My Halo News.com

The latest news about the Halo series of games from Microsoft

  • Shadowrun news site on thx.com

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    rapture

    Shadowrun website

    The Hushed Casket is hosting a Shadowrun blog and news site at http://shadowrun.hushedcasket.com. The site is full of the latest Shadowrun information with reports as they are released or, well, invited by the writers. Since the site is powered by beta testers, it should have in depth coverage of the game. Thanks to EnragedGnome for helping out.

    view Shadowrun – the blog
    RSS feed for Shadowrun – the blog
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  • Grand Theft Auto IV trailer

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    rapture

    GTA IV

    XBOX.com has the first trailer for GTAIV. XBOX.com also listed the release date at October 16, 2007 on the GTAIV game page. (download .zip archive of trailer from xbox.com)

    I have to say that the in-game graphics looks very good, especially for there to be so many moving avatars and characters on screen. I’ll give this game a close look once the release date nears.
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  • I LIKED Chiron.

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Wow, cool. Bungie’s posted a new Letters to the Webmaster! (Last batch went up in January 2006 – been a while.) I’d say the Webmaster’s been drinking – but that would be uselessly obvious information. Thanks, Brodingo.(Louis Wu 22:35:39 UTC)

  • Letters to the Webmaster

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    Bungie.net’s Recent News
    The Webmaster is back. Fat lot of good that’s going to do you. Misplaced letters answered by a drunken monkey.

  • The Halo Effect

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Over at GameSetWatch, you’ll find a short review of a new Halo book called ‘The Halo Effect’ – it was posted last week, but I’ve held off mentioning it because I wanted to post my OWN review. (The book includes significant amounts of work from two of the three Halo Story Page editors – Finn did quite a bit of editing, and provided the appendix, and Jillybean wrote an article about the mythos of Halo.) All in all, it’s an impressive collection of essays – and as I said, I’ll have a more complete review soon, but in the meantime, check out GameSetWatch! Thanks to Simon Carless for reminding me I hadn’t mentioned this yet.(Louis Wu 17:00:50 UTC)

  • MMaster Talks MMachinima with GGTV

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Over at GamingTV, you’ll find an interview with machinima creator MMaster, conducted by GTV moderator Soupa. Check it out!(Louis Wu 16:55:23 UTC)

  • What Not To Do In Halo 2

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    halo@bungie.org
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    Black Aye pointed out a new film by a new machinima clan, Mystik Films. Go see what they’re up to.(Louis Wu 15:26:32 UTC)

  • MARVELous

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Sane Intolerant let us know about a new Halo Toy Box episode – given that Marvel’s going to be doing an episodic Halo comic soon, he thought it might be good for Halo denizens to meet their new neighbors.(Louis Wu 14:51:11 UTC)

  • Custom Halo Themes on your 360

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Hellhawk created a custom Halo-flavored Xbox 360 Theme – check it out in this post! (The most interesting part, for me, is the ease with which one of these can be created…)(Louis Wu 14:49:28 UTC)

  • Shane Kim looks down the road

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    There’s an interview with Shane Kim over at Gamasutra; they asked him about projects Bungie might be working on outside Halo 3, and he mentioned the upcoming episodic content announced at X06 last fall:

    I know that we are working with Peter Jackson on the next installment in the Halo series and that we’ve had that planning going on, and when one production team is finished with Halo 3, they need to be ready to move on to the next thing. That’s really how you manage the life cycle of a studio.

    He’s not really saying very much – but it’s nice to know this work is still ongoing. (We haven’t heard anything official since that first announcement.)(Louis Wu 16:30:15 UTC)

  • The Forthcoming World of Halo

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    ActionTrip wrote up a piece looking at the upcoming roadmap for the Halo franchise in the near future (Halo 2 Vista, Halo 3, and Halo Wars). There are a few questionable facts inside (there’s a discussion of DX10 enhancements for Halo 2 Vista, for example; I was pretty sure there WERE no DX10-specific features included in the game), but in general, it’s a nice summary. Thanks, Ure Paul.(Louis Wu 14:58:00 UTC)

  • Bring Me The Head Of Content Management.

