halo the master chief collection
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The Steam Summer Sale is live with deals on thousands of games
Save on 'Mass Effect Legendary Edition,' 'Cyberpunk 2077' and many other titles.
Microsoft will start testing xCloud in four more countries on November 18th
Xbox cloud gaming is coming to Australia, Japan, Brazil and Mexico.
Classic 'Halo' games will get crossplay and custom game browsing in 2020
'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' is slated to get crossplay, custom game browsing and other modern staples in 2020.
'Halo: Combat Evolved' remaster is now available for PC
It took a while, but the remastered version of the original Halo has finally reached PCs. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is now available as part of the Master Chief Collection through Steam, the Microsoft Store and the Xbox Game Pass PC beta. It boasts the requisite visual tune-ups, including support for 4K and ultra-wide displays, but also throws in modern creature comforts like text chat, customizable key layouts and a 3D model view for customizing your Spartan. You can even flip between classic and Anniversary audio in multiplayer matches, depending on how nostalgic you're feeling.
Over 6 million user-created maps are coming to 'Halo: MCC'
Microsoft and 343 Industries said they'd transfer Forge maps and game modes to Halo: The Master Chief Collection with the help of players, and it's clear many gamers were willing to step up. The two have revealed that over 6.6 million user-created maps for Halo 3, Halo: Reach and Halo 4 will be playable in MCC when ready. There's a good chance a favorite map from your Xbox 360 days will be available in remastered form.
Microsoft starts public tests for 'Halo: Reach' on PC
Halo: Reach is now playable on PC... for a handful of very early adopters. Microsoft and 343 Industries have shared a slew of Master Chief Collection update news, including word that it has started a public test of Reach on Windows PCs that lasts through July 1st. Don't get your hopes up for joining in this round, though. There are less than 1,000 Halo Insiders involved, and they're playing just one campaign mission. The developers plan to invite more people "over time," though, so you can consider this the start of a much larger test experience.
'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' heads to PC with 'Reach' included
After years of waiting and more than a few hiccups, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is coming to the PC. Microsoft and 343 Industries have unveiled plans to release the whole anthology one game at a time on both the Microsoft Store and Steam, starting with the prequel that has been conspicuously absent in the MCC since its debut: Halo: Reach. This may prove to be slightly tortuous if you're a fan of the main story, but it will give you a chance to play the title while taking greater advantage of modern hardware.
Halo: MCC patch tweaks matchmaking (again), up now
The latest patch for Halo: The Master Chief Collection is live now and focuses on matchmaking, UI, stability and other features, outlined by 343 Industries in summary form after the break. For matchmaking specifically, the patch promises to improve search success rates, reduce instances of the "Awaiting Privileges" error, more correctly determine player counts in each playlist, fix an issue where players appeared to be searching in the incorrect "find game" screen, and add a countdown sound effect to the voting timer. The update should improve the network performance of Halo 2: Anniversary, lower the music volume in multiplayer menus and fix stability issues across multiple games in both campaign and multiplayer. The Master Chief Collection has suffered from matchmaking issues since launch, prompting 343 Industries to dole out compensation in the form of a free month of Xbox Live for early adopters, plus a free 1080p, 60fps Halo 3: ODST campaign due in the spring, and a fresh nameplate and avatar. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Early Halo: MCC buyers receive free month of Xbox Live Gold
Halo: The Master Chief Collection has provided a troubled walk down memory lane, but at least fans are being rewarded for their patience and support. Messages detailing a free month of Xbox Live Gold showed up in the inboxes of Spartans yesterday, referring to the gift as "appreciation for your continued support of Halo: The Master Chief Collection." The notice adds that players don't need to do anything further to redeem their free month of Gold. Bonnie Ross, head of development at 343 Industries, explained in an apology last month that a free month of Gold would be gifted to The Master Chief Collection players in an effort to "make this right." Additional thank-yous are coming in the form of a free, 1080p, 60 fps Halo 3: ODST campaign, due to arrive sometime this spring, and an exclusive nameplate and avatar. Anyone who purchased The Master Chief Collection between its November 11 launch date and December 19, 2014 is eligible to receive these gifts, though a reworked version of the Relic map from Halo 2 will also eventually be offered to all players via a free update. [Image: Joystiq]
Next update for Halo: Master Chief Collection due next week
Thanks to the recent holidays we've gone a whole two weeks since the last patch for the chronically malfunctioning Halo: The Master Chief Collection, but don't worry, developer 343 Games has another update in the works. "As we had mentioned before the holidays, the team continues to work on upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection updates to improve the existing experience and add new content," reads a new Halo Waypoint update. "We've continued this work through the holidays, and have multiple content updates in the works. Our next content update, which will address UI and a variety of other areas, is currently on track for delivery next week." 343 makes no mention of what this next update will fix, but if the last four patches are any indicator, this will be another attempt at improving the game's problematic online matchmaking system. 343 does note, however, that the update will bring with it new content, specifically new Achievements for multiplayer and the recently-added Spartan Ops mode. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo 4's Spartan Ops comes to Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collection received another update this week, improving the game's matchmaking and other functions. The update also added Spartan Ops to Halo 4 in the collection, 343 Industries' cooperative multiplayer mode. Teams of up to four players barrel through missions in the episodic mode, which was purposely not included in the collection's initial 20 GB patch; the developer planned to issue Spartan Ops in December so that it could make "technical enhancements" to the mode. Spartan Ops features 10 episodes, all of which are now available in The Master Chief Collection. The update includes a number of other fixes for the collection, such as hit detection for online multiplayer in Halo: CE and also giving a loss to players that disconnect from matches before a round ends. The patch should also improve roster update times as well as statistic and achievement tracking. It's the latest in a line of updates for the game, which launched with severe online multiplayer issues, among other problems. 343 Industries head Bonnie Ross apologized to players for the collection's issues in late November, recently offering free goodies to affected players, including the Halo 3: ODST campaign. [Image: Microsoft]
