Hopefully support does not mean just DLC map packs for a fee.

In the case of Bungie, no. They were constantly updating shit, tweaking, changing around maps and playlists and generally being more active with their community and the game than most developers I've seen with H3. I doubt they'll suddenly turn into lazy assholes just for Reach.

I don't even know where to fucking start here. This post will be a clean summation of all the news over the last couple days, then I'll work on incorporating this all into the OP after. At this point I think I might just make up to date posts, then wait to update the OP until a couple weeks before release. This post alone took me hours, I can't imagine putting this in the OP this weekend lol.


-Halo: Reach controller shown and announced. Amazon is listing an August 17th release date on this, which seems reasonable as the Halo 3 accessories definitely came out before that game. It is listed at $59.99 which is a tad pricey, but it also comes with a Banshee item for your 360 Avatar (which I could not find any pictures of).

http://i27.tinypic.com/352oxue.jpg http://i28.tinypic.com/50ruq0.jpg


-Halo: Reach Wireless Headset shown and announced. Like the controller, also listed at Amazon for release August 17th. $49.99 price tag, but does not include the Banshee Avatar item like the controller does. For what it's worth, these headsets are actually pretty quality; I used the Halo 3 one for a long time, only reason I'm not still using it and picking up one of these is because I have a Turtle Beach headset now.

http://i29.tinypic.com/25rpopd.jpg http://i27.tinypic.com/2lw23aa.jpg


-Halo: Reach Limited Edition Console shown and announced. Releasing same day as the game (9/14) at $399. Spec-wise it is indentical to the 360 S out now (250 gig HDD and Wi-fi). Additionally however it has the obvious design differences, but also comes with an additional second controller with both controllers being the Reach design (as sold separately above) and the regular edition of the game. However, all of this matters not in the face of the fact that the system will make "Halo-inspired" sounds. For those not familiar the 360 S makes an awesome chime sound when you turn it on and hit the tray button. This system will make a "Halo-inspired" sound when you turn it on, and we know specifically that when you hit the tray icon you will hear the shields recharging sound effect from Halo. Also according to Wired one interesting thing is that you can't see in any of the photos is that the system is actually painted two different shades of gray, and the grays will "shift" depending on the viewing angle.

Must....not....buy.

http://i26.tinypic.com/5a3qd.jpg http://i31.tinypic.com/6ymj4i.jpg http://i28.tinypic.com/2rooydy.jpg http://i32.tinypic.com/z1e8y.jpg


-Square-Enix releasing a Halo: Reach Play-Arts line. Volume 1 is releasing this Fall and will consist of Noble Six, Emile, and Jun. Volume 2 is releasing early next year will consist of Carter, Kat, and Jorge. No official dates or prices set yet. No official pics yet, the one below is from their booth at Comic-Con. You can also get a better look in this video where two S-E merchandising guys talk with someone from 343 at their booth about the figures.

http://i31.tinypic.com/23uwk13.jpg


-This one's actually a bit old but I hadn't posted, but Marvel is putting out a 4-issue comic called Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp that covers Master Chief from a child when he was conscripted into the Spartan-II program. Presumably based on the title and the tie-in the 4 issues will go up until Reach is glassed. Might be interesting to see if they actually show anything that wasn't already covered in the books I suppose.

http://i26.tinypic.com/ykmsg.jpg


-Greg Bear is writing a trilogy of Forerunner books. Release date information seems to be all over the place, I'm seeing this September, this October, or 2011. Not much really known.

http://angrybear.org/Media/2010/06/h...uction580.jpeg


-The original Halo book trilogy (Fall of Reach, The Flood, and First Strike) will be re-released in trade paperback format. This is only note-worthy because the three will come with “editorial notes, additional, updated information, and all-new original content.” Amazon has Fall of Reach as releasing August 3rd, could not find listings for the other two yet. I was planning on re-reading all the Halo stuff before Reach comes out anyway as a refresher (since the events in the book are much more relevant to Reach than the other games), so I'll pick this up.

http://angrybear.org/Media/2010/06/f...reach-225.jpeg


-Karen Traviss has been brought on to pen a "successor" to Ghost of Onyx, to be released next year. Nothing more known at this time.


