HALO 3 NOT COMING UNTIL 2007

[v***@gmail.com]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24270621

2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?

Source: A GameStop company e-mail scanned and displayed on gaming blog
Kotaku.com.

The official story: Microsoft had not responded to e-mails as of press
time.

What we heard: Now that the public knows that Brangelina is expecting
sometime in June, we can focus on important stuff--like the release
date for Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Given that the date is under tighter
lock and key than the plot to Lost, most speculation is sculpted from
when we know it won't be out.

Pre-E3 last year, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Time magazine that
not only would Master Chief be taking on The Covenant, but he'd also be
battling the launch of the PlayStation 3. While others in the know
scratched their heads at his comment, it took Bill a little longer to
swallow his words and admit that the game would be done "when it's
ready."

This obviously means that Halo 3 will be released this November,
Microsoft's month of choice for gaming, right? Not only is it the
optimal release date to take advantage of the holiday crunch, but it's
also the time of year that previous Halo games were released, both
Xboxes hit stores, and Xbox Live was launched.

Not so fast, according to a company e-mail sent to employees of
GameStop. Gaming blog Kotaku.com got word from a source at GameStop
that the retailer was flatly told by Microsoft that "Halo 3 will NOT be
released in 2006" (emphasis in original). Kotaku posted a scan of the
e-mail, whose simple layout could be easily forged. However, a
well-placed mole inside the GameStop organization confirmed to GameSpot
that the e-mail is indeed legitimate.

That said, GameStop.com is still listing the game as coming out on
October 3, 2006. So did the guy who updates product release dates not
get the memo? One possibility is that the e-mail is merely a guide to
employees on how common questions should be answered, such as, "Sorry,
that's for paying customers only" or "No, a middle-school ID won't let
you buy M-rated games."

Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the situation, so nothing is
official. But given that Microsoft execs have gone from saying that
Halo 3 will be a PS3-killer to saying it will be ready when Bungie says
its ready, and given that Bungie is still denying that it's working on
Halo 3, pushing Halo 3 into 2007 doesn't seem so far off. Remember Halo
2's delays?

Lastly, the GameStop memo gives further validity to the current
entertainment-synergy theory spun by industry-watchers, who say the
game will be released in tandem with the Halo film. Studios Fox and
Universal have tentatively slated the surefire blockbuster, which is
being executive produced by King Kong director Peter Jackson, for
summer 2007.

Bogus or not bogus?: Abstain. While a holiday 2006 release and a 360
price drop would be the perfect one-two punch to blunt the PS3 launch,
Bungie is one organization that will not be rushed.

[Pluvious]

|
|
|http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24270621
|
|2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?
|
|Source: A GameStop company e-mail scanned and displayed on gaming blog
|Kotaku.com.
|
|The official story: Microsoft had not responded to e-mails as of press
|time.
|
|What we heard: Now that the public knows that Brangelina is expecting
|sometime in June, we can focus on important stuff--like the release
|date for Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Given that the date is under tighter
|lock and key than the plot to Lost, most speculation is sculpted from
|when we know it won't be out.
|
|Pre-E3 last year, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Time magazine that
|not only would Master Chief be taking on The Covenant, but he'd also be
|battling the launch of the PlayStation 3. While others in the know
|scratched their heads at his comment, it took Bill a little longer to
|swallow his words and admit that the game would be done "when it's
|ready."
|
|This obviously means that Halo 3 will be released this November,
|Microsoft's month of choice for gaming, right? Not only is it the
|optimal release date to take advantage of the holiday crunch, but it's
|also the time of year that previous Halo games were released, both
|Xboxes hit stores, and Xbox Live was launched.
|
|Not so fast, according to a company e-mail sent to employees of
|GameStop. Gaming blog Kotaku.com got word from a source at GameStop
|that the retailer was flatly told by Microsoft that "Halo 3 will NOT be
|released in 2006" (emphasis in original). Kotaku posted a scan of the
|e-mail, whose simple layout could be easily forged. However, a
|well-placed mole inside the GameStop organization confirmed to GameSpot
|that the e-mail is indeed legitimate.
|
|That said, GameStop.com is still listing the game as coming out on
|October 3, 2006. So did the guy who updates product release dates not
|get the memo? One possibility is that the e-mail is merely a guide to
|employees on how common questions should be answered, such as, "Sorry,
|that's for paying customers only" or "No, a middle-school ID won't let
|you buy M-rated games."
|
|Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the situation, so nothing is
|official. But given that Microsoft execs have gone from saying that
|Halo 3 will be a PS3-killer to saying it will be ready when Bungie says
|its ready, and given that Bungie is still denying that it's working on
|Halo 3, pushing Halo 3 into 2007 doesn't seem so far off. Remember Halo
|2's delays?
|
|Lastly, the GameStop memo gives further validity to the current
|entertainment-synergy theory spun by industry-watchers, who say the
|game will be released in tandem with the Halo film. Studios Fox and
|Universal have tentatively slated the surefire blockbuster, which is
|being executive produced by King Kong director Peter Jackson, for
|summer 2007.
|
|Bogus or not bogus?: Abstain. While a holiday 2006 release and a 360
|price drop would be the perfect one-two punch to blunt the PS3 launch,
|Bungie is one organization that will not be rushed.

YAWN.. they can take as long as they want IMHO.. Halo2 was such a major let
down.. maybe this time they can get it right. But I highly doubt it.

Pluvious

[Tim O]

Post by v***@gmail.com
2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?

On the bright side, that means another whole year for someone to
develop a controller so first person shooters don't suck on consoles.

