Hi there everyone, but mainly, my friendly 343 representatives.

Myself, and countless other people, as I am sure you are aware, are having problems connection to halo reach and halo 3 matchmaking games. For me, I havne't been able to connect since early November.

Now, I have done some research and testing etc, and it turns out that the issue is with IP addresses starting with 101.

(Australia and NZ)

All we get when we go to play is: 'the halo reach server is unavailable at this time, please try again later.'

I would like to know if/.when we can expect an update, or fix to this problem, as there are 1000's of people, like me, unable to play!

This, stated DBUK, is only happening on the Reach servers and on no other game platform on XBL. I have heard of this before second hand, but after chatting with him in our chat box and noting his positive demeanor, I think that we as a forum should rally behind our fellow players that have been left out of MM due to some "value in the IP range" as Twin suggested it might possibly be.

What if it was you who could not play......wouldn't you want our support? I am asking all members to post here and show support, to contact XBOX Live and give them some "junk" on this matter. I will be PMing our senior staff for them to attempt any effort they can with their contacts.

- A pre-ordered copy of Halo 4,Turtle Beach EARFORCE X12, Xbox LIVE 12 Month Gold Starter Kit*, XBOX 360 Media Remote, XBOX 360 Controller "Razor Onza Tournament Edition", XBOX 360 CleanDR Laser Lens Cleaner, 12 Month Gold Subscription to XBOX Live an 1600 MS Points!

• 12 Month Gold Membership: Xbox LIVE Gold is your connection to online gaming, HD movies & TV shows, friends, music and more!
  
• 400 Microsoft Points: Use Microsoft Points to download games, add-ons, movies, TV shows and more!
  
• Xbox 360 Chatpad: The easy way to enter codes and stay connected with friends on Facebook and Twitter.
  
• Xbox 360 Headset: Get your head in the game for the full multiplayer gaming experience.
  

Choot'em will be posting them sometime late tonight or tomorrow morning! Get ready to put on your thinking caps, loosen up your fingers for some typing and remember.........Santa Claus is coming to town!

From November 24th, you'll be able to download the free DLC to gain access to the classic Gears of War 1 maps 'Bullet Marsh' and 'Clocktower', which will then be available on public matchmaking via dedicated servers. The Horde Command Pack also adds three maps with 'Azura', 'Blood Drive' and 'Rustlung'.

Epic has also added a new Alpha Playlist, which hopes to offer something a little different with the following parameters:

• Team Size: 4
  
• Gametypes: Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill, Execution
  
• Loadout: Lancer/Gnasher
  
• Weapon Pick-ups: Default with the some custom swaps
  
• Weapon Respawn: Set to “After Pick-up” with quicker respawn times
  

And finally, there's also double XP across all multiplayer modes to coincide with the launch of the Horde Command Pack. Double XP will be available from now through November 14th at 9AM. The Gears of War 3 Versus Booster Pack is out on November 24th.

Entitled, 'RAAM's Shadow' the campaign add-on will offer more than three hours of additional new gameplay for the Gears 3 campaign, with a prequel storyline set before the events of the first Gears of War that will star a cast of new and familiar faces. Furthermore, the pack will also be packing in another six multiplayer characters, a 'Chocolate Weapon Set' and 250 Gamerscore's worth of new achievements.

“When we announced the ‘Gears 3’ Season Pass, we immediately started getting hundreds of questions from fans about what the game add-ons would be,” said Epic Games Design Director, Cliff Bleszinski. “We’re really excited to be lifting the curtain on the first two releases, first with the ‘Horde Command Pack’ and now with ‘RAAM’s Shadow,’ which gives fans a new perspective on the ‘Gears’ universe and is also the biggest DLC release we’ve ever made.”

You'll be able to reunite with Lt. Minh Young Kim from Gears 1 and Tai Kaliso from Gears 2 in RAAM's Shadow, as well as meeting comic book Gears hero Michael Barrick and new female comrade, Alicia Valera. And as if that wasn't enough, you'll even get to step into the big scary boots of Gears 1 boss General RAAM himself, storming the human stronghold from his perspective.

“RAAM’s imposing size and strength, along with his Kryll shield, make him one of the most powerful and daunting foes in the ‘Gears’ universe,” said Bleszinski. “We think fans are going to have a blast unleashing hell upon the poor humans for the first time in a campaign setting.”

You'll be able to get your hands on Gears of War 3's RAAM's Shadow DLC on December 13th for 1200 Microsoft Points, or get it as part of the Season Pass, which is still available to download for 2400 Microsoft Points.

If you’ll be in the New York area and want to check things out, here is all you need to know about the biggest games for Xbox & Kinect and where you can find them at NYCC.

Xbox 360 Booth #322

As usual, we worked with Microsoft Studios and our fantastic third-party partners to bring NYCC attendees content they can’t play anywhere else. Stop on by the booth to try your hand at:

Dance Central 2: Sequel to the best-selling dance game for Kinect™ for Xbox 360® features a killer new soundtrack, revamped Dance Battle and import capability!

The Gunstringer – Launched on 9/13 by Twisted Pixel Games, “The Gunstringer” features Kinect-based targeting, shooting and melee as you guide The Gunstringer on his quest for vengeance against the posse that betrayed him and left him for dead.

Halo Anniversary: Created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a spectacularly remastered version of the original Halo campaign.

Mass Effect 3: Go weapons-hot in a fully immersive sci-fi epic that reacts to every decision you make.

Various XBLA titles including:

“Orcs Must Die” – Launched on 10/5, this fantasy action-strategy game by Robot Entertainment features two dozen deadly weapons, spells and traps to defend twenty-four fortresses from twelve enemy types including ogres, hellbats and of course, orcs!

“Trials Evolution” – “Trials Evolution” by RedLynx, Ltd. Is the follow-up to the smash hit "Trials HD". The game will have you flipping, climbing and racing your way across levels that span both indoor and outdoor tracks, or building your own level using the new level editor that lets you share your creations with anyone on Xbox LIVE.

Keep your eyes peeled for our Windows Mobile Brand Ambassadors, who will happily trade you some fun giveaways for a few minutes of your time playing our suite of fantastic games available on Windows Phone through Xbox LIVE! Some new games they’ll be featuring:

“Burn the Rope” – launched on 9/28 by Big Blue Bubble Inc. “Burn the Rope” is a challenging game where you try to burn as much rope as you can in each level. There is a catch! The fire only burns upwards, leaving you to tilt and turn your phone to keep your flame alive!

“Chickens Can’t Fly” – shipping this fall by Amused Sloth. Join the ranks of our scientists and see what chickens are capable of! Conduct experiments throughout 4 laboratories and answer questions such as : Is there life after the butcher? Is chicken afraid of ghosts? Does frozen chicken get dizzy? When you’re confident of your skill, try Survival mode or take part in the Global Weekly Challenge!

“Kinectimals” – shipping this fall by Frontier Studios . This irresistible mobile experience gives you the chance to use your smartphone to visit Lemuria and play with, care for and fall in love with your very own Kinectimal cub. The bond between you and your cub grows ever stronger as you find Cap’n Blackwood’s treasure, and use it to open up even more fun together.

