The Halo 3 Thread.

[Mord]

i'm downloading the trailer from the market place now, tell us your thoughts people.

i'm all jittery.

[Mord]

http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=Halo3Announcement

offical announcement.

[ReanimationLP]

3 words.

HOLY ********** S***. :eek:

[dmw007]

Looks awesome...I can't wait to play it (which means I will have to buy a Xbox 360). :D

[2nyRiggz]

looks nice....i guess...i gotta see gameplay


Bless

[Abulia]

Nifty. Will be happy to check out the hi rez version from Marketplace when I get home tonight!

[prophet621]

I haven't heard much about Halo3 so forgive the naive questions. Any new features? Other than improved graphics, is there anything really sets it apart from any other game?

The origional Halo was ok but I didn't like Halo2. I certainly didn't think it was the killer app others thought it was but it kept me entertained for a while which is what's important.

[Nar1117]

Oh yeah, it looks awesome. Im interested in the storyline of this next game though, should be enticing.

[Mord]

if you want more info read the bungie.net announcement, thats all we got.

i feel like that teaser stole a part of my soul and i wont get it back till i buy it.

[MacRumorUser]

I downloaded it on marketplace and didnt realise it was realtime movie, if the final game looks as good we'll be in for a real treat.

[Abulia]

I downloaded it on marketplace and didnt realise it was realtime movie, if the final game looks as good we'll be in for a real treat.
Holy cow!:We won't ruin the content of our short presentation by describing it frame by frame, but we will note that everything you're seeing here is being rendered in real-time on the Xbox 360, using the current version of our Halo 3 game engine. The HDR lighting, self-shadowing, GPU-run particle system and many other effects should make it intact (and more) to our final game.

[macsrockmysocks]

Omg, it is so cool, but i don't wanna buy a 360 now(don't have the money:( ). What suprised me is that it said that it is coming out in 2007!!!!!!! I can't wait that long!!!!!!!:eek: :mad: :D

[Haoshiro]

Haha, back in my E3 2006 predictions thread I said Halo 3 in 2007. I'm going to go find that thread now...

[jaxstate]

wow, i just saw a trailer that said "november 2006" on googles site. too bad it's not really coming out til 07. It'll be worth the wait"

[dmw007]

What suprised me is that it said that it is coming out in 2007!!!!!!! I can't wait that long!!!!!!!:eek: :mad: :D


I know, it will be a loooong hard wait. :(


But I am sure that it will be well worth it! :) :) :)

[Mike Teezie]

Finally!

I hope they write the story in this one better than they did in the 2nd game, it really left me cold.

[jimN]

could anyone copy and paste teh announcement, my work computers filter out 'games' sites.

thanks

[dmw007]

Finally!

I hope they write the story in this one better than they did in the 2nd game, it really left me cold.

I hope so too.

Although, I did enjoy Halo 2 very much- especially the multiplayer. :)

[dmw007]

could anyone copy and paste teh announcement, my work computers filter out 'games' sites.

thanks

Here you go- :)

Bungie announces Halo 3, the third and final game in the Halo Trilogy. Halo 3 will be released for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in 2007.

The game was revealed to the world at the Microsoft press conference at Grauman's Chinese Theater, in Hollywood, CA. By the time you read this, the announcement trailer should be available for download on bungie.net and directly to your Xbox 360, in full HD glory from Xbox Live Marketplace. Read no further if you want to avoid spoilers.
Nobody saw it coming. Halo 3! Who knew? For the last year or two, people have speculated about what our next project was and surprisingly, in all that time, not a single person guessed that it would be Halo 3. Not one.
We declare it the best kept secret ever.

Seriously though, it's been a chore biting our tongues on this one. Call it a combination of studio secrecy, corporate secrecy, Bill Gates already announcing it four times and, you know, whatever.

We won't ruin the content of our short presentation by describing it frame by frame, but we will note that everything you're seeing here is being rendered in real-time on the Xbox 360, using the current version of our Halo 3 game engine. The HDR lighting, self-shadowing, GPU-run particle system and many other effects should make it intact (and more) to our final game.
"The trailer was built to have minimum impact on the development process"
We demonstrated the real-time nature of the demo after the press conference (thanks to our friends at Pioneer with awesome audio-video assistance) to a small group of reporters, so we'll wait and see what their judgment on the presentation was, but you should feel free to make your own.
The trailer was built to have minimum impact on the development process, and while it required long hours and hard work from many, many Bungie staffers, it utilizes real-game assets, fiction and locations from parts of the "real" game.

