Halo studio 343 Industries is offering only the most authentic of Halo: Combat Evolved experiences at this year's Halo Fest, letting players go hands on with the Anniversary remake of the Xbox original with its original controller, the beastly gamepad nicknamed the "Duke."
343 Industries' Frank O'Connor let slip on the NeoGAF forum that the studio is "trying to get some OG Dukes rebuilt with 360 guts for Halo Fest." Good news for Halo Fest attendees, but perhaps bittersweet for those who would love to get their huge hands on an Xbox 360 compatible Duke.
O'Connor clarified that 343 is "planning on having about six made, by people who have been doing the same thing for years." It also plans to auction off the custom-made controllers for charity.
Giant Bomb followed up with 343 Industries on its Duke controller plans, learning that the extremely limited run is being made with original Xbox controllers harvested from a thrift store, cleaned up and customized for the Halo-centric event. Don't expect to be able to buy these things in stores.
Halo Fest will run alongside PAX Prime 2011, from Friday, August 26 to Sunday, August 28 at the Washington State Convention Center. Admission is free with your PAX Prime badge purchase.
Halo:CE Anniversary Announced (MS Conf, Nov 15th 2011, $40) [NeoGAF via Giant Bomb]