MS: Halo stands alongside Gears of War, Call of Duty

Halo 4 is 'going back to what made it amazing for people playing the first Halo,' says UK Xbox boss.

Halo, a key title in popularising the FPS on home consoles, is still able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the newest action game franchises, claims Microsoft UK's Xbox & Entertainment director Stephen McGill.

Asked about competition from new shooters, McGill told MCV: "It's different to Gears of War, it's different to Call of Duty. So it stands alongside them."

McGill also looked ahead to this year's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and next year's Halo 4.

"The tenth anniversary is huge and is a product of great passion. It's important we celebrate this - the game itself was a huge milestone for us and kick started the platform in a lot of ways," said McGill.

"But the platform has evolved dramatically in that time, so it's worth going back to show how it still stands up as a product made today."

Little is known about Halo 4, but McGill believes it will generate the same excitement in players that Halo: CE did ten years ago.

"One of the key things with Halo 4 is going back to what made it amazing for people playing the first Halo.

"But the people who are 18 years old now were only eight when Halo appeared. They probably didn't play it. That's the opportunity the Anniversary pack and then Halo 4 have."

Halo: CE Anniversary will be released for Xbox 360 on November 15. Halo 4 is set for holiday 2012.