Entries tagged with halo 2 - Channel 10

Halo 2 on Vista: We've got the new maps, features and achievements

Tina — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:40:00 GMT

Halo 2 is officially coming to Vista. It is shipping to retailers on May 22nd. I sit down with Jo Clowes from Hired Gun to talk about new features, new maps and what we can expect from Halo 2 on Vista. We bring you all the cool visuals. Jo talks to us about some of the achievements you can earn for both single player and multi-player. There's a flaming Ninja achievement you earn through multi-player where you kill three....oh, well you'll just have to watch the video to find out about that one.

Major Nelson dishes on Games for Windows Live

Tina — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 17:33:00 GMT

In my hunt for cool gaming content I ran across Major Nelson's blog this morning where he dishes on Games for Windows Live.

I got my hands on a gold copy of Halo 2 for Windows Vista yesterday (it goes on sale in a few weeks) and after installing it I did a few things that, while geeky, are worth mentioning. Some are downright cool:

After installing H2 for Vista, I was able to sign in to Xbox LIVE from the ‘Guide’ within the game, and see all of my LIVE friends, messages etc. (above and here)
I hooked up my Xbox 360 Wireless Controller and my Wireless headset to my PC via the Wireless Gaming Receiver.
I was able to send and receive text and voice messages from the guide to other LIVE members who were on their Xbox 360’s. You press the Guide button on your controller and the guide pops up over the game – just like on the Xbox 360.
Got my first Halo 2 Achievement (and added another 30 points to my GS)
While I was playing through the first level of the campaign, I was on a voice chat over my wireless headset with Litheon who was playing Gears of War on his Xbox 360.

There was a LOT of technology going on here but it was a fairly seamless experience. Once you get your hands on Halo 2 for Vista, you’ll see what I mean. It will get even better when Shadowrun ships later this year and PC players and Xbox 360 players can not only communicate over LIVE but also compete against each other. With the the new LIVE connectivity with PC games this is the start of a new era of gaming for Games for Windows and Xbox 360 owners.

Check out more of Major Nelson's gaming news here.

Live on Windows - Halo 2 and UNO video

Nic — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 05:41:00 GMT

A portion of my presentation from GO3 last month is now up on Gametrailers.com

During my session at GO3 I showed about 8 minutes of screen footage of Live on Windows Vista logging into Halo 2 and playing some cross platform UNO. This was the first public showing of this particular footage so the guys from Gametrailers created a four and a half minute highlight reel for a quick glimpse at the Live on Windows Vista experience for those that couldn't make it to GO3.

Check out the video here.

Hang' em High coming to Halo 2....oh yea!

Tina — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 18:05:00 GMT

Okay, so all of us old school Halo fans have a unique love for "Hang' em High". At least Duncan and I do. This is back in the days of nailing somebody on the high planks with the original pistol making them fall to their inevitable death. Well, there were some changes in Halo 2 and the pistols no longer do the damage they used, to and you can no longer fall to your inevitable death. But, I had some of the greatest nights of my life in that map - and it's back. Here is part of the press release that went out this morning:

REDMOND, Wash. — March 30, 2007 — Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the upcoming release of two new, eagerly awaited downloadable maps for “Halo^® 2.” The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox^® and Xbox 360™ on April 17.

Fans of the original “Halo” have long requested the addition of some of their favorite maps to the critically acclaimed multiplayer experience of “Halo 2.” These re-creations, developed by Bungie and Certain Affinity Inc., are a perfect way to thank fans for their support as they surpass 800 million hours of “Halo 2” gaming on Xbox LIVE^®.

The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original “Halo: Combat Evolved.” For the price of $4 for the pair, these maps bring a fresh burst of action to the seminal “Halo 2” online multiplayer experience. Both of the maps will be available through the “Halo 2” in-game content downloader for both Xbox and Xbox 360.*

The king of “Halo” maps has returned at last. Hang ’Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for “Halo 2” as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises. Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested “Halo” multiplayer map ever, with a modernized “Halo 2” flavor.

The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense “Halo 2” combat.

To date, gamers have logged more than 800 million hours of “Halo” multiplayer action on Xbox LIVE, and they are eagerly awaiting “Halo 3,” slated for release this fall. The “Halo” franchise is among the biggest worldwide entertainment properties in history and continues to change the way people think about interactive entertainment.