Reuters: Halo 3 gets mixed reviews

by Alexander Sliwinski { May 14th 2007 at 6:25PM }

Yes, it's coming from non-gaming news source Reuters. No, you shouldn't expect to base "reviews" off previews. However, it is an international wire service that'll influence the Halo 3 message in the "average" consumer's mind, so here we are.

Reuters reports that players had mixed reviews about the beta at the NYC and San Francisco Halo events from last weekend. Poor Nicholas Puleo of EvilAvatar is thrown by Reuters into the crosshairs of Halo fanboys everywhere by saying, "The graphics can use some work ... They're not much different than the previous Halo ... They've got five, six months until release, so they'll add some polish ... When I compare it to other things in the platform, it's not standout." Wait fanboys, don't hunt him down just yet.

Despite that one quote and the headline, the Reuters piece is actually just a bunch of quotes from Microsoft marketing folks. Of course, the great "duh" quote goes to Craig Davison, Microsoft's director of marketing, "There's a significant number of people just waiting for that one game and this is the game." It'll certainly be an interesting month for NPD data the month after Halo 3 launches to see if there is a spike in Xbox 360 sales -- and how significant it'll be.

Tags: halo, master chief, microsoft, xbox360

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Sesur @ May 14th 2007 6:29PM

Damn, Joystiq's full of flamebait today.

Tadioku @ May 14th 2007 6:31PM

Halo 3 is so over hyped its not even funny anymore

Ian Von Porter @ May 14th 2007 6:31PM

Selling boatloads of Halo3 will be great.. but, MS needs to move actual 360 units. Wii is catching up fast... PS3 is still a big 'meh' but it wont be like that forever. MS needs to strike now.

Gears of War sold well... but, it didnt move consoles .. so it failed in that respect.

REP96st @ May 14th 2007 6:33PM

Halo 3 is so gonna get my money its not even funny anymore

Nick James @ May 14th 2007 6:34PM

All I've seen of Halo 3 is shiny Halo 2. It does not look impressive at all, and is incredibly disappointing. I'm sure the gameplay will be fine for Halo fans, but as a fan of PC shooters since the days of Doom, Halo never ever held any appeal to me whatsoever. I had much more fun ducking in and out of cover on Gears of War than getting sniped in the back during Halo 2. Halo 3 looks to be more of the same, but I hope I'm wrong... somehow, a game company that thinks selling a helmet case for $90 for no reason doesn't really give me hope though.

Roofie @ May 14th 2007 6:41PM

Even if it just ends up being a prettier version of Halo 2, I'll still really enjoy it. Halo 2 gave me a lot of fun times, and this latest will as well.

GaryM @ May 14th 2007 6:41PM

Since when have bad reviews kept people from buying bad things?

Melinda Gates @ May 14th 2007 6:42PM

gotta agree with the sentiments in the halo article. i was extremely disappointed with what i've seen from halo 3 so far. it basically looks like a 'slightly' spiffier version of the xbox1 version of halo.

where is the next-gen polish and sheen? nothing revolutionary about this game at all and slightly evolutionary at best.

2 thumbs down...

x silence x @ May 14th 2007 6:45PM

Hey, if it ain't broken don't fix it. I didn't expect Halo to get a complete facelift. That being said, none of us have not the slightest idea of what the campaign has to offer.

REP96st @ May 14th 2007 6:49PM

"Somehow, a game company that thinks selling a helmet case for $90 for no reason doesn't really give me hope though."

Doesnt that tell you that there are REAL fans of Halo that will buy it?? Hope?? -That H3 will be the $#!t?? Yeah, I belive its gonna be banging'. I dont care about the graphics. If it plays as well as H2 with new and old weapons, then i'm all in!

REP96st @ May 14th 2007 6:50PM

"2 thumbs down..." -On my 360 controller when this game drops, homie! LOL!!

miles foreman @ May 14th 2007 6:52PM

I was wondering about this... how does Halo 3 stack up against the likes of Gears of War?

Justin U @ May 14th 2007 6:52PM

I'll just be one of the first to put this out here:

THOSE AREN"T FINAL GRAPHICS. SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH ABOUT GRAPHICS. SERIOUSLY, WE'VE HEARD THE ARGUEMENTS, AND LO HOW MANY THERE ARE.

Okay. We are good and done about graphics.

jason @ May 14th 2007 6:54PM

SHUT UP ABOUT HALO 3 LOOKING LIKE HALO 2 GRAPHIX JUST WATCH THIS VIDEO 2 COMPARE THE GRAPHIX

http://www.machinima.com/films.php?id=22388

Everyone is like I have played gears look at those graphix well gears didn't sell 2.4 million copies in the first 24 hours of release

Striderhayasa @ May 14th 2007 6:57PM

games I'm looking forward to that aren't called Halo 3...

