Joystiq

Neill Blomkamp would still like to do that Halo movie

David Hinkle — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:15:00 EST

Even though Neill Blomkamp already put five months of work into the stalled Halo film project, he's not bitter. In fact, he's still down to work on the film - that is, if he's in control.

"I still really love the world and the universe and the mythology of Halo. If I was given control, I would really like to do that film," Blomkamp told IGN. "But that's the problem. When something pre-exists, there's this idea of my own interpretation versus 150 other people involved with the film's interpretation of the same intellectual property. Then the entire filmgoing audience has their interpretation. You can really live up to or fail in their eyes. That part isn't appealing to me, but the original pieces are appealing."

Blomkamp went on record back in 2009 to say that he wouldn't do the Halo film, even if it was offered to him. Blomkamp drew attention for his trio of Halo 3 short films, eventually all collected in Halo 3: Landfall. The Halo movie was officially postponed in late 2006 after Fox and Universal both pulled out of the project.

Neill Blomkamp would still like to do that Halo movie originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo 3: ODST 'Campaign Edition' drops on Games on Demand

David Hinkle — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:20:00 EST

A stripped-down version of Bungie's Halo 3: ODST is now available on Games on Demand for $15.

Halo 3: ODST "Campaign Edition" includes both the campaign and the co-op Firefight mode, the latter of which is a survival variant where four players take on waves of attacking Covenant enemies.

When Halo 3: ODST first launched in 2009, it included the Halo 3 multiplayer component with additional maps exclusive to the ODST package. If you find yourself desperate for Halo 3 multiplayer, you can buy it through Xbox Live for $20 now.

Halo 3: ODST 'Campaign Edition' drops on Games on Demand originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 22:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo games tumble in opening day of Xbox Live's Ultimate sale [update: and more]

Sinan Kubba — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST

Microsoft's week-long Ultimate Game Sale for Games on Demand content makes its opening pitch today, and first up to the plate is Master Chief of the Halo Space Marines. We'll let you be the judge of whether or not the green giant knocks it out of the park with today's offers.

Three games slide down from $29.99 to $9.99 in the form of Halo 3, Halo: Reach, and real-time strategy black sheep Halo Wars. It's not quite as big a discount for the Chief's most recent adventure; Halo 4 shifts its price to $39.99 for a 33 percent discount.

Update: A number of other games are also on sale, including Grid, Call of Juarez, BioShock, and Tomb Raider: Legend. It's not wholly clear, but the wording suggests these particular games are staying discounted through to the end of the Ultimate Game Sale on March 5.

Dirt 2 - $4.99
Grid - $4.99
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements - $2.99
Rayman Raving Rabbids - $2.99
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X - $4.99
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas - $4.99
Kane and Lynch: Dead Men - $4.99
Call of Juarez - $4.99
Tomb Raider: Legend - $4.99
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - $4.99
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 - $4.99
Virtua Fighter 5 - $4.99
BioShock - $4.99
El Shaddai - $2.99
The Darkness - $4.99

Halo games tumble in opening day of Xbox Live's Ultimate sale [update: and more] originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam database fills out with Halo 2, 3, Fez, Dyad, King of Fighters, more [Update: MS says no plans for Halo]

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST

The Steam database is a dark and convoluted mine, with twisting tunnels of useless content and, every now and then, a diamond. NeoGAF member Stumpokapaw braved the database and dusted off a few gems, including the addition of Halo 2 and Halo 3.

The Halo 2 and 3 database entries included links to Steam Community pages for each game, according to Stumpokapaw and Redditor whatsmyPW, who provided the above screenshot. The Community links no longer resolve those pages, and the Halo 3 database history shows the app was edited today to remove the website name.

Halo 2 and 3's existence in the database doesn't mean these games are coming to Steam, but it could point to some form of Community support on Steam in the future. With the Steam Box on the way, anything is possible (yes, even that, you absolute freak). Other games in the database, listed by Stumpokapaw, include Fez, Shadow Warrior Complete, Dyad, The King of Fighters 13 (and 2002 Unlimited Match and '98 Unlimited Match), Halo: Combat Evolved, Quantum Conundrum 2, The Witness and Second Life.

Dyad, at least, is definitely on its way to Steam, developer Shawn McGrath tells us.

Update: Microsoft says, "We currently do not have plans to release any Halo titles on Steam," in a statement to Eurogamer.

