Halo: Reach Viral Marketing Campaign

It looks like Xbox Canada is having a viral marketing Campaign for Halo: Reach, similar to the one they held for Halo 3: ODST that we partook in detailed here and here.

Yesterday, two things occured:

1) Newsletter subscribers received an email that directed them to this site here. Not only does it announce a public Halo: Reach Canadian launch event on August 28th in Vancouver and September 4th in Toronto respectively, it first describes the gist of the viral campaign itself: to find advanced Covenant patrols with events culminating in, well, something this Saturday at noon in Toronto and at 1:00 pm in Vancouver. Apparently there's the chance to win the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle, and Twitter followers will be entered into a draw to win the Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach.

2) Xbox News launched in Canada to much disappointment. The catch, today's episode has Halo: Reach related info in the news ticker:

"0914210-^=1200-34*3 the Covenant is coming...attacks are imminent. A-271214.378.20104**_0 Gamers make great soldiers? Study suggests hand-eye coordination, problem solving required in game play, could help develop better soldiers. 0.10.2012:^.419.0*-+:> @UNSC_INTEL"

So, what does that mean? Well, right now the current theory is that "0914210" is the launch date for Halo: Reach, and "1200" could be the time for the Toronto mystery event this Saturday. "34*3" could refer to 343 Industries, but I checked Halo Waypoint and nothing there.

The rest? I'm not sure. I tried using the numbers as coordinates, longitude and latitude, but nothing.

Like last year's campaign, I'll continue to update this post as quickly as I can as more is discovered. If anyone has any additional info, feel free to comment!

Update #1: Looks like the last numbers are the reverse of the first numbers: 0914210 and 012:^.419.0, though I'm not sure what the other numbers represent yet. The number reversal perhaps could hint at Toronto and Vancouver, different ends of the country, but I don't know for sure. I wonder if A-271214.378.20104**_0 might have to do with a UNSC serial number or AI service number?

Update #2: Last night's episode has a slight variation in the news ticker. It now reads:

"0914210 - =1200-34*3 UNSC HAS INTERCEPTED COVENANT MESSAGES...MORE INFO TO COME A-271214.378.20104**_0 PROTECT HUMANITY. JOIN THE UNSC TO DEFEND REACH 0.10.2012: .419.0*-+: UNSC_INTEL"

The difference from the previous days? "^^>@" are all characters now missing from the text.

You can also watch all three episodes of Xbox News below. Perhaps more characters will disappear in tonight's broadcast, and the message will become clearer.







More details as they develop.

Update #3: Thanks to "J" for pointing out that the Twitter site has now been updated with a link to a pic. So where is that location? Toronto? Vancouver? Your guess is as good as mine, as it's devoid of any recognizable landmarks!

Update #4: Last night's episode of Xbox News started by showing the UNSC Tower from the above update, and stated that it's located in Toronto. The pic shown (you can watch the episode below) on Xbox News displayed more of the background, and the location looked very familiar to me.



The ticker now also reads: "0914210 -^=1200-34*3 UNSC CONTROL POINT ESTABLISHED IN TORONTO. LOCATION CLASSIFIED A-271214.378.20104**_0 PREPARE YOURSELF FOR BATTLE - THE UNSC NEEDS YOU 0.10.2012:^.419.0*-+:> @UNSC_INTEL"

On the way to work this morning, I took a slight detour and sure enough, the UNSC Tower is located at Queen and Soho. The following pics are taken with my own mobile's camera.


Not shown in the pics, there's a power cord running from the Tower to the parking ticket booth, so I expect the UNSC Tower will have pretty, pretty lights or something tomorrow around noon. Perhaps I should make the trip to downtown on my weekend after all!

Update #5: The Twitter site was updated earlier today with an image of a new UNSC Tower in Vancouver. Akin to the one found in Toronto, you can check it out right here. A more recent tweet has confirmed that details for tomorrow's event will begin arriving via Twitter at noon EST, or more specifically, "Location tweets."

So what does that mean? Sounds like a scavenger hunt of sorts to me!

Tonight's episode of Xbox News (video to come once available) also showcased what appears to be a copy or copies of the Halo: Reach Limited Edition delivered to Xbox Canada, as well as additional pics of the Vancouver Tower. The rest of the episode mainly contained gaming related news for a change, and discussed a kite-flying ban in my childhood park (lousy city of Toronto)!

But back to the Viral Campaign. I'm going to discount the ticker feed numbers as irrelevant right now, and I'm expecting a scavenger hunt tomorrow with copies of the Halo: Reach Limited Edition up for grabs. If I'm right, I'm expecting the winners will need to wait until launch to get their game.

Update #6: You can check out last night's episode of Xbox News below:



I'd like to thank GameShark for the videos, and also to both KowZ and TheBruce for their support and info as well.

So, let's see what happens at noon EST today!

Update #7: It's quite fitting that my 7th update is the one that reveals all, given the franchise in question, is it not?

I met my associate Kedglo at the Queen and Soho UNSC Tower for noon, and while I was in transit, the first Tweet came out at about 11:30 am EST. The contents: Covenant forces spotted along with a set of GPS coordinates. The location: Yonge & Eglinton.

Considering the distance to cover and the time limit that was placed, we weren't going to make it in time. KowZ, TheBruce, and DJ Datz who were going to meet us at the Tower were able to redirect, what with them being in a car and all, so they got to the location in time.

The next location was soon revealed, and thanks to KowZ and his trusty laptop, he was able to inform us it was at Yonge and Bloor. So, Kedglo and I hoofed it there for one nice, long walk, and made it just in time.

We found a line waiting with two purple-shirted gents at the front, the Covenant advance force, handing out items and taking contact info. The items: A UNSC dog tag and Halo: Reach sticker. The info collected: Our name, email, and phone number. The reason: At the launch event on Sept. 4th, present the dog tag and a receipt showing a pre-order of the game, and you'll be able to participate in a match of laser tag, UNSC versus Covenant! We might also gain early access (need to wait for an email to confirm), and everyone who registered is entered into a draw to win the Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach Bundle.

