Halo 2 'Blastacular' maps now available for $4

by Christopher Grant { Apr 17th 2007 at 11:03AM }

After a slow morning spent watching Mega64 videos, it dawned on us. Today is April 17th. Of course, the 17th of every other month is laundry day at Joystiq HQ, but this 17th was different. It was special. Today, Bungie released two additional multiplayer maps for Halo 2, Tombstone and Desolation -- remakes of two popular Halo: Combat Evolved off-line maps. We fired up the trusty old Xbox (... 360 in emulation mode), updated our credit card information (remember, your Microsoft points are no good on Xbox titles), and got to downloading the 9112 block title (we're not sure how large a block is either). Team Joystiq will put the maps through the paces later on today, just as soon as we're done with all this laundry.

Gallery: Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack

Tags: Halo, Halo2, XBL'

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

FrankTheCrank @ Apr 17th 2007 11:08AM

Go ahead XBOTS, pay the pimp!!!

Crono @ Apr 17th 2007 11:11AM

MS points no good for Xbox titles? WTF. How lame is that. So you have to have 2 different kinds of money to buy something from the same source?

Why can't MS create a server side workaround?

sheppy @ Apr 17th 2007 11:13AM

Now how many red rings will arise....

cheeky @ Apr 17th 2007 11:15AM

Crono...cuz the Xbox is dead and this is the last thing you'll ever purchase for it...why make it universal now?

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 11:21AM

FrankTheCrank: Consider this a warning -- additional trolling will result in a permanent ban.

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 11:22AM

Crono -- You can use a credit card to make Xbox purchases, no need for clumsy points. I prefer the direct billing system myself, no need for obfuscatory denominations.

sheppy @ Apr 17th 2007 11:25AM

I would buy these... buy everytime I play Halo online, I get so thoroughly beaten, I just slump off into a corner, or back into the arms of Tribes....

Jack of No Trades @ Apr 17th 2007 11:26AM

Is that the real Chris G? [It is! And to prove it, I'll edit your comment to say so. See? -Ed.]

serotoninzero @ Apr 17th 2007 11:29AM

So I have absolutely no idea how to update my account information since everything on my acct so far has been paid for with membership cards and point cards. Where do I go to add my credit card?

Jake @ Apr 17th 2007 11:30AM

I have a conspiracy theory, sort of. I think that MS wants to throw a price drop on the 360. But, they know a lot of people are waiting for Halo3 to purchase one. The Halo3 beta is maybe a way to massage 360 purchases out of some of those Halo fantatics.

Releasing Halo2 maps I think is just to earn some dough. People will want them and buy them and everybody is happy.

I honestly think MS won't reduce the 360 price until after Halo3 runs its course. But, they kind of need to because its been 1.5 years and sales are slowing down. The Elite will provide the things that some people have been waiting on. Others, though, are waiting for Halo3, price drop, or just more games in general.

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 11:32AM

serotoninzero: I had to figure that out to -- You can edit your membership information in the 360 Dashboard by clicking on your gamertag.

Ken @ Apr 17th 2007 11:33AM

ROFL, Chris Grant rocks!

Oh and I don't own a copy of Halo 2... Let me know how the maps are!

JasonL @ Apr 17th 2007 11:34AM

Fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

serotoninzero @ Apr 17th 2007 11:37AM

Ah, thanks for the help. I actually just figured it out before that by going a backwards way and going through the purchase microsoft points section. Ended up buying an extra 500 to add to the 300 I had. Can't do anything but waste points on themes if you only have 300. Probably was a good investment in the long run. I just realized that I'll get these maps and won't be able to do anything with them for a week anyway since nobody on my list plays custom games... Anybody want to join up and play a few?

serotoninzero @ Apr 17th 2007 11:41AM

Hah, okay now I'm really confused. I have an old credit card on here, I guess, but it's expired and not in use anymore. I added my other one, but it defaults to the old one and I can't figure out how to delete it. The updater just gives me an error when I try because I assume its going for the out-of-date card. Any ideas on this one?

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 11:41AM

a couple of us will be online shortly -- try 'persnfrmporlok'

serotoninzero @ Apr 17th 2007 11:51AM

Eh. I updated that card with a different card's information and I still get the error. Lame. Doesn't look like I'll be trying out these maps right now.

Jack of No Trades @ Apr 17th 2007 11:53AM

C. Grant

Nice trick. Will it be possible in the future on Joystiq to allow us to edit our own comments if we make a boo boo.

serotoninzero @ Apr 17th 2007 11:55AM

Wow, okay sorry for posting so much, but I just chose a unused silver membership on my console with no connection to any credit cards and it worked. I wonder where the money's going to get taken from..?

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 12:09PM

Jack of No Trades: I wish! We're not sure when full profiles will be supported across the Blogsmith platform, but we're assured that it's being worked on.

GoonieGooGoo @ Apr 17th 2007 12:18PM

I didn't have to enter any credit card info....just asked if you wish to purchase........

WHEEEEE!!!

Anyone know which modes to play to most likely get the new maps in OPTIMATCH??

mattclarkie @ Apr 17th 2007 12:52PM

I heard that in a few weeks they are going to make the maps free, is it true 'cos I think I read it on xbox360fanboy and we all know how unreputable the company that owns that is, Weblogs Inc if I remeber correctly. LMAO

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 12:57PM

mattclarkie: I can't find a post anywhere on X360F that says that, and site lead Richard Mitchell can't either. Got a link?

Also, it's a safe bet these will ultimately be free. Look at every other Halo 2 map pack released to date. In a few weeks? I think that's a bit unlikely, don't you?

rjm72 @ Apr 17th 2007 3:45PM

My download keeps failing, anyone else having this problem?

myspace/baritonenation @ Apr 17th 2007 3:58PM

Im guessing that these maps will be in Halo 3 anyway.

CobraSVT @ Apr 17th 2007 4:01PM

Yep mine keeps failing too. Dunno what the heck is wrong :( Says to see XBOX.com and i aint seeing anything on there that tells me squat. crapola!

C. Grant @ Apr 17th 2007 4:02PM

rjm72: Mine were too ... turns out, I was completely out of room on my hard drive. Had to delete some 18 month old demos! :)

Ian @ Apr 19th 2007 6:37PM

I couldnt download the maps, but then i went to the dashboard and updated my credit card. Now it works

M. Davis @ Apr 18th 2007 1:36PM

Forgive me for coming late to the party, but do I understand correctly that I will need to access these maps using my original XBOX console and the old XBOX Live account I had for it? Am I not able to access these same maps by simply playing Halo 2 on my XBOX 360?

mattclarkie @ Apr 19th 2007 2:10PM

I read it somewhere, maybe not 360fanboy. But you obviously missed the sarcasm in my post. I love 360fanboy, and thought it's sister site could take a joke. I was obviously mistaken.

I noticed that the download was slow, but assumed it must have been the numbers downloading it.

Newxbl @ May 12th 2007 2:09AM

i can get into xbox live all up untilt he joining, it sais that i dont hav the right maps for the game, i went to download maps and the only map i could download was "Blastacular maps" for $5 and that keeps saying purchase failed

what do i do?

Doug @ May 24th 2007 6:15AM

WTF!!!!!!! This error keaps on coming up please someone type in how to fix this because I am getting so fustrated. I have bought the maps and It won't let me download the content. I have heaps of space. plz help I am suffering from withdrawls, screw microsoft I am going insane here...... :(