Steam database fills out with Halo 2, 3, Fez, Dyad, King of Fighters, more [Update: MS says no plans for Halo] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo franchise up to 46 million games sold worldwide

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:30:00 EST

The Halo franchise is up to 46 million games sold worldwide. Microsoft gave us the impressive figure today ahead of the launch of Halo 4, which was recently revealed as comfortably Microsoft's most expensive game to date.

According to Microsoft, Halo has so far generated $3 billion in revenue, there are 120 million pieces of user-generated content in Halo 3 to date, and 5 billion hours have been logged into Halo games via Xbox Live. We won't speculate on what all these figures may rise to following Halo 4's release next week.

Halo franchise up to 46 million games sold worldwide originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Master Chief called in to resolve Syria, reports BBC

Jessica Conditt — Mon, 28 May 2012 15:30:00 EST

During a news segment on the United Nations' involvement in the Syrian conflict, the BBC aired an image of the UNSC - the fictitious United Nations Space Command from Halo.

The image, shown in the background of the clip above, even gets a special spotlight as the camera zooms in on the anchor as she discusses the very serious, very real issues plaguing Syria over the past year.

The BBC has since acknowledged and apologized for airing the Halo logo, telling Eurogamer, "BBC News makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all images broadcast, however very occasionally mistakes do happen. Unfortunately an incorrect logo was used during a segment on last week's News at One bulletin and we apologise to viewers for the mistake.

"The image was not broadcast in our later bulletins."

Even if the BBC has stopped airing the USNC logo, the error has of course popped up on YouTube. The most obvious logic behind the mistake is that BBC editors searched Google Images for "United Nations Security Council symbol" and snagged the Halo UNSC logo that popped up in the results, but we like to think it was a subtle message to focus more efforts on quickly appeasing the situation in Syria - more efforts involving Master Chief.

Master Chief called in to resolve Syria, reports BBC originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Book: Halo film failed because Microsoft doesn't 'get' Hollywood

Jessica Conditt — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST

Microsoft didn't mess up when it hired a fleet of actors in Spartan armor to deliver the Halo script to potential movie studios, and the deal didn't stall when each production house had a fixed amount of time to read and bid on the screenplay. In the end Microsoft wanted too much, and it didn't know how to ask for it - it only knew how to demand. The industry differences between Microsoft and the film's two production studios, Fox and Universal, eventually led to the project's implosion, Jamie Russell explains in his book, Generation Xbox: How Video Games Invaded Hollywood.

Microsoft's terms included $10 million against 15 percent of the box office gross, a budget of at least $75 million and fast-tracked production, as well as creative approval over the director, regular flights from Seattle to L.A. to review post-production footage and 60 first-class plane tickets for Microsoft personnel and guests to attend the premiere, all at the expense of whichever studio picked up the script. Not even Harry Potter was getting this level of concessions, Larry Shapiro of Hollywood talent agency CAA says.

Continue reading Book: Halo film failed because Microsoft doesn't 'get' Hollywood

Book: Halo film failed because Microsoft doesn't 'get' Hollywood originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo stats blown out by Bungie as studio moves on

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST

Bungie is out of the Halo stat-tracking biz, but says "so long and thanks for all the fish" with one last nuke of information. Since 2004, over 20.8 billion Halo matchmaking games have been played, with Halo 3 supplying a majority at 11.5 billion, at around 221 million games averaged monthly.

The studio gathered all the data up in a mega infographic, covering stats of the great battles between humanity and The Covenant, and Red vs. Blue. At the end of Bungie's oversight of the online war, the body count exceeded 136 billion, with over 43 billion assists.

Having moved on from Halo, Bungie is currently in a 10-year contract with Activision to produce ... something.

Halo stats blown out by Bungie as studio moves on originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie handing over Halo community services to 343 in March

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST

As of March 31, 2012, Bungie will no longer host any Halo services on Bungie.net. Current Halo data will be transferred to 343 and, at that time, "all live Halo data will be managed by 343 Industries, and Bungie will no longer be able to update game stats and player service records, to host new user generated content, or to operate the Bungie Pro service." Using a peculiar bit of language, Bungie notes that "any replacement functionality" will be hosted by Halo Waypoint on halo.xbox.com.

Notice that Bungie doesn't mention whether or not such functionality will be replaced, though it seems unlikely that Microsoft would allow Halo's community features to disappear. They are, after all, a hallmark of the franchise. Because really, what's the point of playing Halo if you can't show off how awesome you are (or, as the image above illustrates, how funny it looks as your Spartan's limp corpse sails through the air).