[Andrew]

Post by Tim O
On the bright side, that means another whole year for someone to
develop a controller so first person shooters don't suck on consoles.

Maybe Nintendo have that covered for the Revolution, it will be
interesting to see later this year.

[Kurt Montandon]

Post by Tim O

Post by v***@gmail.com
2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?

On the bright side, that means another whole year for someone to
develop a controller so first person shooters don't suck on consoles.

Has anyone considered a controller with a trackball? To me, the
biggest problem with the idea of FPSs on a console is aiming, which
would be solved by a left-side trackball.




... you know, I should've patented this one first.

[Magnulus]

Post by Kurt Montandon
Has anyone considered a controller with a trackball? To me, the
biggest problem with the idea of FPSs on a console is aiming, which
would be solved by a left-side trackball.

Several lightgun games have allowed the player to "walk" around and
actually shoot with the lightgun (mostly Resident Evil Gun Survivor games).
The Guncon 2 has a d-pad for movement. Lightgun games are more popular in
Europe/Japan than the US, though.

Having said all that, most console makers aren't crying themselves to
sleep at night over the lack of a "decent" way to play FPS games with their
machines. Especially considering FPS's on consoles just are not a big
genre. The XBox is the exception, but it gets alot of PC ports. With some
practice too just about anybody can get used to analog sticks for FPS games.
Just because all the Fatal1ty wanabees think they suck is irrelevent- most
console FPS games aren't the twitchy fragfests like Quake, so it hardly
matters if you can't instantly spin around or not

[Tim O]

Post by Magnulus
Several lightgun games have allowed the player to "walk" around and
actually shoot with the lightgun (mostly Resident Evil Gun Survivor games).
The Guncon 2 has a d-pad for movement. Lightgun games are more popular in
Europe/Japan than the US, though.
Having said all that, most console makers aren't crying themselves to
sleep at night over the lack of a "decent" way to play FPS games with their
machines. Especially considering FPS's on consoles just are not a big
genre. The XBox is the exception, but it gets alot of PC ports. With some
practice too just about anybody can get used to analog sticks for FPS games.
Just because all the Fatal1ty wanabees think they suck is irrelevent- most
console FPS games aren't the twitchy fragfests like Quake, so it hardly
matters if you can't instantly spin around or not

My buddy prefers consoles over PC's, and talked about how he was going
to school me at Halo on the XBox. He smoked me a few times, then I
started getting used to it and totally held my own against him.

That fact that you can use it doesn't make it good. The genre was born
with PC controls in mind, and there is no arguing a mouse is
infinitely superior for the task.

To be fair, there are also quite a few games designed for consoles
that use twin analog sticks which don't translate great to
mouse/keyboard.

[Magnulus]

Post by Tim O
That fact that you can use it doesn't make it good. The genre was born
with PC controls in mind, and there is no arguing a mouse is
infinitely superior for the task.

I originally played Doom with a joystick, then I played Duke Nukem with a
keyboard. It was only later I figured out that a mouse worked pretty good.
It took me a while to figure out how to use a mouse in FPS games, it wasn't
entirely natural. Sometimes I still don't think it's entirely a perfect
control scheme. I don't really care for the way that you usually have to
flick around a mouse so often in FPS games to recenter it.

Bottom line is PC fanboys hoping mouse and keyboard will save FPS's on PC,
better watch out.

[Tim O]

Post by Magnulus

Post by Tim O
That fact that you can use it doesn't make it good. The genre was born
with PC controls in mind, and there is no arguing a mouse is
infinitely superior for the task.

I originally played Doom with a joystick, then I played Duke Nukem with a
keyboard. It was only later I figured out that a mouse worked pretty good.
It took me a while to figure out how to use a mouse in FPS games, it wasn't
entirely natural. Sometimes I still don't think it's entirely a perfect
control scheme. I don't really care for the way that you usually have to
flick around a mouse so often in FPS games to recenter it.
Bottom line is PC fanboys hoping mouse and keyboard will save FPS's on PC,
better watch out.

You have the sensitivity way, way too low if you're having to
reposition the mouse on the pad. Once you get used to it, you
shouldn't have to move more than an inch in any direction.
I played Wolfenstein 3D with a Gravis gamepad, and learned to use the
mouse on Doom. Can't believe I ever used a stick or pad for an FPS, it
still feels horrible to me when I play a console game.

[Rod]

On 31 Jan 2006 16:59:07 -0800 ***@gmail.com wrote:

[snip]
:> Given that the date is under tighter
:> lock and key than the plot to Lost

The plot to "Lost" is so tightly under lock and key that
even the script writers don't know it.

In tonight's episode, some of the characters actually moved
--- which was a welcome change of pace.

Regards,



-- Siegen
----------------------
---------------------

[Narcogen]

It's not a question of a date being under lock and key.

Bungie hasn't even aknowledged the game is under development at all, so
how magazines can be arguing over what year it will come out in seems a
bit silly.

[MarchGDB]

I heard it was the same date at the ps3 release.

Post by Narcogen
It's not a question of a date being under lock and key.
Bungie hasn't even aknowledged the game is under development at all, so
how magazines can be arguing over what year it will come out in seems a
bit silly.

[V©]

I heard it was going to be launched with the Xbox 360. Then it got changed to late this year then again it got changed to when the
PS3 comes out. Then it got changed to *shrug* stuffed if I know.

Vapourware until someone proves me wrong.

Post by MarchGDB
I heard it was the same date at the ps3 release.

Post by Narcogen
It's not a question of a date being under lock and key.
Bungie hasn't even aknowledged the game is under development at all, so
how magazines can be arguing over what year it will come out in seems a
bit silly.