Monthly Archives: September 2013

Cortana will be Microsoft’s answer to “Siri”???

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Text from IGN.com:

Microsoft is reportedly prepping voice command software called Cortana to compete with Apple’s Siri and Android’s Google Now. According to ZDNet, Cortana “will be able to learn and adapt, relying on machine-learning technology and the “Satori” knowledge repository powering Bing.”

ZDNet’s sources report that Cortana (presumably named after Halo’s AI companion) will be “core” to future versions of Windows Phone, Windows and Xbox One. Back in July, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer referenced “a family of devices powered by a service-enabled shell,” which now appears to be in reference to Cortana’s capabilities. According to ZDNet, that shell “won’t simply surface information stored on users’ phones, PCs and consoles like a search engine can do today.” In Ballmer’swords, it “will support the experiences layer and broker information among our services to bring them together on our devices in ways that will enable richer and deeper app experiences.”

Windows Phone currently includes basic voice commands, and Microsoft has already trumped up the voice capabilities of Kinect for its upcoming Xbox One. For now, Cortana has yet to be officially announced or confirmed, but we’ve reached out to Microsoft for more information and will update this story with any comment we receive.

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HFFL: Okay, now THIS makes me want to get a Windows phone…Hmm, maybe on the next upgrade???

The Halo Bulletin 9-11-13

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halobulletinheader_9-11-13BS Angel writes this week’s bulletin. The usual innuendo ensues. Mentions of other Halo projects that are not Halo for the XBOX One or the TV show, but no details given.

Next is a section about more playlist consolidation. Here is what is planned:
The playlists that will be available after the bulk of consolidation has been completed on 9/30 are as follows:
8v8 – Big Team Battle
5v5 – Capture the Flag
4v4 – Infinity Slayer (may be renamed to Team Slayer)
4v4 – SWAT
4v4 – Action Sack
4v4 – Team Snipers (next update on 9/30)
4v4 – Ricochet (next update on 9/16)
2v2 – Team Doubles (next update on 9/16)
8-player FFA – Rumble Pit
10-player FFA – Flood
Community Playlist: 4v4 – Team Throwdown (next update in October)
Community Playlist: 4v4 – Grifball

HFFL: GRRR, multi-team, King of the Hill, Oddball and Dominion are going away as full time playlists!!! Okay, I only need 30 more wins of Dominion to master that. So I’m going to need people to play that with me. I want to master that before it goes into “rotational” play.

Speaking of…

2013 Tentative Rotational Playlist Schedule
9/30 – King of the Hill (I only need a few more wins here to, so anyone else shooting for commendations, let’s game together to work towards a mutual goal.)
10/14 – Oddball
10/28 – Forge Playlist (specifics coming soon) Hmm, interesting.
11/11 – Multi-Team (Sigh…I hope this turns into 4 teams of 3, but I doubt it.)
11/25 – Dominion (Sigh again. I just hope I master this before it goes into rotation. I don’t want to have to wait 2 months to play it again.)
12/9 – Race YES!
12/23 – Rocket Race DOUBLE YES!!! (Mongoose kills now??? PLEASE do NOT be Warthog Race.)

ONE piece of great news is FINALLY we will be getting a standard DLC playlist.

Some refreshing news for Spartan Ops. ‘Grunt Birthday Party,’ ‘I Would Have Been Your Daddy,’ and ‘Mythic’ Skulls will be enabled soon. Hmm, I want to see how IWHBYD affects the dialog. I suspect this will be for the RvB easter eggs only. I’ll definitely play this again while Mythic is active. I definitely want more of a challenge in Spartan Ops.

There may be a increase in difficulty for reaching a ’50’ in Team Throwdown.
As well, there may be a second weapons tuning.

That’s the nuts and bolts of the bulletin. If you want to read the full bulletin, go HERE.

With all of those changes to the playlists, all I can say is, I miss the good old days of Team Objective. Would be nice to have a 4v4 playlist like that to include CTF, Oddball, King of the Hill, and instead of the old VIP, add team Regicide.

-Sal

 

Halo Initiation #2 Cover and first SIX PAGES! (Spoilers!)

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Here are the cover and first six pages of the new Halo Initiation comic book, out in stores now! Click each to make bigger.

The story has progress very quickly! Hmm, I don’t like the line delivered by Musa. Spartans DO have rank. Master Chief being the most famous of them is and of itself a rank. Palmer becomes a Commander, several Spartan IIs had ranks, In Reach we saw that Noble team members each had a rank. Grr, I dislike it when continuity and/or facts are screwed up in books/comics/etc.