“Orbital” – shipping this fall by BitForge. A challenging and addicting puzzle game. Shoot as many orbs into space and destroy them to get the ultimate high score. Challenge yourself or your friends and become number one.

“Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp” – shipping this fall by Signal Studios and Krome Studios. Wage war on a tiny scale in “Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp” which brings the fun and addictive shooting gallery mini-games from “Toy Soldiers: Cold War” exclusively to your Windows Phone! Additionally, earn bragging rights in Cold War on Xbox 360 through an integrated mobile leaderboard

Panels

Halo Anniversay Panel Discussion

Saturday, October 15^th, 7:30 – 8:30p

In just 30(ish) measly days Halo turns ten years old! Join Alison Stroll, Doug Hebenthal, Dan Ayoub, Kevin Grace, and others from 343 Industries discussing where Halo has been and where it is going.

General NYCC Info

EXHIBIT HALL HOURS

Thursday, October 13^th, 2011 – 4:00pm-7:00pm [media preview]

Friday, October 14^th, 2011 – 10:00am-7:00pm

Saturday, October 15^th, 2011 – 10:00am-7:00pm

Sunday, October 16^th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm

See NYCC Website for extended event hours and other evening activities.

Adding three new Horde maps, the Horde Command Pack also includes new fortification upgrades and new characters, making it a worthwhile addition to the Horde 2.0 mayhem, as well as adding 250 Gamerscore of new achievements to unlock. Here's the complete list of Horde Command Pack contents:

Three new maps:

• Blood Drive – The Jacinto Medical Plaza was overwhelmed by evacuated citizens after the government-sanctioned Hammer Strikes, and the ensuing riots quickly turned this safe haven into a dangerous inferno. An abundance of high ground and funneled choke points make this map a returning favourite to Horde.
  
• Rustlung – Once the pride of the Royal Tyran Navy, the foredecks of this decommissioned battleship are now riddled with bullet holes. Any team with the fortitude to hold the exposed central torpedo bay will find that the ship’s Loader has been replaced with a battle-ready Silverback mech suit.
  
• Azura – This island resort was once the exclusive domain of Sera’s educated elite, but the tranquil water gardens and lush foliage have become a hotly contested combat zone. Dual snipers overlook a powerful explosive weapon, while the defensive central platform may be your last resort of retreat.
  

New fortification upgrades:

• Command Center – A brand new type of fortification that allows you to call in fire support from sniper teams, mortar strikes and even multiple Hammers of Dawn.
  
• Decoy Upgrade – A new fortification level that turns your decoy into an Onyx Guard bot that will fight in your defense.
  
• Sentry Upgrade – This upgrade adds a fire bolt sentry that deals much more damage and is very effective against Berserkers.
  
• Silverback Upgrade – This advancement allows you to upgrade your Silverback exo-suit with devastating rockets and extra levels of repair cost reduction.
  

New characters:

• Onyx Guard
  
• Big Rig Dizzy
  
• Bernie
  

New weapon skins:

• Team Plasma
  
• Jungle Camo
  

This is also playable in Beast Mode and private Versus matches, which means the Gears of War 3 Horde Command Pack is a snip at 800 Microsoft Points or at a 33% discount as part of a Season Pass purchase. You'll be able to grab it from November 1st. Check out four new screens from the add-on right here.

NEW CHARACTERS

RUSTLUNG

BLOOD DRIVE

AZURA

Gears of War 3 follows the story of Delta Squad as they face the biggest thing of all...family. The game starts off in a dream sequence where you get to relive the scene where Marcus looses his father. The games then starts off a little slow but then moves into a fast paced action game! The first boss fight is pretty easy but as you press through the game you will face enemies that you feel are impossible to defeat. Act III to me is the best part of the game, but I am warning you, it is a tear jerking ending for that act. Without giving any spoilers it is safe to say that this campaign was a perfect example of closing out the trilogy the right way.

Multiplayer is what truly makes the game shine also! After spending extensive time playing through every single versus mode there is I feel the made the multiplayer versus component perfect. There are also many characters that you can unlock through preforming certain tasks which adds gameplay value. Then there are medals, just think of these as a beefed up version of Halo nameplates on steroids! In Gears of War 3 we got introduced to a new mode, Beast Mode. This is where you take the role as a Locust and you have to mow your way through 12 waves of COG and stranded. This to me is the best part of the game because you can play as just about every single type of Locust we know of. I am hoping for them to add more waves in the future! Horde 2.0 introduces a new type of economic game system where you buy a base and then build upon it (Think of it as buying land). Truly the best map for playing Horde on is Sandbar because of the many turrets and bases available. Also you can upgrade your barriers, turrets, decoys, etc. The cool thing about that is when you upgrade them they level up and then that level lasts with you throughout the whole game.

Closing comments:

Gears of War 3 is truly an amazing game. In fact it hard to tell anything wrong with the game. I would recommend this game to anyone I know! I give this game a 10/10

HEADLONG REMAKE IS NOW BREAKNECK (OFFICIALLY REVEALED)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB18aOfIYCI&feature=player_detailpage#t=2s

While we’re on the subject of heads that are long, this seems like the perfect time to talk about yet another map that will be shipping with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Whether or not you make a habit of paying attention to the writing on the wall (and by wall, I of course mean our whiteboards), you’ll be excited to hear that an updated version of Headlong is officially joining the ranks of new and improved maps that include Beaver Creek, Damnation, Timberland, Prisoner, and Installation 04. That’s right, everybody’s favorite large-scale Multiplayer map from Halo 2 has been rejuvenated with not just stunning visuals but also a layer of fascinating new fiction.

Breakneck—which is Anniversary’s adaption of Headlong—is located in Section 21 with a view of downtown New Mombasa and the collapsed space tether. The city has been flooded from the recent slipspace rupture, and construction was abruptly halted during the Covenant attack. Despite the fact that numerous buildings have been partially destroyed—with some even housing flaming ship segments—one monument remains standing, tall and defiant. I guess you could even say to the end.

For those of you that haven’t had the pleasure of playing on this asymmetrical construction site, it’s well-suited for vehicular combat, objective-based gametypes, and Big Team-esque Slayer battles. One base is an evacuated civilian structure, replete with potted plants, art, and hardwood floors, while the other is an unfinished skyscraper with concrete walls and steel columns.

There are multiple paths to take when maneuvering between the two primary areas. Whether you tiptoe across the precariously-hanging crane, sneak through the defensive Sniper building, or rush straight across the large and open expanse that is the middle basin, you’ll more than likely notice small design changes that differentiate Breakneck from the original. Take, for instance, the teleporter: originally appearing on the balcony of Blue Base, it has since been replaced by a large man—or as I prefer to say, Spartan-spewing—cannon. Panels were also added to one of the Blue Base balconies to provide additional cover when moving from building to building. Red Base got some love as well, in the form of an extension on the Engineering Hallway behind the Construction Building and a gap in the ceiling of the Office. If you’re wondering why there’s a gap, it’s because there was an explosion. And also because artists like blowing sh-, I mean stuff, up.

