Kotaku: Halo 2

The Second Wave of Halo Anniversary Edition Toys Gets Animated

Mike Fahey — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:40:00 EDT

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How many different Master Chief figures can McFarlane Toys make? Oh they're just getting started. The company recently announced series two of the Halo Anniversary Edition figures, featuring the white-striped version of John 117 from the animated Halo Legends short "The Package". More »

Halo 2's "Headlong" Gets a Stunning Anniversary Makeover

Mike Fahey — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:40:00 EDT

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With excellent sniping spots and what amounts to a vehicular combat arena at the bottom, Halo 2's "Headlong" multiplayer map is reborn as "Breakneck" in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Bask in the glorious gameplay footage and screens, plus get a peek at the very first Halo campaign level in all its remastered glory. More »

The Halo Toy Box Set Charting the History of Master Chief

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 04:30:00 EDT

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Action figures normally aren't funny, but McFarlane's Halo Anniversary piece is good for a chuckle. Better still, it'll also be sold as part of a three-pack, each figure depicting Master Chief as he's appeared in the three main Halo games. More »

Video Games Improve Marijuana Performance 43%

Joshua Rivera — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:20:00 EDT

There aren't many things that marijuana users say weed can't make better. Take this guy I used to know. His name was Mike. Every once in a while we'd hang out with a few other guys and play ridiculous amounts of Halo 2. Occasionally Mike would light up during our fragfests. More »

A Look Inside The Art of Building The Halo Universe

Brian Crecente — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:00:00 EDT

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With the ten year anniversary of the release of the original Xbox shooter Halo looming, Titan Books is preparing to publish a collection of art from the series. More »

The Real Voice Of Halo Is Not Who You'd Expect

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:00:00 EDT

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This is veteran actor Jeff Steitzer. He's done Broadway. Law & Order. Oh, and if you've ever played Halo, chances are you've heard his voice more than Master Chief's, Sgt. Johnson's and Cortana's combined. More »

Why Halo's Master Chief Is So Damn Empty

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Gaming has characters with memorable personalities. But Master Chief, the protagonist of the Halo series, is a total void. And there's a reason for that. More »

Is Minecraft's Halo Homage A Remake Or A De-Make?

Owen Good — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 20:30:00 EST

Super Mario Bros.? Check. Portal? Check. What's next for Minecraft? Halo, inevitably. Here's "Halocraft," a PvP arena homage to Halo 2's Lockout map. Modified textures and sounds, if not the graphics, complete the look and feel of the original. More »

WikiLeaks' Next Scandal Is...A Halo 3 Collaboration

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

It seems like an age ago, but the whole WikiLeaks furore kicked off earlier this year with footage of American forces shooting Iraqi civilians. The offending chopper pilots were accused, appropriately, of behaving like they were playing a video game. More »

The Master Chief Is in Halo: Reach After All

Brian Crecente — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EDT

Color me surprised, especially since I played through the game twice and didn't notice him, but the Master Chief does appear to make a quick cameo in the end of Halo: Reach. More »

The Flags Of Master Chief's Fathers

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 04:00:00 EDT

As seen on Wonderland via Hawty McBloggy. More »

The Last Man to Play Halo 2 on Xbox Live

Owen Good — Mon, 10 May 2010 22:30:00 EDT

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He is Apache N4SIR. Nearly a month after Microsoft shut down the original Xbox Live, he was one of the Noble 14 who kept their connections running. Their numbers slowly dwindled, and today, he was the last Spartan standing. More »

Microsoft Will Never Kill Halo 2 (It'll Just Watch It Die)

Luke Plunkett — Mon, 03 May 2010 03:30:00 EDT

Despite the "death" of the original Xbox Live, a small band of fanatics are keeping the dream alive by leaving their Halo 2 accounts logged in. You'd think Microsoft would be pissed, but surprisingly, no. More »

Halo 2 Diehards Lured With Halo: Reach Beta Codes

Owen Good — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:20:00 EDT

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Microsoft sent Halo: Reach beta codes to the last dozen still playing Halo 2 more than two weeks after multiplayer support was shut off for the original Xbox. Maybe it's a hint to finally disconnect and play something else? More »

Fourteen Halo 2 Fans Refuse to Let It Die

Owen Good — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:20:00 EDT

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Lots of people continued playing Halo 2 past the midnight deadline Microsoft gave 12 days ago for discontinuing original Xbox multiplayer support. Fourteen have managed to still keep their consoles connected and running since, prolonging the game's final goodbye indefinitely. More »

How Did Microsoft Say Goodbye To Xbox Live?