Once you signed up, there was no reason to proceed to additional locations, but of course the Covenant patrol kept moving, next to Yonge and Dundas, then to Bay and Dundas, and they're still going as of last check.

I want to thank Xbox Canada and their promotional company for putting this viral campaign together. It was a lot of fun, and here's hoping for more in the future!

KowZ also told me that some of you were looking around for me, and I'm sorry I didn't get to meet anyone in person. I will be at the launch event on the 4th of September, and I hope to see you all there!

Update #8: With the Vancouver launch event happening this Saturday, more info keeps on coming. Last night's episode of Xbox News can be viewed below, and features some changes in the ticker text:



Some new characters in there are causing HTML issues when I try to post them, and I'm not savvy enough to fix them I'm afraid, so go here to see what the ticker text now says (check Episode 6).

"A-271214.378.20104**_0" has been removed and "0828210*106" has been added, which represents the date of the Vancouver launch event. The site Remember Reach is also referenced, of course.

According to the Twitter feed, there's also something going on with FourSquare, and my guess is it's a chance for people who couldn't make it this past Saturday to get their chance at entering the draws, but I could be mistaken. I've never used FourSquare before myself, so if you give it a whirl tonight leave a comment and let me know what it's all about.

Lastly, KowZ reported on the Xbox Forums here that tonight's episode of Xbox News is now live, and the ticker text can be read in his update. I'll post the video once available.

Personal, I'm expecting all news this week to primarily be related to Vancouver's event, and next week for Toronto's.

More as it develops!

Update #9: KowZ is the man with his finger on the pulse of this campaign! This morning, he posted a comment with last night's video of Xbox News and for ease of access, here it is for all of you to view:



Thanks again KowZ, and to GameShark.com for capturing the videos in the first place!

More updates to come as the Campaign keeps truckin' on!

Update #10: Last night's episode can now be viewed below.



According to KowZ, tonight's episode of Xbox News actually contained a download token in the ticker text, but what exactly did the token unlock? Not sure, as it was used before KowZ could get to it!

Update #11: The 9th episode of Xbox News is now available below:



This past Saturday, the Halo: Reach launch event was held in Vancouver, and the good word from our neighbours on the west coast? Sadly, not that good. In the thread on the Xbox forums here, Necro2607 and GaussianMist paint a rather disappointing picture. Apparently, arriving on time and with all the requirements for "early access" still resulted in over an hour wait to play the game of laser tag. Xbox Canada didn't have enough t-shirts for everyone and even VIP access members went without that swag.

While lasertag was fun, the real kick in the face was that Halo: Reach wasn't at the event at all. That's right, you read correctly. This was the Halo: Reach launch event, and Halo: Reach itself was not present. Gamers could play Halo 3 or Halo 3: ODST only.

What a major let down for fans in Vancouver, and here's hoping the Toronto event this Saturday is better organized and more importantly, actually features the game for which the event is being hosted!

For those interested, Necro2607 has photos of the launch event here. The game of laser tag does look really cool, but no Halo: Reach...

Update #12: The Toronto event has come and gone! You can check out my write-up over here, and yes, Halo: Reach was present!

Thanks to everyone who followed along during this marketing campaign, thanks to KowZ and theBruce for extra info, GameShark for the videos, and of course, Xbox Canada and their marketing partners for putting it altogether!

Mass Effect: Retribution Review

Set shortly after the events of Mass Effect 2, the latest novel, Mass Effect: Retribution, continues the story of Sanders and Grayson; the two main characters from the Mass Effect: Ascension.

The Collectors have been defeated at the hands of Commander Shepard, and Cerberus has obtained some valuable Reaper-based technology. The Illusive Man, always prepared to make sacrifices for the "greater good," knows that the Reapers are coming and the galaxy is unprepared for them. Studies must be done and knowledge must be gained to know thy enemy, and with this in mind, he plans to continue the Collector's experiments on a select group of humans, beginning with Grayson.

Two years ago, Paul Grayson betrayed Cerberus to save his daughter, and he now lives on Omega under an assumed name working for Aria T'Loak, the infamous Pirate Queen. The Illusive Man never forgets a betrayal and is patient, very patient, in balancing his books, and he sees in Grayson an opportunity for both revenge and a means to test this new technology on one deemed "expendable." The trick is he needs to find Grayson first.

Enter a new Cerberus agent, Kai Leng, an assassin of unparalleled skill, who is tasked with tracking down and abducting Grayson. Unknown to the Illusive Man, however, is that Grayson has kept in touch with Kahlee Sanders, a key Alliance rep working on the Ascension Project, and someone who was instrumental in saving Grayson's daughter. When Grayson goes missing, Sanders turns to Admiral David Anderson for assistance to track him down, and to try and deal a strong blow to Cerberus.

Like the novels before it, Mass Effect: Retribution greatly expands upon the lore of the Mass Effect universe, and key events unfold that will undoubtedly have a strong impact on Mass Effect 3. Author Drew Karpyshyn is careful to tiptoe around the events of the games themselves, allowing players to experience the Mass Effect story in their own way, but some things are unavoidable.

While it was not revealed which choice Shepard made to stop the Collectors, or which crew members of the Normandy lived or died, it is shown that Udina is a member of what appears to be a new Council and that Anderson is his adviser. So sadly, if you completed Mass Effect with the Council surviving or appointed Anderson to the Council, it looks like your Mass Effect story is not canon. While understandable that some concessions such as these need to be made to tell a more rigid story such as novels present, it is regrettable because it really does cast into light that there is an official story to the universe and yours might be incorrect, though no less enjoyable.

In Mass Effect: Retribution, we learn a great deal more about the Cerberus organization and the Illusive Man's base of operations. More is revealed about Aria and Omega, and Admirial Anderson will never be the same again. I'm quite interested to see how he'll be represented in Mass Effect 3 and what position the Alliance will be in. We also learn a great deal more about the Reaper's means of turning someone into one of their agents. Not a mindless Husk, mind you, but an actual thinking, agile operative akin to Saren himself. Very fascinating.

