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Game Head goes to 42 Entertainment, pesters about Halo 3
Is Geoff Keighley the only "real" gaming journalist? We're not actually qualified to say, but we do know this: he certainly is an astute young fellow. Instead of jocking up Bungie's crotch for any scrap of Halo 3 news, he went below the radar and to one of our secret crushes, 42 Entertainment. The most recent episode of Game Head has Geoff inside the walls of the famed Alternate-Reality developer and goes over everything from The Beast, to Last Call Poker and up to 2004's breakout hit, I Love Bees. It's in the third segment that Geoff gets around to asking the inevitable question, "will 4orty2wo do it again?" And for as much as we want to clasp our hands over our ears and shriek the theme song to Mr Belvedere, we can't help but listen. Ultimately, the answer is a "no comment" but with a wink and tip of the hat. [Via Halo.Bungie.Org]
Halo Wars update is somewhat informative
We're a little late on this one, but at least we're honest about the fact and are still reporting on the goods. Over on the official Halo Wars forums Ensemble Studios' own Thunder posted a brief status report on Halo Wars' progress and asked lead designer Graeme Devine a few questions. Although the update and interview don't give us any new media or reveal any big news about Halo Wars, we do learn that Graeme is Irish and likes his Guinness. So, if you're feeling a little adventurous, make the jump for Ensemble Studios' April Halo Wars update.
New Halo 2 maps get ripped apart
The new Halo 2 maps Tombstone and Desolation have been released for like, what, 30 hours and are already being torn apart. Over at Halo.bungie.org the legendary Mr. Wu posted a bunch of links cataloging all the glitches and easter eggs surrounding the two new maps, including an original Halo pistol sighting. And yes, you can pick it up via modding. People have even found a way to get out of the map in Tombstone, avoiding the instant kill barriers that float above head. Poor new Halo 2 maps ... you didn't even stand a chance.
BYOBR*: Joystiq ponies up and checks out Halo 2's latest maps
Mere hours before the call to arms, we found ourselves leisurely strolling through the Forerunner facility that would make up our first field of battle, Desolation. The curious chrips and croaks of local wildlife we heard would soon be lost over the constant barrage of gunfire and wash of plasma. Certain Affinity had truly outdone themselves and while appreciating their masterful work is one thing, painting it with the blood of those damned, dirty blues is quite another. After all, the real art in these multiplayer death traps is found well below a nice coat of paint. By now, all of the Halo nation should be aware that yesterday saw the release of two brand-new multiplayer maps, Desolation and Tombstone. As recreations of Combat Evolved's Derelict and Hang Em' High, we've been itching to find out how they stack up to the classics. But in order to really get down to business, we needed worthy opponents. Folks who really know their stuff. So, on the eve of their Hump Day Challenge, we took on the folks at 1UP to get a serious look at how these two maps play out. %Gallery-2368%
Bungie explains Halo 2 360 download issues
It seems that a few people are experiencing download issues regarding the new Halo 2 maps. Being the wonderful (and hauntingly beautiful) people that they are, Bungie has posted some handy instructions for downloading the maps problem free. The problems arise from 360 users that don't have a credit card associated with their account, which wasn't possible on the original Xbox. If you find yourself in this particular situation you must do the following (courtesy of Bungie.net): 1. In the Xbox Dashboard, select the profile that you want to modify, and then select Account Management. 2. Select Memberships. 3. Select the membership that you want to update. 4. Select Change Payment Options. 5. Select Add Credit Card. 6. Enter the credit card information for the card that you want to add. This can also be a debit or Visa (or similar) gift card, however, some restrictions may apply. There is also an issue involving European users using PAL-60 TV standard. If you are using this standard and running your 360 over VGA, you will be unable to download the new maps. The solution is to hook up your 360 with a composite video cable to download the maps. Of course, you will need an ordinary television to do this. Bungie has also listed the playlists that will feature the new maps. Expect the playlist update to arrive next week. In the meantime, the new maps will only be available for custom games. Hit the "read" link for the full story.
