Kotaku 
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Denver, 3:27 PM
Sat Nov 7
35 posts in the last 24 hours
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10/21/09
Wow, talk about meta-gaming. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Yesterday it sounded like this thing was going to be a dashboard version of the Bungie website, plus more interactivity.
Now they are saying that they are not tracking stats in it?
Why the heck not?
This seemed like a much better idea when I thought they were wrapping all of the stats up and delivering them straight to the console. Now it is a lot more "meh". #halowaypoint
10/20/09
if it ain't broken, don't fix it right? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Like I said earlier, I love the stat website that CoD, Battlefield, Halo, etc have. Halo's in particular is really fantastic (even though I don't play Halo at all). It just seems like something that always belonged in-game. Not something that forced me to move over to my PC to view. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
I just can't see anybody turning their system on and going "Boy, I wonder what new Halo news is on the Waypoint!", then boot that up instead of playing an actual game. That's what sites like Bungie.net and Kotaku are for. Ah well. Clearly it's not my cup of tea, but I just don't like being marketed to. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
I'm just not a fan of thinly-veiled advertising. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
Also it's not something you get majorly excited in, it's just something to get involved in if you're already into the game. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Maybe Reach will be more fitting of "full Halo title" status, but I have to think people will bore of ODST relatively quickly and move on to other games by early next year at the latest, if Money Whorefare 2 doesn't kill it off entirely. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
(Incidentally, gamers like Archaotic are probably the best thing in the world for the industry. Thoughts like his/hers keep pushing us to better ourselves as an industry." #halowaypoint
10/20/09
I wouldn't be surprised if FPS jumping idiots jump right to the newest FPS right away but still, halo has it's fans and will stay that way.
edit/ actually I partly take that remark back. Nothing wrong with being an FPS whore so long as you appreciate other stuff too.
10/20/09
Don't have the right Achievement for that Waypoint award? Feel free to buy Halo Wars, so you have the time to get all of 'em!
Most telling was that image with the "beyond the games" box, where they almost freely admit that they're advertising Halo toys. Jesus Christ, it's like Action Man and Max Steel- ploys to sell action figures. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Good business means nothing if the overall quality of product continues its downslide, year after year, y'know? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
Games are a lot more expensive to make than a movie or a CD, after all. If the industry gets too corporate, new and fun ideas will die entirely. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
I always use the example of "double-pistols".
Back in the day, when I was still playing Golden Eye on the N64, all my friends told me the game was amazing because you could use double-pistols.
When I finally got the game I was amazed that no one had told me that the game itself was friggin' awesome.
It's sad. And scary. And often makes me want to work in the indy scene.
(But, of course, I've got bills to pay.) #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
Read: Do great things and you'll usually end up broke. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
It's a lot harder, and a LOT more expensive, to make an indie game that can compete with the big boys. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
If he does, it's certainly not Halo or anything Xbox-related... #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
I'm sorry if I unjustly portrayed you as a partisan! #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/30/09
It hasn't been "whipped together in less than a year". #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
Also
@(Human) Gyaruson: I did follow my stats on the GH3 website. I guess I'm just that kind of person.
If nothing else, all that data on player behavior is probably somewhat useful for the Devs when looking to work on the next iteration of the franchise. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
True, but developers have been compiling data from gamers for years before Bungie.net ever came around. With the advent of the internet, stats and figures have been sent to developers telling them how their game is being played and who is playing it. It's just like a beta, only it never ends. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
I'm sure MS' other franchise, Gears of War will get in on this and then every game, eventually. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
This is nothing like home.
It's more like a dashboard website.
Why do you insist on making this comparison? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
There's no avatars, or walking around, or collecting clothing, or bowling, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc...
Anyway, here's my troll feeding for the day. Hope you're satisfied with the promotion and the knowledge that at least one person paid attention to you. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
"I think it's safest to say that it would be a game-enhancing experience," Pace said. "It will be a much more deeply interactive one."
Responding to suggestions from Kotaku that Waypoint's gameplay could involve anything from a Halo character running through the Waypoint hub to an interactive Halo timeline filled with secrets, a la the PlayStation 3's Metal Gear Solid Database, Pace said, "My answer to that is that both options are fully on the table."
At launch, pride will be the only reward for achieving the awards in Halo Waypoint's first iteration. But that seems likely to change. "Moving forward, absolutely we feel it is important to pin that achievement to something tangible," Pace said. By "tangible," he said he was referring to anything from additional game content to Avatar add-ons.
Seriously, did you read the article at all? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
In other words, they're thinking about a whole bunch of shit.
At the moment, you get a specialized area of the dashboard.
Did *you* read the article at all? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Too late.
Your argument consists of: Right NOW it's not like Home because it's not done. And I'm ignoring anything that makes my argument seem foolish.
