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Halo 3: ODST pre-order drops to $50 at Buy.com
If you've decided that the Halo 3: ODST Collector's Edition isn't for you and you enjoy saving money, we've got some good news for you. Buy.com is currently offering ODST pre-orders for only $49.99, a full $10 off the retail price. Even better, shipping is free. And don't worry, you'll still get your redemption code to play as the invincible, cigar chomping Sgt. Johnson too.If you haven't already laid down pre-order money elsewhere (or even if you have), this is a pretty decent deal.
Video: Nathan Fillion explains Halo 3: ODST
To be more specific, it's Nathan Fillion's character in Halo 3: ODST, Buck. Buck lays down pretty much everything you need to know about the game, introducing the various squad members, their equipment and their mission. Sci-fi nerds are in for a real treat, as Fillion is joined by some other space-faring actors, including Firefly co-stars Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk as Dutch and Mickey, respectively. And there's everyone's favorite Cylon, Tricia Helfer as Dare. The Joystiq staff is fairly certain that Romeo is played by Nolan "Nathan Drake" North, too.Aside from nerding out over all that voice talent, we also noticed the video shows off a lot of neat stuff about the actual game. You should watch it. Right now would be good.
Microsoft says Halo Chronicles is 'on hold' - doesn't use the 'C' word
While Microsoft wouldn't say that Halo Chronicles was "canceled" – Peter Jackson told us during the San Diego Comic-Con that the ambitious episodic series was "no longer happening" – it did confirm to us that the project was "on hold." Today, Microsoft hasn't outright confirmed the partnership's end, but clarified the project's current status."Microsoft Game Studios is deeply committed to supporting and strategically growing the Halo franchise, and our relationship with Peter and his team is something that we greatly value. Given the bandwidth of both of our companies we've decided to put this joint effort on hold and prioritize resources against other projects like Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach and Halo Legends."Jackson's manager re-confirmed to the Company Town blog that the collaboration between Microsoft and Jackson had ended allegedly as early as last January. Microsoft has yet to comment on what role it plays in Wingnut Interactive, Jackson's game production company, said to be "still working on new IP."
How not to pitch Halo 3: ODST
Listen, we're sure Halo 3: ODST is going to be a fine game, but Bungie's got to get a better pitchman than developer Lars Bakken. When asked by The Guardian about additions to the game, Bakken explained, "Obviously the things that have been brought over would be the weapons, the enemy types – those kinds of things haven't changed. Everything else is completely new: your character's health model, the fact that he doesn't have a motion tracker, he can't dual-wield, he takes damage when he falls off high surfaces, his health doesn't regenerate. All those things were not in Halo 3. That's very different."... So. It's like the Halo everybody loves, except with the addition of taking things away. It's a shame Bungie's done with Halo after Reach -- we'd love to see them add things to Halo until it's basically just a guy in football pads with a potato gun going against the Covenant.
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
Halo: ODST DLC shows up on Marketplace
We're still a good two months away from the release of Halo 3: ODST, but that won't stop Microsoft from dropping some DLC onto Xbox Live Marketplace. At least, it might be DLC. The only thing that's instantly recognizable is the Bungie Pro membership, which is already available for Halo 3. Somewhat more mysterious is a piece of content labeled only as "Something Special.." which as the description "..wait for it!" Even more mysterious is the content called "EN Dolphin Data."Dolphins? We're not sure that that's all about (maybe ODST's real protagonist is Arthur Dent). Whatever it is, if it's anything of consequence at all, it weighs in at 4MB. "Something special.." is only 108KB, making us think it's probably a content unlock of some kind, perhaps the Sgt. Johnson pre-order bonus. Both "Something Special.." and "EN Dolphin Data" are listed as free, though our attempts to download them were met with error messages. It's also worth noting that the content doesn't appear on the main ODST page.We'd love to think this is the start of some ARG in the style of I Love Bees, but we're guessing someone at Microsoft accidentally sat on the "Enter" key during their coffee break.[Via XboxInsider]Source - XBLM -- EN Dolphin DatsSource - XBLM -- Bungie Pro - 12 monthsSource - XBLM -- Something Special..
