Big huge 2AM news announcement? We're still waiting [update 1]
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Nov 15th 2006 at 3:00AM }
[Update: The news went up at 2AM Pacific: new Halo 2 multiplayer maps coming next Spring, a Monday Night Football commercial on 12/04/06, and a shiny, shiny screenshot.]
Both Frankie at Bungie and apparently Microsoft (via IGN) have dropped hints that there will be a big mega giant huge news announcement today about Halo at 2AM (although in fairness, IGN said that Microsoft told them that, not Frankie. And then my best friend's sister's boyfriend's brother's girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who's going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it's pretty serious).
It's the 5th anniversary of the game, (five years? It's hard to believe it's been that long.) So what could it be? Bungie's classic Marathon coming to Xbox Live? A playable Halo 3 demo on marketplace? Limited-edition full-sized Warthog pimped out with an Xbox 360 Steering Wheel?
Well, blogger Zack Stern and yours truly have been up for hours now, staring at the screen, drumming our fingers, and hitting the refresh button. So far, nothing yet. Although we democratically decided that since Bungie and Microsoft are both based on the West Coast, that maybe they meant 2AM Pacific time. Nice of them to tell us. *rassin frassin*
We hope there is some real precious news associated with this, or else we're gonna feel like we got punked. And not in a good way.
Check out our live(ish) chatroom countdown to 2AM after the jump! That is ... 2AM eastern. When ... nothing happened.
10:43:42 PM Kevin: So Zack ... I see you're waiting up for the boffo Microsoft news, eh?
10:44:18 PM Zack: Well Kevin, I don't own any virtual pets. So this seemed like the next-best use of my time.
10:44:40 PM Kevin: Yeah, I know the feeling. I was just updating my gold star chart of favorite commenters.
10:44:41 PM Zack: Are you virtually excited?
10:44:54 PM Kevin: You know it. My virtual pulse is racing.
10:45:23 PM Zack: Ridge Racing?
10:45:37 PM Kevin: Zing! 2 points to Zack.
10:45:57 PM Zack: Thanks. You gave me the easy lay-up.
10:46:14 PM Zack: What could you hope the BIG NEWS will be?
10:47:00 PM Kevin: Well, I hope Microsoft is announcing that they'll be paying me for playing the Xbox 360. Bill Gates has been on a philanthropic tear lately, so fingers crossed on that one.
10:47:19 PM Zack: Yeah, I got that email, too. Nice.
10:47:22 PM Kevin: You?
10:47:37 PM Zack: I'm hoping for, first choice, sustainable clean energy.
10:47:49 PM Kevin: That runs quietly.
10:48:07 PM Zack: Second choice: a contest to play Master Chief in the yet-to-be resurrected Halo movie.
10:48:36 PM Kevin: Oh yeah? You think you could fit into that Mark XVIII whatever-the-number-is armor okay?
10:49:00 PM Zack: No. I have a hard enough time remembering which button punches.
10:49:22 PM Zack: But bring on the Star Wars-kid Halo audition tapes!
10:49:48 PM Kevin: You can always just order the Legendary edition and wear that helmet. In fact, wear it all the time and never take it off. It might make waiting in the post office line easier.
10:50:05 PM Zack: As far as you know, I'm wearing it right now.
10:50:21 PM Kevin: It's a helmet, not underpants ... right?
10:50:31 PM Zack: It doesn't specify.
10:50:43 PM Kevin: Well then, you go with that look.
10:51:06 PM Kevin: Personally, I've been hoping all along that Halo 3 would come out early. I mean, we have the EGM issue which screams HALO HALO HALO...
10:51:33 PM Zack: Remember that band, Tony, Toni, Toné? I digress.
10:51:45 PM Kevin: Of course I do, being a child of the 80s.
10:51:57 PM Kevin: ... And rumors about that announcement, but it seems like it would chew right into Gears of War sales, and I doubt MS would do that. But then, they are kind of nuts, so who knows.
10:52:42 PM Zack: Sure. The fanboy in us all wants the Halo-ships announcement.
10:52:55 PM Kevin: And I want a new Porsche, while we're wishing.
10:53:25 PM Kevin: Well, it's 7 minutes until 2am (Eastern) ... I'm not even sure where we should be looking. xbox.com? Drudge Report? CNN? Fark.com?
10:53:54 PM Zack: I just keep refreshing Joystiq. They'll have something about it soon.
10:54:12 PM Kevin: Oh yeah, those guys are always on the ball.
10:54:31 PM Zack: Even when there's no court.
10:54:39 PM Kevin: Zing!
