Halo 3

Halo 3 Appealing to the Casual Gamer

2007-11-19T12:30:00.000-08:00

An online marketing intelligence firm, BrandIntel, has made the interesting claim that Halo 3 is appealing to the casual gamer. They base their results off of comparison's to Activision's Guitar Hero 3. It's an interesting read. Check it out.

Halo CE Coming in Dashboard Update

2007-11-13T10:17:00.001-08:00

It's been reported today that the fall update for the Xbox 360 will allow for the download of original Xbox games. The fall update is supposedly scheduled for Dec. 4 and will reportedly allow for the download of Halo CE, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies, and Fable. The news was just confirmed by Microsoft. Check it out

Bungie Weekly Update

2007-11-05T09:03:00.001-08:00

Bungie said in this week's update that downloadable content is close to being finished. They talk of a new map, OK Coral, that is designed to mimic a sunset showdown. Also, they have updated their custom gamelist to include some of their favorites that they have found in the Forge. Check it out.

Nintendo Denies Referencing Halo 3

2007-11-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Nintendo clarified the remarks made by UK boss David Yarnton. Here's what he said at the press conference in London:

"For all the recent talk of record breaking entertainment launches, it might just be that the defining and most influential video game of this generation is a simple game of tennis that the whole family can gather around and play and enjoy together."

Here's Nintendo's 'clarification:'

"We did not mention any games or other companies and it was certainly not a dig at anyone. We were merely putting Wii Sports into a wider cultural context alongside cinema, books and TV. We would echo the recent comments from our US colleague Reggie Fils-Aime where he commented the Halo trilogy was indispensable and a valuable addition to our industry."

Xbox Live Abusers Beware

2007-10-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Microsoft is making a concerted effort to curtail those who abuse Xbox Live in order to boost their Gamerscore and to gain achievements. Microsoft has warned that those who are sharing their account risk being exploited by those they share with, as well as having their account permanently banned. Check it out

Halo Zombies for Halloween

2007-10-31T06:41:00.000-07:00

Bungie has announced over on their forums that they are having a Halloween Playlist that includes a ranked version of the game type Infection. Infection pits humans against zombies in a format that became popular in Halo 2. Check out the details.

Why Does Wii = Innovation?

2007-10-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

The question of innovation in the gaming industry has been at the forefront of people's minds since the release of the Nintendo Wii. With its motion sensing technology and new control scheme, people thought that the system would change the way people approached video games. Almost a year later, and the verdict is still out. Wii has the largest market share with 13.49 million units worldwide. Xbox 360 is second with 12.34 million units, and PS3 is third with 5.23 million units. The success of Nintendo's hardware is undeniable, but the software sales have lagged behind.

Consider the following statistic:
Since November 2006, third party partners have seen their titles hit the top ten 27 times for Xbox 360, compared to 2 for PS3 and 1 for Wii. (Microsoft September Report)

With a system that is considered so innovative, why is there no rush in the industry to make games suited for the motion sensing technology? Especially since they have the majority of the market. No one has been able to justify this other than to say that it is still the first year for the Wii and that quality software will come as the system matures. Sure, this makes sense, especially if you think back to the 360's first year - outside of Medal of Honor and Gears of War, quality software was virtually non existent. So, if the Wii has done that poorly with regards to 3rd party software its 1st party development should be outstanding, right?

This theory does not really hold true. The top two pieces of software for the Wii are Wii Sports and Wii Play. Wii Sports has sold about 5.5 million units and Wii Play has sold roughly 2.5 million units in the US. The problem with these numbers is that Wii Sports is included with the system and Wii Play is part of a package that includes a controller for $49.99. It's tough to consider these as software sales along the same line as $50-$60 games. (Video Game Charts)

The only titles that have sold substantial copies for the Wii are Mario Party 8 and Zelda: Twilight Princess. Having played both of these games, the motion technology does not seem that innovative (except for the fishing mini-game in Zelda). The motions you make in these games are merely a replacement for the push of a button. Why is it that swinging my hand around recklessly in Zelda to use my sword is any different than tapping A? Or why is shaking the Wii-mote in a Mario Party mini-game considered so different from rotating an analogue stick? Having played these games, I find it more cumbersome than 'innovative.' For example, try SSX Blurry, there's nothing less innovative than drawing random shapes in the air in order to perform your tricks. It's no different than playing with a normal controller and performing tricks with random movements of the analog stick.

