New Hints to Halo 3 Campaign

Bungie's winks and nudges regarding the Halo 3 single-player campaign continue apace and, while the teasing very nearly drove us to tearing our hair out in frustration over the carrot dangling, now we're nearly done with the multiplayer beta we're willing to accept more teasing from the boys at Bungie.net. So tease away, lads..."We've been playing all the way through the game for weeks now," says jammy Bungie man Frank O'Connor, in the latest Bungie.net update. "Our favourite level at the moment (and it changes week by week) is the challenge presented by the very last level."

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Crackdown may be more than a crack-up

Crackdown with Halo 3 Beta Access: I am addicted

May 25th, 2007 by James in Computers, Game Consoles

When I took my regular look at my local Game store I saw a game called Crackdown the Xbox 360 a couple of months ago and brought it but did not play it for over a month…working hard.
Well when I finally got round to playing Crackdown my first impressions were “what’s all the big deal about” it looked like cartoon graphics and I expected much more than that on my 360.
Well how wrong were my first impressions, the game is amazing and I am now so totally addicted to Crackdown.

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What's Going on with Halo 3 Beta?

Halo 3 Beta Maintenance

Posted on Wednesday, May 23rd, 2007

Bungie.net’s Frankie warns that on May 23 between the hours of 10:00 A.M. and 1:00 P.M. PST, Bungie will be doing something to the Halo 3 Beta that will probably not affect you. But just in case it does, here’s what might happen. Read Frankie’s words carefully, so you won’t get bamboozled:Should your game encounter a rare crash, your Xbox 360 will give you an alert screen, explaining that it’s uploading data to Bungie servers. We actually need this data, and we need your cooperation too. Although you probably won’t see that screen, if you do, let it finish uploading the data. It may take some time – upwards of 10-20 seconds and perhaps longer. So we beg your patience. When the process has completed correctly this is the message you’ll see, "File upload complete. Visit http://www.bungie.net/forums/halo3beta for more information (safe to reboot)."Frankie adds that if you experience a crash after 1 P.M., the data upload process to fix things will be much shorter.The logic behind all this is that collecting data on game crashes only helps Bungie iron out all the bugs and problems with the game before they launch it.
Source: http://www.qj.net

Jack Thompson Goes after Halo 3

Jack Thompson goes after Halo 3

Games and Entertainment
By Humphrey Cheung
Wednesday, May 23, 2007 12:11
Recommend article:

Mission Viejo (CA) - Anti-violent gaming activist Jack Thompson is now going after Microsoft’s upcoming alien killing Halo 3. In an open letter to Bill Gates, the Florida lawyer says the “hyperviolent” game should receive a ‘Mature’ ESRB rating and that Microsoft should take “dramatic” steps to only sell the game to those 17-year-old and over.

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The Halo 3 Masterlist

This is a list of all the confirmed elements in the upcoming Halo 3 Release.....

Characters
Master Chief[30][31]
Cortana[30][31]
Gravemind[30]
Commander Miranda Keyes[5]
Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson[30]
Arbiter[30]
Prophet of Truth[30]
Enemies
Covenant
Jackals (Kig-Yar)[30]
Brutes (Jiralhanae)[18]
Grunts (Unggoy)[18]
Drones (Yanme'e)[30]
Prophets[30]
The Flood[30]
Infection Form[30]
Combat Form[30]
Carrier Form[30]

Allies
UNSC Marine Corps
UNSC Marine Infantryman[18]

Ex-Covenant
Elites (Sangheili)[32]
Hunters (Lekgolo)[30]
Grunts (Unggoy)[18]
Human Vehicles
M274 ULATV Mongoose[33]
M12 LRV Warthog[34]
M12G1 LAAV "Gauss" Warthog[34]
M808B Scorpion tank[30]
D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship[30]

Covenant Vehicles
Ghost[30]
Wraith[30][35]
Banshee[30]
Phantom[30]
Capital ship[31]

Locations
Earth, Sol System
Kenya, East African Protectorate
New Mombasa and Old Mombasa
The Forerunner structure
Mt. Kilimanjaro

Miscellaneous
Fusion cores[36]
Multiplayer emblems[37]
Multiplayer call signs[8]
Direction of fire/damage arrows[22]
Man Cannon (gravity lifts)[22]

Human Weapons
MA5C Assault Rifle[38]
M6G Pistol (dual-wieldable)[30][39]
M7 SMG (dual-wieldable)[30]
BR55HB SR Battle Rifle[30]
M90 Shotgun (six shells)[18]
SRS99D Sniper Rifle (redesigned)[30]
M41 Rocket Launcher[40]
Spartan Laser (W/AV M6 Grindell/Galileian Nonlinear Rifle)[41]
UNSC Missile Pod[7] (3rd person)[13]
AIE-486H Heavy Machinegun[7] (stationary and portable, 3rd person)[13]
M9 HE-DP Fragmentation Grenade[20]

