“Halo 3: ODST” Releases Worldwide, Marking Bold New Chapter for Critically Acclaimed “Halo” Franchise.
The latest addition to the blockbuster Xbox 360 series delights fans and critics alike with a gripping new story and riveting cooperative multiplayer gameplay
The wait is finally over. Today, a new chapter in the legendary “Halo” saga opens up with the highly anticipated launch of “Halo 3: ODST.” After finishing the fight with Master Chief in “Halo 3,” players now have the opportunity to take a step back in time and experience the “Halo” universe from a whole new perspective.
Last night, more than 7,000 retail stores in the United States and a host of retailers in other countries opened their doors at midnight to usher in a flood of fans who sought to be the first to play the critically acclaimed title. Launch festivities were capped off with a “Halo” franchise celebration at the Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, where Bungie and 343 Industries luminaries were on hand to meet and greet fans and celebrate the launch together.
Xbox 360 exclusive “Halo 3: ODST” is already winning critical acclaim from the nation’s top media outlets. Here’s what they are saying about the game:
“The best Halo game yet,” and “An action-packed thrill ride from start to finish.”
--Game Pro
“It's part Blade Runner, part Saving Private Ryan, and yet in the end it's still definitely Halo.”
--1UP.com
“ODST is simply an excellent game.”
--G4TV’s X-Play
With “Halo 3: ODST,” developer Bungie takes the “Halo” franchise into all new territory. Players are put in the boots of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, some of the toughest and bravest soldiers of the UNSC. Players must search for clues to find out what happened to their squad when a drop into the city of New Mombosa goes wrong, and discover the secret behind the Covenant’s interest in the city.
In addition to a full-fledged campaign, “Halo 3: ODST” introduces Firefight, a new cooperative multiplayer mode where up to four players battle waves of unrelenting Covenant onslaughts. The game also introduces three new “Halo 3” competitive multiplayer maps and contains the complete, standalone “Halo 3” multiplayer experience on a second disc. “Halo 3: ODST” will also act as a key to entry into the “Halo: Reach” multiplayer beta at a later date.
The “Halo” franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more.
Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the games are optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. To date, more than 27 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 2 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE.
To keep abreast of the latest “Halo” news, follow the Halo Waypoint Twitter @HaloWaypoint. You can also learn more by visiting the Halo Waypoint page at http://www.facebook.com/HaloWaypoint. For more information about Bungie, visit www.bungie.net.
Calling all HALO fans found in the UK and in to all things HALO like ODST, seem you guys and girls will be getting a peek at what all this new game will have to offer by way of the FX channel so be sure to tune in.
The Microsoft MEDIA ALERT reads as follows: Xbox 360 Unleashes the full force of Halo 3: ODST in a stunning live-action, feature-length TV spot
Fans to get their first glimpse of incredible Halo 3: ODST live action footage exclusively in the UK on the FX Channel tonight
Xbox 360 today is thrilled to announce that to celebrate the impending launch of Halo 3: ODST, the full length version of the Halo 3: ODST TV commercial will air exclusively in the UK on the FX Channel (Sky Digital channel 164) this evening.
This ground-breaking 2min 30 second footage, inspired by the upcoming Halo 3: ODST game, will air tonight at 23.41 during “True Blood” and kicks off an exclusive Halo 3: ODST sponsorship of the FX Channel commencing 18th September.
Halo 3: ODST launches on 22nd September, available exclusively on Xbox 360.
Microsoft today began permanently banning gamers they describe as "illegitimate ODST players" from their Xbox Live online service.
Earlier today Xbox Live Chief of Police Stephen Toulouse wrote on his Twitter page that he had seen some illegitimate ODST players, referring to Xbox 360's upcoming Halo 3: ODST, online.
"No early play for you," he wrote. "Commencing permabans."
Toulouse later clarified on his Twitter that people who bought the game early and are playing it safe.