Bungie handing over Halo community services to 343 in March originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo: Eye of the Storm is anything but calm

David Hinkle — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:02:00 EST

You know, the younger crowd has more ways than ever to pay homage to their favorite games. Back in our day, the only "machinima" we could produce were crude sketches of Chrono and the Battletoads in our Trapper Keeper. Now kids can produce short films about their favorite game using their favorite game!

And that's pretty much what Halo: Eye of the Storm is. Created under Microsoft's Game Content Usage Rules in Halo 3, this 22 minute epic re-imagines the events of The Storm, the game's fifth campaign mission. In his submission email to Joystiq, creator Philip Kang told us it took over two years to create Eye of the Storm. He had to play through the same mission over 100 times trying to get the AI to do specific things necessary for each shot. Actors, right?

In the end, it was all worth it: Kang's created a video masterpiece, now featured on a website our friend's uncle once called "a website."

Halo: Eye of the Storm is anything but calm originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PSA: Canadian 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with 5 games now available

Christopher Grant — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:06:00 EST

Do you come from the school of thought that equates "free stuff" with "money saved"? Is a $20 gift card as good as $20 off? Did you buy that useless robotic vacuum dog because it was so steeply discounted you'd practically lose money not buying it? We understand your plight, friend. And if you're Canadian, we think we've got a deal for you.

News broke yesterday that our gentle neighbors to the north would be alone in getting the above limited edition Xbox 360 bundle which, while still $300, manages to throw enough free stuff in there that we're actively considering a pricey Canadian road trip --- we'd practically lose money if we didn't buy it! Your $300 nets you a 250GB Xbox 360 S console, and full game downloads of Halo 3, Gears of War 2, Fable 3, Halo Wars, and the excellent Alan Wake. And, beginning today, it's available at Canadian retailers like Future Shop and Best Buy.

It's not a price cut, but who needs cash off when you could get that much free stuff?

[Thanks, MakoXL.]

PSA: Canadian 250GB Xbox 360 bundle with 5 games now available originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only]

JC Fletcher — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST

Reader Darren Christie tweeted a rather official-looking image of a new Xbox 360 bundle. According to the picture, taken at the Future Shop store in which Christie works, the new package includes a 250GB Xbox 360 console and download codes for five of its biggest games: Alan Wake, Halo 3, Halo Wars, Fable 3, and Gears of War 2. In addition to being big in terms of profile, they're also big in terms of file size, with the box warning that these games will occupy 29.51 GB on the hard drive.

Christie told us that the bundle will be released tomorrow for $299.99. He is located in Canada, so it's possible this hardware package is a Canadian-only promotion. We've checked in with Microsoft to get the details. Just to be safe, maybe you should wait a day or so before buying an Xbox.

Update: Shacknews received confirmation from Microsoft that this bundle is exclusive to Canada, out tomorrow, and available for a limited time.

Xbox 250GB bundle throws in Alan Wake, Gears 2, and 3 more [update: Canada only] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half-Minute Halo: An Interview with Jaime Griesemer

Ludwig Kietzmann — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST

"In Halo 1, there was maybe 30 seconds of fun that happened over and over and over and over again. And so, if you can get 30 seconds of fun, you can pretty much stretch that out to be an entire game."

Or maybe even five games. The succinct secret to Halo's success, that half minute of fun, has long been a mantra repeated by developer Bungie, repurposed by game critics, and presumably whispered by Master Chief himself before he tosses a plasma grenade into a gathering of grunts. It's inoffensive, catchy and it sounds about right. Doesn't it?

"Yeah, it's probably the most famous thing I ever said," says game designer Jaime Griesemer. "For some reason it really resonated with the community and got quoted and repeated to the point where I would hear it from people that didn't realize where it had come from in the first place! Especially with journalists." Like many of you, Griesemer has heard the phrase on podcasts (yes, including The Joystiq Podcast) and read it in several articles, such as Clive Thompson's examination of Halo 3 playtesting in Wired. "Some of the guys at Bungie were calling me 'Mr. Thirty Seconds' for a while ... heh."

If only we had paid attention to Mr. Thirty Seconds for about, oh, 30 seconds longer.