All Pro Football 2k8

Metroid Prime 3

Super Smash Brothers Brawl

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword

It's a Wonderful World

Mario Galaxy

Final Fantasy: CC - DS

Zelda Phantom Hourglass

Monster Hunter Freedom 2nD

Halo has to move consoles like others have mentioned. Nintendo has three games coming this year that will move Wiis guranteed. It's going to be interesting...for sure...considering Wii is already selling like ice water in hell.

Sesur @ May 14th 2007 6:58PM

@ Nick James

It's actually $130, and only the obsessed wil buy that shite.

Graphics aren't final, so nobody can honestly say what it'll look like yet.

I'll admit Halo hasn't done much for the genre, but it's insanely popular and it will sell like madness.

a dirty bastard @ May 14th 2007 6:58PM

i would not be too suprised if the game doesnt visually look up to par with current "next gen tittles", if they have to sacrafice polish to enhance physics, new game play elements, a longer story mode, addition multiplayer maps. then the sacrafice could be justified

Sloar @ May 14th 2007 7:00PM

You know what else got mixed reviews--beer. Yep, along with every single product sold (or even given away for that matter). Pointless story and frankly all of you people who are posting things like, "I'm going to buy it" or "halo = overrated" are adding to the pointlessness of this thread.

I like Spicy Nacho Doritos, how about you?

@Ian Von Porter,
How would you recommend that MS move more 360's? I would argue that they are sold because of the games. Therefore, by getting more big titles out there, they will accomplish that goal. One could argue that is why the PS3 isn't selling that many consoles. Nintendo's console is a novelty right now. It'll be interesting to see what lasting power (ie games) that console will have.

REP96st @ May 14th 2007 7:00PM

Jason... I love you man. Thanks!

Killer @ May 14th 2007 7:03PM

Wow, Idioticy at work. BETA!!! It's not even the final build. Someone complains about the graphics. How uneducated can you be? Honestly!? Wait for the Real final build to say something about the graphics.
After say that, I agree Halo 3 is way to over hyped. I'll buy a copy, but I'm not going to be pissing my pants at midnight going "OMGZ ITS HALO3." I just want to HOPEFULLY finish the campaign. I could careless about multiplayer. Multiplayer is full of doushebags that play way too much.

jason @ May 14th 2007 7:04PM

REP96st

No man I love you man. lol

wiimypi @ May 14th 2007 9:03PM

@16 Madness???? THIS IS SPARTA(n)!!!
(sorry... don't kill me)

Rubang B @ May 14th 2007 7:06PM

@15, that's funny, I was in Hell last summer and they didn't really sell any ice water...

@17, haha it sounds like you're defending the Wii instead of Halo 3, with the gameplay elements over "polish" deal. I wish that's what they did.

I think it's going to be Halo 1.6 (1.5 was taken by Halo 2), but look SUPER shiny this time, and with new guns. It's basically an expansion pack, but hey, I'm not knocking it. It worked for StarCraft, amirite?

Super007Agent @ May 14th 2007 7:08PM

Well at least we all know that Mister Master Chief could hop over Marcus Fenix and stick the covey sword up his ass before getting shotgun whored...

Ocho @ May 14th 2007 7:15PM

I know graphics are very important and all, but I'm just looking for fun games to play.

You may look down on down me for my pedestrian approach to playing games.

kingofwale @ May 14th 2007 7:17PM

>Nintendo has three games coming this year that will move Wiis guranteed.

hmmm. says who? Nintendo? Yeah, those people NEVER lie about release dates, right?

how about this for a guarantee? Nintendo will NOT have all 3 games out by the end of this year. unless they want their users to wait for 18 months for another good title.

JLynx @ May 14th 2007 8:07PM

I think the graphic look great. You guys are losers.

bapenguin @ May 14th 2007 7:19PM

I talk to the guy for 10 minutes about all the cool things in the game, he asks me if anything should be changed, and he uses that quote for the title of the article.

Ah well. Such is life.

Mr Khan @ May 14th 2007 7:25PM

@ Rubang: i wondered if anyone else would notice the irony

I agree with the concept of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" a lack of revolutionary overhaul features will (if at all) only hurt this game in the critics postings, otherwise it'll still sell like hot cakes (just like Wii Sports, critical scores rang a collective "meh," but some people are essentially paying $250 for that game)

unless the new equipment completely frustrates the experience, there is no way this game could suck

Dustin @ May 14th 2007 7:28PM

My theory is that everyone who doesn't like the Halo franchise is just extremely disgruntled because they are bad at a game that a majority of people love.

It's totally easier to just boycott a game and pretend like you hate it rather than getting better at it so you don't get raped by every other person on Live.

