Halo 3 for Xbox 360 has gone Gold! That means we delivered a final version to our internal certification group that passed all the tests and is now being whisked away to top secret manufacturing locations to be turned into retail versions of the game – and eventually packaged and sent to stores in various cases, tins and cat-helmets. We can’t wait to share it with you guys on September 25th and 26th, but we have to say thanks.

We have to say thanks to everyone at Bungie who worked so hard to make this the best game we've ever made. We have to say thanks to everyone at Microsoft who helped us make it the best game we ever made. We have to say thanks to our tireless team of artists, designers, engineers, musicians, technicians, writers, directors, producers, thinkers, administrators, ninjas, specialists, gorillas, webmasters and pimps. We’re a family and we made this game for you, our extended family. We hope you like it. Nobody deserves any more recognition than anyone else, but an extra special thanks goes out anyway, to the test team who got it to this stage, in a pool of their own sweat, tears and blood.

And of course, we wouldn't be here today without the tireless devotion of our fan community - we thank you all as well for supporting Bungie Studios in our never ending quest for World Domination and we look forward to sharing another billion+ hours together on Xbox Live when Halo 3 lands in just a few short weeks. The wait is almost over.

We Finished our Fight. Your fight begins in 27 days.

Are you ready?

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Development on Halo 3 is winding down. While there’s still a considerable amount of dudes here on site, playing through the game, testing the game, filing bugs and fixing bugs, the game is roughly 99.9% complete. That last .1% percent is pretty important, however. Right now, some testing is being done in a controlled retail environment via our Halo 3 Epsilon. You’ve probably seen reports online or even folks on your friends’ list playing it, so here’s the scoop:

The Epsilon is a closed, final phase testing for Halo 3. We won’t be making the Epsilon available for public consumption, so while that's immensely disappointing for folks hoping that Friends and Family invites would be extended for the Epsilon, just know that each day you wait in agony is another day closer to September 25.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

In a bid to revive sagging sales of its beleaguered Xbox 360 video game console, Microsoft will drop the price of the device by $20 to 50 in the US this week, depending on model. The move comes just a month after rival Sony cut the cost of its expensive PlayStation 3 console by $100. Both Microsoft and Sony are under pressure to jumpstart sales of their consoles after an unexpectedly strong start from Nintendo, whose low-price Wii console is decimating the Xbox 360 and PS3 in sales.

The low-end Xbox 360 Core, which does not include a hard drive, is falling by $20 to $280. The mainstream Xbox 360, which includes a 20 GB hard drive, will see the biggest price cut, $50, to $350. The high-end Xbox 360 Elite, which features a unique black design and a 120 GB hard drive, falls by $30 to $450. The price cuts go into effect tomorrow, August 8, in the US only. Microsoft has not confirmed whether it will cut prices similarly in other markets.

Microsoft recently dropped the price of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on drive from $199 to $179, but this represents the first price cut for the Xbox 360 console, which entered the market in November 2005, about a year before the PS3 and Wii.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

The Microsoft Corp. executive in charge of the Xbox video-game console sold $6.2 million worth of company stock during a period when technical issues with the product were becoming a major concern, according to regulatory filings.

Microsoft said July 5 that it will take a charge of up to $1.15 billion to its fourth-quarter earnings to address what it called an "unacceptable" number of Xbox repairs.

"In the last couple of months, we started to see significant increases in repair requests ... and significant attention from people," Robbie Bach, president of the entertainment and devices unit that includes the Xbox, said during a conference call with analysts at the time. "So we geared up to respond to that."

According to a review of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Bach sold $6.2 million in stock in the period between May 2 and last week's announcement. That followed an eight-month period when he sold no company shares, according to filings.

Bach's most recent insider sales came between May 25 and May 30.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Many players of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta have felt the graphics are somewhat poor.

Bungie's Frank O'Conner says gamers should wait until they see the single-player game to judge the visuals on offer, as the multiplayer game is optimised for slick gameplay rather than eye-candy.

"Multiplayer is by necessity a more sterile iteration of our graphical style and will always be tuned for performance and elegance rather than jamming the screen full of pixels," O'Connor explained. "We think that the final aesthetic look of our game will be judged at launch in September and in part based on the more intense single player spaces. We’re also focused on maintaining the Halo character and atmosphere in our visual design – we’re competing with ourselves, and not simply trying to match the aesthetic of other games. We think that folks will be happy with Halo 3’s graphical polish come September.”

