Joystiq

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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Bungie's Destiny was teased way back in Halo 3: ODST

Jordan Mallory — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:15:00 EST

Bungie's Destiny has existed in one form or another since at least 2009, a new discovery in Halo 3: ODST indicates. The above image shows a poster found in ODST, which portrays a planet within close proximity to a large white sphere, with the message "DESTINY AWAITS" scrawled above. The similarities between this image and the recently leaked Destiny concept art is undeniable, especially the title screen-esque image obtained by IGN.

Former Bungie employee and Halo series level designer Vic Deleon has confirmed the connection, exclaiming that the secret had "FINALLY BEEN FOUND!" on Twitter. In light of these events, we've decided to dig even further into the annals of Halo lore by running the entirety of Halo: The Fall of Reach through an anagram construction algorithm and seeing what we come up with. Should that prove fruitless, we'll start decompiling the code for Pathways into Darkness.

Bungie's Destiny was teased way back in Halo 3: ODST originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:15:00 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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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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Real-life 'Grunt Birthday Party' will make you cheer

Mike Schramm — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 05:00:00 EST

It's likely that no skull has provided more joy in a Halo game than "Grunt Birthday Party," the toggle that makes headshots on the Convenant's Grunts explode into confetti while children cheer. An enterprising Halo fan has recreated the charming little bit of flair in real life, building a papier-mâché grunt, loading it up with some confetti and an exploding rifle target, then shooting at the thing with a real-life gun.

As Bungie's official blog says, "Don't try this at home." But we're glad somebody did -- you can see the headshot in slow motion, along with some making-of pictures, after the break.

Continue reading Real-life 'Grunt Birthday Party' will make you cheer

Real-life 'Grunt Birthday Party' will make you cheer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swag Saturday: Halo 3: ODST [update]

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EST

Update: We've closed the comments, folks! Keep an eye on your inbox!

Everyone and their mothers might be plugging away at StarCraft 2 all weekend, but we've got another grip of space marines for you to catch up with: the ODSTs. In the run up to Halo: Reach's launch, we thought giving out last year's chapter in the Halo franchise couldn't hurt. Don't forget it's got the entire Halo 3 multiplayer experience packed in -- oooh, and beta access to Reach! Oh, right. Anyway, let us know in the comments below what's got you most excited about the final Halo game from Bungie and you could win yourself a copy!

To enter this giveaway:

Leave a comment telling us what's got you most excited for Halo: Reach.
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec).
Limit 1 entry per person.
This entry period ends at 5:31PM ET on Sunday, August 1.
At that time, we will randomly select one winner to receive a copy of Halo 3: ODST for the Xbox 360 (ARV $29.99).
For a list of complete rules, click here.
Gallery: Halo 3: ODST Campaign

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition.

For more info on our policy, click here.

Swag Saturday: Halo 3: ODST [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New season of This Spartan Life coming to Halo Waypoint

David Hinkle — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:00:00 EST

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

343 Industries is teaming up with This Spartan Life to offer the latest season of episodes via Halo Waypoint. For the unaware, This Spartan Life is a self-described "talk show in game space," a discussion that takes place in-game which is recorded and then uploaded onto the internet in 30-minute episodes called modules. The show has tackled all kinds of topics in its nearly five year run -- things like net neutrality -- and was even featured on NPR.

Past the break, you can watch the trailer announcing the collaboration and see what the This Spartan Life guys have lined up for upcoming episodes. The new season has already kicked off and you can see the first episode on Halo Waypoint right now.

Continue reading New season of This Spartan Life coming to Halo Waypoint

New season of This Spartan Life coming to Halo Waypoint originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:00:00 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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Snag the Splinter Cell Xbox 360 Elite bundle for $325

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:45:00 EST

We know how it is. You've had your eyes on the Splinter Cell Conviction Xbox 360 Elite bundle for weeks now. "I want it!," you say, "But it's so expensive." You're in luck, because it looks like Sam Fisher did some 'negotiating' with Dell and got the company to knock a full $75 off the price, making it a cool $324.99. It's worth noting that Dell seems to have the bundle details incorrect. The bundle includes two wireless controllers, not one, and a 250GB hard drive as opposed to a 120GB model. It also does not include an HDMI cable, an accessory Microsoft stopped bundling with Elites some time ago.