To give you a better feel of the space, here is a gallery full of gorgeous images taken from the reimagined map. Feel free to ogle to your heart’s content. I mean, it’s only new Title Update information patiently awaiting you after the gallery…

Don’t tell anybody, but I may or may not have selected the last image in an effort to forever immortalize the moment I stuck David Ellis. Let's just say he bet I couldn't stick it. And I had to prove him wrong.

I Said a Hip Hop, Hippie to the Hopper

Halo: Anniversary, which is coming bundled with Breakneck and six additional Multiplayer playspaces, will be on a store shelf near you November 15th. According to my extremely precise and detailed calculations, that’s in roughly two months. Before that, though, on September 21st, you’ll be prompted to download a Title Update for Halo: Reach. It’s important to note that you won’t see any perceptible changes in Halo: Reach Matchmaking immediately after the download. In an effort to provide some much needed clarification, here’s a brief timeline of what you can expect in regard to the upcoming Title Update and beta matchmaking playlist:

September 20th

On this day, you will play Halo: Reach. You will lose a few games, primarily because of the jerkface that took the sniper and sent the bullets whizzing by the heads of your enemies, instead of directly through them.

September 21st

On this day, when logging into Halo: Reach, you will be prompted to download the Title Update. You’ll start playing, notice nothing seems different, and then recall that I said, in this here Bulletin as a matter of fact, “You won’t see any perceptible changes in Halo: Reach Matchmaking immediately after the download.” The majority of players will only complete the first two steps, though. Curses.

October 3rd

‘Twas the night before the Beta Hopper, when all through the game, not a creature was stirring, even the Gúta were tame. The AAs were hung on the selection screen with care, in hopes that the hopper soon would be there. The Spartans were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of zero bloom danced in their heads…

October 4th

On this day, you will log into Halo: Reach and immediately notice—assuming you’re the observant type—a brand spankin’ new playlist. Changes will be isolated to that one particular area, so should you want some Vanilla Reach, you will simply access your regularly frequented playlists. Should you want a new flavor, though, I recommend diving directly into the beta matchmaking hopper. This 4v4 playlist will feature both Slayer and Objective gametypes, with DLC maps being optional. In an effort to provide an environment conducive to soliciting Title Update-specific feedback, all Objective gametypes will have DMR starts. Throughout the time this playlist is active, we’ll be watching not only the decisions you make in Matchmaking, but also the thoughts and opinions you leave in our forum. And it’s with that data that we’ll continue crafting the best possible playing experience for you and your Halo-loving buddies.

Here are the specifics of the beta matchmaking playlist, if you’d like to drill further down. Please note all gametypes utilize 85% bloom (unless otherwise noted) with all the Title Update changes implemented—minus the addition of the Combat Evolved Magnum. It’s also worth noting this hopper is not intended to represent the makeup and content of the non-beta hoppers, and that all things are as ever, subject to change based on test data and numerous other super-secret and highly scientific factors—a few such things being whether or not the sun is shining and if Frankie has facial hair that day. (Just kidding, by the way. Well, for the former at least.)

Beta Matchmaking Playlist Specifics

Team Slayer (AR Start)

• Condemned

• Tempest

• Unanchored

• Asylum

• Uncaged

• Reflection

• Countdown

• Boardwalk

• Powerhouse

• Zealot

Team Slayer DMRs

• Condemned

• Tempest

• Unanchored

• Highlands

• Asylum

• Uncaged

• Reflection

• Countdown

• Boardwalk

• Powerhouse

• Zealot

2 Flag Slayer

• Condemned

• Zealot

Multi Flag

• Tempest

• Unanchored

• Highlands

Neutral Flag

• Asylum

1 Flag

• Reflection

• Boardwalk

• Powerhouse

Speed Flag

• Zealot

3 Flag

• Unanchored

• Asylum

• Zealot

3 Plots

• Tempest

• Countdown

• Boardwalk

Neutral Bomb

• Tempest

• Asylum

Team Oddball

• Asylum

• Reflection

• Countdown

Team Hot Potato

• Unanchored

• Asylum

• Countdown

Team Crazy King

• Condemned

• Reflection

• Countdown

Zero Bloom Team Slayer DMRs

• Condemned

• Tempest

• Unanchored

• Highlands

• Asylum

• Uncaged

• Reflection

• Countdown

• Boardwalk

• Powerhouse

• Zealot

WELL THAT'S IT FOR TODAY'S AWESOME REVEAL DAY!! PEACE OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry about not doing a weekly update last night but that's what happens when your computer get fried by a plasma grenade. Anyway, LETS GET STARTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Halo 4 Lead Creative Director has Left the Building!

In an interview with Kotaku, Halo 4 Creative Director, Ryan Payton reveals the reason why he left the project.

Ryan Payton isn’t just leaving the project, but he’s also leaving 343 Industries as well. 343 Industries will be developing three new games for the Halo franchise spawning an all-new trilogy.

The main reason Payton left the project because he was “losing passion for the project”. He felt Halo 4 was going in another direction that he did’t envision from the beginning and felt it was time to explore something new.

“I had a great run at Microsoft. I don’t regret one day of it. But after a few years, there came a point where I wasn’t creatively excited about the project anymore”, said Payton. “The Halo I wanted to build was fundamentally different and I don’t think I had built enough credibility to see such a crazy endeavour through.”

“For somebody who loves this industry as much as I do and know how lucky I’ve been, I never thought I’d get to a point where I was so drained. That was when I knew I had to do something else. I think time is the most valuable thing we have and I’ve decided that I’m not going to waste one more day working on something that doesn’t speak to my values,” Payton concluded.

Despite Ryan Payton leaving the project, a new Creative Director has now been appointed. Halo 4 is still scheduled to be released Q4 2012.

VN:F [1.9.10_1130]please wait... The Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary Guide is ready for launch!

A few days ago I saw something that caught my eye, I saw the Halo CEA Strategy Guide preorder info on Gamestop.com.

All the info that was given was that it is being made by Brady Games and will cost $19.99

GAMEFest secures UK playable debuts of Halo CEA and other AAA Titles

Microsoft will be bringing their big guns of 2011 to GAMEFest in playable form for the first time in the UK including Gears of War 3, Forza 4 and Halo Anniversary. They will also be bringing a handful of new kInect titles to give a flavour of their hands-free Christmas line-up. Gamers will be able to get down with Dance Central 2, try out marionette gunslinging in Gunstringer and try out some new sports in Kinect Sports 2.

Tickets for the event are now sold out for the Saturday, but Friday the 16th and Sunday the 18th of September still have plenty of space free. They are available to GAME Reward card holders for 10 GBP per day.

This Halo Helmet Looks Good Enough for the Movie They’ll Never Make

The way it's looking there'll never be a Halo movie. Ah well! So long as regular humans keep making killer props like this, we're free to imagine our own. Which is always for the best, because then, they never end up sucking.

This helmet was submitted to MAKE magazine by creator Tsabo Tsaboc over the weekend, and it's stunning.

