Halo 3
Halo 3, a sequel to the best selling Xbox game Halo 2, is a highly-anticipated first-person shooter video game under development by Bungie Studios for the Xbox 360. An official announcement on the developers' website states that Halo 3 will end the current story arc of the Halo trilogy. A public beta test will be available in Spring 2007, with the full game coming out in late 2007.
E3 2006 trailer
A trailer of the game was shown at Microsoft press conference at E3 2006. The trailer ends with the tagline "Finish the Fight".
The trailer opens with a powerful orchestral piece, showing a desolate and dry desert area, a few miles inland of the remaining rubble of New Mombasa, which was destroyed in Halo 2. Parts of the broken space elevator are shown in the background. Through the smoke and rubble of a ruined building a Spartan emerges, obscured occasionally by overlaid transmission images of what appears to be Cortana who utters somewhat distorted messages:
- "I have defied gods and demons."
- "I am your shield; I am your sword[1]."
- "I know you; your past, your future"
- "This is the way the world ends."
Several of these lines are spoken in the Cortana Letters.
Fans have speculated that the voice of Gravemind can be heard, mirroring Cortana's words, leading many to believe Gravemind plays a part in Cortana's speech, possibly even speaking through Cortana to the Master Chief. A scream can be heard before the transmissions, which further supports this hypothesis. Other forces may also be acting on Cortana - in the 'Behind the Scenes' video[2], it is stated, "We don't know what has happened to her since then. We don't know it's Cortana. It could be any sort of bizarre, almost Satanic sort of voice. Something seems wrong." The transmission improves drastically with each attempt at communication. It should also be noted that Cortana's dialogue is highly reminiscent of and can be attributed to that of Durandal, an artificial intelligence originating from Bungie's previous FPS series of games, Marathon [3] - Master Chief is seen holding a weapon similar to the MA5B Assault Rifle from the original Halo, which was not included in Halo 2. Frank O'Connor (Bungie's Content Manager) has stated, "Who says it's the standard Assault Rifle? Doesn't look identical to me…", which hinted at the differences from the Assault Rifle seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, and the current Assault Rifle seen in the Halo 3 alpha. The gloves on Master Chief's armor are also somewhat different, potentially hinting at some sort of upgrade for the MJOLNIR armor.
Overhead, a massive Covenant "excavation fleet," as it was called by Bungie, holds position over an enormous crater the Chief is overlooking. The crater contains an expansive circular metallic structure, over three miles in diameter, stated by Bungie to be a Forerunner-related structure.
Above the crater, there is a massive maelstrom in the sky caused by "massive, never before seen subatomic forces," presumably emanating from the gigantic domed structure. Banshees and Covenant warships fly by, but pay no attention to the Master Chief. The camera then switches from the crater to the cliffs as a part of them fall and then zooms in onto the Master Chief's visor.
The camera turns from a glowing reflection on the Chief's visor and zooms out, revealing a grandiose scene as the mysterious structure is awakened. The structure begins to unfold, and parts of it rise above the ground as Covenant ships reverse direction and speed away from it. The device emits an energy pulse into the skies as the trailer ends with Cortana stating the last line, "This is the way the world ends." Cortana's closing words are in direct contradiction to T.S. Eliot's famous quote closing words from his poem, The Hollow Men:
- This is the way the world ends
- Not with a bang but a whimper.
The trailer was produced entirely using the Xbox 360 hardware in real-time. After the E³ showing, Bungie demonstrated the real-time nature of the demo by moving the camera around and moving Master Chief to demonstrate the game's visual effects. The Assault Rifle was also fired to demonstrate that the muzzle flash was also reflected off Chief's visor in real-time.
The music in the trailer utilized a 60 piece orchestra and a 24 member choir. An interesting usage of trumpets is a new effect added in the music. On Bungie's site, composer Martin O'Donnell states his goals for the trailer's music.