In fact, it's the stuff it doesn't contain that gives it a strange kind of context. You can see how detailed the Chief is, but that detail applies to our other, unseen, unrevealed characters, vehicles, environment and so on. There's no AI visible in the demo, no multiplayer, and the entire thing has been left deliberately subdued both to give scale to the artifact and because this is our announcement. The real stuff will come later.
Fans of Halo fiction will be able to guess at a vast array of possibilities, even from this short piece, and discuss them in our newly launched Halo 3 Forum. For those new to the series, we'll make every effort to bring you up to speed on the story in forthcoming Bungie.net updates. We'll also be resurrecting the true purpose of the Update-proper - a weekly diary on the progress of the game that has been stymied recently, by the absence of (reveal-able) information.
Of course the trailer itself is a teaser - with no multiplayer, a single Earth-based locale, none of our sweet new AI or gameplay technologies. No physics to speak of, no new features other than a sneak peek at the graphics and audio engines…but the other stuff is there, and we'll reveal more as time goes on.
"Cortana and the Chief being a galaxy apart is a situation we haven't seen before"
CJ Cowan, Bungie's director of cinematics discussed one of the most startling moments in the piece, the return of Cortana, "Given the variety of character and story arcs at the end of Halo 2, we wanted to boil down our announcement to a few key threads. Cortana and the Chief being a galaxy apart is a situation we haven't seen before, and is something that is a powerful component to Halo 3. We are using her transmissions in the demo to give the viewer a few subtle clues to her situation and state of mind, without revealing any specifics we want to save for the game itself."

The Cortana reveal is the first evidence that this trailer might be for Halo 3, but the game's main protagonist is the item that seals that deal. CJ explains, "It is the Chief, back on a devastated and Covenant controlled Earth, standing over the excavation of a structure buried in the crust of our own planet that is the meat of our demo."
"The questions raised by these images, and the feeling that our assumptions about the Halo universe are being challenged this late in the story is what I am personally most excited about leaving with our fans. That's the type of thing that builds anticipation even more for the payoff to this trilogy we are preparing."
CJ's long nights are far from over. Cinematics are going to be as vital a part of Halo 3 as they were in Halo 2 and Halo: Combat Evolved. As before, they will use the game engine to keep the player feeling like a part of the action.
"There is a glorious, ancient artifact buried under the Earth’s crust "
Graphically, the game follows closely in the tradition of Halo 2, although obviously upgraded to take advantage of the Xbox 360's more prodigious visual abilities. As art director Marcus Lehto explains, "It was intended to be an understated announce of Halo 3 - the tone is that of mystery and suspense – the calm before the storm. I wanted to make sure that we re-introduced the Chief, show that Earth is thoroughly conquered, with Covenant everywhere, and that there is a glorious, ancient artifact buried under the Earth’s crust which will provide H3 with the epic journey which we all want."

Asked about the battered state of the Chief's armor, Marcus ventured, "The Chief is shown as warrior who has seen horrific battle – and it shows. The Earth is dry, barren, ravaged by the Covenant."

Grim stuff, but then things were grim at the end of Halo 2 when we left the Chief and the fate of the galaxy hanging in the balance. A cliffhanger about which we received over twenty emails... cough.

Marty O'Donnell's music will no doubt be heard over and over again. We can relate. The Studio has been thundering with the brass and bass of the trailer music for weeks.

Marty hired a 60 piece orchestra and a 24 piece choir to record the trailer music. "I want the viewer to have a feeling of anticipation and wonder for the first fifty seconds or so, up until Master Chief is revealed and they realize that it’s Cortana trying to tell them something," he says.

Marty's music was designed from the ground up to lull the listener into a sense of doubt, then wonder. "I want them to feel pride and longing the moment Master Chief walks out of the smoke," says Marty. "I want them to get excited and perhaps even froth at the mouth when they see the Covenant Capital ship and then the incredible buried artifact. I want them to be left with that, 'I can hardly wait to play this game' feeling by the end with a slight, 'I wonder what she meant by that' aftertaste."
"I want there to be no doubt in anyone’s mind when it is the right moment to applaud and scream. I hope they do, anyway."
As to the unmistakable new trumpety note, Marty is perfectly blunt. "The first time the world sees this trailer is at a live Microsoft press event in the Chinese Theater in LA. It is the first time we announce officially that Bungie is making Halo 3. My thought is that since it is an announcement event that is full of pomp and gravity, music will contain a fanfare and be somewhat over the top. I want there to be no doubt in anyone’s mind when it is the right moment to applaud and scream. I hope they do, anyway."
And we hope you enjoy it too. We'll keep you posted on more developments as the game progresses and look forward to more Halo 3 related goodies in the near future.

[Dagless]

I'd be very excited about this but 2 things bug me.

-Halo 2 was crap. I'm sorry, it was a shadow of it's predecessor. At least in the single player dept. I don't trust Bungie enough (only played Halo 1 and 2) to go into this blind when 50% of their games have been good. at the moment I'm seeing Halo 2 all over again. cue the terribly cheesy "this... is how the world ends" "I am you" blah blah. Sprinkled with very pretty graphics.

-No Wiimote, no mouse/keyboard turns me away from this. After playing Halo on the PC and Mac I just can't go back to the Xbox version. Sorry. Heres to them releasing a keyboard and mouse for the 360.

Music was very Bungie though. Very good. Just don't add an electric guitar this time guys. Sorta ruined the original theme for me in Halo 2.

[2nyRiggz]

Gears of War have my heart pounding.....i can't wait for this one.


