The Gamer's Quarter

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:55 am Post subject: Halo 3: non-haters only

For people who enjoy shooting aliens with mandibles and the snug feel of a freshly cleaned suit of body armour. Over the next 48 hours, Halo 3 beta invitations will be sent out. I know I'm on the list, as I received the introductory email, but I'm itching to find out if I'll actually get in on the beta program.

I am thoroughly excited for Halo 3, and invite discussion, as well as triumphant tales of beta-program acceptance. Let's discuss the social structure of Brutes and their snazzy new helmets, as well as the possibility of dual-wielding Jeorb Swords*.

Finish the froth!

*official Toronto moniker for the plasma sword

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

If you get to play the beta, I'll be satisified enough if you inform us that the plot is better than Halo 2's, and hopefully more in keeping with Bungie's original plan for that sequel.
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dmauro · . Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 303 Location: Brooklyn

I thought this didn't start for a while... how do you get an invite aside from buying Crackdown?

dmauro · . Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 303 Location: Brooklyn

Okay, it looks like I can still get in by playing for three hours on Feb. 1st and then registering at Halo 3.com. Sounds easy enough.

Lestrade · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:45 pm Post subject:

Yeah, I did the "Phase 1" route, where I sent a registration email to halo3.com. I haven't heard yet... (fingers crossed).

Dracko, this beta is multiplayer-only, but I'm sure there will be some teasers. Out of curiosity, is there an account somewhere about how Bungie intended Halo 2 to be? I mean, I realize there were many things cut from the final product, but do you have plot/scenario details?

SuperWes · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:20 pm Post subject:

Wait a minute, you mean Halo has a plot?

-Wes
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Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Yes it's called Marathon.

(that's not hate, it's love of a tough kind)
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dmauro · . Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 303 Location: Brooklyn

SuperWes · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 3:02 pm Post subject:

GSL · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject:

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

"We screwed up" says Halo 2 developer.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

I never saw that. I've been saying that Halo 2 sucked for ages but no one listened to me Sad

I dig the first one though, even if it could have been much better.
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Mister Toups · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:40 pm Post subject:

Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Oh hey, I remember him. He was scottish right? I have a couple issues of Ultra Gameplayers where he became the editor. The magazine got canned a few issues later! Then I noticed he moved to Next Gen. That magazine was also canned!
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Mister Toups · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

I bought both Next Gen and Ultra GamePlayers. I think I liked Next Gen better because it was just more interesting, but Gameplayers was also nice since it has such a heavy focus on games and didn't really bother with any other crap. I wish I could remember some of the injokes so we could totally bond!

I remember something about MuuMuus hating cows and cursing their oily hides.

EDIT: Oh yeah, they hated cows because they wouldn't stop saying their name and mocking them.

Oh, there was also the constant Cosmic Race references, which they considered to be the worst game of all time.
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Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

I remember you telling me about that once. Wasn't that some PCGamer gag?
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Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

He was their mascot and spoke in this thick american-ized indian accent. It was really creepy.
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Mister Toups · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 7:58 pm Post subject:

Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:18 pm Post subject:

I remember playing the Coconut Monkey levels for Quake II and liking their design. But I liked the British PC Gamer magazines more than the American ones until I stopped reading print mags except for PC Powerplay, Australia's number one PC gaming publication.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Do you still read that? Because guess who's been a contributer for the past two years.
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Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:24 pm Post subject:

It's almost as if I wrote that on purpose...
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Oh, well that's less exciting. Hey, do you get Channel 31?
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Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:29 pm Post subject:

Is that the one ABC2 is on?
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

No! It's a public access channel. It's the one Rove and Blokesworld were "discovered" on.
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Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 8:55 pm Post subject:

For some reason I've never been able to get public access channels and 31 through this digital set box thingy gets me SBS and they don't show nearly enough tits on SBS as they used to.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Yeah, what's up with that? When I was in school, SBS was my best friend with all the repeated showings of The Weatherwoman and other such foreign titty movies.

That reminds me, I need to call up SBS about a computer game docu they played ages ago.
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Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:02 pm Post subject:

It all started to go downhill when they axed the Saturday cult movie.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Well, all the cult stuff is on thursday now, or it was recently. One live action cult thing what I can't remember the name of, Stand Alone Complex and then a cult movie, but they need to get that guy back... Des, I think his name was? He was awesome.
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Winged Assassins (1984) · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:10 pm Post subject:

The cult movies on Thursday just aren't cult enough for my standards. They should get Des Mangan off Eurovision coverage so he can show more Italian horror films and spaghetti westerns.
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Cycle · Mac daddy Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Posts: 2767

Damn skippy! It's kind annoying how these days it seems to be entertaining asian movie = tonights cult movie. I want to see what the rest of the world has to offer.