-Some Halo: Reach Avatar goods available on Xbox Live. All items available to both genders.

http://i28.tinypic.com/2v9dbwh.jpg


-Falcon shown a bit and with some more details. Already known that you can hit a button to lock your altitude. The pilot actually does not have any weapons at their disposal, however the Falcon can support two gunners. Apparently a Banshee "doesn't stand a chance" against a Falcon with two gunners on it.

http://www.bungie.net/images/Games/R...cle/falcon.png


-The Revenant shown for the first time. According to IGN it behaves a bit like a Ghost crossed with a Wraith tank. This two-seater can boost around and is rather agile, but it fires the massive plasma balls that the Wraith tanks dish out. It's pretty devastating, but it offers little protection for the rider.

http://i29.tinypic.com/2qmga53.jpg


-The Forklift shown and announced. I think everyone kinda forgot Bungie said there would be civilian vehicles in the game. Even makes the beeping sound when you are in reverse! Unfortunately, it apparently is so slow that you can't even splatter people with it. Hmmm.

http://www.bungie.net/images/News/In...rky/headon.jpg


-Entire Comic-con panel can now be found on Youtube staring here if you are so inclined.


-There are now unique assassinations using the Plasma Sword.

Firefight
-3 new multiplayer maps (apparently) leaked from a spanish site. The first is Spire. Focuses on Aerial combat, and there are mancannons and elevators to get you up top.

http://i32.tinypic.com/2woyjv5.jpg http://i25.tinypic.com/1z2f5ky.jpg


-The second new map is Reflection, a straight up remake of Ivory Tower. Said to be "exactly like you remember it."

http://i31.tinypic.com/28sa2qt.jpg http://i29.tinypic.com/33m4k6b.jpg


-The 3rd new map is Zealot, a heavily modified version of Midship. You can also get outside and the gravity is different.

http://i25.tinypic.com/v80v2q.jpg http://i28.tinypic.com/23mm26a.jpg

Forge World

-Shot from the ViDoc and panel showing map selections; it's unclear if this is the final listing of maps or not. Also no idea what Halo Classic is.

http://i29.tinypic.com/b4cnz5.jpg


-Unboxing video for all 3 Halo game editions. I'm much more sold on the Legendary edition now. Also additionally confirmed that the Legendary Edition-only will also net you a download code of some kind to download some crazy Behind the Scenes goodies that they're not talking about yet.

YouTube Video

-As seen in the Gruntpocolypse video up above, apparently the "Elegant Weapon" Achievement is for DMR headshots, as the guy earns it on the show floor lol.


-IGN video walkthrough of the Armory. ONE OR TWO FUCKING MILLION CREDITS for some of the Armor effects, Jesus.

YouTube Video

Can't wait for the Legendary statue to start gathering dust on my nerd shrine.

As soon as I get the armor sorted the way I want it, gonna save for Cortana's voice to make my dream female spartan complete. <3

Lol that legendary edition is too much, but that limited edition looked really sweet.. might pick that up.. damnit.

Six weeks, one day.

I need to stop goofing and actually put in for the week. I'll do it tonight~

Anybody else going to do the midnight launch thing (assuming they do one which they have no reason to not to) or will I be alone in that regard? One of my favorite things about the H3 launch was coming back home and seeing like 30 dudes on my list playing and hopping into campaign with different people as the morning went on.

YOU'RE GONNA BE THERE RIGHT SHAKE

RIGHT

Oh man. Most definitely going to the midnight release. Already have the next two days booked off work. I plan to come home, and be playing the game into the veeeeery early morning the first night.

