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Leviathyn.com's Cassidee Moser delves into what we know about Halo 4's multiplayer and what it could do to revolutionize online competitive gaming. Is Master Chief's franchise about to make another huge impact?
The lag issues on Halo: Reach seem to have gotten worse over the last few months since 343 Industries took over the game completely from Bungie. It's reached the point where matchmaking itself is being affected. Is this a sign of things to come on Halo 4?
Leviathyn.com's Jason Fanelli talks about the confirmed Halo 4 release date and a possible head-to-head match with that and the new Call of Duty. The tale of the tape is written, which one will reign king?
Every console release since Sega decided to take on Nintendo in an epic showdown of 16-bit kings. It didn’t matter what kind of crap companies came up with (cough, cough Blast Processing?) because when it came down to it the games were what mattered.
Craig Will of GoozerNation.com talks about losing a co-op partner, finding a new one, getting his wife into gaming, and why local co-op should stick around.
"We here at the Department of Electronic Entertainment possess vast pools of intel about the gaming industry. We deal with situations every day that would leave most Americans cowering in terror. But some secrets don’t require a team of espionage specialists; some secrets about the gaming industry are widely understood by long-time gamers yet unknown by most of the population. While the following revelations may seem obvious to most gamers, the financial security of the industry is based ..."
Halo 3 topped the LIVE Activity charts for years. Reach has fallen all the way down to 8th just over one year since its release. Bungie's silly "quitter ban" may be one of the reasons for this.
The Firefight Limited playlist was recently removed from Halo: Reach's online matchmaking. Although it was clearly the least played of any of the Firefight modes, the people who did play it were the most passionate about it. 343 needs to bring it back.
"The grand adventure that is Fable has never really turned out to be that grand at all. Three games into the series and I’m still waiting for the RPG experience of a lifetime Peter Molyneux keeps promising me. Maybe he should stop posing for Turtleneck Monthly every chance he gets and check in on the development of his series."
"Major League Gaming (MLG), founded in 2002 by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso, is a North American professional Electronic sports organization, headquartered in New York City, New York. MLG has held official video game tournaments throughout the United States and Canada. Major League Gaming competitions have been broadcast on television, ESPN.com, and other broadband sites. The company has also been involved in television production, and game development. MLG's aim is to elevate computer a..."
"I’m a co-op gamer. It’s in my blood. Some of my earliest and best gaming memories include fighting my way through TMNT: Turtles in Time with an elementary classmate, and staying up late on weekend nights playing through the Beavis and Butthead game on the SNES with my best friend Jack."
MP1st describes how some multiplayer games have become so cosmetic in nature, it's almost as if most gamers are playing with barbies. Are you just as guilty?
"Multiplayer in games today is huge. Ten years ago, we were lugging our Xboxes over to our friend’s house while PC gamers have always enjoyed the power of online frag fests."
"Forget about griefers, team-killers, cheaters, rage-quitters, and perverts. Their baneful presence in the gaming world pales in comparison to the following groups of players. These men are the true scourge of the online gaming community."
Here is a perfect example of why everybody hates the Armor Lock ability in Halo: Reach. It's broken and rewards players who otherwise should have been long since dead!
With the pending accoutrement of the Wii HD at E3 its time to start reflecting on this generation of consoles. What will gamers remember the most about this generation? Will it be the Wii's motion controls, the 360's RROD, and/or PSN getting hacked? What about the games of this generation?
Theater mode footage from a recent betrayal incident reveals some major problems with the spawning, betraying, and booting systems currently in Halo: Reach.
This past weekend at MLG Dallas, none of the professional Halo: Reach players chose to start with the Needle Rifle over the DMR. After running several comparison tests between the NR and DMR in Reach's Forge, it is easy to see why.
Both being science fiction games, Halo and StarCraft are similar in a variety of ways. The parallels between these two franchises goes a lot deeper than trivial congruences, however. Dozens of minor details and art designs are eerily similar to one another.
The ESRB is a governing body that determines what rating a video game will receive in the states. It has come under fire as of late for its inconsistency. Check out the full post as we analyze this recent development. Cheers!
Countless naysayers often crusade against video games, riduculing both the medium and the people who play games. What these individuals don't understand is that video games often breed creativity, require problem-solving skills, and encourage gamers to think outside the box.
Collectors are an odd bunch, I should know, I'm one of them lol, but one of OXCGN's team is also an avid collector, and looks at the changing trends in so-called collectors editions, or should I say, games passing themselves off as collectible items, in this neat article.
