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NYCC 2009: Marvel to Release More Halo Comics

Zach Lott — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:55:28 -0600

Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada announced at his New York Comic Con panel yesterday that the comic behemoth, which is currently publishing Halo: Uprising, a four-issue miniseries set in the Halo universe, is planning to publish two additional Halo miniseries later this year, according to IGN.

The first series, to be published this summer, has yet to be titled and will feature writer Peter David and artist Eric Nguyen, while the second, entitled Halo: Spartan Black, will feature Fred Van Lente and Francis Portel and should hit in the winter.

Halo Wars Demo Hits Xbox Live

Zach Lott — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:23:58 -0600

The Xbox Live demo for Halo Wars, the RTS title from the recently-disbanded Ensemble Studios, was released back on Thursday, giving fans a chance to check out how Halo holds up as a strategy title.

The download contains a tutorial, along with a skirmish map and couple of scenarios from the campaign. There's no online or single-player co-op, but there's still plenty to check out.

The game will hit store shelves on March 3, so download the demo and let us know what you think.

E3 2008: Halo Wars Screenshots

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:17:35 -0500

Launch Gallery: Halo Wars

(11 images)

E3 2008: Halo Wars Coming In 2009

Zach Lott — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:46:38 -0500

1up is reporting via their E3 coverage that Halo Wars, the upcoming RTS set in the Halo universe, is definately locked into a 2009 release date. They received the news from Dave Pottinger, the game's lead designer, with whom they have a huge interview on their site which can be found here. Be sure to check it out if you're looking forward to the game, which will be available for the Xbox 360 and PC and is being developed by Ensemble Studios, the minds behind games like Age of Empires.

New Halo 3 Map Coming Next Week

Zach Lott — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:05:13 -0500

Here's some news for those of you who are still playing Halo 3: 1up reports that Bungie is readying a new, free map, called Cold Storage, for release on July 7.

Bungie has noted that Cold Storage "will be implemented in regular rotation in playlists that require the Legendary Maps." To help out anyone who has yet to purchase the Legendary Maps, they will be dropping the price down to 600 Microsoft Points on July 7. They'll also be releasing a one-day-only deal of a free theme and some gamerpics on the same day.

GTA IV Smashes World Records, Nearly Doubles Halo 3 Sales

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:57:25 -0500

Just in time to render the new Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition outdated, the Guinness people have announced that Grand Theft Auto IV has practically destroyed currently held records for fastest-selling game and most-profitable entertainment product.

In the first 24 hours, GTA IV sold 3.6 million copies and earned $310 million dollars.

Prior to GTA IV's record-setting releases, the record-holder for the most-selling game was Halo 3 with $170 million in 24 hours. Compare that to the record-holding movie and book with Spider-Man 3 making $60 million and the latest Harry Potter book making $220 million in 24 hours.

Consider how ubiquitous Halo 3's advertising was compared the the relatively tame promotion for GTA IV. Halo 3 had its own soda and viral videos and ARGs and commercial coverage on practically every network. Then there's GTA IV, with just a few simple commercials and lots of talking heads on the news hallooing about dead hookers and it nearly doubles Halo 3's first-day earnings.

Halo Wars On PC? Uhh.. Nevermind

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:44:03 -0600

Yesterday we mentioned a rumor that the upcoming Halo strategy game, Halo Wars, might be appearing on the PC. Forget it.

Kotaku contacted Microsoft for a comment, and the idea was quickly squished. Sayeth MS:

Halo Wars" is being developed from the bottom up for the Xbox 360 and its control scheme to ensure that we deliver a groundbreaking console RTS experience. Given that, we have no plans to develop "Halo Wars" for Windows Vista at this time.

Oh well.

Obvious Rumor: Halo Wars Coming To PC

Aaron Dunlap — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:22:15 -0600

Two games I'm looking forward to this year: an FPS (Tiberium) based on an RTS franchise (Command & Conquer) and an RTS (Halo Wars) based on a FPS franchise (Halo). Halo Wars has been looking pretty good in recent gameplay footage, but in my mind always had the disadvantage of being a console game.

Console RTS games can occasionally be adequate compared to their PC counterparts, but are rarely as good or better. Halo Wars has always been treated as an Xbox 360 exclusive, but we'd always hoped it'd make its way to the PC with keyboard/mouse control.

Gaming site The Angry Pixel is carrying the rumor that our wild guesses are accurate. Microsoft wants to expand their Games For Windows... concept, and a game like Halo Wars is a sure bet for that.

Like most "news" in this industry, this is just a rumor. Like most "rumors" in this industry, it's probably true.

Master Chief to Play Supporting Role in Own Film

Shiva Stella — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:35:40 -0600

Disappointing news for Master Chief friends today, as the Halo movie (if it's still in the works at all) has demoted MC to a supporting cast role instead of focusing on him as the main character. If you ever played a Halo game and noticed how MC sort of... lacks anything that would make people think he was a human (ie, a personality), this probably makes sense to you.

Explained Joseph Staten, Bungie writing director, "I think what it boiled down to with the film was really a question of 'Who is the main character of the movie?' Is it the Master Chief or is it somebody else? And over time I think everybody around the table agreed that the Master Chief is best left as the most important supporting cast member."

