Okay, now that I’ve gone through all 800+ new posts from the past 12 hours, I can start pulling out the new stuff. The majority of what’s there is speculation about the trailer; I’ll probably put up a summary of noticed things soon, just to keep people from repeating the same points over and over and over again. There were a few things worth noting by themselves, though – first up, Geoff Chang synched the commercial to Harry Gregson-William’s Kingdom of Heaven Sountrack. I have to say, it works rather well. Give it a watch!(Louis Wu 14:34:18 UTC)
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EU beta opportunities – lots of ’em
Thanks to broony, who noticed, over at IGN UK, a full list of EU sites offering beta seats – there are 34 on the list, corresponding to 3400 beta testers in the EU – a far more reasonable number than the paltry 15 for NZ/AU mentioned yesterday. (I’m SURE there’ll be more listed for those countries soon.)(Louis Wu 13:04:33 UTC)
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HD QT, finally
Simply because it’s not out there, I whipped up a 720p QuickTime version of the commercial, one that doesn’t require a machine that can process the H.264 codec. It weighs in at 35 mb (I probably could have shaved a few megs without any loss, but that’s not huge anyway), and it started life as the second HD version of the commercial, released by TeamXbox. (It still has their watermark on the bottom.) I know there are a few people out there that have trouble with WMP9 files – there’s no reason you should be shut out of the HD goodness.(Louis Wu 12:47:28 UTC)
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Beta slots for UK residents
Ross Mills pointed out 6 separate places in the UK where folks on that side of the pond can try for a beta slot – each site has 100 seats to give away. Go get ’em! (I like BritXbox’s contest. 🙂 )(Louis Wu 12:21:40 UTC)
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OMG A TRAILER
Okay, so I knew that if I stuck around last night, and tried to keep up with the news about the Halo 3 commercial that aired on Monday Night Football, I’d NEVER get to bed… so I skipped it all. This means two things: it means HBO’s currently about 8 hours behind the curve, news-wise… and it means that this news post is going to be mega-complete with current information about that commercial, because I can collate everything at once into a single post. I think we’ll go with bullet points:- TeamXbox is hosting both HD and SD versions of the trailer, direct from MarketPlace – the HD version is GORGEOUS, and 31 mb.
- Totally360.com has digital versions of some of the concept art that came out in EGM and LEVEL last month (not trailer-related, but new), along with stills from the trailer – the most recent 14 pictures on this page cover both subjects – along with a contest to give away 100 Halo 3 beta tester slots they’ve secured. (They will not be the last website to have a deal like this – but they’re certainly the first I’ve heard of.)
- Halo Base, in Germany, is streaming a copy of the trailer (thanks, Legend). (Actually, they have a link to the Xbox.com German site that actually hosts the file.)
- The American Xbox.com site is hosting a streaming version, as well – 320×180, so it’s good for low-bandwidth folk. (Thanks to many – looks like n3mo was fastest.)
- Mitsur found an HD version (1280×720, WMP9 format) at GameTrailers. There’s a link on that page that will allow you to download a 25 mb HD QuickTime version, as well (852×480).
- trigger119 is mirroring the TXB version of the HD trailer (720p, 33 mb, WMP9 format), as well as a self-encoded QuickTime .mp4 (720p, 31 mb).
- THE bean noticed that Bungie has edited their Halo 3 Ad story so that the screenshot now links to the Xbox.com streaming version of the trailer. (They didn’t delete the high-res version of the screenshot it USED to link to – just swapped the link.)
- Spec_Ops_Assault saw that the Canadian Xbox.com site is hosting 5 stills from the trailer, for folks who can’t download the whole thing.
- Halo: Portable created mobile versions for your handheld viewing pleasure – do them a favor and use the Rampancy.net links for download, instead of the local ones; they’re worried about bandwidth.
- IGN is hosting low-res downloadable versions for everone, and high-res downloadables for Insiders – thanks, Edwin Durning.
- Cumbo Benjamin Franklin found a really low-res (and really low-bandwidth) version at Google Video.
