Halo-Wars
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Joyswag: Halo Wars (Day Three)
This is it, folks the third and final day of Joystiq's Halo Wars giveaway. Congratulations to Steve H, who won our Day One giveaway. With so many people checking their email to see if they've won Day Two, now is your chance to enter Day Three. Hurry up, before someone gets wise.To enter: Leave a comment on this post naming your favorite RTS unit of all time (real or imagined). You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 2:59 pm ET on Thursday, March 5. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive one copy of Halo Wars (ARV: $59.99). For a list of complete rules, click here
Video: Halo Wars universe expands yet again
The third in the Halo Wars "Universe Expanded" videos is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace (for Gold members). Again we see several voices in the gaming industry waxing poetic about Halo. The latest video focuses on exactly how Halo Wars adds to the lore established in other Halo titles. On particularly interesting tidbit, Microsoft's own Frank O'Connor notes that the new elements present in Halo Wars will show up in future titles in the franchise. Who knows, maybe we'll be hijacking Locust tanks or piloting a Vulture in Halo 3: ODST.
Play Halo Wars online and (possibly) win prizes
Microsoft is hosting another Play & Win giveaway. This time, Halo Wars is required to participate in the "odds are slim that anyone reading this is actually going to win anything" prize-winning fun.To enter, download this gamer picture, play Halo Wars multiplayer between March 6-8, then patiently wait for the winners to be announced. Microsoft is giving away an assortment of prizes, including a 52" television, a Halo Wars themed Xbox 360 (nice!), an assortment of MS points and even an overpriced Ultra Series 1000 Monster Cable.
Video: The Halo Wars universe expands even further
As if we haven't already been smothered with gobs of Halo Wars footage lately, a second Halo Wars: Universe Expanded documentary has made its way onto the Xbox Live Marketplace. Us being the ninjas that we are, we captured the video and uploaded it to the internet for everyone's viewing pleasure.Just like the first Universe Expanded vid, this second ViDoc talks about the scope of the Halo Wars story, explains the key players involved and Adam Sessler is seen expressing himself using grand hand gestures. It's a great watch and a superb example of how to artistically decorate a film set using honeycomb shapes.
Joyswag: Halo Wars (Day Two) [update]
Update: Our winner has been chosen and this giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering and keep an eye out for future giveaways. Welcome to Day Two of our Halo Wars giveaway. Don't feel bad if you didn't win yesterday's giveaway, because we've still got two copies left. So, without further ado, let's get rolling. Entering is as easy as hijacking a Wraith tank, so get to it! Scan the rules below and place your entry. Don't forget to come back tomorrow for another shot at Ensemble's fond farewell.To enter: Leave a comment naming a game franchise that needs to be adapted into an RTS You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 2:59 pm ET on Wednesday, March 4. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive one copy of Halo Wars (ARV: $59.99). For a list of complete rules, click here
X3F TV -- Behold: The Halo Wars Limited Edition unboxing
Joystiq Xbox presents to you the fantabulous Halo Wars Limited Edition unboxing video. Gasp as you see the iron-on patch unveiled. Scream as you eye the coveted Mythic Map Pack DLC redemption card. Shriek as you peer at naked Elite flesh in the graphic novel (no, seriously).If none of that works for you, you could always just watch the video in thoughtful silence. You should definitely watch it, though.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Halo Wars includes final farewell from Ensemble Studios
With today's (North American) release of Halo Wars, we thought we'd share Ensemble Studios' heartfelt goodbye message included in the game's end credits. The video, which shares the same sentimental weight as Bruce Shelley's final remarks, starts with a message to all of Ensemble's fans and is followed by individual notes from everyone on the development team.We wish the best of luck to everyone who was a part of the team at Ensemble Studios and hope success follows with their new ventures.