If $325 is still a bit too steep, you can also grab the Xbox 360 Elite Spring bundle, which includes Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3, one wireless controller and a 120GB hard drive for just $269 ($30 off the usual price). Act now and you'll still have time to get in on the Halo: Reach beta. Lest you haven't heard, it has jetpacks.

[Via Destructoid]

Snag the Splinter Cell Xbox 360 Elite bundle for $325 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 May 2010 18:45:00 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 '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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Halo: Reach 'Invasion' mode unveiled on latest GTTV

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST

Aha! That's why no one's talking about it! The first video and details on Halo: Reach's "Invasion" mode were shown off exclusively in last night's episode of GameTrailers TV, with Bungie additionally dishing some deets about the game we'd yet to hear. As we already know, Invasion is a game mode that's only available in Boneyard (also scantly detailed until now) and, as promised, features a ton of vehicles. The multi-tiered level unlocks in "three phases (similar to Bad Company 2's "Rush" mode), with various weapon loadouts and vehicles becoming available alongside it.

Among the smattering of new footage, Bungie reps introduce the human grenade launcher and plasma launcher, two exciting looking additions to the Halo arsenal. Unfortunately, when pressed on whether or not ODST's Firefight mode would be making a return appearance in Reach, Bungie's Chris Carney says that the mode "is not in the beta" and he's "not sure what those guys have planned." As you might expect, there's also a tease that we'll hear more about the game (campaign mode specifically) "in June."

Halo: Reach 'Invasion' mode unveiled on latest GTTV originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Apr 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon's Forza 3 and ODST 360 Elite bundle now available at GameStop

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:40:00 EST

There are plenty of reasons to be wary about buying expensive electronics over the internet. They could be forever lost to shipping accidents. You could have trust issues about purchasing items from faceless vendors. Or maybe you're just addicted to instant gratification. If brick-and-mortar transactions are your preferred M.O., then you'll be pleased to hear that the formerly Amazon-only 360 Elite Spring Bundle, which comes packaged with Forza Motorsport 3 and Halo 3: ODST, is now available at GameStop for $299.99.

We can't stress this enough -- this is by far the best Xbox bundle ever to hit store shelves, so we suggest picking one up if you still find yourself sans 360. There's no telling when the offer will cease to be ... offered, but if we were to wager a guess, we'd say "around the start of the next temperate season."

[Via Halo.Bungie.org]

Amazon's Forza 3 and ODST 360 Elite bundle now available at GameStop originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New 360 Elite bundle includes Halo 3: ODST and Forza 3 for $300

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST

Are you preparing to buy your first ever Xbox 360, and are looking for the best value for your money? Alternatively, did your Xbox 360 just commit ritual seppuku, and now you're looking for a SKU that comes bundled with some good games? Both parties are in luck -- Amazon recently added a listing for an Xbox 360 Elite Spring 2010 bundle, which includes Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3 and a 120GB hard drive for just $299.99. According to the listing, this bundle will go on sale next Tuesday, March 9 -- the same day the $399 Final Fantasy XIII bundle hits Amazon's virtual store shelves.

We're extremely excited about this news -- not because it's a great deal (though it really, really is), but because it's allowed us to break the world record for "Most Times Using The Number '3' In A Single Headline." Thanks for making this dream possible, Microsoft.

[Via 1UP]

New 360 Elite bundle includes Halo 3: ODST and Forza 3 for $300 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:00:00 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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Best of the Rest: Ben's Picks of 2009

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

Red Faction: Guerrilla
Arriving approximately seven months late to the party, I didn't play RFG until earlier this month when I desperately cobbled together 2009's game releases for a massive pre-GOTY playstravaganza. That marathon came to a long pause while I smashed through the many structures of Mars with my trusty sledgehammer, constantly hearing "Space A$&%*#&" playing along the way in my mind. Sure, RFG was a bit rough around the edges, but what it lacked in mechanical prowess was more than made up for by the sheer amount of childlike joy I experienced while demolishing everything in my path.

