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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.
Possible Halo 3 beta weirdness tomorrow
Frankie gave us a heads up that tomorrow, May 23rd between the hours of 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM PDT, the monkeys over at Bungie are going to be collecting data on any game crashes that take place in the Halo 3 beta during that time. A warning will come up and it will upload logs to the Bungie servers for their testing purposes. Those who participated in the Shadowrun beta should understand, as we would upload game logs after each match for a minute or so. Frankie reassures us that the upload should take somewhere from 10-20 seconds. Upon completion a message will pop up saying "File upload complete. Visit http://www.bungie.net/forums/halo3beta for more information (safe to reboot)." After 1:00 PM, they'll turn things back to normal, and upload time will be reduced greatly. Moral of the story? Be good fanboys and let the logs upload. Check out all the X3F Halo 3 beta coverage
Halo 3 denies mass market, won't move consoles?
Roger Ehrenberg of Information Arbitrage doesn't believe in the power of Halo 3. Speaking to Reuters, Ehrenberg expresses his belief that Halo 3 will not help the Xbox 360 bridge the gap between its hardcore-only audience and the mass market. We can't help but agree with Ehrenberg on this point, as we discussed in the latest episode of the Fancast. On another point, however, we decidedly disagree. Ehrenberg states on his blog, "I certainly don't buy the argument that the Halo 3 game itself will drive new console sales. The game has gotten OK reviews and I am confident it will sell well to existing Xbox 360 loyalists, but beyond that, I am neither a dreamer nor a believer." He further notes that Halo 3 cannot be played by its core audience, Xbox-owning Halo 2 fans. We understand that rising console prices prevent many from buying a console for the sake of one game, but if any game can do it, it's Halo 3. All of the writers here at X3F, for instance, know someone waiting for Halo 3 before buying a 360 (including Blackstar himself). We also have to note that Halo 3 hasn't gotten any reviews at all. The only thing reviewed thus far is the multiplayer beta, which we doubt will dull the public affection for Halo 3 come September. How about you, dear readers, are you waiting for Halo 3 before you take the 360 plunge? Do you know anyone who is? [Via Seeking Alpha]
Banshee now available in Halo 3 beta
In addition to updating the playlists for the Halo 3 beta, Bungie has dropped in another little surprise as well. Log on to the Halo 3 beta and start up a game of Big Team Training, and you will now find a Banshee in Valhalla. Specifically, there is one Banshee at each base. Someone is bound to pick one up at the beginning of each match, so we suggest you keep the missile pod handy. Of course, there are already players using the Banshee to find a way out of the map, which you can observe in the video above. So, has anyone tried out the Banshee? Is it new and improved or just more of the same? [Via CVG. Thanks, Pedro Monscooch] Check out all the X3F Halo 3 beta coverage
Change gravity and more in Halo 3's custom games [update 1]
The fellas over at Hushed Casket are reporting that while playing the Halo 3 beta some players have experienced a network error, causing a weird bug to occur, which ultimately displays a hidden custom game settings menu. The custom games menu is chalk full of options, including the ability to change players' speed, ammunition count, recharge rate, motion tracker range, and even gravity settings. Don't believe us? Take a look at all the screenshots that Hushed Casket has unearthed and a full list of custom gametype options after the break. But don't get too excited, because the Halo 3 beta custom gametypes menu is only for looks and does not allow you to make a game with the options. Which is too bad, because we so wanted to play a few rounds of Tankball. Update 1: Added video of new menus.
Modders uncover flamethrower in Halo 3, more
var digg_url = 'http://www.digg.com/xbox_360/Modders_uncover_flamethrower_in_Halo_3_new_vechicles_medals_and_more'; It seems that a group of crafty modders have uncovered what could be new content from Halo 3. Apparently, some modders have dug into the Halo 3 beta code and found mention of several new weapons, vehicles, and new names for medals (Double Kill, etc). While some of this information is likely to be placeholder or possibly even trash that has yet to be deleted from the final code, it does add some interesting ideas to what we already know. See a list of what was found after the break.
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 Wars already a blast to play
Buried under the massive weight of the Halo 3 beta, a new Halo Wars update has been quietly released by the folks at Ensemble Studios. The update focuses on the ongoing multiplayer playtests of Halo Wars, and apparently things are moving along swimmingly. It looks like Ensemble is happy with the control scheme now, so they can spend more time actually playing the game. The game's placeholder features (such as plain, rectangular buildings) are slowly being replaced by more detailed assets. Finally, artists are spending a lot of time tuning the game's scale. In other words, you want your infantry units big enough to see, but not so big that they look like giants compared to buildings and vehicles. Hit the "read" link to check out the update. [Via Arrogantics. Thanks, zizzy]
Halo 3 special edition Zune up for pre-order
Sony aren't the only cats that can leverage a little corporate synergy. Microsoft is using the might of the Halo brand, and the hype of the upcoming Halo 3, to give their Zune music device a little shove from the guy in the MJOLNIR armor. This Halo-themed Zune won't be available until June 15th, but if you've just got to give someone your money, it's up for pre-order now through game retailers Gamestop / EB Games, where it's an exclusive. $250 buys you a 30GB Zune loaded with Halo 3 goodies like music, videos, and artwork. That box oughta look great right between your $130 Legendary edition and life-size Master Chief plushie. %Gallery-3162%
Halo 3 to finish the fight on September 25th
The signs were all there: the Fall 2007 moniker, the oddly timed Beta, the Mountain Dew, but did we listen? Well, yes, we did. And so, Bungie has announced that Halo 3 will launch in North America on September 25th, 2007 with a European release scheduled only one day later. Microsoft is billing the event as the most anticipated game release of all time and really, who is going to argue that? When you can release a game with a special edition that slams your bank account for $130 bucks and your fans hardly even flinch, we think you've earned that right. So what do you say? Join us in an urban camp out the day after the Beta?
