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Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach beta bundled with Halo machine
While entirely devoid of ill-fitting iconic helmets, one of Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Elite bundles -- designated for European markets, judging by the rating information on the box -- offers everything you need to stride 'n' strafe into the Halo universe. It's no "Super Elite," but the 120GB package offers a fair amount of elites to shoot at in the included Halo 3, its upcoming expansion, Halo 3: ODST, and (consequently) the beta for next year's Halo game, Reach. As usual, Microsoft has thrown in a one-month Xbox Live Gold membership, which is just long enough for you to realize that you can never ever beat the internet at Halo. Prices are sure to vary from region to region (fun fact: it goes for roughly $580 in South Africa), so have a look on your shelves at the start of October, which is when retailers expect the bundle to drop in.
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%
Crack the ODST code, win some wallpaper
Not literal wallpaper, of course. That would be boring. No, the latest bit of Halo 3: ODST marketing will reward you with digital wallpaper, assuming you can figure out its devilish puzzles (or look up the solution on the internet). Microsoft has released a little interactive video series on its ODST splash page, in which Sgt. Buck -- the leader of the ODST squad in the game -- interviews potential candidates for a mission. Within each interview, there is a section that has been "redacted" and requires an access code for clearance. It's up to Halo fans to uncover just what those codes are. For those that want to discover them on their own, we won't spoil the fun for you. Here's a hint though: Watch the live action ODST trailer again. The rest of the codes can be found within the ODST site itself. For those that don't care about all that and just want some wallpaper, you can find the codes -- expertly hidden -- after the break.
Make your way to Halo Waypoint on November 5
Wait, another Halo game? Nah -- if you've read our earlier report on it, you'll know that Halo Waypoint is actually a new section of Xbox Live dedicated entirely to Doritos Dash of Destruction the Halo universe. It was supposed to be coming this fall and, hey, it is ... on November 5, as this here official tweet confirms.What awaits you at the Waypoint? The better question would be "what doesn't await you there?" Microsoft has promised that we can expect all manner of exclusive Halo content, including videos, trailers and podcasts, plus "a career system and player rankings tied to both in-game and out-of-game accomplishments related to Halo." It will also host updated looks at the forthcoming Halo Legends anime compilation. No Waypoint! Yes Waypoint.[Thanks, EchoX860!]
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.
Former 'ilovebees' devs working on ODST meta-game 'Sadie's Story'
During yesterday's Halo 3: ODST panel at PAX, Bungie made a welcome announcement for fans of the Halo 2 "ilovebees" campaign. Bungie's Joe Staten announced that Fourth Wall Studios -- which is comprised of former members of "ilovebees" dev, 42 Entertainment -- will be crafting a meta-game in Halo 3: ODST called "Sadie's Story." The meta-game tells the story of what New Mombasa was like after the Covenant attack, but before the arrival of the ODSTs. The story will follow the exploits of a New Mombasa resident, Sadie. Staten didn't reveal many details, though he did note the involvement of Fourth Wall Studios and artist Ashley Wood. Bungie also showed some art from "Sadie's Story," including what looked like security camera footage and the face above. The meta-game will serve as a companion to the main narrative of the game and includes an entirely new cast. Bungie's Marty O'Donnell likened it to a radio play. Whatever it is, it certainly sounds intriguing.
Overheard@PAX: The wrath of a Halo fan
Meet Connor. Connor is a young Halo fan who attended the Halo 3: ODST panel hosted at PAX (more on that later). The panel contained many Bungie luminaries, including Joe Staten, Brian Jarrard, Curtis Creamer, Marty O'Donnell and several others. During the Q&A session at the end of the panel, fan after fan approached the microphone, asking about everything from O'Donnell's musical inspiration to when we'll get to see some gameplay from Halo: Reach. Connor, faced with the developers of one of the most popular gaming franchises around, had only one question. "Why would you even take the battle rifle out of the game?" (the battle rifle is MIA in the ODST campaign, lest you haven't heard). Listen to Connor's question (and Bungie's response) below. Direct Download (MP3)
Halo RC vehicles aren't just for Avatars anymore
Why should your Avatar have all the fun with a Warthog prop? Available from NKOK, a RC controlled Warthog can be yours for a mere $25. So save that money you'd have spent on your Avatar and spend it on yourself. You're worth it! Later this month, NKOK will also release an RC Mongoose (that's the dune buggy-thing) and the Hornet (chopper-thing) for $25 and $35, respectively. Now, not to look a gift horse in the mouth but ... where's our RC Scarab? [Via 1Up]
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%
Halo 3: ODST on sale early in France, MS responds
According to CVG, a handful of lucky gamers in France got their hands on a copy of Halo 3: ODST nearly a month in advance of it's September release date. It seems that some copies of the game were delivered early, and Microsoft states it is "investigating a very small breach in [its] distribution process." Furthermore, the company is looking at Live accounts with Halo 3: ODST activity and is planning to "take action against those we believe have procured copies of the game illegitimately." Thankfully, those that were lucky enough to legally buy a copy of the game are in no danger. A Twitter update from Xbox Live's Stephen Toulouse notes that Microsoft "will not be banning legitimate customers from Xbox LIVE who play early." Source - CVG Source - Stepto (Twitter)
Killjoy: Guy goes to NYC public library to play Halo 3, gets busted
Nothing to us seems more right than sitting down in a comfy chair, in front of an HD monitor, and getting some Halo 3 on. And that's exactly what the fine gentleman above did at a New York public library recently, borrowing the free Wi-Fi for a little Xbox Live. According to Flickr user 'dynatrite' who snapped this picture with his iPhone, the whole schebang took "20 minutes to set up" and "2 minutes to get [him] kicked out." We're not exactly shocked, considering the reported items include "a monitor, Xbox [360], Wi-Fi router, external HD, earphones with mouthpiece, and a controller" -- that last, crucial piece being hidden below a copy of the New York Post. We can't help but wonder if somewhere in that library, if you listened carefully enough, a faint "Killjoy!" could be heard when he was caught. Maybe, just maybe. [Image credit] [Via G4TV]
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!]
Xbox Live Top 10 dominated by Shadow Complex, CoD: World at War
Major Nelson has revealed the latest figures for Xbox Live activity, which once again sees Call of Duty: World at War being the most played Xbox 360 Live title. That's not to say it's all business as usual, as the Lost Planet 2 co-op demo managed to claw its way onto the list, along with a new Xbox Live Arcade pair, Shadow Complex and Trials HD.Both titles made it onto the top two spots on XBLA's most played list, with Chair's Metroid-inspired adventure making its debut in first place. The remainder is comprised of usual suspects Battlefield 1943, Marvel vs Capcom 2 and 'Splosion Man.
Rumor: Xbox 360 Elite, Pro deals revealed by Target
Adding to the growing pile of evidence indicating an upcoming Xbox 360 Elite price drop, a reader has sent in a picture he claims is a snap of next week's Target ad, showing a new price of $299 for the system. In addition, the ad advertises Pro systems for $249.99 -- and both systems will have an extra controller thrown in. If this is real, it'll be in effect August 30. Engadget has a clearer shot of the ad. In addition, we received a tip from a Canadian game store manager who stated that because of the Halo 3 Elite bundle available there (which is no longer on The Source's website -- we guess that retailer jumped the gun), current Elite bundles have been marked down to $349.99. A quick look at The Source and Amazon verifies this claim.