Continue reading Best of the Rest: Ben's Picks of 2009

Best of the Rest: Ben's Picks of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wii dominates Amazon's video game best sellers of 2009

Mike Schramm — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:35:00 EST

Online retailer Amazon has tallied up sales in its Video Games category for the year 2009, and the results are overwhelmingly in favor of the Nintendo Wii, with nine out of the top ten spots going to Nintendo's console, various official accessories, and games. The best-selling game on the list is New Super Mario Bros. Wii at spot number 5, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that the game came out in November -- selling more copies in under two months than most games sold all year. But above that it's all Wii gear, from the Nunchuk and the MotionPlus addon to the console itself at the top.

Modern Warfare 2 is the only non-Nintendo title in the top ten, and it's specifically the Xbox 360 version, while the PS3 version comes in at number 13. There are only two titles exclusive to another console on the list: Halo 3: ODST for Microsoft at 16, and Uncharted 2 for Sony at 18. But that's not much to cheer about: even the Wii Wheel beat them both. It's fair to say Nintendo can declare Wii-ctory on Amazon in 2009. See the full list below.

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Wii dominates Amazon's video game best sellers of 2009

Wii dominates Amazon's video game best sellers of 2009 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:35:00 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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VGA 2009: Bungie's Marty O'Donnell talks moody soundtracks

Kevin Kelly — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:20:00 EST

This past Saturday brought us the Spike TV Video Game Awards and - before experiencing the litany of world exclusives that awaited us inside - we spent some time outside cruising the red carpet and talking (briefly!) to many of the game developers and talent. We squeezed them for information as fast as we could while simultaneously wishing them holiday cheer and good tidings. Yes, it was as awkward as it sounds. HHere's what we learned from Bungie's Halo-matic composer, Marty O'Donnell.

Why was the music such a departure for Halo 3: ODST?

It was just a completely different story with different characters, it was a small scale, it took place in a lonely city where it was raining. It was a detective sort of story where one lone ODST was looking for his buddies. From the very beginning Joe Staten, the writer, wanted to create an atmosphere that felt very film noir, very detective story. I'm the main composer, but my partner Mike Salvatore in Chicago and a couple of other guys in Seattle, Stan Laparte and C. Paul Johnson contributed stuff. I tried to keep all of the themes in that noir, jazz, dark area. There's a few times where we're in the rooftops or doing some high-action regular old Halo stuff in vehicles and we went back to that big, bombastic, epic stuff, but I always wanted to bring it back to that noir feel.

Were there any musical references to classic Halo during those moments?

I didn't do any actual thematic callbacks. I still wanted to do .... well, number one was no monks. But I still thought the big orchestral epic sound had a place. With some other stuff, you know. Piano, guitar, etc. It's like three hours of music, and you can't narrow yourself down to a small palette, you have to really be as expansive as possible.

So now you're working on Reach?

Yes, we're premiering the first look at the opening section of Reach. It's right out of the game. I'm really excited about it. It has a really different feel.

VGA 2009: Bungie's Marty O'Donnell talks moody soundtracks originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VGA 2009: Bungie explains lack of Halo 3: ODST DLC

Kevin Kelly — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST

VGA 2009: Bungie explains lack of Halo 3: ODST DLC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 23:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD lists top-selling games of 2009 in US -- excluding December

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:00:00 EST

The NPD Group, which tracks sales of games in the US, handed over a list of the top 10 selling games this year through November to IndustryGamers. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Xbox 360 dominates the top spot with 4.2 million copies sold, while the PS3 version slips in at eighth place -- considering the data only goes up to November, a quick look at last month's NPDs could have told you as much.

The only other non-Nintendo titles at the top are Halo 3: ODST with 2 million and Madden NFL 10 on Xbox 360 with 1.5 million at the six and nine spots, respectively. Otherwise, Nintendo owns this list with first-party titles. If you're prepared to gaze upon the stunning sales Nintendo had in 2009, head on over to IndustryGamers for the data.

