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McFarlane Halo toy details and price
We've got more details now about the Halo 3 action figures being produced by McFarlane toys and Microsoft. The six-inch tall dolls are expected to release in the spring of '08. We received a plethora of information regarding the proposed lineup of action figures back when they were announced in June, but now we have a much better idea of what they look like and price. Above you can see Cortana and after the break you'll find the Master Chief.This would not be the first time in recent memory McFarlane and Microsoft collaborated. McFarlane also did the art for a few official Halo 3 controllers that came out this year as well. The action figures do look nice even as prototypes and the $14 price isn't half bad. And we do get a chuckle knowing somewhere out there this spring a little boy will play out inappropriate scenes between his Halo and Gears of War dolls action figures.[Via BBPS]
Xbox 360 Halo 3 Legendary Edition unboxing
Listen up kids -- the holidays have come way early. We've got our hands on the special edition Xbox 360 all done up in Halo 3 fashion... but that's not all. The boys from Redmond sent a massive, massive package our way, including a giant, custom army bag, custom dog tags, two army meal rations, a first aid kit, the Xbox itself, two Halo 3 controllers and a headset, plus some other stuff hidden in the nooks and crannies. But -- there's one thing in the box we weren't expecting... and that's the crazy Legendary Edition packaging for the game itself, housed in a full size, manically detailed Master Chief helmet. Hit the gallery and feast your eyes on all the (presumably) rare goodness in our Engadget-style unboxing of the bag and system. We can honestly say we're a bit stoked on this.%Gallery-7682%
Halo 3's final days of marketing assault
And we're in the final stretch as the Halo 3 marketing machine goes into overdrive and assaults the broadcast medium this weekend. Variety got the details on what Chris Di Cesare, Xbox director of product marketing, calls "magnifying the mania." Expect original programming that'll bring newbs to the Halo franchise -- and the Xbox 360 -- by focusing on networks with demographics in line with the Master Chief plan.It starts Saturday on Comedy Central with Fully Loaded, two-minute mini-ads hosted by Mad TV's Bobby Lee, which were taped at Tao Beach nightclub following the Madame Tussauds unveiling on the weekend of the MTV Video Music Awards. Spike TV's Game Head will host a live feed Monday night, breaking in with coverage during commercial breaks, and then air a half-hour special at midnight called: Halo 3 Launched. That program will feature a performance by Linkin Park. G4 has also set five hours of time aside for the launch as well. On Tuesday, Sci Fi Channel will show Halo 3: Sci vs. Fi. Of course, we'd love to stay home and watch all this launch coverage, but we'll be too busy doing our own coverage, which mostly consists of us waiting in line like everybody else, taking photos and getting quotes.
Halo lotto tickets and lingerie nixed from marketing blitz
Sure, you might think the Halo 3 marketing campaign has been a bit excessive, but that was before you knew what ideas were rejected.According to a Reuters article, items that "did not make the cut" were Halo-themed lottery tickets and lingerie modeled after curvy artificial intelligence Cortana. And just like that, our dreams of laying in bed gaming while our significant others play two-dollar "Scratch-Off Plasma Grenade" tickets in a skin-tight hologram two-piece have been destroyed.Also referenced by the article, though more likely a humorous example by the writer than an actual proposed marketing idea, were Covenant sippy cups and Master Chief pajamas. We're curious about Microsoft and Bungie's stance on Master Chief joining the "Got Milk" campaign: Times are tough, humans are dying. You're going to need more than a plasma rifle and Spartan armor to survive intergalactic civil war. You're going to need strong bones.[Image from Ctrl+Alt+Del]
Halo-themed 360 arrives on Sunday
If you've been eagerly anticipating being able to ditch your white 360 in favor of a marketing tool that also plays games, you'll get your chance when the Halo 3-branded Xbox 360 arrives, which we now know will be on Sunday, thanks to a handy press release from Microsoft.That just leaves you 2 days to decide whether or not to take the plunge. The question is really more of personal one: Is it worth it to you to pay $400 for a 20GB 360 featuring a headset, a Spartan green-and-gold finish, a Play and Charge Kit and permanent guaranteed virginity? That's something you'll have to decide for yourself.%Gallery-5674%
Halo 3 launch events in US and free Xbox Live Gold
The time is almost upon us to finish the fight and today Microsoft announced the official details for their plans around the Halo 3 launch. Microsoft is calling it the "Unite to Fight" events. The most prominent thing that everyone can enjoy is from Sept. 25-27 everyone will automatically have Xbox Live Gold membership sponsored by Best Buy -- meaning you can play online with (or against) friends regardless of their Xbox Live membership.There will be four major Halo 3 launch events in: New York City – Best Buy, 529 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10017 Seattle – Best Buy, 457 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005 Los Angeles – Gamestop, 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, Universal City, CA 91608 Miami – Circuit City, 8575 Northwest 13th Terrace, Miami, FL 33126 You can check out more details at X3F. For those who just want their damn copy of the game without all the pomp and circumstance, remember you can just stop by 7-Eleven at midnight for the game and a Slurpee, or the "over 10,000 stores [which] will be open to sell Halo 3 in the biggest entertainment launch in history." Remember, the Halo 3 launch has lofty goals to attain.[Via X3F]