Continue reading Half-Minute Halo: An Interview with Jaime Griesemer

Half-Minute Halo: An Interview with Jaime Griesemer originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie on developing the character of Master Chief

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:15:00 EST

Speaking to IndustryGamers, Bungie's Joseph Staten shared some insight on the studio's character choices for Halo's enigmatic Master Chief. According to Staten, it was a conscious design choice to keep players in the dark about specific details from the Chief's life. It helped immerse players in the role, said Staten, adding, "The less players knew about the Chief, we believed, the more they would feel like the Chief."

Staten shared a few other details, notably that Cortana began solely as a "functional design requirement," namely a guide for the player; however, as she evolved, said Staten, she grew to highlight the Chief's humanity. Check out the full article for more on Bungie's design choices, including how the team introduced themes of loneliness and abandonment in order to help players "feel the weight of the Chief's heavy responsibilities" throughout the series.

Bungie on developing the character of Master Chief originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 22:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Weta offers new Halo helmet replicas, earns even more ire from cats everywhere

David Hinkle — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Let's be honest, it's not like that replica Spartan helmet is going to sit on your desk, right? These things were made for cats, the inevitable conclusion of the unholy tryst between feline and fandom eventually available for all to see on flickr. It's just what people do and you can now expand the contents of your cat's chiffonier with three new quarter-scale helmets: CQB, EVA and the Mark VI. Each will set you back $60.

Weta offers new Halo helmet replicas, earns even more ire from cats everywhere originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie discusses the Halo beyond Halo

Justin McElroy — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:30:00 EST

Even if you've never touched a Halo game, you're likely familiar with the basic story. But as only the devout know, there's another, deeper fiction behind Bungie's baby that predates even the series itself. Today IGN encapsulates that daunting mythology in a new feature that's well worth a read.

Bungie discusses the Halo beyond Halo originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Oct 2010 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Halo novels to continue Ghosts of Onyx story

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Tor Books has announced that a new series of Halo novels are on the way. Not to be confused with the upcoming trilogy by Greg Bear, these will be penned by Karen Traviss, author of the Gears of War novels as well as the short story "Human Weakness" from the 2009 Halo Evolutions collection.

The first new novel to be penned by Traviss will serve as a sequel to Ghosts of Onyx, and will reveal the fate of its team of Spartans. The series promises to "explore the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3." Presumably, the novels will also contain a heavy does of alien murder. We've contacted Tor in hopes of pinning down a release window for the new novels. Meanwhile, Bear's trilogy is set to debut this year.

Find the press release after the break.

Continue reading New Halo novels to continue Ghosts of Onyx story

New Halo novels to continue Ghosts of Onyx story originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 23 Jul 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Elite costume sets the bar for DIY

David Hinkle — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:05:00 EST

Oh, you've made your own assault rifle from Halo? That's cute. Wait, you've made your own Spartan suit? Meh, it's okay, we guess. See, the dudes at Peter Mander FX have ruined us forever, because they've produced about the best homage to Halo one could ever hope for: the ultra-realistic Elite suit you see above.

Largely comprised of plastic, TLC and dark magicks, the suit not only looks impressive, but it's animatronic. We can't imagine the blood, sweat and/or tears it took to produce such a lifelike recreation of this Covenant class, but we can get some idea from the video documenting the creation of this behemoth, which you can find past the break.

[Image source: Device Magazine]

Continue reading Halo Elite costume sets the bar for DIY

Halo Elite costume sets the bar for DIY originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 04:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fan totally Nerfs the Halo assault rifle

Richard Mitchell — Wed, 26 May 2010 17:15:00 EST

The Halo assault rifle has had a difficult time earning respect. It was totally outshined by the pistol in Halo: CE, ditched entirely for Halo 2 and brought back again in Halo 3 -- only to lose the spotlight to the battle rifle. Now, thanks to a creative Halo fan, the assault rifle has been brought to life ... and completely nerfed. (Like, it's actually a Nerf gun -- get it?)

Taking a stock Nerf rifle and an "infamous knock off dollar store assault rifle," a modder known as Moz cobbled together this Halo assault rifle, adding custom pieces and paint. The best part: It actually works; albeit with a slightly lower rate of fire than an actual assault rifle. See it in action after the break.

