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Today's chiefiest sequel: Master Chief Sucks at Halo 2
Warning, video language is not remotely safe for work, small children, or people operating heavy machinery. Ladies and gentlemen, Master Chief is back. This time he's in for a double whammy, learning that The Arbiter taped over his movies with episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond, and finding out that the Halo 3 beta has expired. Poor Master Chief.He tries to soothe the pain with some Halo 2 action, and also serves up today's video in the process. It's not quite as good as the original (not enough Master Chief laughing lolololololololololz), but it'll kill some time between now and the release of the retail version, which looms ever closer.
Got a small fortune? Play Halo 2 with a Wiimote
Modders, to put it lightly, are crazy. Case in point, a little project by someone known only as OBsIV. What project, you ask? Why, nothing more than to get a Wii remote to control Halo 2 on an Xbox 360. More impressive than the feat itself it the sheer amount of stuff required to do it. Behold: Wiimote and Nunchuk Xbox 360 PC XFPS 360 Custom drivers "Black box" (hard coded microcontroller with spliced PS2 cable) As amazing as the mod is, we're almost more impressed that OBsIV found a good use for the XFPS 360. Check out a video of the mod in action after the break.
Halo 2 wireless battlefield communication
The clever and very observative fanboy SRU Phil spotted a little mistake over on Xbox.com's accessory page pertaining to the Halo 2 Halo 3 wireless headset. It's not called a Halo 2 headset guys and mistakes like that could so get a guy's hand chopped off or tongue ripped out. Unless of course the ad isn't a mistake and is really a leaked announcement. Maybe something along the idea that the Halo 3 wireless headset will come with a free copy of Halo 2 Vista. That's it! It's confirmed, buy the Halo 3 wireless headset and get Halo 2 Vista for free. Man, we're too good.[Thanks, SRU Phil]
The end is here: Red Vs. Blue #100
Well folks, today is the day: the end of The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Rooster Teeth promises that there will be a few one-off Red Vs. Blue episodes, but for now, the series as we know it is no more. Episode 100 is available now in all its 15 minute glory. The episode hasn't been released in embeddable format, so you might as well head over to Rooster Teeth, watch the episode, and join the already lengthy discussion. Yes, it is the end of an era. We wish the crew at Rooster Teeth the best of luck in their new endeavors.[Thanks, NitroFrost]
Shadowrun now playable on XP
X3F readers will recall that Falling Leaf was preparing to save Windows XP gamers a lot of cash by making the Windows Vista versions of Shadowrun and Halo 2 compatible with XP. Unfortunately for Falling Leaf, the hacking group Razor 1911 has already cracked* Shadowrun according to the Inquirer. Apparently, all the crack does is overwrite a few files in the installation directory. It should be noted that the crack only allows for single player against bots and multiplayer over LAN. As far as we know, online multiplayer is still restricted to Vista.Falling Leaf expects its solution to arrive in late July.[Via Joystiq]*If you want the crack, you'll have to find it on your own; we're not linking it.
Vista-only Shadowrun cracked, playable on XP
Beating Falling Leaf to the punch, members of the hacking group Razor1911 have managed to hack the Vista-only Shadowrun to work on Windows XP, the Inquirer reports. The crack, weighing in at less than 5 MB, reportedly removes the need for DirectX 10. (No, we're not linking to it -- you can find it yourself.)With the crack, you can only play single-player against bots or multiplayer LAN games. Falling Leaf, who has stated they will be providing free code for those who purchase the game on Amazon via their pre-order page, still estimates cracks for Vista-only Shadowrun and Halo 2 by "late July."
Halo 2, Shadowrun made playable on XP
Falling Leaf Studios is mad as hell and not going to take it anymore. What has caused them ire? Microsoft making Halo 2 and Shadowrun Vista-only. So they decided to make them XP-compatible. The company is promising that if you buy one of the games through Amazon via the links on their page, then they will send you for free their initial release of compatibility software that will let you"run these Windows Vista titles on Windows XP," they claim. Said Falling Leaf Systems CEO Brian Thomason, "first [Microsoft] claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false." We're not sure if the software will work as planned, or how Microsoft might try to prevent the games from going online. The expected shipment date is "within a few months," according to their press release; the pre-order page estimates late July. [Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Play Halo 2 Vista ... on Windows XP
What's that you say? You'd like to play Halo 2 on your PC, but you don't have/want Windows Vista? You're in luck then, as Falling Leaf Systems has announced plans to release software that will allow Windows XP users to play Halo 2. Not only that, the company is developing similar software for Shadowrun. To inspire XP users to take the plunge, Falling Leaf is promising a free copy of the compatibility software to those who order either game through their site. Falling Leaf CEO Brian Thomason concludes the press release with some fighting words: "First they claim that it was impossible to implement DirectX 10 compatibility atop Windows XP, and now they also want us to believe that they couldn't successfully launch two DirectX 9 based titles on XP either. We plan to expose both theories as patently false."Assuming this software works as advertised, would you change your mind about picking up either title?[Via HBO]
Sign up for Xbox Live Halo 2 Challenge
It's time to switch back over to Halo 2 for a while, because there's an Xbox Live tournament to join and Xbox 360 Elites to win. As part of Xbox Live Tournaments and Play & Win, players can sign up for the Halo 2 Challenge running from now until June 25th for a chance to win a truckload of prizes. Once signed up, play Halo 2 Rumble Pit and climb the rankings ladder, because the top 64 will advance through the finals and compete on the two new Halo 2 maps to find out who's worthy of their Spartan armor. Also, just for signing up and playing Halo 2, you're automatically entered to win an Elite, Xbox Live subscriptions and accessories as part of the Play & Win contest. Complete contest details are available after the jump.So, un-learn all your Halo 3 beta tactics and hop online for some Halo 2. Which really means prepare for a whole army of modders, cheaters and those who like to standby. W00t!