If you don't recognise it, it's Carter's helmet, with Carter being your squad's leader in Halo: Reach. The helmet goes nice with some of his other stuff, including a complete ODST suit of armour and various individual Halo helmets (like Noble Six's), all of which you can see in more detail at the link below.

Jeremy Clarkson Talks About…a Halo Warthog

If you've ever wanted to hear the Top Gear star drawl "light plasma cannons", you should watch this clip of Jeremy Clarkson giving the rundown on the Warthog that'll feature in Halo 4.

It comes across as a bizarre piece of marketing, until you remember the Warthog will be in the upcoming Forza 4 (albeit not in a drivable state), a game that will have Top Gear branding and content all over it.

Forza 4 is out in October on Xbox 360.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzUNdXPGOf4&feature=player_embedded#t=0s

I feel 343 industries has a lot planned for us. Do you think so too?

Twist Control is the name of the new Xbox 360 dashboard according to Robin Burrowes, Xbox Live product marketing manager for EMEA. The new dashboard is supposedly coming out later this year.

Due to the massive amounts of content on the Xbox Live Marketplace, nearing 20,000, the new dashboard was necessary to make it look less cluttered and easier to use. Twist will make it easier to browse for this content as well as for games.

“Hopefully the new dash will show this service proposition goes beyond gaming,” said Burrowes. “We’ll never lose our focus on that gaming audience. In fact, developing the investment infrastructure to develop programs like cloud storage and Facebook posting and the beacons, are three examples of continuing to invest in that space."

If you have a Xbox Kinect, the redesign will allow you to have voice and motion control over the menu. Twist Control also includes new channels and a top display, allowing for easier use for those still using the 360 controller. The Beacons section will allow users to post what they're doing on Xbox Live and Facebook, and will make it easier for you to contact your friends.

“Our games Marketplace environment is really beginning to get optimized. We’re now selling more with new transaction space than we are with subscription space for the first, which is showing to us our core audience is staying with us and spending more time, money and effort within games as well as entertainment.”

Twist Control is expected to launch sometime before Christmas. As we get more details we'll be sure to get them to you. In the meantime, are you excited for the new dash? It's very...not green, so I like that atleast.

[via g4tv.com]

I am sad to say that after spending countless hours of searching for info on the recent map rumors and vehicle rumors related to Halo 4, all the vehicles are concept art for Halo Wars and then the map that was rumored to be call “Canary” was just concept art for “Highground” on Halo 3. Now, to make up for the sad news on the rumors I found this photo below:

This photo is supposed to be a weapon that will be featured in Halo 4. I personally find this pretty hard to believe. My reasoning is, it just looks like some concept art of the Brute shot with a giant red needle in the middle. Also another reason is because if you look at the 343i logo, it looks like the word industries was moved a little to the right.

Halofest info!

Tournaments info:

Friday, August 26th

Anniversary 4v4 Team Slayer – First Round

10:00am-12:00pm

Bracketed, single elimination - First Round of the two day event. First Strike! Jump into the fray as teams of four compete in a single-elimination tournament featuring: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Saturday, August 27th

Anniversary 4v4 Team Slayer – Final Round

10:00am-12:00pm

Bracketed, single elimination - Final Round of the two day event. Enter the melee Saturday morning with a 4v4, single-elimination tournament featuring Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

Reach Racing

12:00pm-1:00pm

8-person races, race maps provided by Halo community member CruelLEGACEY. Hit the track Saturday afternoon in an eight person race through Halo: Reach's most popular forged race tracks.

Reach Forge Contest

1:00pm-2:30pm

3-4 Challenges. I need a hammer! Compete against other players to create the best forge map in Halo: Reach.

Sunday, August 28th

FLAG Firefight

11:00am-1:00pm

Beat the best score! Compete to earn the highest score in Halo: Reach Firefight.

Entry Fee: $10 (all proceeds go to fight breast cancer).

Anniversary 4v4 CTF

1:30pm-3:00pm

Bracketed, single elimination. Ransack the enemy base in a 4v4, single elimination tournament featuring: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

FLAG Firefight

4:00pm-6:00pm

Beat the best score! Fight for honor, bravery and the cure. This tournament features Halo: Reach.

Entry Fee: $10 (all proceeds go to fight breast cancer).

Don’t forget, the Official Halo Fest Information page is your one-stop shop for tournament and panel schedules, along with all the general information concerning the three-day event. What you won’t find on that page, however, is answers to your already-asked questions. You know why? Because they’re below!

Rollin like a B-7!

For those who have not seen my videos I posted later about the B-Roll for two maps from CEA. Those two maps are Damnation and Beaver Creek!

Damnation!

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a--EutYckr0&feature=player_detailpage[/media]

Damnation Gameplay!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSrlaIJkm0M&feature=player_embedded

Beaver Creek!

http://www.youtube.c...ayer_detailpage

Halo CEA Multiplayer Maps are basic math, 6=12:

As some eagle-eyed social media consumers have already noticed, a select few members of the gaming press have visited the outer halls of the 343 mothership recently. While they're not quite ready to fully reveal the fruits of their coverage just yet, we do have some delicious question answering morsels to satiate you as we continue to countdown the hours until the metaphorical informational floodgates begin to open at Halo Fest on August 26th.

With members of the Halo: Anniversary team hard at work across multiple continents and countries, this particular deep dive fell to my feeble fingers to peck out some pertinent particulars on the Multiplayer map variants that will ship on disc when Halo: Anniversary launches in November of this year.

Map remakes have always been a contentious topic for Halo fans. The paths, jumps, and sightlines for these carnage-filled locations are ingrained in the muscle memory of the hardcore players. The designers, artists, and engineers on the Anniversary team have no small task: they have to create spaces that feel new and fresh while retaining the overarching flow for the spaces they're based on. The Multiplayer team has come up with a unique solution to this particular challenge: EVERY Multiplayer map that ships with Anniversary will have two distinct variants.

What exactly does that mean? Well, one forum poster put it this way: "Oh, so you're actually shipping 12 new MP maps?" While we'd never make that claim ourselves, there is a tiny kernel of truth to the sentiment behind the post. One variant will replicate the classic layout of their namesakes while the other will offer new tunnels, rooms and maneuvering options that take full advantage of the base Reach sandbox. In fact, these new variants are so unique, they'll actually have new names to go along with their new digs.

Today, we're turning our attention to two of these maps: Beaver Creek and Damnation. No doubt you've already been glancing lovingly at screens of both maps since we revealed Anniversary at this year’s E3. We touched on some of the differences in broad detail on the latest episode of the 343 Sparkast, but today we're showing images of both variants for these two maps.

The first maps we’re going to take a gander at are Beaver Creek (which is in some ways a hybrid of Battle Creek and Beaver Creek-proper), and the vernal battlefield that is Battle Canyon. Experienced warriors will feel immediately comfortable in the tight confines of this basically symmetrical playspace nestled in the mysterious confines of an unknown Forerunner structure.