I'll wrap up this rant with saying that I do hope that someone releases a title for the Wii that can truly be seen as innovative. It's silly to try to say that any game for the Wii thus far has utilized its 'innovative' controls better than Wii sports, which in and of itself is a title lacking true gameplay depth. It's great that Nintendo has tapped the casual gaming, but in reality it has done nothing impress the true gamer. Metroid and Resident Evil should have been the equivalent of BioShock and Halo, but neither one of them has performed that well, having only sold about 450,000 copies each. At the moment, the Wii is nothing other than a very affordable gimmick in an atmosphere of HD/high-performance gaming. It's motion sensing controls do not feel very accurate within most games, and it has yet to be utilized in a way that can actually be seen as innovative. Let's stop giving Nintendo so much credit until they finally release a worthy game (hopefully Mario Galaxy) because the titles so far are anything but 'innovative.'

Weekly Update

2007-10-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

Check out Bungie's latest weekly update here. The banhammer is finally implemented, and the rankings are starting to level off so that you are actually playing with people around your own skill level. Also, recon armor is officially a reward piece from Bungie and there is a great video that is a must see. Head on over.

Founder of Atari Bashes Halo 3

2007-10-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

Founder of Atari, Nolan Bushnell recently took some shots at the Halo franchise and the Grand Theft Auto franchise. In this interview he says that Halo 3 is nothing more than Doom 1 in different clothes, and scolds the game industry for a lack of innovation.

"What I have consistently been concerned about is sort of the repetition and lack of innovation...as much as I applaud the beautiful, fantastic production guys of Halo 3, it's really Doom 1 in different clothing. Clothing or not, the clothing is nicer, but the game is the same," Bushnell said.

Of course, he thinks innovation can be found in games like Guitar Hero and all things Nintendo Wii. After discussing a lack of innovation in the industry, Bushnell moves on to the Grand Theft Auto franchise to discuss the issue of making a game focused on so much negative behavior.

"It values antisocial behavior, and God knows we've got a certain amount of problem with that in the United States or in the world today. I just feel like, you know, these things that you can make a buck on should be chastised."

Easy there, Bushnell. If memory serves, you made a fair amount of money off of games like Asteroid and Pong, and these weren't games that necessarily promoted social behavior. Weird criticism from a man who used to be so influential in the video gaming world. Innovation to Bushnell is being able to play games in different ways, like with the Wii and Guitar Hero, but what is not innovative about creating games that try to create a story and an atmosphere?

It's troubling that the man behind Atari is willing to be so publicly critical of these monster franchises. Do people buy games that are not fun to play? Isn't the point of a video game to be fun? These two franchises are a collective symbol of what gamers today think of as fun. Maybe Bushnell is just out of touch.

Read the full interview here.

More Holiday Gaming Forecasts

2007-10-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Great article over at Game Daily Biz about what to expect this holiday season from the gaming industry and how the loss of Bungie is going to affect Microsoft Game Studios. Great read, check it out.

Cheaters Beware

2007-10-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

The people over at Ars Technica have reported that Bungie has almost finished it's 'banhammer' to ban accounts that are deemed as cheating. Apparently most of the cheating has been occurring via DDoS'ers and such. Usually this results in unplayable lag for everyone but the cheater. Hopefully this will be implemented sooner rather than later. Head over to Ars Technica for the full article.