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Fan totally Nerfs the Halo assault rifle

Fan totally Nerfs the Halo assault rifle originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo 3's 'Believe' and PS2's 'Mountain' make 'epic ad' list

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:30:00 EST

Halo 3's amazing "Believe" campaign and the less well-known PlayStation "Mountain" ad have found a place on AdFreak's list of "The 25 most epic ads that aren't [Apple's] '1984.'" The Halo 3 campaign made it all the way to the eighth spot, while "Mountain," with its 1,500 extras, climbed to 17th place. The PS2 spot just barely beat out the incredibly memorable US Marine Corp "Chess" ad -- yeah, the one with the wizards and knights.

Halo 3's ad campaign was certainly an achievement, with atmosphere that eclipsed anything the game eventually provided. "Believe" had all those memorable elements: the diorama (wow, that diorama), the old men reminiscing, the History Channel feel of it all. It was the type of pretentious that works -- which is more than we can say for Halo: Reach's Nair boy and his Gatorade injections. Check out the "Believe" campaign and "Mountain" ad after the break.

Continue reading Halo 3's 'Believe' and PS2's 'Mountain' make 'epic ad' list

Halo 3's 'Believe' and PS2's 'Mountain' make 'epic ad' list originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 May 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo: Reach beta now available through ODST

David Hinkle — Mon, 03 May 2010 13:05:00 EST

Fly -- don't run -- to your Xbox 360 and cram that Halo 3: ODST disc into the drive, because it's time to play some Halo: Reach. Bungie has just informed us that the beta, which runs until May 19, is now live. Have you watched Aisha Tyler's informative introduction yet? You don't want to waste time fiddling with the controls on your first day.

Let us know how the download process goes and what you think of the game once you're set -- assuming it all goes smoothly. You're not preparing another outrageous letter, are you?

Some quick words of warning from Bungie: "The download process may be subject to extended wait times. Server load is expected to be extremely high, especially during the first few hours and days of Beta availability. Please bear with us and stay tuned to Bungie.net for news and information."

Halo: Reach beta now available through ODST originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 03 May 2010 13:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo: Reach beta visually dissected by Digital Foundry

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 01 May 2010 13:00:00 EST

Well, we knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, right? First things first: Yes, Halo: Reach is apparently running at a full 720p according to Digital Foundry's review of the beta thus far (so many Ps!). And, like Halo 3 before it, the Reach beta achieves a near constant 30 frames-per-second of highly frenetic gameplay, albeit dropping a few every now and then during, um ... explosive situations (let us once again remind you that the game is still in beta).

In fact, aside from the occasional screen tear and a bit of a "ghosting" issue ("frame bending" -- two or more images being blurred together -- can sometimes result in objects on screen not appearing solid, as seen in this image), DF is quite impressed with the beta's visual presentation, not to mention the gameplay. The three pages on the beta go into far more detail than we've dropped into this post, and, well, we've got a lot more Reach to play, so we'd encourage you to read more right here.

Halo: Reach beta visually dissected by Digital Foundry originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 May 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Top 20: Modern Warfare 2, After Burner Climax reign supreme

Xav de Matos — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:15:00 EST

Microsoft's Major Nelson has released his weekly report of Xbox Live activity today, featuring Infinity Ward's Modern Warfare 2 and Sega's After Burner Climax in the top spot. With one last activity update to be released before the Halo: Reach beta, we anticipate an upcoming fight in Xbox Live list's top three. Bungie's 2010 release Halo 3 secured second place for the sixteenth week in a row with EA's Battlefield: Bad Company 2 closing out this week's three-hole.

On the Xbox Live Arcade list, the collective biomass of classic arcade titles solidified Game Room in second place for a second week in a row while Capcom's Final Fight: Double Impact closing out the top three. Other notable highlights include Ubisoft's Splinter Cell: Conviction jumping from ninth spot to sixth and EA Sports' FIFA 10 overtaking Call of Duty: World at War for fourth spot. The full breakdown can be found at Major Nelson's blog.

Xbox Live Top 20: Modern Warfare 2, After Burner Climax reign supreme originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo: Reach 'Pre-Beta' video walkthroughs, gameplay footage

Xav de Matos — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST

Note: This footage is best viewed in high definition. Click 'HD' to enable it.

Halo fanatics will finally get their hands on Halo: Reach when the multiplayer beta, included with the purchase of Halo 3: ODST, is activated next week. You've already read our impressions but now you get to see some of the action, with hours of Halo: Reach Pre-Beta footage carefully trimmed down to the essentials.

By showing the new armor customization options, control changes, comparisons to Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST and full gameplay matches in high definition, we're hoping to answer as many of your questions as we can before you get your own quality time with Reach on May 3.

