Halo 3 reclaims top Live activity spot

by Justin McElroy { Jan 30th 2008 at 10:05AM }

Perhaps threatened by the newer, more realistic girl moving into town with all her forward thinking and big city sexiness, Halo 3 fans have rallied to put their game back on top on the Xbox Live activity charts. You may remember the shocker last week when Call of Duty 4 had its moment in the sun and kept the top slot for its very own.

We're imagining this will soon become a test of wills between CoD 4 and Halo 3 fans, and it's one we're not exactly interested in keeping an eye on. But feel free to wake us when Vampire Rain inevitably pulls into first place.

Tags: call-of-duty-4, halo-3, halo3, xbox-live

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Co @ Jan 30th 2008 10:07AM

Slow day, huh Joystiq?

Dustin @ Jan 30th 2008 10:10AM

Hmm, yeah yesterday was a slow day, too. At least today we have REZ HD!!!!!11!!!11!!!!one!!!

James Lockwood @ Jan 30th 2008 10:16AM

I wrote that in a previous post and it got deleted. Don't worry, Joystiq - it's not just you that has nothing for us today.

Dustin @ Jan 30th 2008 10:23AM

Well, slow days happen everywhere, and are unavoidable. If someone gets pissed off that it's a slow day then they're a moron and and are obviously under the impression that the world revolves around them.

Slow day or not, I still check Joystiq an unhealthy number of times (and dutifully support the advertisers).

samfish @ Jan 30th 2008 10:29AM

I was too busy absorbing all the Brawl news.

I barely got any work done, really.

James Lockwood @ Jan 30th 2008 10:11AM

Good night, sweet prince...

Well, it really was a losing battle. How could the hugely-superior COD4 hold out against Halo 3's army of pre-teens and commercial video game review site fanboys? It was like Zulu, but without the non-PC overtones. Or spears.

Erm... That makes me sound like a fanboy - I swear "I are not!" I just beleve Halo 3 is shite.

jman @ Jan 30th 2008 10:37AM

i have to agree...no matter how much better call of duty is, i still see halo 3 winning just because every preteen and most teens think its the best thing out there...

Intentless @ Jan 30th 2008 10:42AM

Problem is it seems the demographics of mature vs douches split evenly from halo to play COD4 so either way your are going to hit the same crews. Difference is halo every match is probably going to be someone else and with COD4 you don't rotate individuals too often.

AirIntake @ Jan 30th 2008 11:09AM

Can you set up a party with 3 of your friends on the same console and go kill shit online with CoD4? Don't ever underestimate the power of split-screen co-op, Bungie sure didn't.

maylon @ Jan 30th 2008 12:19PM

I am not a preteen and I enjoy it. Agree to disagree, I suppose.

David @ Jan 30th 2008 12:24PM

Halo 3 is different from COD4 in several mays, the biggest being that it is a better game. I own both and enjoy both, but Halo has a polish COD4 just doesn't.

James Lockwood @ Jan 30th 2008 12:28PM

AirIntake

Can you set up a party with 3 of your friends on the same console and go kill shit online with CoD4? Don't ever underestimate the power of split-screen co-op, Bungie sure didn't.

Yeah, that million $ marketing machine had nothing to do with it - Halo 3's sux-cess (LOL!!1!!11!!) was down to a split-screen mode. I'm 23 years old - if I have friends round it's to get drunk and play Dungeons & Drago - err, Rock Band. My friends are scattered across my region, anyway - maybe if I was 14. I don't want to turn this into a flame war - I'm over my fanboyism. And your point is not invalid, AirIntake.

I have a 360 (I'm on my 2nd), but I appreciate many of PS3s 'innovations' (inverted commas NOT because it's features aren't unique, but many should have been implemented across the board last generation). Nearly time to leave work, so I'm gonna summarise. Negatives: COD4: Spawn closets, screaming kids, no co-op play over the net. Halo 3: Screamin' kids, single player, screamin' kids, storyline, screaming kids etc.

That's not how to write a paragraph, children - but you'll forgive me when you get a 9 - 5.30 on min. wage!

AirIntake @ Jan 30th 2008 1:10PM

I'm not saying Halo 3's success is exclusively due to split screen (the Believe campaign sure helped), but it certainly helps. See, up here in Canada, there isn't a whole hell of a lot to do for many months in the winter. We generally sit at home, drink beer, watch hockey, and play videogames. We were getting a bit bored with playing Halo 3 so much that my friend bought CoD4, thinking we could play that instead. When we found it it didn't do split screen, we were very very disappointed. When there's 4 guys at a house drinking beer, it's not very fun if only 1 is playing at a time.

Remember Goldeneye? That game was definitely not the best FPS available at the time, and it wasn't the only FPS available on the N64, but it sold like hot cakes because you could play 4 split screen player deathmatch with your friends. Computer games kicked the shit out of Goldeneye's gameplay, both single player and multiplayer, but they couldn't compete with the power of split screen drunken play.