NPD lists top-selling games of 2009 in US -- excluding December originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bungie explains 'series of stumbles' in ODST marketing

Ben Gilbert — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST

From the initial talk of a lower price to a renaming, Bungie's ever-changing plans for Halo 3: ODST left a lot of people confused as to what the final product would be. "I'm no PR expert, but it's pretty obvious the game had a series of stumbles; from the naming, to the initial E3 2008 countdown reveal failure, and finally pricing ... it would definitely be nice to have a do-over for the game introduction," senior designer Lars Bakken told G4TV in a recent interview. "The big takeaway for us is just to never comment on matters that are outside of our control," added community manager Brian Jarrard.

The subject of ODST becoming an "expansion pack," however, was never an arguable point to executive producer Curtis Creamer. "Though ODST was built from the Halo 3 engine, there were enough changes made to the engine that we could not have released it as an expansion in the way that you might equate with a PC game expansion pack ... the ODST executable is not compatible with Halo 3."

The crew of Bungie devs also reconfirmed that "there are currently no plans for any ODST DLC," with all of the studio's resources tied up with Halo: Reach. Hopefully, our thirst for more Firefight maps will be quenched by the inclusion of the mode in future Halo games -- a prospect to which the developers responded, "Only time will tell." Do it for us, Bungie! Please?

Gallery: Halo 3: ODST Campaign

Bungie explains 'series of stumbles' in ODST marketing originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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250GB Elite bundle with Halo 3 and ODST drops into Canada

David Hinkle — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:30:00 EST

Microsoft just pulled back the curtain on a brand-new bundle exclusively for our brothers and sisters to the north. Aside from a 250GB Xbox 360 Elite console, the bundle also includes a double dose of Bungie goodness: Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.

Starting today, you can get your maple syrup-soaked hands on this for a suggested retail price of $399.99 CAD. If you're a US gamer wondering why we didn't get this piece of gear down here, relax -- let Canada win this one! You have any idea how many driveways a Canadian has to shovel to earn this thing?

250GB Elite bundle with Halo 3 and ODST drops into Canada originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft says it's 'well within legal rights' to ban consoles

Richard Mitchell — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

In response to a possible class action lawsuit resulting from a recent round of Xbox Live bans, Microsoft has now asserted the legality of its position. A spokesperson has told the Financial Post that piracy is a violation of the company's terms of use and that Microsoft is "well within its legal rights" to ban users from its Xbox Live.

It was reported earlier this month that the law firm AlbingtonIP is "investigating" the possibility of a class action lawsuit against Microsoft over the bans. The firm argues that timing of the bans -- shortly after the release of Halo 3: ODST and just prior to the launch of Modern Warfare 2 -- was designed to get as much money from Xbox Live subscriptions as possible. In other words, the firm believes that Microsoft personally waited for a time when many people -- modders in this case -- would be purchasing Live subscriptions for popular games -- money that probably wouldn't be refunded after a ban.

Joystiq's Law of the Game columnist, Mark Methenitis, classified the suit as a likely "cash grab," explaining that anyone savvy enough to mod an Xbox would know to stay well away from Xbox Live. We might add that major releases, like ODST and Modern Warfare 2, are the biggest targets for piracy, and likely correspond with rises in illegal downloads. And that just might have something to do with the timing of the bans in question.

[Via Kotaku]

Microsoft says it's 'well within legal rights' to ban consoles originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumor: Toys R Us Black Friday deals leaked

JC Fletcher — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:36:00 EST

Don't want to grow up or pay full price for video games? A list of purported Black Friday game deals for Toys R Us has shown up online, with a few temporary price drops that may justify a late night or early morning trip to TRU on November 27.

Most of the great deals are "5AM Doorbusters," which means that if you have yet to pick up Halo 3: ODST, Need for Speed Shift, or Forza 3, they'll all be $34.99 ... at 5AM. Good luck! Also marked down at that obscenely early hour: Dead Space Extraction, which most of you have yet to pick up. It'll be just $24.99. Whether any of that is worth getting up at ridiculous o'clock to fight each other over is your call. See the full list of deals here.