Killzone 2 is UK's 4th fastest-selling Sony title, Halo Wars is best-selling console RTS
This past week saw a massive resupply of ammunition for both the Sony and Microsoft fanboys on the treacherous European front of the current console war -- first of all, the highly anticipated Killzone 2 nabbed the top spot in the ELSPA GfK ChartTrack Top 40, and became the fourth fastest-selling Sony-published title ever released in the UK. Its first place finish in the Top 40 charts gave it an edge over number two finisher Halo Wars. You read that right, people. Killzone 2 has become, as many of its zealous acolytes claimed it would, a "Halo killer."However, the situation isn't exactly grim for said murdered Halo title -- within its launch week, it became the UK's best-selling console RTS to date, beating out former leader Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars by a three-to-one margin. So ... we guess Halo is a "Command and Conquer killer," now? We're not sure. All this inter-franchise homicide is hard to keep track of.
Joyswag: Halo Wars (Day One) [update]
Update: Our winner has been chosen and this giveaway is now closed. Thanks for entering and keep an eye out for future giveaways. Let's play a real-time strategy game: To play this one, all you need is a capable device with an internet connection. If you're reading this right now, you're off to a good start. Your next task is to read, in real time, the giveaway rules below and enter for your chance to win a copy of Halo Wars. We'll be giving away one copy of the game each day through Wednesday, so we suggest you come up with an appropriate strategy. Since entering every day gives you the best odds of winning, we'd go with that one. Entering only once? That's a bad strategy.To enter: Leave a comment naming your favorite RTS maneuver (real or imagined); example: "Grunt Rush" You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 2:59 pm ET on Tuesday, March 3. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive one copy of Halo Wars (ARV: $59.99). For a list of complete rules, click here
GameStop plans nationwide Halo Wars midnight launch events
This coming Monday, March 2 at around 10 pm, over 2,000 GameStop stores Stateside will be hosting Halo Wars midnight launch events.No, there won't be a DJ or any beverages being served at these gatherings. Instead, GameStop plans on wooing midnight launch goers with trivia challenges, a dress up contest, some sort of Warthog races and (because it's Halo'verse related) a Halo 3 tournament. Some attendees can even win (get this) a Halo themed Xbox 360 skin. We only hope their employees are prepared for the influx of fanboys that will descend on their teeny-tiny establishments.A list of stores participating in the midnight launch can be viewed here (PDF alert), but we recommend giving your local GameStop a ringle-jingle. Also, if one night of Halo Wars excitement just isn't enough to satisfy, be sure to check out their pre-launch Halo Wars tournament that takes place this weekend.
Video: The expanded Halo universe of Halo Wars
With the release of Halo Wars less than a week away, Microsoft has released a new video examining the expanded Halo universe present in the game. Believe it or not, Halo actually has a very detailed background. Over the years, it's been laid out in books, graphic novels, comic books and even ARGs. Still, for a great deal of Halo fans, Halo Wars will be the first time players get to experience the history behind the first three games.Check out the video and learn your Halo history, because it's much more fun than learning about real history.
GameStop hosts Halo Wars pre-launch tournament
GameStop is holding a tournament in Halo Wars throughout 1,000 of its stores in the U.S. this Saturday, February 28, 2009. It's a single-elimination, one-on-one tournament that should start at 2pm (call your local store for the exact time). Each store's winner will walk away with a copy of Halo Wars CE and a T-shirt. 2nd place winners will receive a T-shirt and a long, quiet ride home in mom's minivan.For the full list of participating stores, entry stipulations, as well as FAQs, click here.%Gallery-1676%
Even more of your Halo Wars questions answered
Technightly posted an extensive Halo Wars Q&A that aims to answer some common and rather peculiar game-related inquiries. The list of 74 questions covers topics from UNSC and Covenant unit details, to the explanation of Flood's involvement in multiplayer. If there's a random Halo Wars question in need of answering, reading through this informative Q&A would be a good place to start. Then again, one could wait a week for the game's retail release to become an all-knowing Halo Wars expert.[Thanks, Mills]
Joystiq hands-on: Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack
Click to view the Mythic Map Pack gallery walkthrough Halo 3 is about to be refreshed with a trio of new battlefields known as the Mythic Maps: Orbital, Assembly and Sandbox. While the maps aren't scheduled to release on the XBLM until spring -- sooner if you pick up Halo Wars CE -- we've played them, and we brought our camera. Check out what we thought after the break.But first, don't miss your chance to win a Mythic Map Pack redemption code!%Gallery-45430%
UK woman is most definitely, absolutely the #1 Halo Wars fan -- 100 percent confirmed!