10:57:16 PM Zack: I do give Bungie credit for being tight-lipped about some announcements in the past, however.
10:57:51 PM Kevin: Yeah they really kept the lid on the whole story about me being the most awesome badass Halo 2 player ever.
10:57:57 PM Kevin: That was more to protect me, though.
10:58:34 PM Zack: From hordes of women
10:58:45 PM Kevin: Yeah, they really dig the gamers and their mad skillz.
10:59:37 PM Zack: Okay. One minute gone. One more minute left in this whole charade.
10:59:48 PM Zack: Unless we have the wrong hour.
10:59:59 PM Kevin: Unless they meant 2am pacific. Who drops news at THAT freaking hour?
11:00:49 PM Zack: What happened? Are we still here?
11:01:03 PM Kevin: Well, my Xbox 360 just exploded in the other room.
11:01:25 PM Kevin: Oh, that's because I left it turned on while sitting on the carpet. BOOYAH!
11:02:41 PM Zack: Hmmm. Nobody is calling me. TV not being preempted. No alert sirens.
11:03:01 PM Kevin: You know, Microsoft, Bungie, and IGN are all based on the West Coast (like us --- because we roll like that).
11:03:06 PM Kevin: So I'm guessing 2am PST.
11:04:05 PM Zack: Or it was all just a dream.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ralph @ Nov 15th 2006 3:09AM
yeah its 2 a.m. pacific time the editor in chief posted a sticky on team xbox forums
DeepSleeper @ Nov 15th 2006 3:12AM
Because Bungie isn't on the West Coast, like every other part of Microsoft and half the game developers in the US.
Joystiq has the Logical Thinking Skillz.
Kevin @ Nov 15th 2006 3:56AM
Wait ... did they move Washington? Last time we checked, it was on the West Coast. Are you trying to mess with my head, man?!?!
Corey @ Nov 15th 2006 3:30AM
http://forum.teamxbox.com/showthread.php?t=485455
It's 2AM PST, meaning, we've got another hour and a half. Do I really want to stay up until 4?
Mr.Hmm @ Nov 15th 2006 3:35AM
Big Halo News Just In:
Halo 3 to feature pump action shotgun further skyrocketing it's overall genericness through the atmosphere. Video game propagand....er journalists everywhere astounded.
admangreendog @ Nov 15th 2006 3:41AM
Thank you simone..
Kevin @ Nov 15th 2006 3:57AM
#10 - Uh, did you read the article that you're commenting on? The one that was posted -- let me check -- less than an hour ago? I'm guessing no. So, don't blame us for staying up past your bedtime. We weren't even the ones who said there'd be news!
As Wicked @ Nov 15th 2006 4:03AM
Halo 3 is to be set in a huge food store and your locked in ... WITH NO CAN OPENER!!!!
Your primiy objective is to get out ... alive.
Mr. Cox @ Nov 15th 2006 4:06AM
To anyone bitching:
Don't blame Joystiq when they aren't the one's promising the news, first of all. Secondly, you apparently didn't even read the post because (if you didn't notice) the Joystiq guys seem a bit ticked at the lack of news as well. Cut them some fuckin' slack. Don't like the wait? Go to bed, Joystiq will still be here in the morning.
Lee @ Nov 15th 2006 4:09AM
@Mr. Cox
Ditto. Thank you. I was in the process of typing the exact same thing, luckily, I hit refresh first and saw you saved me the trouble.
Seriously though, people seem to want to attack Joystiq for just about anything these days.
ABigSmall @ Nov 15th 2006 4:23AM
@ Fronz's comment.
oooohh, Joystiq just got burned. Then again, the guy's happy at Destructoid.
icelandman @ Nov 15th 2006 4:31AM
The Bungie web page states under Top Stories:
"In this, the week celebrating the fifth anniversary of the release of Halo for Xbox, we asked a few of our media chums what they think about Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 – and what they’re most looking forward to in the next installment. Oh and tomorrow? Boxors will be Roxored." -Frankie
Note the last two sentences, I suspect they will be roxored sometime this afternoon (given that it is 1:20 AM pacific now the day of), but Bungie is unlikely to randomly post updates in the dead of night and probably will not begin to. Their updates have always occured at a reasonable time after lunch, more often than not after 3 o clock. I hope you all get some shut eye and can join me in my boxor roxoring tomorrow. Cheers for Halo gents.
~PEACE
-Johann
chudgoo @ Nov 15th 2006 4:28AM
Again....
Joystiq should just WAIT until there is something to report instead of saying that "Big huge" news is coming. This is just irresponsible and manipulative.
Didn't this sort of thing end with Joystiq looking really bad last time?