Mad Catz producing Halo 3 merchandise
Mad Catz could have just sent out a release saying, "We like Halo 3 if you please, we like Halo 3 if you don't please. Now we lookin' over our new contract here, and we realize making money off this is very clear." Sadly, all they said was "Mad Catz Interactive, Inc. ... has entered into a multi-year agreement with Microsoft to produce faceplates featuring characters from the highly-anticipated Halo 3 video game." That could have been jazzed up a little. Mad Catz expects the faceplates and accessories to be available at most major retailers before Halo 3's launch. Currently there are no images of the products, so we're just going to have to wait and see what Mad Catz has in mind for these faceplates. [Via Xbox360Fanboy]
Come and get it: Halo 3 Public Beta Guide
There are less than 24 hours between you and sweet, delicious, Halo 3 Beta goodness. So how are you expected to compete with jerks like us who have been playing for days on end? By studying up, of course and fortunately, Bungie has made that part easy. From map layouts to detailed weapon analysis, Bungie's Beta super guide makes for perfect reading material on this eve of destruction. And for those currently enjoying Halo 3, Bungie issued a patch today that has broken all of your shared films, though it was in the name of making updates easier in the future.
Cheney 'honored' with dubious Halo 3 medal
What do you get when you fill 10 of your opponents with shotgun shells in a row without dying? A game medal named after a certain current United States Vice President and a certain quail hunt expedition gone awry. We're not sure if this Halo 3 multiplayer award will make it into the final retail game, as the laughter will probably dwindle after the 20th time you see this -- for now, we'll chortle a little and respect Bungie's sense of humor. Update: the medal has been changed to the more subtle "Open Season." [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Reuters: Halo 3 gets mixed reviews
Yes, it's coming from non-gaming news source Reuters. No, you shouldn't expect to base "reviews" off previews. However, it is an international wire service that'll influence the Halo 3 message in the "average" consumer's mind, so here we are. Reuters reports that players had mixed reviews about the beta at the NYC and San Francisco Halo events from last weekend. Poor Nicholas Puleo of EvilAvatar is thrown by Reuters into the crosshairs of Halo fanboys everywhere by saying, "The graphics can use some work ... They're not much different than the previousHalo ... They've got five, six months until release, so they'll add some polish ... When I compare it to other things in the platform, it's not standout." Wait fanboys, don't hunt him down just yet. Despite that one quote and the headline, the Reuters piece is actually just a bunch of quotes from Microsoft marketing folks. Of course, the great "duh" quote goes to Craig Davison, Microsoft's director of marketing, "There's a significant number of people just waiting for that one game and this is the game." It'll certainly be an interesting month for NPD data the month after Halo 3 launches to see if there is a spike in Xbox 360 sales -- and how significant it'll be.
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.
Mad Catz to create official Halo 3 merch
Video game peripheral creators Mad Catz has fought for and won Microsoft's heart and has been awarded the honor of creating exclusive Halo 3 merchandise for the next few years. They also stated that there should be Halo 3 faceplates out before the game launches this Fall. Sorry Pelican and Nyko, you guys just couldn't handle the massive coolness that is Halo 3. Please, let's just move along and put this behind everyone, okay? [Via TeamXbox]
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%
Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta event - NYC
As a matter of courtesy, we thought it best to inform you that Joystiq, hereafter referred to in pretentious third-person, is currently attending the Halo 3 (you know, "the most anticipated game release of all time") preview event being held in New York City, as well as the one being held in San Francisco. Joystiq will be documenting its observations in text and video format, most of which will likely be focused on the eradication of brightly-colored cyborgs. Let Joystiq know if there are any crucial questions it should be posing to the important people mulling about the venue. %Gallery-3088%
Halo 3 beta reminder: check your Bungie box!
Alright, we take it back. During a little What Are You Playing diatribe this morning, we called all those with early "Friends and Family" access to the Halo 3 beta jerks. It turns out you can stick us in the jerk tank now (well, you can at least stick me in there), because we just found our invite tucked away in our Bungie.net message box. Let this be a reminder to dedicated Halo fans that have not yet done so: check your Bungie.net message box! You might just find a happy little surprise. Now if you'll excuse us, it's time for some beta mayhem. [Thanks, Stephen]
Today's most betalicious video: Halo 3 beta footage
Today's hottest video goes out for all you Halo 3 fans -- at least 5 million, by our counts. Microsoft employee Mr. Jukes, reportedly the most fanatical player in the company, has created a video of his playtime with the internal beta. Bungie has released the video for the world to see. They also remind the fanbase that this beta is a bit older than what will soon be released for mass enjoyment testing. "This was fully sanctioned and approved by Bungie," the developer added, "unlike some of those other 'leaked' videos that have ended up online." Oh, and Jared? Cancel all your weekend plans. You've got some analyzing to do. Video embedded after the break.