So if the movie ever does come to fruition it'll be a film that just so happens to have Master Chief in it. Feel free to use your imagination to the right.

Game Developers Conference 2008 Featured Speakers

Shiva Stella — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:33:41 -0600

The Game Developers Conference 2008, which is currently scheduled for February 18-11 in San Francisco, has published a list of featured speakers and topics under discussion for each. Here are some big names for the curious:

Peter Molyneux (Head of Studios, Lionhead Studios), on (surprise!) Fable 2 - The Big Three Features Revealed.

Peter Molyneux's stated ambition as a designer is to make FABLE 2 a landmark game. In order to achieve this three big design features have been added. The inspiration and rational behind these features will be discussed along with their evolution throughout the development process. The wider context of their impact and influence on the RPG genre with also be examined as the ambition is also to evolve the genre itself. The talk will be supported by retrospective videos as well as live game examples.

Ken Levine (President/Creative Director, 2K Boston) on (bigger surprise!) Storytelling in Bioshock: Empowering Players to Care about Your Stupid Story (sign me up).

Game stories can matter, even in first person shooters. But first we're going to have to give up a lot of our preconceptions about what people care about when playing a game. For too long, games (especially first person shooters) have been stuck in a "game sequence followed by story sequence" mentality. Ken Levine will tell the tale of how the BIOSHOCK took a pointy-headed idea about a pseudo-objectivist utopia and turned it into one of the most compelling and succesful game worlds in recent history. What were the tools used? What compromises had to be made? Where did the shooter end and the story begin? How did we make people give a crap? How did we use story and narrative to become perhaps the most talked about game at the super-crowded E3 2006? What does this all mean for stories in games? And must of all, what hell does "Mise En Scene" mean?

Chris Butcher (Engineering Lead, Microsoft/Bungie) on E Pluribus Unum: Matchmaking in Halo 3.

The online multiplayer mode of HALO 3 features an automatic matchmaking system to place players into games. Players may join individually or with parties of friends, and are quickly matched into groups. This presentation describes the algorithms behind the peer-to-peer matchmaking model, and its implementation over Xbox Live. It examines the impact of matchmaking on the HALO online community, and provides techniques for shaping the player experience and discouraging cheaters. The tradeoffs of an automatic matchmaking system compared to traditional multiplayer game browsers will be discussed, and illustrated by some results from the first months of HALO 3's operation.

Cevat Yerli (Managing Director, Crytek) on Crysis in the Making.

This session will offer a look into key areas of CRYSIS development that markedly depart from Crytek's first project, FAR CRY. Main topics include Nanosuit design and gameplay, creating a rich, destructible/non-linear world, and peopling it with dynamic, believable AI enemies that challenge and entertain the player.

You can view the full list of featured speakers here. If you're interested in the keynotes, however, you can find that here.

Bagless Vacuum Looks Halo-Inspired As Well, Psychosis Imminent

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:37:18 -0600

Tell me that doesn't look like the helmet of Master Chief's SPARTAN armor. Go on, tell me.

Compare this to the Hummer HX that looks a bit like a Warthog. Perhaps Halo-chic will become the next design trend.

Hummer Says HX Concept Not Halo-Influenced, Sky Not Blue

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:11:32 -0600

Since early photos of the new HX concept from Hummer have surfaced, nearly anybody who's spent some time playing any Halo game can't help but notice the slight similarities between it and the game series' Warthog vehicle. At the North American International Auto Show currently going on in Detroit, mlive asked the question on all our minds: Is the Hummer HX inspired by Halo?

No, says Carl Zipfel, director of exterior design for the HX concept. If anything, it's inspired by ATV/4-wheeler vehicles and all that.

He does confirm that he has himself played the games, and also that there are no plans to attach a turret to the back.

I think if the concept car were blue or pink or red or orange, nobody would have even made the connection. The problem is that I would identify that color as "Halo green," so the mind cannot be blamed for making unilateral connections like that.

Look at those tires, man.

[Photo Source: mlive.com]

Worst of 2007: Biggest Disappointments

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:56:59 -0600

This industry is one that deals mainly in the indirect re-shoveling of hype. Publishers dump the hype on us, we shovel it onto to masses, the masses ask for more, we shovel some more. By the time a game releases, it's rare for anticipations to be met, and even after all these years we're not immune. We still fall for it. We let our hopes dictate the quality of an unreleased game in our over-stimulated little brains.

These are two games that had legendary levels of hype and were destined for record-breaking sales sight-unseen but did not match the hype.

While not a terrible game, and in some aspects almost revolutionary, Assassin's Creed is not the game we thought it was going to be. The brazen, well-crafted executions we expected weren't there, instead we got to tediously repeat the same set of actions over and over to reach a series of uninteresting kills. The rich and dynamic story we were expecting was also alarmingly absent. The advertisements that seemed to show the fringes of a very deep story turned out to have absolutely nothing to do with the game, and one of the most interesting periods of history was, as I said in my "What I Hate About Assassin's Creed" feature, used as the backdrop for a Dan Brown novel. A bad Dan Brown novel, with a completely indiscernible plot and atrocious voice acting.