Covenant Weapons
Plasma Pistol (dual-wieldable)[30]
Plasma Rifle (dual-wieldable)[20]
Needler (more powerful but not dual-wieldable)[42]
Covenant Carbine[43]
Particle Beam Rifle[20]
Energy Sword (limited battery)[30][44]
Brute Spiker (Type-25 Carbine, dual-wieldable)[45]
Brute Shot[30] (six shots)
Brute Hammer (resembling Fist of Rukt gravity hammer used by Tartarus)[35]
Brute Spike Grenade (Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade)[46]
Plasma Grenade[47]

Equipment
Bubble Shield (ONI-designed)[17][20]
Tripmine[20]
Portable Reverse-Gravitational Lift (Grav Lift)[22]
Power Drainer[48]

Multiplayer Maps
Snowbound[46]
Valhalla[46]
High Ground[46]
Jub Jub (unofficial name)[27]
Last Resort (Zanzabar Remake)
A new map with many similarities to Gephyrophobia in Halo 1 PC[20]

Multiplayer Game Types[49]
VIP[22]
Slayer
Capture the Flag[20]
One Flag
Multiflag[50]
Territories[20]
Land Grab
King of the Hill[22]
Oddball

"Is Quisnam Protero Damno!" Halo 3 Video Documentary

"I condemn him whom I trample under my feet."

A ViDoc detailing the development of the multiplayer game was released on April 10, 2007. It highlighted the major ways in which the developers have sought to improve upon the Halo 2 multiplayer game which was so successful. All graphics shown were from an alpha build - no decorators were yet in place, many textures were still only placeholders, and the HDR lighting model was not being used. Nevertheless, the graphics were already demonstrably far superior to the game's predecessors, which is unsurprising as this is a next generation installment for the series. Previously unseen gameplay elements included:[20]
A first look at the bubble shield, tripmine, and portable gravity lift.
The first look at using the portable machine gun turrets.
The first mention of saving played games to be later viewed.
At least two new multiplayer maps were shown.
An in depth look at how the man cannons (gravity boosters) have replaced the teleport modules that were found in the previous games. Bungie has stated that in pre-development they thought about how to get a player, and some vehicles,[21] across the map.

"Et tu brute?" Video Documentary

The ViDoc explains that the three classes of Brutes have been differentiated, the same way Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 featured different classes of Elites, Grunts, and Jackals. They are all shown with much heavier armor than the Brutes in Halo 2:[18]
'Standard' infantry Brutes that wear blue armor held together by buckles. Brute Captains, who wear more elaborate helmets and armor. Brute Chieftains, who have the most elaborate helmets and armor. The color scheme of Elites in the prior games seems to have been applied to Brutes (blue is the lowest rank, red is higher, and gold is the highest). To reflect the Brutes' violent nature, more violent animations have been created. Examples shown in the ViDoc include a Brute ripping off the arms of a Marine, a Brute ramming a Marine into a vehicle, and another Brute punching the stomach of a Marine lying on the ground.
The AI has also been updated to incorporate the new idea of a Brute pack. A Chieftain in Halo 3 may order all of its troops to throw grenades at the enemy together, or may decide to focus on attacking one character.[18]
The film also includes some other previously unseen elements, such as dual-wieldable Energy Swords (only used by AI) and the new Spike Grenade.[19] The "Spike Grenades" may stick to any surface except water and release a shaped charge upon explosion. A Brute Chieftain is seen firing a weapon resembling an un-deployed plasma turret from Halo 2. However, the game as shown, is still in a pre-alpha stage, and the graphics and game elements in the ViDoc are currently unconfirmed for final release in the game.

ESPN's Starry Night Ad

On December 4, 2006, a 60-second CGI commercial for Halo 3 was aired on ESPN, followed by a release on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. Its airing marked the start of the first phase of sign ups on Halo3.com for the spring Beta. It does not contain any gameplay footage, and was created entirely by Digital Domain, using a mix of live action (for the two children), animation (using Bungie-supplied assets) and pure CGI.[17]

The Master Chief's MA5C Assault Rifle, along with an overturned Warthog in the background.
The ad comprises two scenes. The first shows two children lying in long grass looking at the night sky, wondering whether they will ever meet beings from "up there". The location and identity of the children are deliberately ambiguous; this being up to the interpretation of the viewer. This scene then cuts to Master Chief's point of view, waking from unconsciousness after being thrown from a vehicle. He is on Earth, in the middle of the Covenant invasion around the events of the E3 Announcement.
In the advertisement, the Master Chief's secondary weapon is stored magnetically on his back, or on a leg holster for smaller weapons. This is later revealed as an actual visual feature of the game.
Separated from the Marines, the Master Chief evades plasma mortar impacts (with the aid of the previously unseen 'Bubble Shield' device, resembling a transparent geodesic dome) and engages a group of Covenant Brutes and Wraith tanks. The ad closes with the same "HALO 3", "FINISH THE FIGHT - 2007", the Xbox 360 logo and additionally the "Jump In" slogan of the Xbox 360 marketing campaign.
Reaction to the advertisement was enthusiastic. It was the first cinematic-quality glimpse into the Halo Universe, designed to appeal to a mass audience. Fans of the series immediately started picking over the imagery for clues relating to the plot or gameplay of Halo 3.

