halo2
Latest
Shadowrun now playable on XP
X3F readers will recall that Falling Leaf was preparing to save Windows XP gamers a lot of cash by making the Windows Vista versions of Shadowrun and Halo 2 compatible with XP. Unfortunately for Falling Leaf, the hacking group Razor 1911 has already cracked* Shadowrun according to the Inquirer. Apparently, all the crack does is overwrite a few files in the installation directory. It should be noted that the crack only allows for single player against bots and multiplayer over LAN. As far as we know, online multiplayer is still restricted to Vista.Falling Leaf expects its solution to arrive in late July.[Via Joystiq]*If you want the crack, you'll have to find it on your own; we're not linking it.
Vista-only Shadowrun cracked, playable on XP
Beating Falling Leaf to the punch, members of the hacking group Razor1911 have managed to hack the Vista-only Shadowrun to work on Windows XP, the Inquirer reports. The crack, weighing in at less than 5 MB, reportedly removes the need for DirectX 10. (No, we're not linking to it -- you can find it yourself.)With the crack, you can only play single-player against bots or multiplayer LAN games. Falling Leaf, who has stated they will be providing free code for those who purchase the game on Amazon via their pre-order page, still estimates cracks for Vista-only Shadowrun and Halo 2 by "late July."
Circuit City offers free copies of Shadowrun to Halo 2 Vista buyers
Microsoft, for lack of better explanation, sent Shadowrun out to die last month. Not only was it released during the Halo 3 Beta, but on the same day as the considerably more anticipated racer, Forza Motorsport 2. And while it's too early to decide whether the suicide mission was a success or not (depending on how you look at it), Circuit City is dumping their Vista copies of Shadowrun for "free," as long as you don't mind it piggy-backing Halo 2 Vista for $39.99.Shadowrun, like an episode of Ugly Betty, is proof that underneath it all is something worth getting to know, but not something worth getting for more than $20. Still, judging from reviews, this could be a way to get folks to spend their money, officially, on the much debated Halo 2 Vista port.Regardless of whichever way you see it: $40 bucks for Halo 2 Vista or a free copy of Shadowrun, there seems to be a loser somewhere in this scenario.
Halo 2, Shadowrun made playable on XP
Falling Leaf Studios is mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. What has caused them ire? Microsoft making Halo 2 and Shadowrun Vista-only. So they decided to make them XP-compatible. The company is promising that if you buy one of the games through Amazon via the links on their page, then they will send you for free their initial release of compatibility software that will let you"run these Windows Vista titles on Windows XP," they claim. Said Falling Leaf Systems CEO Brian Thomason, "first [Microsoft] claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false." We're not sure if the software will work as planned, or how Microsoft might try to prevent the games from going online. The expected shipment date is "within a few months," according to their press release; the pre-order page estimates late July. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Play Halo 2 Vista ... on Windows XP
What's that you say? You'd like to play Halo 2 on your PC, but you don't have/want Windows Vista? You're in luck then, as Falling Leaf Systems has announced plans to release software that will allow Windows XP users to play Halo 2. Not only that, the company is developing similar software for Shadowrun. To inspire XP users to take the plunge, Falling Leaf is promising a free copy of the compatibility software to those who order either game through their site. Falling Leaf CEO Brian Thomason concludes the press release with some fighting words: "First they claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false."Assuming this software works as advertised, would you change your mind about picking up either title?[Via HBO]
Sign up for Xbox Live Halo 2 Challenge
It's time to switch back over to Halo 2 for a while, because there's an Xbox Live tournament to join and Xbox 360 Elites to win. As part of Xbox Live Tournaments and Play & Win, players can sign up for the Halo 2 Challenge running from now until June 25th for a chance to win a truckload of prizes. Once signed up, play Halo 2 Rumble Pit and climb the rankings ladder, because the top 64 will advance through the finals and compete on the two new Halo 2 maps to find out who's worthy of their Spartan armor. Also, just for signing up and playing Halo 2, you're automatically entered to win an Elite, Xbox Live subscriptions and accessories as part of the Play & Win contest. Complete contest details are available after the jump.So, un-learn all your Halo 3 beta tactics and hop online for some Halo 2. Which really means prepare for a whole army of modders, cheaters and those who like to standby. W00t!
Video: Halo 3 beta: Needler ... in ... space!
A couple weeks back we showed you video footage of the Banshee "... in ... space!" This time involves the Needler, which as you may have noticed since the release of the beta, has gotten a significant boost of power as it is not dual wieldable as found in Halo 2. Whenever in High Grounds on Snowbound, nabbing a few needling kills always adds a slightly more satisfactory experience to you killing spree. So, where does the extraterrestrial extension come into play here? You'll just have to watch and see. In spite of the source, it's still pretty catchy in this context. Enjoy!