He went on to say that the visuals will improve by September and there's plenty of work left to do.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

This is the big one, folks. For gamers, the Halo franchise is like Windows Vista, the Godfather movies, and the Kennedy assassination all rolled up into one: Endlessly fascinating to fans of these games, Halo 3 is the latest and, some say, last entry in the vaunted Halo series, and it's coming out on September 25, 2007. But this week, we got the next best thing: A semi-public beta of three Halo 3 multiplayer maps. These maps showcase new graphics capabilities, weapons, and other game features, and they're only available for a short time. Depending on your take on this beta, your reaction is either a very muted, "well, that looks an awful lot like Halo 2 to me" or a decidedly less muted, "OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD!!!" Frankly, it's really just somewhere between those two extremes, but far more positive than negative.

If there's a serious problem with the multiplayer beta, it's that we can only play the game temporarily: The beta is set to end June 10. I better keep going then. Highly recommended.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Microsoft Corp.'s public test of its upcoming "Halo 3" video game got off to a rocky start on Wednesday after many users found they were unable to try out the science fiction-themed shooter.

Owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 console were supposed to be able to participate in the public test, or beta, of the game by downloading a code included with "Crackdown," another Xbox 360 game published by Microsoft in February.

The public test began on Wednesday, but many users reported trouble downloading the code to join, prompting "Halo 3" developer Bungie Studios to say it was working with Microsoft's Xbox Live online gaming service to fix the trouble.

Microsoft said the problem was not due to "Crackdown" or the beta itself, but declined to offer more details.

"We know that we have a lot of fans that have been waiting for the beta for months, and even took time off of work to start early today. We really appreciate their enthusiasm, and we hope the small delay won't dampen everyone's enjoyment of the game," the company said in a statement.

A counter on Bungie's site said more than 8,000 people were playing "Halo 3" on Wednesday afternoon and that more than 51,000 people had played the game in the last 24 hours.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Hugely popular video game Halo 3 is due for a September debut, Microsoft has announced.

The September release date is earlier than expected and will help Microsoft in its drive to make the Xbox 360 console the gaming machine of choice this Christmas.

Halo 3 is the final instalment of the video game that has been crucial to sales of Microsoft's Xbox.

The game debuts in the US on 25 September and one day later in Europe.

Labels: Xbox 360

Yes, we've heard it before, but after spending time with the Wii now two independent developer sources claim the GameCube 1.5 moniker is mostly accurate, and a dev support person from Nintendo even admitted that the chipset is like a GameCube with added memory.

Microsoft's Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division, recently fanned the flames when he told eWeek that the Wii doesn't even have the graphics horsepower that Xbox 1 had.

Is Bach right? According to a couple of anonymous "technical experts at third-party publishers" who are familiar with the Wii's architecture, Bach isn't far off. Speaking with Newsweek's N'Gai Croal, the two sources indicated that the Wii is actually not a very flexible system, and Nintendo even admitted that its architecture is basically "GameCube 1.5."

The "GameCube 1.5" label isn't necessarily an indictment of the console. Gamers will still see graphical improvements thanks to increased memory and memory clock speed.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Roger Ehrenberg, a financial analyst and the president and CEO of Monitor 110, Inc., says that Microsoft may very well have created the ultimate video game machine with its Xbox 360. But that can't hide the fact that the Xbox 360, like its predecessor, has been a financial disaster for the company. And maybe it's time that Microsoft stopped hemorrhaging cash and looked to other markets that would be more rewarding to the company and its shareholders.

"Gaming has been a disastrous endeavor for Microsoft, particularly from an investment perspective," Ehrenberg reported in a recent blog posting. "After five years and over $21 billion invested all they've got to show for it is $5.4 billion of cumulative operating losses, and Xbox 360 doesn't appear to be the silver bullet to turn things around."

