Halo 4 set for November 6 release

Microsoft has announced a launch date for Halo 4, the game which developers have indicated marks the start of a whole new trilogy in the ground-breaking series.

The seventh entry in the series, Halo 4 will be set four years after the end of 2007's Halo 3, which concluded with Master Chief in a deep cryogenic sleep.

Developers 343 Industries - a division of Microsoft - have previously dubbed the game the first of what they call the 'Reclaimer Trilogy'.

Indeed, Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios, suggests the 10-year-old franchise could be less than half the way through its life cycle.

"We are beginning a new saga with Halo 4," Spencer says, "and embarking on a journey that will encompass the next decade of 'Halo' games and experiences.

Original developers Bungie, who separated from Microsoft in 2007 but were still involved with the 2009's Halo 3: ODST and 2010's Halo: Reach, will not have a role in the development of Halo 4.