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Bungie talks Mythic maps, confirms ODST will be final content offering
Chatting with IGN, Bungie's Lars Bakken and Brian Jarrard talk Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack specifics, including the addition of Sandbox forgable items like red / blue lighting, a new "Kill Ball" as well as crouch height tunnels.Bungie also confirmed that with the release of Halo 3: ODST this Fall, no more multiplayer content (or Halo 3 content for that matter) will be released. "We are viewing the ODST campaign and the included multiplayer maps as the final exclamation point in our ongoing efforts to extend the Halo 3 experience," said Jarrard. "We're really grateful to our fans for standing by Halo 3 for so long and continuing to show us such strong support."We're sure their bloated bank accounts are equally grateful.
MS could bring Halo to other genres if it wouldn't 'gut the franchise'
Talking with VideoGamer.com at a recent London press event, Microsoft Halo Studios lead producer Jason Pace admitted that there is potential for the Halo franchise to expand into other genres ... as long as it makes sense within the Halo universe."I can tell you that if you could think of a game that would work with a party atmosphere that would not gut the [Halo] franchise, or milk it, we would think about it, seriously," Pace said. The only stipulation for expanding into other genres would be the "need to take an element of the universe that made sense." But if you think you'll be seeing Chief in some sort of upcoming DDR-style game, you're mistaken, because Pace was sure to point out that "you're never going to see a dancing Master Chief game." A dancing grunt game, we're told, is a possibility.
Toys 'R' Us, GameStop get Halo Wars figs this month
McFarlane Toys has announced that Toys 'R' Us, GameStop and an unnamed third retailer will be exclusively selling the company's new line of Halo Wars figures early. The three retailers will begin selling three different 3-packs of the figurines sometime this month, while other retailers will begin selling the toys after the Halo Wars launch in March. Each of the three "First Look" retailers will have an exclusive 3-pack on offer, each containing three 2½ inch UNSC or Covenant figures. McFarlane announced late last year that each pack will priced from $9.99 to $11.99. Find out where each pack will be available in the list below. TBA -- UNSC TROOPS (Blue)1 Spartan (with assault rifle) 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle) 1 Spartan (with dual magnums) Toys "R" Us -- UNSC TROOPS (Red)1 Spartan (with dual magnums) 1 Spartan (with assault rifle) 1 Marine Infantry (with assault rifle) GameStop -- COVENANT TROOPS (Purple)2 Elites (with Plasma rifles)1 Grunt (with Needler)
Halo Wars ViDoc 2 explains why Spartans, Scarabs are awesome
It's not like we really needed an explanation. Oh sure, it's nice to hear the folks behind Halo Wars discussing why the various units are all so cool, but it's another thing altogether to watch a Scarab literally burn its way through a screaming army of marines, or to see a Spartan slam an Elite to the ground and subsequently kick it in the head. The fact that this much detail is present in a game that's played from a bird's eye view only makes it that much more impressive. But enough gab: Watch (and then be sad).
'Best of Halo' Xbox 360 console: Now with more box art
We can't think of a better way to start the work week than with a few high-res photos of the European exclusive Best of Halo Xbox 360 bundle. Believe us, we tried. Galleried below are the three console box shots, which include full frontal, corner angled and the textual backside. Just try not to drool on your keyboard.%Gallery-43653%
Halo 3 Mythic map 'Sandbox' dug up, dusted off [update]
(click to embiggen) Behold, the first screenshot of the yet to be officially revealed Halo 3 multiplayer map Sandbox. You know, the map that's one third of the upcoming Mythic Map Pack. The image comes way of the official Austrian Xbox Blog, which sort of jumped the gun plasma rifle by releasing information about Sandbox and the other Mythic maps, Assembly and Orbital. Bungie must have caught word of the photographic leak and decided to host a super high-res shot of their own. What we gather from the Sandbox screenshot is that the map looks a lot like Halo 3 arena Sandtrap, but darker and with fewer hills. If you look really close, each chunk of the map seems movable, meaning that Sandbox will be a true Forge experience. And if you investigate even further, the Austrian Xbox Blog mentions the Mythic maps will cost 800 with an XBLM a Halo Wars bundle release on March 3rd. Go ahead, grab a shovel, start digging and see what you can find.Update: Microsoft just informed us that the Mythic Map Pack will be available bundled with Halo Wars CE on March 3rd and will release as a stand alone XBLM download later this Spring. [Via 1UP, Thanks MDK x2002x]