Bless

[gco212]

Anyone know, or have any inclanation, as to whether Halo 3 will really be the final Halo, or will it just be the final game in the Halo trilogy, and it will continue in another trilogy (The continuing adventures of Master Chief?)?

[Dagless]

I'm hoping they call it quits, but make a game that is just awesome. Halo needs to go out good, it started off good so it's the perfect way to end. A fantastic ending to a great trilogy. I can see this being the end of Master Chief as Bungie move onto something else. How long have they been doing nothing but Halo for now?

[2nyRiggz]

End the flag ship series?...not gonna happen.


Bless

[Dagless]

End the flag ship series?...not gonna happen.


Bungie announces Halo 3, the third and final game in the Halo Trilogy. Halo 3 will be released for Microsoft's Xbox 360 in 2007.

:) or :( depends how much you like Halo I suppose.

[2nyRiggz]

Not a Halo fan but i do own both 1 and 2.....if they end that i will be surprised...maybe they will have whats his face in another game.


Bless

[corywoolf]

I bet it doesn't make the May 2007 Release date.:cool:

[Haoshiro]

I've had just about the best multiplayer experiences I've ever had with Halo 1 & 2. I definitely prefer Halo 1 but 2 is still fun for a LAN.

Pretty much been doing 6-8 player Halo 2 LANs every week, great fun.

[dmw007]

I bet it doesn't make the May 2007 Release date.:cool:

Don't say that! :eek:

[coffey7]

I really liked halo 2. I would hardly say its crap. Crap was the controls on the metroid game or the fact in grand theft auto you can't even look when you are running and shooting . How about the camera controls in zelda and mario sunshine.that was crap.

[saunders45]

Dude... the chief was holding the badass original assault rifle. Sweet!!!

[Nar1117]

Dude... the chief was holding the badass original assault rifle. Sweet!!!


Well, its not exactly the same, the original didnt have a muzzle. Its probably just a re-vamped version of the original AR.

[dmw007]

Dude... the chief was holding the badass original assault rifle. Sweet!!!


I took notice to that as well- it made me even more excited for Halo 3! :D

[GhostFace]

I hope it has live Co-Op play!

[Josh396]

I hope it has live Co-Op play!
I'll be shocked if it doesn't.

[Abulia]

Just got home and downloaded the trailer from Marketplace.

I have no adjectives available at the moment. :eek:

[Bubbasteve]

I would be very suprised if Bungie abandons their "baby" after Halo 3. With that being said I believe they will make a prequel to the Halo series....maybe

[AoWolf]

Bungie likes to end things just look at marathon this will probably be the last halo I hope its worth it high expectations myself :)

[Mike Teezie]

Just got home and downloaded the trailer from Marketplace.

I have no adjectives available at the moment. :eek:

Boring? Nondescript?

:)

I just hope they take out:

Dual wielding
no health system
hyper easy to use sniper rifle

The things that ruined 2, to me, along with the weak storyline.

[Nermal]

Trying to download, server's getting hammered, only going at 130 KB/s :(

What's this "marketplace" you're all talking about?

[Mord]

it's where you download stuff on your xbox 360

[millar876]

1. i want my life/soul back after watching that. [2-year-old-tantrum] i want it i want it i want it [/2-year-old-tantrum]

2. if they do end halo there, it would be mice if they re-did marathon, fitted it in as a prequel maybe. slight tweeks here and there, wont take much to make them fit together, maybe during the battles/war with the pfor (think that was the marathon lot), the covenant become aware of the pfor and want to indoctronate them into the covenant hence becoming aware of little old earth. i think that could work?

[wwooden]

I was finally able to download it in the marketplace last night after many attempts. To me, it is a very impressive trailer because it is clearly what the game is going to look like. I'm glad they didn't do any pre-rendered crap like all the Sony stuff.

I loved Halo 2, almost everything about it. I only have one complaint, I don't want to ever play as the Arbitar again. I had to just force myself to complete those levels.

I have racked up waaaay too many hours playing Halo 2 on live, it has really set the standard for what online gaming should be.

I guess I'm one of the few that loves both Halo and Halo 2, both have things about them I thought were perfect and things that didn't work. I'm not going to go into what I think Halo 3 should have for new features, I don't think that is the intention of this thread, there are plenty already created about that.

[Dagless]

I have racked up waaaay too many hours playing Halo 2 on live, it has really set the standard for what online gaming should be.

You should go back and play some PC games prior to Halo 2. Halo 2 mimicks them, so in reality they set the standard for what online gaming should be. Quake 1, 2, 3? Even Doom had a lobby system. Well, Zdoom and the likes.

[mrgreen4242]

-No Wiimote, no mouse/keyboard turns me away from this. After playing Halo on the PC and Mac I just can't go back to the Xbox version. Sorry. Heres to them releasing a keyboard and mouse for the 360.


