halo 3

Halo 3, the third game in the best-selling Xbox game franchise Halo, is a highly-anticipated first-person shooter video game under development by Bungie Studios for the Xbox 360. An official announcement on the developers' website states that Halo 3 will end the current story arc of the Halo trilogy. An invitation only beta test will be available in Spring 2007, with the full game anticipated for release later in the year.

E3 2006 trailer

A trailer of the game was shown at Microsoft press conference at E3 2006. The trailer ends with the tagline "Finish the fight". The trailer opens to a dry and desolate area a few miles inland of New Mombasa's remains, which was destroyed in Halo 2 when a Covenant ship jumped into slipspace inside the city. Parts of the broken space elevator are shown in the background. Through the smoke and rubble, the Master Chief, emerges, obscured occasionally by overlaid images of what appears to be Cortana transmitting a distorted message:

"I have defied gods and demons."

"I am your shield; I am your sword[28]."

"I know you; your past, your future"

"This is the way the world ends."

One of these lines is in the Cortana Letters. Fans have noted that the voice of the Gravemind can be heard, mirroring Cortana's words, leading many to believe that the Gravemind plays a part in Cortana's speech, and possibly even speaks through Cortana to the Master Chief. Screaming can be heard before the transmissions, which further supports this hypothesis. Other forces may also be acting on Cortana - in the 'Behind the Scenes' video^[1], it is stated, "We don't know what has happened to her since then. We don't know it's Cortana. It could be any sort of bizarre, almost Satanic sort of voice. Something seems wrong." The transmission becomes more clear with each attempt at communication. It should also be noted that Cortana's dialogue is highly reminiscent of, and can be attributed to, the dialogue of Durandal, an artificial intelligence originating from Bungie's previous FPS series of games, Marathon ^[2]. Master Chief is seen holding a new MA5C assault rifle, an upgraded version of the MA5B rifle used in Halo: Combat Evolved.

Overhead, a massive Covenant "excavation fleet," as it was called by Bungie, holds position over an enormous crater the Chief is overlooking. Within the crater is a large, circular, metallic structure over three miles in diameter, stated by Bungie to be a Forerunner-related structure. Above the crater, there is a massive maelstrom in the sky caused by "massive, never before seen subatomic forces," presumably caused by the gigantic structure. Banshees and Covenant warships fly by, paying no attention to the Master Chief, who backs away from the crater's edge as pieces of it crumble away.

The Chief watches as the structure blooms as a round of pronged spires rise from the ground, the surrounding Covenant craft slowly backing away. A brilliant light rapidly consumes the area, fading to black as Cortana closes with the line, "This is the way the world ends." Cortana's closing words are directly from T.S. Eliot's famous closing words in his poem, The Hollow Men:

This is the way the world ends

Not with a bang but a whimper.

The trailer was produced entirely using the Xbox 360 hardware in real-time. After the E³ showing, Bungie demonstrated the real-time nature of the demo by moving the camera around and moving Master Chief to demonstrate the game's visual effects. The Assault Rifle was also fired to demonstrate that the muzzle flash was reflected off Chief's visor in real-time.

The music in the trailer utilized a 60-piece orchestra and a 24-member choir, above and beyond what composer Martin O'Donnell used for Halo 3's predecessors. The trailer fanfare sports a wholly new arrangement, the addition of trumpets, and the noted absence of Halo's signature "monks."^[3] On Bungie's site, O'Donnell states his goals for the trailer's music.

"I want them to feel pride and longing the moment Master Chief walks out of the smoke, I want them to get excited and perhaps even froth at the mouth when they see the Covenant Capital ship and then the incredible buried artifact. I want them to be left with that, 'I can hardly wait to play this game' feeling by the end with a slight, 'I wonder what she meant by that' aftertaste."^[4]

Due to speculation of the identity of the Spartan shown in the trailer, Bungie has confirmed that it is the Master Chief. ^[5]

There is also an "easter egg" hidden within the trailer: a wobbling sign on the side of the road which appears to be a "Grunt Crossing" sign. Bungie's official response to the sign was "The New Mombasa City Council had an incredibly efficient public works department until and even during the tragic and devastating Covenant invasion". Another Easter Egg within the trailer is when the structure is activated. In the lights around the installation is Bungie's original Marathon symbol. This picture is a choice of many symbols for players' multiplayer icon in Halo 2 and an inside-joke which Bungie regularly features in their games. Also, avid fans of the series froze and magnified an image of the Master Chief, and found the Marathon logo imprinted on the Assault Rifle.

