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Halo 3: ODST buyers surveyed about their next purchases
Halo fans are strange, otherworldly creatures whose behaviors are difficult to analyze. A consulting firm named OTX recently tried to tap into this demographic's collective hivemind the only way it knew how -- by asking Halo 3: ODST purchasers what title they'll likely pick up next. The firm found that the average Bungie buyer plans to acquire a total of three games within the next few months, with Modern Warfare 2, Assassins Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 being the most desired titles. We're not sure if that means this group enjoys blockbusters, or if they're addicted to games with numerical suffixes. Though the list of top 20 games charted in this manner is primarily composed of Xbox 360 titles, God of War III was also a popular response; with 18 percent of participants claiming it to be their next purchase. We're beginning to see a pattern develop. A manly, manly pattern.
Video interview: Inside Halo 3: ODST
We train the lens on Bungie game designer Alex Pfeiffer and Microsoft global product manager Ryan Crosby for this look into the design and marketing of Halo 3: ODST, and the future of the franchise. Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes.
Toys R Us offers action figure and $20 gift card with ODST purchase
If our late-night review of Halo 3: ODST filled you with an unbridled desire to purchase the noir-filled shooter, Toys R Us will have quite the deal on the game's launch day. Those willing to travel to the giraffe-approved retailer this Tuesday are eligible to receive an ODST action figure and a $20 gift card with their purchase of the title. We suggest spending the complimentary Geoffrey Bucks on another action figure to keep your lil' trooper company as you spend the next few weeks exploring New Mombasa. Make sure you don't purchase any Master Chief action figures, though. There's no reason to give the poor guy an inferiority complex. %Gallery-72961%
Review: Halo 3: ODST
Enter "The Green Box." The question we've all been asking ourselves: Is Halo 3: ODST worth $60? If you want the answer, this is your review: In hindsight, announcing what was then "Halo 3: Recon" as a "value-oriented" expansion appears to have been a crucial first misstep for Microsoft and Bungie along the road to marketing what is now Halo 3: ODST. In time, the so-called expansion grew to include a complete campaign with 4-player support; Firefight, a separate co-op multiplayer mode; a comprehensive version of Halo 3 multiplayer; and access to the Halo: Reach beta when it becomes available at an unspecified date next year. ODST was ultimately set at the standard, full-game price of $60. That's when folks got skeptical. So how's your money being spent? $30 + $10 + $10 + The Remainder = Halo 3: ODST %Gallery-73454%
Drop in for ODST midnight launch events
Ah, what's a Halo game release without midnight launch events? Unsurprisingly, both Best Buy and GameStop will be hosting midnight launches for Halo 3: ODST. While Best Buy will simply be selling the game at midnight, Monday, September 21, GameStop has some festivities planned. According to Team Xbox, activities planned include RC Warthog and "pedal-powered go-cart" races, Halo trivia contests as well as a Halo cosplay contest. Before you don your favorite Cortana costume, you should call your local GameStop to see when and if festivities begin (most stores will begin at 9:00pm local time). Joystiq has also been told that "some" Game Crazy locations will hold midnight launch events. You'll have to contact you're local store to find out. For a list of all participating Best Buy stores, click right here. For participating GameStops, download this PDF. Or, if you don't feel like waiting in line for three hours, you could always try Wal-Mart. Source -- Best Buy - Halo 3: ODST Midnight Store Opening Locations! Source -- GameStop - Halo 3: OSDT Midnight Openings (PDF)
Hands-on: Halo 3: ODST Firefight mode