Mr Khan @ May 14th 2007 7:30PM

@ kingofwale (and yes, i know this is off topic)

All signs indicate that the Wii big 3 COULD come out this year. The build of Mario Galaxy shown at GDC looked significantly more advanced than the one at E3 06, and we know from Martinet himself that they've already done the voiceover work. Iwata (although he's not at all objective), has said that MP3 has recieved positive reviews from "testers" and GamePro says its graphics have had a major overhaul, finally there's the persistent rumor of Brawl with a December 07 release date in Japan, coupled with Kojima's statements that the game is "very complete"

The possibility of all 3 in 07 = likely

Grindstone @ May 14th 2007 7:32PM

Meh. It'll make records and break records regardless of all the news. So flame away, I'll still be playing the beta this week and not cancelling my preorder thereafter. Call it narrowminded or dedicated to finishing the story, but you cannot stop the Halo juggarnaut.

tony @ May 14th 2007 7:40PM

The thing to note here, if most of you even READ the article, is that all that was "mixed" was the comment on the graphics. There's not even a quote beyond the one from Evilavatar, there's no level of objectivity because of it and there's no idea of what people didn't like about it... if anything.

Honestly, for all these graphical complaints, I've read mostly good things about how it actually plays. Beyond which, if you do watch that Machinima video it's extremely damn clear that Halo 3 looks substantially better than Halo 2. Even when compared to Halo 2 Vista. It's no Gears of War, but it doesn't have to be.

laesperanzapaz @ May 14th 2007 7:35PM

halo 1 was moderately deserving of the hype. halo 2 = more of the same, altho online is a great breakthrough.

halo 3 = overrated. even kotaku had meh stuff to say about it. Derivative, beenthere, donethat, shooter.

MEH!

Heliophage @ May 14th 2007 7:36PM

Not only will the game look better in the final release, but the game will look better in the single player campaign. There are a lot of atmospheric effects that are sacraficed for the sake of balanced gameplay in multiplayer.

Don't expect Gears, but don't expect Halo 2 either.

Halo has never been a game that was meant to visually blow you a new asshole anyway. Halo 1 came out with DoA3 and PGR. Visually it wasn't easy to compete (I know, different genres, etcetera), but concerning gameplay, it was nailed perfectly for a console shooter.

Anyone who plays Halo for how it looks is probably some random 12-year-old who has never heard of Gears or Crysis. God knows Halo has plenty of those...

Matt @ May 14th 2007 9:16PM

Simply, I find it fun. The new elements are good, and it builds upon what was another great thing.

As for the online features, they expanded on the party system, which is one of the great things H2 brought to the online game.

Mitochondria @ May 14th 2007 7:42PM

The thing that most of you people aren't getting is that the Halo series has never been about graphics. And frankly, it doesn't really matter. If this game does end up with killer graphics, thats only a bonus. The major selling point of this game is it's multiplayer and campaign. It's all about having fun.

Rubang B @ May 14th 2007 7:46PM

The mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell.

3cubedminus3squared @ May 14th 2007 8:14PM

I didn't own the original xbox but I always played Halo 2 at a friends. I don't care if Halo 3 is a prettier version because now that I have a 360, I will probably get it anyway.

migz7 @ May 14th 2007 8:17PM

Halo3 will succeed and it's multiplayer party system is one of the main reasons why it will. The graphics will be good to very good and no one will care if they are not up to GoW standards after they start fraggin on Xbox Live with their friends.

farmok @ May 14th 2007 8:19PM

While Halo does look good, and from what I hear, plays better than Halo 2, I wonder if it will move systems. I think the majority of the fans already picked up the system for the game. While it will sell well, I doubt it will push as many units as MS is hoping. But who knows, stranger things have happened.

nonpareil @ May 14th 2007 8:19PM

open brackets, SLASH, letter i, close brackets. you can do it.

Elliot @ May 14th 2007 9:09PM

Maybe nobody noticed this but halo was never meant to stun you with textures and grass effects. I am sure the graphics would be nice, but lets face it, throwing a grenade in an army of grunts and fighting through hordes of aliens with your teammate with average 360 graphics sounds like more fun then fightingone or two units at a time...

Tom @ May 14th 2007 9:24PM

I'll bet Halo 3 never catches up to sales of Pokemon Diamond & Pearl withing the first week. If I'm wrong, I have to walk around my neighborhood in a Master Chief costume the day AFTER Halloween as if I genuinely don't know how to properly read a calendar... but if I'm right, all you Halo fanboys have to shave your molestaches.

Matt B @ May 14th 2007 9:45PM

I don't think it will spike console sales. Do you know anyone that is wanting to buy a 360 once H3 drops?

All Halo fans already have a 360 and have been playing the previous versions.

NEW IP's sell consoles. Not the sequel of a sequel.

Matt B @ May 14th 2007 9:46PM

Unless the new sequel is on the newest console. Which Halo 2 is already on the 360.

Hello @ May 14th 2007 10:02PM

I don't care what a stupid graphics whore thinks of the sequel to my favorite game. The graphics are fine, stop jerking off to the detail in marcus' face.

jason @ May 14th 2007 10:02PM

@45

There are about 9 to 11 million xbox 360's owned and Halo 2 sold 8 to 9 million games, so with this said maybe 2 to 3 million especially in Japan could careless about Halo 3. So I believe 360 will sell pretty well to people who want a powerful console at x-mas time and can't afford a PS3 and those people will want HALO 3 with it so it can in a way sell with a system at christmas with people buying a 360 for the first will know halo 3 is the game to buy with it.