Halo 3 was burgeoning with hype the second Halo 2 hit the shelves. The epitome of an inevitable sequel, Halo 3 rampaged through its development cycle with a cyclone of marketing and hype (two words: "Gamer Fuel"). This game had so much hype that it had to have swept up many people who haven't played a Halo game before, and what did those people get? Confusion. And a mediocre product. If you set aside the multiplayer mode, the single player campaign is not what you expect from a mega-ultra-blockbuster. If you aren't intimately versed in the Halo universe, the story will make no sense whatsoever. If you've played games such as Gears of War and had your idea about what a "next gen" shooter can be, you'd probably find Halo 3 an almost mundane experience.

Lesson Learned: Gaming journalists have been slapping themselves on the wrist for years now for being part of the hype machine, and it seems that we'll never learn our lesson. If these two disappointments get us a bit closer to that (hopefully) eventual realization, all the better. We've got to stop elevating games in our minds into shrines of amazement before we actually see a product on the shelves and in our hands. Some of the best games of 2007 were the ones that not a lot of people were so anxious about, like Call of Duty 4 and The Orange Box. Perhaps these are games where the money was put into development instead of marketing.

Xbox 360 Kills Candles, Tops Charts at 17.7 Million Units Sold

Shiva Stella — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 02:56:16 -0600

While I have no idea why you'd want to stick a candle next to your Xbox 360, MyGEN has discovered that the unit has surpassed its baby-killing predecessor and moved into the realm of candle devastation. See above.

As if to bask in its latest evil accomplishment, Microsoft has confirmed that it has sold 17.7 million Xbox 360 units since launch; Halo 3 has sold more than 8.1 million copies, followed by BioWare's Mass Effect at 1.6 million units.

Keep your candles away from you videogame consoles, kiddies.

Microsoft to Offer Free Live Arcade Game to Those Affected by Service Hiccups

Shiva Stella — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:18:19 -0600

Just in case you missed this posting over at Larry Hyrb's blog or at Xbox.com, Microsoft has confirmed that Live's poor holiday service was indeed due to a record-setting number of gamers online simultaneously and that the company will be offering compensation for all Live members (that be silver and gold) in the form of a free Live arcade game.

While it's not a couple hundred Marketplace points or a free week of service, at least it's proper acknowledgment of the issue that includes some kind of compensation. Here's the full message from Microsoft's Marc Whitten, General Manager of Live:

Dear Xbox Live Members:

During this past holiday season you helped us break a number of Xbox LIVE records. This included our largest sign-up of new members to Xbox LIVE in our 5 year history and just yesterday (January 2) you broke the record for the single biggest day of concurrent members ever on the service.

As a result of this massive increase in usage we know that some of you experienced intermittent Xbox LIVE issues over the holiday break. While the service was not completely offline at any given time, we are disappointed in our performance. I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state.

At the same time we would like to offer a token of our appreciation to all of you in celebration of record success for the service. And as a thank you for your loyalty during this holiday period, we will be offering all of our Xbox LIVE members around the world access to a full Xbox LIVE Arcade game that will be available to download free of charge. In the coming weeks we will be sharing the specific details of this offer with you.

Thank you again for helping make Xbox LIVE everything that it is today!

Microsoft to Compensate Gold Members for Live Downtime?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:13:09 -0600

Regarding those nasty Xbox Live issues that gold members have been experiencing since Christmas,Torrent Davis over at The Bitbag recently confirmed that he'd been in contact with a source at Microsoft who stated that "we [Microsoft] will definitely be doing something for our Gold memebers that weren't able to get online over the last week."

This is interesting in that it would mark the first time Microsoft has compensated members for Live "issues".

Sounds spiffy considering that 360 owners have been complaining that they have basically been paying Microsoft in order to beta test their Xbox Live service. Of course, gamers who were frustrated in their attempts to play Call of Duty 4 or Halo 3 online could have just played other games, but why pay for a service if you don't even get to use it for the games you want?

The good news is that Live seems to have stabilized some.

Experiencing Call of Duty 4, Halo 3 Connection Issues Since Christmas?

Shiva Stella — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 19:33:00 -0600

Just on the off-chance that any of you are Xbox 360 gamers eager to relax over the holiday break with a nice match on Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4, better be prepared for some "intermittent issues." According to Microsoft's support page as of 7:30p.m. CST:

Status:
Up and running

Users may experience issues performing transactions dependent on Windows Live ID availability including but not limited to Xbox 360 and Zune account creation, renewal, recovery, all DMP transactions, and logging into or creating Windows Live ID accounts. Users will experience intermittent issues including but not limited to: Tournaments, Storage Downloads, Gamer Tile, Statistics through Arbitration, Match Making, and Messaging. Additionally, Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 users may experience issues joining matches or posting statistics. Customer Support may also experience issues referencing customer data. We are aware of the issue and are currently working to resolve it. We apologize for any inconvenience.

In other words, players are reporting issues with forming parties, hosting/finding matches, gamertag recovery, and just about any feature that a person paying $50 a year for would want - though the chat function is still operating superbly.

You can check on the status of the "issue" at Microsoft's support page or check on some forum posts (1; 2) if you're in the mood for some quality entertainment provided by Xbox fanboys who seem to share the opinion that we should all get down on our knees and thank Microsoft for allowing us to give them money.