Mass Effect: Retribution is an excellent novel to further the lore of the universe. While not essential reading, as I'm sure it'll be summarized in the next game like the previous two novels were, reading through this book will no doubt help provide you with greater clarity of what you've already experienced and perhaps even give you hints of what's to come. It is very tied into the games themselves, an extension of the main narrative, and the book deals with key characters and situations in such a way that they must be reflected in Mass Effect 3, and I don't just mean a casual mention or a journal entry.

Its integration with the main story that really helps to elevate the Mass Effect novels over other game related fiction and why any true fan of the franchise will pour over them again and again.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Trial Impressions

In March 1998, one of the single greatest real time strategy games ever developed was released, and it's a fairly safe bet to say that I have thousands of Starcraft games under my belt; both Campaign, custom, and over Battle.net. I played it and its expansion to death, and I've been anxiously awaiting the sequel.

And waiting. And waiting. And waiting some more. A little over 12 years after the release of the original, it's finally here, StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. The catch is that a lot has changed in the last decade; the gaming industry has matured and the original audience for Starcraft has grown up.

For my own part, I switched platforms from PC to console gaming about 6 years ago, so I don't exactly have a top of the line gaming rig any longer. With that in mind, and the fact that I have a lengthy backlog on my Xbox 360 to tend to, I decided to give StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty a pass for now. Sorry Blizzard Entertainment, but you spent too long milking World of Warcraft, and I found other things to do while waiting for my quality RTS fix.

Well, a buddy of mine purchased the game, and it comes with two Trial passes, one of which he gave to me, so I figured what the hell, might as well. I went about creating my Battle.net ID, activated my trial code, and downloaded the 7 GB file to install the game and give her a whirl.

I'm going to say right off that the sequel certainly feels like Starcraft. The opening music and even menu style feels like a brushed up version of the original classic. The Trial is the full retail game, and you're able to play it for seven hours or up to two weeks, which ever comes first. The Campaign is Terran only, and of course there's custom games and online play via Battle.net that allows you to play with all three Species.

I decided to give the Campaign's tutorials a whirl first, just to see if anything's changed, and of course the game crashed on me while loading those up. An error report filed to Blizzard Entertainment and a reboot later and they loaded properly. Nothing new in terms of basics from the original game and unit control, actions, and resource gathering is just like I remember it, so I fired up the Campaign itself.

The Campaign focuses on Jim Raynor, one of the lead Terran characters from the original. It's now 4 years after the end of Starcraft: Brood War and Raynor's back on Mar Sara, sort of fighting a revolution against Emperor Mengsk and the Terran Dominion. I say sort of because ol' Jimmy's gone from being Han Solo to a washed up Malcolm Reynolds, complete with corny western music that actually works real well.

I ended up playing through 7 Campaign missions before my trial expired, and thus far the story's been pretty cheesy, but the mission design was varied and very clever. The first few felt like most of the first missions from the original game (like the third mission, which had me holding out in bunkers against Swarms of Zerg waiting for extraction, just like 12 years ago), but after that they start to broaden the design a bit. There's one really cool mission where you need to clear out an infested colony, and during the day, you're safe, but once the map cycles to night the Infested Terrans start swarming and you need to switch to defence. Very cool.

As you progress new units and upgrades are made available as per standard, but now you have a base of operations between missions where Raynor can chat with other characters to expand the narrative and research or customize upgrades; a very cool addition for an RTS. You also have access to various units in the Campaign that aren't available in multiplayer or Custom Games.

I tinkered with some 2v2 and 1v1 against AI opponents, just to try the other Species and see how they've changed. The set up for Multiplayer is more or less the same, and I even played on Lost Temple, the map that will never die from Blizzard RTSes. Both Zerg and Protoss have seen some tech tree changes and new units added, and everyone starts with two Vespene Geysers in their bases, but the overall feel is exactly the same as once was so many years ago. This is great because the game is instantly familiar, but in my opinion this is also bad because after 12 years, it feels that there's been a lack of innovation.

Graphically, the game looks pretty nice. It defaulted to Medium settings for me, and while I was able to tinker on High for a bit, my system is older now and I ultimately had to lower everything to Low just to run the game properly. With those settings, it actually looks a lot more like Starcraft did back in 1998, which carries a certain irony for me. While the sequel does look nice, I'm personally not a fan of the cartoony art style Blizzard has implemented. I consider the Starcraft universe to be dark and gritty, and the bright and cherry colour palette and exaggerated character models just takes away from that serious feel. The few cinematics I saw are, as in Blizzard Entertainment tradition, absolutely brilliant and spectacular to behold, so there's no lacking in production values for the game.

Audio wise the game is spot on. The Firefly western tunes work great, and a lot of the same dialogue and sound effects are reused, but sampled higher or re-recorded, of course. The voice aciting is reprized by many of the same actors, save for Infested Kerrigan and Zeratul, and the overall quality is your standard chessy RTS dialogue.

Once my trial period ended, I had thoroughly enjoyed my sampling of the Campaign, at least in mission design, and I would like to experience more. Custom games were alright, but left me with such a strong feeling of been-there-done-that that I have no huge desire to jump into competitive play over Battle.net and try to relive my teenage years.

Right now, I've decided to still pass on picking the game up, though once my backlog is cleared and StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty sees a substantial price drop, I'll likely bite. The other catch is, to experience the Campaign, I don't need to buy the retail game, it seems.

With the trial version, after your period expires you can still play the Campaign with no restrictions at all so long as you sign in as a "Guest." I tried it, and while Battle.net connectivity and Achievements are disabled it works perfectly, so I've added this to my back log and will eventually go through the Campaign for free unless I end up picking up the game first.

So my final impressions: For someone who's experienced the originals to death, there's no rush at all. I mean, I've waited 12 years, so what's another 6 months or so to play a prettier version of that which feels the same? If you missed out on Starcraft back in its glory days, however, I'd pick this one up now. It'll re-define your concept of what an RTS should be.

Update: It appears the 1.03 patch has corrected being able to play the full Campaign as a "Guest" past your trial period. Once your trial is up, you do need to purchase the game to continue playing the Campaign or to start a new Campaign.

