Wednesday, November 15, 2006
That time there was Halo 3 news
There are times in life when a single piece of news can make your heart skip a beat, and briefly reconsider your place in the universe. "M'am, your baby is on fire". "That hurricane is certainly large, and close." "Excuse me, did you drop this solid gold revolver?" You know, those. When I read today that there will be a public beta of multiplayer Halo 3 and new Halo 2 multiplayer maps in the Spring, as well as a 60-second once-off CG trailer for the game on national television the day after my birthday, well, my esophagus, aorta and rectum all kind of spasmed at the same time in a gesture that would be neither possible or socially appropriate to replicate.
I said a few weeks ago that the Halo 3 news/screens leakage didn't excite me, as the enjoyment and brilliance of the game isn't in the details but in how the experience comes together once you make it a part of your life. That still stands. But now that I know I will actually be participating in Halo 3 within six months? Well, see the above paragraph and gauge my reaction for yourself.
From an industry perspective, I would say it's a brilliant move (not that Bungie has been known for any other types of movement). Releasing new Halo 2 maps is pure microtransaction profit, will sell untold swaths of 360s just when PS3s are more plentiful and Wiis see their first price drop (they will drop Wii Sports and the price to $200 in late Spring, you'll see), naturally starts it's own Halo 3 hype train without any other marketing, and gives people like myself one more reason to hold off on any other large hardware or game purchases.
Outside of the disgustingly immature, verbally offensive fanbase, Halo 2 multiplayer is a sublimely entertaining experience. With new content and the ol' Halo crowd of buddies to play alongside with, is there any reason why I wouldn't go back to the game? Gears of War multiplayer is (intentionally) crippled by Microsoft, no one else I know will own a PS3 even if I do pick one up to play Resistance online, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl won't be out until next holiday season. Is there any other online experience that's even remotely as compelling?
Well, there is one: Halo 3. Which I imagine they will roll out a month or two after the new maps. I would guess that we'll see a few different iterations of the beta based on progress and feedback over the course of the late Spring and summer, then see it shut down so we have time to while away our pennies to buy MASTER CHIEF'S HEAD at the end of the year. It's too perfect. I didn't give much of a damn about anything that came out within a year of Halo 2, and outside of Bioshock and Burnout 5 I could quite easily wait on anything else next year.
Halo 2 ultimately shattered all hype and expectation, and I have an immense grin on my face just thinking about how commandingly Halo 3 will do the same. Yay!
I said a few weeks ago that the Halo 3 news/screens leakage didn't excite me, as the enjoyment and brilliance of the game isn't in the details but in how the experience comes together once you make it a part of your life. That still stands. But now that I know I will actually be participating in Halo 3 within six months? Well, see the above paragraph and gauge my reaction for yourself.
From an industry perspective, I would say it's a brilliant move (not that Bungie has been known for any other types of movement). Releasing new Halo 2 maps is pure microtransaction profit, will sell untold swaths of 360s just when PS3s are more plentiful and Wiis see their first price drop (they will drop Wii Sports and the price to $200 in late Spring, you'll see), naturally starts it's own Halo 3 hype train without any other marketing, and gives people like myself one more reason to hold off on any other large hardware or game purchases.
Outside of the disgustingly immature, verbally offensive fanbase, Halo 2 multiplayer is a sublimely entertaining experience. With new content and the ol' Halo crowd of buddies to play alongside with, is there any reason why I wouldn't go back to the game? Gears of War multiplayer is (intentionally) crippled by Microsoft, no one else I know will own a PS3 even if I do pick one up to play Resistance online, and Super Smash Brothers Brawl won't be out until next holiday season. Is there any other online experience that's even remotely as compelling?
Well, there is one: Halo 3. Which I imagine they will roll out a month or two after the new maps. I would guess that we'll see a few different iterations of the beta based on progress and feedback over the course of the late Spring and summer, then see it shut down so we have time to while away our pennies to buy MASTER CHIEF'S HEAD at the end of the year. It's too perfect. I didn't give much of a damn about anything that came out within a year of Halo 2, and outside of Bioshock and Burnout 5 I could quite easily wait on anything else next year.
Halo 2 ultimately shattered all hype and expectation, and I have an immense grin on my face just thinking about how commandingly Halo 3 will do the same. Yay!
// posted by Nick @ 7:04 PM 
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