10/20/09
Right now it's not like Home, because it's not like Home. The preview video showed nothing of the sort. Yesterday, there was no hint, subtle or no, that there would be ANY sort of gameplay at all. Just a "specialized area of the dashboard". You were wrong yesterday, you're still wrong now. Until we have proven imagery, video, or direct quotation from official sources, it's not like Home. That's all there is to it. Please stop making comparisons where there are none to make. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
10/20/09
10/20/09
It's not a bad idea really; get people connected to the 'brand' outside of the game itself. Same idea as Home really, just a lot more boiled down. #halowaypoint
10/20/09
Ah gotcha. I guess I neglected to read it's 343 and not bungie in which case, "my bad."
Still, in all honesty I doubt bungie is putting efforts into a new franchise even though they said they would eventually. They already have a big enough name, what are they afraid of? #halowaypoint
10/20/09
I felt the website did a great job of that already, but I get what you're saying. Then again I don't like the idea of Home at all haha, oh well. #halowaypoint
09/24/09
It is worth it.
If I paid $60, I might beeyatch some.
-Yes, any 12yr old will beat the game in 6hours.
-Yes, the save-quit thing is a bit aggravating, but you've been warned.
-The graphics are better, there seems to be ALOT of 5pt achievements, and the load screen is ... annoying.
Yes, I was one of those 900K...and my baggy eyes, twitching, proves it!
09/24/09
loving the banshee sticking in the air a bit longer to
09/24/09
09/23/09
He essentially told me that it was like Halo 3, but crappier. And the graphics looked even worse for some reason??
09/23/09
Loved every minute of it.
09/23/09
90% of the posts below me, and 90% of the posts above me basically boil down to "I don't like this game because it's popular/it's Halo/it's cool to hate Halo/it's cool to hate popular games, and therefore you shouldn't like it or enjoy it either."
I have fun with the Halo series. I care nothing for the community, or the general culture built around it. I DO enjoy the fun times I have with friends whilst playing Halo, and the awesome literary devices that the games employ if you scratch beneath the surface.
I mean, not ONE person has noticed the fact that the side-story is based around the Inferno? That the Superintendent is named Vergil? Not one person realizes the significance of that?
Are you all too busy hating the game, or hating the trolls, to discuss the game itself, and its merits in enjoying the game? Maybe you just enjoy hating any and every game that you might come across. Maybe that's true.
If that's true, then I weep for the entirety of the gaming world.
You may now resume trolling.
09/23/09
.
so far, i love it more than i thought it would.
i started off by playing multiplayer, as i wanted to envelop myself in the campaign, and there were too many distractions to do so at the time. i had Halo 3 on my HD to help keep it from overheating. with the multiplayer disc, i could delete Halo 3 and stick the multiplayer only on the HD. since i only have a 20 (read:13)GB HD, it was very nice to see that it freed up about 3GB, since the campaign wasn't on the HD anymore. and since halo multiplayer is one of my most played anything on my xbox, it was nice to have that and only that.
next, i moved on to the campaign, and the music sucked me superquick. turned all my lights off and turned the tv up. it was nice. the orbital drop was gorgeous seeing yourself fall through the sky. the controls are pretty much identical to Halo 3, but the extra map features and what not are rather fresh and helpful. i noticed right away that the ODSTs dont have a radar - something i haven't heard mentioned anywhere. i know some people that hated playing Halo 3 with the skull turned on that removed the radar. guess those people don't have a choice anymore. i tried to be sneaky, as i wanted this game to be more about stealth (which i'm still slightly disappointed that it didn't go that direction,) but there are sometimes when the enemies should be able to see me, but can't, and other times when i'm well hidden and they spot me. i've beaten the first two beacons so far, and am playing the game more like Halo 3 with less shield power than stealthy gameplay, and it's working fine so far (normal difficulty.) also, no dual wielding. i was wondering why i couldn't pick up a second weapon for a second before i remembered. ammo in your starting weapons is slightly limited, but it adds some positive tension, making it feel a bit more realistic.
i like the scoped smg and pistol. the ODSTs weaker jumping than MC isn't really noticeable. it's a neat touch that he walks slower when harmed. there doesn't seem to be a shortage of health packs so far, and i feel this game is superior to Halo:CE in the implementation of health packs. you can now hold 3 of each type of grenade, as opposed to the 2 each you could carry in Halo 3. The new enemy type is interesting. the new visor mode is helpful, as it's more of a nite vision mode than anything, which makes it useless during daylight. i often find myself flicking it off in the dark hub world to look at the structures and pretty sky.