Waxed Master Chief is real and in Vegas
Remember when we told you about a picture that was taken of a sculpt-in-progress Master Chief at Madame Tussauds in London? Well friends, it turns out that Master Chief has been immortalized in waxy goodness as Madame Tussauds officially revealed the seven foot sculpture at their Las Vegas studio.Waxy Master Chief will be on display in Las Vegas along with other Halo 3 goodies for the foreseeable future and will be the host of the Vegas Halo 3 launch party later this month. You should also know that this 275 pound sculpture took over 1,000 pounds of clay to put together and over 892 man-hours to create. Yes sir, Chief is a modern sculpting marvel that will make one awesome addition to Madame Tussauds' collection ... but he really needs to make new friends, because Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy sort of cramps his style.[Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
Master Chief fully waxed with Fall Out Boy at Madame Tussauds Vegas
According to Madame Tussauds, Master Chief is the first video game character immortalized by them in their 250-year history. Sadly, his first big photo-op after being revealed was with Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz. Master Chief is only on display at the Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas located near the Venetian Casino. A Tussauds rep tells Joystiq, "The Master Chief may go on loan to other locations, but his permanent home will be in Las Vegas."It looks like GamerTagRadio definitely had the scoop on this story, the statue was created in London and flown to Vegas for the big reveal. In the end the Master Chief statue is 7'2" tall and weighs 275 lbs, he required ten artists who worked 892 man-hours. And he's not made out of wax like we would think, it actually took 1,000 pounds of clay to put him together. Madame Tussauds tells us that there will be an event at the Vegas location for the Halo 3 launch, but details are still being worked out with Microsoft. The statue is currently on display with plenty of Halo related merchandising, merchandising -- where the real money from the game is made.%Gallery-7322%
Master Chief's bank of choice
The Halo 3 marketing machine is now in full swing with advertisements and promotions popping up everywhere. But this marketing machine isn't just good for selling Halo 3, oh no, it helps sell other products ... maybe something like a bank? The picture above is a prime example of a First Mutual Bank using Halo 3 and good old Master Chief to bring in the "younger crowd" to open savings accounts or take out a beefy loan. Speaking of which, we always wondered how much Master Chief pulls in a given year and whether or not a Warthog would fit through the bank's drive up window ... meh, go Earth!
Master Chief gets waxed in London
The guys over at GamertagRadio received the picture you see above from a tipster who took the snapshot at London's famous Madame Tussauds wax museum. The picture shows off what looks to be a work-in-progress, seven foot tall wax statue of none other than Master Chief himself. We're not sure when Mr. Chief will be complete and ready to be displayed, but something tells us Madame Tussauds will be working overtime to finish the waxed masterpiece sometime before September 25th.
Rumor: Master Chief getting waxed for Madame Tussauds
As we all know, Madame Tussauds isn't into real men, she likes them completely waxed. Godfree over at GameTagRadio received the photo above, which comes from a listener who apparently snapped it while taking a tour of Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, showing what appears to be Master Chief in development.It definitely looks like the Master Chief, but for the sake of Cortana, the spy couldn't angle the camera up a couple more degrees and get the head? It looks like a bad fuzzy pic on an internet "dating" site. If it is the Master Chief, we're sure there'll be an announcement very soon -- only a couple more weeks before the fight is finished.
Today's sneak-peakiest video: Halo 3
Spoiler alert? We watched this Halo 3 footage from The Final Fight like we watch today's ultra-trendy horror-porn: with splayed fingers covering our half-shut eyes. We didn't want any big spoilers, but we wanted a new glimpse into Halo. The video includes a cinematic scene and gameplay footage showing off the Hornet, Gravity Hammer, and other new goodies. If you can handle the spoiler potential, see the video after the break. [Thanks, Phillip and everyone else. Image credit.]
NY Times combines Halo 3 and RROD in volatile mix
As the Xbox 360 gets ready to fulfill the purpose of its existence as a Halo delivery device to the masses, the New York Times takes the two most prominent things about the Xbox 360 and mixes it into one brew: Halo 3 and the Red Ring of Death. The NYT essentially gets a bunch of fanboys to talk about how the system fails on them, but all will be fine if they just get Halo 3. Speaking of fanboys, did we mention Richard Mitchell at sister-site Xbox 360 Fanboy (X3F) is chronicling his repair experience following his visit by the RROD? Like we said before, we're not going to tell you about every RROD we have within a degree of separation from us because we'd be writing one every couple weeks -- but anecodtally, the number has gone up quickly recently. Despite the wait in the turnaround, at least the repairs are free now.The NYT piece basically gives a mainstream audience the condensed version of the last few months. They still couldn't get an answer from Microsoft to what's actually wrong with the system. One of the more interesting parts of the piece is they speak with Richard Doherty, an analyst for Envisionneering Group, a technology assessment and market research firm who says consumers (not fanboys) are getting frustrated with the system's reliability and their waning patience and stories is turning off potential Xbox 360 buyers. He also says the situation "is going to get worse before it gets better."
