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New Halo 2 Details

Grinn writes "Gamesarefun.com has obtained some new information about Halo 2. Most interesting is the ability to hold two weapons at once, each operating individually on the left trigger or the right." Although apparently sourced via a German site, this may be similar info to that contained in the new June issue of the US Official Xbox Magazine. And even if it's not due for a while, the Halo series continues to be a serious killer app for Microsoft's console.

53 comments

  1. Sweet by johnwroach · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    That's going to be the sweetest thing ever.

    FP

  2. Ha! by daeley · · Score: 1, Troll

    This just in, it will most likely never ever ever run on a Mac. ;)

    --
    I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
    1. Re:Ha! by EnVisiCrypt · · Score: 1

      This just in: That link will most likely never, ever, ever not return a four-oh-four.

      This link will work better... ;)

      --


      *everything* is Orwellian to cats.
  3. Sounds badass! by tomthebomb · · Score: 1

    John Woo style HALO with AI that can drive...should make Warthog that much more fun...probably will add to the game a bit more. Imagine 3 or 4 Warthogs in a single area all filled with marines destroying stuff...this could be very interesting. Hopefully HALO2 won't suffer the same FPS problems that HALO 1 did. That's all I wish for!

  4. Anonymous posting by PD · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Anyone notice that there's no option to post anonymously in the games forum? I wonder if Cmdr. Taco is experimenting with removing the AC posting ability to cut down on the troll chatter.

    Sorry this is OT, just wanted to mention it.

    1. Re:Anonymous posting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      seems to work

  5. killer app by Zed2K · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Shouldn't that be: Halo series continues to be THE ONLY serious killer app for Microsofts console.

    1. Re:killer app by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bought an XBOX for Panzer Dagoon and Ninja Gaiden. Halo is just icing on the cake.

  6. Is AI driving that much harder than walking? by The+Evil+Couch · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well, the player doesn't have to worry about being the driver anymore. AI controlled marines will now also take command of vehicles. But, watch out... they seem to have gotten their licenses from a box of Cracker Jacks. They'll drive erratically and in fairly dangerous ways. Much like drivers on the LA freeway during rush hour.

    Virtually every game I've seen that has both driving and walking AI characters, the ones driving are either total pussies or complete psychos behind the wheel. Battlefield 1942, the entire GTA series, Operation Flashpoint, the botpilot mod for Tribes 2, all of them are either a danger to themselves and their own team or they're so timid that they can't bring themselves to do anything useful.

    I would think that the path-finding AI involved would remain precisely the same as on foot. The only additional processes involved would be trying to compensate for a larger bounding box and not trying to roll the thing.

    anyone else got any ideas on what's going on with this crazy bots?

    1. Re:Is AI driving that much harder than walking? by PaleZer0 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      AI has to operate by constantly checking the environment, running through a series of checks, then decide what it should do. Sometimes what it should do is continue what it was doing before, other times it should start something completely new. Now picture yourself playing a game with driving and walking. When you walk, you can quickly jerk the stick in the opposite direction, and (with the exception of some slight skidding) change directions. Therefore the ai can make these same quick decisions. Now, when you are driving a car, you can jerk the stick in the opposite direction, but in a realistic driving game, its going to slowly arc in that direction like a real car would. Now, this extends the time it takes for one of these things to actually execute completely. When you as a player are driving a car, you predict where you want the car to be by looking into the future further than you would if you were just walking your character around. Basically, this looking farther into the future is exactly what makes creating a proper reacting ai for a car that much more difficult. er something... =)

  7. Halo for PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't want to see *anything* about Halo 2 for Xbox until Halo is released for the PC. I don't think that's too much to ask...

    1. Re:Halo for PC by Grinn · · Score: 1

      It seems the when Bungie wrote Halo for the Xbox, they compiled-in the textures for each polygon for the levels.

      When they started on the PC port they realized that the PC community (rightfully) wanted to Mod the heck out of the game, so they've had to rewrite a considerable amount of the engine to allow for the dynamics of user-created levels. Since it's a completely seperate company doing the port, the Port is progressing a bit slower than people would expect.