I really love the hub world. it reminds me of splinter cell, with the rain and music, and darkness, and lights. the pacing seems right so far, as far as how long you wander in the hub world before you find a beacon. the beacon missions are nice. buck's felt a little unnecessarily drawn out, and didn't seem to serve too much of a purpose. the next guy (can't remember his name. the religious one)'s mission was a blast to play. riding around is one of my favourite things to do in Halo campaigns, and the landscape was a large enough departure from what we've seen before to make me "feel like i'm playing a new halo game." seeing the grafitti on the walls is a nice touch in the hub overworld. the customization of the ODSTs and being able to pick their outfit for (i assume) firefight is a nice touch. you can play with the helmet on or off, which is obviously something you could never do in the past Halos. it'd be really cool if you could use these in regular Halo Multiplayer, which i can see why they wouldn't, but it would be nice if they implemented it in the future.
the customization of armour is different than in halo 3. as stated, each character has a different set of armour. (i have three so far) that are all slightly different. the colour pallete is separate. doesn't have as many shades of each colour, but a wider variety of base colours. black is now available for the first time since Halo:CE. you can also have a 4 digit call sign, as opposed to the past 3 digit. you can use any combination of letters or numbers, instead of just LETTER||NUMBER||NUMBER in Halo 3
i started playing last nite after i picked it up at midnite and my first reaction was "meh," but after spending more time with it tonite, i really enjoy it. ive been playing the campaign alone to immerse myself in it for the first time, but i already know i want to replay with my brothers or friends or something - i think that's quite a feat. Halo 3 had one.. maaayyyybeee two missions, i wouldn't mind repeating. other than those, i never wanted to play them again. this feels like a more concentrated version, i guess, in a way? the start screen is also moodier and, in my opinion, more stylish
i heard people say if you do the beacons out of order, your save will mess up, which i think is completely ridiculous for bungie/microsoft to brag as a selling point, and then have it broken =/
so for now, i feel like i definitely got my money's worth. i know the campaign is already 2/5ths of the way over for me, but it doesn't bother me as i (along with everyone else) knew it was going to be a short game. the music is the best of the halo series imo, so far. i heard someone on here talk about a cheesy guitar solo, which i haven't heard yet, lol. the saxophone playing near the beginning was nice, and one of the things that reminded me of Splinter Cell. but i really enjoy the music (in the hub world more than the beacon missions so far) but im pretty sure i'll be getting the OST
i think the naysayers should rent it if theyre not in it for the multiplayer. it won't hurt, and you might be pleasantly surprised. not without its faults, but i'm not regretting buying it in the least.
09/23/09
09/23/09
09/24/09
09/23/09
My only complaint is that there is no matchmaking for firefight mode ala GoW2 Horde mode. This is a huge negative for me because I have no real Halo gamers on my friends list. Go figure.
09/23/09
Unfortunately, not much further and it'll be over.
09/23/09
09/24/09
09/24/09
09/24/09
09/23/09
09/23/09
I knew it would go on sale fast but even I didn't think it would go on sale this fast.
09/23/09
It's like there's an anti-Halo political party, and their talking points included "my friends little brother beat it in under X hours."
09/23/09
09/23/09
The Kotaku review was the most spot on I've read so far. The game is certainly, the most vulnerable. For one thing, it's Halo without a ringworld without Master Chief. Then there's the hub world. In between flashbacks you'll spend time wandering the city. It's not like anything you've seen in Halo before. It's quiet.
Almost silent except for when the music kicks in. Marty's score still sounds like Halo, but it fits the new tone of ODST. It adds the much needed atmosphere to New Mombossa. Which is good because it is bland bland bland. Everything is smooth and the layout leads to some interesting battles but it all looks the same.
The one thing I will say for the new environment is it looks good in the ODST vision. Lime green of most NV in games tends to ruin the atmosphere, but using the ODST vision is not only effective, it looks great.
The hub is the only place you'll use it though. The flashbacks take place during the daylight so it'll blind you if you try to use it. These scenarios put you behind the visor of one of the other four members of your team. This is where it feels like Halo. You'll drive tanks, shoot lasers, and fire rockets. Halo stuff.
The question of "is it worth the $60? though?" comes down to this. While ODST feels very experimental it's meant to please the long term fans. Health packs, fall damage, and an excellent pistol are integral parts of the game. Perhaps more importantly is what's not in it. There are no battle rifles, swords, normal pistols or smgs. The campaign is short but sweet and the point system and skulls give the game a lot of replayability. The fact that you can choose to play any flashback from the menu screen helps this. There's also the "full Halo 3 experience" meaning all the map packs including the last half of Mythic. Bottom word: if you're a fan of the series you'll want to give it a try. If you're not the short singleplayer and lack of a matchmaking system make it an pricey purchase. If you've somehow not played anything in the series, and want to, I'd pcik up Halo 2. It sets up the events for ODST, and it marks the highest point of the game. It's for xbox, but it still holds up.