- "I want them to feel pride and longing the moment Master Chief walks out of the smoke, I want them to get excited and perhaps even froth at the mouth when they see the Covenant Capital ship and then the incredible buried artifact. I want them to be left with that, 'I can hardly wait to play this game' feeling by the end with a slight, 'I wonder what she meant by that' aftertaste."[4]
Because of speculation as to the identity of the Spartan shown in the trailer, Bungie has confirmed that it is the Master Chief. [5]
ESPN TV advertisement
On December 4, 2006, a 60-second CGI commercial for Halo 3 was aired on ESPN, followed by a release on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. The advertisement does not contain any gameplay footage, and was created entirely by Digital Domain, using a mix of live action and animation (for the two children), Bungie-supplied assets for vehicles and models, and pure CGI.[6]
The ad opens with two young children lying on the grass looking at the night sky as a shooting star flies overhead. The little girl asks if they'll ever meet what's up there, then the boy replies "I hope so. Don't you?" The children's conversation is cut off by a screeching noise, as a Covenant plasma mortar impacts nearby, revealing the lush grass as an arid Kenyan shrubland.
Reeling, a dazed Master Chief struggles to regain his orientation. He then reaches for his helmet, which is lying on the ground, then staggers to his feet, taking note of an overturned, damaged Warthog from which he had presumably been thrown. As he gets up, the children's voices echo in his head, along with those of Cortana, Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson, a voice that says "Time to go" and some unidentified Marines; he is now on Earth in the middle of the Covenant invasion, gazing at a strange cloud formation in the distance. An unidentified Marine checks for "any sign of the Chief," and another replies, "Negative, sir. I think we've lost him."
The Master Chief picks up an Assault Rifle on the ground nearby and replies, "Not yet". The Chief then takes a grenade-like device in hand, arms it, and then spikes it into the ground. The device emits a loud, electronic hum and immediately generates a portable shield resembling a transparent geodesic sphere, termed a "Bubble Shield" by Bungie. Another Covenant mortar impacts on the shield, which dissipates shortly thereafter; the wreckage of a nearby overturned Mongoose ATV is caught and disintegrated in the same explosion.
The Chief then charges forward, holstering his pistol and brandishing the Assault Rifle as he leaps straight off a ledge into a cluster of Brutes, many of whom appear to be wielding Spikers, save the leader who seems to be wearing a red headdress with red-themed armor, lifting something akin to Tartarus' gravity hammer, the Fist of Rukt.
The ad closes with the same "HALO 3", "FINISH THE FIGHT - 2007" and Xbox 360 taglines as the E3 trailer, and with an additional caption to close the ad: the "Jump In" slogan of the Xbox 360 marketing campaign.
Release and other information
The only official release date can be found on Bungie's official FAQ for the game, which says only that the game will be released "at an as-yet to be announced date in 2007."
Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman, stated in a May 2005 Time Magazine interview that Halo 3 would be released as close to the PlayStation 3's launch as possible, to divert sales. Best Buy posted that Halo 3 would be released on November 16, 2006, the day before the PlayStation 3 is released. "It's perfect," Gates said. "The day Sony launches PlayStation 3, they walk right into Halo 3." The date was later postponed to some undisclosed date in 2007. (Time.com article, registration required; relevant quotes on GameSpot.com). When asked shortly afterwards however, Microsoft senior vice president Robbie Bach was less definite, saying: "We haven't announced anything on what Bungie is doing or where we're going with the future of the 'Halo' franchise... With all respect to Bill, I don't run Bungie's studio, and neither does he. We'll work with the Bungie guys and let people know [when they have something to announce]".
An article in Game Informer in November 2005 reported that: "Halo developer Bungie is so paranoid about the storyline for Halo 3 leaking out that two different story lines are being worked on so that even the company's employees are in the dark as to the plot of the game." Game Informer has also mentioned that Bungie is working on a "non-Halo" project as well as Halo 3, although Bungie staffers have since commented that Bungie will only be working on one game at a time, and Bungie has made no subsequent mention of any other current game projects either in their Weekly Updates or during E3.
Soon after the Xbox 360 was unveiled in May 2005, EB Games and FYE started taking preorders for Halo 3, despite having no official word from Bungie on whether they would make another Halo game. The preorder page has since been taken down, but other retailers have followed suit.