      Honestly, I think a PC port of Halo is going to miss something considerable - the rumble effect of the X-Box controller which, being so large, throws your hands around when it wants to. There are so many events in Halo that 'cause various degrees of controller rumble that it's definitely going to take away from the game's immerision when played with a mouse.

      Hopefully the user generated content will make up for this.

      Grinn.
    2. Re:Halo for PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i still remember when it was meant to initally be released for the PC, then at the same time on PC and XBox, then half a year later, and so on.
      do you really think it will be a success at all on the PC market? its already pretty dated, and there is stiff competition

    3. Re:Halo for PC by skermit · · Score: 1

      My Nostromo mouse n30 has rumble IN IT. JOY!

      --
      -Christopher Wu
      http://www.christopherwu.net/
  8. What's the big deal? by WildBeast · · Score: 2, Informative

    I own an Xbox and there's nothing so great about Halo. It's just another shooter, nothing to see here. Halo is the game I play the least on my Xbox. Sorry if I shocked you :) But seriously, I prefer playing Splinter Cell, Buffy, etc. I'm tired of shooters.

    1. Re:What's the big deal? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bought an Xbox just for Halo. Its the only game that I love, and the only game that I still play, consistently, a year after I bought it.

  9. Been there, done that... by jhealy1024 · · Score: 1

    Most interesting is the ability to hold two weapons at once, each operating individually on the left trigger or the right.

    I've been able to do this for a great many years now by playing Marathon, Bungie's FPS for the Mac. (Here's a screenshot of me doing it.) Though I guess Halo2 will let you hold a different weapon in each hand, which would be new and cool.

    BTW... I know that Marathon is old and ugly compared to newer 3D games, but I have a soft spot for it. Maybe I'm crazy, but I think it's more fun. Ah well...

    1. Re:Been there, done that... by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      well, seriously, what does it promise of a game that such marvelous innovations as having 2 different kinds of fire at once is brought up as such a great feature?

      like, yikes "According to sources, depending on the level, certain buildings, as well as vehicles, can be destroyed. Maybe we'll actually see a Warthog blow up this time?".

      cool, haven't seen a car explode before in a video game.

      "Depending on the environment, weapon shots will sound different; there will be echoes; and all the sound effects for the vehicles have been enhanced.
      " yikes on that too! hmm.. haven't seen that since duke nukem 3d(check if player is in tunnel, if true then add echo)..

      anyways, maybe i'm blind, but i failed to see anything _gameplay_related_ in the article(except for the guns-john-woo-style part, which i don't really count as a feature since it's so lame and actually seen in a game before, theres shitloads of games where you can shoot with different weapons at once). 99% of the article is just empty hype. you need to be a reporter to figure out such great things that gfx will be better, sound will be better and ai better?

      f***, it's just a game :) and like with games always, there's no good in hyping them up BEFORE they hit the store shelves. besides.. shouldn't the halo be kicked in the deepest pits by slashdot crowd anyways for failing to deliver the ports(because it is the only big hit of xbox)? but those features.. as a gamer.. that didn't promise me squat about that game, only that there will maybe blow up some cars and some shooting will occur(would you go see a movie on just that? no promise of pretty babes even).

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  10. Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by bADlOGIN · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Seriously folks, Halo is the ONLY thing I've ever heard anyone talk about being so wonderful on the Xbob. But geat real, it's a freakin' year and a half old launch title. I don't own one of those green and black endtables, and I don't ever intend to when I see how "amazing" thier titles are. The fact that Halo seems to be the only thing worth talking about for the Xbob a year and a half later is testimony to the fact that it's floundering in the Sega Dreamcast's spot on the console pecking order. Hell, last November there were more PSOnes sold than Xbobs in Japan. The PSOne!!!! Meaning more people wanted to spend money on playing old Playstation titles than spending money on playing new Xbob titles.

    I hope Microsoft continues to take it in the teeth on this little venture. Whenever I walk into EBX and see nothing of interest but multiple console supported games in a section of wall less than half the size reserved for the PS2, it makes me feel happy that they're continuing to lose.

