Bungie adding series-first online ability next week; service lets players enlist help of random strangers in the fight against Covenant; MLG, Grifball playlists coming by the holidays.
The Halo series has had cooperative campaign play from the start, but it's only allowed gamers to play with friends (either offline or online). That's going to change later this month.
Bungie announced in its latest Bungie Weekly Update that a campaign matchmaking playlist--a series first--will be added to Halo: Reach on October 19 (pending final testing and review). That falls in line with what the developer announced last week when it said the online ability would be added on Oct. 12 or Oct. 19.
Halo: Reach's online capabilities grow next week.
Campaign matchmaking will afford players the luxury of being able to play through the campaign with Xbox Live users who aren't on their friends lists.
Bungie also dished details on standard matchmaking in this week's update. The developer said it plans to add MLG (Major League Gaming) and Grifball playlists in the coming months. Bungie doesn't foresee these playlists arriving by November, but said they will likely be added to the mix in time for the holidays.
Showing posts with label latest updates on halo reach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label latest updates on halo reach. Show all posts
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Halo: Reach Tops 3 Million in Sales
According to the latest data provided by market research group NPD, sales for Halo: Reach it its launch month hit 3.3 million copies sold in the United States.
Halo: Reach was first released on September 14 in North America. The game generated over $200 million in sales in the U.S. and Europe combined in the first two days of release alone.
It's just the third game this generation to sell over three million copies in its launch month. Halo 3 was the first title to do so back in 2007. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was second in 2009.
Bungie announced this morning the Noble Map Pack, which includes three new multiplayer maps, Anchor 9, Tempest, and Breakpoint. The pack is set for release on November 30 for 800 Microsoft points.
Microsoft also said pre-orders for its Kinect motion camera coming November 4 are "selling out" at retailers nationwide. The company did not provide specific pre-order numbers.
Halo: Reach was first released on September 14 in North America. The game generated over $200 million in sales in the U.S. and Europe combined in the first two days of release alone.
It's just the third game this generation to sell over three million copies in its launch month. Halo 3 was the first title to do so back in 2007. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was second in 2009.
Bungie announced this morning the Noble Map Pack, which includes three new multiplayer maps, Anchor 9, Tempest, and Breakpoint. The pack is set for release on November 30 for 800 Microsoft points.
Microsoft also said pre-orders for its Kinect motion camera coming November 4 are "selling out" at retailers nationwide. The company did not provide specific pre-order numbers.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Halo Reach's Next Weekly Challenge
Continuing a trend that started last week for the weekly challenge in Halo Reach, Bungie has put forth another co-op friendly way of increasing your credits this time in the game's Firefight mode.
To earn yourself a cool 3000 credits all you need to do is complete 50 rounds of Firefight in matchmaking. Remember that each Firefight match in matchmaking is potentially 5 rounds, so completing this only requires 10 separate matches. After testing it looks like each MATCH is one ROUND. So that's potentially a LOT of Firefight. As always if you don't feel like taking your chances with the general Halo public you can give the Co-Optimus forums a try to find your Halo soulmate.
To earn yourself a cool 3000 credits all you need to do is complete 50 rounds of Firefight in matchmaking. Remember that each Firefight match in matchmaking is potentially 5 rounds, so completing this only requires 10 separate matches. After testing it looks like each MATCH is one ROUND. So that's potentially a LOT of Firefight. As always if you don't feel like taking your chances with the general Halo public you can give the Co-Optimus forums a try to find your Halo soulmate.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Halo: Reach Makes You A Better Employee, A Better Person
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| This Guy Has Taken Halo Reach Too Seriously! |
September 15, 2010, 07:40 AM — Today's post is for all the Xbox gamers out there. How are you feeling this morning? A little blurry-eyed? Did that alarm seem to go off an hour too soon? Are you regretting staying up for one last match (several times in a row)? Yeah, a new Halo game will do that to you.
Yesterday's release of Halo: Reach was something of a momentous occasion. After all, it's the last (well, for now; these decisions have a way of reversing themselves) Halo game from Bungie. Plus it felt like the start of the holiday gaming season for this year. And running up to the release we all read the early reviews, most of which were quite favorable (and rightly so, in my opinion). The die-hard fans hit a Midnight Launch party Monday night, of course (by the time I woke up Tuesday morning I saw at least one person claiming to have finished the campaign already) but most of us had to wait until we got home from work yesterday to immerse ourselves into the Halo universe once again.