Heh, that would be cool... in light of Sony ripping the Wii motion controller, it would be cool if MS said "we need some sorta non-standard controller that isn't motion sensitive" and just put out their wireless keyboard and mouse set for the 360. :p

I think they said they wouldn't be doing a keyb/mouse for any Xbox though, trying to keep it a seperate product from their PC gaming division, etc etc.

I would actually have to cave if they put together a HDDVD drive built in 360 bundled with a wireless keyboard and mouse. I'd wait for sub $300 pricing, though. And an OS X port :D.

[jaxstate]

I'm thinking Halo 3 for the PC in a few months are the release for the 360. This will be their first big test for the PC and Xbox Live component.;)

[MacRumorUser]

I'm thinking Halo 3 for the PC in a few months are the release for the 360. This will be their first big test for the PC and Xbox Live component.;)

NOT A CHANCE! If Vista has been pushed back as reports state by a few more months to March 07, and remember the KEY GAMING title that is VISTA only is HALO2. Do you think Halo 3 if it's released in May will see Halo 3 as well? NO way, at least 1 year after 360 release minimum...

[jaxstate]

Vista for mass release has been pushed back until may. But there were PC games being played on Vista using directx 10 at E3. I forgot the name of the game they were demo'in, it was from the makers of FarCry and it looked better than anything from Sony, MS or Nintindo.
NOT A CHANCE! If Vista has been pushed back as reports state by a few more months to March 07, and remember the KEY GAMING title that is VISTA only is HALO2. Do you think Halo 3 if it's released in May will see Halo 3 as well? NO way, at least 1 year after 360 release minimum...
Halo 3 isn't due out until Nov. 07

[MacRumorUser]

Vista for mass release has been pushed back until may. But there were PC games being played on Vista using directx 10 at E3. I forgot the name of the game they were demo'in, it was from the makers of FarCry and it looked better than anything from Sony, MS or Nintindo.

Halo 3 isn't due out until Nov. 07

DOH! Nov 07, I thought it was may :( What with GTA4 Oct 2007 we have 18 months to wait for these titles..... DAMN BLAST!!! :p :p :p

[jaxstate]

I'm really wanting to play Gears of War. This is going to hold me for a few months.:)
DOH! Nov 07, I thought it was may :( What with GTA4 Oct 2007 we have 18 months to wait for these titles..... DAMN BLAST!!! :p :p :p
And Too Human looks great.

[XNine]

I'm not impressed by the trailer. Sorry, I'm not.

There was no gameplay footage to tease, (not that it'd matter,t hey'd take out that part anyway like they did with Halo 2)... And supposedly it's on Earth then, right? Just like the 2nd one was supposed to be, but only get to play an hour or so on it.

I love multiplayer, but they need to make things a whole lot different in the third to keep me as a fan.

[Dagless]

I'm not impressed by the trailer. Sorry, I'm not.

There was no gameplay footage to tease, (not that it'd matter,t hey'd take out that part anyway like they did with Halo 2)... And supposedly it's on Earth then, right? Just like the 2nd one was supposed to be, but only get to play an hour or so on it.

I love multiplayer, but they need to make things a whole lot different in the third to keep me as a fan.

You speak teh truth. It was just a bit of talking and a wide-shot of a hole in the ground, with a story that sounds ripped from War of the Worlds. I mean who ever thought of hiding things under earth?
But this is all I can comment on. no gameplay has let me down too.

Here's a random prediction - the control or heart of the Halo rings is the earth. It's the Arc or whatever they called it. We just didn't know it. *if this is the story line I will be very dissapointed*

[jaxstate]

If you go to bungie site, they say all they want to do is tease you (that's why they called it a teaser instead of a trailer).
I'm not impressed by the trailer. Sorry, I'm not.

There was no gameplay footage to tease, (not that it'd matter,t hey'd take out that part anyway like they did with Halo 2)... And supposedly it's on Earth then, right? Just like the 2nd one was supposed to be, but only get to play an hour or so on it.

I love multiplayer, but they need to make things a whole lot different in the third to keep me as a fan.

[XNine]

You speak teh truth. It was just a bit of talking and a wide-shot of a hole in the ground, with a story that sounds ripped from War of the Worlds. I mean who ever thought of hiding things under earth?
But this is all I can comment on. no gameplay has let me down too.

Here's a random prediction - the control or heart of the Halo rings is the earth. It's the Arc or whatever they called it. We just didn't know it. *if this is the story line I will be very dissapointed*

You know, I wouldn't doubt it. That would probably push me to playing frisbee with the disc off of my deck....

[Dagless]

You know, I wouldn't doubt it. That would probably push me to playing frisbee with the disc off of my deck....

At least it would make for a realistic frisbee game. I mean the graphics, lighting and physics would be awesome.

[jaxstate]

Of course this is the storyline, if you finished the game you'd would have been known about this.
You speak teh truth. It was just a bit of talking and a wide-shot of a hole in the ground, with a story that sounds ripped from War of the Worlds. I mean who ever thought of hiding things under earth?
But this is all I can comment on. no gameplay has let me down too.