The Beaver Creek iteration replicates the flow and layout of the classic environment it's based on. Matching teleporters still adorn the backside of both bases, while Battle Canyon prefers to stretch out its environment to take advantage of tunnels built into both backsides of the map. The base teleporters are replaced with a vertical mancannon to help vertically-challenged Spartans make the blind leap into the enemy base. If you're an assaulter with a case of acrophobia, fear not; your trusty teleporters still grace this space. But instead of adjoining the base, they now have their own private bivouac in the back walls of the map.

This serves several purposes, but basically this makes it more difficult for the defending team to camp the backroom without having to sacrifice sightlines down each side of the base.

The creek running through the middle of the map has always been a hotbed for multiplayer carnage in every iteration of this map. Beaver Creek still features an Overshield and Active Camo facing off at each end of the waterway while the Battle Canyon variant differentiates itself by following the water into the sides of canyon wall. These alternate paths allow for additional cover while making your way down the side while also allowing pursuers to pelt the openings with a plethora of well-placed grenades. These cave spaces feel reminiscent of the water-filled side passage in Hemorrhage.

These cosmetic changes aren't the only additions for this environment, though. There are also unique weapon placements on Beaver Creek and Battle Canyon.

The next map we're digging into is Damnation, or Penance as its feisty upstart alter-ego prefers to go by. Instead of the light purple geometric layout from the classic map, this new space is set in the midst of an alien Covenant water treatment facility. Did I mention this particular plant has seen better days? The waterfalls rushing down the side of the level aren't the only drenching flows in this map. The entire place seems to have sprung a leak so please watch your step as you might slip on the many ramps and walkways that carry you around the map. [Writer’s note: No, we haven't added a real-time traction mechanic to the Halo sandbox. This was just a bit of metaphorical flourish to set the stage for this particular arena.]

There aren't many dramatic differences between both of these spaces other than the differing weapon placements. However, the changes that do exist alter the flow in subtle, but still substantial ways.

The first and most immediately noticeable difference is the lower walkway by the waterfalls. In the original Damnation, a trio of spokes shot out of the middle which sure-footed Spartans could jump across for a quick dash to the other side. Other, less steady soldiers (like me) would often fall to their doom while looking up at the other elevated spaces. Penance offers an unbroken path across the underside while Damnation still features the trio of lubricious outcroppings for the purists out there.

Since Halo: Reach doesn’t support ladders for vertical locomotion (a method that was evolved out of the game in the early days because it slowed combat), a lift now allows players to move up from the middle rocket spawn.

As a testament to the original layout of the classic map on Penance, the only other substantial difference is a lift that allows a quick option to gain verticality for those without a jetpack strapped on their backs, as well as iterations of the map where armor abilities or jetpacks specifically are removed.

The great and mighty bs angel drops many hints!

I found this and drops some hints of things we might see in the title update!

I was actually in that last match, doing the following amazing things: no scoping the air next to David’s head, throwing grenades then immediately rushing into their blast radius, and falling off the edge to my death, time and time again. When I relayed that last part to Max Hoberman, President of Certain Affinity, he had this to say:

“Falling to your death is never much fun (unless maybe you try something utterly stupid or ballsy and got your just desserts). A lot of people disliked this aspect of the central bridge in Damnation. So we left the gaps in the bridge in the classic variant, but added custom Forge pieces to fill them in for the new variant.”

Remind me to load up that version next time. He also provided a little more insight into this particular map.

“One of the challenges that we faced was that current generation maps typically have epic vistas, while the early Halo maps were mostly closed boxes. We really wanted to give Damnation an epic feel, but without altering the fundamental nature of the spaces. We worked really hard at this, one example being the natural area that you can see past the windows. We also added a gravity lift to the pump room (lower level, right off the central bridge). This was due to people feeling vulnerable on the long ramp. It results in shotgun alley being an even heavier traffic area on the new variant. Of course, it's a Forge piece, so doesn't exist on the original variant.”

Oh Max, you had me at shotgun! Speaking of which, I’d just like to take a moment to say that some of my favorite Halo 2 moments involved sitting a few feet back from the Beaver Creek base teleporter, patiently gifting exiting Spartans with shotgun blasts to the face. Many a spree was attained this way, and I’m determined to do something similar in the new version. Mark my words, because where there’s a will, there’s a Shea.

Well thats it for this week. I am unsure if I will do a weekly update next week due to Halofest. PREPARE FOR THE FLOODGATES TO OPEN NEXT WEEK!

John-117

HALO: CEA Multiplayer Maps AND HALOFEST!

There will be numerous hands-on opportunities available to you during the three-day event. Five Halo: Anniversary maps will be awaiting your presence across dozens of stations. That’s right, FIVE Halo: Anniversary maps. Count them with me: one Anniversary map, ah ah ah ah ah! Two Anniversary maps, ah ah ah ah ah! I’d continue, but I’d have to cut and paste that three more times, and I’m entirely too lazy for that. So, moving on.

The upcoming Halo: Reach Title Update will also be playable, should you want to test the altered waters. What won’t be playable, however, is the behind-closed-doors viewing of a not-yet-decided-upon Halo: Anniversary Campaign level. Only a limited number of people will be able to get their eyes on it, and we’ll have more details about what exactly you’ll need to do to be one of those people at the event itself.

There will also be both skill and fun-based tournaments, should you crave something a little more organized or competitive. From straight up Slayer to recreational racing, there will definitely be something that floats your Spartan’s boat. Prizes for these particular events include everything from Halo: Reach consoles and custom-made helmets to a super old school, not to mention awesome, Duke controller retrofitted to work with the Xbox 360. IGN has the complete tournament line-up, so head over to their Halo Fest hub for the specifics.

While a few of our tournaments are charity-related—which makes sense considering Kari Toyama, founder of the annual Fight Like A Girl Tournament, is the matchmaking mastermind behind all of them—it’s also worth noting the Rooster Teeth Achievement community has created an exclusive Halo Fest achievement challenge. Donate a mere $3 to Child’s Play at the Halo Fest commissary, and try to beat the designated time. Everybody accomplishing that feat will receive a one-year subscription to Rooster Teeth’s premium website and, more importantly, a lifetime’s worth of bragging rights. Zach Wigal, founder and Executive Director of Gamers Outreach, will also be there, trading Gamers Outreach wristbands for game and console donations that support their “Fun for Our Troops” initiative. That’s a whole lot of doin’ good for just one weekend. I’m thinking the karma, if you decide to participate in any of them, will be well worth the meager investment.

We do recognize that you can’t play every second you’re there (primarily because I plan on hogging the majority of the stations), so I do hope you’ll check out some, if not all, of the panel offerings. The three main panels, which you probably already know about, are Halo: Anniversary, Halo Universe, and Halo 4. But when I heard we’d they'd hosting other panels as well, I immediately started pitching all my—what I consider to be anyway—brilliant ideas. What I was most excited about was a proposed hour-long block of time where I was going to ditch the spoken word and instead communicate solely through screenshots. Unfortunately it got shot down quicker than my teammates (hey, it’s not my fault they constantly walk into my line of fire), so I’ll just present it now as it appears this is my only window of opportunity.

The official Halo Fest schedule!