So we stayed up much too late, and some of us might be feeling a little guilty about that. But don't! You weren't up late playing a video game. No sir! You were up honing your decision making skills. Trust me on this, it's a scientific fact! A post over at Gamasutra yesterday detailed a study that demonstrated that people who played a first person shooter completed tasks more quickly, and just as accurately, as a control group who played some boring Sims 2 game. So if the boss comments on your haggard look this morning, just tell him you were training to be a better employee.
And tonight, remember that science is on your side. You owe it to your employer, to your friends and family, and to yourself, to play more Halo: Reach. You never know when that extra speed in coming to a decision will mean the difference between life and death! Or at least help snag a big sales contract or troubleshoot a systems problem more quickly. Heck, all things considered, it'd be irresponsible for you not to play tonight!
And if you're thinking this blog post seems pretty light on content, and that maybe this blogger was also up too late playing, well, guilty as charged. The adventures of Noble Team and number 6 had me glued to the Xbox. So I want to leave you with something a bit meatier to sink your teeth into over your morning coffee. Let's head back to Gamasutra again for a great piece on the Halo: Reach launch event that was held Monday night in New York City. It's a nice 'feel good' piece for fans of Halo. Enjoy!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Halo: Reach Review
| Halo Reach Launches In 1 Day At The Stroke Of Midnight |
Halo means so much to so many people. This is not extraordinary in the culture of video games. What's exceptional is how many different things it means to those players. For me Halo has always been a social experience, with lifelong friendships forged over a shared love of the game. Some hop online to randomly test their merit in competitive matches. Others find themselves lost in the fiction, playing through the campaign alone and then poring over the extended story in books and anime. Still others look to Halo for a creative outlet as level forgers or machinima producers. This range in how we play Halo is a testament to how feature-rich development studio Bungie has made the franchise, and Halo: Reach is the ultimate punctuation on a decade's work.
This is the end of the Halo road for Bungie -- the group is set to move on to a new original game next while Microsoft takes over responsibility for the franchise's future -- and that sense of this being a finale is in Halo: Reach. It shows clear reference to past games, refines well-established game mechanics, adds a few exciting twists, and polishes the rest to a glossy finish. The result is one of the most complete, fully-featured packages you'll find in gaming.
Little here will surprise the hardcore Halo fan, especially if they were among the millions that took part in the multiplayer beta earlier this year. The approach to making a first-person shooter remains the same as it has in the past for Halo. There's a co-op friendly campaign filled with the dreaded Covenant aliens, sparkling online competitive multiplayer, the four-player Firefight mode, and lots of flexibility to allow everyone to tweak settings to their liking. If you've played a Halo game in the past, you'll feel instantly at home.
That's not to say this is just another rehash. There's plenty of new and exciting content in Halo: Reach and it begins with the main character. Master Chief is out. This time you'll step into the shoes of Noble 6, a nameless hero for players to project themselves onto. Noble 6 doesn't even have a defined gender. Thanks to a deep new customization system, you're free to fit Noble 6's look to your personality.
A dark tale of destruction awaits you.
Noble 6's tale begins with an introduction to Planet Reach. This colony is the center of humanity's military might, and home to the Spartan program that produced Master Chief himself. The events of Halo: Reach take place as a prequel to the main Halo trilogy and -- though they take small liberties with the established fiction -- help to tell the story of the events that lead up to events of Halos 1 through 3. The war with the Covenant is already raging, and things don't look good for us humans.
Noble 6 is the rookie member of Noble Team, a squad of Spartans stationed on Reach. You'll get to know each of the other team members through the course of Halo: Reach as you work with them to complete various missions, but the action always follows Noble 6's adventure.
The whole shebang will last you about nine or ten hours on your first play through on the Heroic difficulty (less if you're real good and more if you aren't). During that time you'll find a lot of tried and true mainstays of the Halo formula. That means plenty of big battlefields, crazy vehicles, lots of aliens to fight, and tons of weapons to help make the Covenant pay. Though past Halo games were filled with repetitive landscapes and circuitous, difficult to follow plots, Halo: Reach does not suffer from these problems.