Halo 3 Sells 3.3 Million Units

2007-10-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

NPD has released their statistics for the month of September for the bustling game industry. Obviously, Halo 3 lead the charge along with the Xbox 360. Halo 3 moved 3.3 million units in shortened month with the next closest on the list being Wii Play w/ Wii Remote, moving 282K thousand units. As a whole, the video game industry swelled to $1.4 billion for the month. Software totals increased 64% to $550.5 million. Hardware sales saw the biggest jump of 188% to $418.6 million, but the Xbox 360 only outsold the Wii by 27,000 units at 527K and 500K, respectively. Here's the list of the top ten titles:

1. HALO 3 (360) - 3.3 million units
2. PLAY W/ REMOTE (Wii) - 282,000
3. LEGEND OF ZELDA: PHANTOM HOURGLASS (DS) - 224,000
4. MADDEN NFL 08 (PS2) - 205,000
5. SKATE (360) - 175,000
6. MADDEN NFL 08 (360) - 173,000
7. METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION (WII) - 167,000
8. BIOSHOCK (360) - 150,000
9. BRAIN AGE 2 (DS) - 141,000
10. HEAVENLY SWORD (PS3) - 139,000

It's been a great year thus far for gaming and the total sales stand at $9.37 billion, up 47% from last year.

2007-10-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sales Shifting Away From Wii For Holidays?

2007-10-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

Mike Hickey of Janco Partners, a company that forecasts the gaming market, has said that sales may be shifting away from the Nintendo Wii this holiday season. Hickey attributes this to more of a focus on 'hardcore games,' such as BioShock and Halo 3, along with the fact that the Wii is still difficult to find in most areas:

"We believe the recent release of killer content (Halo 3 - BioShock), lower hardware price points, and limited Wii (hardware/software) supply could shift market focus from Wii casual to 360 hardcore this holiday."

This is good news for Microsoft and Sony as each tries to make up ground in the market on Nintendo. Both systems feature strong holiday lineups along after both have announced price cuts and a new SKU. Sony is releasing a 40GB PS3 that will retail for $400. Microsoft has announced both a holiday bundle in which buyers will get the games Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Forza 2 for free, along with a rumored Xbox 360 Arcade that will have a 256mb memory card and a load of XBLA games.

Bungie Clarifies Marathon Man Achievement

2007-10-16T06:16:00.000-07:00

Bungie has announced that it is not a glitch that has prevented some gamers from receiving the 'Marathon Man' achievement. Check out the post on the Bungie Weekly Update

Downloadable Content in the Works

2007-10-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

Bungie has announced that they are currently at work on 3 new multiplayer maps. The first map, Jodrell Bank, was described as being made for free-for-all slayer. The second map, Moonbase Alpha, is a map made for team-based games. The third map was not named, but was described as "the scariest map of all time." The maps are already being tested internally, so hopefully we'll see them soon.

Amazon gives details of Halo 3 Soundtrack

2007-10-12T07:23:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com has announced that they will begin selling the Halo 3 soundtrack on November 20. It will be a two disc set. Here's the exact description:

From the most successful entertainment launch in history, comes the most anticipated video game soundtrack of the holiday season. Bungie created a new variation on the Game's musical themes this time around. Martin O'Donnell, Bungie's composer incorporated a full live orchestra and chorus which goes "above and beyond" what they've done in the past. Album produced by Nile Rodgers.

Gilbert Arenas Cheating at Halo 3???

2007-10-11T11:29:00.001-07:00

You gotta check out this post over at the Bungie forums. It appears that Gilbert Arenas, a known Halo fanatic and sponsor of Team Final Boss of Major League Gaming, has been cheating his way to higher rankings. The Xbox Live Gamertag is Agent Arenas. A must read.

Valve's Gabe Newell Bashes PS3

2007-10-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

Valve's Gabe Newell bashed the PS3 in a recent interview with EDGE Magazine. Personally, I love seeing people stick it to Sony for making a gaming console that performs well in everything but actual gaming. I understand that Warhawk is a solid game along with Folklore and a few others, but the indisputable fact is that Sony is letting down its supporters with sub-par software releases. One of the main sticking points has been the difficulty in developing games for the machine, leaving many multi-platform producers developing games for the Xbox 360 and then porting their creating to the PS3. This has resulted in many games not playing as well on the PS3 compared to their counterparts on the 360.

With the recent release of the Orange Box, hailed as the greatest value in gaming history, Valve's Gabe Newell got fired up about Sony's console, saying:

I think [PS3 is] a waste of everybody’s time. Investing in the Cell, investing in the SPE gives you no long-term benefits. There’s nothing there that you’re going to apply to anything else. You’re not going to gain anything except a hatred of the architecture they’ve created. I don’t think they’re going to make money off their box. I don’t think it’s a good solution.