[Thanks Pete!]

Check out Joystiq's Black Friday Game Deals Hub or jump to a retailer guide below:

For more Black Friday coverage, check out Black Friday Deals, Cyber Monday Sales,
And other Black Friday 2009 stories today from Walletpop.com

Rumor: Toys R Us Black Friday deals leaked originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Swag Saturday: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers for all those holiday games

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Update: This contest is officially closed and the winners will be notified shortly. Please check your email inboxes, folks!

With the holiday game release season officially upon us, it's quite possible that you'll find yourself (like us) jammed on a couch next to relatives who - at least passingly - show interest in the video games we know and love. Sometimes, these folks even ask to play alongside us, eschewing their morals for entertainment (for shame!). It's during these times that we reach for our second or third controller. But what if you only have one controller for your PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360? WHAT THEN?! Then you can turn to Swag Saturday for the possibility of winning one!

We've got one silver PS3 DualShock 3 and two Halo 3: ODST limited edition controllers to give away to three lucky readers. All you have to do is tell us a story about gaming with family during past holidays in the comments below. We get your crazy stories, you get our fancy controllers - talk about a win-win! Prize winners will be alerted by email early this week, so keep your ear to the internet, folks.

Leave a comment telling us a story about gaming with family during past holidays.
You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, based on the outcome of the War of 1812)
Limit 1 entry per person per day
This entry period ends at 6:31PM ET on Sunday, November 15
At that time, we'll randomly select three winners to receive one PS3 DualShock 3 (estimated $55 ARV) or one of two Halo 3: ODST limited edition Xbox 360 controllers (estimated $50 ARV each).
For a list of complete rules, click here

[Image credit: Ewen and Donabel]

Swag Saturday: Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 controllers for all those holiday games originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here's what you're Gameflying this holiday season

David Hinkle — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST

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

While it may initially seem the only game releasing this holiday season is something called Modern Warfare 2, some titles -- like Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II and Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii -- actually have the guts to stand up against the most important game of all time ever seriously. Game rental service Gamefly recently gathered data on which titles its users are actually looking forward to this holiday season, offering the info in one convenient list.

For the all platforms list, the three titles mentioned are unsurprisingly present and joined by other popular recent releases like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Halo 3: ODST. On the home console side of things, the Xbox 360 and PS3's most popular title is obviously Modern Warfare 2, while the Wii's big hit is, also expectedly, New Super Mario Bros. Wii. For handhelds, gamers are ticking Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and Dissidia: Final Fantasy for rental on the DS and PSP, respectively.

Overall, the list is fairly unsurprising, though we guess one could argue that it's surprising all of these people want to rent Modern Warfare 2 and haven't already purchased it.

Here's what you're Gameflying this holiday season originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor

Richard Mitchell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Now that Halo Waypoint has launched and the Halo Legends anime project will soon begin airing on Xbox consoles everywhere, we got the chance to discuss the current state of Halo with 343 Industries creative director, Frank O'Connor. After the break, you'll find discussion on Waypoint, Legends, Halo 3: ODST sales and whereabouts of Ryan Payton. We also talk about the whether or not there's just too much Halo out there, whether we'll see any Halo games for kids and we even squeeze in a question about Pimps at Sea.

Continue reading Interview: 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor

Interview: 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dragon Quest IX is Q3's top-selling game

JC Fletcher — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:39:00 EST

Despite the handicap of not being for sale in most of the world, Dragon Quest IX for the DS sold more copies than any other game in the world between July and September of this year, according to a Top Global Markets report. With 3,925,000 copies sold in Japan, it outsold the number two best-selling game for that period, Wii Sports Resort, by almost 1,000,000 copies -- and that game was available worldwide.

Following Wii Sports Resort in the top five: Madden NFL 2010 at 2,612,000, Pokemon HeartGold And SoulSilver at 2,068,000, and Halo 3: ODST, which was only out for a week in Q3, at 1,847,000 copies. All these games have plenty more sales ahead of them as the holidays approach!

