Halo 2 maps available April 17th for $4, Xbox 360 not required

Though I'll be getting them, these maps simply won't be as much fun without the Pistol, Halo 2's crappy and wholly uninspired physics system and no fall damage.

And for the impending onslaught of anti-Pistol players: I'm sorry you sucked at Halo 1.

-Kimosabae

Nice touch, adding the OE -en plural Mr Grant.

I didn't suck at halo... I used the pistol just as much as anybody else... It just wasn't as satisfying at picking somebody off with a single head shot from across the map with a sniper rifle... Although... Nothing was as satisfying as shotgun.....

Then what exactly, are you complaining about? Halo's pistol didn't stop you from doing that, and if you tell me otherwise you either:

A. Really were bad at Halo, or...

B. Consistantly played others that were bad at Halo.

-Kimosabae

Technicaly with with pistol it neutralized the sniper rifle... In the essence that you could simply aim at the individual to get them out of the zoom. Making it difficult to make a kill because from one end to the other you should zoom if you want to make sure you hit the head... No big deal if they don't know you are there... But split screen makes that tough...

Ever since the idea of a steady stream of microtransactions came out I realized something about gamers, they're incredibly cheap. Now these guys at Bungie are charging at full steam to bring out Halo 3 this holiday, and they take the time out to remodel two maps for Halo 2 and some people want them for free. Wow.

I wish every bottle of water came with a free refill, but they don't do they. Get a fucking paper route, pick up some cans , babysit the elderly , just do something so you have a steady form of income so you guys can stop complaining about four fucking dollars. Jesus. Or how about this zany idea? Don't buy it. Halo 2 has plenty of maps to enjoy without playing those two.

And as far as the "Elite debacle" goes. Read the previous paragraph about not buying one. I didn't read any notices from Microsoft that said you had to own one to play any future games coming out. Its not replacing the premium or the core so chill. I guess when Dodge announced the Viper you figured that your Neon was worthless? No, it still takes you to work just like a Viper would , its just not as fast.

Exactly the response I expected.

If you're still trying to snipe someone after they've spotted you and they're manning a pistol, you deserve to not only die, but lose that sniper rifle.

Sniper isn't meant to be a directly confrontational weapon, descretion is key. Otherwise, it would be overpowered.

That's the problem with players that complain about the Pistol. It upsets them because it halts any whims they may have to use the other weapons on the map in any absolutely retarded fashion.

With the exception of the Plasma Pistol, the Pistol was no better than the other weapons in their specialized categories. The power of Pistol simply kept the other weapons in check, effectively giving the game a sense of balance by not letting power weapons spiral out of control.


-Kimosabae

I find the Elite debacle to be a debacle because I need to fucking buy a whole new 360 (for $480) to watch my copy of King Kong in 1080p.

And don't you dare say there is no difference, or I will grab my copy of The Departed on Blu-ray and beat you over the head with it.

And people bitching about the $4.. it's not so much the fact that it's EXPENSIVE.. which it's obviously not. It's stupid, because the only reason these maps cost $4 are so they can make money off all the Halo 2 fans who still obsessively play an outdated FPS.

These maps ARE four years old. I'm sure they took time, as anyone with ANY modding or professional game design experience will tell you, but did they take more time than, say... Raven Down and Old Bones? Hmm.

Oh well I hate Halo anyways, so it's a moot point.

If the pistol in Halo:CE was so balanced a weapon, why was it stripped of its scope and weakened to resemble.... an actual pistol?

The only balance that the pistol provided is everyone had it... 400 yards distance is pretty discrecionary... Seriously a semi automatic pistol of any caliber is not going to hold much for accuracy after a distance of 100 yards... Let alone when moving or under duress... I'll agree in Halo 2 the pistol was a little too nerfed but in Halo it was just ridiculous....

Oh sorry Jake, the Elite is the best thing that ever happened to MS, and no Xbox fanboys were annoyed by this in the least bit, just Sony and Nintendo fanboys. /Sarcasm in case you can't tell.

I don't really care about the HDMI aspect of it it's just the fact that I have to pay $180 extra to take advantage of the 120 gig hdd when "Elite" owners only have to pay what $70 or $80 extra. Ya I feel a little ripped off. Nothing I haven't gotten over though.