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Stuntmutt fills in the missing pieces of the Next Generation interview we mentioned – check today’s One One Se7en for details.(Louis Wu 14:18:03 UTC)

  • They are keeping their heads

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Next Generation sat down with Frank O’Connor to talk about the Halo 3 development process. It’s an interesting read – even if it doesn’t answer some of the loudest questions people are asking (“when is the beta coming out?”, for example). Bungie learned a lot from Halo 2 – looks like they’re actually USING that information for Halo 3. Nice! Thanks, 3Suns.(Louis Wu 13:08:57 UTC)

  • FS2H Weekly Update 2.0

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Devrous is back with another FS2H update – FS2H, you might remember, is his Halo mod for Freespace 2. This one lays out his vision for the project, and introduces a number of flight craft that will be available. Some are familiar… some are not. Check it out!(Louis Wu 12:27:53 UTC)

  • The Ultimate Halo Showdown

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    halo@bungie.org
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    Glasser stopped by to mention a vid he’d made – he set ‘The Ultimate Showdown’ (a song created for a popular Newgrounds Flash) to Halo action. Interesting cuts; all footage comes from cutscenes, but the sync with the song is quite good. The vid is available at YouTube.(Louis Wu 12:23:58 UTC)

  • Good Guys and Guns

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Narcogen has put up the second of his three-part series comparing Gears of War to Halo – this one focuses on friendly AI and weapons. It’s more a summary of Gears of War than a comparison, actually – but read it so that you’re ready for part 3.(Louis Wu 12:16:14 UTC)

  • XBOX 360 Elite confirmed at XBOX.com

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    rapture

    XBOX 360 Elite

    XBOX.com now has a page for the XBOX 360 Elite. Video of the Elite in action was released last night at on10.net. From the press release at XBOX.com.

    MICROSOFT PRESS RELEASE

    Redmond, Washington—Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360™ Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that includes a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller, and Xbox Live® headset.

    Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox Live Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience.

    Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit, and the Xbox 360 Rechargeable Battery Pack, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.

    “Today’s games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Xbox 360 Elite’s larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer.”

    Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price of $479.99 (U.S.), and comes packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience:

    * Xbox 360 Elite console: The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.
    * Xbox 360 120GB hard drive: The 120GB detachable hard drive lets you save your games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos, and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.).
    * Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black): This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).
    * Xbox 360 headset (black): Now available in black, the headset lets you strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox Live.
    * Xbox 360 HDMI cable: New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows you to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.
    * Xbox Live Silver Membership: With this, you can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox Live Marketplace content such as gme demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox Live Arcade.
    * One-month subscription to Xbox Live Gold: An Xbox Live Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Subscribe to this premium service and engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor your matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox Live Marketplace and Xbox Live Arcade.

    The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:

    * Xbox 360 Play & Charge Kit: Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit lets you recharge your Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting your game.it is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.).
    * Xbox 360 rechargeable battery pack (black): The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.).
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    rapzilla

  • The Xbox 360 Elite Is Official.

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    JVB

    For weeks now, we have seen the rumors about an updated Xbox 360, that would provide gamers the much coveted HDMI connection, and a 120 gig hard drive. Microsoft has finally made it official, that the pretty Black edition, known as the Elite, is truly a reality.

    Microsoft Corp. today announced the upcoming availability of Xbox 360™ Elite, a new model of the video game and entertainment system that will include a 120GB hard drive, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) port, a high-definition cable, and a premium black finish for the console, wireless controller and Xbox LIVE® headset. Xbox 360 Elite has enough space for a library of Xbox LIVE Arcade games and thousands of songs, as well as downloadable high-definition TV shows and movies available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The new 120GB hard drive also will be sold as a stand-alone accessory to give current Xbox 360 owners greater choice and flexibility in their games and entertainment experience. Additional Xbox 360 Elite accessories, such as the black Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit and the Xbox 360 rechargeable battery, will be available separately. The Xbox 360 Elite and its accessories are expected to begin arriving in U.S. stores on April 29.