Here's a random prediction - the control or heart of the Halo rings is the earth. It's the Arc or whatever they called it. We just didn't know it. *if this is the story line I will be very dissapointed*

[XNine]

Of course this is the storyline, if you finished the game you'd would have been known about this.

Sorry, I'm trying to block the (lack of) ending of that game from my memory. By far the worst ending of all time. Except for ET when you couldn't climb out of the pits...

[Kingsly]

3 words.

HOLY ********** S***. :eek:
That about sums it up for me.

Please please please let it be a simultaneous release!!!! Oh yeah, and please make the story better than halo 2!!

[Mike Teezie]

You speak teh truth. It was just a bit of talking and a wide-shot of a hole in the ground, with a story that sounds ripped from War of the Worlds. I mean who ever thought of hiding things under earth?
But this is all I can comment on. no gameplay has let me down too.

Here's a random prediction - the control or heart of the Halo rings is the earth. It's the Arc or whatever they called it. We just didn't know it. *if this is the story line I will be very dissapointed*

Exactly.

The fact Bungie went so lame-o hollywood with the storyline in 2 disappointed me greatly.

For Halo 3 - If the earth is so ravaged and covenant controlled, what's the point of fighting? Wasn't Earth the point of no return? The first game, the books, and generally everything else in the Halo universe was about keeping them off Earth, or that was it.

I know it sounds like I'm trashing Halo at every opportunity, but believe me, I really, really want Halo 3 to be great like the first game was.

[jaxstate]

lmfao@the ET game.
Sorry, I'm trying to block the (lack of) ending of that game from my memory. By far the worst ending of all time. Except for ET when you couldn't climb out of the pits...

[combatcolin]

Hi Res WMP version.

Maximised screen.

24" Widescreen monitor.

Cranked up headphones.

Combatcolin very happy.

:)

[Haoshiro]

Sorry, I'm trying to block the (lack of) ending of that game from my memory. By far the worst ending of all time. Except for ET when you couldn't climb out of the pits...

Half-Life 2 was no winner either...

[Dagless]

Half-Life 2 was no winner either...

HL2. Utterly terrible ending. Absurdly good single player. Redefining single player FPS. and the multiplayer (free :D ) is to die for.

[AlBDamned]

Exactly.

The fact Bungie went so lame-o hollywood with the storyline in 2 disappointed me greatly.

For Halo 3 - If the earth is so ravaged and covenant controlled, what's the point of fighting? Wasn't Earth the point of no return? The first game, the books, and generally everything else in the Halo universe was about keeping them off Earth, or that was it.

In the Halo Universe, the Covenant were always going to find Earth, it was just a matter of them blasting every other planet to ***** first.

I hope to God Bungie make this game what it should be, I don't think they'll have taken the Halo 2 story criticism lightly, but if the M$ rumors are true, they didn't have much choice in its release date.

It should be the end of the story too, as there's not much to go on after a battle for Earth.

Jimmi> IMO, you're predictions on story/plot will likely be quite close.

[Mord]

well halo 4/5/6 could take the war back to the covenant, it's not like when they take back earth that the covenant will suddenly say "oh we surrender" though it may not be called halo as i suspect that their will be a "halo self distruct button" that destroys all the halo's. but the other games could be called something elce such as "master cheif adventure XVIII" but not cack.

if i just ruined the plot for all of you guys.....

[Nar1117]

Well Bungie specifically says the third and final installment of the Halo Trilogy. So i kinda doubt that there will be a prequel/4/5...

[Mord]

halo is in the ring planet thingy.

nothing is saying annother story arc will be made featureing the master cheif.

Microsoft wouldn't let them leave such a successful franchise to rest.

[MacRumorUser]

Am I the only one really looking more forward to Viva Pinata than Halo 3. Halo 3 is just going to be the same old, same old :confused: :confused:

[AlBDamned]

halo is in the ring planet thingy.

nothing is saying annother story arc will be made featureing the master cheif.

Microsoft wouldn't let them leave such a successful franchise to rest.

I don't know, Bungie isn't EA, they won't just turn out endless sequels. Much more likely they'll switch to a different story/universe a la Marathon vs. Halo.

Good point though Hector on a possible storyline for Halo 4/5/6. A return to "go get the Covenant" would be a possibility.

You just get the feeling from both the trailer and the events of First Strike, that the Covenant armada that gets to Earth is their "let's end this" strike so they throw everything they've got at it. They're not considering the possibility that they'll lose. Whoever wins this fight for Earth, wins the Universe. :cool:

[Haoshiro]

Am I the only one really looking more forward to Viva Pinata than Halo 3. Halo 3 is just going to be the same old, same old :confused: :confused:

Possibly? Viva Pinãta seems aimed at a younger generation but perhaps I am wrong. Visually I found it very impressive though.

[JDOG_]

I freaking love this:

Grunt warning sign...hahahaha, well done boys, well done.

I was very happy with the teaser trailer and to all those who are complaining about the lack of gameplay footage, further details, etc., you obviously don't have faith in Bungie, or a knowledge of their Halo 2 information roll-out a couple years ago. I'm sure they'll deliver, and they're generally excellent about letting you know about things when you need to know about them, and not promising things they can't deliver.