Video: Halo 3 beta: Needler ... in ... space!
A couple weeks back we showed you video footage of the Banshee "... in ... space!" This time involves the Needler, which as you may have noticed since the release of the beta, has gotten a significant boost of power as it is not dual wieldable as found in Halo 2. Whenever in High Grounds on Snowbound, nabbing a few needling kills always adds a slightly more satisfactory experience to you killing spree. So, where does the extraterrestrial extension come into play here? You'll just have to watch and see. In spite of the source, it's still pretty catchy in this context. Enjoy!
Oh teh noes!1! Not another Penny Arcade comic that relates to our site's content!
The online gaming community, or more specifically, Xbox Live has its fair share of bad apples, and based solely on its success and user base, it can be quiet easy to find prime examples in Halo 2 or even Halo 3's beta. Unfortunately, other types gaming don't have this, and when you start blurring the line between such forms of entertainment, there's bound to be a clash, right? Well, the guys at PA seem to think so with the recent announcement of Halo Clix. HBO community member turned Bungie employee KP seems pretty convinced about their source material. Does this one tickle your funny bone?
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.
Halo 2 Vista ships May 31 in US, Europe June 8
Having already been pushed back from its original release date of May 8 and subsequently not showing up on the new date of May 22, Halo 2 Vista is finally set to land on store shelves May 31. European Halo fans can grab their copies on June 8. Among the reasons readers have given us for purchasing the game (assuming most of you already have it on Xbox), our favorite is that it's the perfect game to play on your work PC during lunch. Indeed.For those of you who need your Games for Windows Live fix as soon as possible, don't forget that Shadowrun is set to release on the 29th for both the Xbox 360 and PC.
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.
A-Power's AP-Halo gaming PC dons Halo 2 outfit, beastly innards
With Dell's XPS 720 getting ready for showtime, it's quite possible that a few of you out there are eying a slightly different kind of animal, and for the Halo faithful, look no further than A-Power. The AP-Halo machine sports a fully customized Halo 2 chassis to go along with the game's PC counterpart, but it manages to look fairly good on the inside as well. Beneath the metal you'll find an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, up to 640GB of SATA II hard drive space, Asus' P5K Deluxe motherboard, a Samsung dual-layer DVD burner, Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card, gigabit Ethernet, a 768MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX handling the DX10 duties, a 700-watt power supply, and to cap things off, it also comes bundled with Microsoft's own Reclusa keyboard and Habu mouse. Of course, it'll come pre-loaded with Vista Ultimate and Halo 2, and deep-pocketed gamers can add on an Xbox 360 PC controller if they choose. The Halo 2-themed system is slated to launch on May 22nd, and while the base price sits at CAD$1,659 ($1,505) sans a monitor, those hardware upgrades will send that figure quite a ways north.
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 2: 5 million players and counting
Bungie has announced that Halo 2 has reached its 5 millionth player. What is more, it occurred yesterday, which just happened to be the 2.5 year anniversary of Halo 2's launch. Specifically, 5 million unique Live accounts have logged into Halo 2 (not including guests). Of course, this total includes every single Live account, including free trials (read: cheaters) and people who only tried the game for 5 minutes. As it happens, the 5 millionth player was "ultra theodore." Ultra indeed. [Via Joystiq]
Halo 2 hits 5 million player mark
Bungie announced that they've reached their 5 millionth player to experience Halo 2 online. The number refers to unique Live accounts that have played the title. That doesn't mean people stuck with it or that each of those tags belonged to different people. Bungie reached the milestone on the 2.5 year anniversary of the game's launch. The real test of Halo's power will be this fall when we see how well Halo 3 moves Xbox 360 consoles.
Halo 2 updated, ranks reset, the horror!
We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make the hurt any less deep. As part of the new maps finally being rolled into matchmaking playlists, Bungie has officially reset the ranks on Halo 2. A cause of great happiness to some and a source of deep anger to others, the rank refresh is sure to rankle many a player. Of course, others will have a new reason to start playing Halo 2 again. Another bombshell of sorts (even though Bungie informed the masses weeks ago), several of the updated playlists require that you have the new maps. A few playlists (most notably Team Hardcore) remain unchanged, so players without the new maps still have some online options. Finally, Bungie has announced that the new map will be free starting sometime in July. So, if you're still playing Halo 2 and you want the new maps but you're light on funds, all is not lost. Now if you'll excuse us, we have to go own some noobs before our rank resettles in its rightful place. [Thanks, PacoDG]
Halo 2 Vista ship date moved to the 22nd
Seeing as today is the 8th, and Halo 2 Vista isn't on store shelves, Microsoft gave us the heads up one the current sitrep. For the sake of quality end-user experience and a few technical issues, Halo 2 Vista's ship date has been moved back to May 22nd, a mere fortnight after the initial release schedule. Better late than never, we always say. Speaking of the 22nd, a reliable source gave word to expect Shadowrun to also drop on the 22nd, perhaps beefing up the Live Anywhere launch. But you didn't hear it from us.