Dylan Moran is on ABC tonight if you're a fan of him, by the by.
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SuperWes · Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:16 pm Post subject:

So hey. That Crackdown demo? The demo of the game that comes with the "free" Halo 3 demo? Fucking amazing. Really surprising.

Microsoft has another hit in their stable now.

-Wes
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Harveyjames · the meteor kid Joined: 06 Jul 2006 Posts: 3636

Lestrade · Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 7:13 am Post subject:

dmauro · . Joined: 20 Jul 2006 Posts: 303 Location: Brooklyn

Lestrade · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:50 am Post subject:

So, did anyone receive an invitation? I didn't, so I'm either going to have to play online or buy Crackdown if I want to get in on this—and I rather do.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

Crackdown is probably worth your Canadian dollars by itself, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
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Lestrade · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:49 pm Post subject:

Yeah, the demo is addicting. I love jumping and climbing.

Nana Komatsu · weak sauce Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 1293

I love building up my strength so I can drop guys with one punch and pick up cars.
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Lestrade · Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 9:59 pm Post subject:

So people, what edition of Halo 3 are you buying: regular, super-sized or sell-your-children edition?

I would love the SYC Edition, except:

a) I don't want a giant fucking helmet lying around;
b) It's going to cost $150 CAD

I will probably get the middle-of-the-road edition, and find a way to pirate the second Legendary disc (with all the cinematics) later. I love bonus discs, but I don't like cat helmets. A nice metal box suits me just fine!

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

I'd like to get the mega cool Sell Your Children edition but it's going to be expensive and for what, an extra DVD of interviews, or all the cutscenes from all three games only in HD? Doesn't seem that worth it to me.

When is this beta thing actually going down, anyway? It's been a while since I heard about it. I've got Crackdown (great game), and I'll be renewing my Xbox Live subscription soon, so I'm all ready to go. Just tell me when, Bungie!
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ryan · . Joined: 20 Feb 2005 Posts: 999

I got a Shadowrun invite. That counts, right? ... Right?

weep weep

The $129 super duper limited edition version is nuts - a spartan helmet! I can't imagine anyone not regretting that after a week. The $69 version seems pretty good though, the tin case with the bonus disc. Not bad!
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

As stupid as this sounds, it's actually the "HD video and audio optimizing Disc/Set" that has me most considering the super-special edition. Those things can easily cost over $20 and if it's any good they can cost upwards of $50 on their own. And those are just the ones on DVD. Ones that can do true HD optimization are even more. So, yeah, its really not that bad a deal if you want all that stuff.

Does anyone think that I will have needed to play H2 to play and enjoy H3?
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Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

$15 off Halo 3!
_________________
“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

Mr. Mechanical · Friendly Stranger Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 1276

Lestrade · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 3:03 pm Post subject:

Shaper, you may not have to play Halo 2 if you get the Legendary edition of Halo 3, because it comes with a disc full of HD-quality cinemas from the first two games.

Barring that, I'd argue that you should play Halo 2 and listen to the ilovebees broadcasts to really get the full scoop.

I really hope Halo 3 contains the words "Challa base" somewhere.

Shapermc · Hot Sake! Joined: 14 Oct 2004 Posts: 6279

I tried listening to I love Bees. It seemed like a bunch of non-sense.
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“The average man has a secret desire to be a swaggering, drunken, fighting, raping swashbuckler.”
-Robert E. Howard in a letter to a friend circa Decmber 1932

"There is no place in this enterprise for a rogue physicist!"

Dracko · . Joined: 10 Oct 2005 Posts: 2613

Then keep on listening. And reading.
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"This is the most fun I've ever had without being drenched in the blood of my enemies!"

Lestrade · Posted: Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject:

Shaper, I have it all organised on disc if you want a copy. It is over two hours of some of the best radio drama I've ever heard.

I emailed one of the actresses and told her what a great performance I thought she gave, and thanked her for her work. She was nice enough to write back.

I just watched Wild Zero and I am so ready to jump out of a burning building screaming, "ROCK AND ROLL!!!!!!"