Continue reading Halo: Reach 'Pre-Beta' video walkthroughs, gameplay footage

Halo: Reach 'Pre-Beta' video walkthroughs, gameplay footage originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Master Chief Sings: a 19-disc set of John 117's best

David Hinkle — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:27:00 EST

With all of that space travel going on, there's got to be plenty of downtime for the last Spartan in existence. Sure, Master Chief can just hop into a cryo-chamber and saw some wood between Halo games -- but every now and then, when nobody's around, MC likes to exercise the old pipes. You would not believe how dynamic his range is, clearly exhibited in the video past the break from IGN.

Oh, and before you watch the video (and inevitably call that number to order your own set), know that we think we've finally figured out John 117's identity: Michael McDonald.

[Via LazyGamer]

Continue reading Master Chief Sings: a 19-disc set of John 117's best

Master Chief Sings: a 19-disc set of John 117's best originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo 3 available on Games on Demand, load times may be affected [update]

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST

Halo 3 was recently added to Xbox 360's Games on Demand service, but Microsoft has not confirmed that the longer-than-normal load times present on a hard drive installation were fixed for the digital release. Developer Bungie had previously been quite clear that Halo 3's design functioned best when not installed on the Xbox 360's HDD. Bungie Community Director Brian Jarrard told Kotaku yesterday that to the developer's knowledge there was no additional work "done on the code to optimize the game for HDD installation."

We've patiently been awaiting a response from Microsoft on this issue and will update as soon as we receive one. In the meantime, we'd steer those Halo 3 latecomers toward a brick-and-mortar retailer.

Update: Microsoft's official response can be found after the break.

Continue reading Halo 3 available on Games on Demand, load times may be affected [update]

Halo 3 available on Games on Demand, load times may be affected [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Bungie's Lars Bakken on Halo: Reach and the franchise

Cory Banks — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST

Following my extensive hands-on preview of the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta at Bungie's Seattle area offices last week, I spoke with Lars Bakken, lead multiplayer designer, to discuss how Reach fits into the studio's long term strategy, how community feedback affects design decisions and the future of the Halo franchise.

Joystiq: What did you learn from how you conducted the Halo 3 multiplayer beta? What are you doing differently for the Reach beta?

Lars Bakken: I think one of the things we learned from the Halo 3 beta is that we want to keep this thing focused and that might mean less playlists initially. But that's really to keep the people focused and keep them playing the same thing, so we'll be turning on things and turning off other things as the beta progresses. And that's something we really learned from Halo 3, because we wanted to make sure that we were getting all the relevant information that we needed to get -- all the data -- and make decisions and changes on the final game.

Gallery: Halo: Reach (Multiplayer Beta)

Continue reading Interview: Bungie's Lars Bakken on Halo: Reach and the franchise

Interview: Bungie's Lars Bakken on Halo: Reach and the franchise originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GamePro looks at Halo's influence on gaming

David Hinkle — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST

We'd explain that Halo influenced gaming in that it influenced many to play it, but that's hardly a secret. It's a cash juggernaut; an epic tale of dudes in space suits that cost more than it does for us to go to space right now. And, of course, bags of tea.

But GamePro offers its own, more poignant analysis of Microsoft's biggest franchise. There are the obvious effects of Bungie's success -- such as regenerative shields and the popular control scheme mimicked by many of Halo's successors -- but one of the biggest is the emergence of online multiplayer in the console FPS. The series has helped pave the way for some of console gamers' favorites.

We can't help but point out that GamePro is neglecting one crucial item: Theater mode. Before Halo 3, just about everyone's crazy stories of conquest or humiliation were suspect and impossible to prove. Now every console player on the message boards can see how awesome you are, and you can't really put a price on that now, can you?

GamePro looks at Halo's influence on gaming originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Apr 2010 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live April schedule: Final Fight, Mega Man 10 DLC

David Hinkle — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST

Microsoft has unfurled some of its plans for Xbox Live downloadable content for April, including new additions to Games on Demand and Deals of the Week, as well as the April 14th release of Final Fight: Double Impact.

On top of that, look for a half-priced The Maw on the week of April 12 and two add-ons for Mega Man 10 this week: Bass and Special Stage 1. Head past the break for the full list.