Their motto is: don't divuldge til the game-tested code is there.

Just wait a few months. Screenshots, videos and GUI info will roll out as the hype-machine revs up it's engines.

-J

[XNine]

I freaking love this:

Grunt warning sign...hahahaha, well done boys, well done.

I was very happy with the teaser trailer and to all those who are complaining about the lack of gameplay footage, further details, etc., you obviously don't have faith in Bungie, or a knowledge of their Halo 2 information roll-out a couple years ago. I'm sure they'll deliver, and they're generally excellent about letting you know about things when you need to know about them, and not promising things they can't deliver.

Their motto is: don't divuldge til the game-tested code is there.

Just wait a few months. Screenshots, videos and GUI info will roll out as the hype-machine revs up it's engines.

-J

Oh, I know about Bungie and it's lack to deliver. HAlo 2's campaign was nothing short of ****. Utter, useless, ****. Crappy story, levels that drone on and on with the same hallway... God forbid you get turned around in said hallway, you'll go mad trying to find your way out...

Bungie hyped the hell out of H2, and gave us a poor product after delaying it multiple times over what? Four years?

Don't get me wrong, I love the multiplayer aspect and a lot of the addons like dual-wield were done nicely. But saying Bungie is just so great that we can expect things to be dilvered is crap. I expected to have an all out war on earth in the second one, and not be forced to play the lame-ass covenant side. I'd be willing to bet about 80% of Halo fans out there felt the same.

[AlBDamned]

I'd be willing to bet about 80% of Halo fans out there felt the same.

I'd agree. repeating in Halo 2 the repeated levels from Halo 1 was crazy. The duff "ending" even more so.

But as said before, there was likely stronger forces at work than just Bungie. Hopefully, Halo 3 will be allowed to run its proper course.

[CubeHacker]

I really don't understand why people get all excited over this series? Halo1 was just your standard first person shooter with cut and paste level design that quickly made me nauseous (I mean, how many times do I really want to see the same room over and over and over...).

Halo2 was even worse with its convoluted storyline, still average gameplay, and STILL had those damned repeating rooms. I mean WTF! Had Halo been released for the PC and Mac like it was supposed to back in 2000/2001, it most likely would have been quickly forgotten like 90% of the other shooters out there. But because MS releases it on the xbox, its suddenly so great? Am I not getting something here?

[AlBDamned]

I really don't understand why people get all excited over this series? Halo1 was just your standard first person shooter with cut and paste level design that quickly made me nauseous (I mean, how many times do I really want to see the same room over and over and over...).

Halo2 was even worse with its convoluted storyline, still average gameplay, and STILL had those damned repeating rooms. I mean WTF! Had Halo been released for the PC and Mac like it was supposed to back in 2000/2001, it most likely would have been quickly forgotten like 90% of the other shooters out there. But because MS releases it on the xbox, its suddenly so great? Am I not getting something here?

If you think the fact that Microsoft released Halo automatically destines it for greatness then yes, you are missing something.

Halo did take stuff from many other FPS games, but it was the way it did it and the epic, sensical story, great physics, beautiful graphics (even now Halo 1's graphics stand up well), state-of-the-art AI and much more, that really made this game the king of FPS games. Even now, there are few FPS that are as complete and polished as Halo 1. That's not fanboy BS, that's fact.

Halo 2 was a let-down, definitely. The story, the slightly off physics (for me anyway), the length and so on. But to dismiss the series as "standard" I don't think is fair.

it might depend what system/game you're coming from, but I've played a lot of games and Halo is one that I love playing and have played, more than any other ever (Tony Hawk 4 on XBOX is my close second).

[Dagless]

Halo 1 was something special. It took the FPS genre and added strategy to it. It became more than running into battle, but setting up for a fight too. getting the right weapons and sorting yourself out. In Half Life, Doom and every other FPS most of the time you just run around corridors shooting at single enemies. There was a pattern and deeper element to Halo. Plus the storyline was something else. It was so compelling. And of course multiplayer had Sidewinder.
It does have a feel of copy/paste level design especially on the Library, but they just made the grand outdoor battles even more sweet.

Plus Halo 2 had crippling texture issues. I had to stand still whilst everything filled in at some points.

Oh and to the person above who said something about me playing Halo 2 and knowning about the Earth/Arc. To be honest I totally gave up on the story so I didn't know. I picked bits up but honestly had no idea that the Earth/Arc were related.

you know what I bloody hate about underground things in films/games. The fact they DON'T exist. I mean we use sonar and earthquakes to measure what's inside earth. To search for oil and stuff. We'd bloody know if there was something that big hidden under ground. I know it's sci-fi. But it's extremely silly sci-fi

"we... er... we never checked for oil around here, sir".
"what a coincidence Lt. Clifford! it just so happens to be the only spot in the world that has a big thing underground. only 1 man can save the world from literally countless enemies, just ONE person! or 2 in co-op. Forget logic, this is James Bond, I mean Master Chief who can somehow go into battle with only a pistol and single-handedly and save the day!"
"Sir this guy sounds like magic"
"He certainly is, squire"

[kuyu]

What sets the Halo franchise apart is that it never really gets old, ever. I still play Halo 1 and 2 when I have gamers over. People choose to play those over some nice 360 titles.