Microsoft's internal Halo 3 beta begins
For those of you cool enough to have a Microsoft employee on your friends list you may have noticed them playing a certain game called "Halo 3 Beta". Yes, it is the real Halo 3 beta. No, it hasn't been released early, so put down your copy of Crackdown and breathe ... okay, you're good right? Frankie sends word that the Halo 3 beta is out, but is currently only available to Microsoft employees. In other words, it's Microsoft's internal Halo 3 beta and nothing more. So, if you see someone playing "Halo 3 Beta", you can be rest assured it's someone more important than you. And for the rest of us less important people we will have to be patient, because our Halo 3 beta goodness is still weeks away. We'll just sit back and wait this one out with a bag of Funyuns and a bottle of diet Mountain Dew. Damnit! You lucky Microsoft employees get everything ... we want our Halo 3 beta now! [Thanks, Willy Lohman]
Halo 2 'Blastacular' maps now available for $4
After a slow morning spent watching Mega64 videos, it dawned on us. Today is April 17th. Of course, the 17th of every other month is laundry day at Joystiq HQ, but this 17th was different. It was special. Today, Bungie released two additional multiplayer maps for Halo 2, Tombstone and Desolation -- remakes of two popular Halo: Combat Evolved off-line maps. We fired up the trusty old Xbox (... 360 in emulation mode), updated our credit card information (remember, your Microsoft points are no good on Xbox titles), and got to downloading the 9112 block title (we're not sure how large a block is either). Team Joystiq will put the maps through the paces later on today, just as soon as we're done with all this laundry. %Gallery-2368%
New Halo 2 maps are ready for action
It's not like Halo 2 fans really need us to tell them this, but the new Halo 2 maps are now available. The Blastacular pack contains two new maps, Desolation and and Tombstone. Desolation is a re-imagined Derelict, while Tombstone is the long awaited remake of Hang 'em High. Both maps can be had for the reasonable sum of $4. Remember, the maps have to be charged directly to a credit card, and they must be downloaded using the Halo 2 in-game downloader. If you don't have a credit card, you can also use a reloadable gift card, which you should be able to purchase at your local grocery store. We'll be back with impressions of the maps later today.
More Halo 3 beta talk and Halo 2 news
The latest Bungie Weekly Update brings us a few more details about the Halo 3 beta and talks about the changes going on over in Halo 2 land. First, let's jump into the beta news. Frankie further clarifies his clarification about the new X button "Equipment" function. The X button will pick up and drop equipment items like the bubble shield and tripmine (others items may be in the works), but not "throw" them. So, they'll be items on a map that have to be picked up like any other weapon and once dropped ... they'll activate. Also, the bubble shield will allow people to pass through it, but stop bullets and grenades in their tracks. It's also interesting to note that the bubble shield will be "breakable" and stationary in the beta, not rolling once dropped. For those of you who are overly excited about Halo 3's recording function, it'll be available in the beta, but in a stripped down version only. And before we forget, there is plenty of Halo 2 news to be read about various problems, the new matchmaking structure, and information on the new maps. Again, we can't recap every jewel from the Weekly Update, so it's your fanboy duty to make the jump and read it all. Quickly, jump!
Halo 2: Desolation and Tombstone map pack photos
We have a slew of screenshots and concept artwork from the upcoming Halo 2 map pack for you, in a joy-filled Joystiq gallery. The new maps, Desolation and Tombstone, are less than a week away ... but that still gives you plenty of time to study these and try to come up with some kind of strategy for action. They're both pretty wide-open maps, and does that giant crane in Tombstone actually do anything? Looks like it might drop fusion cores, although we're hoping you can crush people with it, Ivan Drago style. %Gallery-2368%
Halo 3 video questions cleared up
Bungie's own Frankie jumped over to the NeoGAF forums to clear up some speculation floating around the new Halo 3 vidoc that was released this morning. In Frankie's post, he re-emphasizes that all the multiplayer gameplay footage was taken from the alpha build and that it is not representative of how pretty the game looks saying that, "All of the water you saw, for example, is placeholder. No decorators are in those maps. The frame rates are all over the place. Some of that footage has correct lighting, some of it doesn't. All of that footage is olde." He also goes on to explain that the new bubble shield and trip mine are two of the X button's deployments and are not treated as grenades as some thought. So, the beta will be graphically prettier, the frame rate will much more consistent, and the X button does indeed control the bubble shield and trip mine. Not too shabby. [Via HBO]
Playing Halo PC with a ... guitar?
Trying to use the Guitar Hero II guitar controller for other applications may be a tad difficult, especially if you try to play a first person shooter with it. But AMarine decided to do just that and setup his guitar to control Master Chief on Halo PC. After mapping the buttons and demoing it in game we're going to say it seems ... awkward. But that's expected. We totally give AMarine props for taking the jump and trying it out, but would love to see someone crazy enough to master the use of the guitar in Halo. That's the challenge guys, get twenty kills in a ranked Halo PC game using the Guitar Hero II guitar as a controller and send us the vid. Anyone up for the challenge? [Via 360style.net]
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.
