HaloBeta
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Today's most almost in-the-wild video: Halo beta footage
Are you sick of Halo 3 yet? We're not, although it's going to be a fine line to get through these next few days without a Haloverdose. Our video pick for tonight shows Bungie's latest footage from the multiplayer beta, with some snappy editing to keep everything moving. Keep looping the video until the public beta drops on Wednesday, or use this time to go outside. See the footage after the break.
Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta event - San Francisco
Located in San Francisco's Mission District, where the trendy mingle with the low-income (or at least cross paths), the swank Foreign Cinema is playing host to the West Coast's Halo 3 event tonight. Much like our friends out East, we've got a few open bars, lots of random milling around with other game writers, and tiny, fancy hors d'eouvres. (You know the only thing better than mini-hamburgers? Regular-sized hamburgers!) People who got to the event early or rushed the multiplayer area after check-in landed a spot with a 360 controller and a giant HDTV. And they're still going strong, hours into the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. The rest of us (read: losers) are getting to know how many drinks it takes our neighbors before they start leaking... secrets. San Francisco has played host to several individual game events in this anniversary of E3, and the assembled crowd is a who's who of gaming dorks journalists. %Gallery-3089%
Video: Halo 3 blue orb and third person view
More Halo 3 beta leakage rolls in today detailing what the mysterious blue orb is and how (what we think is) the portable turret dispenses evil. From what we can tell in this overly shaky video is that the blue orb is simply active camo. When touched, you can see the "picked up active camo" text on the left side of the screen. Simple explanation yes, but it has been something that has bothered us since we saw the mysterious blue orb in the Last Resort video. Also showcased in the video is what we think is the transportable turret being fired while being ... moved. We say this only because the camera view is pulled back into a third person view when shooting, which we've only seen happen when picking up the movable turret. Whatever the weapon is, it fires some small grenade type projectiles similar to a brute shot. Third person Halo 3 view FTW! So, make what you can from the video above and tell us what conclusions you've come to in your analysis. Hurry though, because we think the Bungie Ninjas work on Sundays. [Thanks, Maxi]
Halo 3 MP Vidoc Impressions
Wow. After watching today's ViDoc about Halo 3 Multiplayer, that's all we can muster to say. Despite only being Alpha footage, it looks to be very promising, and they showed us some never-before-seen weapons, arenas, and features. The most recognizable of which, is the bubble shield from the "Starry Night" ad back in December. Also shown is a trip mine, in this case, as a last ditch attempt at revenge for becoming roadkill via an oncoming Warthog. More analysis ensues after the break. But for now, we've got the video embedded for your viewing pleasure.
Play Halo 2, get invited to Halo 3 beta
Having failed miserably at obtaining entry into this Spring's Halo 3 beta program, you'll no doubt be pleased to learn of yet another opportunity to partake in first-person shooting and having your sexuality questioned by obnoxious brats. In fact, there are 13,333 such opportunities -- all you need to do is endure three hours of Halo 2 online. It's easy. Play Halo 2 online for three hours between Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, 12:01 a.m. EST and Feb. 3, 2007, 11:59 p.m. EST. If you survive, rush to the official Halo 3 website and be part of the first 13,333 gamers to register in the "Rule of Three" program. If, however, you end up being number 13,334 ... well, you'll have to buy Crackdown. As previously reported, copies of Crackdown will contain invites to the Halo 3 beta program. Releasing on February 20, the game disc will act as a key to download the required data from Xbox Live Marketplace. Microsoft promises to release further information regarding the program for each region, though NTSC importers stuck in exotic countries may wish to consider the Crackdown route in the meantime. [Full press release after the break.]
Rumor: Brutes are playable in Halo 3, video on Dec. 20th [update 1]
digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/Brutes_are_playable_in_Halo_3_video_on_Dec_20th'; Update: Bungie's Frank O'Connor, under his NeoGAF alias, Stinkles, has debunked part of this rumor (twice). According to Frankie, Brutes will not be playable characters. The video may still come to pass, though. We'll just have to wait and see. We get tips from time to time, some of them small and some of them big. The tip we received this morning, however, is a doozy. Coming from the blog of YLA G -- creator of the kickass Google application, GooMGC -- the info goes something like this: Brutes will be playable in Halo 3. Not only that, but a video confirming this fact should hit Marketplace on December 20th (I knew Bungie wouldn't forget my birthday). The video is supposedly seven minutes long and gives us backstory on the Brutes and tells us what skills they will have at their disposal. Even better, 2 and a half minutes of the video should be actual gameplay. This is strictly a rumor at this point, as the article has no source listed, but it wouldn't surprise us if it's true. In fact, it makes perfect sense considering how many new Brute weapons have been announced for Halo 3. Playable Brutes opens up many questions of course. Will they have berserker attacks? Will they still have their dome protecting, headshot deflecting skull caps? Will Brutes be in the beta? Does this mean that Elites are no longer playable? Oh the possibilities. Assuming this is true, what do you want to see from the Brute class? [Thanks, lollersticks]
Euro 360 site caught selling H3 beta codes
digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/gaming_news/European_360_site_caught_selling_Halo_3_beta_codes'; We brought you the news before on how to get into the European Halo 3 beta, in which several sites within the XCN (Xbox Community Network) were granted codes that allowed access to the beta. These codes were to be distributed by each site, in most cases as part of a promotional contest. It seems, however, that one of these sites saw the codes as an opportunity to make some Euros, and decided to sell them instead. Britxbox is reporting that they received an email from Microsoft today, issuing a warning to all the sites in the XCN. While the site guilty of the act has not been made public, we do know that Microsoft will cut off all contact and support for any offending site. The XCN is officially supported by Microsoft and the sites within it are promoted directly by Xbox.com. Members of the XCN are naturally disappointed that one of their own would abuse an opportunity in such a way. Britxbox is understandably concerned that such an act could damage future interactions with Microsoft altogether. Here's hoping the offending site will be punished and that will be the end of it. [Via Hexus]
Never fear, H3 beta is not US only
Yesterday, Microsoft set us up the bomb that sign up for the Halo 3 beta will begin on Monday. Unfortunately for the many, many Halo fans around the world, the beta was open only to American participants. You can relax, overseas fanboys, it looks like someone at MS made a mistake, as the Halo beta will be open to players worldwide. It's a good thing too, because we enjoy nothing more than some good international fragging. So, give a cheer and let your voices be heard in the comments.[Via HBO]
