Xbox Live's Major Nelson : Halo 3

Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack

Major Nelson — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:38:00 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] The long-awaited Mythic Map Pack drops into Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Investigate Orbital’s abandoned hallways - before it was evacuated, the Quito Space Tether was heralded as the “Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium.” Witness Assembly, where Scarab hulls loom overhead, being decontaminated in preparation for the city-sized Lekgolo colonies that will breathe life into the massive metal husks. An excavation site surrounded by deadly Forerunner defenses, the mysteries of Sandbox are hidden high above, deep below, and right before your eyes. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Add the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack to your download queue

Halo 3 and Gears of War 2 Map Packs release dates set

Major Nelson — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:00:00 GMT

It’s Massive Map Pack Monday ! Both Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 are each getting new game add-ons in the form of Map Packs.

Gears of War 2: On March 31st the Snowblind map pack will be available for 800 points. The map pack contains four new Winter themed maps: Grindyard, Under Hill, Courtyard, and a frozen version of the “Gears of War” favorite, Fuel depot. In addition, a title update is on it’s way that contains various improvements and fixes as outlined here.

Halo 3: The Halo 3 Mythic map pack, currently only available to those that purchased the Limited Edition of Halo Wars, will be available to everyone on April 9th for 800 points.

Check out the Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Xbox.com for a complete list of Game Add-on for download.

Edit: Bungie.net has posted their update about the Mythic map pack as well as some pretty cool Halo stats

Halo 3 Recon has a new name

Major Nelson — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:01:00 GMT

And it’s called Halo 3: ODST. Bungie.net has posted details of the game formerly known has Halo 3 Recon.

Be make sure you grab the Halo 3 Recon wallpapers from Xbox.com, as they are now collecters items.

Halo 3 Title Update

Major Nelson — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:56:43 GMT

The next time you fire up Halo 3 and connect to Xbox LIVE, you’re going to get a required title update. What’s in it you ask? Ske7ch over at Bungie as posted the details, including 10 brand new achievements. Good stuff guys.

Halo 3 DLC: Cold Storage Map (Free)

Major Nelson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Cold Storage Map
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] Warmly crafted, dutifully beautified update of Halo: CE classic multiplayer map, Chill Out. Love, Bungie

Edit: The Legendary Map Pack is now 600 points.

Bungie Day ‘08 Theme and Gamer Pictures

Major Nelson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:01:00 GMT

Theme

Title: Halo 3

Content: Bungie Day ’08 Theme!
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: Don’t make the Dashboard kick your…

Gamer Picture

Title: Halo 3

Content: Bungie Day '08 Gamerpics!
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: Seven gamerpics to celebrate Bungie Day ’08!

Monday is Bungie day!

Major Nelson — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:11:33 GMT

Bungie (and Halo) fans, be sure to mark your calendar…since Monday (7/7) is Bungie Day. That means all sorts of Bungie related activities will be kick off, including:

7 Exclusive new gamerpictures and a Bungie day theme will be available on Marketplace. These are available for one day only.
Cold Storage, a free new Halo 3 multiplayer map inspired by the original map Chill Out found in “Halo: Combat Evolved”
The Legendary Map Pack will drop in price to 600 points

More details on screen shots over at Bungie.net’s weekly update

Edit: To further the theme of seven, the Bungie community wants to get 7 billion kills before the 7th. Hop on and lend a hand. Thansk for pointing that out hallwaygiant.

Halo 3: Legendary Map Pack (and a free theme)

Major Nelson — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:01:00 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE Regions
Size: 411.34 MB
Dash Text:[ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] The Legendary Map Pack blends old and new. Ghost Town’s asymmetrical mix of confined spaces and long lines of fire makes for frenetic games. Avalanche re-imagines the original Halo classic, Sidewinder, with new features, tweaked vehicles and massive outdoor spaces. Significant changes bring big improvements to the map, yet its contours and cliffs should provide a welcome sense of familiarity. Blackout, on the other hand, is the purest remake to date – all time favorite Lockout gets a graphical overhaul, but retains its challenging mix of ramps, platforms, tunnels and hallways. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Plus:
Content: Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Dash Theme (available via the in dash banner promoting the DLC)
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: Time to spruce up your Xbox Live Dashboard theme with this brand new, Legendary Map Pack-inspired theme, featuring images, moments and atmosphere from the latest batch of Halo 3 DLC. The Human industrial grit of Blackout, the wintry vastness of Avalanche and the gloomy ruin of Ghost Town will be a welcome aesthetic boost for fans of Dashboard themes.