If you don't know anyone who's into it then I could see where the "huh?" factor would come from. But people who have played it are addicted.

If I had a nickel for every time someone has said to me "I'm getting a 360 the day Halo 3 comes out" I could payoff this powerbook... Hell, this board is littered with comments like that.

*** 360 owners: The Halo 3 theme is worth the 150 points ***

[Haoshiro]

jimmi:

For some reason I never felt like Master Chief was 'the only guy who could save the world, and do so single-handedly'. In fact I got the opposite feeling in both games. You were very powerful but there was often soldiers fighting along side you.

Also, he didn't save the world. He certainly survived but he did not stop the covenant. He managed to destroy the first Halo, yes... but then the aliens ended up on earth and - drumroll - they win.

As for Halo in general, I really feel it was (as you said) a more tactical/strategy oriented game and for that I like the pure gameplay more then just about any FPS I can think of. I could blast through corridor after duplicate corridor because it was simply fun and challenging to do. Heroic/Legendary was where it was at too once you were good.

Halo 2 lost a lot of the strategic elements and felt much more run-and-gun. It is still Halo and the multiplayer proves that. Infact, after playing WAY too much multiplayer Halo 2 the first game does feel a bit stale; at least for multiplayer.

Frag Grenades and the Pistol pretty much defined Halo 1, I think the game would have been a blast if that was all there was.

But man, they took out the pistol, the assualt rifle, and Health of all things. It really is a different game. A different game I still enjoyed, and it felt like Halo was in there... somewhere... hiding.

[XNine]

"we... er... we never checked for oil around here, sir".
"what a coincidence Lt. Clifford! it just so happens to be the only spot in the world that has a big thing underground. only 1 man can save the world from literally countless enemies, just ONE person! or 2 in co-op. Forget logic, this is James Bond, I mean Master Chief who can somehow go into battle with only a pistol and single-handedly and save the day!"
"Sir this guy sounds like magic"
"He certainly is, squire"

You really ought to send this as a script to Red VS Blue. LMFAO

I know it man. I know it. I mean, the whole RAMBO thing is a part of every FPS, and Halo's combat was pretty cool and a lot of it based on strategy. But the one thing I can't stand is when Bungie of all companies, with BILLIONS of dollars able to fund it, comes up short on an "Epic" game. It's one thing to take features off a console, it's another to give me misinformation, such as destructible environments (oooo, wow, look, I shattered a window and blew up an energy core) and better physics. ARE YOU ****ING KIDDING ME?! I used to get a group of 16 people to shoot under a warthog at the same time with rockets and watch as it disappeared into the sky, only to land on one of my friends and kill him a few minutes later. I LOVED THAT! BRING THAT BACK YOU SAVAGES!

[AlBDamned]

I used to get a group of 16 people to shoot under a warthog at the same time with rockets and watch as it disappeared into the sky, only to land on one of my friends and kill him a few minutes later. I LOVED THAT! BRING THAT BACK YOU SAVAGES!

Classic.

[Haoshiro]

*** 360 owners: The Halo 3 theme is worth the 150 points ***

I agree except when the Guide panels come up.. what the heck are they bright white for? bah!

[CubeHacker]

Halo 1 was something special. It took the FPS genre and added strategy to it. It became more than running into battle, but setting up for a fight too. getting the right weapons and sorting yourself out. In Half Life, Doom and every other FPS most of the time you just run around corridors shooting at single enemies. There was a pattern and deeper element to Halo. Plus the storyline was something else. It was so compelling. And of course multiplayer had Sidewinder.
It does have a feel of copy/paste level design especially on the Library, but they just made the grand outdoor battles even more sweet.



I guess thats just the thing. I never found it something special. I never found much of strategy in the game. I never saw any great AI, super graphics, or exciting storyline. I mean, have you ever played Deus Ex? Now THAT had an exceptional storyline, great strategy, and character development. Honestly, I found Halo mostly annoying (cut and paste levels, same old monster over and over, vehicles getting stuck in geometry, locations looking exactly the same), and had to force myself to complete through the game.

[Haoshiro]

I know it man. I know it. I mean, the whole RAMBO thing is a part of every FPS, and Halo's combat was pretty cool and a lot of it based on strategy. But the one thing I can't stand is when Bungie of all companies, with BILLIONS of dollars able to fund it, comes up short on an "Epic" game. It's one thing to take features off a console, it's another to give me misinformation, such as destructible environments (oooo, wow, look, I shattered a window and blew up an energy core) and better physics. ARE YOU ****ING KIDDING ME?! I used to get a group of 16 people to shoot under a warthog at the same time with rockets and watch as it disappeared into the sky, only to land on one of my friends and kill him a few minutes later. I LOVED THAT! BRING THAT BACK YOU SAVAGES!