Gallery: Final Fight: Double Impact

Continue reading Xbox Live April schedule: Final Fight, Mega Man 10 DLC

Xbox Live April schedule: Final Fight, Mega Man 10 DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Get your big break in Pro Gaming thanks to Doritos

JC Fletcher — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:27:00 EST

Do you want to get in fighting shape for your pro gaming debut? Turn to Doritos! The "bold, intense snack brand" announced a "Pro-Gaming Combine" -- essentially a training camp for kids who want to play Halo 3 for a living. During the three-day event, players who show promise in the areas of "slaying power, teamwork/communication, leadership, objective play and support play" will undergo further evaluation by the "MLG Scout Team," just like in sports! One four-person team and four individuals from each location winning a trip to the Major League Gaming Pro Circuit Event and National Championship Competition.

Team passes for the first event, in Nashville, Tennessee, go on sale at 7PM EST tonight, with individual passes available tomorrow at the same time. The full schedule of Combines is available after the break.

Continue reading Get your big break in Pro Gaming thanks to Doritos

Get your big break in Pro Gaming thanks to Doritos originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon: 360 Platinum Hits are buy 2, get 1 free for a limited time

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:00:00 EST

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Amazon is now offering a special buy two, get one free deal on Xbox 360 Platinum Hits titles. The deal is fairly straightforward: just pop three Platinum Hits games into your cart and the cheapest of the three will be knocked down to the wallet-friendly price of zero dollars. It's really the perfect excuse to pick up some great games you might have missed, especially considering many of them have sequels out this year -- notably Fable II, Halo 3, Fallout 3, Mass Effect, BioShock and Dead Rising. You'd better do it quick though, as the offer is only valid through February 13 and only while supplies last.

[Thanks, Goldenchild]

Amazon: 360 Platinum Hits are buy 2, get 1 free for a limited time originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is what it has come to: Halo 3 Legendary for $30

Richard Mitchell — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:39:00 EST

Ever since the supposedly limited run of the Halo 3 Legendary Edition was first released, we've watched its price slowly tumble. Originally sporting a hefty $129.99 price tag, we've seen the price slide ever lower as retailers, desperate for shelf space, slashed the price again and again. Now, 1saleaday.com is selling copies of the Legendary Edition for the absolute rock-bottom price of $30. That's thirty bones for Halo 3, your very own cat helmet and more behind-the-scenes bonus features than you can shake a plasma sword at. The item is listed as "new," although it's hard to imagine the packaging has survived nearly three years without acquiring a few bumps and bruises.

Keep in mind that we have no idea how reliable 1 Sale A Day is, but you're not likely to find a better price than this. There are only a few hours left on the sale, so both of you remaining Legendary fence-sitters had better hop to it.

This is what it has come to: Halo 3 Legendary for $30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Splosion Man 'splores $5 price point next week

Ludwig Kietzmann — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST

Twisted Pixel's highly combustible Xbox Live Arcade platformer and object of Joystiq adoration, 'Splosion Man, will headline the upcoming Marketplace schedule (as relayed by Major Nelson) with a temporary 50-percent price reduction. After dropping to 400 ($5) for the week of February 1, 'Splosion Man should prove more challenging to blow off than up.

Other highlights include Chime, February 3's non-profit Xbox Live Arcade release from Zoe Mode and OneBigGame, the Halo 3 Mythic 2 Map Pack, and the first part of Assassin's Creed 2 downloadable content, "Battle of Forli." Expect a Joystiq review on that closer to its January 28 launch.

'Splosion Man 'splores $5 price point next week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo: Reach 'bending the Xbox as far as it'll bend,' Bungie assures

Ludwig Kietzmann — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST

Much like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves demonstrated in 2009, Halo: Reach will be expected to deliver an experience that not only speaks highly of its developer, but also of the technological capabilities and commercial identity of its home platform. Whereas Halo 3: ODST was built upon Bungie's 2007 space hoop outing (has it already been that long?), the developer tells Edge that its next shooter is already "bending the Xbox as far as it'll bend." Surely that voids the warranty?

"We are... taking every advantage of everything on the CPU and GPU, and every bit of memory in order to produce the look of Reach beyond anything of Halo 3, " creative director Marcus Lehto noted, attributing the evolution -- which also benefits the size of environments and complexity of the AI -- to increased understanding of the hardware. "We're pushing it as far as we can go," Lehto said. "With every iteration we understand what more we can exploit with the hardware."

Chalk up another win for longer console life cycles -- and for long-running franchises.