Anyway, still like the series, even with the mistake.

-Sal

Halo Initiation #2 (comic book) from concept to final inking.

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Here are some of the pages from Halo Initiation #2 showing the progress from concept to line drawing to inking. Click each to make bigger.

You long time readers know I LOVE concept work. Progressions are my next favorite. I just love to see how something goes from an idea to a finished piece.

-Sal

HFFL Community night in Halo 4 tomorrow (Thursday Sept 12)!

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Due to the LAN being on Saturday and I’m having guests early, I’m bumping up the HFFL community night to tomorrow, Thursday Sept 12. Normal time from 8-10pm.

We’ll play matchmaking. The number of people who show up tomorrow will determine what playlist we’ll be going in to. During the latter half I’m going to playtest some new Ricochet Maps I’ve made for the Halo Ricochet League, so come on out and game!

-Sal

Toy Review: Mega Bloks Convention Spartan Minifig

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MB grey logo
Mega Bloks Convention Exclusive Spartan minifig

Technical Specifications:
Build Time: 10 seconds…
Set Piece Count: 8
Minifigs: Spartan Mark VI, Covert Ops color
Weapons: SAW
Accessories: minifigure stand
Price: Free! (At SDCC), varies otherwise
Special Features: N/A

And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)

MB Con Ex Spartan packet
The figure packet front and back. Nice clean white packet design. Shows off the REAP-X sets on the back.MB Con Ex Spartan coupon
A surprise here as I hadn’t seen it posted otherwise. You get a $5 off coupon when you spend at least $20 on Halo Mega Bloks! SWEET! I will definitely make use of this!
Expires November 30, 2013. That side also shows off more of the Fall lineup of sets, while the other side shows the assembly of the figure.
MB Con Ex SpartanThe minifig has Covert Ops paint application. I like that color choice as it’s one of my top favorite colors in the Halo minifigs line. This is the first to have a neon green visor. 

Summary: Not much more to say in summary as it is just one minifig. Nicely done though!

Overall Rating: I give this set 10 out for 10 medals. It gets that rating because Mega Brands gave this away for FREE. It’s a popular sculpt in the Mark VI and it’s the first with that neon green visor. A win all the way around!

This minifig as of this writing has only been available for free from Mega Brand’s booth at San Diego Comicon. You may find it on eBay, however it’s assumed this will also be available at New York Comicon for free as well. I was lucky enough that MEGA sent me 45 of these to giveaway at my LAN event (Sept 14, 2013). With more than enough, the rest are planned to be given away as prizes for trivia questions on the blog.

This figure was produced plentifully. 5,000 were given away at SDCC and likely that many again at NYCC. So if you’re looking to get this figure and miss out on my trivia questions to get it free and can’t make it to NYCC, don’t fret. I suspect this figure will come down in price shortly. Though don’t wait too long to get it or it may become scarce.

-Sal

Halo MEGA Bloks Prizes for LAN received!

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I just got the box from MEGA Brands of their generous donation of prizes for the LAN:

HFFL MB Prizes wm

There are a total of 45 of the minifig packets. One each will go to each paid attendee, while the rest will be given as prizes to trivia questions posted on HFFL from Sept 15-24. On the 24th, I’ll give away one of those Gauss Hogs too here on HFFL. The other larger sets are being used as prizes for the FFA tourney within the LAN.

-Sal

Halo Ricochet Avatar items now available on XBOX Marketplace!

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GOAL!

Avatar Ricochet

Score one for the team, or in this case yourself with new Ricochet and Armor as well as the rest of the Champions Bundle armor for your avatar.

Do you want to sport ODST Armor? Mark V, Prefect? They have it.

Want a Ricochet Ball prop? They have that too!

Whew, I want that Ricochet ball, but $4? Might have to wait for a sale for that one.

Champions Bundle Avatar armor and props

If you want to buy any of these you can go HERE. or buy straight from your XBOX 360 on the marketplace.

-Sal

Noble Hates Randoms – The Lost Medals Chronicles: Episode 1

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My friend, AddiCt3d Cha0s, from HaloDieHards.net asked me to do some voice over work for a project of hers. Not only that but I ended up acting in it too.

Below, I’m the medal announcer and the FOTUS armored Spartan.

This was a LOT of fun. The one shot of me dieing falling down the lift and coming back up was accidental but funny that we kept it in.

What do you think of it?

-Sal