Friday, August 26th

Saturday, August 27th

Sunday, August 28th

In the Halo Community panel description, you may have noticed a mention of the Waypoint Community Lounge—that will be the place to get general Halo Fest information, take part in giveaways, and meet fellow fans. Basically, it’s going to be where all the cool kids hang out. And I’m not just saying that because that’s where I’ll be the bulk of the weekend. Ok, I am, but still. It’s a valid point regardless.

The night goes into morning

Another place the cool kids will be hanging out is the Halo Fest VIP Party. Taking place Friday night from 8pm-11pm, those with an invite will get to party like it’s 1999. Or 2011. Or 2552. Take your pick. Included in the festivities will be music, contests, film shorts, trivia, prizes, and other things that are awesome and fun in nature. Manning the music side of things will be someone I know as Maggie, but you may recognize as DJ Zealot. A Senior Technical Artist at 343 Industries, this lighting and shading Drop Pod Lead will spend that particular evening doubling as a disc jockey. Having had the only electronica radio show in the Boston market for almost four years, that experience, along with dj-ing live sets at Ryles, tunnel raves at MIT, and clubs in Boston and San Francisco, make her the perfect maestro for the evening.

Free Stuff and The Most amazing store on Earth!

The first 5,000 people to come through the door will get a surprise from Mega Bloks, a limited edition poster, and other such goodies. There will also be a store where you can buy as many adorable Grunt plushies you can carry, plus a selection of hats, shirts, hoodies, license plate frames, key chains, books, and more, all for your viewing and purchasing pleasure. I’d give you a complete list of everything but seriously, my fingers are starting to hurt at this point. Plus, I’m thirsty. And a little whiny. That last part isn’t related to the large chunk of time I’ve spent typing, though. That’s actually just a basic part of my personality. Should you attend Halo Fest, you’ll get to experience it in person. I know, how very not exciting.

Halo 4 Rumor Photos!

I found some very intresting photos today while scrolling through the waypoint photos on facebook:

The one on the bottom left looks like it could very well be a remake of Highground but, I say the coolest one is Kronos!

Now here are the vehicle images I found:

Here is what was given on the vehicles on the Facebook page:

Quote:

Hear are the new vehicles for Halo 4 there are the new Pelican / The Sparrow, the new drop ship witch has no name but it is flyable, and last the new scorpion its the same as the old one but it has more power more speed new turret and new guns

He also said that these were posted on waypoint awhile back and then taken down in a few minutes.

Please speculate below!

Before I call this chaotic cluster of words complete, I’d like to answer a question. Hey, I’m not all whiny. A teeny tiny portion of me is nice, too. Teeny tiny being the key words, of course.

Cortana to Play an ‘Active’ Role in Halo 4!

If rumors are to be believed then Microsoft Studios’ upcoming project Halo 4 could see the artificially intelligent (AI) character Cortana to play a leading role in the game.

Previously, it was rumored that Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary will also feature a beta version of Halo 4 in its ‘Extras’ panel in the menu. Now it is believed that Halo 4 will see the graphical representation of Cortana is a livelier form.

"I can tell you Cortana's going to be a focal point of Halo 4, for sure." Said Frank O'Connor, 343's franchise development director, during an interview with OXM (Official Xbox Magazine). "I think a lot of people are speculating on Cortana's age and the effects of age on an AI, there's this thing called Rampancy which is really just any AI thinking itself to death and Cortana's been around for a while and most AIs have a lifespan of seven years.”

O’Connor has hinted that Cortana will not be limited to a graphical imagery AI in the new version of Halo alongside Master Chief. This is expected to alter the game’s storyline and give it a more detailed plot. If Cortana is to play an active character alongside the chief then it will come as a bonus with the game.

"Cortana's a little bit different in that she's been exposed to a lot more technology and information than other AIs via the Forerunner lore and mythos. But her state of mind, her relationship with the Chief, they're all going to be core elements of the story and the 'human drama' as it were in Halo," O’Connor added.

“Set in the aftermath of Halo 3, Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 marks the start of a new trilogy that begins with its release in 2012,” says the official Halo 4 website.

Halo 4 will arrive on Xbox 360 in the fourth quarter of 2012, according to an OXM report.

Some Photos of CEA featured in a magazine and some others!

I would like to give a special thanks to El Silverado for finding the photos relating to CEA!

Gameplay

a

Pillar of autumn

Pillar of Autumn(level)

(Top pic)

Halo (level)

(the large pic)

Silent Cartographer

343 Guilty Spark(level)

343 Guilty Spark

Hang Em High:

Here is the question of the week!

Are there plans to develop Waypoint for mobile platforms? And when will the Hamburglar be brought to justice?! -don carnage1

If you’re going to be at Halo Fest, you should stop by the “What’s Next for Waypoint” panel. They'll be discussing the future of Halo Waypoint as it pertains to all of our screens: web, console, and the one that you’re asking about. And I don’t know this Hamburglar person, but look, a screenshot of a cat!

To start thing off with our first of many updates, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Trey Partin other known as John-117 or Super John. I have been playing Halo since the launch of it in 2001. Many of you should remember me from the “Halo News Bulletin Board.” Since then I have been promoted to news group and will now do a weekly update every week for this site! So without further ado I now present the first weekly update!

Frank O’ Connor talks about Halo Anniversary:

Recently posted on the web, G4 had an exclusive interview with Frank O’ Connor. They talked about many things, weather it was how far they are in development or the infamous title update. We finally have some info!

Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary sure is pretty. That's the first thing you'll notice when you sit down to play. The updated visuals and new 16:9 aspect ratio look great. You can switch between the old and new versions instantaneously by pressing the Back button, but most will probably replay Master Chief's inaugural adventure soaking in the high-def scenery.

The technological feat of quick-swapping between the two graphics modes without a break in play can be credited to the two engines tasked with powering the experience. "There are two engines running simultaneously," 343 Industries' Frank O'Connor told G4 at a recent Microsoft holiday preview event in New York City. Read on to see what else he had to tell us about the updated HD love sonnet to the original Halo, and you can catch his video where he sheds more light on the game with us as well.

"The original Halo engine... and a second engine running in symmetry, but independently, on top of that which is handling all of the new graphics. That's the reason we're able to switch [graphics modes] so quickly." The new engine is custom-designed to play nice with the original Halo, though O'Connor confirmed that "it uses a bunch of existing technologies." He said that the framework used to build Halo: Reach just wouldn't work with Combat Evolved, and Anniversary is designed to replicate that original experience as closely as possible.

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/54526/halo-combat-evolved-anniversary-preview-with-frank-oconnor/

"We're guaranteeing that this plays exactly the same, but one thing that we can't guarantee is that you won't see any differences," O'Connor continued. "This is the first time that the console game has been available in 16:9 aspect ratio, it was only ever made in 4:3, so there may be some slight differences."

The differences being referred to here are of the deep-dive variety, specialized tactics developed by players that depend on certain pixel counts. O'Connor painted an object example: "Kids are saying, 'Can i do this one grenade jump that i used to do?' The fact is you probably can, but we've stopped guaranteeing it ever since we switched to 16:9. We could've had it running in 4:3, but ultimately people are buying this so they can have it on their HDTV."

