Grim trailers just part of ‘Halo: Reach’ effort

Cinematic, live-action film clips have become the marketing centerpiece for the Halo video-game series, and the upcoming Halo: Reach is no exception. Below, you can see a trailer that combines a few ominous story lines leading up to the game’s events. As expected, given Agencytwofifteen’s previous work for the franchise, the new clips are well acted and subtle, though I can’t say they’re all that exciting. Like the game’s first needles-in-the-brain trailer earlier this year, the Reach videos continue to be cerebral and bleak, but they lack the immersive eeriness of the “Believe” documentary work. Still, the trailers are just part of the Halo: Reach marketing. Check out the “virtual monument” being created by AKQA in real time by a robot arm that Microsoft has rigged to receive commands via the Internet. To contribute to the robotic light sculpture, visit RememberReach.com, log in through Facebook Connect and pick where you want your point of light to go. The 54,000 points in the artwork are expected to be plotted by the time the game launches on Sept. 14.