Want a bigger friends list? Stop playing Halo 2 online!

Don't touch H2, prefect game. RRX YY RRX!

I don't see anyway that they'd take down Halo 2 without taking down everything people play on the Original Xbox. I'm still surprised Halo 2 isn't on Games on Demand yet.

Even better solution: make non-360 games available for silver accounts on live, and limit silver to 100 friends.

Then if you really want to play original xbox games, just make a quick silver account, only takes a few minutes.

Um, not to be nitpicky, but there are already 2 halo titles out on 360, ODST will make 3. Everyone always seems to forget Halo Wars! Sure sure, it's not an FPS, but it's still Halo.

Finally someone built the Halo killer I've been waiting for for so long!

*clicks*

So Microsoft can handle coding a highly complex operating system which supports millions of different hardware configuration and is used by more than 400 million people worldwide but they can't patch Halo 2's online to work with more than 100 people on your friends list?

I'm calling total and complete BS!

I Play Halo 2 on My PC Just About Every Week. They Should Make Halo 2's PC Version Ported to the 360 to Download as an Xbox Original or Even Arcade. Seriously, This Game Is Huge and Would Be Awesome if You Can Just Download and Play on Your 360.

I hate people that will friend anybody and everybody. Sure no one wants to have 5 friends, but I've had Live for 2+ years and I'm perfectly content with my 30something friends. I mean, you don't have to know ALL the friends on your list personally, but it's stupid to friend someone when they complement your headshot or something..

I don't see how a team of developers who can make a game from the ground up, with advanced graphics, guns, online play, story, characters, and everything else that goes into a next generation videogame...... can't figure out how to get around a 100 friend limit imposed by software written 6 years ago...

It is sad that many console online games eventually die

Coming from a software perspective here;

I see what the issue is, and why they've neglected to fix it. Halo 2 at some point in its codebase is hard coded for 100 friends; probably something in the interface, I'd assume (Hypothetically here: At the time of programming, if 100 was the max friend count, you *wouldn't* code any sort of infinite paginating friends browser; you'd just do set it up to handle up to 100 and be done with it).

That being said, it isn't that hard to fix with some lateral thinking.

Why not update all the *current* games to request friends list with a special "infinite" flag or something. Then when games request your friends list, if it *doesn't* have the infinite flag, XBL's servers would pre-filter the list to the 100 most recently online friends, and BAM! Problem solved.

Obviously the solution's going to involve compromises, but it doesn't have to be drastic.

Kill Halo 2 to bring ALL the maps over to Halo 3!!

I don't care so much about upping the limit as I do being able to categorize friends, such as being able to sort people into groups that primarily play one game (Halo friends, Gears of War friends, boosting partners, etc.).

I haven't played Halo 2 in a very long time; however, I feel that that having more than 100 friends on your friends list doesn't come close the awesomeness of continuing online support for any video game.

I'm in no way concerned with any form of nostalgia, but I believe video games are a form of art, education, and entertainment far more valuable to us than anything else. Graphics do not matter in art, it's what the art represents and portrays. Gameplay is the equivalent to this in video games, and online play is an important part of this... especially for games like Halo.

I wish for a day where every video game in history could continue on in it's original form, multiplayer included. I know that day will never happen, but I will do my part to support it.

Based on this reasoning, I am going to buy a new copy of Halo 2 first thing in the morning to support keeping the online play active.

halo 2 friends list problem can be fixed by turning off the service but then giving third party support using xbconnect or some other service... the map packs are mainly the only issue here and can be fixed by downloading the maps via xbox 360 live marketplace since Microsoft does not manufacture original xbox anymore since like 2006 i believe... since most people who have original xbox's already have the maps they don't have to worry about corrupted data while the xbox 360 owners have to worry about it because if they transferred the hard disk drive to another console they need to redownload the maps due to issues with the original xbox drm for downloads which can be fixed by downloading the maps free of charge on xbox 360 live marketplace along with the game update(microsoft has made it clear that this is possible because back when the newest map pack for halo 2 was close to being released they said that they were going to release it on the 360 marketplace but due to many original xbox owners unable to download them they changed this decision)... this solution leaves both parties in my opinion as satisfied as possible for acheiveing both goals which provides online play for die hard halo 2 fans with the first party support of the xbox downloads and third party for the online service.

I am sorry about the wall... ranted a bit. Although I am sure that many people may not agree with this it is just an alternative if microsoft decides to shut down the halo 2 xbox servers.

How many people could it really be? Keeping up Gold memberships to play a last gen game? That's pretty crazy.

At some point, you've got to cut the cord. Or isolate them.

Microsoft should support Halo 2 just like it would any other game. The fact that Microsoft is using Halo 2 as an excuse is odd. I mean, how much money does that company make? There has to be a work around for that.

That is why they made the friends of friends.... make a bunch of silver accounts to add to your 360 to hold your additional friends...

Rerelease Halo 2, as an arcade title, not a games on demand/ xbox original.. Remove the 100 friends list limit.Give it out free, to anyone that plays over six hours of Halo 2 over the course of a week.

Too many people are coinvinced Halo 2 is better than Halo 3. In terms of gameplay pace, balance, maps ,etc. I don't agree, but thats their perspective. If the choice is in the hands of the people playing Halo 2. Its safe to say they aren't going to give up their right to play their favorite game.

NEWSFLASH: Xbox was one of the first consoles to allow new patches! Your telling me that the 360 magically changed that? PATCH THAT MOFO!

what about halo 2 pc. any comments about that?

and for people who are still reading. for add-ons? what about maps from original halo. and halo 2 going on Games on Demand or being patched so people can get more than 100 friends, it not that easy to just simply add a game that had people (even on pc if it counts) or patch it just for a current gen console. to me i may not have halo 2 but by halo 3, it seems halo 2 may be more better to keep then end even so after h3 odst or reach. and for the friends trust me, i want more than 100 friends if i want to, but the ability to keep both is something microsoft can not keep at this gen, trust me like joystiq and almost every other xbox-halo related gaming site said. it either halo 2 or friends list. sadly, it not that easy to choose both...

wait wait wait , you are telling me that a multi million o sorry billion dollar company doesn't have the time to fix this. They update the dashboard every six months to make it look pretty and stuff. they add new cloths to your avatar everyday and add new updates everyday with movies and music videos. They have made older games than halo 2 available to people. This doesn't make any sense to me i loved halo 2 the maps were just plain better for competitive gaming. they should either filter the friends list or make it available for download in 360 dashboard. I have a better idea why don't they add halo 2 maps to halo3 like they have been trying to do but failing at.

i am all up for more then 100 friends i play halo 3 competitively and halo 2 competitively i attend mlg events that are close to were i live. They have time they are just to lazy.