This is the most straightforward and enjoyable tale of destruction the franchise has yet to produce. And don't worry if you haven't played the other Halo games yet – though Reach will feel a lot deeper and more compelling to longtime Halo fans, it can stand on its own as a self-contained story. The tale starts out simple enough, but it quickly escalates to stunning set pieces before pulling out all the stops. The last third of the game is just one big thrill ride, and the revelations that occur during that part of the game are sure to make any Halo buff go ballistic. The ending in particular left a huge impression on me. I don't want to spoil anything, but just know that the space combat Bungie used to tease Halo: Reach is only the beginning.
Now, though the Halo formula is intact and there are plenty of wink-and-a-nod references to past games, Reach is a big step forward. Little successful elements of old Halo games are sprinkled here or there while a new found sensibility in level design and pacing is wrapped around the core. The action is always moving through one combat scenario to the next, with plenty of gameplay and scenario twists to keep things fresh.
Halo Personality Quiz -- Find out which Spartan you are.
The best new addition? Armor abilities. These are an evolution of the equipment found in Halo 3 and drastically change the way you play in their updated form. These temporary but reusable extra abilities add things like sprinting, jet packs, and invincible armor to the franchise for the first time. The result is a faster, more acrobatic game that affords the player more flexibility in how they'd like to approach each fight. Also, jet packs are awesome. How did we go without them this long?
That sense of immersion is helped along quite a bit by the amazing audio work and the new graphics engine built for Halo: Reach. Marty O'Donnell, the lead sound guy at Bungie, has once again delivered an epic soundtrack that is so good that it elevates the entire game. That's no small feat.
While that music pummels your ear drums, your eyes get to feast on one gorgeous looking game. The alien vistas and color palette are striking, and the sense of scale is oftentimes off the charts. You're fighting amidst a war that rages across an entire planet, and Bungie doesn't let you forget it. Even so, there are times when the epic battles don't quite feel so incredible thanks to a lack of detail or the occasional frame rate stutter while the engine can't keep up with what's happening.
It's difficult to separate out the core components of Halo: Reach because they all sort of blend together into one massive experience. The campaign can be played alone or with up to four-players on a split-screen or online. Likewise, you can play the Firefight mode, a single map test of skill and endurance against waves of Covenant enemies, with a few friends cooperatively. All of those great additions that made it into the campaign? Well they're here too. This mode was introduced in Halo 3: ODST, but has finally met its promise thanks to online matchmaking and a more robust set of options. One of which is a competitive versus mode where you can compete for points while one or more players take up the side of the Covenant.
Or you can just go all out in a fight against other players by joining the competitive online multiplayer game. Like Firefight, the core concept remains the same as past Halo games while new features, weapons and modes have been added. Armor abilities and tweaked physics make the game that millions have poured hours and hours into feel fresh once again. It doesn't hurt that the new modes like Headhunter and Invasion are a ton of fun. The format is warmly familiar, but it all feels so new after digging into the competitive game and learning new tricks and skills.
Wrapped around all of this is an addition that Bungie calls player investment. Everything you do -- be it play the campaign or complete an online match -- earns you credits. Rack up enough and you can unlock customization features to make your Noble 6 look elite, and that look carries through all modes in the game -- even cut scenes. Don't be surprised if you find a goofy, pink-and-blue Noble 6 invading your game like IGN editor-in-chief Hilary Goldstein did. If you make your character look dumb, it's your own fault.
Firefight has met its promise.
Likewise, Xbox Live members can take part in daily or weekly challenges created by Bungie with an eye towards compelling players to come back again and again to prove their skills. This, for me, is the kicker. I don't think I'm going to be able to stop logging on every few days for a new challenge, followed by a little message to a friend taunting them about how I did it faster.
The one aspect of Halo: Reach I found lacking was in the multiplayer map selection. There are 13 total for competitive games, but four of those are either direct copies or retreads of maps from past Halo games. Everything plays quite differently with all of the gameplay tweaks, but I can already see myself looking forward to the first map pack. It's tough to complain about a lack of content in such a feature rich game, but I was left hoping for more.
IGN's History of Halo
That issue is mitigated to some extent by the incredible amount of flexibility built into Halo: Reach. The Forge, where players can lightly edit the competitive maps, is back and now much more user friendly. Most won't take advantage of that tool, but they will benefit from the new map and game variants that the hardcore create and share with the community.
It's also incredibly simple to just hop in and edit the rules of the game, both for Firefight and in normal multiplayer games. You can tweak everything from which enemies you face in Firefight to how much damage weapons do, and a whole lot more. Think of a crazy game variant -- even one that doesn't have anything to do with shooting -- and you can probably make it and share it with your friends in Halo: Reach. The whole system is incredibly powerful and equally impressive. The only downer is that there is no way to search for a custom game. If a game type isn't in the predetermined matchmaking hoppers and you don't have friends online, you're out of luck.