Hopefully, Sony can start churning out some good games to show that their console isn't as bad as Gabe claims. Oh well, at least it can play Blu-rays

ESPN Article on Major League Gaming

2007-10-10T12:44:00.000-07:00

Sweet article on ESPN.com by Page 2's Patrick Hruby. Follows the Final Boss team at the MLG Chicago Halo 2 tournament. It's a great read. Check it out.

Microsoft's Shares See Increase with Release of Halo 3

2007-10-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Goldman Sachs has stated that Microsoft's shares hit a two month high yesterday, with a 40 cent increase over the quarter. That's good news as Microsoft moves into a Holiday season that is sure to be competitive as they try to gain ground on the Wii and keep the PS3, which just saw a new SKU released, stuck at a distant third. It's looking good for Microsoft with strong exclusive titles that include BioShock, Halo 3, and the upcoming Mass Effect.

Finally, Less Shotty-Snipers On Team Slayer!

2007-10-09T12:45:00.001-07:00

Bungie has announced on their forum that they have made some changes to the Matchmaking system:

Big Team Battle matches are now 16-player affairs.
In the Team Slayer playlist, the appearance of Shotty Snipers has been greatly reduced.
Now, when players veto Shotty Snipers, the game that results from the veto will not be Shotty Snipers.
In one-sided VIP matches, the attacking team will now see a waypoint for the VIP they are hunting.
In Lone Wolves, Slayer gametypes will appear more frequently.

You can read the post on their forums here

Business Week Interview with Bungie's Brian Jarrard

2007-10-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Business Week did an interview with Bungie community director Brian Jarrard. Jarrard had only good things to say about Microsoft after the split, and he made it clear that Bungie will not be producing any PS3 or Wii games in the near future.

In the string of interviews with Bungie employees since Microsoft announced that it was "supporting Bungie's desire to get back to its independent roots," there has been constant buzz around Peter Jackson's involvement with the next Halo installment. Bungie has stayed tight-lipped on the details, but it sounds like a breath of fresh air for the series.

Jarrard gives the impression that Microsoft has been very helpful with the transition for Bungie, which raises the important question of whether this talented studio will continue to produce exclusive material for Microsoft. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Halo 3 News Updates

2007-10-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

In an interview with teamxbox.com. Frank O'Connor of Bungie has said that despite the recent split with Microsoft, the team is busy at work on downloadable content for Halo 3. This means good news for the millions of people that have been online to play Halo 3. I am sure that everyone can agree that its best for the Halo franchise to keep Bungie involved.

Hopefully they're also working to tone down the number of Shotty-Sniper matches on the Team Slayer Playlist.

Also, it seems that Bungie is taking note of the supposed "Sniper Glitch." They have told fans that the benefit of the replay system is being able to see these glitches, but said that sniping is now harder, so "sack up." Not sure if that means a fix is in the works, but I assume that the evidence of replay will allow them to make an adjustment.

Epic Thoughts

2007-10-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

With the announcement this past week that Microsoft will continue to invest in the Halo franchise while allowing Bungie to become an independent entity, it begs a question: What studio will get the opportunity to make the next installment of the Halo series? An interesting article over at Ve3D writes about who the top candidates are and which one is best suited for Halo 4. Number 1 on the list is Epic, the maker of Gears of War. Check out the article here.

Bungie Answers Questions

2007-10-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

The site Kotaku got some answers from Bungie's very own Brian Jarrard. Head on over and check out what Brian has to say about the decision to become independent again, and some of their future plans. Check it out

Microsoft to spin off Bungie Studios

2007-10-05T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Seattle PI is now reporting that Microsoft is "supporting Bungie's desire to return to its independent roots, while continuing to invest in the 'Halo' entertainment property." Not many specifics included in the article, but it appears that Microsoft will continue to hold a significant stake in the gaming studio.

The Recon Armor

2007-10-05T09:14:00.001-07:00

Found these sweet pics on the Halo 3 forums of the Recon Armor that has a fire helmet (yea, it's really on fire). Rumor is that it is only available to Bungie employees, but certain people seem adamant that the helmet is unlockable. Head over to the Bungie forums now and check it out for more pics and info.

