Halo 3 premium collector's edition: $130US

[Cold Blooded]

MS announces 3 different versions of Halo 3, with the "legendary" edition planned to retail for $129.99. (http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/news/2007/0316-halo3editions.htm?WText.camp=TS2-Halo3Editions&WText.campSrc=Home)

[roguefrog]

No way

[Case]

Now if I could wear the helmet...

The calibration tool, if any good, could be worth the price difference -- if anyone would actually use it.

[BDGE]

The disk also includes an audio-visual calibration tool, never before seen on a video game and custom designed by the Halo 3 graphics and audio team to make the most of your high-definition home theaters, for the ultimate Halo 3 and Xbox 360™ audio and video performance.

1080p confirmed?

[Demon G Sides]

Its Microsoft's Gem.

Of course 1080p...

[DennyA]

Now if I could wear the helmet...
Doesn't your cat deserve a helmet?

[Jason Cross]

Its Microsoft's Gem.

Of course 1080p...

The AV tool mentioned is probably a video file, stepping you through some basic brightness/color calibration stuff for your TV similar to DVD Video Essentials or the THX Optimizer on some DVDs. It's on a bonus disc full of hi-def video, I don't think it's a game-code disc. I'm sure it's a special WMV, maybe one with limited interaction (choosing which calibration clip you want to run from a menu).

So it'll play back scaled to whatever you have your 360 output set to.

As for whether Halo 3 is 1080p...I'm not sure if it has been confirmed, but I'm pretty sure it's 720p. Microsoft keeps telling everyone that is the "sweet spot" this generation. I'm sure in an effort to make Halo 3 the prettiest game possible, they'd rather use that extra RAM and bandwidth on texture layers and multiple render target effects and so on, rather then just pushing more pixels that don't help as much as those other things.

I think I want the regular collector's edition. That "Legendary" price is too high, and the bonus stuff I care about comes on the disc that is in the regular $10-extra collector's edition.

[Moore]

I feel like I'm missing something here. Is anyone except me just going to rent the standard version and see if its shit or not before they buy?

[jeffd]

What gives you any idea that Halo3 will be shit?

[Gunmetal]

Halo 2

[Woolen Horde]

Uggggh... the limited edition and the legendary edition both have different sets of extras.... Evil, evil MS.... the Legendary should have *everything* the other editions have and more.

So $200 for everything, basically.... and I want both!

[rjcc]

knew that was coming.

It's not true, but I knew it was coming.

[LesJarvis]

I though Halo 2 was pretty much garbage, but I'll probably buy Halo 3 anyway. I just hate myself that much.

[Moore]

Halo 2

Halo 1 actually, I didnt bother w/ halo 2 because of h1 (which I didnt buy either, just played it when forced to), but after suffering through moronically handled things that should be simple in other multiplayer games, I'd like to see this amazing lobby system or whatever that halo titles use that always gets held up as the gold standard for console mutliplayer.......

...man that was a log fucking sentance.

[Woolen Horde]

Halo 2 is arguably the most multiplayer fun that I've ever had with a game, and my multiplayer gaming days stretch back to Netrek on Unix terminals in the early 90s. And according to that Edge cover story not too long ago, Bungie admits it basically screwed the multiplayer portion of Halo 2 over by not allocating enough time for it. So I can only imagine what 3 brings to the table.

[mouselock]

Doesn't your cat deserve a helmet?

Yes. However I don't deserve the trip to the hospital that getting her to wear it would entail.

[Ryan Markel]

Halo 1 actually, I didnt bother w/ halo 2 because of h1 (which I didnt buy either, just played it when forced to), but after suffering through moronically handled things that should be simple in other multiplayer games, I'd like to see this amazing lobby system or whatever that halo titles use that always gets held up as the gold standard for console mutliplayer.......

...man that was a log fucking sentance.

The matchmaking and party system in Halo 2 really is the best online experience I've ever had in any title, bar none.

The gameplay I've always found to be a little overly simple, but the ease with which you can get into a game that you will like is unparalleled.

[Moore]

The matchmaking and party system in Halo 2 really is the best online experience I've ever had in any title, bar none.

The gameplay I've always found to be a little overly simple, but the ease with which you can get into a game that you will like is unparalleled.

Thats what I've heard, and I want to check it out. So I guess its a good idea to do, because otherwise I've got no interest in the series, this one thing done apparently sooo right is getting a sale out of me.

[Ben]

Moore, you know you're knocking the multiplayer of a console game that was released in 2001, right?

[Demon G Sides]

Whose lobby system has been heavily upgraded, to boot...

I can't wait, honestly. Its fun. Sure, there are things other games do better, and things that Halo does better, but its fun, and that, in my opinion, is all that should count.

[Qenan]

Suckers and their money...

[Rasputin]

It's certainly cool to hate things on the internets

[jpinard]

So Troy Hurtubise finally found a buyer huh?

[bago]

There is a reason the Bungie group released the bayesian ranking white paper last year.

[Zylon]

Eh, just go with Halo Home Premium. Halo Ultimate isn't worth it.

[ElGuapo]

Halo 3 is gonna have a lot of legs in multi, Moore. I can almost guarantee it. IMHO Halo 2 still holds up as a super fun multiplayer game, especially in system link. It's the most customizable game from a "game types" perspective that I can think of. The only thing its missing is bots.

I'll pick up the regular, cheapest edition as soon as its released. No more collector's editions for me, ever.

[McBain]

People will buy, Ray. They'll buy for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your store as innocent as children, longing for the past.

"Of course, we won't mind if you look around," you'll say. "It's only $130 per person."

They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it, for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll drive home to their couches, and sit inside on a perfect afternoon.

And they'll play the game, and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their headsets.

People will come, Ray.

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been impulse. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But gaming has passed the time.

This helmet, this game; it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and could be again.

Oh, people will buy, Ray. People will most definitely buy.

[Moore]

Moore, you know you're knocking the multiplayer of a console game that was released in 2001, right?

No, I dont know that. I'm not knocking the multi, I just didnt like h1, so I passed on h2 altogether, but heard it had *great* multi, so I am buying h3 for the multiplayer. How is that knocking anything?

Or did you mean halo 1? did that even have online multiplayer? I played some co-op. It sucked as bad as SP does.

[Kareem]

Better pictures of the packages:

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/xbox360_halo3_packaging.asp

Click on them for larger versions.

[Chris Nahr]

Meh. I'll just wait for the inevitable Windows version... in 2010.

[Jason Cross]

Meh. I'll just wait for the inevitable Windows version... in 2010.

So sad but so true.