We'll keep you updated on Live's status as Microsoft addresses the issue; current word has it that the problems should be resolved by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.

As an aside, I imagine that Xbox 360's Live issues combined with Nintendo's Wii shortage have made Sony very happy recently...

Update: As of 9:30p.m. CST the Live status now reads:

Users may experience issues logging into Xbox Live. We are aware of the issue and are currently working to resolve it. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Read: everything is still screwy and players are still having problems with Live, finding/joining games, staying connected, and so on. However some gamers are able to play other online titles, like Gears of War, while they wait on Microsoft to fix the issue, so if you're bored out of your mind during your break it's a possible option.

Update Update: It seems that things have stabilized at least a smidgen on Live since yesterday, but don't be shocked when you encounter various Live problems. As of 2:40p.m. CST , 12/30, the status now reads:

Users may experience intermittent issues logging onto Xbox Live. Our engineers are continuing to investigate and are working to resolve this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Apparently Microsoft is still searching for whatever is causing the problem so they can fix the issue. Normally this is when I'd head over to Larry Hyrb's blog for an insider view on the chaos, but unfortunately Major Nelson's site is down...

[GOTY] Best Shooter of 07: Call of Duty 4

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:49:18 -0600

Our Single Player Review (*****)
Our Multiplayer Review (*****)

Why It Won: Call of Duty was already an established series by the time Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare came around. After Treyarch's Call of Duty 3, many had thought the series had caught the "sequel syndrome" that plagues almost any big studio franchise that gets a new installment each year, each game becoming just another iteration of the previous with one or two features interesting enough to be mentioned on the back of the game's box. Boy were we ever wrong.

Call of Duty 4 isn't a greatly ambitious game. It didn't have the mega-millions advertising budget of Halo 3, it didn't have the Ayn Rand-ian objectivist overtones of BioShock, and it didn't really require that you go out and buy a new $4,000 computer to run it like Crysis. The scale of the game itself is somewhat large but it's no Earth-vs-Aliens. What the game lacks in scope, however, it makes up for in pure quality. Call of Duty 4 is a fun game, a well-made game, and a rewarding game. From the first mission you're sucked into the world of modern Special Forces and you're never let go.

The single player mode may be relatively brief but there are no dull moments. This game doesn't sag during the middle and the ending doesn't disappoint. You can't say that about many games these days. There's no backtracking or boring missions stuck into the middle to give the game length, and there's no abrupt, "Buy the sequel!" ending. How refreshing is that?

The multiplayer mode, something that could be easy to overlook, is so amazingly intelligent that it rivals and, in my opinion, tops Halo 3's online mode. I've waited my whole life for a game that rewards experimentation with multiple weapons and playtypes instead of letting people get stick to one tactic and dominate anybody else. It's here, and it's fantastic.

Call of Duty 4 is what I want from future games. It shirks trendy gameplay gimicks and instead focuses on being the best at what it does.

Why You May Disagree: I've heard some complaints about the lack of tactical elements, such as the ability to issue commands to squad members or a cover system where you can press against walls and fire around corners. You know, like every other game made in the last three years. Some Halo kids take offense to our claims that Call of Duty 4's online play is better than Halo 3's.

But We Say: Just because the only way to get a military shooter not set in 1940s Europe used to be in the form of the a Tom Clancy tactical squad-based game, it doesn't mean things have to stay like that. Call of Duty has never been a tactical game, so why should they start now just because that's what everybody else is doing? Some people don't like those kind of games. Some people just want a straightforward shooter where the only weapons aren't an M1 Garand and American pride. Too often games have these features and ride them to death. The Brothers in Arms games that featured squad commands, how many times did they shove it in your face? Rather than becoming a one-trick pony and a slave to one or two gimmicks, Call of Dut 4 focuses on overall quality and not marketing bullet points. To the multiplayer naysayers, I suggest they give the game a fair try. If anything, they probably find it too difficult because they can't jump around and obliterate an entire enemy team with a shotgun and an oversheild.

Runners Up:

Halo 3 - One of the most advertised, best selling titles of this year-slash-lifetime, Halo 3 has a lot of quality features. Unfortunately, none of them are in the campaign mode. It's reasonable that Bungie figured everybody would be buying the game for the multiplayer, but all twelve of us who were more interested to see what a bloated, runaway development budget could do for single player games were rather disappointed. This category is about the overall shooter experience, and a good multiplayer mode with a mediocre campaign mode does not a Best Shooter make.

The Orange Box - Valve's amalgomated parcel of gaming value known as The Orange Box is an extremely good gaming experience, but unfortunately the definitions for the Best Shooter category nearly exclude it. Portal is more of an adventure/puzzle game than a shooter, and Half-Life 2, and Half-Life 2: Episode One all released before this year. For new content, that only leaves Half-Life 2: Episode Two and Team Fortress 2. Those two are great, but compared to Call of Duty 4 they don't quite make it.

BioShock - This steam-punk underwater adventure is a critical and financial success, but not many of the staff here at GameBump were quite as impressed as everybody else. Personally, the ridiculously short supply of ammunition early in the game when enemies are attacking you from all sides is what broke the experience for me. Sure it had storytelling, and impressive visuals, but I didn't have much fun finding them. Managing Editor Shiva Stella says the game isn't even a shooter and that I'm wasting my time writing this paragraph.