Come check it out, share your thoughts, I'm sure many have had the collectors bug at some stage, but most importantly, what do you think of current trends . . .
Is gameplay still more important than graphics? Bright Hub looks back on the touchy issue and discusses why technically impressive graphics may be more important now than ever before.
Halo: Reach was supposed to be one of the biggest titles in 2010 on the Xbox 360. It never won many awards, sold fewer copies than previous games in the series, and quickly fell to third place on the LIVE Activity Charts. So what went wrong?
"I won’t lie: this gaming year has been a difficult one for OXCGN’s staff. (Cue violins). It seems most of us have had a hard time balancing a lack of time, a lack of money, and a lack of interest in the current crop of gamer’s games.
The general lack of innovation and proliferation of sequels in hard-core games in a difficult economic climate has seen many of us often turn to alternative (and often cheaper) gaming experiences like on smartphones or XBLA and PSN. (okay, kill violins).
..."
Yesterday Major Nelson updated his blog with the weekly Xbox LIVE Activity Chart. The release of this week's numbers mark Halo: Reach being in third place for a full month. Many gamers have wondered how a huge release like Reach could be all the way back in third place when Halo 3 topped the charts for YEARS. The answer is simple.
Not sure what to get that Xbox 360 owner in your family? Is the massive library of 2010 releases stressing you out? Don't worry for long, because BrightHub is featuring a full list of excellent Xbox 360 titles that look good under a tree, in a stocking, or wrapped nicely in colorful holiday-themed gift wrap. Stay tuned for more recommendations in the coming days.
The top 10 best user generated maps in Halo Reach. Don't have any money for the new Noble Map Pack that just released? Well, your in luck, there are equally as fun maps that are free and created by fellow users.
"My relationship with Halo is a little hot and cold, however. I could spend hours talking about everything that’s great about the gameplay. The graphics are great, the music is fantastic (the piano intro in the Halo 3 menus still makes my spine tingle), the action is intense...everything is great, an absolute home run on every front. In general, the online multiplayer experience is an opportunity for shooter franchises to really make a name for themselves and Bungie knows this, as evidenced by..."
There have been some great Easter eggs in everything from Metal Gear Solid to The Legend of Zelda, but the boys at Bungie have made a pretty epic Easter egg for Halo: Reach that has upped the ante.
"That said, even as shooters are flying high with the success of all the Halos and Call of Duty’s there is an undeniable sense that the current model for the genre may be reaching a breaking point. As excited as some were when Halo: Reach and Call of Duty: Black Ops were announced there were also more than a few people rolling their eyes. I have no doubt that Black Ops will entertaining game. But it’s probably not going to be anything we haven’t seen before. A brief, single player campaign and..."
"Bungie's final Halo game has received high praise since its release on 14th September, which in itself was a rather strange day to release a game under the slogan 'Remember Reach'. After all, it closely followed the anniversary of a real life atrocity - far better to be remembered than this bland, self-indulgent swan song from a decent developer that got lazy."
OXCGN team got a chance to get their hands wet last night at the pre-release night at Microsoft's Sydney Head office and sample some heady co-op and gamer action to get a fell for the game that was release this morning here in Australia.
Come check out what Arthur has to say on how this last iteration of Halo by Bungie, is going to take some beating . . . well worth the read. Comments are most certainly welcomed and encouraged of course.
The Halo series is one of the best series franchise that was ever created, and it is one of the most hyped title. The series started with Halo: Combat Evolved and the latest is Halo Reach, no wonder why this series has this much of popularity, it all started from the very first killer app. The series has an overall natural feeling of epicness for the fans, the answer to the question is the fan. Without the existence of the loyal Halo fan, it wouldn't be that popular.
The game has a story t...
OXCGN looks at the huge business of collectables, and how they have changed the face of gaming for retailers, with specific interest in the Halo franchise and of course, the last in the line, Halo Reach.
It's collectables should draw a great deal of attention, with it's Legendary Edition already completely sold out in all major retailers, bot in-store and on-line.
Come see the consoles from the 1st-gen through to the Reach X360 'S' which will go on sale in Australia and around the glob...
"This week's artist is famous for his creations which have been featured on numerous magazine covers, including GamePro. Using a wacom tablet and some imagination it's amazing how well he can bring his ideas to life!"
"I am speaking of video games of course, but I realize some of you may feel the need to indulge that barbaric tradition of lighting things on fire and watching stuff blow up. Fortunately, the world of gaming offers several easy (and safer) methods of satisfying your craving for ‘splosions."