    Microsoft can't do jack right untill version 3 of anything. While that's fine for software, I don't think the game console worlds developers, partners, and players will be so forgiving.

    --
    *** Sigs are a stupid waste of bandwidth.
    1. Re:Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by Hassman · · Score: 1

      Splinter Cell, Mortal Kombat, NFL2k3, Mech Warrior...

      should I keep going?

      --
      -Mark
      Dovie'andi se tovya sagain.
    2. Re:Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by papadiablo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Halo is the ONLY thing I've ever heard anyone talk about being so wonderful on the Xbob

      Ever heard of Splinter Cell? Yeah, thought so.

    3. Re:Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by bADlOGIN · · Score: 1

      Splinter Cell, Mortal Kombat, NFL2k3, Mech Warrior...

      should I keep going?


      You'll need to. NFL2k3 and Mortal Kombat aren't exclusive and not exactly "killer" apps. Splinter Cell is comming out for PS2 which leaves uh... what was the last one again?

      --
      *** Sigs are a stupid waste of bandwidth.
    4. Re:Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by Grinn · · Score: 1

      Although they're not exlusive to the Xbox, these games shine especially on the Xbox. NFL2k3 for the Xbox is un freakin' believable in terms of graphics and gameplay. Shines considerably brighter over my friend's Playstation 2 version.

      Plus, the Xbox controller offers a better rumble experience, something key in a hard hitting football game.

      Grinn.

    5. Re:Killer app alright... killing the Xbob... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Splinter Cell is not Xbox-exclusive and therefore no reason for owning an Xbox.

  11. Taking bets... by James+Lewis · · Score: 1

    for whether Halo for the PC will come out before Halo 2 =P

  12. Nice Troll, but I'll bite. by tino_sup · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The Xbox provides something you overlooked, competition. With this console on the market other companies are forced to address their price matrix, and adjust accordingly. Who wins? We, the gamers do. Your inability to form a coherent thought without the intentional adolescent misspelling leads me to believe that my points are wasted on you.

    An interesting read It is a little more recent than your vauge statistics from "last November".

    "Video game sales disappoint

    Reuters

    Sales of video games in the United States rose 8 percent in March over the same month last year as Japan's Nintendo lit up the charts with three hit games, industry analysts said on Tuesday, citing market research.

    Sales of games for the latest generation of consoles -- Sony's PlayStation2, Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube -- rose 36 percent, Deutsche Bank Securities' Jeetil Patel said, while sales for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance handheld rose 32 percent.

    Patel and other analysts based their figures on monthly market research from the privately held NPD Group.

    SoundView Technology Group analyst Shawn Milne estimated Nintendo's sales for March at $101.5m, or about £65m, up 168 percent from a year ago and well ahead of No. 2 Electronic Arts at $62.3m.

    The top-selling game of the month, he said, was "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker" for GameCube, doing nearly $41m in sales on 826,352 units sold.

    "We view the March industry software data as disappointing, noting that, excluding the strong software sell-through by Nintendo, industry software sales would have been down 8.3 percent," J.P. Morgan analyst Dean Gianoukos said in a note.

    But Gianoukos also said he expected EA, Activision and THQ to meet or beat their estimates for the March quarter.

    Sony's PS2 ended the month with a 37.8 percent share of the hardware market, Gianoukos said, followed by 14.7 percent for the Xbox and 10.7 percent for the GameCube.

    There was a 70 percent decline from a year earlier in sales of games for so-called "legacy" platforms like Sony's original PlayStation and Nintendo's last-generation N64, Patel said.

    That decline was a drag on overall sales growth, he said."


    --
    I am me...I think
  13. Do you have friends? by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    Single player does get stale after you've completed it, but how can the multiplayer not excite you? Get some friends, get some beer, kiss the next 8 hours of your life goodbye.

  14. Sticky Grenades? by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    But I throw my sticky grenades with the left trigger! I say they make the controller bigger just for Halo 2 and add more triggers.

  15. Sony's Answer by nick_davison · · Score: 2, Funny

    And even if it's not due for a while, the Halo series continues to be a serious killer app for Microsoft's console.