343 announces free ODST campaign as apology for Halo: MCC woes
When Halo: The Master Chief Collection launched in November with a largely non-functional online multiplayer component, people were upset. Bonnie Ross, head of developer 343 Industries, personally apologized for the issues, promising to "make this right" with fans of old Tall, Green and Handsome. Yesterday, Ross elaborated on just what she meant: free stuff, including an updated version of Halo 3: ODST running on Xbox One. Anyone who played Halo: The Master Chief Collection online between launch (November 11, 2014) and December 19, 2014 is eligible to receive one month of complimentary Xbox Live Gold, an exclusive in-game nameplate and avatar, and a free download of the Halo 3: ODST campaign running at 1080p and 60 frames per second. Lastly, everyone who plays The Master Chief Collection will be able to enjoy an updated version of the Halo 2 map, "Relic," when it launches as a free content update for the game. The nameplate and avatar will be added to The Master Chief Collection sometime later this month, while a reworked Relic and the ODST campaign will arrive sometime in spring of 2015. "Both [Relic and Halo 3: ODST] were not part of our original development plans, but as a result of community feedback, and to do something special for our fans, both are now in development," an FAQ page for the recently-announced content reads.
Master Chief Collection reloads, adds Combat Evolved playlist
Sure Halo: The Master Chief Collection has already seen its share of stability patches and performance updates, but any fans of the original Halo: Combat Evolved should be pleased by the newest update released by developer 343 Industries, which introduces a playlist dedicated to maps from Halo: CE. Prior to The Master Chief Collection's launch, 343 specified that the Halo: CE playlist would be held until they were able to "provide the best experience possible." The developer now touts that many of the game's needed tweakings and improvements were added via the most recent patch, and so players can queue up to take one another down, old-school style. The playlist features 2v2 battles, which is due to player feedback, according to 343. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Halo: Master Chief Collection patch aims at stability, matchmaking
Halo: The Master Chief Collection received another patch this week aimed at fixing the game collection's matchmaking, parties, roster and other issues. The latest update is expected to improve the "reliability" of matchmaking and also guarantee that split-screen, local multiplayer friends are always on the same team in Halo 2. Microsoft said that players should have fewer problems when joining or managing their parties as well. The Master Chief Collection's update should improve stability across the game's menus, campaign playlists, matchmaking and custom games. Full patch notes are available on 343 Industries' blog. The four-game Halo collection launched in November for Xbox One and was met with a number of issues, primarily in the game's online components. It led to an apology from 343 Industries head Bonnie Ross, who said the developer did not deliver "the experience [players] deserve," and that the developer would "make this right" with its fans. 343 Industries also received criticism for a promotion earlier this month that gave Xbox Live Rewards members that purchased the collection $15 in marketplace credit. The developer says another update is in the works to fix a "Legacy" control option issue in Halo 2 and Halo 4, and will offer further content updates to improve the collection. [Image: Microsoft]
We're paying for broken games, and it's unacceptable
There was a time when you bought a game, pulled it out of the box, popped it into your device of choice, and that was it. In today's video game industry, however, a single game isn't even the end product. Now we have downloadable content and expansion packs – and don't forget to buy the season pass so you get it all for a nominal discount. Never mind just pre-ordering your games either, now we can pre-load them, guaranteeing access the very second a game becomes available. And the pre-order bonuses, bestowing us with trivial costumes or weapons, or maybe even some extra levels that will inevitably be sold after launch, despite being billed as pre-order "exclusives." Even without these premium additions, the game you bring home isn't the static creative work it once was. Developers and publishers are free to update their games now, patching out unforeseen problems or even adding fan-requested improvements. It's good that issues can be resolved, but the darker side of this is the now infamous "Day 1 Patch." These crucial updates are applied on launch day, providing fixes so last-minute that they couldn't make it onto the discs before they were pressed (or even onto the downloadable code, for that matter). The implication of the Day 1 Patch, of course, is that the game in the box, or sitting in your Steam download queue, isn't actually finished. The troubling part, as 2014 has proven, is that even after you've applied that patch, you can still wind up with a broken game. Not only that, but if the marketing has done its job, you have a broken game for which you have already purchased additional content. Maybe you paid a little extra for a special edition. You're a savvy shopper, so you saved five bucks on future DLC with a season pass. In today's climate, it's easy to plunk down $100 on a game before you've played a single minute of it. If said game doesn't work, all you've got is a fancy SteelBook case, a useless download token for DLC and maybe a plastic tchotchke for your desk. And that's assuming you didn't pre-order digitally, in which case all you have is a broken game and no hope of a refund.
