Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video
by Christopher Grant 
{ Oct 19th 2009 at 1:55PM } 
This way to the Waypoint gallery
With the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update preview kicking off today, Microsoft dropped some more details on Halo Waypoint, the Dashboard playpen for the Master Chief enthusiasts among you. The preview video – found after the break – walks you through some of the destination's functionality, notably the "career system" which will track "in-game accomplishments across multiple Halo games." Unsurprisingly, that career will be limited to the Xbox 360-released Halo games: Halo 3, Halo Wars, Halo 3: ODST, and "all Game Add-on content for those titles." Oh, you beat Halo 2 in under 30 minutes? We'll just have to take your word for it.
Halo Waypoint is being developed collaboratively by Microsoft's internal Halo studio, 343 Industries, and Certain Affinity, the Austin-based developer (with some former Bungie staffers) behind Age of Booty. Waypoint will be available November 5 for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members; however, come November 26 those Silver members will have to pony up for Live if they want to keep their Waypoint access. That's a solid three weeks to determine if the exclusive Waypoint offerings – like the Nov. 7. preview of the "Halo Legends" anime anthology – are worth it. We imagine it will be for the hardcore Halo fan ... but we'd assume they've already got a Gold account.
Gallery: Halo Waypoint
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ryan @ Oct 19th 2009 1:59PM
*pulls out stool*
*sits on stool*
*places bucket under Master Chief*
*Milks Master Chief*
[ArchiGamer] [Controlling you through a chip in your butt since 1999] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:04PM
You know, Master Chief is a dude, I think, not a cow.
So....I wouldn't go drinking the milk of him....
oncnawan @ Oct 19th 2009 2:09PM
Actually, Archi, you can milk anything with nipples.
[ArchiGamer] [Controlling you through a chip in your butt since 1999] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:11PM
I know but it wouldn't make my comment any more disturbing....only creepy.
Aurailious @ Oct 19th 2009 2:11PM
There are a few games more milked than Halo you know? I am going to assume because everyone else says Halo is milked you are going to say the same.
Ryan @ Oct 19th 2009 2:15PM
Dont get me wrong. I liked Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo ODST. Didnt try, or want to try Halo Wars, but whatever.
But all these Halo games/content/etc/whatever, just feels like too much too fast. The period of time between Halo 3 and ODST, Im fine with that. With the Reach Beta in 2010 sometime, cool. But now an Anime, another stat tracking website, the massive amount of toys that are out there... Its just too much too soon in my opinion.
Also, shhhh... Im reading the Borderlands review over at IGN.
PedoJokerBear [Planeteer | Power of Gall Bladder] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:17PM
it better be the stool you sit on and not the one you create. ya creepy bastid.
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:18PM
I still fail to see how the Halo franchise is being milked.
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:37PM
Action figures are awesome, I wish every game series had their own lines. Well, maybe not every, but you get my drift.
FNG @ Oct 19th 2009 2:45PM
4 halo games since 2001. 5 if you count halo wars. I just don't call that being milked.
Smoke_me_a_Kipper @ Oct 19th 2009 2:49PM
Lots would drink the Master Chief's milk - regardless of where it is milked from.
Michael @ Oct 19th 2009 3:12PM
i have nipples, can you milk me?
Marius @ Oct 19th 2009 3:22PM
"4 halo games since 2001. 5 if you count halo wars. I just don't call that being milked."
there has been more stuff then just games
Anthology @ Oct 19th 2009 5:30PM
How is free content milking?
Jesus Christ, people.
abelpc @ Oct 20th 2009 3:33PM
Okay.. so Square is NOT milking Final Fantasy, Kojima is NOT milking Metal Gear Sold, Nintendo is definately not milking Mario, Rockstar is NOT milking GTA.. Should I continue?
iFester @ Oct 19th 2009 2:01PM
Got to say props to the designers. That is one slick interface.
For those harping on Halo being milked. Um... is a console mascot. Maybe you can go do shrooms with Mario. He'll show you how milking is done.
Obie @ Oct 19th 2009 2:01PM
Ugh! ENOUGH! WITH! TEH! HALOZ!
ZayCube @ Oct 19th 2009 2:28PM
Yeah wtf??! Another halo game? Halo 1, halo 2, halo 3, halo wars, halo recon, halo odst, halo reach and now this??
aristokrat @ Oct 19th 2009 2:37PM
This is not a game, and Halo Recon does not exist.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 19th 2009 2:04PM
Massive whoring out.
FNG @ Oct 19th 2009 3:01PM
go back to autoblog already
PSN: John Paul Jones | last.fm http:bit.ly11nCrv @ Oct 19th 2009 4:46PM
^
LOL
Brazell @ Oct 19th 2009 2:05PM
Not into Halo, but I like the idea of something that tracks your progress and play time throughout games.
I'd love to see these sorts of analytic interfaces for more game series, even the "cookie cutter" yearly releases like sports games. Think of, "The Madden Huddle," on the Dash, and it tracks your play, achievements, seasons played, favorite teams, players, plays, play style, etc., from year to year in each Madden game. It'd also provide important information for developers on what features are working and how play shifts from year to year.
Anyway, I'd love to see a collection of that crap just to study it from year to year... you could also come up with some neat stuff for online facts, like, in Madden '05, the Falcons were the most popular team, Eagles in '06, etc.
It'd just be cool, that's all I'm saying. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING!
Adriaan @ Oct 19th 2009 3:20PM
Not gonna lie, that is a brilliant idea.
wormania @ Oct 19th 2009 2:06PM
Isn't this free? (For XBL Gold members, and if you own Halo games? You're going to have gold.)