"New video game studios always rise out of old ones. Oftentimes, old studios don’t survive the transition when key personnel leave. But in these specific instances, the departures of the people who created them won’t kill the Call of Duty or Halo franchises."
All Age Gaming's newest recruit. Sarah has taken over the weekly gaming news summary duties and brings us her 1st and our 38th "The Week That Was". In this weeks article Sarah discusses Red Dead Redemption sales figures, Project Natal price rumours, Halo Reach's release date, PS3 platform sales, Sony bringing back classic PS2 games in HD and the Wii's new gadget, the Cyberbike and more.
"Last year, Microsoft debuted Project Natal, a control scheme that aimed to eliminate the need for a conventional controller and add a new level of interactivity to gaming. Instead of being shown off at the traditional press conference, Microsoft is holding a special event, complete with a performance by Cirque du Soleil, the day before their conference exclusively to show off Natal. This is where we’ll find out the big information that everyone’s been waiting for since last year: launch date,..."
With the Halo Reach Beta now ended, Ian Crane from All Age Gaming reflects on the Beta and gives us his opinion on the small taste of Halo Reach that Bungie and Microsoft provided ODST owners.
"Both Sony and Microsoft could learn a little something from Nintendo and how they handle their major franchises and mascots. Microsoft has milked the Halo franchise to the point that the original developer can’t stand the idea of making another one. Sony on the other hand has pushed the God of War franchise a bit too much (six releases, with a seventh coming in Ghost of Sparta in under five years), but hasn’t sacrificed quality for quantity as fans of the series and critics alike both rave ab..."
"Halo is one of those game franchises that, like the Mario and Zelda before it, really doesn't need an introduction. The first game in the series was released in 2001, as a launch title for the original Xbox. Since then, the series has gone to spawn numerous sequels and spinoffs, including the upcoming Halo: Reach. To celebrate this anticipated event, here are some little known facts about the franchise that redefined online console gaming, and made dual wielding guns feel totally new even tho..."
"But Infinity Ward are shedding staff like nobody's business - and the MW franchise is 'damaged', according to rival EA. Who better to save the Modern Warfare series from oblivion than the most celebrated FPS developer in the world?
Bungie and Activision are bosom buddies - and it's not as if the publisher doesn't have the money and power to (a) Increase Bungie's headcount so it can work on two projects and (b) Change the Washington-based firm's mentality of concentrating solely on one IP."
"The hype of the Halo: Reach beta completely blinded me. I was so excited to give it a try I quite nearly bought the disgrace that is Halo 3: ODST. Yeah, completely blinded. Instead of making that purchase, again, I received a copy from GameFly. I jumped in on the first day and played a number of rounds of the beta."
All Age Gaming's John Elliott brings us the 5th developer profile. This fortnight he looks at renowned Halo series developer BUNGIE. See inside for a look into the famous Xbox developer.
"According to Gamasutra and Game Plan, a survey made in the US in Apr. 2010 revealed that the most anticipated video game is Halo: Reach.
Halo: Reach is actually in Beta testing for those who purchased Halo 3: ODST. It reached the top of the list of 25 other games released or being released this year in the US. These games are what 4000 polled US gamers anticipate."
This weeks edition of Now Shipping will plenty of Jet pack action from not one but two games. Not only can you tear up the sky's in Iron Man 2 but jet packs are now introduced by the beta that everyone has been waiting for, Halo Reach. Call of Duty stimulus is out for the PS3 as well, along with Wii titles and all. Check it out
"The immediate reaction from gamers to the announcement of the Bungie deal with Activision appears to be one of bewilderment. Whether this is primarily due to the dust-up between Activision and Infinity Ward or Activision President Bobby Kotick's statements that the company is committed to constant sequels for franchises such as Call of Duty and Guitar Hero is unclear. It may just be a combination of all the negative news that has come out of Activision recently. So, let's take a look a lit..."
"Microsoft has dropped the ball in so many instances now that it may be completely impossible to recover. Fans of the mega-company's gaming hardware have to face some facts at this point when it comes to the franchises that Microsoft had used to establish the Xbox brand in the first place. They're gone."
"If $50 isn’t enough for you to get Halo: Reach, you can buy a Legendary Halo: Reach Pack.
Microsoft and Bungie will propose 3 ways to spent your money: the Standard Edition, the Limited Edition and the Legendary Pack.
Let’s focus on what these 3 packs propose."
There are allot of games on the way for the Xbox 360 this year so if your looking to narrow down your list for upcoming game buys this list is for you.