Dragon Quest IX is Q3's top-selling game originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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G4 competition dishes out rare Halo 3 flaming armor

Xav de Matos — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST

Beyond cries from fanboys for Recon, the rarest of all Halo 3 armor permutations -- or at least the rarest option -- is strutting around multiplayer matches with a flaming skull. Originally only available to employees of Bungie, the heated helmets are now the prize for G4's upcoming Sarkathlon.

In order to enter the contest, which runs until midnight on November 8, players must download a special variant of the map Longshore (only found on the second disk of Halo 3: ODST) and find eight hidden grenades scattered throughout the map. The player who completes the task and crosses the finish line in the shortest amount of time with saved replay proof walks away with the flaming skull. It's the Halo equivalent of painting a giant bulls eye on your back, so why wouldn't you want it?

[Image Credit: Hushed Casket]

G4 competition dishes out rare Halo 3 flaming armor originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Waypoint live with Dashboard preview program, includes Avatar Awards

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST

It's not quite Wonka's chocolate factory, but the Xbox 360 Dashboard update preview participants are getting a taste of some delectable bonuses regardless. Earlier today, those lucky folks were granted their promised early access to the Halo Waypoint beta. Lo and behold, 11 Avatar Awards arrived alongside the addition (five for each gender's Avatar, one for both), unlocking based on various Achievements from Halo 3: ODST, ranging from Recon helmets to ODST t-shirts. Microsoft has provided little in the way of details on the addition, so feel free to let us know if you see anything particularly strange or interesting.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Halo Waypoint live with Dashboard preview program, includes Avatar Awards originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo players to compete in WCG ODST tournament

Justin McElroy — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:15:00 EST

We're not big fans of pro gaming, in fact, we think it's all a little hokey. But maybe you're a fan of getting free money for being good at Halo and really, who are we to stand in the way of that? It's in that spirit we tell you about the WCG USA Halo 3: ODST Locked and Loaded Tournament.

The 24 teams participating will have a chance at $5,000 in cash and Samsung-related prizes. If you'd like to join the kinda hokey but possibly lucrative fray, you can register here.

Halo players to compete in WCG ODST tournament originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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September NPD: Obviously Destined to Sell Tons

JC Fletcher — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:10:00 EST

The new, lighter (in both price and weight!) PS3 continues to enjoy renewed sales in its second month beating out every console except for the invincible DS -- and the PS3 got pretty close to that impossible victory. The PS3's sales more than doubled in the last month! In fact, just about everything enjoyed a boost in September, with all the home consoles benefiting from recent price drops, and the PSP launching new hardware (NPD's September sales period ran through October 3). The only "loser" is the DS, which fell in total sales, but still managed to sell more than anything else.

In software (see the chart after the break), unsurprisingly strong debuts took place for both games with Halo on the box and games with Mario on the box. In fact, strong is a bit of an understatement for ODST's 1.52 million units sold. It's not quite 3.3 million units, but for a presumably lower-cost spinoff using an existing engine, it'll do.

In a weird bit of cross-platform fickleness, The Beatles: Rock Band debuted in the top 10 for Xbox and Wii, but not PS3 -- while Batman: Arkham Asylum's PS3 version made a second appearance in the top 10 to the exclusion of the Xbox.

-DS: 524K29K (-5%)
-PS3: 492K282K (+134%)
-Wii: 463K186K (+67%)
-360: 353K138K (+64%)
-PSP: 190K50K (+36%)
-PS2: 146K40K (+38%)

Check out the software sales chart after the break.

Continue reading September NPD: Obviously Destined to Sell Tons

September NPD: Obviously Destined to Sell Tons originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video

Christopher Grant — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:00 EST

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

Continue reading Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video

Halo Waypoint detailed, captured on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg touts holiday exclusives, 360 sales growth in down economy

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Namedropping exclusives from Halo 3: ODST to Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City to Shadow Complex, as well as reaffirming Microsoft's "year-to-date growth in console sales compared to last year," Microsoft's director of product management Aaron Greenberg sounds extremely confident in the Xbox 360 (that's his job, right?). Thankfully, he's not always above admitting when his competitors are going to win. "When NPD releases September sales later today, we fully expect PlayStation 3 will come in as the console with the most units sold for the month," he tells Game Informer in a recent interview.