Happy (belated) 10th birthday, Halo
Hey, Halo! Wow, is it ever good to see you! Listen, we're sorry we missed your birthday yesterday, we were really busy with the Babypirates and that dinosaur-headed robot. We just wanted to say you're 10 years old now, and you're growing up in to a fine young man. ... Anyway, listen to us ramble. The point is ... we think you're old enough to have this: It's your grandfather's pocket knife.Now don't tell your mom about it and don't go poking your eye out, she would just skin us alive. ... What's that? No, smart alec, we don't know how a knife would puncture the nearly 1,000 pounds of MJOLNIR armor that you're constantly required to wear. Now go get washed up for supper, we're having fettuccine.[Thanks, Jacob]
Nathan Fillion talks about Halo 3: ODST's Sgt. Buck
Nathan Fillion, the second voice actor revealed for Bungie's Halo 3: ODST, recently spoke about his role in the game to MSNBC. Fillion needs no introduction and has many fans the world over (we loved Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place, too!), so it's great to see him involved with the game.Fillion will be taking up the role of Sgt. Buck, a man he describes as "a bit hardened" and "a bit cranky." While Fillion's comments pertaining to his own personal interest in the franchise are nice to hear, the best parts of the interview are the sections where Fillion talks about the game's plot. We now know that his character will have a love interest, one that has come back into his life during the game's mission. Oh, and the gameplay footage is kind of nice, too.We just hope he gets to say his famous phrase in the game: "I seek to behave according to societal standards." That's the line from that Ladybug show, right guys?
ODST's Halo 3 maps revealed
click to open detailed screenshot terrain With all the talk of fancy open-ended environments, playable flashbacks and new cooperative modes, we'd almost forgotten about ODST's offering of new Halo 3 maps! When it launches later this year, Bungie's latest entry in the epic space hoop saga will include a Halo 3 multiplayer disc, which will contain three new maps (in addition to all the ones you've come to love and die repeatedly in).Be sure to take a look at "Heretic" (the return of Halo 2's "Midship" arena), "Citadel" and "Longshore" in the gallery below. We've found that staring intently at them while bobbing back in forth in our seats provides a good, albeit imperfect, approximation of actual gameplay. We're just missing the cybernetic crotch thrusting toward us in regular intervals.%Gallery-67527%
It's Bungie Day 2009! Win Recon!
We really shouldn't have to tell you this, but today -- being the seventh day of the seventh month -- is Bungie Day. It is a day of celebration of all things Bungie, so be sure to schedule some time with Halo 3. You'll really want to make double sure that you do, because Bungie is hosting the "Bungie Vs. The World" playlist, putting forth its best and brightest to compete against the common folk. Oh, and should you best a Bungie team on this playlist, you will win a shiny new set of Recon armor.Furthermore, Bungie will be revealing new info on some upcoming maps: Heretic, Citadel, and Longshore. As if that weren't enough, the Halo 3 render to video feature -- now called Bungie Pro Video -- will be revealed, and there's a new podcast with Firefly star (and ODST voice) Nathan Fillion(!). Keep your eyes on Bungie.net (and right here, of course) for more details.
Rumor: Halo 3: ODST Achievements leaked
(click to Scorpion-size) In what will assuredly not be the last leak of the summer from Halo 3: ODST as we lead up to its fall release, the entire achievement list has allegedly hit YouTube via Game-Tuts. While the list doesn't reveal any shocking surprises, it does tell us quite a bit about where the game's campaign mode will take us. According to the list, "Vidmaster" achievements will be making an appearance in the game, as well as all the de rigeur cheevos for regular ol' campaign objectives. Also unsurprisingly, campaign scoring and co-op achievements appear to be making a return in ODST. We'd love to tell you more about the rumored achievement list but, alas, we may start walking into spoiler territory if we do -- and you wouldn't want that, right? You'll just have to head after the break for the whole thing, spoilers in-tow (you've been warned!). We've contacted Bungie regarding the validity of this list and have yet to hear back as of publishing.%Gallery-64703%
McFarlane drops first details on ODST toys
McFarlane Toys is expanding its already impressive lineup of figures and vehicles based on the Halo series with new additions from Bungie's upcoming Halo 3: ODST. Planned for release in October -- the game hits September 22 -- the Halo series 6 figure "The Rookie" stands 6" tall, comes packaged with an ODST medal and is hopefully not the only squad member from the game getting the poseable plastic treatment. (Hey, even if the basic figure's the same, there are still minor coloring and equipment differences.)Also, does it strike anyone else as odd that the only part of an ODST's body not covered in armor is his fingertips?[Via Video Games Blogger]%Gallery-66356%
Pre-order ODST, unlock Sgt. Avery Johnson
So here's the news: Pre-ordering Halo 3: ODST at participating retailers will net you a token to unlock Sergeant Johnson as a playable character in the new Firefight mode. We greet this news with mixed feelings. On one hand, A.J. Johnson is undeniably a badass. His in-game model is even chomping his trademark cigar. On the other hand, we're not sure if picking Johnson amounts to cheating.As Halo players well know, the man is invincible. The guy was jumped by the Flood and survived. Hell, we've seen him take a beam rifle to the head without even flinching. Here's hoping his mortality is restored for ODST. Otherwise it just wouldn't be fair. Check out some screens of Sgt. Johnson in the gallery below, and find a list of participating retailers after the break.%Gallery-66279%
Nielsen: Halo 3: ODST, God of War 3, Wii Sports Resort most desired games post-E3
Now that the excitement of E3 has died down, research firm Nielsen has readied the results of a new survey, which gauged consumer purchase intent for titles from the show. Obtained between June 7 to June 14, the results (via Edge) concluded that Bungie's upcoming jaunt through New Mombasa, Halo 3: ODST, had the highest purchase intent, with 53% of respondents taking interest. It was followed by God of War 3, which received 49% in support of its comical, over-the-top violence, and Nintendo's log-splitting sim, Wii Sports Resort, which managed 45%.While undoubtedly big titles, we'd be lying if we said we weren't surprised by the top three. Some other titles we thought would be huge scored lower in this survey, including Assassin's Creed 2 (32%) and The Beatles: Rock Band (30%). Clearly, the allure of wasting extra-terrestrial lifeforms is still very strong in gamers. What would Spock say?
