Halo 2 headed to PC; new OS required

If PC users are having trouble deciding whether to move over to Windows Vista, Microsoft's next-generation operating system, when it is released later this year, the fact that the fate of the Earth depends on it may tip the scales. Microsoft Game Studios today announced that it is developing Halo 2 for the PC.

The game will be only for Vista, and it's being developed in partnership with the franchise's original developer, Bungie Studios. The PC version will include Halo 2, the bonus maps that came in the Multiplayer Map Pack, and the ability to "build, create, and customize their own multiplayer levels." No release date or other details have been announced.

Last week, questions arose when Bungie revealed it was hiring PC programmers to help "work on the biggest franchises for Microsoft Game Studios." Many presumed that Bungie would be porting Halo 2 to the PC in-house, unlike the PC version of Halo, which was developed by Brothers in Arms creator Gearbox Studios.

Halo 2, now more than a year old, is the best-selling Xbox game of all time. Bungie has not yet announced its next project. For more information on Halo 2, read GameSpot's full review of the Xbox version. For more information on Windows Vista, check out GameSpot's feature on the operating system.