ESPN TV advertisement

On December 4, 2006, a 60-second CGI commercial for Halo 3 was aired on ESPN, followed by a release on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. The advertisement does not contain any gameplay footage, and was created entirely by Digital Domain, using a mix of live action (for the two children) and animation; Bungie-supplied assets for vehicles and models, and pure CGI.^[6]

The ad opens with two young children lying in long grass looking at the night sky as a shooting star flies overhead. The little girl asks if they'll ever meet what's up there, and the boy replies, "I hope so. Don't you?" The conversation is cut off by a screeching noise as the scene changes and a plasma mortar impacts the ground nearby. The camera cuts from the lush grassland to a first-person view of an arid Kenyan shrubland. Covenant plasma projectiles bombard the area.

Reeling, the dazed Master Chief struggles to regain his orientation. He catches a glimpse of aircraft overhead as he reaches for his helmet lying on the ground. He staggers to his feet, taking note of the overturned, damaged Warthog from which he had presumably been thrown. As he stands up, the voices of the children echo in his head, along with those of Cortana, Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson, and a voice that says "Time to go"; he is on Earth in the midst of the Covenant invasion.

Upon regaining his composure, the Chief takes note of a nearby Assault Rifle and stows the weapon away on his back. The voices of unidentified Marines are heard over the radio; an urgent voice gives the order to fall back. The following dialogue indicates that the Chief is unaccounted for; it appears that the Marines have "lost him." Gazing at a strange cloud formation in the distance (confirmed to be the same clouds as in the E3 Announcement Trailer), he replies, "Not yet". He then takes a grenade-like device in hand, arms it, then throws it onto the ground before him. The device emits a loud, electronic hum and immediately generates a shield resembling a transparent geodesic sphere, termed a "Bubble Shield" by Bungie. A Covenant mortar impacts on the shield, which dissipates shortly thereafter; the wreckage of a nearby overturned Mongoose ATV is caught and disintegrated in the same explosion.

The Chief then charges forward, holstering his pistol and brandishing the Assault Rifle as he leaps straight off of a ledge into a cluster of Brutes, many of whom appear to be wielding Spikers, except for the leader, who seems to be wearing a red headdress with red-themed armor, and is lifting something akin to Tartarus's gravity hammer, the Fist of Rukt.

The ad closes with the same "HALO 3", "FINISH THE FIGHT - 2007" and Xbox 360 taglines as the E3 trailer, and with an additional caption to close the ad: the "Jump In" slogan of the Xbox 360 marketing campaign.

"Et tu, Brute?" Video Documentary

The "Et tu, Brute?" ViDoc (a portmanteau of video documentary), released on December 20, at 2 AM PST, shows how the Brutes have been almost completely redesigned for Halo 3. Bungie clarified that none of the graphics shown in the ViDoc are final, and that some elements may be completely redesigned before launch.^[7]

The ViDoc explains that the three classes of Brutes have been differentiated, the same way Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 featured different classes of Elites, Grunts, and Jackals. There are 'standard' infantry Brutes, Brute Captains and the Brute Chieftain. All are shown with much heavier armor than the Brutes in Halo 2. The Minor Brutes wear blue armor held together by buckles. The Captains have more elaborate helmets and armor, and the Chieftains have the most elaborate helmets and armor. The color scheme of Elites in the prior games seems to have been applied to Brutes (blue is the lowest rank, red is higher, and gold is the highest). To reflect the Brutes' violent nature, some new animations have been created. Examples shown in the ViDoc include a Brute ripping off the arms of a Marine, a Brute ramming a Marine into a bus, and another Brute punching a Marine in the stomach as he lies on the ground.

The AI has also been updated to incorporate the new idea of a Brute pack. A Chieftain in Halo 3 may order all of its troops to throw grenades at the enemy together, or they may decide to target one particular character.