And there are other problems with the Xbox 360, of course. Reliability of the console is so abysmal that Microsoft has had to update its warranty at least twice in order to appease customers. The Xbox 360 runs so hot and is so loud that it's almost completely unsuitable for use in living rooms, and these issues no doubt contribute to the device's horrid reliability. Furthermore, Xbox 360s are physically mangling game discs in a variety of situations, a condition to which Microsoft has yet to officially admit, 18 months after the release of the console.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

The Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta will go live on May 16th at 12:00 AM PDT and run through June 6 th at 11:59 PM PDT. That means that folks who purchased specially marked copies of Crackdown, or won a spot in the Beta through the “Rule of Three” or other regional promotions, will be able to log into their Xbox Live Gold accounts, download and play the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta and enjoy an early peek at the multiplayer aspect of the game.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence, and are interested, you can still enter the Beta by picking up a specially marked copy of Crackdown, which would ordinarily be a chore, but thankfully Crackdown is an awesome action game which might ironically distract you from the Beta I’m pimping here. Bungie is also giving out a few Friends and Family spots to valued community members, but those are few and far between, so it’s safer to assume you’re not getting in that way.

Now, I will say this again and again – the game you’re going to play one month from now, is Beta software – and while it will look somewhat close to the final game, it IS Beta – and will contain quirks, a couple of roughedges and all that jazz. But we’re pretty confident you’ll find it a dynamic and exciting taste of what’s to come in Fall.

The Beta itself consists of three maps – Valhalla, High Ground and Snowbound – graphically improved since our first MP screenshots – and all three will be playable in Matchmaking only (that is after all, what we’re Beta testing here). All three maps are suitable for a wide variety of gameplay types, and you will have the chance to try all manner of game types, familiar and new.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

In another move that further pushes the Xbox 360 ahead of the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft on Monday revealed that it was connecting its PC-based Windows Live Messenger service to the console, allowing users of both to maintain a single list of friends and chat with each other online, via either system. The tying will require Microsoft to release an update for the Xbox 360, which the company says will become available the week of May 7.

The Windows Live Messenger integration is part of a wider Spring 2007 Update for the Xbox 360 that will also include richer in-game achievements notifications, improved family settings, a new Xbox Live Marketplace blade in the Xbox 360 dashboard, various updates to Xbox Live Arcade, new download options that will allow the console to enter a low-power mode and download updates overnight automatically, and other features. The Spring 2007 Update will be made available to Xbox 360 users for free via Xbox Live, Microsoft says.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

While Microsoft got a jump on its next-generation video game console competitors when it shipped the Xbox 360 (see my review) in late 2005, it's only now, over a year later, that we're able to soberly evaluate each of the key systems and determine which offer the best value. That's because, as of this writing, consumers can now choose between three modern video game systems: the Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 (see my review), and Nintendo's Wii (see my photo gallery). As with the previous generation of consoles, each offers unique benefits and will appeal to certain kinds of users. But the dynamics have changed dramatically this time, with each of the system makers taking their consoles into entirely new markets. Here's how they compare.

I feel that the Xbox 360 is the console to beat, as it is the most versatile, while offering a comparable graphics experience to what you'll see on the PS3. That said, I do have some concerns about the 360's reliability, so I'm going to recommend something I never do: Buy it locally and purchase the in-store warranty, so you can replace it immediately at any time free of charge.

If you absolutely must have the best pure gaming experience, the PS3 should ultimately win out, especially when developers begin to figure out how to unlock the console's most impressive capabilities. A year from now, I expect PS3 games to absolutely blow away anything available on the 360.

As for the Wii, I'm going to have to disagree with the consensus and call it as I see it: Unless you have very young kids with no video game experience at all, skip out on this console. The Wii is a joke, a novelty console that doesn't offer much staying power. Either the 360 or PS3 would be a better choice for almost anyone.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Microsoft this morning announced its long-expected new high-end Xbox 360 model, the Xbox 360 Elite, which comes in a stylish black case and adds a larger hard drive and an all-digital HDMI port with cable. However, contrary to rumors, the Xbox 360 Elite does not include the IPTV functionality that Microsoft previewed earlier this year. Presumably, that functionality will happen later this year in yet another Xbox 360 model or via an add-on of some sort.

The Xbox 360 Elite will cost $479.99 in the US and will ship on April 29, Microsoft says.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

In both London and France Microsoft mounted publicity stunts to rub some of the gloss off Sony's [PlayStation 3] launch events.

At the Virgin Megastore in London's Oxford Street, the software giant handed out chairs to those queuing that had a website address printed on them.

Anyone visiting the webpage saw an Xbox 360 branded site that "welcomes" Sony to the next generation and chides the electronics giant for being "late". Microsoft's Xbox 360 launched in late 2005.

[A] boat Sony [had] moored by the Eiffel tower [acted] as a temporary electronics store selling the console.