Oh teh noes!1! Not another Penny Arcade comic that relates to our site's content!
The online gaming community, or more specifically, Xbox Live has its fair share of bad apples, and based solely on its success and user base, it can be quiet easy to find prime examples in Halo 2 or even Halo 3's beta. Unfortunately, other types gaming don't have this, and when you start blurring the line between such forms of entertainment, there's bound to be a clash, right? Well, the guys at PA seem to think so with the recent announcement of Halo Clix. HBO community member turned Bungie employee KP seems pretty convinced about their source material. Does this one tickle your funny bone?
Video: "I Want Master Chief"
Step 1: Watch the above video. Step 2: Pick your jaw up from the floor. Step 3: Read on.Wow, that was unique. A Halo 2 machinima musical produced by two females starring an Elite pining after Master Chief. Yeah, unique. Enough so for the lovely ladies to deserve interviewing from Frankie over at Bungie.net for their work of art. While it may have left us feeling literally without speech, what's your take? Surely it's going to leave you with some form of an opinion, so lets hear it.
New games this week: Halo 2 Vista finally arrives edition
Another week, another batch of games to steal your time and money in exchange for a few moments of fun. We love it. The big news comes from two magic words under the PC release list: Halo 2. After several delays, including the most recent one involving nudity, Vista owners can finally get their Halo on. Adventure gamers also have something to celebrate this week, as Secrets of Atlantis is hitting the PC in just a few days. Finally, Surf's Up is ready to make a huge splash, drenching every console with its fishy movie tie-in stench. Read on for a few dozen other excuses to play hooky.%Gallery-3486%
Halo 2 Vista delayed because of "partial nudity"
Whoops! So, Halo 2 missed both of its Vista release dates, also missing the opportunity to be called the first Games for Windows Live-enabled title (that honor now belongs to Shadowrun). Their first excuse was the relatively banal: we need to "make some improvements to the install experience and address other technical issues." Their newest excuse? Oh, it's much juicier than that. According to GameDaily BIZ, this second delay was due to "an unfortunate, obscure content error which includes partial nudity." Oh yeah, cue the chanting monks, we're imagining some Hot Coffee style minigames with Master Chief and the Arbiter.Microsoft has updated the packaging and is making a patch available at Halo2.com to remove the content in question. Future releases will have the content removed. What was the content? Do you really want to know? According to the ESRB: "a photograph of an individual showing his bare backside to the user when a particular error occurs." Oh Microsoft, you could have made this so much more scandalous if you only tried harder.
Halo 2 Vista ships May 31 in US, Europe June 8
Having already been pushed back from its original release date of May 8 and subsequently not showing up on the new date of May 22, Halo 2 Vista is finally set to land on store shelves May 31. European Halo fans can grab their copies on June 8. Among the reasons readers have given us for purchasing the game (assuming most of you already have it on Xbox), our favorite is that it's the perfect game to play on your work PC during lunch. Indeed.For those of you who need your Games for Windows Live fix as soon as possible, don't forget that Shadowrun is set to release on the 29th for both the Xbox 360 and PC.
Halo 2 Vista coming May 31 in US, June 8 in Europe
After a long wait, Halo 2 is coming to Windows Vista-equipped PCs June 8 in Europe; the North American version, which was originally pushed back to May 22 but obviously missed that mark, will arrive May 31. The game will retail for £34.99 / $49.99, respectively. When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Microsoft said, "Halo 2 for Windows Vista did not release to retailers on May 22, as previously announced and will now ship from manufacturers on May 31. Shadowrun will be the first game to debut the highly anticipated Games for Windows – LIVE system on May 29. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers." PC gamers have been waiting over two and a half years for Halo 2 to break free from its console chains. Xbox 360 users are currently enjoying the Halo 3 beta. Those who did not get into the beta can check out our sister site Xbox 360 Fanboy for extensive beta coverage.