If Halo 3: ODST's campaign is "Combat Distilled," then its co-op multiplayer mode, Firefight, is the product of the same process, further refined. Firefight is combat distilled, then filtered; then distilled again and again. While the story mode can already be played cooperatively with up to four players (with or without scoring enabled), Firefight re-purposes eight of the sets from the campaign missions into closed, gladiatorial arenas where the odds are heavily stacked in the Covenants' favor. It's not a complicated formula. We've seen Gears of War 2 similarly extract itself into Horde Mode, as well as a number of other recent shooters spinning off their core gameplay elements into various arcade-like challenges. In all, Firefight contains ten maps (two are featured twice as night and day versions with slightly varied ingredients), and three of the ten are unlocked through campaign progression; though anyone can play on a locked map, so long as the match host has unlocked it. Likewise, except for the Rookie, character skins are unlocked through campaign play. (Sgt. Johnson will be a bonus skin for ODST pre-orderers.) Firefight lives on the campaign disc (separate from "vanilla" Halo 3 multiplayer; contained on a second disc), and players are bound to the limitations of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper: non-rechargeable health, no dual-wielding, and so on. You're no Spartan. %Gallery-72910%
Third ODST ViDoc takes a peek at development
Bungie has released the third in the Halo 3: ODST ViDoc series, entitled "Terra Incognita." With the help of Bungie staffers like Curtis Creamer, Joseph Staten and Marty O'Donnell, the video takes a look at the development of ODST, which was completed in just one year. The team spends a good deal of time -- the video is over 8 minutes long -- discussing the hub of New Mombasa, the open-world area where players will spend their time as "the Rookie." The video also goes over some of the additions to the game, as well as the subtractions. Incidentally, if you miss dual-wielding, blame design director Paul Bertone. Apparently he "doesn't like it." Give it a watch, and be sure to check out Joystiq's latest hands-on impressions of the ODST campaign and new screens below: %Gallery-72961%
Hands-on: Halo 3: ODST Campaign
Wait. What? You mean ... My thought was suspended as I, the Rookie, was deployed in a one-man pod from a warship in orbit over New Mombasa. Here we go: I'm now an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper. While "shock" troops denote the shocking of an enemy force, I was the one shocked. Halo 3: ODST immediately chucks its Rookie into unknown territory. You mean, the tutorial level is not a corridor crawler through a spaceship? After a rough insertion, I awoke six hours later, dangling precariously above New Mombasa's streets. This is the night-cast world we'd seen at E3. Bungie calls this map "the hub," the open-world environment through which the player accesses campaign missions (portrayed as flashbacks). "Film noir" is another term we've heard, and it's a reference to atmospheric elements, like New Mombasa's glowing-red dim, smoky streets and its jazzy background cuts; rather than a classic plot outline that goes something like: handsome good guy led astray by beautiful femme fatale. There is, though, a mystery to unravel.
Extended ODST live action short even more awesome
You might recall that the Joystiq staff went a little cuckoo-bananas over the recently released Halo 3: ODST live action short. We also informed the masses that an extended version of the trailer would soon be available. Now, that time has come and the original 90 second short has been extended to a full 2:30, cramming in a full 60 seconds of additional awesome. If you'd like to watch this bad boy on your fancy HDTV, you can queue it up for your 360 right here. Now, watch. You'll be glad you did.
Gamer sticks Bungie, Microsoft with Halo 3 lawsuit
Randy Nunez is quite upset with Microsoft and Bungie, as TG Daily reports he's leading the charge on a lawsuit against both companies over bugs and glitches he (and others) found in Halo 3. Forget that the game is enjoyed relatively complaint-free by close to a million people every day, Nunez and company say "Halo 3 consistently causes the Xbox 360 to 'crash,' 'freeze' or 'lock up' while the game is being played." The filing even states that "repeated and mounting consumer complaints and inquiries concerning this operational flaw in Halo 3" have been reported, with Microsoft and Bungie allegedly taking no steps to correct the issue or recall the game. Our biggest issue with the game, of course, is that it never lets us win online. Do we need to start spamming the lawyer weapon?