Our forum has been OVERRUN with content – I’ll be sorting through the info as I go, but if you’re interested in discussion of the trailer content, this is a place to do it. Upon quick scan of the new topics, I saw this thread – apparently, Frankie showed up in irc last night, and answered some questions – there’s some solid stuff in there that should stop the worst of the BAD speculation (like ‘OMG THERE ARE NEW ALIENS AT THE END OF THE TRAILER’ – they’re brutes) – thanks to Konrad for transcribing. That should keep you busy for a while… I’ll be back with more later this morning.(Louis Wu 11:16:46 UTC)
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Halo 3 CG TV Commercial Commentary
Although it is only sixty seconds in length, there’s actually quite a bit of content to pore over in the CG animated Halo 3 TV commercial. It starts slow, moves quickly, and ends suddenly, so pay attention.
There’s also a transcript of the events in the advertisement pointing out various items, but without any commentary on what they might mean.
Click “read more” from the front page for the entire text.
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Halo 3 CG TV Commercial Commentary
Although it is only sixty seconds in length, there’s actually quite a bit of content to pore over in the CG animated Halo 3 TV commercial. It starts slow, moves quickly, and ends suddenly, so pay attention.
Click “read more” from the front page for the entire text.
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Do You Think We Will Meet Them?
The fan community switched into high gear this evening as the Halo 3 CG TV Commercial aired, and digitized versions began popping up immediately.
One of the first is a very small, relatively low quality WMV version kindly provided by HYB.
Next, Xbox.com had its own streamed version, but as it doesn’t play on Macs I couldn’t really check it out. The last version of WMP on the Mac won’t play it, the WMV player plugin for QuickTime won’t play it. VLC played it, but only the audio, and MPlayer didn’t even manage that.
Retsamolah put up a high quality QuickTime version at Moosiah Films, while Plasmafire put up a large MPEG.
Lord Gideon provided a higher quality WMV version as well, clocking in at a tad under 10Mb on the PraetoriaGuard site.
Funkmon linked to a version preconverted for use on portable devices at HaloPortable.com.
Mirrored here at Rampancy:
- QuickTime by Retsamolah
- WMV version by HYB
- iPod version by Funkmon
- Zune version by Funkmon
- PSP version by Funkmon
Moosiah Films also has a page with a list of mirrors including other versions as well.
TeamXbox has a Halo 3 Commercial Page that links to 640 x 360 standard definition and 1280 x 720 high definition versions, both WMV.
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Do You Think We Will Meet Them?
The fan community switched into high gear this evening as the Halo 3 CG TV Commercial aired, and digitized versions began popping up immediately.
One of the first is a very small, relatively low quality WMV version kindly provided by HYB.
Next, Xbox.com had its own streamed version, but as it doesn’t play on Macs I couldn’t really check it out. The last version of WMP on the Mac won’t play it, the WMV player plugin for QuickTime won’t play it. VLC played it, but only the audio, and MPlayer didn’t even manage that.
Retsamolah put up a high quality QuickTime version at Moosiah Films, while Plasmafire put up a large MPEG.
Mirrored here at Rampancy:
- QuickTime by Retsamolah
- WMV version by HYB
Moosiah Films also has a page with a list of mirrors including other versions as well.
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Halo 3 TV Spot
59 seconds
From ESPN
This needs no introduction. The Halo 3 ad from Monday Night Football, December 4th, 2006.Local links
PSP – 4MB
Zune – 5.1MB
iPod – 6MB
Rampancy.net – Choose these please.
PSP – 4MB
Zune – 5.1MB
iPod – 6MB
Want different sizes? Here’s the mirror page at Rampancy.net
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Halo3.com – for everyone.
There’s a short note up at Bungie.net about the beta signups; it says that from here on in, you should use ONLY the halo3.com URL to register. Don’t fret if you used a direct link earlier today; those should be fine. However, now that the front page is working for everyone (except, apparently, Safari users – if you’re on a Mac, use Firefox), you need to go that route.(Louis Wu 00:59:33 UTC)
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Halo 3 Beta Signup Live… Kinda
Okay, so right now, if you’re a US or Canadian resident with an XBL account linked to a Passport account and you use Internet Explorer 6 on Windows (or can create a configuration that mimics the above) you can access www.halo3.com and begin the signup process for the beta.
Along the way, you’ll be told that you have to be 18, you have to be a US resident, and if selected you have to have an Xbox Live Gold account and an Xbox 360 with the hard drive.
With all that in place, you may get as far as entering the year of your birth before you get a page that is blank except for a footer. Some users report having reached a final registration page with personal information (name, address) but at the moment, it seems tough to get to.
Some forums and news stories are reporting direct links to the registration page, but KP at Bungie.net warns that you should only access the site through the www.halo3.com domain if you want to be sure your registration goes through.