Halo 3 Movie Contest

2007-10-04T09:19:00.001-07:00

Planet Halo and the Air Force have teamed up to hold a Halo 3 video contest. Using the Saved Films tool in the game, users can create a video of up to 1 minute long. The theme of the contest revolves around the Air Force's slogan of "Do Something Amazing." Make your way over to Planet Halo to sign up now.

Xbox Finally Outsells the Wii

2007-10-04T07:13:00.000-07:00

The Xbox 360 finally outsold the Wii last week, moving 25,000 more consoles than Nintendo's gimmick system. Check out the article at PC World.

Halo 3 makes $300 million in first week!

2007-10-04T06:47:00.000-07:00

CNN.com reports that Microsoft's Halo 3 has officially become a global phenomenon, breaking $300 million in sales in the first week. Sales of the Xbox 360 have skyrocketed as well, doubling since the release of the final chapter of the Halo trilogy. Xbox Live is flourishing like never before, with more than 2.7 million people playing the game online in the first week, more than one third of all those subscribed to the service. Great statistics and a great article. Check it out.

IGN Guide

2007-10-03T19:59:00.000-07:00

Not a lot of Halo 3 news today, but IGN released their guide. Always have liked the IGN guides. Check it out.

Glitching Already Back?

2007-10-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

Word on the Bungie Forum is that a new glitch has been found to allow for two melee strikes in the time it normally takes to do one melee strike. Hopefully this is something that Bungie can deal with quickly. Let's all hope that this glitch doesn't hurt Halo 3 the way the BXR glitch hurt Halo 2. Damn the cheaters.

Falcon Xbox 360s On the Shelves

2007-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

According to Daily Tech, the new Falcon Xbox 360s have begun to hit the shelves. These systems are said to be made a 65nm chip instead of the 90 nm chip that was originally used. The idea is that this smaller chip will help quell the hardware issues that plague the 360.

Let's hope this is the solution to the feared Red Ring of Death.

PS3 the Next Gamecube?

2007-10-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

Pretty interesting news from the NPD, a firm that monitors North American hardware sales. They compare PS3 to the Gamecube, citing the fact that in the first 10 months the PS3 has sold 1.7 million units, while the Gamecube sold 2.1 million units over its first ten months. Is the PS3 the next Gamecube? Probably not, but this should definitely get the PS3 fans riled up. Check out the article here.

Halo 3 and Burger King

2007-10-02T09:49:00.000-07:00

Burger King has launched a site for Halo 3 that includes some goodies like avatars, game tips, and even a 48 hour Xbox Live Gold trial. Check it out here.

Halo 3 Resolution Explained

2007-10-02T07:37:00.001-07:00

Bungie has finally released the reason why the resolution of Halo 3 is not true HD like it was promised. After videophiles relentlessly claimed that the Halo 3 picture was being stretched instead of running in the full 720p, Bungie has now stated that they decided to use the awkward resolution of 1152x640 in order to preserve the "High Dynamic Range" or HDR. I haven't personally felt that Halo 3's visuals have been underwhelming by any means, but I understand the uproar over the matter. They promised HD and in reality there is not true HD. Here is exactly what Bungie said:

"In fact, you could argue we gave you 1280 pixels of vertical resolution, since Halo 3 uses not one, but two frame buffers – both of which render at 1152x640 pixels. The reason we chose this slightly unorthodox resolution and this very complex use of two buffers is simple enough to see – lighting. We wanted to preserve as much dynamic range as possible – so we use one for the high dynamic range and one for the low dynamic range values. Both are combined to create the finished on screen image."

Microsoft and Bungie Split?

2007-10-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

A blogger from the Seattle PI has reported that Microsoft is planning to cut its contract with Bungie. He even goes so far to say that the contract was ended today, but Microsoft is planning a later announcement so that it won't have to be reported for this quarter. The reliability of the article is questionable, but here it is:

A friend of mine who has someone close that works at Bungie has just been dying to tell me a secret about their future. Since the NDA officially expire today the sent me and email with the details. I have full faith in this contact.The email is as follows :

"So heres my big secret. You should google Bungie + Microsoft + separation this week.You know that big ol BILLION dollar franchise Bungie has created for Microsoft, to show their appreciate Microsoft is letting Bungie leave. Of course Microsoft gets to keep all rights to the Halo franchise, but as today Bungie no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they're no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn't hear this from me.""