Lucky Europe receives 'Best of Halo' Xbox 360 bundle
Because Halo Wars is in dire need of more promotion and marketing (not really), Microsoft will be releasing a special edition Xbox 360 console dubbed the "Best of Halo edition". Swedish retailer Webhallen has the listing, mentioning the bundle will ship February 27th and will include all the standard 360 Pro amenities (60GB HDD, wireless controller, headset, cables, etc.) with the addition of both Halo 3 and Halo Wars. And for 2795 kr or about $350 USD, it's actually a decent deal.As far as we know, Europe will be the only market this Best of Halo Xbox 360 will see a release in. But that doesn't mean Stateside fanboys can't keep their fingers crossed and continue to pray to the prophets above.[Via Teamxbox]
Fan made H3 machinima re-creates Blomkamp's 'Landfall'
Back in 2007, movie director Neill Blomkamp put together a three piece spectacle of Halo-sized proportions called Halo: Landfall. The all live action video was a glimpse of what the (now dead) Halo movie could have been if Blomkamp's movie magic were applied.Well, two enthusiastic Halo fanboys took it upon themselves to re-create the entire Landfall film experience as a machinima using Halo 3's game engine. Admittedly, UNSC soldiers are swapped out for Spartans and Brutes are replaced with Elites, but other than that, the video is spot on. Oh how we miss the days when our Halo film dreams were still a possibility ... sigh.
Spotted: Miniature Halo 3: ODST box art [update]
Update: As has been pointed out, the ODST box art appears on the Xbox.com XBLM as seen here. But we demand an even higher resolution shot. Microsoft has been contacted and we await a response.Using our almost inhuman investigative skills, we've turned up the very first picture of the official Halo 3: ODST box art which should receive thunderous applause and praise from Halo fanboys the world over. But the news won't receive said applause and we won't receive said praise, because the box art picture is a wee-bit tiny. So miniature that the picture you see above is the actual size. We're still trying to track down an embiggened version, but for now, take comfort in knowing that ODST's cover isn't going to feature rainbows or unicorns. Instead, it'll be 100% Halo l33tness.
Halo 3: ODST will be Elite'less
Knowledgeable word coming from last night's Bungie Weekly Update is confirmation that Halo 3: ODST will not include Elite forces as an enemy. We repeat (for the hard of hearing and those who are just too stubborn to believe), Elites will not be featured in ODST. Let us take a moment of silence ... According to Bungie, the Halo timeline of events doesn't quite allow for Elite forces to be searching Earth during the timeframe ODST takes place. Something about the Prophets, their demands, mandates, blah, blah, blah. So, know that ODST will stay true to the Halo-bible, but at the expense of no Elite interaction. We'll miss their dinosaur looking selves.[Via IGN, Thanks Jonah F.]
Halo Wars is gold, new behind the scenes documentary
click to enlarge Microsoft announced today that the Spartan-fueled RTS Halo Wars has gone gold and will soon be winging its way to retailers the world over. The company also revealed new details regarding the upcoming demo, which will hit Xbox Live Marketplace on February 5. The demo is set to include the first two campaign missions of the game as well as one of the game's 14 multilayer maps, Chasms, which can be played against AI in Skirmish mode. In skirmish mode, players can play as either the human UNSC or alien Covenant. Don't worry about wrapping your head around the control scheme, as the demo will contain both a basic and advanced tutorial. Curiously, the press release does not mention if the demo will feature any kind of local or Xbox Live multiplayer, which is a disappointment. Finally, Microsoft has released the first in a series of Halo Wars video documentaries. You can check out the video after the break, and don't forget to take a gander at some new screens in the gallery below. Gallery: Halo Wars (XBL Demo)
How to make your ugly Halo 3 screenshots prettier
Suffer from a persistent case of "Ugly Halo 3 Screenshot Taking Syndrome?" Find that your friends routinely refer to your Halo 3 screenshots as dull, lifeless, drag and vile pieces of work? We say, why suffer the constant humiliation that results from your ugly Halo screenshots when there's a cure. Bungie.net has a tutorial remedy and for a nominal fee that's a quick click towards the jump, you'll be creating Halo 3 screenshot masterpieces in no time at all. Guaranteed!* *This guarantee only applies to those who are literate, can follow instructions and have enough artistic skill to glue macaroni to cardboard.