Halo-themed Xbox 360 coming in Sept. for $399, wireless headset for $59.99
Master Chief's coveted special edition 20GB Xbox 360, initially seen at Microsoft's E3 2007 press conference, is coming this September for $399.99, which is now $50 more than the Premium console. With that extra Ulysses S. Grant, you get an HDMI port, a headset, a Spartan green-and-gold finish (for console, controller and headset) and a Play and Charge Kit, according to the press release. The non-proprietary HDMI cable is sold separately. Additionally, Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg has told us that the Halo wireless headset will be priced at $59.99 and will include some quality improvements over its predecessor. It will, presumably, also be deployed in September. %Gallery-5674%
Halo 3 pre-order at 7-Eleven
Get a Slurpee and pick up your copy of Halo 3 at the same time? One reader sent us this shot from his local 7-Eleven where you can apparently "reserve your copy today" for the return of Master Chief this September. We don't know if this is a national offer, but if there is some way to avoid the GameStop madness and possibility of the title being sold out at logical retail locations, we'll take the three-day-old hot dog and Halo 3 to go from the corner store for sure.One of our own writers here at Joystiq remembers seeing PS2s for sale at his local 7-Eleven when they first came out. We're still trying to find out if this a national thing, but if you see this sign at your local 7-Eleven leave a comment below. Despite how convenient it would be to pick up Halo 3 from our local convenience super-chain, there's still that nagging awkward feeling of pre-ordering your video games from the same place you pick up emergency condoms and munchie satiating chips at 3AM.Update: It does appear to be a national 7-Eleven promotion. Replaced old pic found after the break with very official looking pic from Sunnyvale, CA. The reservation price seems to be in question, some people don't have to put any money down for a reserve and others are being charged. Most tragically, the game will apparently not be coming with a free Slurpee.[Thanks Pat, Brian and everyone else who contributed]
G4 makes Master Chief's True Hollywood Story
Is this video kind of silly and chock-full of groaners? You bet. But there are still some choice moments in G4's True Hollywood Story treatment of everybody's favorite Spartan, especially his Hasselhoffian drunken burger binge.Interestingly, the video is much more entertaining than the Halo film's true Hollywood story, which could be summed up as "What's Halo? They want how much? Who's that guy? It's canceled." That's not even worth posting on YouTube.
Bungie turns up Halo 3 heat: new details, campaign screenshot
With Halo 3 less than three months away, Bungie is beginning to lift the veil with a couple of big reveals this week. The first was a whole slew of post-beta screenshots and details, revealing two new multiplayer maps (remake of Zanzibar FTW), armor customization, and the brand new, super-fast Brute Chopper vehicle. The second big Bungie revelation was the second publicly-released screenshot of Halo 3's single-player campaign. Seen above, the screen leaves a great deal to speculation. The stunning mountains mean that it's probably Earth, and the mysterious smoke on the far right may very well be where the survivors crash-landed on Lost (uh oh, spoiler alert!). What's for certain, however, is that Master Chief is looking damn fine in HD. Is it September yet? Update: This is actually the second official campaign screenshot from the game. The first can be checked out here. Thanks to DWells and Bangbang for the heads-up. Read - "Way Beyond the Beta: Screenshots Galore" [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy] Read - "Halo 3 Campaign Screenshot Inside"
Pink Spartans know how to rock
What's better than a pink Master Chief, a replica Guitar Hero II X-plorer guitar, and over 70 sparkly jewels? The answer: nothing! Girly Halo fan bs angel created a jewel encrusted X-plorer guitar for her pink Master Chief spartan to rock out with. The project took around two hours to complete with most of that time dedicated to attaching the little jewels. You can check out more pictures of this pink wonder after the break. Now only if bs angel can hook us up with a few tickets to the pink Master Chief rock concert that's going down this Summer ... our fingers are crossed.[Via HBO]
Master Chief's face? Kinda sorta ...
From day one Halo fans have been wondering what's hiding under that Spartan helmet and what our hero really looks like. And thanks to the Halo 3 beta and some nice camera work, fans were able to position the Mongoose camera inside the helmet of another player. The result, a look at a fully modeled face behind the visor featuring some pale skin and glowing eyes. True, it isn't the best look behind the helmet and one could make the argument that it's just a generic multiplayer model and not our Master Chief. But we can't help but take this one step further and fantasize about the possibility that Master Chief will be taking his helmet off this September seeing that Bungie went through the work to model faces. Speaking of which, would you be down with seeing the person behind the helmet or do you think Master Chief's badass appeal comes from his semi-hidden look?[Via Game Stooge]
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.