Posted at 3:04PM on Mar 30th 2007 by Virtua Fanboy


Virtua,

Would you be happier if MS had simply not released the Elite or 120Gb HDD? I'm just saying it doesn't affect what you agreed to buy. It doesn't mean you HAVE to upgrade to play Mass Effect or something. Let me help you with the math.

Core = $300
Core + 20 Gb = Premium = $400
Core + 120 Gb = Elite = $480
20 Gb = $100
120Gb = $180

Premium + 120Gb = $580 = Elite + 20Gb

You will still have your 20Gb spare to sell or give to someone.

WHOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!

i can put off buying that 360 now cuz the only reason i was going to shell out that mucvh money was for halo 3 and new maps. Bungie you rock!

and those of you that complain about four dollars bernard sounds like he was going to pay 4 + 360 for the maps...

By 360 I mean Xbox 360..........

You guys do realize the absurdity of postulating that the Halo Pistol's behavior should verisimilarly depict a real pistol, right?

Not only that, but you're deviating from the real issue: we're discussing the balance/imbalances of HALO's Pistol, which should remain free of any biases structured by your experiences (or lack thereof) with its real life counterparts in an effort to keep this discussion cohesive and sensible.


-Kimosabae

The pistol is in no way balanced except that everyone has one... It shoots quickly has an accuracy range of a sniper rifle... Nothing counters the pistol which is what balance is about. It neutralizes all weapons.. A newb with a pistol is as dangerous as a skilled player with a pistol...

And why not... The other human weapons were basicly realistic in their use.

Good God what a bunch of whiners! I suppose everything should be free? Also, if it required a 360, the bitching would be even worse. In the end, MS is always damned if they do, damned if they don't. They could give a free 360 to everyone and someone would find something to bellyache about.

"If you're still trying to snipe someone after they've spotted you and they're manning a pistol, you deserve to not only die, but lose that sniper rifle."

But a pistol shouldn't be such a threat to a sniper at a long distance. In any scenario. I didn't die or lose the sniper rifle. But I shouldn't have to duck and run because of the pistol... They should be ducking and running to find something to eliminate my advantage with the sniper and a pistol should not be it... Halo was the only game I have ever seen where the pistol was more than just a usefull weapon....

Just about everything you've stated in that paragraph is hyperbolic, strawman erected, falsehoods, that could be shot down with empirical proof, or simply some damn commen sense:

"It shoots quickly has an accuracy range of a sniper rifle..."

Anyone who's even PLAYED Halo knows damn well the Pistol isn't as accurate as the Sniper. A simple look at the size of the reticles and comparing them with rational, non-bias knocks this nonsense out of the park.

"Nothing counters the pistol which is what balance is about."

This is bullshit. Play anyone that's even remotely good at the game and they'll show you that the other weapons (excluding the PP, which sucks as a weapon all around) beat the Pistol hands down in any category they excell at.

You can have your pistol on Chill Out, I'll take the shotty, thank you.

You can have your pistol on Battle Creek, I'll take the Rockets, thank you.

The only two stages in the game the Pistol decisvely dominated most everything else was Hang Em' High and Derelict, due to their openess.

Even the Plasma Rifle can take a Pistol out at its most efficient range (med-close)

Sniper >>>> A crappy pistol at long range.
Shotty >>>> A crappy pistol at short range.
Rocket >>>> A crappy pistol at mid-range.

Sniper > A good pistol at long range.
Shotty > A good pistol at short range.
Rocket > A good pistol at mid-range.


"It neutralizes all weapons.. A newb with a pistol is as dangerous as a skilled player with a pistol..."

Well, I guess you can consider the Ogres, Zyos and any other professional Halo player that dominated in the orignal game a complete farce then, considering that a different random newb managed to win every one of the tournaments these guy attended...


Right?