    In other news, Sony are hyping Final Fantasy 17 for the PS4. While they accept that neither game nor console are out yet, they don't see why Microsoft should have all the fun claiming killer apps that aren't anywhere near release.

    The graphics are reported to be in a different league to anything X-Box users have ever dreamed of.

  16. Those "vague" numbers are... by bADlOGIN · · Score: 1
    Here: PSOne Outsells Xbox In Japan Take a look for yourself.

    Also, That article you pasted is only focusing on software titles. The point I was making with the above "vague" numbers is in reference to number of console units sold. What I'm saying , is that real "Killer apps" are what is supposed to drive the console purchases, and the Xbob hasn't stepped up to the plate since Halo, and now all the hype is about a sequel. Doesn't sound very "killer" to me. Mabye Bill thinks it's "cool" enough to keep dumping money into.

    Must be nice to be able to screw up three times before you get it right....

    --
    *** Sigs are a stupid waste of bandwidth.
  17. Mindless by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    On another note, many millions of people still continue to eat at McDonalds - not because the food tastes better, but because a franchaise exists on every block, thus the masses overlook much better resteraunts. Why have a cheap shit burger when you can eat steak? Are you a mindless consumer whore like all those people who bought Tickle Me Elmos?

  18. Re:"May be similar info"? by Captain+Beefheart · · Score: 1

    It's a well-established fact that OXM gets juicy exclusives on all new Xbox content. They also have a circ of over 400,000 issues a month, by far the most for the Xbox and rivaling the circ of some of the largest console mags in the world.

    At the most, no one else should at this point have more than a one paragraph blurb based on some message board rumors. I know that scans of OXM's coverage for the June issue were leaked because I stumbled upon the scans myself while looking for information on Half-Life 2.

    Disagree instead of modding down.

  19. Doom III by boomerny · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Well, Doom III is coming to Xbox and no other platforms, I'd say that is a pretty killer app. I've read that Brute Force should be good, too.

  20. Lame by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    That's like saying GTA is the only reason to buy a PS2. Well, that *and* the jaggies.

    1. Re:Lame by Zed2K · · Score: 1

      GTA and Vice City ARE the primary reasons to buy a PS2. Just like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, F-Zero, Mario Kart, and Star Wars games are the only reasons to buy a Gamecube...oh wait, thats more than one killer app for both PS2 and gamecube.

  21. I miss Forge and Anvil by boomerny · · Score: 1

    What bums me out is that Marathon was the last FPS for the Mac that came with a map editor. I used to have a blast making Marathon and DoomII maps back in the day. There was Quiver for Quake(I think Scott Kevill wrote it), but I don't think he ever completed it.

  22. No other platforms? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's coming to the PC as well, actually..in fact the E3 demo ran, and still runs on..you guessed it..a PC. Thanks for playing.

  23. two hands, two guns by goon+america · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The gun-in-each-hand thing is something Bungie did with its earlier shooter, Marathon 2. One of the guns was a shotgun... the readme file had a little joke about how it was "too complicated to detail" how actually you could reload it without using your other hand.

    1. Re:two hands, two guns by papadiablo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Please refer to the movie Equilibrium for how to load a gun without using your other hand... has something to do with attaching clips for the guns to your pants and waving your arm so that the clip goes right into the gun. Easy, right?

  24. Gamepro forums? by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    God, did you just get off the Gamepro forums or what? To say that Halo is the only killer app for the Xbox is an insult to anybody who remotely considers themselves a hardcore gamer. And don't compare a 20+ year legacy like Nintendo to the Xbox, of course Nintendo has more A+ titles (nevermind that most are just re-hashed over and over). That being said, I think I'm going to pick up a GC when the price drops - and maybe, just maybe, a PS2 when they hit the bargain bins and garage sales.

    1. Re:Gamepro forums? by Dot.Com.CEO · · Score: 2, Insightful
      If you consider yourself a gamer, get a Cube NOW. Metroid Prime is a gem. The experience is excellent, it is truly an original game.

      On a sidenote, I own a PS2, an Xbox, a reasonably powerful gaming PC and a Cube. I have ONLY played Cube games in the past four months.