BioShock: Infinite Announced

Irrational Games is the brilliant studio behind such titles as System Shock 2 and BioShock, and earlier this week, they finally announced what mystery title they've been developing: BioShock: Infinite.

The third title in the franchise, BioShock: Infinite is a departure from Rapture and is set in 1912 on Columbia, a city floating in the clouds! You play as Booker DeWitt, an agent sent to find Elizabeth, a girl who's been imprisoned in the city since childhood.

Personally, I'm very interested to see how this will all tie in to the rest of the franchise, and what great twist Ken Levine will have waiting for us. You can check out the announcement trailer below.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Extended Fellowship Trailer

You know, I completely forgot this game was even in development! Here's a nice little trailer for The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an upcoming RPG set during the War of the Ring, but in the north of Middle-earth.



You can also check out screenshots for the game right here.

Personally, I don't know why they don't follow Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic's example and make an RPG during the second age and the War of the Last Alliance. They'd have so much more creative freedom.

Halo: Reach Three New Multiplayer Maps Revealed

In this week's Weekly Update, Bungie not only revealed that Halo: Reach has gone Gold, but they're also showcasing three new Multiplayer maps: Zealot (not a Midship remake!), Reflection (an Ivory Tower remake that's been "Asianed Up"), and Spire (a new Invasion map).

You can check out the update for some juicy info and screenshots here, and you can check out some actual gameplay footage courtesy of IGN below!



Yes, yes, I know, you're all kinds of excited. And you should be!

The Weekly Update doesn't end there in its new info of awesomeness, it also goes on to show us the different classes of Elites that you'll be able to play as and how all their armour looks. While having far less permutations than the Spartan-III's will, they just look all kinds of bad ass, and rightly so.

Of course, they're available in fewer game types since Spartan-III's and Elites now play differently, so you'll be seeing these bad boys less than you would have in previous games.

Go check out the Weekly Update right now if you haven't already! September 14th can't come fast enough!

Halo 2600

The Halo franchise is one that appeals to all generations of gamers, but for those of you who've been gaming as long as I have, have you ever wondered what Halo would have been like on the Atari 2600? Well now you can find out with Halo 2600!

Available to play for free, Ed Fries, former vice president of game publishing for Microsoft, crafted this novelty over the last few years and has posted it for all to enjoy.

Use your keyboard's directional arrows to move the Spartan around, and press "Space" to fire, but you need to find a weapon first! Just touch an item to pick it up, such as your Pistol, the key (unlocks the energy field blocking the exit), and Shields (allows you to take an extra hit, doesn't appear to stack).

You can jump right into the game here. Prepare to spend a few hours in retro-goodness!

Halo: The Fall of Reach Republished and Rereleased!

Straight from the Tor Books press release, Halo: The Fall of Reach has been republished with additional content and is in stores now! If you missed out on its first publication nearly a decade ago, I urge you to pick up this updated copy, as Halo: The Fall of Reach is an excellent military sci-fi read.

Not only does it provide wonderful backstory to the upcoming game, Halo: Reach, but it also shows the origins of the Spartan-II program and how John-117 came to be the solider humanity needed him to be.

Check out the full release below.

Tor Books announces the definitive edition of the first ever HALO novel on-sale!

HALO:

THE FALL OF REACH

A newly edited edition of Eric Nylund’s first Halo novel, including 27 pages of new material!

New York, NY – August 3, 2010 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world is pleased to announce the first of the newly revised editions of the original three novels in the New York Times bestselling Halo® series. These definitive editions include all-new original content expanding upon the universe created in the hugely successful Halo videogame franchise for the Xbox and Xbox 360. The first novel, HALO: THE FALL OF REACH by Eric Nylund, went on-sale today, and is now available for the first time in trade paperback.

HALO: THE FALL OF REACH, originally published in 2001, is the first Halo novel. It tells the origin story of John 117, the Master Chief, Halo's iconic hero and takes readers from his childhood to his rise to the top of the Spartan-II program, where his legend will be solidified. It’s one the most beloved stories in Halo fiction and it takes us deep into the history and significance of the planet Reach, a place Halo fans will be exploring in full when the new game releases next month. The new Tor trade paperback edition will serve as the definitive version of the novel that started Halo fans reading the series, and features brand-new material, including:

• Excerpts of Office of Naval Intelligence interrogations of the Covenant.
• Missives and mandates issued by the Covenant
• Declassified transmissions regarding the defense of Reach
• A personal insight into the Spartan program
• The Official Evacuation Order for all inhabitants of Reach.
• Five sketches of cover art by 343 Industries artist, Robogabo.

“The release of the new game, Halo: Reach, takes fans back to a crucial place in Halo lore,” says Eric Raab, Tor Editor. “It’s such great timing to be able to share this definitive edition of the novel that helped launch Halo as one of the great science fiction novel series of the new millennium. If you’ve never read a Halo novel, this is a great place to start.”

“The story of Halo is the story of the Spartans,” says Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director for 343 Industries. “In the games and the novels we constantly come back to the power of these super-soldiers, but a lot of Halo fans don’t know how dark the origin of the Spartan program really is. The Fall of Reach tells the story of how heroes can rise from very un-heroic circumstances and how a few scared kids can go on to change the course of a war.”

To follow, Tor will release new trade paperback editions of both William C. Dietz’s Halo: The Flood (new release date: September 28, 2010) and Eric Nylund’s second Halo novel, Halo: First Strike (December 7, 2010). Tor will also publish the first in the new Halo Forerunners trilogy by science fiction icon Greg Bear around Holiday 2010, and 2011 will take Halo fans into the post-Halo 3 universe with the first in a new series of novels by #1 NYT bestselling novelist Karen Traviss.

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, anime, action figures, apparel and more. To date, sales in the Halo franchise have eclipsed $1.9 billion. The newest game in the franchise, the highly-anticipated prequel to the award-winning Halo trilogy, “Halo: Reach,” is due out in the fall. With a fully fleshed-out universe of heroes, villains and epic scenarios, the novels expand the universe to give fans a grander view of the game environments and characters they encounter.

About Tor Books

Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-two years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

Batman: Arkham City Revealed

The sequel to the hugely successful Batman: Arkham Asylum has finally had its official name released and site launched. Coming Fall 2011, Batman returns to combat Gotham's worst in Batman: Arkham City.