Chase @ Jan 30th 2008 10:14AM

I call shenanigans. Barry Bonds obviously 'roided up the competition.

danny. @ Jan 30th 2008 10:18AM

... or was it Clemens :O

RudyHuxtable @ Jan 30th 2008 10:55AM

How DARE you imply my beloved Yankee pitcher would EVER do something underhanded, manipulative, selfish, dangerous, unethical, unsportsmanlike or... or... Yea, guilty.

Obie @ Jan 30th 2008 10:15AM

I think this is gonna be a back and forth for a while.
Are we gonna post every week:

Halo 3 is up!
Now Call Of Duty 4 is up!
No Halo 3 is back!

Come on guys, until they release any numbers this is hardly worth discussing.

NATO_Duke @ Jan 30th 2008 12:11PM

Blasphemy! How can you say that discussing the Haloz isn't worth discussing? Its more important that food and water to many children.

Won't someone think of the Haloz loving children???

deaftly @ Jan 30th 2008 10:21AM

When i saw that picture and read the text, it sounded like Ali G for some reason

Jerk Face @ Jan 30th 2008 10:32AM

When I read your post, all I could get out of it was hot girls kissing for some reason.

xGeneral DEATHx @ Jan 30th 2008 10:54AM

There's a post?

Cyro @ Jan 30th 2008 10:24AM

That COD4 #1 on xbox live thing was a fluke. Nothing can hold against Teh Haloz 3. So dont expect to see COD4 back there any time soon. Last week was COD4 5 minutes of fame.

samfish @ Jan 30th 2008 10:28AM

That guy looks like he was a gigantic boner.

BorgDroNeZ @ Jan 30th 2008 10:28AM

I'm glad to hear this. The matchmaking system in COD4 is inferior to the system in Halo3. No, I'm not a fanboy I haven't played Halo since November.

I have at Lt. Colonel 1 rank and for some reason I always get place in games with people on their 3rd prestige or higher. Obviously COD4 is looking too hard for a connection and not hard enough for people at my skill level.

umm....hello??? @ Jan 30th 2008 10:39AM

yeah, but don't you know? XBL has "true skillz" software to detect how good you REALLY are--so those higher rankers must suck...= )...

I will note that of the people online in my friends list are more often on CoD4 than Halo3 the last week--but that's just a small portion of people even playing (where the heck did my CustomGames ppl go?!??).

tcc3 @ Jan 30th 2008 10:41AM

Isn't the COD matchmaking system Trueskill based and the rank separate? Since you cant rank down, it doesn't make sense to match on rank.

KushielsScion007 @ Jan 30th 2008 10:34AM

As it should be...its just a more fun game to play for me that is.

The single player mode though in CoD4 was amazing. Great storyline and great cutscenes. That was a whole lot better than Halo 3's story which I think was executed very poorly and had a pretty stupid ending.

xFenixKnightx @ Jan 30th 2008 10:37AM

Lets see some new maps for COD4 already please! Man Im so pissed I went into prestige mode...never doing it again! Im staying at Lvl 55 this time, its just way more fun with all your gunz, grenades and extra stuff. Right now its MP5 FTL =(

xGeneral DEATHx @ Jan 30th 2008 11:01AM

You fell for the ol' Prestige, eh?

I've been at Lvl 55 for weeks now, and just couldn't bring myself to do it after this conversation:

Me: So guys, have any of you tried Prestige Mode?
Random Player: Yeah.
Me: So I know your weapons and abilities get reset, but what do you actually get for playing Prestige Mode?
Random Player: You get different symbols next to your rank.
Me: ...

It was that inspiring conversation that inspired me to stay right where I was with all weapons/abilities intact. Who knows? Maybe when they release new content they'll add new weapons/abilities that require Prestige Mode. Sadly, I'll have beaten all of the Challenges by then. :-(

xFenixKnightx @ Jan 30th 2008 11:14AM

Yeah, well the medal IS cool but...ahh FUCK that medal!! IM pissed off man =( I didnt even feel like playing it yesterday knowing im a Lvl 8 with no damn guns, martyrdom, 3xgrenades, etc. Whyyyyyyyyyyy??!!!(burts into tears)

Anyway...dont do it!

NATO_Duke @ Jan 30th 2008 12:14PM

Fenix - my level in COD4 is so damn low. Its sad. I really need to invest time into that MP. Yet when I try I just get frustrated with my gun choices.

Me=Easy Target.

xFenixKnightx @ Jan 30th 2008 12:27PM

NATO , I know I said MP5 ftl but actually IMO its the best gun over all especially with the red dot.

Try the MP5 with Red Dot sight, perks, go with RPG (for Heli's), Juggernaut for less damage when shot and lastly deep impact until you get martyrdom. Ill invite you if Im on later on.

xGeneral DEATHx @ Jan 30th 2008 12:59PM

Fenix is right...of the submachine guns available, the MP5 is one of the best-balanced. The Mini-Uzi runs through ammo entirely too fast with a limited magazine capacity, the AK-74 is powerful but sometimes gets a bit too inaccurate, the P90 hurls ammo like hail in a storm (50-round mag ftw) but isn't very powerful, and the Skorpion is okay.