Check out the Game of the Year 2007 Homepage.

Red vs. Blue Shows New Halo 3 Maps

Tim Grube — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:57:58 -0600

So tomorrow is the big day for Halo 3 fans. The "Heroic Map Pack" comes out tomorrow (December 11) on Xbox Marketplace at 2am PST, 5am EST. To get a little sneak peak at these maps, The Red vs. Blue guys did a video and it is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

In order to find it, flip to the Xbox Live Marketplace blade and then go to the Video Store. Scroll down to "Game Videos," then click "New Arrivals" and scroll down to Halo 3. The video is called "Red vs. Blue: D.I.Y. "

Master Chief Snowman = Too Much Time On Your Hands

Tim Grube — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:20:03 -0600

So it snows outside, you're a gamer, and your favorite game is Halo. What does that lead to? Building a master chief snowman, of course. We received a tip by an anonymous user who gave us a link to this creative work of art below. I am not sure who did this, but if you did, nice job! Check it out.

Achievement: Build Master Chief Snowman - Unlocked

Any other game related snowmen out there? Link it in the comments section!

East Coast LAN v12.07 Details

Tim Grube — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 21:56:32 -0600

Every year, I attend one of the largest LAN Parties on the East Coast. Titled, East Coast LAN, will feature games such as Counter-Strike Source, Unreal Tournament 2003, Team Fortress 2, and other hot titles right now on the market. The biggest selling point this year is the money that is on the line for the Counter-Strike tournament--$1000!

Dates:

December 14
December 15
December 16

Games to Include:

CounterStrike Source 5v5
CounterStrike 1.6 5v5
Unreal Tournament 3 1v1
TeamFortress 2
ETQW
Company Of Heroes
50/50 Nintendo Wii Sports Tournament
50/50 HALO 3 1v1
RED LIGHT SPECIALS!

GameBump will be providing coverage of this years East Coast LAN beginning December 14th till the 16th.

Price:

PREPAID: $30
-Full Access to LAN
-(Console tournaments are $5 extra)

PAID AT DOOR: $40
-Full Access to LAN
-(console Tournaments are $5 extra)

HALO 3 50/50 1v1 Tournament!
Prize will be 50% of the total signup for this tournament.
EX:100 signup's x $5=$500 /50 =$250 for first place! The same goes for the Nintendo Wii tournament!

Official Unreal 3 1v1 Tournament!
Prize will be 50% of the total signup for this tournament.

Official CounterStrike Source 5v5 Tournament!
Prize will be $1000 to first place!

CBS GameCore's Holiday Gift Guide 2007

Tim Grube — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 14:40:30 -0600

Our good friends over at CBS GameCore just posted their annual holiday gift guide that features everybody's top 5 along with the top 10 overall listings. Some of the games in the top 10 include:

What are your picks for this holiday season? Post them in the comments of this story! For the time being, head over to GameCore's website for the full listings.

Free Halo Theme Song Goes Live for Guitar Hero III Thursday

Shiva Stella — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:20:00 -0600

Get your groove on with the Master.

If you're a Halo and a Guitar Hero fan, you might be interested to know that Neversoft, Bungie, Activision/RedOctane, and Microsoft have teamed up to bring the Halo theme (MJOLNIR Mix) to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Xbox 360.

The song is free and launches on the Xbox Live Marketplace on Thanksgiving day, Thursday November 22.

Here's some info on the theme if you're a music buff:

The Halo theme was written, composed, and performed by Martin ODonnell and Michael Salvatori; and the MJOLNIR Mix features guitars performed by the Grammy Award winning guitar hero, Steve Vai.

"Its a real pleasure to hear one of the best loved and most iconic themes from Bungies Halo Universe in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," said Marty ODonnell, Composer and Audio Director for Bungie Studios. "As longtime fans of the Guitar Hero franchise, it was great to collaborate with Neversoft and Activision/RedOctane to offer this exciting free download to our fans."

NPD Group Figures for October 2007: Halo 3, DS Reign Supreme

Shiva Stella — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:40:00 -0600

The NPD Group has published its list of top titles for the US region for the month of October 2007. Have a peek. You probably won't be surprised.

Halo 3 (Xbox 360) -- 433,800
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Xbox 360) -- 383, 200
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (Wii) -- 286,300
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/ guitar (PlayStation 2) -- 271,100
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS) -- 262,800
Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) -- 239,700
The Orange Box (Xbox 360) -- 238,400
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock w/o guitar (PlayStation 2) -- 231,700
FIFA Soccer 08 (PlayStation 2) -- 129,700
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day (Nintendo DS) -- 116,900

For the curious, here's the October hardware sales as well.

Nintendo DS -- 458,000
Wii -- 519,000
Xbox 360 -- 366,000
PlayStation Portable -- 286,000
PlayStation 3 -- 121,000
PlayStation 2 -- 184,000

Halo 3 To See Official Soundtrack Release

Eric Jonathan Smith — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:20:00 -0600

As much of a video game music buff as I am, I've avoided getting into Halo's armor-plated pants for, uh, personal reasons? Regardless, if you're the type of Halo-obsessed individual who modded the Legendary Edition Master Chief helmet to fit your head, you'll be pleased to know the game's music is seeing an official album release, courtesy of Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc.