    “Today’s games and entertainment enthusiast has an insatiable appetite for digital high-definition content,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “Xbox 360 Elite’s larger hard drive and premium accessories will allow our community to enjoy all that the next generation of entertainment has to offer.”

    Distinguished by its black finish and signature metallic detailing, Xbox 360 Elite will have an estimated retail price1 of $479.99 (U.S.) and will come packed with components and accessories for the ultimate high-definition entertainment experience:2

    · Xbox 360 Elite console. The console is equipped with a premium black finish and three powerful core processors capable of producing the best in HD entertainment (up to 1080p), 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio, anti-aliasing for smooth textures, full surround sound, HDMI output and DVD playback with upscaling capabilities right out of the box.

    · Xbox 360 120GB hard drive. The 120GB detachable hard drive allows gamers to save their games and store television shows, movies, music, pictures, trailers, levels, demos and other content available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.3 The hard drive is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $179.99 (U.S.).

    · Xbox 360 Wireless Controller (black). This award-winning, high-performance wireless controller, now in black, features the Xbox® Guide Button for quick, in-game access to friends and music. It has a range of up to 30 feet and a battery life of 30 hours on two AA batteries. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $49.99 (U.S.).

    · Xbox 360 headset (black). Now available in black, the headset lets gamers strategize or trade taunts while playing games and send voice messages to friends on Xbox LIVE.

    · Xbox 360 HDMI cable. New to Xbox 360, HDMI allows consumers to get HD video (up to 1080p) and multichannel surround sound, all from one cable.

    · Xbox LIVE Silver Membership. With this, gamers can chat with friends online, collect achievements and gamerscores, send and receive voice and text messages, and access Xbox LIVE Marketplace content such as game demos, HD movies and TV, as well as the best in downloadable games from Xbox LIVE Arcade.

    · One-month subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold. An Xbox LIVE Gold Membership provides a complete online entertainment experience. Those who subscribe to this premium service can engage in competitive online multiplayer matches, tailor their matchmaking via feedback and accomplishments, chat with more than one person at a time, and take advantage of unique privileges in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and Xbox LIVE Arcade.

    The following accessories for the Xbox 360 Elite console will only be sold separately:

    · Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit. Complete with a charging cable and a black rechargeable battery pack, the Xbox 360 Play & Charge kit allows gamers to recharge their Xbox 360 Wireless Controller without interrupting their gameplay. it is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $19.99 (U.S.).

    · Xbox 360 rechargeable battery (black). The rechargeable battery pack provides more than 25 hours of gameplay per charge. It is sold separately for an estimated retail price of $11.99 (U.S.).

  • Gears of Halo, Part Two

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    narcogen

    The first time around, I talked a bit about Gears’ level structure, its cinematics, and main characters. Now a bit more about some of its unique strengths and weaknesses, compared to Halo, including NPCs and weapons.

    Click “read more” from the front page for the entire text.

    read more

  • Major Microsoft news Tues and Wed night

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    rapture

    Microsoft will make two major announcements tonight (Tuesday) and Wednesday night at 11PM CST. These announcements are supposed to be the biggest announcements since CES. The announcements will be in the form of video at on10.net a Microsoft nerdie hangout.

    The announcements may or may not be related to gaming or the XBOX platform. However, XBOX Live was down for maintenance today. Was the maintenance related to one or both of these announcements?

    Is the HALO 3 beta related to the XBOX Live maintenance and/or these announcements?

    For the record, I think we’ll be getting HALO 3 beta news on April 1 which is when Bungie does something with their “Pimps at Sea” title. “Pimps at Sea alpha” is the code name for the HALO 3 alpha build on XBOX Live.

    Details from on10:

    “Two of the coolest Microsoft annoucements since CES are going to be breaking tonight and tomorrow night, and we have exclusive video for both of them. So if you are online at 9:00PM PST tonight (midnight on the east coast) check in to get a full scoop on what your friends will be talking about tomorrow.

    And the same goes for tomorrow night, stop by at 9PM PST to see the first official look at a very cool announcement. Feel free to leave your best guesses in the comments, but fair warning; we’ve hidden Tina’s keyboard so she can’t spill any secrets. ;)”
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    rapzilla