Feel free to send me an invite as well, my tag is the same as my username here.

Kendall B @ Jan 30th 2008 10:39AM

Down goes Mctavish! Down goes Mctavish!

RuthlessMurder @ Jan 30th 2008 10:50AM

Maybe CoD4 would stay on top if THEY WOULD RELEASE THE PATCH ALREADY!! DAMN MICROSOFT AND THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS!!!

JakubK666 @ Jan 30th 2008 11:01AM

How about damn IF and their laziness? I'm sick and tired of MS Bashers!

Cyro @ Jan 30th 2008 11:58AM

I haven't played COD4 because I never find a match. It just stays there searching and nothing more. I wonder when will they pass this patch. I mean, I can find a match in halo 3 in about 10 seconds! What the hell!

umm....hello??? @ Jan 30th 2008 10:43AM

I'm still working my way through the single player campaign on CoD4...haven't tried the online multiplayer.

Can't believe how many ppl buy Halo3 JUST for the multiplayer and haven't even played/completed the campaign mode--especially since you can play co-op with 4 people. That's what made Gears of War so fun--online co-op.

KushielsScion007 @ Jan 30th 2008 10:52AM

Its cuz Gears had a fucking great story...albeit a very short one. But hell the characters, the settings, the events that occured...all of that added up to make a very fine Single Player experienc alone. Then add in the ablity to enjoy the campaign with a friend you've got a Triple AAA game.

Halo for all the hype was always just about the Multiplayer expereince at its core. Like the 1st game was hot and all in terms of the storyline but after that it just lost itself.

I played the Halo 3 campagin on Normal and after that was done I didn't look back. Perhaps I'll tackle it again with my brother or something using Co-Op to get the achievements for completing it on a higher difficulty but right now I'm enjoying other games too much to worry about that.

xFenixKnightx @ Jan 30th 2008 10:57AM

GEARS FTW! =)

Cant wait for GEARS 2 baby!!

Intentless @ Jan 30th 2008 11:00AM

Gears offered a great gaming experience but its story was nothing spectacular or special or well thought out.. It was a filler story to support the game that was all...

jynxycat @ Jan 30th 2008 11:05AM

Gears had a good single player ?

That's hilarious.

Here's the entire game:

Walk forward to room, press Y to look at something stupid. Locust come out of a hole, or pop-up. Shoot them. Kick down a door. Game forces user to walk slowly while listening to inane chatter between characters. Repeat.

I love Epic to death, but they cannot produce a fun single player experience to save their lives.

xGeneral DEATHx @ Jan 30th 2008 11:06AM

I hope in Gears 2 they can expand the co-op experience to allow 4 players...I know that's asking a lot with the lag-fest that is Gears online, but I would get tons of joy out of that. My brother and I live about 2 hours apart, and we still play Gears co-op online every now and then. We've gotten every achievement from the campaign that's possible, but we just love the way that game plays..."visceral" is the word that comes to mind.

KushielsScion007 @ Jan 30th 2008 11:08AM

Well Jinx thats your experience but to me Gears had a very deep and rich story. And theres so much potential to explore in that world when it comes to Gears 2 so I hope Epic takes note of all the criticisms and makes the next game epic in lenght...

xFenixKnightx @ Jan 30th 2008 11:28AM

Jinx

YES, Gears DID have a great campaign. Im really in question as to weather youve actually played the game...whats your gamertag?

Jinx's Gamercard

Gears of War Total (10G)

*Achievement unlocked*
Completed Act I on Casual Difficulty

Yea I dont understand why anyone hated on games they havent actually played. Not saying you havent but there are jeroffs out there that do that shit. Talk crap but they havent experienced it. Especially in 5.1 Surround sound on a Sammy 50" 720p tv

colin @ Jan 30th 2008 7:48PM

when i started playing gears, i played on hardcore and found the "walking slow while listening to pointless chatter" very lame. at least let me skip it. when i'm running up on the spider guy for the 5th time, i got tired of hearing "look at all dat juice"

LongshotX @ Jan 30th 2008 11:04AM

Halo 3 is just a really deep multi-player experience. You can't just jump in and be good. It takes skill. The matchmaking is also better. I bet this is the reason people hate on it so much. Its not because there are preteens yelling obscene things but because they are terrible at it. It's okay but instead of talking about how sucky it is why don't you haters search deep into your horrible Halo skills and practice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you learn how to snipe on the run, stick someone from 90 meters away, and head shot and laser other players to death.

LongshotX @ Jan 30th 2008 11:05AM

I meant to say in that comment that those teens would always be there regardless of the game.

jynxycat @ Jan 30th 2008 11:08AM

Call of Duty 4 is just a really deep multi-player experience. You can't just jump in and be good. It takes skill. The matchmaking is also better. I bet this is the reason people hate on it so much. Its not because there are preteens yelling obscene things but because they are terrible at it. It's okay but instead of talking about how sucky it is why don't you haters search deep into your horrible Call of Duty 4 skills and practice. I'm sure you'll enjoy it once you learn how to snipe on the run, stick someone from 90 meters away, and head shot and shoot other players to death.