The score was composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, vets of Halos 1 and 2, featuring that booming orchestral style that pumped you up on your first playthrough before you made a custom soundtrack of Dragonforce on your Heroic run, you heretic.

The OST will be released on November 20, and Amazon is listing it for $12.99 (!), which makes me want to cry. I pay more than that on shipping alone when I buy game OSTs from Japan! I raise my fist in defiance (and jealousy), you Halo fiends.

Hit the jump to head to the OST's official website, if only because you've probably never been to a website devoted to a game OST before.

Incredible Halo 3 Chain-Reaction

Aaron Dunlap — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 18:48:43 -0500

I've seen a few impressive Halo 3 chain-reaction videos, but this one is the best yet. Perhaps the best element is the mixture of accidental-skill and vicious payback.

Check out the video below.

A player happlessly throws a grenade out of the base that takes out an approaching Mongoose (ATV-like vehicle). That alone is incredibly impressive. That Mongoose goes airborne, spinning wildly. In order to save himself, the Mongoose driver hops off of the vehicle in mid-air, changing its path. The redirected Mongoose sails into the base, bounces off a ledge, and finally smashes into the very player who threw the grenade.

It's like a cross between Final Destination and The Matrix.

Kid Punches His Mom in the Face. Why? Halo 3

Aaron Dunlap — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:42:26 -0500

According to this local news report, a southern Florida youth didn't take too kindly to his mother's insistence that he stop playing video games.

The name of the game he was playing is "Halo 3," which must be an independent title as I've never heard of it. The name of the game is in the headline and mentioned twice in the article so it must be important. I mean, it'd be ridiculous to just say, "Kid punches his mom because he's an unbalanced freak."

Anyway, from what I can make of this article, the kid's mother tells him to turn off the game and go to sleep. Kid says no. Mom turns off the Xbox 360. Kid turns it back on. Mom takes off the WiFi adapter (I'm guessing, at least. The article says the "air card" was removed. From the context, wifi adapter seems apt) and hides it so the kid can't play online anymore. Kid freaks out and rampages through the house to find the adapter and somewhere in the process decks his mom in the face.

Whether or not he yelled, "Boom! Headshot!" afterwards is unknown.

The kid then runs up to his room and locks the door. The parents call the police, who get into the bedroom via a spare key and try to arrest the kid. The kid fights back and pops one of the officers in the mouth before being subdued.

He was charged with battery, domestic violence and battery on a law-enforcement officer.

So what lessons can be taken from this? Don't take the wireless adapter out of your kid's Xbox? Don't punch your mom and then run to your bedroom like a ninny? For the love of God, don't hit a police officer?

No, the real lesson here is that nobody would have found this story if Halo 3 wasn't mentioned in the headline, yet Halo 3 has nothing to do with the story at all. Were he engaged in some other game, I doubt the headline would read "Donkey Konga player punches mother..." In all, a glorious triumph of sensationalism.

I hope this kid's lawyer knows how to effectively blame the video game.

Halo 3 LE Discs Scratched?

Tim Grube — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 21:31:12 -0500

So it appears several Halo 3 Limited Edition packages are being shipped with scratch discs to consumers across the states. These reports are coming from NeoGAF, an online gaming community.

A friend just opened 3 copies of Halo 3 Limited Edition and with all three copies both disc were loose inside of the package and scratched to death.

This Limited Edition has a piss poor plastic nub and foam pad disc holding design that is a major flaw and the discs pop off with ease.

Worse then the Prey Collectors Edition!!

Microsoft has not yet commented on these accusations.

Halo 3 Goes Gold

Tim Grube — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 13:54:57 -0500

The wait is almost over. Halo 3, the final chapter in the groundbreaking Halo trilogy and the most anticipated game release of 2007, has been released to manufacturing.

Three years in the making by renowned developer Bungie Studios, Halo 3 is now finished and will begin its journey to store shelves around the world in less than four weeks. Halo 3, which has already set new records as the fastest preordered game in history, has exceeded one million presales in North America alone. The title is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide beginning Tuesday, Sept. 25.

This is a huge milestone for us and a big cause for celebration at Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios, said Harold Ryan, Studio Head at Bungie Studios. This is the game weve always wanted to make and certainly the best game our studio has developed. We cant wait for gamers to get their hands on it on Sept. 25.

Halo 3 On Four DVD�s?

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:27:00 -0500

According to various conversations within the industry, Halo 3 is currently filling up four dual layered 9GB DVDs. Now, obviously this could be they have havent went through the compression phase yet, but it is quite interesting that Bungie has that much content to fit into this next-generation title.

Halo 3 will be released on the Xbox 360 next year. This is just a rumor, so take it with a grain of salt. We will have more on this developing story as it becomes available.

Originally written by Tim Grube

Home Studio Halo Theme

Tim Grube — Thu, 21 Dec 2006 12:56:10 -0600

This is insane. Check this out. A bunch of amateurs (well, not so amateurish since they did this) but a bunch of friends got together and re-created the Halo Theme inside one of their studios. It's done quite well.

You can check out their other work by going to their official myspace page by clicking here.