Bungie, film noir and the creation of ODST
During a panel held at PAX 2009, Bungie's CJ Cowan, Joe Staten, Lars Bakken, Michael Wu, Curtis Creamer, Marty O'Donnell and Brian Jarrard explained the creative process behind Halo 3: ODST. The panelists spent a good deal of the session discussing one of the major influences of the game: film noir. Film noir influenced nearly every aspect of the game, from the artwork and gameplay to the music and story. Halo 3: ODST borrows elements from the genre, such as dark lighting and moody music. Also in the tradition of film noir, players will be tasked with solving a mystery -- what happened to the rest of the ODST team? In addition to the film noir talk, we got to take a look at some concept art from the game, including an Elephant adapted as a waste collection vehicle (renamed the Oliphaunt) and the Covenant Engineer, which will be making its first official appearance in a Halo FPS game. We also got to see the early, hideous model of Nathan Fillion's character, Buck, which you can see above. Apparently, Fillion's agent actually cleared it to be included in the game. Thankfully, Bungie did not. Bungie also dropped the news of the Fourth Wall Studios meta-game within Halo 3: ODST at the panel, which you can read more about right here. And, finally, there was Connor. Check out images from the event in the gallery below. %Gallery-72195%
Coming soon: The Halo 3: ODSTOST
During the Halo 3: ODST panel at PAX, Bungie revealed -- much to everyone's surprise -- that there were plans to release an official soundtrack alongside the release of ODST. According to Marty O'Donnell, over three hours of music were recorded for the game, so there should be plenty to listen to. O'Donnell also discussed the film noir influences in the soundtrack, as evidenced by the moody saxophone riffs heard in the first ViDoc released earlier this year. Sold as a two disc set from Sumthing Digital, the soundtrack is available for pre-order on Amazon and should release alongside Halo 3: ODST on September 22.
'If people love it,' Halo's Firefight mode could be added to Reach
Halo 3: ODST's survival horde Firefight Mode is probably the most notable addition to the upcoming Halo 3 expansion from Bungie Studios. With Halo: Reach headed to consoles next Fall, the developer had left the possibility of the new mode's inclusion in that project up in the air ... at least until now. Speaking with Eurogamer at PAX 2009, Bungie community manager Brian Jarrard said Firefight could very well make it into Halo: Reach -- "if people love it," that is."I don't think we've ever been known to really take things away from each successive release, so I think it's safe to say that if Firefight gets a lot of traction and people love it, it probably has a good future home in our next title as well," Jarrard said. Shh! Nobody bring up the battle rifle!%Gallery-64703%
Video: Joystiq @ The Omegathon for Halo 3: ODST
The PAX '09 Omegathon wraps up later today, but last night, we snagged some footage of the third round, which was dedicated to Nathan Fillion: The Game Halo 3: ODST. Three teams of four faced off in the new Firefight mode, with the top two teams advancing to the next round. This was the first time that anyone outside of Bungie has played the mode on Legendary difficulty, so there were some neat surprises, including Wraith tanks lobbing plasma at players and Covenant Engineers that bestow overshields to any nearby enemy, even Grunts. The players seated at the big screen also got to try out Sergeant Johnson, instilling them with extra courage and cigar-chomping bravado. Oh, and a Hunter got stuck in a wall during the third round. See it all in the video above.
Joystiq watches the Halo 3 ODST live action commercial (and so can you!)
Sometimes, we want to show you the behind-the-scenes action at Joystiq HQ. Here are a few excerpts from when we first uncovered the live-action Halo 3 ODST commercial: JC Fletcher: "Wow, glad I'm not in the ODST" Andrew Yoon: "Holy **** @ ODST" Randy Nelson "Awesome" You too can marvel in its splendor after the break. And when you do, you're likely to agree with Ludwig Kietzmann: "Where's mah Halo moviez?" [Thanks, Zach!]