We contacted Toulouse for more details about how widespread the bannings are and how Microsoft is differentiating between legitimate owners of the game, which went on sale at at least one store early, and those who obtained the game through illegitimate means.
Toulouse told Kotaku that he can't go into specifics about how they detect and how many they ban because they don't want to tip off pirates to their methods.
"I can be clear however that this applies to illegitimate copies only, the ban covers the Xbox LIVE account and could possibly include their console depending on the results of our investigations (which are ongoing). We do this from time to time with titles to combat piracy," he wrote to Kotaku. "If a user happens to purchase a legit copy of Halo 3: ODST early, then our problem is not with the user but the retailer who broke the street date. Those individuals will not be punished."
Today, Microsoft unveils a “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short, a 90 second ad spot for the eagerly awaited Xbox 360 exclusive, “Halo 3: ODST.” The ad debuts today exclusively on MySpace at www.myspace.com/gametrailers and IGN.com. The “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short is a haunting, action-packed production that charts the life of a UNSC Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, or ODST.
In addition to the online debut of the 90 second short, Halo fans in the United States will be treated to a special, extended two minute 30 second version exclusively on Spike TV on Monday September 7. The extended version will premiere during “Band of Brothers” at 10:30 PM ET/PT.
The short will also be available to download on Xbox LIVE starting September 8.
For the production of the “Halo 3: ODST” live-action short, Microsoft and Bungie partnered with ad agency TAG SF, Legacy Effects (props), Asylum (visual effects) and Final Cut (editing). The short features an original musical score written and produced by Human. The short was directed by Rupert Sanders with MJZ, the director of the award-winning “Halo 3” ad spot “Believe.” The short was filmed on location in Budapest, Hungary.
Also launching today at 6:00 p.m. PT is a unique “Halo 3: ODST” interactive experience site on www.xbox.com/halo. Visitors will be in control of an Operations of Naval Intelligence (ONI) application that blends science, psychology and analysis to evaluate which ODST candidates are best suited for upcoming missions in “Halo 3: ODST.” Featuring over 20 minutes of interactive content, visitors can interact with the evaluations of the four ODST squad members they will be fighting alongside in “Halo 3: ODST” in order to dive deeper into the fiction of the game. Microsoft and Bungie worked with AKQA SF and TAG SF on the experience site.
Suit up and prepare to drop September 22 when “Halo 3: ODST” hits retail stores worldwide.
With Halo 3: ODST releasing right around the corner (September 22 2009.) We at 360-HQ figured we would offer up everyone a little treat here. The official Achievements list with pictures! Remember this is an exclusive list and 360-HQ is where you saw it first
Well not much to say about this other than I'm super stoked to play this game, there are 47 Achievements and it looks like all but 3 can be achieved while offline, and only 2 requiring you to play online with other people. Let's hope those difficulty ones are stackable like in Halo 3.
Stoked to play this, comments? Post on our forums here
Click the link below to check out the achievement list and all info regarding Halo 3: ODST
Now this might not seem like a Microsoft thing to do but from what i can see it looks like the best way to handle the situation at this point, so go on and play your copy of ODST but make sure you have a copy on order or you might not play anything online again.
Kotaku reports: Let's say, hypothetically speaking, you're French. And somehow, your local game store was selling copies of Halo: ODST weeks before it was meant to be out. Then Microsoft threatens action. You'd think "action" meant "XBL bans", right?
Gladly, that's not the case. Well, provided you bought the game, at any rate. Xbox Live Chief of Police Stephen Toulouse has issued a brief statement saying that while Microsoft are looking into how this whole mess took place, "we will not be banning legitimate customers from Xbox LIVE who play early".
Glad we got that cleared up. Microsoft refused to clarify the situation with us yesterday, so it's nice to see that things have been sorted out.
So if you're French, speak English, are reading this and managed to get one of those copies...play away! You got lucky, hope you're enjoying it.
If, however, you're in possession of a copy not procured through innocent, legitimate means...well, you deserve what you get.
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