      Halo is an average game compared to the "rehashed" Nintendo titles. Don't trust me on that, just play Metroid Prime. You'll thank me.

      --
      Mother is the best bet and don't let Satan draw you too fast.
    2. Re:Gamepro forums? by mikerich · · Score: 1
      God, did you just get off the Gamepro forums or what? To say that Halo is the only killer app for the Xbox is an insult to anybody who remotely considers themselves a hardcore gamer.

      I've got an XBox and I have to admit the games line up really does suck. Almost all the big hyped titles have been busts on the machine and other 'must-have' titles are just being pushed ever forward into the future.

      I'm hoping 'Brute Force' will show some signs of life in the XBox market. But that isn't until the end of June - assuming it actually ships on time.

      But thank god I bought a Cube!

      As a matter of interest which games do you consider outstanding on the XBox?

      Best wishes,
      Mike.

    3. Re:Gamepro forums? by Zed2K · · Score: 1

      Yeah I've got Metroid Prime. Halo is the ONLY game I'd buy an XBox for. Thats why I haven't bought one. I'm not interested in any of the other games, the same basic stuff exists on the PS2 and Gamecube now but Something like Halo doesn't exist on anything but XBox. But thats still not enough to spit out the money for it. If it ever drops to $99 or close to that then I will.

    4. Re:Gamepro forums? by tricops · · Score: 1

      While that's true to some extent, you should pick up a copy of Time Splitters 2 for PS2 and give that a try if you haven't already. It's not exactly the same as Halo, but it's a blast. I played the whole way through with a friend and just found it fun/hilarious. I wish they made more decent multiplayer games like that....

      Every now and then our gameplay would degrade into setting each other on fire and screwing around killing each other. I guess most co-op fps games sort of invite that, but it was extra hard to resist with this one. :)

      --
      (\(\
      (^v^)
      (")")
      This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
  25. Individual triggers, nothing new by mrseigen · · Score: 2, Informative

    On Marathon, one of Bungie's earlier (and IMO better) games, you could use the spacebar to fire the right weapon and the option/alt key to fire the one in your left hand. Red Faction II also just did this, allowing you to fire with either trigger.

  26. Consoles Consoles Consoles by swat_r2 · · Score: 0

    We're talking about Con-soles. By saying "platform" the previous poster *should* have been more specific, but that's just semantics - so thank *you* for playing.

  27. Unreal II also by boomerny · · Score: 1

    and yeah, I meant consoles

  28. Halo was a real disappointment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You know, I really hate what Halo has become. When Bungie first announced the game, it was supposed to be a game where you were pretty much free to do whatever you wanted in a huge, beautiful world. When they actually released it for the Xbox, it had morphed into yet another first person shooter with mediocre graphics. I got an Xbox just to play this game. Needless to say, I don't own it anymore. I have a Gamecube now. Metroid Prime, Zelda: The Wind Waker, Pikmin, Super Monkey Ball 2, Super Smash Brothers: Melee or Super Mario Sunshine and many more are all ten times the game Halo could ever be.

    There's a huge selection of absolutely brilliant games for the Cube. There's one game worth talking about for the Xbox, and compared to what else is available, it's mediocre at best.

    I have no hopes at all for Halo 2.

  29. The *real* question... by don_carnage · · Score: 1

    Does this mean the original Halo will be available for the PC?

    Doesn't anyone still hold a grudge because Halo was supposed to be the game to take the throne from Tribes on the PC, but was denied from us by the XBox-exclusive release?

  30. Double Dealing Death by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So the next generation of US soldiers will have been weaned on shoot-em-ups allowing simultaneous fire from a gun in each hand. Expect the frequency of friendly fire "incidents", wherever US military are deployed, to increase sharply.

    1. Re:Double Dealing Death by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 1
      Only the Master Chief gets two guns, not the Marines. This won't be a problem in Real Life(tm) until we introduce the rank of "Master Chief."

      Of course, if we're talking KP duty, then it would be "Master Chef" (or is that "Iron Chef"? now that would be an interesting game :-)

      --
      If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.