So all the comments about milking can bugger off now.
On Halo Waypoint: It looks very nice, and from what I can see in the picture, it looks like there's basically added achievements (Although not worth gamerscore) and challenges to try? This sounds pretty awesome.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Oct 19th 2009 2:17PM
They're milking it. Microsoft sees Halo players as an infinitely exploitable resource.
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:20PM
How is it being milked? I'm beginning to think a lot of you just like to hate Halo because it's the "cool" thing to do. Never ONCE have any of you given a clear, logical and/or coherent argument as to how the Halo franchise is being milked.
Dirty @ Oct 19th 2009 2:27PM
I wish more games that I liked had more support like this. Fleshing out a series of popular games with new and unique features and expanding the story are not "milking" the series
Zing @ Oct 19th 2009 2:28PM
I dont see whats wrong with milking, if you dont like it, dont buy it. Stop making other peoples free time your problem.
If people are dumb enough to keep buying milked stuff then why not make money out of them.
You need to realise that while there is a market we will always see Cooking Chief: Party Party Edition
[BTW i'm not calling this milked, i think its a cool idea designed for the discerning Halo fan]
devwild @ Oct 19th 2009 2:40PM
@why not the LS2LS7?
No, they see Halo as their first truly successful franchise, and they want to see if they can also make it more cohesive and consistently interesting than the other mega franchises out there who have been "milking it" for years (or decades in the case of mario).
Microsoft likes going all multimedia with stuff, and bungie gave them a solid universe to try it with. If it works out, great, if it doesn't, oh well. They were still good games (and a couple of surprisingly solid books too), and I enjoyed what I got out of them. Halo 3 was massive bang-for-the-buck considering how much time I spent playing it.
Also, as has been said, waypoint is effectively free, really just a convenient alternative to bungie.net. Most of the map packs, unlike those in Gears, went free after a few months, so if you aren't playing hardcore, you can just hang out for a while. The long and impressive radio drama that came out of the ilovebees promotion was left out there free for anyone interested in a taste of the universe outside the games.
If anything, aside from the media promotion overkill at times, I think the Halo franchise has been damn kind to us compared to the competition (so far). I say let them try, I'd like to see more games, in more genres create a solid evolving community and universe like this.
maveric101 @ Oct 19th 2009 7:10PM
i'm cool with being exploited if it means more Halo. on the other hand, that's not really exploitation, is it? people are buying these games willingly.
[ArchiGamer] [Controlling you through a chip in your butt since 1999] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:07PM
Its a cool idea, but not a practical one.
Shadowbender (Nelson Is Behind You) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:22PM
Practical is an illusion.
[ArchiGamer] [Controlling you through a chip in your butt since 1999] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:29PM
True.
Rhamsey @ Oct 19th 2009 2:07PM
Thought it would be stupid when it was first announced, but its not as useless as I thought it was going to be, and I'm surprised you don't have to pay for it.
Shaumarai @ Oct 19th 2009 2:08PM
I am surprised how fleshed out it is. Looks like they have a good idea about what this is for and how it will be used.
Achievement junkies will fell right at home with this as well.
-Shaum
RedRose @ Oct 19th 2009 2:08PM
MOOOOOOOOOO!
The Dark Wayne [Planeteer: Power of the Batusi] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:26PM
JESUS CHRIST IT'S A LION GET IN THE CAR
Orchard Pear @ Oct 19th 2009 2:12PM
LOL Halo.
More like Ga...
Ahh, nevermind.
Looks interesting.
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:13PM
I've never even heard of Halo: Waypoint.
Anyways, just got my gameinformer in the mail. Epic Mickey looks nothing like I expected. I'll scan it.
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:36PM
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l195/silent_killer_vincent/Gi%20mickey/
Sorry 'bout the bad, quality. I don't have the best scanner.
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:37PM
There's also some really cool other things in This month's issue like Skate 3.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com @ Oct 19th 2009 2:52PM
WTF are you plugging Epic Mickey for?
Oh well, I guess it's a good opportunity to plug this game too:
SMASHN' PUN'KINS on the iPhone and iPod Touch in the App Store! Halloween/Achievements/Facebook Integration!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=332241472&mt=8
Support indie gamers!
Yeah. That felt good.
;)
Traceur_Ryuk [All Digital until December] (PSN: Ryuk_shinigami) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:54PM
Wasn't "plugging" it, I just thought you guys' would like to see it, and I wasn't about to wait for an Epic Mickey post. Last time I do something nice, lol.
[ArchiGamer] [Controlling you through a chip in your butt since 1999] @ Oct 19th 2009 2:57PM
Love the art style for it. Thanks.
Chibi Chaingun - blackhivemedia.com @ Oct 19th 2009 3:00PM
Haha, its all good Traceur, thanks. :)
Singular Trap @ Oct 19th 2009 2:14PM
I like Halo. I have played them all, and I own all but Wars. Even so, I don't really care about this.
aaron @ Oct 19th 2009 2:18PM
This is much different than I thought it was going to be.... I was more expecting something that looked like nxe and fit in with that system so it was "always" online. this looks alot like a whole game that has to be launched everytime you want to access it.
Kinsey @ Oct 19th 2009 3:34PM
Anything that doesnt look like NXE is ok with me.
I kind of like this since my xbox generally is mostly just for Halo now.
random thought. MS should release a HD with all the Halo games already loaded into it :D
Shadowbender (Nelson Is Behind You) @ Oct 19th 2009 2:23PM
They should have this for every major game. Am I right? Or would that just jack up the whole system?