This week in All Age Gaming' The Week That Was we discuss worldwide Xbox 360 sales, new Halo Reach info including the different retail versions it will release in, our own Alan Wake hands-on and Remedy Q&A, Gran Turismo 5, Vidzone TV, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and more.
"Microsoft's driving mantra for 2010 seems to be quality over quantity. With only three major titles on tap for the Fall (and only two others in the Summer), the publisher looks to be putting all of its eggs in a Natal-shaped basket. But with Halo: Reach, Alan Wake and a Perfect Dark remake marked down on the calendar, no one can say that Microsoft's 2010 will be boring."
"Do you see how the focus seems to be about increasing the level of visual detail? If you think that you need exponentially larger quantities of polygons or more articulate body movement to really express a human story in your game then you're already going about things the wrong way and you're not going to achieve the desired result."
All Age Gaming's Phong Nguyen bring's us the 27th AAG "The Week That Was". This week he discusses the continual sales boom for Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii game, Halo: Reach at Microsoft's X10 event, the once Xbox 360 exclusive GTA IV DLC coming to PS3 and PC and more.
"As of this writing, we’re already three weeks into 2010. The “new” year is already practically ancient, and pretty soon we’ll have run out of time to make wild, erratic, entirely factual predictions about things that will happen over the next 11 months. So with January nearly over, we’re going for the jugular and answering the question that’s on everyone’s mind: between the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PC, which gaming platform will claim victory by the end of this year.
Experts antici..."
"As the Xbox 360 gets further along into its lifespan as a gaming console, many in the gaming industry and community at large begin to question when exactly a replacement will be on the horizon. However, in the years since it was released, Microsoft has notably proven that the console is capable of evolving, being adapted to the needs and wants of gamers as well as developers. For instance, Project Natal will allow the Xbox 360 to compete in the realm of motion controlled titles. This, on top ..."
"The release of Project Natal prior to the year’s end was once again confirmed, along with the fact that it will work with all existing Xbox 360 consoles. Further discussing new ideas, an interesting proposition was mentioned in the fact that Microsoft is considering allowing gamers to purchase a game on Xbox 360, and play it on their PC. Would this fantastic suggestion ever come to light in the retail space, however, Electronic Theatre would be very surprised indeed."
"For those of you who were able to see what little footage was shown at Spike’s VGA show this past Saturday, you would have noticed the new in-game engine trailer from Halo: Reach, which is slated for release Fall 2010 essentially keeping all of us Halo fanboys in tight-knit stitches until at least the beta is available Spring next year. In the meantime, the trailer will have to do and while it isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, there are some definite indications that what we’re..."
"Due to arrive later this year, Halo: Reach is a prequel to the very first titles in the series, Halo: Combat Evolved. The game follows the actions of Noble Team, a United Nations Space Command special operations unit composed of six Spartan super-soldiers. Players assume the role of the Lieutenant on the colony world of Reach, one of the United Nations Space Command's most important manufacturing and military centers outside of the Solar System, currently under attack by a Covenant invasion f..."
Although Halo 3: ODST has just been released, we all know Halo: Reach is coming. The question is what will Bungie do to make Halo: Reach better or different to the other Halo games they have produced? Well, we have come up with 5 things we would like Bungie to consider/implement for Halo: Reach. Read on to see if you agree.
"In the end it all goes back to Beattie's quote. With four bestselling games (and two more on the way), several comic book series, a whole library of novels, toys from a variety of companies (including a few exclusive designs that were only available at Comic-Con), continued efforts to create a movie and now a compilation of anime episodes, Halo has become one of the biggest cross-media franchises in the world. While Star Wars is still a bit of a stretch, the adventures of Master Chief and the..."
"We all know that Joystiq kept pressing Bungie until they finally decided to submit and confess that Halo Reach will be an FPS title, but this article is not about that. In fact, there is a huge possibility that Bungie’s confession was merely the tip of the iceberg. From what I have discovered so far, this game could be far more than just another FPS. If you would like to know the possible new direction that the Halo franchise might be taking with Halo Reach, then keep reading."
"E3 has come and gone, but has left a plethora of gaming announcements in its wake. Arguably, Microsoft boasted the most exciting and surprising conference out of the three, with mentions of big name titles such as Forza, Left for Dead and Alan Wake, as well as system updates and even a whole new motion capture idea dubbed Project Natal, that's under development. In case you missed the happenings of E3, I'll do a quick run through of Microsoft's conference, and give you a run down of Project N..."
![Box shot of Halo Reach [North America]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvWGJveF8zNjAvQWN0aW9uL1Nob290ZXI=/halo_reach_frontcover_small_purcbflfOLkVNcZ.jpg)