The film also includes many previously unseen elements, such as dual-wieldable Energy Swords (at least, by AI) and the new "spike grenade". Early play tests have shown that these "Spike Grenades" may stick to any surface except water and release directional spikes upon explosion. The Brute Chieftain is seen carrying a weapon resembling an un-deployed plasma turret from Halo 2. However, as previously mentioned, the game is still in a pre-alpha stage, and the graphics and game elements in the vidoc are currently unconfirmed for final release in the game.

Release and other information

The only official release date can be found on Bungie's official FAQ for the game, which says only that the game will be released "at an as-yet to be announced date in 2007." They also stated in their end-of-2006 Weekly Update "may 2007 bring you the most incredible stuff you ever hoped or dreamed for. Including, but not limited to Halo 3."^[8]

Soon after the Xbox 360 was unveiled in May 2005, EB Games and FYE started taking preorders for Halo 3, despite having no official word from Bungie on whether they would make another Halo game. The preorder pages have since been taken down, but other retailers have followed suit.

On May 9, 2006, exactly a year and a half after the release of Halo 2, the announcement trailer to Halo 3 appeared on the Xbox Live Marketplace, shortly before the trailer made its appearance at E3, due in part to the E3 conference starting late. Halo 3's announcement was soon posted on other gaming sites, including GameSpot.^[9] After some downtime on the official Bungie Website, the game was announced officially and the trailer was made available for download.^[10]

On June 6, 2006, Bungie Studios released a behind-the-scenes look at the E3 announcement trailer on their website. The video included many elements intended to produce speculation in the fan community. Some of these elements include a glimpses of the updated look of the UNSC Marines, an unknown race holding a new weapon, and Master Chief holding the M90 Shotgun from previous Halo titles. The video also showed different angles and takes of the announcement video, showing how powerful the engine was (and proving the video was not pre-rendered).

As of August 18, 2006, Best Buy has the Halo 3 Set release date as November 15, 2007, although it is also stated on the same page that an official release date for Halo 3 has not yet been announced by Microsoft. UK website Play.com Had set their release date for November, though it has now been changed to April 27th 2007, though with no notice that it is unofficial.

On October 2, 1UP.com featured an article about the November 14 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM). The magazine features a "blowout" on the game, featuring new information, as well as new screenshots and videos on the 1UP website. ^[11] In addition, three weeks worth of continuous coverage of Halo 3 were added to the site throughout November.^[12]

Various game journalists from around the world were exclusively invited to Bungie to play on multiplayer test builds of the game.^[13] Bungie.net usually has a weekly "Humpday Challenge" where the Bungie team play Halo 2 against other groups from all over the gaming community. Recently, Bungie has started using Halo 3 for its Humpday Challenges.^[14][15]

EGM, Swedish magazine Level and the UK Official Xbox Magazine released screenshots of Halo 3 in action, featuring the Mongoose ATV in use in a CTF game. The magazine also included screenshots of three different multiplayer maps: High Ground, Valhalla, and Snowbound as well as the revelation of three new weapons. The Spiker is the new weapon of choice for the Brutes, as well as the Spike Grenade, and Spartans get a new "anti-vehicular" shoulder-mounted laser gun. They also described a new map-based element called a "Man Cannon," a launch pad that would be capable of flinging objects -- and players -- from one side of the map to the other (similar to the "jumping pad" on the far side of the map "Ascension" in Halo 2). On November 2, 2006, GameInformer has stated that GameStop and EB Games are already taking pre-orders for Halo 3 and are stating that the release date is November 1, 2007. Three versions were announced: Standard ($59.99), Collector's ($69.99) (contents still unannounced), and a special "Legendary" 4-disc edition^[16] ($99.99) featuring the game, a 10" "cat-head sized" MJOLNIR Mark VI Helmet Replica (which will act as a cover for a disc stand),^[17] documentaries and developer comments, spotlights on spin-offs; and all Halo cutscenes (1 – 3) including deleted scenes in hi-resolution as well as spin-off material such as Red Vs. Blue and This Spartan Life, and an added preview of the Halo movie,^[18] the status of which remains uncertain.