Looks like Catwoman's in, and the word is Two-Face will be featured as well.

The new site itself however doesn't have much new info, well, it doesn't have any real new info at all save for the release window, but who cares! If the sequel is half the game the original was, it'll still be better than most other games released in the history of history.

Carmine's Very Bad Day

In support of The Fate of Carmine campaign for Gears of War 3, X-Play has created a great little video to support the cause. You can check it out below, and don't forget that you need to purchase an Avatar t-shirt to vote. All proceeds are donated to charity, so it's a good cause and well worth the small cost.

PC Games - E3 2011 - Gears of War 3

BioShock 2: Minerva's Den Announced

The final DLC for BioShock 2 has been announced. Entitled "Minerva's Den," the DLC is single player only and is set in Rapture's Central Computing, a previously unexplored area of the underwater city.

Players take on the role of a new Big Daddy, and they'll encounter new weapons, a new Plasmid, new enemy Splicers, and an all new Big Daddy to fight.

No cost or release date has been announced yet, but Fall 2010 is a solid bet. Full details can be found at The Cult of Rapture here.

Fable III Opening Cinematic and Custom Villager Maker

Lionhead Studios has released the opening cinematic for their upcoming action RPG, Fable III. You can view it here or below.



Say what you will about the franchise, it definitely has one hell of a great sense of humour!

Lionhead Studios has also launched a custom villager maker here. Not only can you enjoy creating your own goofy resident of Albion, but if you pre-order the game you'll receive a token that actually allows you to import your creation into the retail game!

That's a very cool and innovative new feature!

Mass Effect 2 Firepower Pack Now Available

Earlier this week, BioWare and EA released their latest little DLC add-on for Mass Effect 2. This one is entitled the "Firepower Pack," and it features three new super weapons:

- The Phalanx Heavy Pistol
- The Mattock Heavy Rifle
- The Geth Plasma Shotgun

The Firepower Pack will run you 160 Microsoft Points or BioWare Points, and like the other little weapon and armour DLC packs, is 100% not worth the cost in my opinion.

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project (Xbox 360) Review

Eight years ago, Duke Nukem made his return to PC gaming, but not in the form everyone expected. Duke Nukem: Forever was (and still is, laughably) in development hell, and people had long since stopped waiting for it. Instead, this was a time when gamers were playing the latest shooters, real time strategy games, and consoles were slowly coming into their own. So when Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project came along it was regarded as something of an oddity. It was Duke Nukem in a 3D engine for the first time, but the game was a shoot-em-up side scroller, not a first person shooter.

Despite getting solid reviews, the game did poorly at retail simply due to its genre; gamers didn't really care for side scrollers. About a year after its launch, I was able to pick up a copy dirt cheap and I found myself pleasantly surprised. Developed by the now defunct Arush Entertainment, Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project really did capture the spirit of Duke Nukem in the form of babes, bullets, and bombs, and it actually proved to be a very entertaining title. I played through the game a few times, and then traded it in for something else. Now we flash forward to summer 2010, and 3D Realms has ported the game to Xbox LIVE Arcade. So how has Duke held up? Not too bad.

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project sees New York under attack by Mech Morphix, a mad scientist who has developed a substance called G.L.O.P.P that mutates animals into killer mutants. Not only that, but he's strapped bombs onto a bunch of busty babes, and of course, only Duke can save them and crush Morphix's mutants under foot, literally.

The game takes Duke through several locals beginning on the rooftops of Manhattan, to Chinatown, and other expected and gritty Big Apple settings. The game looked good then, and taking into account its age, it looks good now in proper widescreen. The environments are colourful, Duke and other character models are crisp and clean provided you don't get too close, and stuff still blows up good.

Duke picks up a variety of weapons along the way to deal with the baddies, including his signature Pistol, a Shotgun, Pipe Bombs, etc. Like earlier games, Duke can even use his Mighty Foot to kick or slide kick enemies, and stomp on them once they've been de-mutated. In many respects, the general mechanics you recall from Duke Nukem 3D are all present, save that your moving left and right on a fixed path in third person.

I remember when I was first playing the game years ago, I was rather impressed with how the side scrolling was handled. You moved left and right, of course, but the levels could have you moving in interesting directions instead of just the usual back and forth. Duke can climb ladders, duck, double jump, and there are some even more unique or situational specific scenarios with some of the boss battles at the end of each chapter. There's also a reasonable amount of interaction in the levels. See cracks or holes in walls? Blow them open with a Pipe Bomb to reveal secret areas that may contain Nukes. Collect enough Nukes and Duke's Ego (health) goes up as does the max ammo he can carry. Each area has 10 Nukes so be sure to keep your eyes peeled.

Not only are you looking for Nukes, but you must find and free the Babe in each level, as well as find the keycard to exit the area. Also scattered across the levels are three different kinds of power ups that you can use for a limited time: A Jetpack, Shield, and Max Damage. All of them are placed in areas where you can quickly use them to get the most out of each item.

Of course, what would a Duke game be without Duke Speak. His signature comments and witty one-liners are so bad they're great, and I couldn't help but smile at the tactless humour and stylized voice. They just don't make heroes like Duke anymore. The game's music gets pretty repetitive rather quickly, but the rest of the sound effects and basic voice acting is well done.

One thing that really irks me about the Xbox LIVE Arcade version is the lack of a Quick Save, which I'm sure the PC game did have. Sure, it auto-saves whenever you reach a key point or move to a new section of the level, but that doesn't always help when you're trying to jump over a stupid spike in platformer fashion, only to nick it and horribly die. I forgot how ridiculous collision detection in some of these old games are; very, very frustrating. The gameplay of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project also gets rather repetitive after a bit. Sure, you're in different environments and there are some clever puzzles around, but when it comes down to it you're really just shooting the same enemies through similar levels. It's not horribly repetitive, mind you, but I honestly found the game could have been a little shorter to get rid of this feeling.

Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project also features two Gamerpics to unlock, as well as two Avatar Rewards in the form of an Avatar T shirt and a Jetpack Prop. Not too shabby. You can also earn all 11 of the 12 Achievements in a single playthrough if you do things right.

So how does Duke's trip to Manhattan rate? Well, it's generally fun, humorous, and cheesy, and due to it's genre some will like it and some won't. My advice, try the Trial version to see if it's your thing. If it is, you'll really enjoy yourself for the bulk of the game. If not, pass and save your Microsoft Points for something else.

As for me, it was a great trip down memory lane that lasted several hours, so I certainly got my play time out of it.

Halo: Reach "The Battle Begins" Campaign Trailer

That's right boys and girls, Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios have released another lovely little trailer for Halo: Reach, this one showcasing the Campaign (obviously minor spoilers in this one too)!

They've kept it clean and there's no game-specific dialogue, so if you've been following the game's development you won't be spoiling much for yourself. Damn though, does the game look sweet. The scale of some of those battles looks quite impressive.

You can check out the trailer here or below.

All Halo: Reach Achievements Revealed

In yesterday's Weekly Update, Bungie revealed all 49 Halo: Reach Achievements, complete with descriptions and icons (minor spoilers, obviously).

Some of them are standard fare, some look fun, and others, well, let's just say they sound like they'll be one hell of a challenge! Looking forward to giving them a whirl!

You can step on over here to read the complete details, as well as a whole bunch of other Bungie goodness.

BioShock 2 Title Update Coming Aug. 3rd

Just in time for the next DLC release, BioShock 2 will receive a Title Update (patch) this coming Tuesday, August 3rd on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The PC's patch is still in the works and will be released at a later date.

Doesn't seem like the Title Update addresses much, really, just a bunch of fixes related to DLC.

You can check out the official release notes at The Cult of Rapture here.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty "Ghosts of the Past" Trailer

If you actually need me to say anything in this post, then we have nothing to say to one another.

Halo: Reach Unboxed and Limited Edition Console and Accessories Announced

On September 14th, Halo: Reach launches, and like Halo 3 before it, a special edition Xbox 360 console will also be released.

The Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo: Reach console will retail for 399.99 (US), and come packaged with:

- An ONI-themed Xbox 360 S 250GB console
- 2 x ONI-themed Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers
- Halo: Reach (standard edition)
- Exclusive Elite Armour
- Halo: Waypoint Avatar Gear
- Halo: Legends episode "The Package"

For those who don't need to replace their existing console, the Wireless Controller will be available separately ($59.99 US) and feature an Avatar Banshee Prop, and an ONI-themed Xbox 360 Wireless Headset ($49.99 US) will also be available.

Bungie has released a video not only showing off the custom console, but also the unboxing of both the Limited and Legendary editions of the game.

You can check it out here or below.



Unlike the current black Xbox 360 S consoles, I personally think this ONI-themed console looks very, very slick.

Halo: Reach ViDoc "Forge World"

Undoubtedly, Forge is a huge success in Halo 3, allowing players to create their own in-game environments. For Halo: Reach, however, Forge is expanding exponentially.

Welcome to Forge World.



A few more details here.

Mass Effect 2: Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC Announced

Personally, this is something that I thought would have been a key plot point for Mass Effect 3, but why wait when you can milk "premium" DLC! BioWare has unveiled the next Mass Effect 2 DLC, entitled "Lair of the Shadow Broker."

No release date or cost as of yet, but Shepard returns to assist Liara in confronting this dangerous information broker. Three screenshots of the DLC are available here.

Seeing as how this plot point is being developed (and possibly resolved) in DLC, which means I likely won't experience it since I'm not a fan of DLC add-ons, I'm glad I dumped Liara for Tali since Liara's clearly all about exploitation now. There, I said it. I feel better.

Fans Choose Whether Carmine Lives or Dies in Gears of War 3

In Gears of War, players were introduced to Anthony Carmine, a Gear who died rather quickly thanks to a sniper round through the head. In Gears of War 2, his brother Ben joined Delta Squad, and he also met an even grislier fate.

In Gears of War 3, Clayton Carmine will make his debut, but unlike his unfortunate brothers who came before, fans will determine the fate of this rookie soldier. Beginning on Tues. Jul. 29th, the Avatar Marketplace will have two t-shirts added and fans can cast their vote by purchasing one of the shirts. "Save Carmine," or "Carmine Must Die," it's up to you.

The best part: All proceeds from these Avatar t-shirts goes to charity.

You can read the full details, including how to purchase a real "Carmine" t-shirt here and here.

Karen Traviss Signed on to Pen New Halo Novels

Earlier this week I received a press release from Tor Books, and the news has me very, very excited. Karen Traviss, my current favourite military sci-fi author, has been signed on to write new novels for the Halo-franchise, beginning with a follow-up to the excellent novel, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (pictured).



You can read the full press release below.

Tor Books announces new Halo novels with #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss

Veteran author of bestselling Star Wars and Gears of War novels to follow up her contribution to the “Halo: Evolutions” story anthology with an all-new series set in the Halo Universe

New York, NY – July 20, 2010 - Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC—the largest publisher of science fiction in the world is excited to announce that Karen Traviss, who has penned number one bestselling novels in the Star Wars universe, as well as bestselling novels for the Gears of War franchise, will be writing the successor novel to Halo: Ghosts of Onyx in the first part of a multi-book deal to explore the Halo Universe in the wake of the final events of Halo 3. Halo novels published by Tor have sold over a million combined copies to date, and in 2010 Tor will also publish the first in a new Halo trilogy by science fiction icon Greg Bear. The highly-anticipated Xbox 360 video game “Halo: Reach” is scheduled to release September 14.

Traviss, whose first foray into the Halo Universe came with “Human Weakness,” a short story from Fall 2009’s New York Times bestselling Halo: Evolutions anthology, says of the opportunity:

“When I was invited to write Halo fiction I already knew it’d be right up my street; not just because military fiction is my specialty, but because there’s also huge unexplored depth, grey areas, and really uncomfortable moral dilemmas that underpin the Halo story, and that’s like catnip to a writer like me. I write what’s known as tight third person – that is, I get right inside each character’s head and see the world as they see experience it – and Halo offers some terrific chances to explore some fascinating psyches caught in complex situations.”