Halo 3 Trailer Makes Debut Soon

Tim Grube — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 22:24:52 -0600

Finally after a long wait--well, soon that is, we will get to see a brand spanking new Halo 3 trailer. This time it will be making its debut on broadcast television exclusive to ESPN. The trailer is set to debut Monday, Dec. 4 between 5:50 and 6:20 p.m. PST or better yet, during the Monday Night Football. After that, the ad will again be aired that same evening on Xbox.com at 8 p.m. PST /04.00 GMT/05.00 CET (Tuesday, Dec. 5).

The ad, created by McCann Worldgroup San Francisco, includes a mixture of live action and computer generated animation. Expect the trailer to hit the web (YouTube, Google Video) moments after...

X06 Unwraps Halo Wars, Other Major Microsoft News

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 12:28:00 -0500

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.The original author is Evan Lahti.

Microsoft's annual European show, X06, has shed significant light on the company's plans for major software franchises -- revealing new information about Halo, as well as planned exclusivity for upcoming next-gen titles BioShock, Ubisoft's next Splinter Cell, and others.The two-day show began yesterday in Barcelona, Spain, and leading the pack among other prominent announcements were a pair of four-letter words: Halo Wars -- a real-time strategy title based in the Halo franchise currently in development by both Ensemble Studios (creators of the Age of Empires series) and Bungie for the Xbox 360, set prior to the original Halo: Combat Evolved. A release date was not disclosed for Halo Wars, but Microsoft confirmed that the title is in a playable form.

The game's official website answers the question of how a Halo RTS came into being by saying: "Warthogs are cool. Scorpions are cool. Controlling lots of Warthogs and Scorpions and sending them into battle is really, really cool. We've been big fans of Halo for years at Ensemble Studios, and when we sat down to discuss our next project we thought Halo would be absolutely perfect as an RTS on the Xbox 360." A statement on Bungie's website endorsed the company's choice of Ensemble as the best fit for creating Halo Wars.

"The folks at Ensemble are the only team we trusted to make a Halo RTS and from what we've already seen (and played), it's going to be awesome. And yes, the controls do work great on a 360 pad.

Bungie has been working with Ensemble primarily in the area of the game's fiction to help inspire the story and ensure continuity with the existing Halo Universe. Aside from that, Ensemble is applying their skills to deliver a great Halo experience in a whole new genre, which is ironically where Halo began in the first place. If you've seen some of the very early Halo videos out there, you might recall that before it ever became an FPS, it was in fact designed as an RTS (building off of Bungie's experience with the Myth franchise). Now, many years later, Ensemble is able to take the franchise full circle and bring it back to the place where it all began.

Ensemble brought their prototype to Bungie quite a while back, to show the guys that an RTS could not only work on the 360, but kick ass too. Frankly, Ensemble is one of very few folks on Earth that we would trust with our baby, and that trust is doubled thanks to the excellence of the Age of Empires franchise."

Another additional, but untitled Halo project was also made public at the event, though we only know that the game is being developed by Peter Jackson's Wingnut Interactive and is slated to be the "next chapter" in the series.Jackson, who made his intentions to partner with Microsoft Game Studios transparent, said this when asked about his teaming with the company: "From a movie-maker's point of view, it is clear to me that the Xbox 360 platform is the stage where storytellers can work their craft in the same way they do today with movies and books but taking it further with interactivity." Jackson last collaborated with Microsoft when his game based on the movie, Peter Jackson's King Kong, was a launch title on the Xbox 360, and released on other major platforms as well.Aside from Halo, Microsoft spilled the beans on exclusive content en route to its console, including two Xbox 360-specific episodes for the next Grand Theft Auto game that will be available online near its release in fall 2007. Likewise, the next game to follow in Ubisoft's Splinter Cell series, titled "Conviction" is now a Microsoft exclusive (it will appear on the PC as well), along with Irrational Games' Bioshock, the successor to System Shock, which was originally also being developed for the PlayStation 3. Rare, a MGS-subsidiary, is also currently developing Banjo-Kazooie 3 for the console.With Sony boasting at the Tokyo Game Show last weekend that its low-end model of the PlayStation 3 will now come equipped with HDMI, the head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment division, Peter Moore, countered, stating that 160 high-definition, 1080p-supported titles will be available on the Xbox 360 by Christmas. Moore also underlined that along with the console's HD-DVD attachment being priced at $199, at least 50 films on the format will be in stores by the end of the year.Expect more news on Halo Wars and other Xbox 360-exclusive content to become available as the holidays draw near. You can also check out five promotional images released for Halo Wars below.

Halo 2 Heads For PC

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 12:50:00 -0600

Microsoft has announced that Halo 2 will be making a belated appearance on the PC, and that it will only run on the upcoming successor to Windows XP, Windows Vista.The PC version will include all content from the standard game as well as the Multiplayer Map Pack and although no date was given for the PC version, with Vista not due until later this year it looks like the handful of people who are yet to play the game will have to wait a while. Unlike the original Halo for the PC, which was developed by Gearbox, Bungie is handling the port of Halo 2.

GH Review: Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack (Xbox)

The Gaming Horizon Archive — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 19:42:00 -0500

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Aaron Thomas.