On November 15, 2006 it was announced that the online beta would be released to the public in Spring 2007; along with new Halo 2 maps exclusively for Xbox 360 owners. ^[19]

Joystiq reported a Microsoft blogger claimed Brutes would be a playable race, but this rumor was quickly proved false by Bungie's Frank O'Connor.^[20]. However, it revealed that upcoming Bungie gameplay videos would feature "new insights into elements of the campaign and will peel back the curtain on a certain prominent character in Halo 3." ^[21] O'Connor would later say that Brutes would be "more exciting, clever, graphically impressive, terrifying, numerous and angrier."^[22] Bungie promised a "Vidoc" (Video Documentary) focusing on the Brutes, which was released initially on Xbox Live Marketplace at 2AM PST on December 20, 2006. ^[23]

In December, the soundtrack to the E3 announcement trailer, titled "Finish the Fight", was released on the iTunes Store (December 14, 2006) ^[24]. So far there has been no information on the release of the Official Soundtrack.

On January 1, 2007, gameplay footage of Halo 3 was posted on various websites. Selected army personnel stationed in Iraq were privileged to test a recent build of the game and apparently had recorded the game footage via video camera. The footage, six seconds in length, contains the first glimpse of up-to-date, real Halo 3 gameplay that the general gaming community has seen. The footage shows Master Chief traversing the multiplayer map, High Ground with Assault Rifle in hand. No other elements were shown. Stills have also been found through the same sources, featuring Halo 3's user interface and stills of gameplay footage.

Confirmed elements

This section briefly lists elements of Halo 3 that are confirmed for inclusion, and specifically those returning from the other titles in the Halo series.

Other confirmed facts

• The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Also, Halo 3's matchmaking system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles.^[40]
• Bungie has confirmed the following basic plot points as revealed through the teaser trailer: Master Chief is back on a thoroughly conquered and Covenant controlled Earth. Cortana is still a prisoner of Gravemind. Finally, the Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site only a few miles from New Mombasa.^[41]
• With the release of the trailer Bungie has declared publicly that Gravemind, who originally appeared midway through Halo 2, is an intelligence of Flood origin.
• Although Halo 3 was planned to end the Halo series, future Halo games haven't been entirely ruled out. On the Halo 3 FAQ^[42] from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever Halo game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." This refers to the two announced games in the Halo universe, including the new Halo Wars by Ensemble Studios. Of the other project, very little is known. Bungie has said that it will be on the Xbox 360 and is supposed "to be made in partnership with Lord of the Rings and King Kong director, Peter Jackson." ^[43]
• Bungie has also stated that they have redesigned the UI (user interface) from Halo 2 apparently making it easier to generate a custom game in Halo 3 multiplayer.^[44]
• Hosts will now be able to "advertise" their custom games via Xbox Live Public; players no longer need to adhere to pre-made Matchmaking playlists because they can simply join a custom game hosted by another player. ^[40]
• When a player is carrying a second weapon in Halo 3, the secondary weapon will be stored on the character's back or leg holster, depending on the size of the weapon.^[45]
• The game will feature the ability to record and send video clips via Xbox Live at any time, making Halo machinima even easier for users.^[46]
• In the November 11 Bungie Weekly Update, it has been stated that due to a "significant chunk" of Halo 2 players being female, there might be an option to have a female voice for the Spartan character in multiplayer.^[47]
• Actress Julie Benz is not voicing Miranda Keyes for Halo 3. ^[48]

Beta test

As of December 4, 2006, registration for the beta test is online for North American entrants. However, the Australian and New Zealand Xbox sites are offering 15 Beta test places (10 for Australia, 5 for New Zealand). Entrants must provide a 25-word opinion on how they think the Master Chief would "finish the fight" in Halo 3. In Europe, the available slots are made available through online media outlets. Bungie has stated that this is only "phase one" of the registration process, and that there will be more options soon for players outside of North America to register for the public beta. According to IGN, over 140,000 players signed up to play in the multiplayer beta as of December 13, 2006.^[49] On January 3, Bungie Studios announced that the Halo 3 beta will be obtainable by registering on Halo3.com; however, players must first play 3 hours of Halo 2 (between 12:01 AM EST on February 1st, 2007 through 11:59 PM EST on February 3rd, 2007) on Xbox Live and be one of the first of 13,333 others to subscribe. In addition, players may also purchase specially marked copies of the videogame Crackdown and use it as a "key" to download the Halo 3 beta from the Xbox Live Marketplace.^[50] Applicants for the Halo 3 Beta test have started to receive acceptance emails on January 22, 2007.