Unsurprisingly, though, he's sanguine on the prospect of Microsoft's console beating out Sony's. "We remain confident that Xbox 360 will not only outsell PS3 for the full calendar year, but for this entire generation." His confidence wanes though when asked about beating Apple with the Zune HD, offering only, "Our strategy has always been to completely focus on delivering the best games and entertainment experience in the living room and not get distracted by anything else." Gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em, right?

[Image credit: gamerscore]

Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg touts holiday exclusives, 360 sales growth in down economy originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Interview: Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST

If given the choice of becoming a (presumably) anthropomorphic vegetable, Phil Spencer would opt for an eggplant. Sure, we spoke to the confident head of Microsoft Game Studios about other things -- Halo, Project Natal, Fable, Crackdown, the Xbox 360's successor, blah blah blah -- but with that profound scoop out of the way, there's barely any reason to read this interview.

Mind you, the part where Spencer suggests that alternate forms of input (whether in addition to or in substitute of traditional controllers) might become a common expectation is pretty interesting. You should definitely read that.

Joystiq: We just came out of the Tokyo Game Show panel discussion for Project Natal ...

Phil Spencer: The creators panel.

Yes, the creators panel. Hideo Kojima was there; they brainstormed about all these games. How much focus is Microsoft Game Studios placing on Natal development internally in comparison to other projects?

It's a big focus for us in first party. As a first party, I think it's our duty, it's our responsibility to look at the new technologies that we bring to our platform. We did this with Live. We did at launch of 360. When we look at Project Natal as an opportunity for first party to truly innovate on our platform, creating new experiences, new intellectual property, we're very focused. A large percentage of the studio right now is thinking about Natal as part of what they're doing.

Continue reading Interview: Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer

Interview: Microsoft Game Studios' Phil Spencer originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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EEDAR: Game sales slowdown turned around in September

Andrew Yoon — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EST

2009 hasn't been the best year for the games industry. Month after month, we hear reports of reduced sales figures, company closures, and layoffs. Things may be turning around, though, as EEDAR analyst Jesse Divnich believes software sales during September 2009 have actually gone up from 2008, the first time in seven months thanks to strong sales of Halo 3: ODST, Wii Sports Resort, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, Madden NFL 10 and Batman: Arkham Asylum. All in all, software sales should come in at $715 million, a 16% increase over last year.

The music genre may be slowing down, but Divnich notes that "both Guitar Hero 5 and The Beatles: Rock Band have performed at levels ahead of retail expectations," with sales predicted at 800k and 1 million units respectively. The same analyst at EEDAR previously predicted that Guitar Hero 5 would outsell The Beatles 2:1. With NPD sales results dropping next week, we'll soon see how accurate Divnich's latest analysis is.

EEDAR: Game sales slowdown turned around in September originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ODST reaches 2.5 million sales; Haloverse expansions detailed

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST

After yesterday's full-fledged assault on mainstream gaming news coverage, we were refreshed to read this great USA Today report on the current state of the Halo franchise. Sure, it further promotes the tired opinion that Bungie's ever-popular shooter is set to overtake the Star Wars franchise in the cultural marketplace. However, it backs up that assertion with startling figures: According to the report, Halo 3: ODST has sold 2.5 million units in the past two weeks, bringing the total sales for the entire franchise up to a cool 27 million.

Additionally, USA Today further supports its thesis by compiling a list of the future franchise spin-offs, including -- *deep breath* -- Halo: Reach, the Halo: Blood Line comic series, Halo Legends, Halo Waypoint, the Halo: Evolutions novel (and another heretofore unnamed book trilogy), and more McFarlane toys. Some may accuse this franchise of succumbing to over-saturation -- we think it crossed that bridge around the time it got its own Mountain Dew.

ODST reaches 2.5 million sales; Haloverse expansions detailed originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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