343 issues yet another patch to fix Halo: MCC matchmaking
Only four days after its last update, developer 343 Industries has issued another patch for Halo: The Master Chief Collection aimed at fixing the matchmaking problems that have plagued the shooter compilation since its November 11 debut. "This particular content update focuses on matchmaking, parties, custom games, achievements, stability, and more," reads a notice on Halo Waypoint. "While this update contains a variety of improvements, we continue to work on additional content updates that will be rolled out to address further issues." Though this is another patch that won't fix the matchmaking problems outright, changes include improved multiplayer team balance, more efficient match search options and a wide range of stability fixes throughout the game. As usual, this update is available to owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection at no charge. You can find a full rundown of everything this patch changes at Halo Waypoint. [Image: Microsoft]
Joystiq Weekly: Street Fighter 5, Captain Toad review, PlayStation's 20th and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Judging by how many uploads of Street Fighter 5's announcement trailer have been pulled, we're thinking Capcom doesn't want us to know about it just yet. Considering it seems to be a PS4 console exclusive, we're wondering if the reveal slipped out ahead of PlayStation Experience, this weekend's gathering in Las Vegas to talk all things PlayStation. We can find out together as the event plays out over the next 48 hours, but PlayStation news isn't the only thing happening this week – The King's Quest series is getting a new entry, we reviewed Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Telltale Games' Game Of Thrones, and Managing Editor Susan Arendt explained the Danganronpa series' remarkable conveyance of how depression works. Those and many more stories are waiting for you after the break!
Halo: MCC woes push Halo: Spartan Strike spin-off into 2015
Though Halo: Spartan Strike was originally scheduled for release this month, a notice on Halo Waypoint claims the overhead shooter spin-off has been delayed due to the ongoing technical problems plaguing Halo: The Master Chief Collection. "Earlier this year, we announced Halo: Spartan Strike, our latest touch-based top-down shooter for Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Steam, will be available on Dec. 12," the notice reads. "While we're excited about this all-new Halo experience, our commitment to resolving the current matchmaking issues in Halo: The Master Chief Collection remains the top priority. As a result, we have decided to move the release of Halo: Spartan Strike to early 2015." While this is disappointing, it's probably for the best. Halo: The Master Chief Collection was hyped as a massive Xbox One exclusive prior to release, yet the compilation has faced online matchmaking problems since its November 11 launch. The game has received numerous updates - the most recent arrived just two days ago - but the problems continue to affect anyone hoping to take Halo: The Master Chief Collection online. [Image: Microsoft]
Matchmaking improved but not fixed by latest Halo: MCC patch
As promised, developer 343 Industries has issued yet another update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection that the studio claims will improve the shooter compilation's ongoing matchmaking problems, but won't fix them entirely. "Please note that while this update will improve team balance issues, we do not expect it to fully resolve uneven teams," 343 writes in the update overview. "Our next content update, targeted for early next week, will address team balance." In the meantime, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has seen a few useful tweaks. Now multiplayer games can start as soon as their minimum player requirements are met, which should result in less waiting when searching for a match. 343 Industries also claims to have fixed an issue that generated "false matches," a problem the developer claims wreaked all sorts of havoc with online matchmaking. A full rundown of the changes included in this most recent update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection can be found at Halo Waypoint. If you'd rather scope things out first hand, the patch will automatically be installed the next time you start the game. [Image: Microsoft]
Halo: MCC: More fixes incoming as promotion stirs outrage
The saga of Halo: The Master Chief Collection's post-launch connectivity problems rolls on. Many players remain unable to reliably connect to multiplayer games, while developer 343 Industries notes that its team is working on imminent updates, "the next of which will specifically make improvements to the matchmaking system and flow." That update is expected to arrive later this week, and 343 promises more information on its changes will be available shortly. Meanwhile, a number of those who purchased Halo: The Master Chief Collection at launch are now upset over a Microsoft promotion, according to fan site MP1st. The publisher recently kicked off a deal that grants a 15,000 credit bonus to any Xbox Live Rewards member who purchases Halo: The Master Chief Collection before December 31. That translates to $15 of Xbox Live Marketplace credit, which the early adopters argue is effectively a discount on Halo: The Master Chief Collection. This, they claim, is unfair, given the connectivity issues that have plagued the $60 game since its November 11 launch. Neither 343 Industries nor Microsoft have responded to this outrage, instead leaving last week's comments from 343 head Bonnie Ross as the de facto official statement. "While our team works on continual improvements and towards solutions, my commitment to you is that we will take care of all owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection," Ross said. "Our primary and continued focus is first on fixing the issues at hand. Once we've done that, we will detail how we will make this right with our fans." [Image: Microsoft]