According to "Xbox 360 Uncloaked (http://xbox360.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3150432&did=13)" Halo 2 has such a crap ending because they were made to cut the game in half, making the second half of Halo 2 turn into Halo 3 for 360. Fairly interesting read.

But yeah, destructable vehicles are novel but I LOVED the indestructable warthog!!!!

I also recall seeing a video play demo of Zanzibar in multiplayer with tons of the level getting destroyed... somehow that all got cut!

[Haoshiro]

I guess thats just the thing. I never found it something special. I never found much of strategy in the game. I never saw any great AI, super graphics, or exciting storyline. I mean, have you ever played Deus Ex? Now THAT had an exceptional storyline, great strategy, and character development. Honestly, I found Halo mostly annoying (cut and paste levels, same old monster over and over, vehicles getting stuck in geometry, locations looking exactly the same), and had to force myself to complete through the game.

I don't think you'd see it unless you player a lot on the more difficult levels (specifically Legendary) or played against people that were GOOD. That's when you see the subtle details and polish, when you can play a game and continue to hone your skill. A bunch of new players could jump in and do just fine shooting each other etc, but even some very skilled at FPS games in general will get their butts handed to them by experienced players that know the tactics of the game.

[AlBDamned]

According to "Xbox 360 Uncloaked (http://xbox360.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3150432&did=13)" Halo 2 has such a crap ending because they were made to cut the game in half, making the second half of Halo 2 turn into Halo 3 for 360.

Yup, Halo 2 was rushed for the sake of market share. Sad, but true.

[Dagless]

Tch, the world knows that Halo 2 was half or whatever it was supposed to be. but that doesn't matter, we don't say "there there Bungie, it's ok" because we're going to have to drop another £50 for the next game.
I've never liked the rambo style myself too. It's down right silly. Half Life is getting away with it so far because of this G-Man guy pretty much controlling everything in the game. So they've sorta fixed the rambo thing. unless MC has powers too, like he's god or something. Much prefer the Japanese way of working as a team to save the day, though they're usually a little more fantasy based. But still my preference nontheless.

I do wonder what the story will be though. I mean, if Earth is past the point of no return then why not just blow the whole thing up?
Maybe the story will surprise me. But I won't buy it on launch day. I need to hear if this game is good or bad first. I will NOT buy another Halo 2.

[G99]

I was just about to make this thread! Lol.
Anyway, I saw the trailer on the 9th and am looking forward to the game.
I think we can draw 5 points about the game from this trailer alone:
1. The Ark is on Earth (the big thing all the covenant ships are around)
2. Earth has been pretty much taken over by covenant.
3. New weapons.
4. The chief probably has new Mark VII armour.
5. Cortana is still trapped by Gravemind.
(I can't believe I still remember these names!)

I am disappointed to see something like an assault rifle in the trailer. It makes the game seem old, and I have grown to like the new SMGs. However, it may be that the chief is on his own, and has to make do with and old MA5B (?)

[G99]

Tch, the world knows that Halo 2 was half or whatever it was supposed to be. but that doesn't matter, we don't say "there there Bungie, it's ok" because we're going to have to drop another £50 for the next game.
I've never liked the rambo style myself too. It's down right silly. Half Life is getting away with it so far because of this G-Man guy pretty much controlling everything in the game. So they've sorta fixed the rambo thing. unless MC has powers too, like he's god or something. Much prefer the Japanese way of working as a team to save the day, though they're usually a little more fantasy based. But still my preference nontheless.

I do wonder what the story will be though. I mean, if Earth is past the point of no return then why not just blow the whole thing up?
Maybe the story will surprise me. But I won't buy it on launch day. I need to hear if this game is good or bad first. I will NOT buy another Halo 2.

They won't blow it up 'cos the Ark is on Earth.

[XNine]

They won't blow it up 'cos the Ark is on Earth.

I don't know. The game better be longer than Halo 2 and have fresh scenery EVERYWHERE. I realize that when you enter an area, like an enemy base, that things, architecture specifically, is going to be the same throughout, but that doesn't mean you can't make other areas different looking while looking the same.

This is supposed to be a next Gen Game... It damn well better be one.

[Dagless]

They won't blow it up 'cos the Ark is on Earth.

Well my point was they could just destroy an already inhospitable Earth and wipe out the Covenant AND the Arc at the same time.
I dunno, if the future has all these space ships and stuff why don't they just go live on another planet? The remaining humans like, if there are any.
I hope it's more than "aw but it's Earth! you can't blow up EARTH."

[G99]

Well my point was they could just destroy an already inhospitable Earth and wipe out the Covenant AND the Arc at the same time.
I dunno, if the future has all these space ships and stuff why don't they just go live on another planet? The remaining humans like, if there are any.
I hope it's more than "aw but it's Earth! you can't blow up EARTH."
I don't know... I don't know the plot that well. Probably some rubbish about Earth being our main base.