And if you’re in Canada or the U.S.:

Content: Halo 3 Legendary Registration Gamer Picture
Price: Free
Availability: Canada and United States
Dash Text: Downloading this gamer picture enters US and Canadian residents in the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack promotion. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Canada 18+. Game closes April 27, 2008. Skill testing question required for Canadian winners. By downloading this item you are allowing Microsoft to contact you from time to time about this promotion. For full contest rules and details visit www.xbox.com/legendaryplaywin.

Five Hundred and Nineteen games later...

Major Nelson — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 02:56:00 GMT

Major finally made Major in Halo 3. And since the stats don't lie, you'll notice that Litheon is the one who really made it happen. Sadly, my K/D ratio was a rather embarrassing -7. Thanks to Kunzel and xsleapyx for helping with the cause. Later tonight I'll be in COD4 playing more of the new mappage...so keep an eye out for me. What game(s) are you playing tonight?

Halo 3 Legendary Map ViDoc: Mapmaker, Mapmaker

Major Nelson — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00:04 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Legendary Map ViDoc: Mapmaker, Mapmaker
Price: Free
Availability: Australia, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] Mapmaker, mapmaker make me a map! Join the actual creators of the Halo Legendary Map Pack as they take you on a guided tour of their creations. See the spaces and places they envisioned and hear where that inspiration came from and how it plays out in the Halo universe. Get a unique perspective and some solid, practical tips on how to play the latest Halo 3 multiplayer levels, Blackout, Avalanche and Ghost Town.

Size: 587.68 MB

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Trailer: Darkness

Major Nelson — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:00:16 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Trailer: Darkness
Price: Free
Availability: Australia, Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States
Size: 78.76 MB
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] Explore the darkness and danger of The Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack – Blackout, Avalanche and Ghost Town. Wander the catwalks and catacombs of Blackout and its vertiginous series of aeries and turrets, illuminated by the chill and baleful glare of a moonlit sky. Avalanche is colder still, and as vast as it is icy. Fly on silent wing through its valleys and caverns. Ghost Town’s ruinous abandonment

Note: Love the voice over on this trailer. ~~I am not sure who it is, but he is really good.~~ KP tells me the voice is that of David Sully, who also did the voice of Sgt. Johnson.

Edit: Not at your console? You can watch the trailer on Xbox.com

Reminder: H3 Heroic Map Pack now free

Major Nelson — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:50:36 GMT

Just a reminder that the Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack is now available for free from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Marketplace Roundup for January 28, 2008

Major Nelson — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:18:05 GMT

Theme

Title: U.S. Army & Halo 3

Content: U.S. Army Heavy Weapons Theme
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Get the exclusive new Heavy Weapons Theme and Gamer Pictures to show the Halo 3 community you've entered this phase of Basic Combat Training.

Trailer

Title: U.S. Army & Halo 3

Content: Halo 3 Heavy Weapons: Support Weapons (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] Any elite player knows the importance of heavy weapons in a game. Check out tips about how to best use Halo 3's support weaponry.

Content: Halo 3 Heavy Weapons: Shoulder-Mounted Weapons (HD)
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] Any elite player knows the importance of heavy weapons in a game. Check out tips about how to best use Halo 3's shoulder-mounted weaponry.

Gamer Picture

Title: U.S. Army & Halo 3

Content: U.S. Army Heavy Weapons Registration Picture
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: I would like to enter the U.S. Army Heavy Weapons Play & Win Sweepstakes, which ends February 15th 2008 at 11:59pm ET, and agree to the Terms of Use/Official Rules See xbox.com/usarmy for more information and full sweepstakes rules.

Content: U.S. Army Heavy Weapons Picture Pack
Price: Free
Availability: United States
Dash Text: Get the exclusive new Heavy Weapons Theme and Gamer Pictures to show the Halo 3 community you've entered this phase of Basic Combat Training.

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack

Major Nelson — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 10:01:00 GMT

Content: Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Not available in India
Dash Text: [ESRB: M (Mature) BLOOD AND GORE,MILD LANGUAGE,VIOLENCE] The Heroic map pack contains three new maps, each presenting a totally different play style. Standoff’s symmetrical valley, with its entrenched bases and fields of boulders is ideal for mid-sized objective and Slayer game types, while Rat’s Nest’s vast, labyrinthine passages bring something quite new to the Halo multiplayer experience – an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode ideal for big team battles. Finally, Foundry is the ultimate Forge map – players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of. There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

[Details and screen shots at Bungie.net]

Edit: Frankie has posted this FAQ on the map pack, including mentioning that these maps will eventually be available for free.