I'll be going to the midnight release, but I probably won't stay up super late playing it. The Halo 3 midnight release at the store I've pre-ordered from again was ridiculous, they had a live heavy metal band (??) and it was catered. Last time I got boned though because we had stopped by and they said they won't starting lineups until 11, but we got there at like 10:45 and they had apparently been doing line-ups since about 8, and we were a few hundred people back. Didn't wind up getting out of there until nearly 1 :(.

This year planning on probably going over there shortly after work (8-ish) so I can be one of the first in line, purely with the intent of actually trying to get out of there shortly after midnight. Will probably mainly just come home, install the game, and maybe play a game or two of Gruntpocolypse, then crash and just wake up early around 7 or 8. Definitely playing Gruntpocolypse first though for sure.

What exactly is the appeal of Gruntpocolypse above everything else? It's just Grunts.

I probably won't be going to any midnight launches (never have for a videogame), but if pick it up first thing in the morning on the 14th that's 4am EST. I'll probably play solo Campaign for a few levels first, though, and then see what friends are doing.

The appeal is that Daravon is a silly bastard. Who gets on anything other than campaign first. Also FUCK YOU playing Solo you're totally getting on with us.

Why go to a midnight launch? Seems, you know, ridiculous.

Because I despise the sun, I despise waiting to get something when I know it's right there, and I'm normally up at night anyway so why the fuck not.

Serious answer though, most of NEGRO POSSE, this insanely funny crew of ghetto black guys who all know each other up in New York usually get their shit at midnight and playing stuff with them at 1am is the best god damn thing. "YO NIGGA WHERE'D THIS NIGGA WITH THE HAMMER COME FROM I JUST GOT MY SHIT PUSHED IN SON" makes it all worth it. Otherwise I wouldn't really care.

Yes.

About 75% of the reason I'm going is because the last two times (Halo 2 and 3) my store has been ridiculous. They had a god damn MC cake last time. More of a crowd/experience thing then getting the game a couple hours early thing.

Interesting little bit from IGN I don't think we knew about regarding Challenges setting up automatically if you select them:

The problem with that on day one is that if you don't start at the same time as everyone else you won't know what happens in the first few levels. Never the less, given my timezone advantage I might actually have the game and be on once people start playing through the campaign.

I haven't decided if I'm doing co-op or solo first. I guess if we can get a group to do it start to finish co-op I'm down, but if it's going to be disjointed with different people I'll just play through it on Normal for my first time or something. They said it's "on par" with the length of Halo 3, so solo on normal I can't imagine would take more than 5 or 6 hours tops anyway.

Also I spent practically all fucking day at work thinking about Gruntpocolypse. God damn it.

Sign me up for endless multiplayer sessions for sure.

I usually like to play games solo by myself first, but after that I am all for the coop action.

Send me a friend request. GT BahamutZ (link was in my sig, but I have a sigpic ban)

My GS is pretty ghetto so I probably won't be doing the midnight launch. Went with a friend for MW2 and I swear to god this big black dude was trading in like 11 of his kids Wii games for it. White dude was smoking a blunt in the parking lot in his caddy sitting on twenty fours. There was also a sixteen year old kid there who was being the biggest cunt to his mother when their car wouldn't start because he wanted to get home and play. I'm not even playing.

If I'm somehow drunk and or high on the 14th, I'll go.

Finally got the details on the Limited Edition guide. I'm assuming the description below is also for the regular guide, barring the last point.

Not bad, not bad. Also I got my Noble 7 figure today, I enjoy that it has both a Comic-con exclusive label printed on it, as well as a Toys R Us Exclusive sticker on it.

Quite an awesome trailer launched today on the Bungie website showing a few shots from the Campaign. It can be viewed/downloaded from the Bungie website located here.

I dread to think what kind of shitty playing styles this is going to encourage.

Well this is weird.

http://www.gamestop.com/gs/landing/e...r/default.aspx

I think Halo is a pretty cool guy.

Is he afraid of anything?