The event was upstaged by Microsoft which drove its own boat covered in Xbox 360 logos up and down the Seine near the Sony craft.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Microsoft has denied reports that users of its Xbox Live online gaming service have had their accounts hacked.

It follows a number of complaints from gamers that their IDs, or gamer tags, have been taken over while playing.

The problems came to light after security researcher Kevin Finisterre reported his experience of a problem first-hand on his website.

In a statement Microsoft said it had found no evidence of any compromise of the security of Xbox Live.

A Microsoft spokesman told the BBC News website that "rumours about accounts being hijacked are false".

In a statement the firm said: "There have been a few isolated incidents where malicious users have been attempting to draw personal information from unsuspecting users and use it to gain access to their Live account.

"We think this is a good time to remind our members that they should never give out any of their personal information."

Labels: Internet, Video games, Xbox 360

Microsoft and Sony aren't just battling for video game supremacy: They want control of your living room too. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 play music and high-def movies and connect to an online network. USATODAY's Mike Snider compares the two systems beyond just games.

PlayStation 3
This week, Sony plans to post additional, downloadable free features for hit game Resistance: Fall of Man and offer new levels for purchase in May.

For movies such as Kingdom of Heaven and Superman Returns, the Blu-ray player provides video as good as or better than any HD movies seen so far, whether via broadcast, satellite or disc.

Xbox 360
The Xbox Live online service has about 6 million users. Basic service is free, but gamers will want to pay $50 annually for the gold level that offers such features as multiplayer gaming, ranked matchmaking, private voice and video chat.

The [Xbox Live] Marketplace has movie trailers, music videos, TV episodes and more than 100 movies (rental fee, $4.50-$7) including Saw III and older films such as All The President's Men; many are in high definition.

The HD DVD add-on is a fairly inexpensive way for HDTV owners to try it out. The red-rock vistas in The Searchers viewed on the 360's HD DVD player and the PS3's Blu-ray drive were comparable.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

Today, Microsoft revealed its packaging plans for Halo 3, the most-eagerly anticipated Xbox 360 game expected this year. Halo 3 will ship in three editions. These editions include:

Halo 3 Standard Edition. This version of the game includes the game disc only and will ship in standard Xbox 360 game title packaging.

Halo 3 Limited Edition. This version will ship in a sleek metal collector's case and include the standard game disc as well as a bonus disc that features exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage and videos, including an HD Making of Halo 3 documentary, numerous HD featurettes, and an audio-visual calibration tool, and a special Halo fiction and art book.

Halo 3 Legendary Edition. This total geek-out version of Halo 3 will be available in limited quantities only and will include the game disc, the bonus disc from the Limited Edition, and an additional bonus disc that will include completely remastered cinematic material from Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, supplemented with developer commentaries, and a featurette documenting a day in the life at Bungie. Other exclusive content will also be included on the second bonus disc, Microsoft says. But the big news with the Legendary Edition is its unique packaging. This version of Halo 3 will ship in a collectible Spartan helmet case that includes the three above-mentioned discs as well as an illuminating collection of original Halo 3 storyboard art.

Photos of Limited and Legendary editions can be seen below.

Labels: Video games, Xbox 360

On Wednesday, Microsoft announced its rollout plans for the Windows version of the Xbox Live service, which will be named Games for Windows Live. Concurrently with the launch of the new service on May 8, 2007, Microsoft will also ship the long-awaited Windows Vista version of "Halo 2," the best-selling Xbox game title.

What Microsoft is doing is actually pretty revolutionary: The company is extending the Xbox Live online gaming service to Windows users. So if you've already got an Xbox Live membership, with its associated gamertag (name), rating, achievements, and other associated information, that will come across on the Windows side, and you'll be able to earn achievements and other accolades in both Windows and Xbox 360 games going forward. The first such Windows game, Halo 2 for Windows Vista, will allow Vista-based gamers to play against other Vista-based players, but future titles will allow Vista and Xbox 360-based gamers to compete together in online battles, the first time a cross-platform unification of this magnitude has ever been attempted.

Labels: Video games, Vista, Xbox 360

At the end of the GDC blogger's breakfast yesterday morning, Chris Satchell dropped this bomb that not many people seem to have picked up on. He said, regarding Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility:

At some point we're going to focus less on it. When you get to the end of this year there will be a reduced focus on backwards compatibility. There are so many 360 games out there. I don't know if it's important anymore.

Labels: Microsoft, Video games, Xbox 360