Yeah, you can play as the Elites online.
All told, the multiplayer suite is one of the best ever. The Halo multiplayer game has been expanding since the early days of the original Xbox, and now it's hit a point where the amount of , flexibility, number of modes, and potential for fun is just out of this world. Very few other games can compete with this level of polish, presentation, and attention to detail. And just when you think you've seen it all, don't forget to hop on to bungie.net to find extra stats, shared in-game screenshots and movies, and a vibrant community ready to help you extend the life of your game for months and months.
Or you can just go all out in a fight against other players by joining the competitive online multiplayer game. Like Firefight, the core concept remains the same as past Halo games while new features, weapons and modes have been added. Armor abilities and tweaked physics make the game that millions have poured hours and hours into feel fresh once again. It doesn't hurt that the new modes like Headhunter and Invasion are a ton of fun. The format is warmly familiar, but it all feels so new after digging into the competitive game and learning new tricks and skills.
Wrapped around all of this is an addition that Bungie calls player investment. Everything you do -- be it play the campaign or complete an online match -- earns you credits. Rack up enough and you can unlock customization features to make your Noble 6 look elite, and that look carries through all modes in the game -- even cut scenes. Don't be surprised if you find a goofy, pink-and-blue Noble 6 invading your game like IGN editor-in-chief Hilary Goldstein did. If you make your character look dumb, it's your own fault.
Firefight has met its promise.
Likewise, Xbox Live members can take part in daily or weekly challenges created by Bungie with an eye towards compelling players to come back again and again to prove their skills. This, for me, is the kicker. I don't think I'm going to be able to stop logging on every few days for a new challenge, followed by a little message to a friend taunting them about how I did it faster.
The one aspect of Halo: Reach I found lacking was in the multiplayer map selection. There are 13 total for competitive games, but four of those are either direct copies or retreads of maps from past Halo games. Everything plays quite differently with all of the gameplay tweaks, but I can already see myself looking forward to the first map pack. It's tough to complain about a lack of content in such a feature rich game, but I was left hoping for more.
IGN's History of Halo
That issue is mitigated to some extent by the incredible amount of flexibility built into Halo: Reach. The Forge, where players can lightly edit the competitive maps, is back and now much more user friendly. Most won't take advantage of that tool, but they will benefit from the new map and game variants that the hardcore create and share with the community.
It's also incredibly simple to just hop in and edit the rules of the game, both for Firefight and in normal multiplayer games. You can tweak everything from which enemies you face in Firefight to how much damage weapons do, and a whole lot more. Think of a crazy game variant -- even one that doesn't have anything to do with shooting -- and you can probably make it and share it with your friends in Halo: Reach. The whole system is incredibly powerful and equally impressive. The only downer is that there is no way to search for a custom game. If a game type isn't in the predetermined matchmaking hoppers and you don't have friends online, you're out of luck.
Yeah, you can play as the Elites online.
All told, the multiplayer suite is one of the best ever. The Halo multiplayer game has been expanding since the early days of the original Xbox, and now it's hit a point where the amount of , flexibility, number of modes, and potential for fun is just out of this world. Very few other games can compete with this level of polish, presentation, and attention to detail. And just when you think you've seen it all, don't forget to hop on to bungie.net to find extra stats, shared in-game screenshots and movies, and a vibrant community ready to help you extend the life of your game for months and months.
| Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Presentation A package that all other developers can look to as the definition of complete. | |
| 9.5 | Graphics A few stutters here or there can't stop this from being an incredible looking game. | |
| 10 | Sound Once again, a masterful soundtrack. | |
| 9.5 | Gameplay Familiar, and yet brand new. These are some of the best first-person shooting mechanics around. | |
| 9.5 | Lasting Appeal Little things like more maps or a better way to hop into custom games could extend the long life even further. Even so, there's a ton of content here. | |
Bungie’s latest entry in the Halo universe, Halo: Reach, is closing in on its release date (September 14th). If you’re an Xbox 360 owner and you haven’t pre-ordered the game yet (really?), here is your chance. We’ve taken a look at the best Halo: Reach pre-order deals for both US and UK, and we’re here to give you a heads up.The Most Popular of the 2 million ordered Halo Reach Copies Are Amazon; for the fast free shipping and $20.00 Amazon gift card, Buy.com; for the lowest price on the web, and Wal-Mart For it's low prices and efficiency. Here Are The Top Halo Reach Preorder Deals On The Web.