“Halo fiction fans are incredibly passionate about the fate of the Spartans of Onyx and the state of the Halo universe in the aftermath of the game events,” adds Frank O’Connor, 343 Industries Director of Franchise Development. “We know that Karen has the talent, skill and passion to not only bring those stories to life, but also bring her experience a fresh new perspective too.”

#1 New York Times best-selling author KAREN TRAVISS has received critical acclaim and award nominations for her Wess'har series, as well as regularly hitting the bestseller lists with her Star Wars and Gears of War novels. A former defense correspondent and TV and newspaper journalist, she lives in Wiltshire, England.

Very, very excited to see what Traviss will do for the Halo-franchise!

Xbox 360 S 4 GB Console and Kinect Pricing Officially Announced

Over at Major Nelson's site here, the Xbox 360 S 4GB console has officially been announced. Priced at $199.99 (US) and launching August 3rd, the Xbox 360 S 4GB console will be the Xbox 360 brand's new entry level model, featuring 4 GB of flash memory, built-in Wi-Fi, and a matte black finish.

Kinect will launch this November and be priced at $149.99 (US), bundled with the game Kinect Adventures. A Kinect Holiday Bundle has also been announced. Priced at $299.99 (US), it will feature the Xbox 360 S 4GB Console and Kinect all in one package.

Kinect doesn't interest me at all, but personally, I'm extremely disappointed with the Xbox 360 S 4GB console. With the inability to use your original HDDs with the new design and no upgradable HDD, the only way you can expand this console's storage is via USB Flashdrives. And while you can swap in and out as many as you need, this is still a hassle compared to a proper HDD.

This means that when my current Xbox 360 Pro console dies out of warranty (and notice I didn't say if, thanks to the Xbox 360's stellar hardware reputation), the Xbox 360 S 4GB console is not an option for me, and I'm not spending $299.99 for a new Xbox 360 console.

Gears of War 2 20X XP Weekend

This weekend, ending tomorrow at 8:00 pm EST, Gears of War 2 is giving 20x XP! That's right, 20X!

To add a little more spice, Waves 1 to 9 of Horde feature a Boomer family reunion. You'll square off against Boomers, Butchers, Flame Boomers, Grinders, and Maulers. Wave 10 features some special unannounced guests.

If you're looking to boost your rank, now's the time! Only 4 more levels until 50 for me!

Full details about the event right here.

Wireless Controller Beats Cocktail Table

This past Thursday, I was working my way through Ryan Amusements in BioShock 2 on Hard, and it is proving more challenging than the original on the same difficulty (though no need to use a Vitachamber just yet!). When I was done for the night, I stood up to log out and shut my Xbox 360 down when my Wireless Controller slipped from my hands, turned upside down, and smashed onto the corner of my cocktail table.

I immediately snatched my Controller up and started using it, making sure nothing was damaged. There was a little smudge of brown around the casing of the D-Pad from my table, but it came off okay. The Controller itself seemed to be working fine, all the sticks and buttons worked, so I breathed a sigh of relief. Until I looked at my cocktail table.

Four nice little gouges on its edge where the D-pad hit and the unit bounced. That's the first major damage to this table, just over a year old, and I never would have thought that my Controller could do that. Maybe I can find some kind of a filler, or a repair crayon to try and cover it up, but that mark's there forever now. Adds character, I guess.

The moral of the story: If only the Xbox 360 console itself was as durable as their Controllers.

Robot Entertainment's Site Updated

A few days ago, Robot Entertainment re-designed their site, truly making it functional. For those not in the know, Robot Entertainment was formed by members of the defunct Ensemble Studios, and they're presently responsible for maintaining Age of Empires III and they created the horrendously overpriced DLC for Halo Wars.

One of the most interesting updates from an information standpoint is their Games section, where we now see that they have two unannounced projects in the works. There's no info at all about the second, however the first is being published by Microsoft Game Studios.

Halo Wars 2 perhaps? Let's hope so! Once an announcement is made, expect an update.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty Hyperion Preview

During the Single Player Campaign of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, players will have access to three unique sections of the Hyperion, Raynor's command ship (which he stole in the Terran Campaign of Starcraft, as you might recall). These sections are the Armoury, Cantina, and Laboratory.

The Armoury allows you to purchase many upgrades for both units and buildings. The Cantina allows you to take out contracts to hire various Mercs during missions, and the Laboratory allows you to take advantage of research for even better upgrades.

Of course, you'll need Credits to purchase all this nifty stuff, and you'll need to complete side missions to earn them (and to get the materials needed for Research projects).

For full details, check out the Hyperion preview right here.

Fallout: New Vegas Screenshots

Four additional screenshots have been added to Fallout: New Vegas' official site, which you can check out right here.

Still planning to pass on this one at launch, since I still need to finish Fallout 3: Broken Steel. I'll just wait for the inevitable Game of the Year edition a year later with all the fancy DLC included.

Halo: Reach Achievements Revealed

Well, not all of them, but since Achievement leaks are inevitable, Bungie decided to take this Weekly Update to showcase the artwork for Halo: Reach's Achievements, and to also break down and discuss a few of them.

In brief, there are 23 Campaign, 7 Firefight, 4 Multiplayer, 6 Training, and 9 Player Experience Achievements. That's a total of 49 for those who've run out of fingers and toes. Some of the training Achievements can be earned in both Campaign and Firefight.

For full details, check out their Weekly Update here.

Dead Space 2 E3 Trailer and New Enemies

How the hell did I miss this? The E3 2010 trailer for Dead Space 2, complete with release date of Jan. 25, 2011! The trailer is awesome, and you can check it out on the main site or below. Nice to hear Isaac talking, for a change.



In addition, the main site has also been updated to include three new enemies you'll find in Dead Space 2: The Puker, the Slasher Monk, and the Pack.

Nice and twisted, just what I'd expect from the series!

Dead Space Ignition Announced

Earlier this week EA announced Dead Space Ignition, a prequel to their upcoming survival horror sequel, Dead Space 2.