Apparently MS just wants Bungie to make Halo for the rest of their natural days, and Bungie doesn't like how MS is constantly trying to "handle" everything they do; the way they market their games, the way they interact with their fans (basically the fact that they do appreciate their fans), and how stingie they are with the profits (comparable to the rest of the industry). So as of today they are their own independent entity. They'll probably make Halo 4 for Microsoft, however hey are also free to create new intellectual properties for whatever system they want. (Even though they prefer the xbox platform)""What a way to say thank you."

Epic VP Mark Rein Speaks About Halo

2007-10-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Epic Vice President Mark Rein has spoken about the importance of the Halo franchise to console shooters. Epic is the company responsible for Gears of War and Unreal Tournament. Read what he has to say here.

Nintendo Exec Downplays Halo 3 Release

2007-10-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime recently stated that he was not worried about the Xbox 360 mega-release Halo 3. Reggie believes that the game, which set the all time record for the biggest first day of sales in the history of entertainment, poses no threat to the Nintendo and it's popular Wii system. He said that it will obviously sell a good deal of software, but he questions whether it will truly be able to move the hardware:

"Will it sell hardware? I think it's an open question. Why? Because I think that the "Halo 3" consumer already has the hardware, because they're playing "BioShock" and "Crackdown" and a variety of games that are, in the end, quite similar: first-person shooter experience, multiplayer capable online. Tell me what's new?"

Interesting set of comments that are sure to send Xbox fanboys into a frenzy. Let me know what you think about it. Obviously, Nintendo still has some issues to deal with despite having sold more systems than either the 360 or the PS3; mainly that they cannot seem to move software for the system. Few games have been released for the system that actually utilize the Wii's motion capturing controls very well, but people continue to take them off the shelves as quickly as they're put up.

Should make for an interesting holiday season.

Got all those skulls yet?

2007-10-01T09:18:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Halo 3 superguide over at mycheats.com. This guide is complete with all of the skull locations so you can get those sweet armor permutations. You'll be rocking that Hayabusa armor in no time. See it here.

One of a Kind Halo 3 Package

2007-10-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

Microsoft put a Halo 3 on Ebay that one of a kind. Signed by Microsoft's very own Bill Gates, the value of the package is on the rise. The bid is up to $8,600 as of this morning at 11am. The package includes a 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 console that has been personally signed by Bill Gates, a Limited Edition Halo 3 Zune 30GB media player personally signed by J Allard, the entire Halo Trilogy: two copies of Halo 3 (Legendary Edition and Standard Edition) and Halo Triple Pack for original Xbox (Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack), HD DVD player, a rare special aluminum storage case with over $400 worth of accessories, two Limited Edition Halo 3 wireless controllers with an exclusive Todd McFarlane Collectable Figurine, Messenger Kit, HDMI AV cable, extra 120 GB hard drive and a Halo 3 t-shirt.

New and Improved 360

2007-09-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has officially begun shipping its Xbox 360 with smaller chips that should make the system more stable, and supposedly save 30% more power. Check out the full article here.

Halo 3 and Business Week

2007-09-28T09:49:00.000-07:00

Business Week posted a cool article this morning about the different ways the smaller, independent game shops have been cashing in with the Halo 3 launch this past week. Check it out:

"

Halo 3 hit the shelves at the stroke of midnight on September 25, 2007, sounding the starting gun for one of the most anticipated game launches of all time. Scores of gamers shuffled down the enormous queues snaking out of game stores, blinking sleepily as they waited for their turn at the tills.

Even store clerks pulled all-nighters on their Xbox 360. Carel from Video Games New York suffered a Halo 3 hangover at work the next morning. "I was up all night playing," he laughs. "Man, I'm so tired."