Luke Plunkett — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:30:00 EDT

Not with flowers, but with cake. As seen on Major Nelson's Twitter. More »

The Original Xbox Live...LIVES! (For Now, At Least)

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:30:00 EDT

The original Xbox Live service was supposed to have been shut down at midnight. But midnight has now passed, and the people playing Halo 2 online in anticipation of its demise are...still playing Halo 2. More »

Title Update 4 Never Brings Theater, Forge Support To Halo 2

Mike Fahey — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 14:00:54 EDT

It's the last day to play Halo 2 on Xbox Live, and Bungie is taking the opportunity to deliver long-time players some thank yous and fake news via the game's matchmaking message center. More »

Today, The Original Xbox Live Dies

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:30:00 EDT

It's April 14. If you own an old Xbox and play online with it, or still play original Xbox games on Xbox Live via your 360, you should know this is the last day you'll ever be able to do so. More »

Microsoft Offers Halo: Reach Beta, Free MS Points To "Loyal" Halo Players

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:40:00 EST

Original Xbox games will no longer be playable over Xbox Live as of April 15, but Microsoft is easing the pain of Halo 2 players by offering "avid" players free stuff and a shot at the Halo: Reach beta. More »

Halo 2 Maps, Original Xbox DLC Returns To Xbox Live

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:00:00 EST

Microsoft's plans to end Xbox Live support for original Xbox games had an unfortunate early affect — the removal of all downloadable content from Live for those older Xbox titles. The good news? That DLC is back. More »

DLC Removal Threatens Halo 2 Farewell

Owen Good — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

Downloadable content for the original Xbox has been taken offline as Microsoft prepares to terminate the console's online support. One problem: Matchmaking restrictions require all Halo 2 DLC to play it online. That could make for a small going-away party. More »

"Saddened" Bungie Plans Halo 2 Send Off On Xbox Live

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:00:00 EST

Earlier today, Microsoft announced that it was pulling the plug on Xbox Live support for original Xbox games. That obviously includes Bungie's Halo 2, consistently the top original Xbox title represented on Live. Bungie responds to the change. More »

Report: Halo 2 Is Holding Back Your Xbox Live Friends List

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:40:45 EDT

The current cap on your Xbox Live friends list is—and always has been—set to 100, a paltry figure for some Live social butterflies. The reason that number hasn't budged in four years is reportedly due to one game. More »

Your Comments Fuel Gay Gaming Conference

AJ Glasser — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:40:00 EDT

Physically, you may not have been at EA Redwood Shores this weekend. But if you commented on to Justin Cole's op-ed column to Kotaku, you were there in spirit. More »

Marge Simpson Enjoys Her First Teabagging In Halo

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:30:12 EDT

The twentieth season of Matt Groening's The Simpsons introduces the corpse-desecrating act of "teabagging" to the stalwart Simpsons fan in a not-so-subtle nod to Bungie's Halo 2, complete with mostly accurate Xbox controllers. More »

Bungie's Hiring And Here's How They'll Own You

AJ Glasser — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:40:00 EDT

Bungie producer Allen Murray won't say a word about how the studio's new project is going — but he will tell you how they're getting it done. More »

Eric Nylund Writes Something Unrelated To Halo

AJ Glasser — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 21:40:00 EST

Tor Books announced today that they'd be publishing an original novel from Halo and Gears of War writer/story consultant Eric Nylund. More »

Halo 2 Available on HBO

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:20:00 EDT

Halo.Bungie.org (HBO) has just finished uploading all Halo 2 cutscenes to their servers in gloriously trendy high definition. Halo fans and machinima enthusiasts take note: all of the assets are available for standalone download (none of this embedded crap) and ready to be edited as you see fit. More »

Buy Bungie's Halo Soda Machine

Brian Crecente — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:00:14 EDT

The Bungie folks are auctioning off the Halo Mountain Dew vending machine that's been sitting in their office forever. The machine is signed and illustrated by the entire team and features Halo's Master Chief from the second game. The machine has never actually been used, so it's in terrific condition. All proceeds for the auction will go to The Make a Wish Foundation. If you're a HUGE Halo fan this is probably a one-of-a-kind get. The auction is currently at a whopping $15,000 and doesn't include the shipping charge, which is likely to set you back another $200 to $2,000 depending on where you live in the U.S. More »

Halo 2 Finally Going Platinum Hits?