Halo: Reach 'bending the Xbox as far as it'll bend,' Bungie assures originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo 3: Mythic 2 Map Pack coming to Xbox Live Marketplace on Feb. 2

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Do you love Halo enough to purchase new multiplayer maps, but not enough to buy new Halo games? If that's the case, you'll be pleased to learn that the Mythic 2 Map Pack, which was previously available with 2009's Halo 3: ODST, will be sold separately as Halo 3 (sans overly descriptive subtitle treatment) content on the Xbox Live Marketplace starting February 2.

For 800 MS Points ($10) you'll gain access to three distinct kill zones, namely Heretic, Citadel and Longshore. And if winning on any of them seems like a long shot, why not practice online today and Thursday in benefit of Haiti relief efforts?

Gallery: Halo 3 Multiplayer: Citadel, Heretic, Longshore

Halo 3: Mythic 2 Map Pack coming to Xbox Live Marketplace on Feb. 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie asking Halo 3 players to show their hearts for Haiti

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST

If you haven't got any cash to donate to charitable organizations who're currently lending a hand with recovery efforts in Haiti, don't fret -- Bungie's organizing a free method for you to show your support. All you have to do is change your Halo 3 (or ODST) emblem to the heart seen in the image above, and play any of the games' online modes this coming Wednesday and Thursday. Bungie's donating a dime for every person who does so to the Red Cross (up to a maximum donation of $77,000). Check out Bungie's blog for more information about the event.

If you're wanting to make a slightly larger contribution, you could also purchase a special version of the Superintendent t-shirt from the Bungie store -- all of the proceeds from which will also go directly to the Red Cross.

Bungie asking Halo 3 players to show their hearts for Haiti originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft reveals the top Xbox Live games of 2009

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:35:00 EST

Now that the new year is in full swing, Microsoft has decided to take a look back at the top games of 2009. Specifically, Major Nelson has released a breakdown of the most popular games on Xbox Live during 2009. The overall top twenty list seems pretty standard with Halo 3 at the top, followed by Call of Duty 4. What's amazing, though, is that after releasing in November, Modern Warfare 2 managed to snag third place for the entire year. So, pretty popular game, then.

On the downloadable front, Battlefield 1943 takes top XBLA honors, followed by Castle Crashers and Trials HD. Indie Games are topped by I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES!!!1N IT!!!1 (it is just a dollar), followed by Avatar Drop and RC-AirSim. Unsurprisingly, the top original Xbox game is still Halo 2, while Star Wars: Battlefront 2 and the original Fable take second and third place, respectively. Head over to Major Nelson for the full list.

Microsoft reveals the top Xbox Live games of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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17 Spartans bust a move at the Philly Mummers Parade

David Hinkle — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:15:00 EST

[Image: Kotaku]

Flash mobs are all the rage now, but the above image actually comes from the Philadelphia Mummers Parade this year. Kotaku reader Justin managed to snag video of the choreographed event which, if it were real cyborg human heroes and not a bunch of faux-Spartans, would probably end up costing taxpayers about $814 gajillion -- and that's in today's dollars, not even accounting for 500 years of inflation.

To check out video of the dance routine, head on over to Kotaku.

17 Spartans bust a move at the Philly Mummers Parade originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wife makes hubby a Halo screenshot quilt

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:45:00 EST

Ironworks Gaming Crew user WillyQ has a great wife, as evidenced by the Halo quilt she made him for the holidays. The winter quilt features 20 of WillyQ's screenshots, along with game emblems and his name at the top (just in case someone tries to take it).

This is a good time to mention that the divorce rate in America is between 40-50 percent. If spouses did more thoughtful stuff like this we could easily reduce it by ... 1-2 percent, maybe?

[Via Hawtymcbloggy]

Wife makes hubby a Halo screenshot quilt originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox Live Top Ten: Call of Duty holds 3 of top 5 slots

Justin McElroy — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

You know what we want for Christmas? A more interesting Xbox Live Activity top ten to write about. Just as it did the week of Nov. 9, the Call of Duty franchise has held up three of the top five slots this week, with Halo 3 in second place and Grand Theft Auto IV taking the spot formerly held by the Left 4 Dead 2 demo.

As hard as we might wish for a shakeup in the new year, we're not sure what title's going to be the one to do it. Surely we won't see four CoD games in the top five in 2010. Surely.

Xbox Live Top Ten: Call of Duty holds 3 of top 5 slots originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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