He's not the only one. Major game retailers like EB Games and GameStop are usually on the front lines for major game and system launches; not surprisingly, they were shipped copies of Halo 3 by the hundreds. Independent game retailers received mere handfuls of the title by comparison, but they found ways to stay competitive.

"It was a last minute decision for us to do a midnight launch of Halo 3," says one clerk at Games X Change in Tulsa, Oklahoma. "GameStop was doing it, so it made sense to stay open."

Outside of presales, some independent stores like Games X Change don't count on being a gamer's first stop when a highly-anticipated game goes on sale. "We're more of a backup. People who didn't want to wait in line just crossed the street and bought a copy from us instead."

Other stores are less laid-back and believe it's important to sell as early as possible in order to ride the hype at its peak. Jason, the owner of Toyz in Alberta, Canada, notes that people are driven by a desire to be the first to play the game, and he prepared accordingly despite some close calls. "It was touch and go with our midnight launch," he says. "UPS held our order hostage."

Victor from Etc., Etc. in Oneonta, New York has noticed that people just want the game, period. "We were open at midnight and we sold out this morning," he says. "We shipped one hundred, and they're all gone."

Extra Gear

Most Halo fans aren't satisfied with going Spartan, so to speak. Independent stores made sure to stock up on Halo 3's Legendary and Collector's Editions in addition to the standard title, and gamers have been snatching up the bonuses.

"The Collector's Edition and the Standard Edition have been selling at about the same pace," says Joshua from Gamers in Omaha, Nebraska. "We didn't get many of the Legendary Edition."

"All three editions are selling really well," agrees Carel from Video Games New York.

Some people will take whatever's available. "I had twenty five Legendary Editions," says Victor. "They were all sold."

On the other hand, Anthony from Video Games Plus in Toronto, Canada finds the Legendary Edition has been moving slowly despite hosting its own Midnight Madness event. "We have lots of [the Legendary Edition] left, but only two copies of the Standard Edition."

He's confident they'll move even after the hype has died down. "They'll go, though maybe not until Christmas."

Although Video Games Plus might be stuck with an excess of bonus Master Chief helmets, they've had a lot of success selling systems and peripherals along with Halo 3. "We sold a couple of the Halo 3 Xboxes and one of the Elite systems," says Anthony. "We also sold a lot of the themed controllers. Mostly the Spartan ones—not so many of the Covenant ones." Everybody wants to be a hero.

Joshua from Gamers also had some success selling the Halo-themed Xbox. "A few fanboys came in and bought the game and the system together."

However, most independent retailers claim they're not the first choice when folks are interested in purchasing a game system and they stock accordingly. GameZone in Phoenix, Arizona has a few Xbox 360s on hand, but store clerk Joanne notes none of them went out the door. "We didn't sell any systems with the game," she says. "In fact, we still have several copies of the game itself."

Jason from Toyz also notes that systems aren't so much his store's focus versus peripherals and games themselves. "We don't sell a lot of combined machines and games, which I see happen in Wal-Mart and places like that."

Sales for Halo 3 peripherals, however, were brisk. Video Games NY sold a lot of the little extras every Halo-lover needs. "Headsets, controllers, Xbox Live … stuff like that went quick," says Carel.

Brisk Sales

There's little question that Halo 3 has been this year's biggest seller for every retailer. "[Microsoft] has done a fantastic job with the launch," says Jason. "They've been making gamers think about Halo 3 for a very long time. The anticipation has been very high."

John, a clerk at Slackers in St. Louis, Missouri says sales of Halo 3 have outstripped everything else. "Halo 3's sold more than [other big titles like] BioShock and Metroid."

Victor from Etc., Etc. says there's no comparison. "Halo 3 has been our best-selling game since Grand Theft Auto: Vice City."

With every store's mad rush to be the first to nuzzle into gamers' pockets, it's strange to imagine that one store is counting waiting for the hype to die down before they sell their own copies. Game Over in Austin, Texas is a used game store that stocks classic titles from the Atari 2600, the NES, and other systems that retreated from living rooms long ago. Despite the store's retro focus, about ten copies of Halo 3 are available for sale.