McFarlane's Halo Points program is live
McFarlane Toys just announced that their Halo Points program has officially launched (finally), meaning that anyone who has collected armloads of Halo action figures can redeem their cardboard points for exclusive goodies. To redeem your Halo action figure points, simply print off the redemption certificate (PDF), fill it out, stuff it in an envelope with your Halo Points and wait. Recon, katana and golden Master Chief prizes all await your order. [Thanks, TOMCATS]
Video: What Halo 3 would be like with V.A.T.S.
Here's an experiment. What would you get if one were to mix traditional Halo 3 multiplayer play with a targeting system, say, like Fallout 3's V.A.T.S.? The answer is something as shown in the video above. It's interesting, sure enough, but we're not sure how much we enjoy V.A.T.S. in the Halo universe. It is definitely not a peanut butter and chocolate combination. That is unless someone could show us how to accurately lineup a teabag using V.A.T.S. Just saying.[Via GamerSushi]
Halo 3: ODST soundtrack to debut at Video Games Live event
With a new Bungie developed game in the works comes the dynamic musical duo of O'Donnell & Salvatori. On January 24, Bungie will debut the soundtrack for Halo 3: ODST at a Video Games Live concert in Seattle. Special guests at the event will include the famed Halo team of scorer Marty O'Donnell and (the elusive) composer Michael Salvatori, among others. "I've always debuted my music with Video Games Live and it's an honor to be involved with such a highly successful production. It's a fantastic show and a great and unique way to connect our music with an audience," O'Donnell said of the popular Video Games Live show. Video game music fans in the Washington area can purchase tickets for this Saturday's show from Ticketmaster.
Halo 3 January update delayed, no double EXP this weekend
Sad news for Halo 3 fanboys this weekend. The longstanding tradition of the Double EXP Weekend is on sabbatical this week. Don't worry though, it will be back, stronger than ever very soon. The reason for the missing double EXP only leads to more sadness though. You see, the intended playlist was part of the upcoming Halo 3 update. That would be fine, except the update has been delayed until next Tuesday, so the Double EXP Weekend had to be delayed with it. At least we have a solid date for the update now. The update is set to contain all kinds of changes, including a new Social Team DLC playlist, Legendary-required Rumble Pit and Social Big Team Battle. Other changes are also planned. We expect we'll hear more by next Tuesday.
Hawty McBloggy's Best of Halo Award winners
The duchess of the Halo community, Hawty McBloggy just announced the winners of the community focused 2008 Halo Awards. Among the list of winners are our pals from halo.bungie.org, Mr. Halo music man Bryan Simon and a few other machinimas. View the list-o-winners after the break.Also, we must point out that we're surprised by the fact that Halo 3 map Guardian took home fans choice honors. That's just silly. Everyone knows Standoff is where it's at.
Double your Halo 3 EXP with Grifball
For the duration of the weekend, Halo 3 gamers will be able to double their EXP with a fresh, new Grifball Double EXP playlist. Really, what's better then Grifball and twice the EXP per win? Well, maybe triple the EXP or even quadrupole the EXP, but that'd just be overly demanding.This limited weekend playlist will officially be concluding on Monday, January 12th at 2AM pacific, so begin your hammer and swording activities ASAP. Hit those orange Spartans HARD!
List of the most played Live games of 2008
Just in case you weren't keeping (weekly) track of the most played games of 2008, our pal Major Nelson thought he'd do the community a service by listing the Top 20 Live Games of 2008, based on Live connectivity over the course of the past 52 weeks. We copied 2008's top five 360 games below, because we can, but you can view a listing of 2008's twenty most played games after the jump. For those who are interested in XBLA and original Xbox 2008 stats, Major posted those as well. Congrats to Halo 3, Castle Crashers and Halo 2 for being so darn popular. 1. Halo 3 2. Call of Duty 4 3. GTAIV 4. Gears of War 2 5. Gears of War
Halo 3 push to talk all but a distant memory
In this week's more traditional edition of the Bungie Weekly Update, the Bungie guys (and a few gals) inform us that Halo 3's once controversial and still annoying push to talk communication is being all but removed. With the next wave of Halo 3 matchmaking updates (set for release mid January) push to talk will only be used in matchmaking parties over six players. That means that open chat, once restricted to parties of four or less, will now be used for all gametypes with six or less players per team. It's a smart and well appreciated enhancement, but sort of useless now that we have New Xbox Experience parties to chat in. The mid January Halo 3 matchmaking update will bring other changes, including hopper edits, gametype switching and some restructuring. Head over to Bungie.net for all the juicy deets.
