Posts Tagged ‘Microsoft’

Finally, Ubisofts new Splinter Cell: Conviction will be arriving next month in a bundle after being delayed.  The box will contain a standard black Xbox 360 with a 250GB hard drive, 2 controllers and a copy of the game.  The price will be $399.  I guess Splinter Cell isn’t a big enough game franchise to warrant its own limited edition console like Infinity Wards Modern Warfare 2.  I suppose we’ll have to wait for Halo Reach before getting the largest hard drive with a limited console.

Getting a nice Splinter Cell bundle with a plain console is great and everything, but when is Microsoft going to let the rest of us buy a separate 250GB hard drive for our perfectly working Xbox 360′s?  I need to replace my 20Gig because the darn thing is full and I want more storage than a 120Gig.  Well?  Last I heard Microsoft has no plans on releasing a 250GB hard drive as a stand alone unit as of yet.  Halo fans must freakin’ wait.

Enjoy the journey as Halo lives on for the past 10 years or so.  This video evokes some memories!

Supposed images from Halo Reach have leaked on the net today from some guy on a message board who claims to have taken the photos at Microsoft headquarters.  Looking into the future of Halo through these blurry images takes some concentration.  The images if real look as if the game is running a new game engine with better graphics as predicted.  Player “perks” and “privacy” in coop?  Hard to draw any conclusions at this time with this tiny scrap of information.

You can find the images on the web.  The Dude doesn’t want to infringe on Bungie or Microsoft so the images will not be displayed here.  Happy surfing.

Thoughts?

ATI now powers current XBOX 360 graphics with a Xenos chip so it makes sense that Microsoft would stay with ATI for its next generation console.  ATI merged with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) a chip maker based in California in 2006.  Fudzilla reports that Microsoft was all too happy to get contract negotiations started as soon as possible.

Reasons for Microsoft’s eagerness may be they hold backwards compatibility for its games as a priority unlike other console makers.  Microsoft has a lot riding on its down-loadable games “on demand” content service  and doesn’t want to piss off its large XBOX LIVE user base.

Staying with chip maker ATI overcomes large hurdles for backwards compatibility says Techdirt, and speculation as to what the next gen XBOX will be named the XBOX 720 or XBOX 1080 is swirling the net.  Reports are that Microsoft will probably announce the next console sometime in 2010.  We won’t get our hands on the console that early, probably the new mystery machine will be delivered in 2012.

For you tech geeks, Fudzilla is reporting that given the amount of lead time the new graphics processor may be a 28-nanometer chip.  Ahhh, take that in Techies!  Be careful when crossing the street and watch out for buses or you might miss the next console.

The Xbox Live Halo hub for everything Halo is getting released on November 5.  Mark your calenders reads the official tweet from Microsoft. 

Halo Waypoint is “THE” Halo destination featuring audio, video, and your Halo career by tracking your games and achievements.  You’ll also be able to check out new free episodes of Halo Legends amine.  All should be accessible from the 360 dashboard.

Will this be the jump off point for Microsoft and Bungie for a future Halo MMO?  Very speculative, but very possible.

Been craving the Halo 3 Recon armor all these months but have been unsuccessful getting someone at Bungie to offer it to you?  Despite all those begging emails you’ve been sending hit “send” no furthur!  Bungie has announced the coveted Recon armor can be earned by completing the 4 Vidmaster Challenges now included with the last update in Halo 3.  After finishing those you can complete the last 3 Vidmaster Challenges that come with Halo 3 ODST to unlock the most prized armor in the game.  What exactly are the Vidmaster Challenges you can start working on now?

-Vidmaster Challenge: Lightswitch (0 points) – Get to the rank of Lieutenant in any playlist in the new EXP progression system.

-Vidmaster Challenge: 7 on 7 (0 points) – Enter into any ranked or social playlist with 7 EXP on the 7th of the month.

-Vidmaster Challenge: Annual (0 points) – After 9/25/08, complete Halo on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and everyone in Ghosts.

-Vidmaster Challenge: BrainPan (25 points) – Find all the hidden skulls on the Mythic maps.  (The only Vidmaster to give Gamerscore on Halo 3)

-Vidmaster Challenge: Endure – On Firefight, on any mission, pass the 4th set on 4-player Heroic LIVE co-op.

-Vidmaster Challenge: Deja Vu – Complete Highway on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and no ‘Hog or Scorpion’.

-Vidmaster Challenge: Classic – Finish any level solo on Legendary, on LIVE, with no shots fired or grenades thrown.  Note:  Keep fingers off the fire buttons, don’t even beep the horn on a Warthog or use the E-brake.  Ok to have Marines onboard, give one the Laser if completing this on Uplift Reserve.  Recommended!

Bungie:

For the first time, Recon Armor for use in Halo 3 multiplayer will be made available to players who complete the “Road to Recon” challenge. Earn all seven of the Vidmasters, a series of Xbox LIVE achievements that span Halo 3′s Campaign and Multiplayer and Halo 3: ODST, and then visit your Bungie.net Service Record with a linked gamertag to enable your sweet new set of digital duds.

FINISH THE FIGHT, DO IT NOW !!!

Bungie and Microsoft have created a large transforming Halo transport vehicle to deliver copies of Halo 3 ODST directly to certain Gamestops around the country.  The vehicle will begin rollin’ Saturday August 22 at noon kicked off from Redmond Washington by Major Nelson himself.  Halo fans will get some hands on time with ODST when the transport arrives in their respective city.  Here are the Halo tour dates: