Monthly Archives: November 2013

Spartan Assault NEW XBOX 360/One Achievements revealed!

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Halo Spartan Assault Logo

Text from HaloWaypoint:

Halo: Spartan Assault is coming to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 this December with a new online Co-op mode that brings the Flood into the fray. But with new content comes new achievements, and below you’ll find the achievement lists for Xbox One and Xbox 360. We’ve broken up the Gamerscore points for which achievements are new to Halo: Spartan Assault, which are exclusive to the Xbox One version, and the original Halo: Spartan Assault achievements from the Windows 8/Windows Phone version making their way over to the console versions.

For additional information including videos, screenshots and more, check out the official Halo: Spartan Assault page.

(Click to make bigger)
Spartan Assault NEW cheevos 360-ONE HFFLwm

And in case you need/want to know the old ones, here are those too.

Spartan Assault OLD cheevos 360-ONE HFFLwm

No word yet on the cost and when EXACTLY this will release, other than sometime this December.

Source Link

-Sal

 

Halo 5 map??? Or new Forge World for Halo 4?

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Vic DeLeon of 343 tweeted the following two pics last night:

821467034821467046He states in his tweet, “Can’t sleep. Making worlds again.”

Screen shot 2013-11-13 at 4.06.15 AM

I asked him if this was for the next Halo game or Halo 4. Waiting on a response, if any.

-Sal

 

 

Halo 2 Anniversary?

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Halo 2 Anniversary

On the heels of yesterday’s “Halo Legacy” news, here comes another possible Halo title. This being the hoped for Halo 2 Anniversary game.

I think this one is fan made, but dang,it’s still looks cool. I wish 343 would be quick to debunk this kind of stuff. Maybe they have, but I haven’t yet seen it on their official twitter account…

-Sal

That 294MB Halo 4 update yesterday? Here’s what it did.

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If you haven’t played Halo 4 in the last day you will be prompted to download a title update which addresses several known issues. Here is a breakdown of what is included:

  • Fixed an issue where player Loadouts would reset back to default
  • Fixed an issue where players in Forge were unable to see other players while in Monitor mode
  • Fixed an issue where the Mark V, Prefect, and Ricochet forearm armor would display incorrectly
  • Fixed an issue where Champions Bundle armor sometimes disappeared in networked War Games matches
  • Fixed an issue where Champions Bundle armor appeared incorrectly in Theater film clips

Source Link

Well,I for one am happy that the loadout issue is resolved. That was a pain in the arse. I do wish that the Champions Bundle armor could now be seen in Spartan Ops…Doutbful that’s going to happen though.

-Sal

Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer talks Halo Wars…sequel…

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art7halowars

IGN posted an article with Microsoft Game Studios head Phil Spencer. In it among other things he talks about Halo Wars and the possibility of a sequel to the RTS game. Below is a direct copy/paste of the Halo portion of the article.

“I’m a big fan of Halo Wars,” Spencer said when asked about the Xbox 360 real-time strategy game. Since its launch in 2009, the strategy spin-off hasn’t been heard from again. It was never released on PC (despite seemingly being a perfect fit) and developer Ensemble Studios shut down following the game’s completion. The studio’s founder revealed last year that Bungie wasn’t pleased with “the whoring out of [its] franchise.” But years have now passed and Bungie is no longer owned by Microsoft, so what’s the status of Halo Wars?

“[Halo Wars is] something I’m very interested in. Bonnie [Ross, 343 Industries GM] and I talk about it quite a bit,” Spencer revealed. “I think Halo Wars falls in the shadow of the Halo FPS. I mean, you’re doing 10 or 12 million units of the Halo FPS, anything else that comes out Halo that doesn’t hit those numbers, it’s kind of easy for certain people to look at it and say, ‘Well, that didn’t work.’ And I don’t think that’s the right measure of success; I think Halo Wars was a high-quality console-based RTS game. It was fun.

“And especially now, when I think about some of the capability — you might roll your eyes at this — but when I think about some voice and other things that you could add to that, that’s the kind of gameplay that I think would be great in those scenarios. And also a game that maybe I could play on multiple devices: I could play on Windows as well, I could play on console, because it has that gameplay that lends itself so well to that. So I suspect you’ll see us do something with…they’re kind of busy right now at 343, which is good, we’re really happy with what they’re working on. But I think there is opportunity for us to do something more with that franchise and Bonnie, Kiki [Wolfkill, 343 executive producer], and Josh [Holmes, creative director] are doing a great job in thinking holistically about the Halo franchise.”

As for who would develop such a game, IGN mentioned Robot Entertainment, the Ages of Empires Online and Orcs Must Die developer that was founded by former Ensemble employees. Spencer didn’t seem so sure that’s the direction that Microsoft would go in, though. “I haven’t talked to [Robot Entertainment] in a while,” he said. “In fact, I’m not sure what the status of that studio is. If we were going to do something we’d either have to think about doing it internally or finding a good RTS developer to help. There aren’t a lot of great RTS developers out there anymore. We’d want to do a great job with it.”

HFFL: Now this is some interesting news. Personally, while I haven’t gotten all of the achievements in Halo Wars, I’d still LOVE to see a sequel. For one, the thought of the Spirit of Fire returning after so long away is exhilarating! Even if this wasn’t the approach made, still a new Halo Wars I’m pretty sure would be welcomed. 

I see the possibility of Spartan Ops transitioning to this. Imagine also being able to take over factions such as UNSC, Arbiter’s Covenant, Jul M’Dama’s Storm Faction, Didact/Prometheans, Flood, Brutes and maybe even Insurrectionists?? WOW!

Source Link from IGN

Thanks to HaloBungie.org for tweeting this out.

-Sal

Halo Legacy for XBOX One???

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Halo Legacy wmHFFL

I can not confirm or deny this as real. It was sent to me via a friend. So take it with a grain of salt.

If real, it would be good news for XBOX One owners. If fake, meh no biggie, though I imagine some fans would love to see this become a reality.

Though…if it is real, it definitely shows why 343 hasn’t been getting the job done in Halo 4 as they should have been.

Honestly, I hope this is fake. We need to MOVE ON from the old days, much as it pains me to say. We are never going to see Halo as it was with Bungie, anymore. Given 343’s distancing themselves from Bungie Halo stuff, I can’t see this being real.

So what do you think? Real/Fake? Would you LIKE it to be real?

Reply below!

-Sal

Multi-Regicide is HERE!

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Multi-Regicide
The winner of the second Community Choice poll for the rotational playlist is Multi-team Regicide, or Multi-Regicide.

It’s starts today and I’m excited to play this. I need only 31 more Regicide wins to FINALLY unlock that elusive Kingslayer emblem. Seen below:

kingslayer
Hopefully I can knock those wins out in short order.

I’ll be playing a crap-ton of Multi-team these next two weeks until my goal is achieved….

-Sal

A new project and I need YOUR help.

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I’m planning a series of articles titled, “The ABC’s and XYZs of Halo.”

This series will explore what fans want and expect to see in Halo game, specifically the next Halo game. The articles will cover what has been left out, changed, stayed the same, etc. Most importantly though, I want this to be a COMMUNITY project. Not just me ranting about what I want to see in the next Halo game. Though of course I will have a heavy influence on my own articles…makes sense, right?

So, what I’m asking is for YOU to think of things you think SHOULD be in the next Halo game, what you WANT to see in the next Halo game and what you think core Halo gameplay IS.

The way I want you to submit your suggestions is in a bullet point format. For example:

A. Arbiter (want to see his return)
B. Balanced Weapons
C. Cortana (comes back)

Now I don’t expect you all to submit a complete A-Z list. Just send me a list of things as mentioned above. Be sure though that the bullet points start with the corresponding letter and yes PLEASE keep them alphabetical.

I’ll be asking for your submissions for the next two weeks. I’ll stop taking submissions then. After which, I’ll start writing up the articles. I may cover just ONE letter at a time or more, depending on how many different submissions I get. As to how to submit your list, please e-mail me at [email protected].

This is YOUR opportunity to make your voice heard. I plan on making these articles known to every other major Halo centric website out there in hopes to spark up renewed interest in the franchise. With the next game supposedly due winter next year, some of these things may be too late to add, but it does NOT hurt to make our opinions known, as there may just be enough time.

Now, I want to make clear, this is NOT a “bitch-fest,” or a way to slam 343. It is to be a series of sincere articles exclaiming our desires as fans as well as practical reasons for having certain items/options in (or out of) the next game.

I’m looking forward to what you come up with!

-Sal

Theater in Halo 4 campaign…again…

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A studious Halo fan was able to get access to Halo 4 theater mode for campaign. I don’t know who it is as the video links to a German site and I can not read German.

Regardless, the montage is great and makes me yearn THAT MUCH MORE for theater in Halo 4 Campaign and Spartan Ops.

Thanks kindly to HaloDiehards.net for tweeting the link to this.

-Sal

I’m looking for Halo Wars and Halo CE Anniversary gamers!

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art7halowarshalo_ce_anniversary_logo
Before the XBOX One comes out and even MORE of you leave Halo 4, I’d like to ask for your help in either/both Halo Wars and Halo CE Anniversary.
Simply put, I’m looking to get achievements completed. If you need some in either game, let me know. If you’r a WHIZ at Halo Wars, I definitely want to game with you as I know you’ll be able to help me get those cheevos!
In any event, I’m just looking to complete these games and need a break from Halo 4 for a bit.
Anyone interested in helping me grind out some cheevos, reply below or message me on XBOX Live. My GT is HaloFanForLife1
Here are the achievements I still need in Halo CE Anniversary:
Dear Diary… – Read all of the terminals hidden throughout the campaign.
Living Legend – Complete every level of the game on Legendary difficulty.
That Just Happened – Complete the level “The Library” on Heroic difficulty or higher without dying.
All According to Plan… – Kill all the enemies in the first encounter of “Truth and Reconciliation” without being detected.
Grenadier – Escape the map room in “The Silent Cartographer” without firing a shot on Heroic or Legendary.
Breaking Quarantine – Escape the Forerunner facility on the level “343 Guilty Spark” in 21 minutes or less.
Tying Up Loose Ends – Kill every Elite on the level “Keyes” on Heroic difficulty or above.
Never Tell Me the Odds – Escape “The Maw” on Legendary with at least a minute left on the count down.

And here are the ones I still need in Halo Wars: 

Adjudicate the Arbiter – Complete the Campaign on Heroic Difficulty
Detour the Great Journey – Complete the Campaign on Legendary Difficulty
Mr. Punctual – Finish all missions under Par Time on Heroic difficulty
Own Worst Enemy – Get a Gold Medal with all Debuff Skulls Active
Wall of Recognition – Get a Gold Medal on every Campaign Mission
Epic Grinder – Obtain a Lifetime Campaign Score over 1,000,000
Everything’s Better with Bacon – Mission 1: Ram 50 Grunts with Warthogs
Covenant “Hot Drop” – Mission 3: Kill at least 5 Covenant Units with the Bridge
He’s Got The Jack – Mission 5: Jack 6 Covenant Vehicles
Rhino Hugger – Mission 6: Successfully protect every Rhino
Micro Manager – Mission 7: Do not destroy any Power Node
Ramblin’ Man – Mission 8: Use Elephants to train 100 Infantry
The Procrastinator – Mission 10: Disrupt all Tractor Beams
Battened Down the Hatches – Mission 11: Save all the Airlocks
Handy with Tools – Mission 12: Repair the Power Core in less than 4 minutes
Beaming with Pride – Mission 13: Destroy 25 units with the Scarab
Didn’t Get To Second Base – Mission 14: Don’t claim an extra base
Thinkin’ about My Doorbell – Mission 15: Open the Doors in order
OMG BFF FTW – Complete entire Campaign in Co-op Mode
Titan – Get 20,000 points in any Skirmish Game
Big Al’s Scooter – Win a Heroic Skirmish Game against the AI in under 10 minutes
Penny Pincher – Get a winning High Score with 10 or less Squads against the Heroic AI
N00b n0 M0r3 – Win a Matchmade Skirmish Game on Xbox LIVE
So Lonely at the Top – Win and have the Highest Score in a Matchmade Skirmish Game on Xbox LIVE
Basically Naive – Obtain the Recruit Rank on Xbox LIVE
Officer on Deck – Obtain the Lieutenant Rank on Xbox LIVE
Running the Show – Obtain the General Rank on Xbox LIVE
Graverobber – Collect all Skulls
Halo Historian – Unlock All Timeline Events
Ready for the Sequel – 100% Completion
24 Hours of Quality – Play Halo Wars for at least 24 Total Hours
One and Done – Score the winning point in a game of Keepaway against Legendary AIs.
Freak on a Streak – Gain at least 15 population from a single wave in a Reinforcement game.
Living Loving Bug – Get a Scarab during a Reinforcement game.
Tour Coming Through – Hot drop 50 squads to your Covenant Leader in a single game on Barrens.
Never Leave a Man Behind – Finish with 5000 net resources tributed to your teammates on Memorial Basin except in Deathmatch.
Drain Cleaner – Kill 20 enemy squads with a continuous Covenant Leader Power on Memorial Basin.
Killjoy – Disrupt 5 active Leader Powers in a single game on Blood River.

-Sal

The Halo Bulletin 11.6.13

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halobulletinheader_11-6-13Once again Bravo brings us this week’s bulletin.

There’s a bit of celebration today as it’s Halo 4’s one-year anniversary.

BS Angel addresses the team:
jess

Bravo wore a Master Chief cosplay and cut the cake to honor this.

By now, hopefully you’ve gotten in a game or more on Halo for and especially in the Birthday Fiesta playlist. Every kill gets a confetti surprise. Also as previously mentioned on the blog, the Guilty Spark emblem will unlock in a week or two…

Matchmaking Playlist Update
This Monday Multi-Team makes it’s comeback. And the winner of the community choice poll is:

voting660YES!!!! I’m VERY happy this won. Now if I can just get those last 30 or so wins I need in Regicide to finish off that commendation!

The Team Slayer CSR update is planned for later this month.

Community Playdate with 343: Multi-Team
socialmediaposts_playdate

After this comes a little bit of fluffery in Haloween “costumes” that really aren’t costumes…Okay, maybe one was.

Finally we come to the Screenshot Spotlight of the week. This week’s: ODST

I found three of them to be pretty good:
11-6-13_02
Nevermind that this one is OUTSIDE of Pitfall. It’s still pretty cool. I’d just like to know how they got their poses without dying from the death barrier…

11-6-13_10For those that haven’t taken the time to look, this poster can be found on the multiplayer map, SKYLINE.

11-6-13_12I just like the pose of this one.

Next week’s spotlight is on the Gravity Hammer. Expect a bunch of Grifball shots…

For the full bulletin, go HERE.

-Sal

Chris Shlerf lead writer at 343 leaves…

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Yet another great person with 343 is leaving…sigh.

Screen shot 2013-11-07 at 12.07.25 AM

Why is this happening? Why are the GOOD ones leaving? I’d venture a guess, but I know it would likely stir an argument with some folks.

So suffice to say, this is a blow to the Halo franchise. I know people come and go in business all the time. It just seems like Halo/343 is losing people they shouldn’t and people that I wish would leave, well…

You’ll be missed Chris.

-Sal

Play XBOX One near you!

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The XBOX One tour is winding down. But there are still places to go to check it out.

I for one am excited as it’s coming to Pittsburgh this weekend, which is where I live.

Screen shot 2013-11-06 at 11.49.20 PMTo check and see if the tour is coming to a place near you, click HERE!

-Sal

 

About that Guilty Spark Emblem…

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BYZYLiHCAAEujmi.jpg-large

So you still have time to unlock the Guilty Spark Emblem.

The issue is that you won’t unlock it immediately as most everyone thought. Nope, instead you’ll get it a week or two later. What proof of that? Here you go, via Twitter:

Screen shot 2013-11-06 at 6.24.38 PMNow why is this the case?

Okay, yes we’ll get it, but really a week or two out? Folks, THIS is the very kind of thing that is just RUINING the Halo franchise. I have to say that myself and my friends ALL expected this to unlock IMMEDIATELY. Not later, not a week or two from now.

Yes, I’m mildly thankful we get a special emblem, but honestly, it’s not all that big of a deal. What is though is the manner in which it was ‘advertised’ and then to be administered.

Why didn’t 343 SAY it would unlock a week or two from now? You know why…because we’d have all griped about it before hand. Instead 343 once again doesn’t bare enough info and once again it pisses off fans. When will they learn you just shouldn’t MUCK with your fan base like this?

Yes, I hear those of you saying, but it’s something free. Or be thankful. As I said, I am. But seriously, 343 needs to get their shit together. If you’re going to promote an item unlockable through your game for having played a game on a specific date, then it’s DAMN SAFE to assume most if not all expect that item to unlock once they’ve reached the criteria.

Now for those who say it’s not possible…Really? Look at challenges. Daily, weekly, monthly challenges. They are all times events that have locked in dates/times as to when you can accomplish them. THIS IS NO DIFFERENT. Instead of XP, we get an emblem. You’d have to think someone thought enough ahead to make this a timed feature too.

Once again this leads me to ask WHO IS MAKING THE DECISIONS at 343?

-Sal