Halo 3 beta May 16th, new ViDoc on XBLM
Read the headline. That's really the gist of this whole story (as headlines tend to be). Microsoft announced this morning that the much anticipated Halo 3 beta will begin on May 16th, 5AM PDT, and will run for three weeks ending June 6th at 11:59PM PDT. The beta will come equipped with the three of the maps we already know about, Valhalla, Snowbound, and High Ground. It will also give players a chance to try out the Mongoose and many of the new weapons including the MA5C Assault Rifle, the Brute Spiker, the Spartan Laser, and the Spike Grenades. Finally, as a sort of hors d'oeuvre for the beta, a new ViDoc is now available at Bungie.net and Xbox Live Marketplace. Titled ""Is Quisnam Protero Damno!," the ViDoc gives some behind the scenes info on the new multiplayer maps and their design process. The fine lads here at X3F are all in the beta, so you can be sure you'll see us on there. If you haven't already, hurry up and sign up for the X3F Halo 3 beta leaderboard. The leaderboard should be a great place to find party members and some friendly competition when the beta launches. In the meantime, watch the ViDoc and dream of Halo 3 goodness.
More Halo 3 weapon and multiplayer details
In an interview with Gamepro, Bungie's Frankie answers questions about Halo 3's weapons and a few multiplayer inquiries. Among the nuggets of information squeezed from Frankie's lips are that the Needler has been overhauled (again), the Spiker is the Brute version of the SMG, and that the various types of grenades add another layer of strategy to the whole ball of wax. Equally interesting is that Frankie pretty much confirms Halo 3 will be using Halo 2's party based matchmaking (as if we doubted that) and when questioned about online co-op Frankie answered, "What is a co-op? We'll do our best to make the online experience a blast". Haha, funny Frankie. You know we want our online co-op and we want it now, or just when Halo 3 is released. That'll do. Read the full interview after the jump. [Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Bungie talks Halo 2 maps
In Bungie's latest Weekly Update, Frankie went into greater detail with regards to Tombstone and Desolation. He complimented Certain Affinity's ability to bring Hang 'Em High and Derelict successfully to Halo 2's gameplay changes from that of Halo. There was obviously a lot more thought put into the changes than just changing the textures and taking away the roof, as the map also features fall damage, which we believe is to be exclusive to that map at this point. As for Desolation, it's been streamlined for competitive play and features grav lifts, ramps around the perimeter, as well as face lifts, moving from an abandoned spacecraft to an open forest.
High school Halo 2 tournament quashed by school officials
The Ann Arbor News reported this weekend about a high school junior's plans for a school-sanctioned Halo 2 tournament, which was canceled after local police got wind of it. Zach Wigal had hacked through a jungle of bureaucracy for nine months while planning the tournament, spending $650 of his own cash on a permit, printing 2,500 fliers, and clearing the idea with school officials. Four days before the event, Wigal's dad made a courtesy call to the cops, letting them know than an estimated 300 gamers were about to descend on the high school commons, suggesting that the officer might want to attend for security reasons. That set off a chain reaction of concerned phone calls that ended up with the school officials rescinding their permission for the tournament, ostensibly because "kids 17 and under playing an M-rated game for money is not something appropriate for the high school." A reasonable decision, but one that they were perfectly capable of making, oh, nine months ago. Zach Wigal had better hope he gets that $650 back.
Halo 2 maps: Hang 'em High is back, not 360 exclusive
Halo 2 fans rejoice, as Microsoft has officially announced the new maps coming to Halo 2. There will be two maps available for download, Tombstone and Desolation. Tombstone is a remake of one of the most popular maps from the original Halo, Hang 'em High. Seen in the image above, Tombstone gives Hang 'em High's stark presentation an industrial twist. Desolation is a remake of Derelict, and presents a more symmetrical design. Check out Desolation after the break.
Halo 3 beta shenanigans, shenanigans we say!
Some of our readers may have seen the image above -- minus the "bogus," of course -- floating around the internet since yesterday. Okay, the creator of the image claims that it is an official email containing a download code for the Halo 3 beta. Let's look at why this is categorically untrue.
Halo 3 beta today? No, probably not.
Wow, a few hours without Live just makes people kuh-razy. When Live goes down for maintenance, it doesn't take long for the intertubes to start compiling theories as to what that maintenance is for (or indeed, if it is even maintenance at all). If the headline didn't already tip you off, some are speculating that the Live maintenance is being performed in anticipation of the much awaited Halo 3 beta. What's more, some are speculating that the beta will release today after the maintenance is finished. But what's wild speculation without a little evidence to back it up, right?