...Apologies and journalistic integrity coming into question...
LEARN ALREADY!
BIG HUGE AWESOME BLOG COMMENT coming soon! Wait with baited breath!
OMFG it will be BIIIIIIGGGGG HUUUUGGGGE!
Squal @ Nov 15th 2006 4:32AM
I'm going to take a shot in the dark here, but I'm guessing it's just an anouncement that Halo 2 for Vista is complete. This being a "Joint" press release between Bungie and MS (Yes I know MS Owns Bungie). But it seems really close to the fact that Vista just got the stamp of approval for OEM's.
We'll see though. I hope it is not this, as I'd be disapointed that they would hype an old port so much.
And for those bashing on Joystiq, come on. They are just blogging the news they hear. I didn't see anywhere that they tried to "Hype" it up.
Give them a break once in awhile. They are gamers too, and this kind of news makes them piss there pants as much as the next guy.
JRepo @ Nov 15th 2006 4:38AM
ah, the smell of sarcasm...during the times of 2pm GMT and all the way to the year 2000.
Didn't anyone of the idiots* who are blaiming Joystiq read the actual "article". It was funny, witty and most of all it said with big letters: WE WANTED TO HEAR THE NEWS AND WE ARE NOW AS PISSED AS YOU GUYS WERE WHEN WE MADE THE MISTAKE AND WE ARE STILL SORRY ABOUT THAT...AND WE ARE STUPID.
Well perhaps not that, but I got that feeling from the post. Joystiqqers are just too funny to be taken seriously but still it seems that some of you take this blog way too seriously. This is supposed to be a frigging gaming blog with a little bit of humour. I read this blog to get information but I like to smile/laugh when reading the said info. If I would like to get boring game news I would go read some Christian Gaming Magazines (there has got to be some).
*by idiot I mean a person who doesn't agree with me. In reality it might be me who is the idiot but I do keep the right to call anyone else an idiot. However if you are able to show me facts which clearly state that you, who I have called an idiot, are not an idiot I will do my best to tell you to f**k off.
krozall @ Nov 15th 2006 5:05AM
A guess:
Halo 3 Demo available from 10/16/06 to 1/31/07 for gold members only.
SurrealLogic @ Nov 15th 2006 5:06AM
Halo 3 public beta in early 2007, new maps for Halo 2, and some Halo 3 commercial in December, oh boi
Simon @ Nov 15th 2006 5:06AM
It's up on Xbox360.ign.com
It is a public Halo 3 multiplayer demo but not till next year. Also new maps for Halo 2, but again, not till next year.
UniformedLayman @ Nov 15th 2006 5:07AM
The announcement is up on IGN. There'll be an open Halo3 multiplayer beta in the spring, plus new Halo2 maps for some reason.
koffeekan @ Nov 15th 2006 5:07AM
omg new h2 maps, public beta, h3 commercial, halo wars, halo 2 for pc OMFG !!!!!!!!!! bungie FTW!!
josh @ Nov 15th 2006 5:12AM
go to www.bungie.net for all the news about this
Tony @ Nov 15th 2006 5:15AM
Word. Bungie updated their site too.
Right in time for 2AM Pacific. So, they didin't lie.
But word, new halo 2 maps (360 users only), Halo 3 open beta, and Halo 3 commercial to air during Monday Night Football on Dec. 4th.
infinitespecter @ Nov 15th 2006 5:16AM
So this was the big deal? A multiplayer beta that won't be out for 6 months, some new Halo 2 maps, and a commercial? Oh wait, a "highly anticipated" commercial, nevermind the fact that no one knew about it until 15 minutes ago. And they say Sony is a hype machine.
Matt @ Nov 15th 2006 5:28AM
new halo3 screenshot
http://www.bungie.net/images/news/inlineimages/AnniversaryMCNewsweekLrg.jpg
is that in 1080p???? its a massive screenshot
Rmx246 @ Nov 15th 2006 8:02AM
Is it me or does it look like Master Chief is watching
a gay s3x scene lol
(I know I have a twisted mind XD)
Jeff @ Nov 15th 2006 11:27AM
"Is that in 1080p???? its a massive screenshot"
It's 2560x1440. So, in other words, not a real screenshot. Exactly the same thing Joystiq was complaining about the other day - the Xbox 360 doesn't even run at that res. It's not capable of it.
1080p is 1920x1080. 1080i is 1920x540 with alternating fields. 720p is 1280x720.
2560x1440 is nothing. It's a computer render. Nothing to see here, move along...
makesevenupyours @ Nov 15th 2006 7:28PM
duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuude!! i love ferris buellers day off!!