On May 9, 2006, exactly a year and a half after the release of Halo 2, the announcement trailer to Halo 3 appeared on the Xbox Live Marketplace, shortly before the trailer made its appearance at E3, due in part to the E3 conference starting late. Halo 3's announcement was soon carried on other gaming sites, including GameSpot.[7] After some downtime on the official Bungie Website, the game was announced officially and the trailer was made available for download.[8]
There is also an "easter egg" hidden within the trailer: a wobbling sign on the side of the road which appears to be a "Grunt Crossing" sign. Bungie's official response to the sign was "The New Mombasa City Council had an incredibly efficient public works department until and even during the tragic and devastating Covenant invasion,". Also, another Easter Egg within the trailer is when the structure is activated. In the lights around the installation is Bungie's original Marathon symbol. This picture is a choice of many symbols for players' multiplayer icon in Halo 2, and remains as an in-joke Bungie regularly features in their games. Also, avid fans of the series froze and magnified an image of the Master Chief, and found the Marathon logo imprinted on the Assault Rifle.
On June 6, 2006, Bungie Studios released a behind-the-scenes look at the E3 announcement trailer on their website. The video included many elements intended to produce speculation in the fan community. Some of these elements include a glimpses of the updated look of the UNSC Marines, an unknown race holding a new weapon, and Master Chief holding the M90 Shotgun from previous Halo titles. The video also showed different angles and takes of the announcement video, showing how powerful the engine was (and proving the video was not pre-rendered).
As of August 18, 2006, Best Buy has the Halo 3 Set release date as April 16, 2007, although it is also stated on the same page that an official release date for Halo 3 has not yet been announced by Microsoft. UK website Play.com set the release date for Halo 3 as November 24th 2007, though with no notice that it is unofficial.
On October 2, 1UP.com featured an article about the November 14 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM). The magazine features a "blowout" on the game, featuring new information, as well as new screenshots and videos on the 1UP website. [9] In addition, three weeks worth of continuous coverage of Halo 3 were added to the site throughout November.[10]
Various game journalists from around the world were exclusively invited to Bungie to play on multiplayer test builds of the game.[11] Bungie.net usually has a weekly "Humpday Challenge" where the Bungie team play Halo 2 against other groups from all over the gaming community. Recently, Bungie has started using Halo 3 for its Humpday Challenges.[12][13]
Both EGM and Swedish magazine Level released screenshots of Halo 3 in action, featuring the Mongoose ATV in use in a CTF game. The magazine also included screenshots of three different multiplayer maps: High Ground, Valhalla, and Snowbound as well as the revelation of three new weapons. The Spiker is the new weapon of choice for the Brutes, as well as the Spike Grenade, and Spartans get a new "anti-vehicular" shoulder-mounted laser gun. They also described a new map-based element called a "Man Cannon," a launch pad that would be capable of flinging objects -- and players -- from one side of the map to the other. On November 2, 2006, GameInformer has stated that GameStop and EB Games are already taking pre-orders for Halo 3 and are stating that the release date as November 1, 2007. Three versions were announced: Standard ($59.99), Collector's ($69.99) (contents still unannounced), and a special "Legendary" 4-disc edition[14] ($99.99) featuring the game, a 10" "cat-head sized" MJOLNIR Mark VI Helmet Replica (which will act as a cover for a disc stand),[15] documentaries and developer comments, spotlights on spin-offs; and all Halo cutscenes (1 – 3) including deleted scenes as well as spin-off material such as Red Vs. Blue and This Spartan Life, and an added preview of the Halo movie,[16] whose status is uncertain.
On November 15, 2006 it was announced that the online beta would be released to the public in Spring 2007; along with new Halo 2 maps exclusively for Xbox 360 owners. [17]
Joystiq reported a Microsoft blogger claimed Brutes would be a playable race, but this rumor was quickly quashed by Bungie's Frank O'Connor.[31]. However, it revealed that upcoming Bungie gameplay videos would feature "new insights into elements of the campaign and will peel back the curtain on a certain prominent character in Halo 3." [32]
Confirmed elements
This section briefly lists elements of Halo 3 that are confirmed for inclusion, and specifically those returning from the other titles in the Halo series.
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Other confirmed facts
- The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Also, Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.[35]
- Bungie has confirmed the following basic plot points as revealed through the teaser trailer: Master Chief is back on a thoroughly conquered and Covenant controlled Earth. Cortana is still a prisoner of Gravemind. Finally, the Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site only a few miles from New Mombasa.[36]
- With the release of the trailer Bungie has declared publicly that Gravemind, who originally appeared midway through Halo 2, is an intelligence of Flood origin.
