Halo 2 for Windows Vista: frag friends on PC and 360 (but not together) [update 1]
by Kevin Kelly 
{ Jan 7th 2007 at 11:39PM }
With Bill Gates' CES keynote winding down, we're left to sort through the gaming news that flooded out from Microsoft. While there was no mention of a new Xbox 360 console, or Gears of War for PC, there was a lot of hubbub about Games for Windows. Microsoft showed off UNO playing cross-platform on a PC using the Xbox Live service, allowing Xbox 360 users to get some game on with PC users.However, where Microsoft had been saying that Halo 2 wouldn't work with Live Anywhere, we now know that's
Update: MS rep - "Bungie's FAQ is correct; there is no cross-platform gameplay between Vista and Xbox 360." So, you can just think about what almost was.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rami @ Jan 7th 2007 11:47PM
Let me be the first to say.... Woohoo!
Richie Rich @ Jan 8th 2007 2:02PM
Halo 2 and Uno? Yay, I'm totally excited about that :P
Virtua Fanboy @ Jan 7th 2007 11:54PM
I don't see why they don't include original xbox owners too. That would be pretty sweet.
Random Insanity @ Jan 7th 2007 11:54PM
It will be interesting to see who does better in online matches, controller or mouse and keyboard.
djphatjive @ Jan 7th 2007 11:54PM
Yea but can I put my XBOX halo2 game in my computer and play it. NOOOOO
Anything they can do to get you to pay for more copys, just like music and movies. Now games.
davidc @ Jan 8th 2007 12:03AM
yess, i honestly think those using a mouse will get the upperhand. your thumb can never be as precise as your whole hand.
Desiri @ Jan 8th 2007 12:08AM
Kotaku posted the same thing. Someone from Bungie posted that you CAN NOT play someone on the other platform and they removed the story. You will only be able to share stats and a few other details between platforms.
Original link:
http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/ces06/halo-2-to-support-vista-versus-360-gaming-226835.php
dg945 @ Jan 8th 2007 9:05AM
It doesn't say that they can play together, it says that "Halo® 2 for Windows Vista" (Microsoft Game Studios), the first of many titles that will enable gamers on Windows Vista to connect with their friends on Xbox 360 through the Live network."
Bungie has already said that there won't be any cross-platform play, but they also just announced that if you had an Xbox LIVE account you could earn achievements. I'm pretty sure it means you can view messages, send, and see your friends from your 360 on Halo 2 Vista or vice versa.
Sources:
http://prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/01-07-2007/0004501040&EDATE=
http://www.bungie.net/Games/Halo2Vista/content.aspx?link=Halo2VistaFAQ
Rami @ Jan 8th 2007 12:17AM
A resounding "bummer" ...
Jay @ Jan 8th 2007 12:27AM
The reason is Halo2 was original xbox and was not built for cross platform, but be ready for Bio-Shock because it should be.
SickNic @ Jan 8th 2007 12:31AM
I noticed them say the same thing, and my first thought was "They screwed up, they aren't going to let us play against each other corss platforms".
gdub @ Jan 8th 2007 6:04PM
xbox you can keep your crappy halo/halo 2. I've played both and they're both just average. Give me a good game like unreal tournament 2007.
Kwipper @ Jan 8th 2007 1:57AM
God damn it! I want to have cross platform gaming, this way we can just have proof that a keyboard and mouse is better for first person shooters than gamepads are. Then we could finally shut those console kiddies up about it.
Ace T'Ken @ Jan 8th 2007 6:25AM
Am I the only gamer who thought Halo 1 & 2 were pretty crappy? I know it's got it's fanboys and it seems to make 15 year olds happy, but it was ugly, played like a game from 8 years ago, and became repetative quickly with the same textures and enemies nonstop. I did enjoy the voice acting and the plot however...
Zeromaru @ Jan 8th 2007 6:25AM
It was Microsoft's decision to not include cross-platform gaming, and I'll tell you why.
It can't be that they're on different systems. Both the Xbox and Windows PC use Intel processors, use a DirectX capable video card (you can't get a video card today that doesn't support DirectX, even the chips in Macs support it), run a Windows NT OS (Xbox uses a modified Windows 2000 kernel), but none of that matters. What does matter is the protocol used to communicate between systems. That has nothing to do with what platform the game is being played on. One could write a text adventure Halo and, so long as it used the same protocol as the Xbox version, played together and the other person wouldn't know the difference.
Microsoft doesn't want Vista and Xbox players to play together so they'll buy both copies.
Andy Luedke @ Jan 8th 2007 7:22PM
Shadowrun is cross platform over Live. Players on Xbox 360 will play against players on PC, whether the PC players are using M/K or the 360 gamepad. Plus, Shadowrun is an awesome game.
sam @ Jan 9th 2007 12:31AM
well the thing in halo 2 is the use of BXR, this is an glich or button combo if you let the pc player use it, it would just be ,macroed and then the pc player off the bat is better. and if you dont let them use them then you cant for the use of the combos.