Another example of a possible change that might come to Combat Evolved Anniversary is the fan-favorite pistol. While the overpowered little beauty will still be the same beast it always was in campaign mode, the multiplayer version might -- emphasis on might -- be changed a little bit.

"People really want it in multiplayer," O'Connor said. "The multiplayer component [in Anniversary] all runs in the Reach engine. We didn't want to cannibalize the existing player base for Reach in the middle of its lifespan, so what we did was we picked a group of multiplayer maps that would work well with that Reach stuff."

More importantly," he added, "we're working on a title update for Reach and obviously for this that'll allow us to add some of the classic functionality and game play from the original multiplayer component [in Combat Evolved]. In some ways taken backwards, taken back to the sort of simpler... more elegant Halo experience."

"We haven't revealed what all of those pieces are that we're putting in the title update because, frankly, we're testing a lot of them right now. I don't want to say we'll have the original pistol back in multiplayer if some unperceived circumstance could come up during testing and it doesn't work. But right now we're pretty confident that everything we're shooting for is going to make it into the title update. We'll give that list out and sort of talk through it at Halo Fest on August 26."

O'Connor confirmed that Anniversary will include seven multiplayer maps in all, one of which is dedicated entirely to Firefight mode. "Some of them are from Halo, maybe one is from Halo 2 and people have already spotted the Timberland map from Halo PC in there."

"The choice of maps was all based on, obviously people's favorites, but also things that haven't been remade on the 360 because it would be redundant," he added. "Blood Gulch is the obvious number one go-to, but it's available in Reach and in Halo 3. There are still some surprises to announce that I think people will be pretty happy with."

O'Connor teased one of those surprises specifically, an innovation relating to the game's lone Firefight map, which is set on Halo. "We've actually been able to-- because of the stuff we've been playing with in terms of the base code, there's something that we've been able to add to Firefight."

He wouldn't go into specifics since the element is still being tested -- "We're pretty confident it's going to make it in," O'Connor said -- but it is something "that hasn't been seen before." He teased, "It's something that hasn't been in Firefight to date, and it should make it a pretty compelling experience."

Skulls will be back, as we already know, starting with the previously announced Grunt Funeral. O'Connor confirmed that all of the skulls will be new to the series, though "some of them will do familiar things."

He also talked a little bit about the terminals in Anniversary, which you may have caught a trailer for at the tail end of last week. Terminals actually date all the way back to Marathon, and Bungie revived them as fonts of textual information about the Halo universe in Halo 3.

http://www.g4tv.com/videos/54468/halo-anniversary-terminals-teaser/

The newly added terminals will be easier to find, and they'll feature animations and voice acting, as you saw in the trailer. Fans can even expect to see some hints of what's to come pop up in Anniversary, by way of the terminals.

"They'll definitely feed into Greg Bear's novels and there'll be some links to Halo 4 as well," O'Connor added. "I would caution people: you don't need to read the terminals to play Halo 4. You don't need to buy a book to understand Halo 1. We try to make these things self-contained as well as connected."

And hey, look at that: Forge is back too! Since the multiplayer side of Anniversary runs on the Reach engine, including Forge was an easy choice. It will, of course, be new and improved as well, at least as far as integrating content from Combat Evolved goes.

"We're putting new Forge build pieces in the maps," O'Connor said. "A good example is Beaver Creek. You want to make that map a little bit bigger, so we've added some tunnels and stuff. In the classic mode it'll be blocked off, but you can take that out in Forge. With the Forge, all the stuff that works in Reach multiplayer with work in the multiplayer component of this."

It's fitting that 343 Industries' first crack at overseeing a Halo title is this Anniversary re-releases. Bungie created a fantastic platform for the studio to launch from in the original trilogy, but now the continuing story of Master Chief is in the hands of a new group of Halo fans.

"One of the luxuries we had in taking over the franchise was, we had time to actually stop and reset and say, 'What is this arc going to look like? What is the next trilogy going to look like? How can we better connect the external franchise fiction [like the novels]?'" O'Connor said.

"We're actually in a really good place with the story. We know where the first story we ever told is and we know where the last story we're going to tell is, and we can build into that framework really efficiently."

If Halo doesn’t survive, then the Xbox can’t survive:

The fate of the Xbox 360 runs parallel to that of the Halo franchise, so says Microsoft Game Studios boss Phil Spencer.

Spencer told OXM that its own key franchises and Halo in particular, are key drivers in dictating how the console evolves over time.

"I think it's important that our AAA first party titles do help craft and shape how the platform evolves," he explained.

"Halo just by its sheer nature of size, of user base - as well as how important the FPS is in today's gaming world - has to play that role.

"If we lose our way with Halo, we lose our way with Xbox, because Halo and the importance of games like Call of Duty and other shooters, that state of the art needs to continue to move forward, and our team at 343 needs to move forward with that. That's always going to be one of our success criteria."

Spencer went on to offer a little assurance that 343 is firmly on the right track with the recently unveiled Halo 4.

"The good thing about 343 is that they've had the time, through the development of Reach, working on getting the map packs out, and getting to know the infrastructure and the build systems and everything about Halo.

"They've also brought in their own talent and their own view so that they can put their own stamp on the franchise," he continued, adding that the studio is "in a position to take over the franchise without missing a beat."

Halo with Kinect will enhance not change the experience:

When Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was announced at E3 in June it was revealed that the game would feature support for Microsoft Kinect. But the exact details of how Kinect would function with Halo Anniversary were not elaborated on at the time. In typical nerd fashion, we all prepared for the worst.

Over the last few months we’ve seen quite a few screenshots and videos highlighting the multiplayer and graphical slip-shine the game is receiving, but we’re still in the dark about how the Kinect will be integrated into the experience. There’s apparently a reason for that, as 343 Industries’ Frankie O’ Connor told OXM that the Kinect functionality in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is really not a big deal. It’s a “cool” feature, but players shouldn’t get “hyper-excited” over it.

“I don’t think it’s going to be something that people need to be hyper-excited about,” said O’Connor.

“It’ll be cool, but it’s not something you’d put on the front of the box. I don’t want to downplay it, but I think of it like this – I use voice on Netflix and it’s awesome, and that’s what this’ll be. Something that enhances you overall experience.”

Honestly, this sounds like good news for Halo fans. It’s great to hear that Microsoft isn’t forcing Kinect down the throats of those interested in revisiting (or playing for the first time) the original Halo with this new remastering. It seems like O’Connor is insinuating that Halo Anniversary’s Kinect integration will be something similar to how BioWare is handling it in Mass Effect 3 -- solely voice commands.

Halo Fall of Reach: Boot Camp 2^nd Edition:

Marvel Comics has revealed the date that the second edition of the popular Halo – Fall of Reach: Boot Camp graphic novel will be published. Collecting issues #1 – #4 of the Halo – Fall of Reach: Boot Camp comic book series, Halo – Fall of Reach: Boot Camp is an adaptation of the best-selling novel Halo: Fall of Reach by Eric Nylund.