"We don't expect to sell them very fast," admits David, the store's owner, "but if someone is going down the phone book, we'll be one store that has the game. Besides, people can walk in and trade a stack of NES cartridges for Halo 3. You can't do that anywhere else!"

Halo 3 Sets Australian Sales Record

2007-09-28T06:48:00.001-07:00

It's official; the Halo 3 launch in Australia set the record in the land down under, earning AU $6 million in the first 24 hours. That makes the newly released Xbox 360 game the biggest first day digital entertainment earner in Australian history.

Save Bug Being Investigated

2007-09-27T14:50:00.001-07:00

The bug that prevents you from transferring a saved campaign from one Xbox 360 to another is being investigated by Bungie. When users tried to transfer their campaign data, they could place start from any checkpoint that they had finished, but they could not load from the current checkpoint. The message "Unsafe to Respawn" would appear, and the data would not load. Hopefully this will get fixed soon.

John Harvard is the Master Chief?

2007-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

MIT students were up to their mischievous ways Monday night as they dressed the famous statue of John Harvard as the Master Chief from Halo 3. The prank was taken light heartedly from Harvard University administrators, who labeled the prank "playful."

Air Force Using Halo as a Recruiting Tool

2007-09-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, the Air Force used the hype of the Halo 3 release to sponsor a Halo 2 tournament on the night of the release. The tournament's main prize was a copy of Halo 3. The tournament was held in conjunction with a Gamestop. The tournament was delayed briefly as it was made known that no participants under the age of 18 were allowed.

Staff Sergeant Christopher Johnson said he expected the event to be a huge success based off their other event for the Madden '08 launch.

In a traditionally blue state, this tactic has rubbed some people the wrong way. It does provide the Air Force with the opportunity to engage their target demographic, but some think its exploiting kids. Let me know what you think.

$170 million?

2007-09-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

I was checking out IGN this morning and came across this article. Check it out, pretty interesting.

If in fact Halo 3 ends up being the most successful piece of entertainment property in history, it speaks volumes to the game's social impact. It's also a great sign for the Xbox 360.

Campaign Impressions

2007-09-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

I spent about 4 hours my Xbox 360 last night going through the Halo 3 campaign. I started the campaign on the Heroic difficulty setting. I played 2 hours of the campaign solo and the other 2 hours playing the campaign using the online cooperative feature of Halo 3. Through my first short period with the game, I have to say that Heroic difficulty provides plenty of challenge. The difficulty of enemies is no so much the issue, but instead the pressure lies in the need to be accurate with you shots. It is very easy to dig yourself into a hole by holding down the trigger of the assault rifle and just blasting away at grunts only to discover that you now have only one clip left, and huge group of enemies in front of you. This is consistent with both Halo CE and Halo 2, but is not an issue that I have run into so early in the prior installments.

This really forces the player to become adept at using all the weapons in the game, and is really one of the great features of the game. At one point I found myself dual wielding the plasma pistol and the regular pistol because I had no more ammo for the assault rifle. This need to constantly be switching weapons throughout the campaign in order to stay up on ammo is a great function that helps gamers of all levels be gradually introduced to the Halo learning curve, and it's by learning these skills through the solo campaign that really feeds the competitive nature of Halo's multiplayer.

I won't be able to play much of the campaign tonight, but I will play some more multiplayer and give some impressions tomorrow. I reached the rank of corporal last night, and there are still some playlists that I need to try.

LE Discs to Be Replaced

2007-09-25T17:21:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has announced that they will replace any scratched Limited Edition Halo 3 discs as part of its 'Disc Replacement Plan.' Check out the full article at IGN

Halo 3 Launch

2007-09-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

Halo 3 launched last night! I picked up my copy and played online before getting some shut-eye. I like that the multiplayer is more of a middle ground between Halo CE and Halo 2. The weapon balance seems to be much better than Halo 2 with the pacing being much better than the original Halo. I think it will really end up driving sales for the Xbox 360. This holiday season could really allow the Xbox to deal a death blow to the PS3 and gain some ground on the Wii, but that's a different subject all together. I really enjoyed my time with Halo last night, and I am going to start the campaign tonight. I'll be back with impressions.

Leave a comment. Let me know what you think of the game.