-Kimosabae

Ok I'm sorry I didn't realize that there were people that actually had no lives and had documented the information regarding Halo tournaments... I guess I got a little off track... But the pistol was just as accurate at ten feet as it was at 300 feet. It had the same damage in either aspect. If someone runs at you with a shotgun 2-3 quick shots to the head with a pistol they are down. Sniper in the distance.... Two three shots they are down... I've done it enough times to know... Rockets... STRAFE a couple pops in the head they are down... I did it all the time... Didn't matter what you came at me with, if I had the pistol I could take you down... The only way to take me down was either surprise or getting the first shot with a pistol. My point is the pistol was way to strong by the rules of FPS gameing in general...

"Ok I'm sorry I didn't realize that there were people that actually had no lives"

Right, because attacking individuals whom you have no cognizence of, that are better than you at the game and effectually epitomize every refution to your baseless arguments are completely deserving of insult.

You're a fucking moron. Have a good day.


-Kimosabae

Sorry you took that to heart... Go have a nice cry...

Let me clarify what I was trying to say in regards to Halo's pistol and a pistol in general. I didn't want to compare it to a real pistol because Halo is a video game. But if you compare Halo's pistol to pistols in other games, it by far is the greatest video game pistol of all time, because it acted more like a pocket sized rifle. Its had ridiculous power at close quarters as well as long distance. And a scope that was would've been as good as the sniper rifle's if the pistol killed you in one head shot.

This is exactly why Bungie "fixed" it. I think it got too weak in the first update to Halo 2, but I'd rather have that than the pocket rifle it was in Halo:CE.

"It's stupid, because the only reason these maps cost $4 are so they can make money off all the Halo 2 fans who still obsessively play an outdated FPS."

I guess that's why beer costs money because only alcoholics buy it.

How many of you people complaining about $4 maps go to work or work for free?? How can you complain so much over something costing $4 bucks. Is that going to break the bank?

IF someone provides a product or service, what makes you entitled to get it for free. And we are talking $4 here. I can't believe some of you are complaining... unless you just like to argue.

By the way, the new Gears Of War maps were sponsored by Discovery Channel. So, quit complaining about not getting your "much deserved" (yeah right) free content.

That's what makes Halo 1 so great. It bucked FPS conventions in many ways and that was one of them. The Pistol is a big reason why Halo felt so original (and its absence is part why H2 feels more like Unreal).

And while the fact that the power of the gun resides in the form a pistol remains wholly irrelevant, I suggest people bringing up the idea the fictional description of the gun Bungie gives in the manual. I can't remember verbatim, but they it supposedly has a calibur bigger than most pistol of today and fires explosive rounds. Proof of the last mention can be seen for yourself by simply firing at any object (tree, grass, rock etc.) You'll witness a small flash/explosion a split second after each round makes impact.

Proof of why people shouldn't compare these fictional, futuristic weapons to anything today.


-Kimosabae

"That's what makes Halo 1 so great. It bucked FPS conventions in many ways and that was one of them. The Pistol is a big reason why Halo felt so original (and its absence is part why H2 feels more like Unreal)."

Well the guys at Bungie agree with me and think it was just way over powered.

So I think Intentless is a spoiled ______ ______! You all can fill in the blanks. He's had a fortune handed down to him and he sees money as no obstacle, unlike the other 97% of us who have to work for our fortunes that never will amount to anything except enough to get by with. $4 for two maps is ridiculous, especially when Gates doesn't need any more money, he's gonna give it all away before he dies anyway. so why keep taking it from those less fortunate. I could use the label hypocrite, but i think i've said enough!

Bungie would also agree that they suck at their own game.

*shrugs*

And if you want to go that route, you've got some explaining to do in regards to the weapons return in Halo 3.


-Kimosabae
(and yes, i know it's unlikely to be an exact replica, but it's not returning because Bungies doens't want it there)

Wow, typos abound in my post before last...

But who gives a shit.


-Kimosabae

Bill Gates is giving his money away to good causes, including the less fortunate. I don't understand your comment,IntentlessDix.

Wow, you've definitely have to give props to Bungie on still releasing new content for Halo 2 after all this time. I'm impressed.

not to mention that the last 9 (yes that's right nine) maps became free after a little while. halo 2 shipped with more maps then gears has after it's DLC. So shut the hell up.

