Halo: ODST MSNBC Gameplay

MSNBC has some footage of the upcoming Halo title, Halo: ODST. This was the first footage of the game I’ve seen, and while I didn’t see anything that was too amazing in the multiplayer form, the missions were looking pretty awesome. Check out the video for yourself and tell me what you think.

Halo: ODST Footage

Are you going to be buying this game at midnight? How about the first week? I think I’ll be waiting until after the initial responses to the game before purchasing it, and even then I’ll have to see after the damage Call of Duty 6 and Assassins Creed 2 does to my wallet.

Finally, Recon Armor

Ever since the introduction of an armor that not everybody could get, it has been the most coveted item in the game. It has been begged for, it has encouraged users to spend hundreds of hours creating custom maps or game ideas, it has created those picture chain letters through sending a photo claiming you’ll get it by sending it to 25 others, and even caused a friend of my to follow and team kill a creator around all game, just to get the armor.

Finally, I see that Bungie is giving us a clear way of getting the Recon Armor. On July 7th (Bungie Day) we can play the creators of the game in some special playlists that feature 32 new map varients. How exactly you get it, they didn’t say. I’m guessing it has something to do with not only playing with one of the creators, but probably killing one.

If you want to get Recon Armor to show off in front of your friends, you’ll have 24 hours to try and unlock it. If you see a masterchief with a flaming helmet, you’re playing with a creator. Get excited, because I’m sure Recon has something to do with playing with a creator.

Halo 3: ODST Collector Pack

Halo 3: ODST Collectors Pack is going to be exclusively released at Gamestops throughout the United States. If you live outside of the US you can purchase it at just about any store selling the game. With the purchase of the Halo 3: ODST Collectors Pack you will receive a customized Halo 3: ODST painted controller and of course, a harder case made of a light metal.

If you decide to reserve your copy you will get a code so that you can play the new co op campaign with Srg. Johnson instead of Masterchief (why would you want to do that?). Anybody who picks it up at Gamestop will also receive the exclusive demo to the new Halo: Reach game. These demo codes will be highly sought after. If you buy the game, make the extra drive to a Gamestop and sell this demo code if you don’t want it. You can easily get $20-30 for it.

Halo Wars DLC

The DLC for Halo Wars will be for the multiplayer modes. Apparently, they weren’t that entertaining to begin with and so they are taking this oppertunity to add more to the game that probably should have been on the disc in the first place. The three new game mods are called Tug of War, Keepaway, and Reinforcement.

The price will be 800 microsoft points which equals $10. I haven’t even bought this game yet and this additional DLC makes me think I made the right choice. How have you liked Halo Wars? I’m a pretty hard core halo fan, but I didn’t get this game. It’s probably because I didn’t ever beat Halo 1 as I didn’t have an Xbox, and I skipped all the campaign videos in Halo 2 when I finally got my Xbox 360. I think it’s more of a game somebody following the storyline would get.

Halo Movie

Haven’t heard much about it, but rumors are going around that the movie is going to be releasing in 2010 or 2011. I can’t even give you a source for that, only that my friend who barely follows anything in the video gaming industry told me those years. He works at a movie theatre if that gives him any validness.

Just thought I’d get something quick up. I’m excited for the movie. It should have been out years ago had they not gone bankrupt.

Mythic Map Pack Sucks!

I just downloaded the mythic map earlier today, and let me be the first to tell you, it sucks! The sand map was probably the one I’d heard the most about. I’d heard they were really focusing on the forge mode for it. Well in reality, when you go to forge and clear the map, there is really much they can do with it. If we don’t have many options in forge, what is the point of doing a map based upon the forge options if we aren’t given much of an oppertunity to forge it.

Orbital and Assembly are both rather strange maps. They are both pretty cramped maps. There isn’t much room to manuever and get away from grenades and recharge your shields. You can get shot from very far distances in very cramped quarters. Personally, eventhough these maps aren’t going to be free to us, probably ever, unless you want the achievements. They are nothing special, so it’s no race to get the map pack. You’ll need 800 Microsoft Points for the map pack.

Mythic Map Packs Release

Bungie has finally been kind enough to end the suspension and give us a release date for the new Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack. While the Mythic Map Pack has been released for a few weeks now, you had to be one of the gamers hardcore enough to want to buy the legendary version of Halo Wars in order to get the code for the free download. Spending an extra $20 for the code with a $60 game that is probably not even of your taste isn’t very likely. So if you’re like me, you’re still waiting.

Anyways, Orbital, Sandtrap, and Assembly will be waiting for you to download on April 9th. Chances are you’ve missed your spring break and are back at school by this time. What a bummer. I’m sure we were all looking forward to a couple late nights with the Mytic Map Pack. What do you guys think? Was this an unwise move on Bungies part releasing the maps earlier to those who bought a special version of the game? I don’t think it was. It’s going to be completely unfair competition in these new maps as we’ve yet to play them and they’ve got weeks of gameplay already played on these new maps.

Bungie Puts an End to Boosting

In the most recent update from Bungie we see that they are finally putting an end to the Halo 3 boosting. Whether this will actually happen like they say it will, or it’s just trying to intimidate the boosters and companies buying the boosted accounts.

They updated the ban hammer program so that they could improve the Halo 3 matchmaking experience. They want to rid the game of users who are constantly quitting out of games to get low experience, or even negative experience. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s easier to boost an account to a 50 if you are playing with somebody with negative experience. As an added bonus, if they quit out when the game is already decided it is also easier to move up.

Whether those rumors are true, or if they are simply myths is a mystery. Bungie would like to discourage this kind of behavior as it is honestly messing up matchmaking for everybody. There are people boosting accounts and selling them for a $50 on up per account to companies who put them up for sale again. The bad news for both the buyers and companies is that they are out their money. The only ones who made good on those deals is now the booster who originally sold them. The companies are at loss for their current stock, and the buyers are possibly out for the boosted account.

If your account was banned, whether it was a booster account or a 50, just let it be. Wait a month, and if it’s still banned contact Bungie about the problem. The reason being is boosters are apparently only a two week ban and unlegit 50’s are apparently permabanned. Contacting them now would do nothing as thousands of people were hit and you would get the same story as everybody else. Wait a while and your chances of getting unbanned are much better.

Halo 3 Regains Its Throne

Halo 3 had dropped out of the most popular Xbox 360 game for quite some time only to finally regain it’s spot as the most played game with the release of the new map packs to those who bought Halo Wars. While this is due to the downloadable content, it is still nice to see Halo 3 back atop the boards. I am one of the many still playing Halo 3.

Halo Wars Midnight Launch

With the upcoming release of Halo Wars in the United States we see that Gamestop will be coming out with a midnight launch event. It appears as though this is purely for the game. Unlike other special releases, it doesn’t sound as though there will be any sort of freebies given out to those of us standing outside their doors at midnight.

Personally, this game will be stuffed on the shelves yet in the morning and I can personally wait on this one. My minds still not made up as to whether I’ll buy this. If you are hardcore into the storyline I think it’s something you should invest in eventually. I missed Halo 1, skipped the mission videos of Halo 2 (just played, so missed most of the story line), and then I beat Halo 3 with watching the videos.

My conclusion is, if you really enjoy this type of game from the demo that we all got to play, or you are really into the story line and want to be in the know, then this game might be worth purchasing. Real time strategy games just aren’t my fancy.