- Although Halo 3 was planned to end the Halo series, future Halo games haven't been entirely ruled out. On the Halo 3 FAQ[37] from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever Halo game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." This refers to the two announced games in the Halo universe, including the new Halo Wars by Ensemble Studios.
- Bungie has also stated that they have redesigned the UI (user interface) from Halo 2 apparently making it easier to generate a custom game in Halo 3 multiplayer.[38]
- When a player is carrying a second weapon in Halo 3, the secondary weapon will be stored on the character's back or leg holster, depending on the size of the weapon.[39]
- The game will feature the ability to record and send video clips via Xbox Live at any time, making Halo machinima even easier for users.[40]
- In the November 11 Bungie Weekly Update, it has been stated that due to a "significant chunk" of Halo 2 players being female, there might be an option to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer.[41]
- It was recently asserted on a Belgian website that there would be a trailer on the 20th of December, and that Brutes would become playable characters. Frank O'Connor has debunked that rumor, but confirmed that there will be a video documentary of some sort later that week.[42]
Beta test
As of December 4, 2006, registration for the beta test is online for North American entrants. However, the Australian and New Zealand Xbox sites are offering 15 Beta test places (10 for Australia, 5 for New Zealand). Entrants must provide a 25-word opinion on how they think the Master Chief would "finish the fight" in Halo 3. In Europe, the available slots are made available through online media outlets. Bungie has stated that this is only "phase one" of the registration process, and that there will be more options soon for players outside of North America to register for the public beta. According to IGN, over 14,000 players signed up to play in the multiplayer beta as of December 13, 2006.[33]
References
 | This article has an unclear citation style. |
- ^ Due to various sound effects (such as echoes and static) playing while Cortana is speaking, the word at the end of the second line has been misinterpreted as 'source.' However, Bungie has confirmed in this update that it is in fact 'sword'.
- ^ "Halo 3: Behind the Scenes". Gave Videos. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
- ^ "Joe Staten Interview - 2006". Halo Story Page. Retrieved 2006-11-24.
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=weeklyupdatemay1206
- ^ [2]
- ^ Jason Ocampo (2006-05-09). "E3 06: Halo 3 announced, plot details revealed". GameSpot. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ [3]
- ^ "Halo 3 Blowout in Next Month's EGM". 1UP.com. 2006-02-10. Retrieved 2006-12-17.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ [4]
- ^ [5]
- ^ [6]
- ^ [7]
- ^ [8]
- ^ [9]
- ^ [10]
- ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?cid=9182
- ^ [11]
- ^ [12]
- ^ [13]
- ^ [14]
- ^ [15]
- ^ [16]
- ^ [17]
- ^ [18]
- ^ http://carnage.bungie.org/haloforum/halo.forum.pl?read=765343
- ^ [19]
- ^ [20]
- ^ [21]
- ^ [22]
- ^ [23]
- ^ [24]
- ^ [25]
- ^ a b c [26]
- ^ http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3155479
- ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?link=weeklyupdatemay1206
- ^ http://www.bungie.net/Games/Halo3/content.aspx?link=Halo3AnnounceFAQ
- ^ http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?cid=8544
- ^ [27]
- ^ [28]
- ^ [29]
- ^ [30]
External links
- Official Halo 3 site at Bungie.net
- Halo 3 Revealed! on Xbox.com
- Three Weeks of Halo 3 at 1up.com
- Halo 3 Story on IGN
- Image Press Kit (Direct download link - 102 MB - Zipfile)
- Halo 3 article at Halopedia
- Halo 3 at Xbox.com
Videos
- Halo 3 'Starry Night' TV Ad on Game Videos (HD Downloads at link - WMV (23.5 MB) MOV (101 MB))
- Halo 3 TV ad on Xbox.com
- Halo 3 Outline on GameSpot (Included with small trailer)
- High Resolution Behind The Scenes on Bungie (Direct download link - 383 MB - Windows Media)
- Halo 3 Flash Trailer (Fast Load - Good Quality)
- Halo 3 Documentary Bungie.net in-depth documentary of the E3 2006 teaser trailer.
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