What I find most interesting about the requirements is the hard drive. Microsoft’s strategy with the two-SKU system on the 360 seemed to be that not everybody needed the hard drive, so developers could not count on it. Halo 1 and 2, emulated on the Xbox, require the hard drive because the original games, on the Xbox, were designed with it in mind. Besides, backwards compatibility on the 360 also requires the hard drive.
Is the hard drive requirement here something special, as part of the beta? Or is it a hint that Halo 3 will require the premium Xbox 360 SKU, and that Core owners will have to upgrade to play?
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Halo 3 Beta Signup Live… Kinda
Okay, so right now, if you’re a US resident with an XBL account linked to a Passport account and you use Internet Explorer 6 on Windows (or can create a configuration that mimics the above) you can access www.halo3.com and begin the signup process for the beta.
Along the way, you’ll be told that you have to be 18, you have to be a US resident, and if selected you have to have an Xbox Live Gold account and an Xbox 360 with the hard drive.
With all that in place, you may get as far as entering the year of your birth before you get a page that is blank except for a footer. Some users report having reached a final registration page with personal information (name, address) but at the moment, it seems tough to get to.
Some forums and news stories are reporting direct links to the registration page, but KP at Bungie.net warns that you should only access the site through the www.halo3.com domain if you want to be sure your registration goes through.
What I find most interesting about the requirements is the hard drive. Microsoft’s strategy with the two-SKU system on the 360 seemed to be that not everybody needed the hard drive, so developers could not count on it. Halo 1 and 2, emulated on the Xbox, require the hard drive because the original games, on the Xbox, were designed with it in mind. Besides, backwards compatibility on the 360 also requires the hard drive.
Is the hard drive requirement here something special, as part of the beta? Or is it a hint that Halo 3 will require the premium Xbox 360 SKU, and that Core owners will have to upgrade to play?
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Halo 3 Beta Shenaniganry
There’s been a lot of rampant speculation going on today regarding the Halo 3 Beta and the sign-up page for it. Going through the now live Halo3.com is the only way in which you are guaranteed to have actually registered. Do not trust direct links to the sign-up form, only access it through Halo3.com.
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Halo 3 TV Ad
Don’t forget that the Halo 3 ad will debut tonight during Monday Night Football on ESPN. It will air between 5:50 and 6:20 PST and will run only once. After that, it will be released on XBL Marketplace.
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Halo 3 TV Ad
Don’t forget that the Halo 3 ad will debut tonight during Monday Night Football on ESPN. It will air between 5:50 and 6:20 PST and will run only once. After that, it will be released on XBL Marketplace.
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MLG Pro Circuit Week 4 – Online Now
If you missed episode 4 of the MLG Pro Circuit last Saturday at 10 am, you can watch it in its entirety over at MLGPro.com right now. Week 4 covers the Chicago tourney. Thanks, 3Suns.(Louis Wu 22:31:31 UTC)
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WSVG on CBS
Usul found an interesting New York Times article about an upcoming network TV show covering video games; we already have USA Networks’ MLG Pro Circuit, but this is on CBS Sports Spectacular on December 30 – that’s a pretty big audience! If you have trouble getting in to read it, bugmenot.com can help.(Louis Wu 22:01:56 UTC)
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ESPN Halo Ad
Bah – this was posted yesterday, and I forgot to front-page it. S043 noticed that at ESPN.com, they were running a banner ad for the upcoming commercial this evening; it was in heavy rotation yesterday, but doesn’t seem to be quite as prevalent today. In any case, there’s a local version in his forum post, if you’d like to see it. The thread that goes with it has some speculation about what you’re looking at.(Louis Wu 21:45:12 UTC)
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A word of clarification
From the wording of some of the posts on our forum, I’m getting the impression that people think that filling out the registration at halo3.com gives them a spot in the beta test. Filling out the registration at Halo3.com puts you into the pool of participants from which Microsoft will choose beta testers. You are guaranteed NOTHING. I’m pretty sure, though, that if you’re not in the US or Canada, your application will be tossed… and for all the folks looking for ways around the age restriction, my guess is, there’ll be some testing for that, as well, down the road. Nobody has ever said this was first-come, first-serve, so if you don’t get in today, don’t panic. You can try again tomorrow. But you STILL won’t get anything except a SHOT at the beta. As soon as we know something about signups in Europe, we’ll post it.(Louis Wu 21:26:48 UTC)