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST

It looks like Microsoft may add one more title to its Platinum Hits line of budget games—Halo 2. Curiously missing from the line of best-sellers and still ringing up for $29.99 US at many retailers, the "Best Selling Xbox Game Ever" may finally be slashed all the way down to $19.99 when it's saddled with a shiny silver border. Yup, it's time to finally pounce. Pounce, people! More »

Xbox 360 Backward Compatibility Updates "Winding Down"

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:20:00 EST

Speaking with Albert Penello, group marketing manager for the Xbox 360, at CES this week, we touched on the future of the Xbox past. The most recent update to the list of original Xbox games that are playable on the Xbox 360, bringing the total to 465 last gen titles, could very well be the last, according to Penello. "I don't know if we have plans to do any more releases," Penello said "It feels like we kind of hit the point of diminishing returns there. I know with the Xbox Originals, there are still things happening there, but in terms of a lot of engineering work around bringing out new titles, I think they're winding that down." More »

Man Uses Live to Stalk, Threatens Rape

Brian Crecente — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 14:00:04 EST

A New York man was arrested Friday after allegedly stalking and threatening to rape two Spokane girls he met while playing a Halo game on Xbox Live, KHQ reports. More »

Msoft Wants Halo 3 To Top $155 Million in First Day

Brian Crecente — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:00:04 EDT

Microsoft doesn't just want to top Halo 2's first day sales record with the sequel, it wants to blow it out of the water. Variety reports that Microsoft has its eye set on topping the opening weekend box office record of $151 million set by Spider-Man 3, raking in $155 million in a single day. More »

Japan Gets Halo History Pack

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 18:40:43 EDT

And by Halo History Pack, Microsoft of Japan means a "Platinum Collection" package featuring both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 for a paltry 2,980 yen (about $25 USD). Microsoft is readying the super-budget two-in-one Halo History Pack to get Japanese gamers—okay, Western ex-pats—hyped up for the Xbox 360 release of Halo 3. The double pack, with built-in backward compatibility updates, ships to Japanese retailers on September 12. More »

The Halo Product Madness Won't Stop

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:30:45 EDT

Halo fans with a little walkin' around money will need to start talking to building contractors, like, yesterday, as the amount of Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 licensed everything is going to require it's own room. At Comic Con, Kotobukiya, Wizkids, McFarlane Toys and Gentle Giant showed off a ridiculous amount of Master Chief stuff coming this year and the next. Pics of nearly everything in the gallery below. More »

Library Offers Halo 2 Competition, People Freak

Mark Wilson — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 14:00:08 EDT

To attract a teenage readership, an Illinois library has planned a Halo 2 competition for this weekend. Minors can come and participate as long as they've had a permission slip signed by an adult. But to the National Institute on Media and the Family, that's just not enough. President David Walsh claims:

...it borders on irresponsibility for a public library to sponsor an activity for kids as young as 12 that the industry itself has said is for adults.

And while the permission slip doesn't specify the game is rated M, how many books in that library—perfectly accessible to children—hold the same level of violence, maturity or societal subversion without any designation? Ah, nevermind. Books like that are better off banned, anyway. More »

It's Peter Moore Photoshop Time

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:40:56 EDT

We're sad to see Peter Moore move on from Microsoft. Not that we're Xbox fanboys, just that it's going to be really hard to put together a list of questions about Madden NFL 2009 or whatever year FIFA is on now ('99?) to ask of Moore next time we see him. To comemmorate his departure from the Xbox family and to have a bit of fun, we're having a Peter Moore Tattoo Photoshop Throwdown. Yes, of course, this is clearly a Something Awful forums Photoshop Phriday swipe, but that doesn't mean we won't enjoy ourselves. More »

Week in Games: Mario Party 8 Edition

fdemarco — Sun, 27 May 2007 18:00:00 EDT

As I depart the Big Apple (where I've been reporting from all weekend) I leave you with this list of games coming out this week. Mario Party looks like it might be some fun with the addition of the Wii remote mechanic and I'd like to see how the 2d to 3d Crush is for the PSP. Other than that, I can satisfy myself with finishing up Silent Hill 2 which for some reason I decided to haul out of the mothballs. Anyone going to round out a holiday weekend by picking one or two of these up? Flynn De Marco More »

Halo Zune Hands-On

Brian Crecente — Mon, 21 May 2007 14:07:55 EDT

As I write this I am listening to the haunting strains of Ancient Machine from the Halo 2 Volume 1 soundtrack on Halo Zune. The Zune, sent my way from Microsoft, is pretty neat looking, and does have a slew of original content, but it's still a Zune. That is to say, while I love the huge screen for video playback and the great all-you-can-eat music service, I'm still ticked that it skips when playing some music back and that Microsoft still hasn't gotten around to adding television and movies to their store. More »