Dead Space Ignition is set just before Dead Space 2 begins and sees players struggling to survive the initial Necromorph infestation of the Sprawl, the space station that's the sequel's setting.

Told comic book style and featuring puzzles and choose your own adventure gameplay, Dead Space Ignition will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Store this Fall.

Not too much in terms of detail, but the title warrants watching and will include unlockables for the full retail game. You can check out the official press release right here.

Bungie Day "Deja View" Video

The seventh day of the seventh month of each year is Bungie Day, the day to celebrate all things Bungie. This year, in addition to allowing players in Halo 3 to equip the Bungie chest plate on their multiplayer Spartan-II's for that day only (which just so happens to provide the player with a flaming head), Bungie enlisted the aid of Rooster Teeth to create a very special video.

The recruits from Red vs. Blue are in for a special surprise, they're going home and we'll get to experience this blast from the past in just over two months once Halo: Reach launches.

To find out what the heck I'm typing about, watch the video entitled "Deja Vu" here or below.

Mass Effect 2 Aegis Pack Released

Earlier this week, BioWare released another little add-on for Mass Effect 2, this one entitled the Aegis Pack. The Aegis Pack adds the M-29 Sniper Rifle and Kestrel armour to your Armoury and Locker; Kestrel armour being made up of five pieces, each with specific bonuses.

The Aegis Pack will run you 160 Microsoft Points or BioWare Points if you're interested, but personally, I'd recommend saving your Points for something useful.

More details here.

Fable III E3 2010 Trailer

I believe I forgot to post this about a month ago. For those interested in the upcoming Fable III, you can check out the game's E3 2010 trailer here or below.



A host of new screenshots can also be found on the "Screenshots/Artwork" section of the site here.

Me, if I play it I'll do like Fable II and wait for it to go on sale or drop substantially in price.

5th Anniversary

This Thurs. Jul. 8th marks the 5th anniversary of Arbiter's Judgement! "5 years. 5 long years..." Just kidding. It's been a wild ride and a lot's happened since I first started this blog up.

Heavily inspired by ActionTrip, I went with a friend's suggestion to create my own site to talk about "games, movies, and other useless crap." I also recruited the Staff to help out and together Telly and I posted a lot of inane nonsense to keep you all entertained.

Along the way the Staff got real busy with real life so we don't see him around as much anymore, but his contributions, both past and future, are greatly appreciated. For the last few years, it's pretty much just been me one-man-armying this place, and 1,965 posts and a layout change later you can clearly see how my writing style has evolved.

I also started taking things a little more seriously (though not by much) and really focused in the gaming direction, and as a result the blog has been mentioned on such sites as Bethesda Softworks, The Elder Scrolls, Halo.Bungie.Org, Planet Doom, as well as several independent blogs and sites and a bunch of other places that I'm forgetting.

In addition, I've also gained the attention of Xbox Canada and have been privileged to be invited to several premieres and launch events, and I've also got the personal honour of being one of the first 8 Canadians not employed by Microsoft to play Halo: Reach.

Along with all this recognition, some of my work has been published on Xbox Canada's site, and in the Fall of 2008 I entered into an agreement with Ready Up Live to write for them as well, the best community on the web!

So humble reader, I want to thank you for visiting, for reading my reviews and ramblings, and for helping to make this blog what it is today. I hope you've enjoyed reading it all as much as I've enjoyed writing it, and here's to many more years to come!

Mass Effect 2 Second Playthrough Complete

This past Sunday I completed Mass Effect 2 for the second time, and it's truly one of the greatest games I've played on the Xbox 360.

I played a new Commander Shepard: Female, Adept, Renegade, and the whole playthrough took me about 43 hours. I also reached Level 30 and took Slam as my bonus Talent.

I really enjoyed the strong character development in the game, even from the Renegade side, and some of the choices you get to make are really, really wild. The story itself is weaker than the original, but the great characters really make up for it. I'm still surprised that the default Shepard seems to have taken a Renegade stance for the end of the original game, which puts humanity in a darker light for the sequel than I would have expected.

I also made use of a lot of the free items from the Cerberus Network, and played through on Veteran difficulty. Honestly, I didn't find it that much harder than on Normal, and the Cerberus Assault Armour really just saved me from having to spend a lot of Credits on armour additions. The Arc Projector was alright as well, but wasn't overly effective against the final boss; my sub-machine gun was surprisingly a better choice.

Regardless, Mass Effect 2 is an exceptional game with great characters, mission variety, and areas to explore. I eagerly look forward to an additional playthrough, which I'll likely do in a few months time.

Happy Belated Canada Day

Got a little busy and missed posting on the day of, but Happy belated Canada Day to you all! Hope you had a blast of a day, a slacker Friday, and are having a great holiday weekend!

Now wave that flag, drink some beer, and enjoy one of the greatest countries in the world!

Gears of War 2 8X XP Weekend

A little late in posting this, but there's still time for you to take advantage of it. From now until 9:00 AM on Tuesday, July 6th, you'll get 8 x XP for Gears of War 2.

In celebration of both Canada Day and Independence Day, every first to ninth Wave of Horde has been populated with Tickers, and every tenth Wave is full of Boomers (with the occasional Ticker thrown in for good measure).

Not only will this make several Horde-based Achievements even easier to get, but play through all those Tickers on Insane and you'll rank up very quickly.

Full details here.

BioShock 2: The Protector Trials Announced

The next DLC for BioShock 2 has been announced. Entitled "The Protector Trials," this DLC is Single Player only and arrives on all three platforms on August 3rd for 400 Microsoft Points or $4.99 (US), respectively.

The concept behind this DLC is presenting the player with extreme challenges in protecting his Little Sister. Set within six different areas from the Single Player game (though redone as their own separate maps), "The Protector Trials" will basically be BioShock 2's survival mode as you have to fend off wave after wave of Splicers with very creative uses of your weapons and Plasmids.

The DLC will also feature three different difficulties, several new Achievements/Trophies, and access to new unlockables.

Personally, it all sounds far too much like a stripped down version of the regular Single Player experience to me; all protecting and no exploring, but we'll see. Until then, watch the shiny trailer below.