming blockbuster game.

The short will be available on www.welcometonobleteam.com on Wednesday, April 28 at 4pm (NZT). In addition to being able to view the short, users can also upload a photo of themselves and get an image created of them as a Spartan III. On the following day a special, extended two minute 30 second version will be available for download on Xbox LIVE exclusively for Gold members*.

“Birth of a Spartan” was directed by Noam Murro, the director of the 2008 feature film “Smart People” and numerous award-winning ad spots for Toshiba, Volkswagen and more. The recipient of the Director’s Guild of America’s 2005 Director of the Year award, Murro was also recently named the U.K.’s #1 director by Campaign magazine. For production of the short, Microsoft partnered with Biscuit Filmworks Co., a production company Murro founded in 2000.

Developed by acclaimed studio Bungie, “Halo: Reach” launches this year exclusively on Xbox 360, and is available for pre-order today in standard, Limited and Legendary editions. The “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta, which is poised to be the definitive Xbox LIVE** event this autumn, kicks off in one week on May 4. Players can access the beta via the “Halo 3: ODST” campaign disc (game available for RRP $69.95***).

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*Xbox LIVE Gold Membership required. In New Zealand, only adult accounts (18+) can download or stream content over Xbox LIVE marketplace.
** “Halo: Reach” beta will require a hard drive, “Halo 3: ODST” campaign disc and Xbox LIVE Gold Membership for online multiplayer.
***Recommended retail price, at participating retailers while stocks last. The price you pay will be determined by your retailer.

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