Bungie reveals new Halo 3: ODST campaign level, 'Kizingo Boulevard'
Save for the one story mission we saw at E3 2009 and the character introduction trailer, Halo 3:ODST's single-player campaign hasn't seen heavy exposure from developer Bungie. That all changed last night, when GTTV got a hold of design director Paul Bertone, who revealed "Kizingo Boulevard," a tank-based level that follows an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper from "kind of in the middle of the story." Later in the episode, Bungie's creative director, Joe Staten, teased a bit of info regarding next year's Halo: Reach, saying, "We're really excited about telling a story with more Spartans in it." Host Geoff Keighley pushes Staten on squad-based Halo rumors and receives an interesting answer: "Without any of the baggage of sort of squad-based combat, I think that would be a safe assumption." Maybe we'll finally find out what happened to Linda, Fred, and Kelly! ... we did not just write that. %Gallery-64703%
Sgt. Johnson shows off Halo 3: ODST's Firefight mode
This latest ViDoc from Bungie on Halo 3: ODST is quite the treat. It focuses on the Firefight mode, complete with narration from cigar-chomper Sgt. Johnson himself, even revealing a few of the Achievements and Skull modifiers. It's a pretty content-rich video for only being around two minutes and, well, we'd say more, but then that would only get in the way of you clicking the play button. [Thanks, jakob!]
Bungie says Halo: Reach is its last Halo game, working on new IP with new publisher
Let's face it, folks -- ten years is a long time to be working on a single franchise. That ten years could feel like a lot more when you're rarely on break, back in the development seat for another new Halo nearly every two years. Such is the tale for ex-Microsoft developer Bungie Studios, who told IGN UK at this week's San Diego Comic-Con, "After Reach that's it for us." Meaning that after next year's Halo: Reach ships to stores, Bungie is out of the alien killin', FPS genre -- at least those starring members of the UNSC, that is.Though Bungie's Lars Bakken doesn't go into tons of detail about the studio's next game, he does say, "We're already working on a new IP that we can't talk about yet ... we've done a lot of different styles - first person to third person to RTS - so it could be anything." Eurogamer found out earlier in the day from Bakken that the upcoming game has yet to find a publisher, though Bungie is currently in talks with various companies and he says, "those talks are, I guess, close." Future Halo titles (you thought Reach was the last?) will be handled by 343 Industries, the recently trademarked, Microsoft-owned studio.We contacted Bungie for comment on Mr. Bakken's comments and were told, "While it's great to see so much public interest over what the future holds for Bungie, we're not ready to talk about any plans or games beyond Halo 3: ODST or Halo: Reach. It's no secret that we've had multiple projects in development nor that we've also been working on original IP in tandem to our Halo titles but our focus right now is on our two upcoming releases. We'll have more to say when the time is right."Source 1 - IGN UKSource 2 - Eurogamer
Bungie: Don't expect to see Master Chief in ODST
Given that Halo 3: ODST takes place directly after the Prophet of Regret bugs out of New Mombasa, it's not too surprising to learn that Master Chief won't be appearing in the game. See, everyone knows that the UNSC In Amber Clad -- carrying Master Chief -- jumped into the same slipspace rupture used by Regret. Duh.Still, if you were sternly hoping that John 117 might make some kind of cameo, those hopes have now been officially quashed by Bungie's Brian Jarrard. Speaking to Multiplayer, Jarrard stated the totally obvious, "Master Chief, at the time this game takes place, is actually off on other parts of the galaxy." Jarrard elaborated, "In this game, it's all about you playing the role of an ODST," adding, "The way the timelines work in this game, Master Chief is off doing something else."So there you have it, the only place to find Master Chief while playing ODST is where he can always be found: Our hearts.
Impressions of Halo 3: ODST campaign -- Life in a sandbox
Call us foolish, but walking into the Bungie demonstration of Halo 3: ODST at E3 last week, we had no idea that the main campaign mode consisted of, more or less, a sandbox environment. Truth be told, we knew of stealth bits and that, as per the title of the game, there was something to do with Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in the story, but not much else. Bungie's Lars Bakken commandeered "the rookie" -- the character you'll basically use as a vehicle through New Mombasa's variety of flashback missions -- introducing us to the character in an opening cutscene rather reminiscent of previous Halo games from a style perspective. We are introduced to "Dutch" early on, the subject of our one guided flashback mission of the walkthrough, who's a bit of a fast-talking hardass, as ODSTs are wont to be. %Gallery-64703%