Halo: Reach Last Minute Pre-order Deals (US and UK)
Halo: Reach US pre-order deals
1. Amazon is offering a $20 Video Games Credit for those who pre-order the Standard, Limited or Legendary editions of Halo: Reach. You’ll also receive access to an in-game exclusive Spartan Recon helmet.2. Gamestop: If you pre-order Halo: Reach from Gamestop (Standard or Legendary Edition) you will receive an exclusive in-game UA Multi-Threat Mjolnir Mark V(B) Armor, designed to provide Spartans with “the most impact across all combat secenarios“. You’ll also get a token to download the in-game Spartan Recon helmet with the Visor/Blast shield and a chance to win a life-sized Halo: Reach Spartan Soldier.
3. Best Buy: offers those who pre-order Halo: Reach (Standard, Limited or Legendary) a free $20 gift card. If you are a member of the Reward Zone Gamers Club you’ll also receive 500 Bonus Points. The same offers applies also to those who pre-order The Xbox 360 250GB Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle.
| Halo Reach Available For Pre-order At Best Buy |
4. Buy.com offers slightly reduced prices (Standard Edition – $56.99, Limited Edition – $74.99, Legendary Edition – $139.99, Xbox 360 Halo: Reach Bundle – $399.99) and Free Shipping for those who pre-order Halo: Reach. The standard version comes with the Recon helmet with the Visor/Blast Shield.
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| Lowest Prices And Fast Shipping on Halo Reach |
http://affiliate.buy.com/fs-bin/click?id=SfkWGjeg0YE&subid=&offerid=207701.1&type=10&tmpid=6932&u1=DanielJohnFarley&RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.buy.com%2Fretail%2Fusersearchresults.asp%3Fquerytype%3Dhome%2526qu%3Dhalo%2Breach%2526qxt%3Dhome%2526display%3Dcol5
. 5. Dell.com offers Halo: Reach Standard Edition at $49.99 and the Halo: Reach Limited Edition Xbox 360 Bundle with a 1-Year Xbox Live Subscription for just $399.99 (you save $50). Unfortunately the Halo: Reach Limited and Legendary editions are sold-out at Dell.
6. Wallmart: If you pre-order the Standard, Limited or Legendary editions of Halo: Reach at WallMart you will receive a $20 Wallmart eGift Card. The offer also includes the downloadable Spartan Recon helmet.
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| Halo Reach Available Here |
8. Microsoft Store- Preorder Halo Reach from the Microsoft Store And Receive Halo Reach On Release Day, September 14! Yes, this is the fastest shipping on the web for Halo reach, so get yours before anybody else.
| Halo Reach Launches In Just Two Days!! |
Halo: Reach UK pre-order deals
1. You can pre-order Halo: Reach at Amazon.co.uk at reduced prices (Standard – £36.99, Limited – £49.70 and Legendary – £169.99) and you’ll also receive the downloadable Spartan Recon Helmet.2. Zavvi offers Halo: Reach at the following prices: Standard Ed – £35.95, Limited Ed – £49.70 and Legendary Ed – £98.95 (Sold Out for now). Halo: reach Standard Edition comes with the Bonus Spartan Recon Helmet while the Limited Edition brings the multiplayer only Bonus Elite Armour Set. Zavvi offers free UK delivery on all orders.
3. Game has slashed the prices for Halo: Reach Standard Edition (£39.99) and the Limited one (£54.99). All pre-orders will come with the downloadable Spartan Recon Helmet and the UA Multi-Threat Mjolnir Mark V(B) Armor.
4. HMV.com offers free delivery and 800 Microsoft Xbox Live Points if you pre-order Halo: Reach Standard Edition (£37.99) or the Limited Edition (£54.99). Those free Microsoft points will sure come handy when Bungie will start releasing Halo: Reach DLCs.
If we happen to stumble on another pre-order deal worth mentioning we will update this article.
After you’ve placed your order you might want to check the Extended version of the Halo: Reach – Deliver Hope Trailer, a leaked Halo: Reach Campaign Gameplay Video, the Noble Team in Action or the A Spartan Will Rise Trailer.
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