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.
E3 2009 highlights: The Xbox roundup
E3 was brütal! If you blinked, for a split/second, you missed something. Even if you were trine to keep up, it was a blur -- staying a.wake like that, you only pushed yourself to the brink of your own dark void. That's where Joystiq comes in; to crackdown on the madness; to reach out ... with conviction -- phew! Crysis averted. We've scoured the dark corners and survived the inferno to piece together this roundup of all things Xbox at E3. Why? Just 'cause we love you. So, draw nier and shift your eyes past the break.
Microsoft justifies price for Halo 3: ODST
Back when Halo: Recon was announced, and before it became Halo 3: ODST, both Brian Jerrard and Joe Staten at Bungie separately stated that the game wasn't going to be a full retail experience. Staten said, "We do not view this as a $60 title," while Jerrard remarked, "I think this is going to be a good value and a lot of content but we're not viewing this as sort of a full game release in the sense of Halo 3." When pressed further about pricing, Jerrard said that it was too soon to tell, but that they were thinking of something "value-oriented."We contacted Bungie and Microsoft for comment today, because when pricing was revealed at E3, we didn't get an explanation for the full retail approach. We've noted that retailers are pricing the game at the standard $59.99 price point, the $99 Gamestop exclusive premium pack being the lone exception.A Microsoft spokesperson responded to us and said, "At the time of those statements, the overall scope of Halo 3: ODST was not yet finalized, and since then the project has grown increasingly more ambitious. We believe this standalone experience is much more than just an expansion. Halo 3: ODST provides a new campaign from the point of view of an entirely new character. Combine that with three new multiplayer maps, the entirely new cooperative mode called Firefight, and the complete Halo 3 multiplayer collection on a standalone disc, we feel this is a good value and tremendous addition to the Halo franchise."Chances are if you're a hardcore Halo player, you already own the multiplayer maps, so you'll basically be paying for content you already own. It still feels a bit light to us, but we'll have to play the game when it comes out in September to see if it's worth every penny.
Halo 3: ODST wireless controller is Gamestop exclusive
We've just confirmed that in the U.S., the Halo 3:ODST Collector's Pack featuring the custom wireless Xbox 360 controller will be a Gamestop exclusive, although it will be available in other regions at participating retailers. The pack, which will set you back $99, is already available for pre-order on Gamestop's site, and includes access to the Halo: Reach beta.Anyone who pre-orders Halo:ODST, not just Gamestop shoppers, will get the Sgt. Johnson token as well as the Halo: Reach invitation, although you'll be shelling out an extra $40 for the custom controller if you decide to upgrade ... which actually isn't bad considering that they still retail for $49.99. How hardcore of a Halo fan are you? This pack might be your breaking point.%Gallery-34046%
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%
Seen@E3: Huge lines!
(click to DS Phat-size) If there was one thing completely different about E3 for us this year, it was the mass of people now occupying the Los Angeles Convention Center's West and South halls. Compared with last year's ghost town feel, E3 2009 was brimming with gamers vying for hands-ons with the biggest games of the show (we're looking at you, Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks and Halo 3: ODST), which made us feel that much worse when we were ushered to the head of a line to play this game or that (we repeatedly apologized!). Like it or not, E3 is (almost) back to how it used to be and we've got the pictures to prove it, just below.%Gallery-65403%