The Multiplayer Halo 3 Experience

Like most multiplayer Xbox 360 titles, Halo 3 will use a customised version of True Skill ranking system for its online matchmaking facilities. Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience. Skill will simply be the True Skill rank of the player in a given playlist, and experience identified by a Military rank; e.g. a player with a designation of a '"General" will have played for longer time than someone who is a "recuit". This is in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.[8]
The interface for matchmaking from Halo 2 will be completely revamped. Call signs (consisting of one letter and two numbers) will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies in games. In addition to the customization of call signs, players can now choose three different colors (as opposed to two in Halo 2) for their armour in multiplayer (primary, secondary and detail), as well as three for their multiplayer emblem.[9]
Bungie also stated that they have redesigned the UI (user interface) from Halo 2, apparently making it easier to generate a custom game in Halo 3 multiplayer. Hosts will now be able to "advertise" their custom games via Xbox Live Public; making it easier to find a multiplayer match to a player's taste without having to link up with friends.[8]
In the November 11, 2006 Bungie Weekly Update, it was stated that due to a "significant chunk" of Halo 2 players being female, there might be an option to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer.
A new feature dubbed the "A-hole button" will be used to mute players in the game.[10] People sifting through the code of the Halo 3 beta have found that the strength of the effect of gravity is customizable as one of the game settings in creating custom games.[11]
There will also be a greater number of medal announcements in multiplayer, including several "Easter egg" medals that will be awarded for very unusual events.

The Gameplay of Halo 3

Halo gameplay will adhere to what Multiplayer Designer Lars Bakken describes as the "Golden Three Things of Halo," which are weapons, grenades and melee attack, all three of which are simultaneously available to a player at all times while on foot (unless they are dual wielding). Halo 3, like its predecessors, will also feature a strong vehicular component, with many of the series' vehicles returning in the third installment.

AI behavior of both enemies and allies will be greatly enhanced in Halo 3. Marines' driving and gunning skills on the Warthog, Grunt flanking maneuvers in battle, and Brute "pack mentality" have all been mentioned by Bungie as examples of using the power of the Xbox 360 for more than just increased polygon counts. Enemy AI will also have new non-combat behaviors, rather than just sitting around waiting for players to kill them.

The new default controller layout will see the Right Bumper become the "action" button (pick up, reload, board vehicles, activate switches, etc), with the X button being used for deployment of the special equipment:[6] the portable grav lift, the Bubble Shield, the trip mine and the power drainer. When dual-wielding, weapons can be individually reloaded using either the left or right bumper.

Other buttons are unchanged, but B (melee attack) also can be used to take a stationary gun turret off its tripod for mobile use,[7] as well as other context sensitive functions. When the player carries a "support" weapon (a new class of weaponry in Halo), like the Machine Gun turret and the Missile Pod, the view will change to third person and the player will move slower.
When a player is carrying a second weapon in Halo 3, the secondary weapon will be stored on the character's back (for larger, two handed weapons) or on a leg holster (for smaller, one handed

The Graphics of Halo 3

Halo 3 will utilize a proprietary, in-house graphics engine aptly named the "Halo 3 Engine". This engine builds upon the technologies of the Halo 2 Engine (and previously the Halo 1 Engine), and is re-optimized for the architecture of Xbox 360.
As detailed on the Bungie Studios website, it will employ advanced graphics technologies such as High Dynamic Range, global lighting, real-time reflections and real-time depth of field effect. Depth of field however will only be used in cutscenes and not during gameplay. Certain surfaces, including the Master Chief's visor (when visible) and the armor of a Ghost, will have real-time reflections. Most of the objects in the game will cast real-time shadows on itself and the environment around it, including the game's plant-life.
Halo 3 will use Normal, bump, and parallax mapping to add much more detail to surfaces without dramatically increasing the number of polygons. Bungie has also stated that the draw distance (horizon of the game world) will be in excess of 10 miles (16 km). Sophisticated new atmospheric models are used in the game. Dust and smoke particles can be used to add to the realism of the environment, and the haze effect which is often used in video games to save processing power is so realistic that it actually costs processing power. Water effects are also dramatically improved; it can reflect and refract images simultaneously. As well as being able to simulate effects such as water falls, it will visually flow around objects in its path and splash when players or vehicles, or other objects, travel through it.

The Plot of Halo 3

The only plot points that have been revealed so far are that Master Chief is back on a thoroughly conquered and Covenant controlled Earth. Cortana is still a prisoner of Gravemind, Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site only a few miles from the ruins of New Mombasa, The Covenant have also uncovered a large artifact in this site, which is largely believed to be The Ark. The Arbiter, along with the remaining Elites, have allied themselves with the human forces, according to the Halo 3 Website

The new Halo!

Halo 3, the third game in the best-selling Xbox game franchise Halo, is a highly anticipated first-person shooter video game under development by Bungie Studios for the Xbox 360 and is expected to "set a new high water mark" for next-generation games.[3] An official announcement on the developers' website states that Halo 3 will end the current story arc of the Halo trilogy. A public beta test of the multi-player component of the game began on May 16, 2007 [4] and is scheduled to end on June 10, 2007. The final version of the game is due to be released on September 25, 2007 [1] in the United States, and on September 26 in Europe.