In all of our time playing Halo online (68,873 combined hours, to be exact), we've encountered numerous people who say they are females, but we know the truth: girls don't play games ... ever. Also, they have cooties. Our world has been flipped upside down, though, thanks to south Londoner Amanda Johnstone. She apparently likes Halo Wars -- a lot. Amanda loves the game so much that she doesn't mind having 5 of the same poster on her wall. She's that into it. Pay no mind to the fact that the game comes out in the UK next week. This isn't a promotional thing. Amanda actually owns 8 Halo Wars cups and sits around in her short-shorts and Halo Wars tanktop all the time. It's a way of life for her.Source (NSFW) - UK Resistance
The life and death of Ensemble Studios
Maybe its staff wasn't surprised, but it was quite a shock to us when the plug was pulled on Ensemble Studios five months before the release of its baby, Halo Wars. Now, after reading a post-mortem delivered by studio founder Bruce Shelley yesterday at D.I.C.E., we finally feel like we have a firmer grasp on exactly what went wrong.It seems that not just one factor was behind Ensemble's demise, everything from lack of diversification to fragmentation among the staff played a role. If you're as curious as we are about how a profitable studio can still go under, you should absolutely give his discussion a look.
Halo Wars lesson: Don't play basketball with Spartans
Obvious advice, really, but it's nice to have it delivered in the form of some Halo Wars fan fiction. And before you castigate us for our seemingly derogatory description of Graeme Devine's efforts, note that the Halo Wars lead designer himself has labeled one section of his personal website as such: "Bits and pieces not in the game, but made to support the story and help the team get the vibe of what it was like to be on 'Spirit of Fire' (essentially this is fan fiction)."If you'd like to dig into the backstory of the Spirit of Fire and her crew -- including the aforementioned altercation on a b-ball court -- then there's plenty for you to absorb on Devine's page. Should you happen to stray over to Devine's resume page, you might also absorb some forgotten facts. Did you know he was lead designer on The 7th Guest and Quake III: Team Arena? It's true!
Video: Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack preview (now in HD!)
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Video_Halo_3_Mythic_Map_Pack_preview_now_in_HD'; We got the chance to preview Halo 3's upcoming Mythic Map Pack and figured we'd whip up a tasty video preview (in high definition, no less). Embedded above is the footage we took from the map pack including a look at Orbital, an Assembly preview and plenty of Forging fun in Sandbox. You may even spot footage of non-shooting recreational activities, like a leisurely game of golf.The Mythic maps are not currently available, but will be included as part of the Halo Wars CE and will release to the XBLM later this Spring. Also, be on the lookout for our Mythic Map Pack gameplay impressions, coming later today.
Joystiq Review: Halo Wars
click to enlarge Halo Wars is a loaded game. For one, it's the first Halo title developed outside of Bungie, and you can bet Microsoft doesn't want anyone killing its golden goose. Furthermore, the developers have touted the control scheme since the game was first announced, allowing myself and others to hope that it might, just might, do for console RTS games what Halo did for console FPS games. And then, of course, it's the last game from Ensemble Studios ... ever. That's a lot to live up to.%Gallery-45393%
Ensemble gives strategic advice in Halo Wars ViDoc 4
The fourth and final Halo Wars video documentary (the cool kids call 'em ViDocs) just made its way online. This time, Ensemble Studios talks about the design process, how much enjoyment can be had with the various multiplayer modes and a few Ensemble members even detail their personal Halo Wars strategy. Pottinger's plan that involves two Scarabs firing blue death like an uncontrollable fire hose is pure strategic genius.