The Multiplayer Map Pack is the long awaited expansion disc to the incredibly popular first-person shooter Halo 2. Containing nine maps, as well as interviews, sound tests, a small side-story, and trailers, the disc provides quite a bit of content for $19.99. You can also download the maps via Xbox Live for $11.99, or you can wait until the end of the summer and get them for free. Keep in mind, you wont get any of the bonus content if you download the maps. There are no changes to the fundamental gameplay, nor are there any new weapons, but if youre looking to get back into Halo 2, or youre looking for some new challenges this disc is a no-brainer.

Because the game content is essentially the same, Ive compiled a list containing all new maps and a detailed examination of each.

Gemini: This level is a Covenant sanctuary, and is a small circular area thats best suited for a small amount of players. A lone tree with a sword, and a large statue worshipping a holographic Halo are distinctive characteristics. This level feels very similar to Midship, including a similar color scheme.

Terminal: Located in New Mombasa, this level contains the infamous train that whizzes through, splattering unsuspecting combatants. Sure, train tracks are a good indicator that a train could be coming, but a sword and some shields entice you to take the risk. A Warthog, Wraith and Ghost are available to cruise around in, though there isnt much room for fancy driving. He who gets the tank gets lots of kills.

Relic: This level is an asymmetric, medium-sized island with a spectacular view of Halo, a mountain range, and a planet in the distance. A large structure in the middle is an ancient monument, and inside it contains a two-way transport that must be unlocked. A ghost is the lone vehicle to peruse the island. This level is very well-rounded and works great for small team games. The rocket is a valuable commodity, so expect a race for it at the beginning of each match.

Elongation: A remake of Longest, from the original Halo, this new version features a moving conveyer belt running through the level to spice things up. The layout, with two parallel hallways, is very similar to the original, but now there are platforms connecting the top areas, making camping a much less attractive option than it used to be. Its pretty, and theres more going on, but its got the same basic feel to it. There are no more ladders, but crates and ramps can get you from the first floor to the second.

Backwash: Its not just the nasty stuff left at the bottom of a soda can anymore. This rainy level takes place in a misty swamp, limiting your field of vision. Its very similar to the area you fought the flood in during the first game. Theres even a guilty spark flying about the level. There are two bases on either side, with a small amount of trees in between to give some minimal cover during an assault. With plenty of elevation changes, there are ample spots to snipe, so be prepared to seek cover.

Turf: This medium-sized level takes place in a rundown urban environment. The narrow streets and walkways are conducive to confrontation, so expect lots of chaos. There is some cover, but it always seems like an opponent isnt far off. It was designed with territories in mind, and it is in fact one of the best places to play, due to its easy to learn design. Its unique, and not something youre used to playing in the world of Halo.

Sanctuary: This level is a cemetery on Delta Halo, with a large castle-like structure sprawling through it. Mounted weapons keep attackers at bay as you spray bullets all over the map while listening to the soothing sound of a waterfall. Its a large level with tons of cover; perfect for sneaking around with a bomb or a flag.

Warlock: This level is a clever play on words of the original Wizard level in the first Halo, only now its much more beautiful. A small circular area with few places to hide, frantic hardly describes the action with shotguns or rockets. Theres some new foliage that provides some cover, and the level seems a little bit bigger than before, but this level is all about shooting, shooting, and lots of carnage.

Containment: Huge is one word to describe this snow-covered level the biggest of the new maps. There are multiple ways from one side to another, so playing defense and working as a team are required when playing against a skilled opponent. If youre a show-off with the vehicles, there are plenty of places for innovative driving maneuvers, be it racing through the caves, or making some insane jumps while taking heavy fire. Warthogs, a tank, and some banshees provide lots of choices when it comes to transportation.

If you buy the disc, you get quite a few extra features, and while they are quite good, they wont really appeal to anyone other than the hard-core Halo fan.

Audio Test: This humorous check of your surround sound speakers is good for a laugh, and is best left un-spoiled. Rest assured, its pretty darn amusing.

Two trailers are included on the disc. One is of Halo at E3 2000 where it was first shown, and the other was used for the announcement of Halo 2. The original Halo trailer shows several characters, weapons, and vehicles that didnt make it into the final game, and its all original footage, not just gameplay.

Another Day At the Beach is a short film that shows the fate of ODST team in Old Mombasa. Its pretty short, and not very interesting. I think most people would have preferred a better ending sequence. This film is pre-rendered, so it looks quite a bit better than the in-game scenarios in Halo 2.

Killtacular: This is a series of interview detailing the creation of the multiplayer maps. Its mildly interesting, but if you watched all the footage from the special edition, then this might be overkill.

For $19.99, there isnt any, though the lack of new weapons, vehicles, and match types might disappoint some people.

If youre a Halo 2 fan, then this is a no-brainer go out and get the Map Pack. If you want to save a couple of bucks, you can download it online, but keep in mind you have no way of backing up the new maps, nor can you install them on multiple Xbox consoles; something you can do if you own the disc. An all-around nice package.

Its the same as Halo 2, which is a good thing.

Many of these maps look better than anything in the stand alone game.

Its the same as Halo 2, which again, is a good thing.

The new maps are great; especially sine theres less cheating now.

Unless you play with morons and cheaters you could play forever.