Halo 4, Xbox, and American Express partnership: Kill Covenant nasties to earn cold, hard cash

Xbox and American Express have teamed up to offer automatic real-world rewards for playing Halo 4 — connecting, as the company said, “interactive entertainment with offline benefits.”

No, this is not a sick joke: Gamers will be able to complete levels and win cash, coupons … and maybe even a trip to the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo. In other words, if you’re a gamer and you’re planning to play Halo, you just might be in line for $25 free from American Express. Or a Best Buy offer for $50 when you spend $100.