Halo – Fall of Reach: Boot Camp depicts the rise of the most famous videogame science-fiction hero of the past decade: this is where it all began. Before he was Master Chief, he was John a boy stolen from his parents and conscripted into the Spartan Ii program on the fortress world of Reach. These are desperate times in the human colonies, with galactic civil war just a heartbeat away, and only Dr. Catherine Halsey understands the terrible price humanity must pay to keep from destroying itself.

Brian Reed (Amazing Spider-Man Presents: American Son), and Felix Ruiz (Marvel Boy: The Uranian) collaborated on Halo – Fall of Reach: Boot Camp, and now Marvel Comics bring you second edition graphic novel featuring a revised cover and set to be available in greater quantities than the first edition.

Halo: CEA may feature Halo 4 beta:

343 Industries cannot make it through their Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary without rumors or speculation. All Halo Anniversary wants is a little attention, but a picture has turned up that suggests 343 Industries may be taking part in some extracurricular gaming on the side, and gamers may be able to join in with them soon.

The picture of the Halo Anniversary menu screen reveals an “Extras” option, which many believe to hold access to the Halo 4 beta. Couple this with the announcement of a “surprise” at Halofest and 343 Industries is not doing a great job of covering their tracks. Coming home with plasma on their shirt collar is not going to make Halo Anniversary happy, but putting the Halo 4 beta in the game may be a great marketing ploy. We’ll see what develops as we approach Halofest and PAX.

SDCC 2011 Halo Waypoint Video:

<a href="http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/intel/featured/video/halo-at-sdcc-2011/a29519c0-2717-4c34-ae04-8f831e949aa1">Halo Waypoint SDCC

As you can see, Comic-con was a blast this year and some people have access to some special Halo 4 info!

Halo the Essential Visual Guide Interview:

Halo as a franchise has grown over the past ten years. From a single video game released almost a decade ago, we now have a wealth of trans-media mediums available to indulge and enjoy the series. The Halo Encyclopedia has been the unifying tome bringing the fiction together in one place and now we finally have a companion book, Halo: The Essential Visual Guide. The Guide, as the name suggests, takes a more aesthetically pleasing approach to presenting Halo lore to the fans but still manages to pack in a surprising amount of detail in between the beautifully laid out art.

Although a collaborative effort involving many talented people, the Visual Guide is headed by Jeremy Patenaude. Former Ascendant Justice author and now one of the writers at 343 Industries, Jeremy works on a variety of projects including both Halo Waypoint and many of the group’s officially licensed products. He’s a busy man and very tricky to pin down given his responsibilities and schedule but we’ve managed to convince Jeremy to take a quick break to talk with us about the Visual Guide.

How did the Illustrated Guide come about? Any particular inspirations?

The Visual Guide is yet another super solid product to come out of 343 Industries’ Consumer Products group, the folks who have been in charge of all of our official, licensed merchandise for several years now. They do a really great job of working with partners to determine what Halo fans want outside of the games and then they do everything they can to bring those wishes to the market. The Visual Guide was a great way to get new people caught up on the different facets of the universe, but it also had enough of the nitty gritty detailed content to be worthy of hardcore fans.

How does the book complement the Halo video games and extended universe?

At its core, the Visual Guide is a fact book for things players could find in any of the Halo games, essentially a condensed encyclopedia with the most up-to-date info we could compile. We did our best to fill in gaps and answer questions that the games left people asking, as well as to tie in the extended universe where it made the most sense. And ultimately, it is a Visual Guide so we definitely wanted to focus on providing great visual representations of everything. There are a lot of pretty pictures in there.

What kind of challenges did you have to overcome to produce the book?

Time, mainly – or lack thereof. Jokes aside, there were plenty of challenges on this project. Up front, there was a ton of information collecting from numerous sources. Some days that included collecting and analyzing models from the game’s code to get the most up-to-date, real world size for, say, a rifle. Others it included rereading a description of a battle a dozen times so that no detail was taken in without careful consideration.

The biggest challenge was reviewing the material once it was in the book, which was extremely time consuming and difficult because it involved (on top of making sure it was actually readable) double-checking every single fact on every page, and if you’ve read the book, you’ll know that there are more than a few facts in there. DK was extremely gracious in the amount of changes/tweaks/adjustments we were making until the very day they pushed the print button.

How does the Guide engage the hardcore Halo fan base?

The Visual Guide was originally designed as a “Top 200 cool things in Halo” book, which is why you see multiplayer maps sitting side-by-side with the Prophet of Truth and the M12 FAV. For the average fan, this setup works well because it’s chock full of all sorts of detailed info. Some of the hardcore fiction folks out there obviously want story to be the primary focus, so in those areas, we really tried to push the envelope in getting as much deep fiction as possible into the book, meeting somewhere in the middle at the end of the day. It’s a good overall blend of content with a significant amount of detail.

Does the Illustrated Guide contain any new lore or fiction not found in other sources?

The Visual Guide contains a ton of new information about existing topics and some pretty clever details on things which have never been disclosed before. Whether it’s a previously hidden service number, the birth name of a specific character, or the length of a vehicle no one’s measured before – this is the kind of territory the Visual Guide happily treads.

What kind of research went into making the Illustrated Guide?

A ton of research from everywhere in the universe went into this book. I definitely need to give a proper nod to Mr. Stephen Loftus, who has been a vital fixture in the Halo community for years now and helped out a great deal with content in this book. When we looked at the nature of this book and its extreme focus on details like size, scale, and composition, it seemed completely reasonable to get someone like Stephen to help us with reviewing the content and making sure everyone would be happy with the end result. Stephen was awesome in this regard and the book is enormously better for it.

In terms of actual research, everything was used and nothing was left out when we began filling it with content: the story bible, scale charts, fact sheets, game scripts, novels, in-game models, and ancillary web articles – all of this was checked, cross-checked, and used to generate the content for the book.

With every new release, the Halo fanbase continues to grow and expand. How will the Illustrated Guide help these newer fans?

The Visual Guide’s format and size make it easily digestible for new fans, helping them get up to speed on the different facets of the universe they might not be entirely familiar with without having to deep dive into a novel or play through every game. One page is dedicated to each entry, so people can flip it open without worrying about whether or not they’ll get lost in it. Hopefully, it’ll encourage some new folks to turn over stones in the Halo Universe that they might not have even noticed before.

Is there anything you wanted to include in the book but couldn’t?

The Bumblebee lifeboat to name one. There were actually a great many things we’d like to have included but there simply wasn’t room for it, especially given the initial scope of the book. That doesn’t mean that these things won’t ever appear in future books just that we had to draw the line somewhere for the Visual Guide.

Will we see more introspective Halo publications (like this book and the Halo Encyclopedia) in future?

Absolutely.

Halo Reach Matchmaking status update:

343 industries realize that the matchmaking is currently messing up but, they have stated they are working closely with Bungie to fix this!

Euclideon Pty Ltd is a computer software company developing 3D computer graphics middleware for uses which include video games and industrial data visualization. It is best known for Unlimited Detail, a 3D rendering technology for displaying unlimited point cloud data in real-time.

Gaming of the Future