A-Power's AP-Halo gaming PC dons Halo 2 outfit, beastly innards
With Dell's XPS 720 getting ready for showtime, it's quite possible that a few of you out there are eying a slightly different kind of animal, and for the Halo faithful, look no further than A-Power. The AP-Halo machine sports a fully customized Halo 2 chassis to go along with the game's PC counterpart, but it manages to look fairly good on the inside as well. Beneath the metal you'll find an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, up to 640GB of SATA II hard drive space, Asus' P5K Deluxe motherboard, a Samsung dual-layer DVD burner, Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card, gigabit Ethernet, a 768MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX handling the DX10 duties, a 700-watt power supply, and to cap things off, it also comes bundled with Microsoft's own Reclusa keyboard and Habu mouse. Of course, it'll come pre-loaded with Vista Ultimate and Halo 2, and deep-pocketed gamers can add on an Xbox 360 PC controller if they choose. The Halo 2-themed system is slated to launch on May 22nd, and while the base price sits at CAD$1,659 ($1,505) sans a monitor, those hardware upgrades will send that figure quite a ways north.
Graphics war: Halo 2 vs Halo 3
If there's one complaint people have about the Halo 3 beta it would have to be that the graphics aren't what some had hoped to see. Nobody is saying that the graphics are horrible, people are just saying that they aren't Gears of War quality or a gigantic leap over what Halo 2 has to offer. But if you really think about it, how much have Halo 3's graphics improved over its older bro? Gamespot dusted off their copy of Halo 2 on a mission to find out. They took a few screenshots from both Halo 2 and the Halo 3 beta and showcased them in complete image rollover fun. And, from what we see, the differences are quite noticeable. The textures and reflective surfaces in Halo 3 are far superior to Halo 2, even the geometry is beefed up. But that's expected on a next gen game. It all comes down to what your expectations are and if you feel the visuals took a big enough leap. What do you think about the comparison? [Via Digg]
Halo 2: 5 million players and counting
Bungie has announced that Halo 2 has reached its 5 millionth player. What is more, it occurred yesterday, which just happened to be the 2.5 year anniversary of Halo 2's launch. Specifically, 5 million unique Live accounts have logged into Halo 2 (not including guests). Of course, this total includes every single Live account, including free trials (read: cheaters) and people who only tried the game for 5 minutes. As it happens, the 5 millionth player was "ultra theodore." Ultra indeed. [Via Joystiq]
Halo 2 updated, ranks reset, the horror!
We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make the hurt any less deep. As part of the new maps finally being rolled into matchmaking playlists, Bungie has officially reset the ranks on Halo 2. A cause of great happiness to some and a source of deep anger to others, the rank refresh is sure to rankle many a player. Of course, others will have a new reason to start playing Halo 2 again. Another bombshell of sorts (even though Bungie informed the masses weeks ago), several of the updated playlists require that you have the new maps. A few playlists (most notably Team Hardcore) remain unchanged, so players without the new maps still have some online options. Finally, Bungie has announced that the new map will be free starting sometime in July. So, if you're still playing Halo 2 and you want the new maps but you're light on funds, all is not lost. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go own some noobs before our rank resettles in its rightful place. [Thanks, PacoDG]
Halo 2 Vista ship date moved to the 22nd
Seeing as today is the 8th, and Halo 2 Vista isn't on store shelves, Microsoft gave us the heads up one the current sitrep. For the sake of quality end-user experience and a few technical issues, Halo 2 Vista's ship date has been moved back to May 22nd, a mere fortnight after the initial release schedule. Better late than never, we always say. Speaking of the 22nd, a reliable source gave word to expect Shadowrun to also drop on the 22nd, perhaps beefing up the Live Anywhere launch. But you didn't hear it from us.
Halo 2 for Windows Vista bumped back to May 22
It's May 8th. Today marks the anniversary of Ghandi's 21-day fast and VE Day, the births of luminaries like Saul Bass and Edmund Wilson, and (to a somewhat lesser extent) the planned release of Halo 2 for Windows Vista. Unfortunately, that date is ... well, it's today and Halo 2 is not in our weekly round-up of new games releases signifying its absence on retailers yearning shelves. The rationale: Microsoft needed to "make some improvements to the install experience and address other technical issues."The new release date is May 22nd, which of course marks the seventeenth anniversary of the release of the Windows 3.0 operating system. Now there's some corporate synergy for you! But what about May 16th ... what happens on May 16th again? Ah, Pierce Brosnan's birthday. We knew it was important.
Halo 2 GhostBike gives you wings
Click for larger version. You know about the Red Bull Flugtag, right? Chances are you've probably seen a commercial for it on TV, watching as hapless inventors and goofballs try to make their man-made craft soar through the air.Well, you Halo fans will have a reason to watch if the voting goes your way. One special craft vying for the wild card spot at the Nashville Flugtag is the Halo 2 GhostBike. Get over there and vote for it, and watch that baby take some sweet jumps. Plasma cannons appear to be optional, let's hope he removed 'em for flight.They even have a pretty addictive little Flash game on their website where you can try your hand at flying.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy, and thanks Michael]
