My Halo News.com

The latest news about the Halo series of games from Microsoft

  • They are keeping their heads

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    by

    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
    in
    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.).
    __________________________
    rapzilla

  • The Xbox 360 Elite Is Official.

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    by

    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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    by

    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. ;)”
    __________________________
    rapzilla

  • Video Games Live: CT

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    Bungie.net’s Recent News
    The Video Games Live concert series’ next stop is Yale University in New Haven, CT, this Saturday, March 31st, at 8PM. These events feature music from a number of classic video game soundtracks for attendees to rock out to, including a medley of songs from the Halo series. Scores are performed by a full orchestra and choir, accentuated by special videos and synthesized segments.

  • The Godtacular Bible study gets coverage on Kotaku and Gamerscore Blog

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    foomojive

    Looks like the concept of a Bible study in a Halo 2 lobby is stirring up a lot of conversation around the gaming community. ChuckieJ‘s Godtacular Bible study is being covered by our friends at Kotaku and Gamerscore Blog. Lots of interesting discussion in the comments there. Thanks guys!

  • A Long Time Ago…

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Paul Maestri let us know that Halo Heads 56 was up – the things that can go wrong when you’re on the bleeding edge…(Louis Wu 20:42:34 UTC)

  • Send in stuff for episode 107: Customs and Callins!

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    by

    foomojive

    Aw yeah, posse’s in effect and it’s time to bust a rhyme and step up to customs and callins. Word. No really, word.

    Here’s what we’re looking for this episode, yo:

    1. Your favorite customs! we’ll read off the top few
    2. Halo jokes! Such as yo momma, funny gamertags, you know you play too much halo when, etc.
    3. Callins! We’ll be playing back our listener voice mails for the month, so now’s your chance to leave a halo-related message and get it played: call 206-888-HALO. DO IT NOW!
    4. Tales from the foxhole! Cool stories from Halo or other cool games.

    Head on over to submit news and tips on the right side of the page and send in your stuff for this show along with your gamertag so we can give you a shoutout. Deadline is Thursday night and the earlier you get it in, the more likely you gonna be chillin’ with my homies on the podcast. So bounce!

  • Xbox Live Offline, March 27th

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    Bungie.net’s Recent News
    Xbox Live is offline today for scheduled maintenance and should be back online some time after 2pm PST, barring any unforseen hiccups. This will affect your ability to see Halo 2 stats and may affect other areas of the site today.

  • TTL Talk

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Tuesday – hey, it’s Tied the Leader Update Day! XerxdeeJ came by to point out the new content put up since our last mention. There’s a 22 Questions interview with JVB. There’s a bizarre Halo-laced travelogue that will make you wonder for XerxdeeJ’s sanity – or maybe glow with the warmth of reflected kinship. And there’s a Community Profile of Games in Action, another Bungie-facilitated grouping. Get to reading – and be sure to let them know what you think!(Louis Wu 15:08:08 UTC)

  • That extra code…

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Okay, I figured that the little bits of text visible in the recent Warthog QuickTime VR were obvious enough that they didn’t need a news post – after all, they were pointed out in the same forum post that announced the article in the first place (and quickly corrected with an accurate transcription). However, There are at least three separate threads now about this code – so in the interests of consolidation, here’s what we’ve got: the code reads, in its entirety:

    X.XX.713 > ghost.713/non-auth/activity ongoing

    And Beorn did a nice job of putting together a composite image of all the individual frames of the movie. So that’s what we know – if you’d like to speculate about what it means, feel free, but please, don’t start a new thread asking if anyone knows what it says.(Louis Wu 14:57:10 UTC)

  • Promiscuous Girl

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Turtle Mann dropped into our forum to point out a music video he’d made, setting Nelly Furtado’s ‘Promiscuous Girl’ to Halo action. Nice editing, heavy use of filters and effects – take a look! 66 mb in QuickTime format, 60 mb in WMP9 format.(Louis Wu 10:22:01 UTC)

  • X-Plane – now with more Phantom

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Mid7night stopped by again last night to drop off pictures of a Phantom, his latest Halo-into-X-Plane vehicle. A little dark – but pretty cool!(Louis Wu 10:05:11 UTC)

  • One word: hand. brake.

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    by

    halo@bungie.org
    in
    There’s a cool new Top Story over at Bungie.net – the Warthog is taken apart for your viewing pleasure. There’s a cool QuickTime VR file – and a TON of stats. (Who knew that puppy could hit 125 mph, and run almost 500 miles without a fuel resupply?) Thakns to Pkmnrulz240, who noticed it first.(Louis Wu 00:51:11 UTC)

  • The Warthog

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    Bungie.net’s Recent News
    This week, we take a look at what’s probably the all time favorite vehicle in the enitre Halo universe. It’s the Warthog.

  • Strongside discusses his new digs

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    halo@bungie.org
    in
    Strongside has become the newest member of Final Boss, one of the top Halo pro teams – if you swing by MLGPro.com, you can listen to an audio interview with him. Check it out! Thanks, Tyger.(Louis Wu 23:52:07 UTC)