As a side note, these maps weren't produced by bungie, they were produced by certain affinity. Which is a company headed up by max hoberman, the lead designer for halo 1, 2, and 3.

(and yes, i know it's unlikely to be an exact replica, but it's not returning because Bungies doens't want it there)

Well unless it is an exact replica, Bungie still knows that the gun was done incorrectly . That's why it keeps changing.

I would of loved to pay and download these maps, 2 years ago. Seriously, I would be a miracle if I can even find my halo 2 disc, im deffenitly not going back to palying it when halo 3 beta is a month away.

Oh man, yes, yes! Hang 'em High!! And... Derelict, really? D:

Dammit. When are we getting Chill Out and Damnation, eh? C'mon!!! Those two are the maps I play most... anyone else like teh Chill Out and the Damnation?

Thank you IntentlessDix... That would be nice but I don't know many wealthy familys with a mother that is a foreign language teacher at a highschool, the boyfriend of said mother works as a mold maker for a plastic injection factory and my father is a mechanical engineer barely making ends meat... So sorry however nice it would be to not have to work a day in my life, I tend to have to work everyday in my life... But thanks for the pretty picture...

Ithimk the 4 dollars is a fair price at least bungie is releasing some new maps.....as far as gears of war,
it is a fun game,,BUT/,IT WILL NEVER BE AS GOOD AS HALO 1 2 OR 3 BY A LONG SHOT

JOE

$4?

A soda at a theater. Two Bawls drinks. Two double cheese burgers and a small fry off of the Dollar Menu at McDonald's.

Great freaking jahoosaphat, it's four dollars. Sixteen quarters.

I buy fonts legitimately. $20 a pop for ones that I really like--even the ones that I can find . I paid full price for Adobe Creative Suite. I respect the unsung amount of time and effort and design skill it takes to create fonts, programs, maps, etc.

Microsoft or Bungie doesn't owe its gamers anything. Better get that flawed logic out of your mind right now. They created a game, placed a price on it, and people bought it. That's the beauty of free market. The only price that is too high is the one no one will pay. You pay what you think an item is worth. So obviously everyone who bought a copy of Halo 2 thought it was worth buying, or else you wouldn't have. The trade has been completed. How does that somehow leave them indebted to you and bound to create free content for you?

It would be a nice thing if they made free content, to be sure. But mandatory? Hardly. You don't like the price? Don't buy it. It's as simple as that.

I am buying the maps because the purchase is definitely worth it for me. I still have a blast playing Halo 2 with several of my friends and family. We play ~twice a month--four TVs, sixteen controllers. Fun times. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Also, Bungie didn't make these maps, Certain Affinity did (though Shishka at CA used to be a Bungie employee). Either way, after subtracting the development cost (time, personnel, equipment, etc etc - standard stuff) the "profit" would need to be split between CA for the development, Bungie for the IP licensing, and probably MS (like everything else). $4 for new content based on old favorites is reasonable, especially when compared to the orignial pricing of Halo 2 map-packs, which was about $20 for 9 maps, making the $2 per map understandable.

This same arguement is being had about the Guitar Hero 1 songs being ported to Guitar Hero 2 - yes, they may be from an older game, and they may own the rights to use the song for the original game, but it is not as simple as "copy-paste" and your good. Licensing is a huge part of any entertainment industry - who owns the rights to the song, how much of the song can be used, can it be used in another format, how much the artist/composer recieves, how much the label/publisher receives, etc etc. - the list goes on.

For those out there who haven't learned yet that nothing is free, and that just becuase you feel it should be means that its against common decency to actually charge for your services, need to move out of their parents house, get a job, and learn about how life and business really work.

THESE MAPS ARE CRAP, they are not that great, and if you jump too high you die

WAIT TILL THEY ARE FREE

Oh and btw there is a glitch to get them for free now
I PAID FOR THEM DO NOT BLAME ME FOR THIS, when it says that it didnt work and it wont bill u just try again, and keep resuming the download, after 5 or 6 times it will download the map pack

Yup. Charged me $4. Sent me an email. Failed in the middle of the download. Won't finish.

From MS:
"Xbox 360 users may experience intermittent issues downloading the Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience."