Microsoft on Friday hoped to jumpstart Xbox 360 sales in Europe with a special edition console pack timed for the release of Halo Wars. The Best of Halo edition will include a stock 60GB Pro console but also a copy of Halo Wars as well as Halo 3, letting gamers interested in the newer real-time strategy game also improve their knowledge of the game's history with last year's title. It also gives buyers a month's worth of Xbox Live Gold to try either game in multiplayer as an incentive to subscribe later.

The tie-in will offer a slight discount on buying the console and games separately, and should sell for about €269 ($347) versus the €239 ($308) for the usual system. Microsoft plans to launch the Best of Halo pack alongside Halo Wars on February 27th across most of Europe but will unusually omit Germany and the UK; the reasons are unknown, though censorship rules may affect the German release. [via Pocket-lint]