Death by intelligence.
Win An Xbox Live Backstage Pass To Play Halo 2
Microsoft today announced the Xbox Live™ Backstage Pass Sweepstakes featuring Halo® 2, which will give 20 lucky winners from around the world the chance to play Halo 2 multiplayer before the most anticipated game of the year hits store shelves in North America on November 9, 2004. With over a million members, Xbox Live is the premier destination for online console gamers. In order to be eligible for the sweepstakes, gamers must have a valid Xbox Live account as of October 15. Winners will be drawn on October 22 and will receive a three-day/two-night trip for the winner and one guest to Bungie Studios in Redmond, Washington to play Halo 2 multiplayer. Package includes round-trip air transportation to Seattle, Washington, hotel accommodations, roundtrip airport transfers, meals and a tour of Bungie Studios. For more information and official rules, please visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/news/backstagepasssweepstakes.htm
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Bungie Rumor Control Returns
Frankie has brought back what used to be called the Bungie Rumor Control Database, this time in the form of RumorBuster. This installment covers charges for Halo 2 online play (there are none other than normal XBL charges), rumored ports of Halo 2 for other platforms, online player limits, cooperative play, and other points-- including the won't-die, hit-it-with-a-stick Halo 1.5 Gold rumor.
Halo 2 Previews Pile Up
Three more Halo 2 previews popped up over the last few days: Computer and Video Games (part one, part two) and Game Daily (covering gameplay).
GameSpy Publishes Second Reader Feedback Follow-Up
GameSpy has again taken reader questions and fed them back to Bungie to try and get more information. Here's a summary of what gets clarified this time around:
How do shields and health work in Halo 2?
There is no official word yet, but reports from those who have played E3 and post-E3 builds of the multiplayer game indicate that the health bar in the HUD, and even the idea of "health" has been removed from Halo 2 entirely, and replaced with a stronger, faster-regenerating shield.
Updates, Updates Everywhere
Frankie's update this week is at Halo Babies, where, like Andre the Giant in Princess Bride, Mister Chief is dreaming of large women. Except, in his case, it's a nightmare. In addition, Bungie.net has a roundup of all the Halo 2 previews that are going up all over the web. Some we mentioned before, some are new to us.
Will Halo 2 multiplayer have powerups?
Halo 1 featured powerups, such as overshields and active camoflauge (invisibility).
Currently there are no powerups in the game, although they might be added later. (Editor's note: this gets a big thumbs-up from me. I've never ever bothered to cycle powerups like the active camo or the overshield, and never thought I should be punished for wanting to get right on with playing instead of going shopping.)
How will voice chat work in Halo 2?
There are two types of voice chat in Halo 2:
Broadcast Voice
Broadcast Voice works like teamspeak. You press a button and your voice goes to your teammates.
Proximity Voice
Proximity Voice means that players nearby can hear you speak. It appears that this is always on.
R.net Halo 2 FAQ Updated
We've updated some old topics and added a few new ones in our Halo 2 FAQ to reflect the information revealed so far in the many articles covering Halo 2 multiplayer. The new and updated entries are:
How will ranked play work in Halo 2 on XBL?
Matchmade, or ranked games, do not allow you to affect game settings, and a limited number of options are available. You cannot choose weapons.
How will Halo 2 games be hosted on XBL?
If the host drops, another Xbox will take up the hosting of the game, supposedly with only a momentary pause, if any.
It is unknown if there will be any dedicated servers. There will definitely be no dedicated servers for games that are matchmade using XBL's matchmaking facilities.
16 players per game, up to 4 players per Xbox, splitscreen.
What ways can you customize your appearance in multiplayer?
These are the options you can customize when playing Halo 2 online through XBL.
- Two skins (Master Chief, Covenant Elite)
- Primary Color
- Secondary Color
- Trim Colors (2)
- Symbol (Insignia, Logo)
- Pattern
There is no relationship between the choice of player model (MC, Spartan) and team assignment, and no impact on gameplay.
Can Halo 2 record game films?
Previous Bungie games Marathon and Myth featured something called demo or film recording, allowing players to record multiplayer matches in small files that could be exchanged with other players.
The UI of the build of Halo 2 shown to journalists apparently had two familiar choices (Campaign, Multiplayer) and a new option, Game Movies. Apparently this might be for recording games or perhaps portions of games. It is rumored to have been cut from the game, however.
What maps will be in Halo 2 multiplayer?
Zanzibar
Asymmetric map feature a beach, open areas, walls, courtyards, structures, moving objects and vehicles. Great for CTF.
Ivory Tower
A private home converted into a public park, Ivory Tower is a decent-sized map with many small areas with multiple levels and an open courtyard. Good for Slayer FFA or small team games.