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack (new maps)

Major Nelson — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 17:01:00 GMT

It was just announced that three new Halo 3 maps will be released in December. The Heroic Map Pack will contain Standoff, Rat's Nest and Foundry. The map pack will be available for 800 points (then free in Spring of '08) beginning Tuesday December 11th.

Details at Xbox.com

Edit: Bungie has more details (and screen shots) here

H3: Over $300 million in one week

Major Nelson — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:01:09 GMT

Halo 3 continues to fly off the shelves, with over $300 million dollars in sales in the first week alone. Other interesting data from the press release (at the bottom of this post):

More than 2.7 million gamers have played "Halo 3" on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide.
Within the first day of its launch, "Halo 3" players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay.
In the first week, Since "Halo 3 launched," gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements.

Here is the complete press release:

Global Entertainment Phenomenon “Halo 3” Records More Than $300 Million in First-Week Sales Worldwide

Xbox 360 console sales more than doubled; nearly 3 million gamers play online via Xbox LIVE.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 4, 2007 — Interactive entertainment will never be the same, with the launch of one title that has changed the way the world thinks about video games. “Halo^® 3” has captured the attention of consumers worldwide and has made history as one of the biggest entertainment launches of all time.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that “Halo 3” has officially become a global phenomenon, garnering more than $300 million in sales in the first week alone. The critically acclaimed Xbox 360^® exclusive, which was released worldwide on Tuesday, Sept. 25, is the fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful entertainment properties in history.

Initial reports from retailers worldwide show console sales have more than doubled compared with the weekly average before the launch of “Halo 3.” With games such as “Halo 3,” “Madden 08” (EA Sports), “Mass Effect” (Microsoft Game Studios) and “Rock Band” (Harmonix), Xbox 360 has the greatest lineup in the history of video games and is the only console where consumers can play all the year’s biggest blockbusters.

“‘Halo’ is truly a cultural phenomenon, and the launch of ‘Halo 3’ is an important milestone for Xbox 360 and for video games as entertainment and as an art form,” said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. “‘Halo 3’ embodies our vision for the future of entertainment, where some of the world’s greatest creative minds will deliver a new generation of interactive storytelling.”

“Halo 3” is quickly staking its place as the most popular Xbox LIVE^® game in history with members gathering in record numbers to play on the world’s largest online gaming and entertainment network on TV. More than 2.7 million gamers have played “Halo 3” on Xbox LIVE in the first week, representing nearly one-third of the 7 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide. Within the first day of its launch, “Halo 3” players worldwide racked up more than 3.6 million hours of online gameplay, which increased more than elevenfold to 40 million hours by the end of the first week, representing more than 4,500 years of continuous gameplay. Since “Halo 3 launched,” gamers have unlocked nearly 30 million achievements. In its first week alone, “Halo 3” drove a record number of Xbox LIVE Gold Memberships as hundreds of thousands of new members gathered online with friends, family members and other gamers around the world to collectively compete and complete the game.

“Halo 3” is the conclusion to the epic trilogy and picks up where “Halo 2” left off, answering questions about the fates of the beloved protagonist Master Chief™ and his artificial intelligence sidekick Cortana as they struggle to save humankind from destruction at the hands of the alien coalition known as the Covenant. In addition to the rich storyline, “Halo 3” continues the franchise’s grand tradition of delivering innovative online multiplayer experiences via Xbox LIVE. The game’s online multiplayer and innovative four-player cooperative gameplay for Xbox LIVE Gold users, the much-talked-about Saved Films feature that enables players to capture and save their favorite moments on their hard drives, and Forge, an innovative map editor that enables myriad customization options, are just some of the new features gamers are experiencing.

Developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. “Halo 3” was released in 37 countries and 17 languages. To date, more than 20 million copies of the games in the “Halo” trilogy have been sold worldwide.

Record week-one sales come on the heels of the previously announced $170 million in sales in the U.S. within the first 24 hours of the game’s release, which marked not just the biggest video game launch, but the biggest entertainment launch in history. The Xbox 360 title beat previous U.S. sales records set by blockbuster openings for entertainment events such as the release of “Spider-Man 3” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In addition, more than 1.7 million copies of “Halo 3” were pre-ordered in the United States, making it the fastest pre-selling game in history, surpassing the previous record-setting pre-sales of “Halo 2.”

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