If you’ve been following 7th Columnist’s rummage through the depths of the Halo 3 beta code, then you’ve no doubt been subjected to a treat or two of top secret information as you’ve run your eyes over these very pages.
We’ve heard about new weapons (the Gravity Hammer, Excavator), new vehicles (Hornet), mutliplayer names, gametypes and more. This time though, we bring you the big news. Real big.
By now you should be aware of how we are doing this too, and exactly what it is we’re looking at. Basically, by extracting the source data from the files that make up the currently public Halo 3 beta, we have gained access to all the menu text, on screen prompts and a heap of other stuff of that ilk.
So things like the saved games, film clips (from both multiplayer and campaign), pictures, and game variant sharing can all be seen. In amongst all the other Party options that should be available when the game ships later this year.
So what’s the big news? Well, when scrolling through the list of onscreen text for party menus one sentence in particular stands out:
The game cannot start because all players are set to observer. Too many players for splitscreen. Only 2 players may play splitscreen coop on the same Xbox 360 console. The party size is too large to start the game. Up to 4 players may play coop on Xbox Live or System Link. Loading information from Xbox Live…
That’s right, 4 player Co-operative play will be included in Halo 3. Available both online over Xbox Live and also locally via System link. We begged for it’s inclusion, we got it.
News like this simply adds weight to Bungie’s claims of delivering all they possibly can with this, the final entry in the epic Halo trilogy. It’s gonna be sweet.
108 Comments so far
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7th Columnist 
Stop spreading unannounced information. You are doing nothing but skyrocketing expectations that are in no way guaranteed to be met when the game ships in September. If you were a real Halo fan, you would show Bungie some respect and leave gameplay and feature announcements up to them.
Comment by Nick May 19, 2007 @ 5:20 pmApologies. I do state that this may not make it into the final game and there is a potential spoiler warning. However, these items appear to be in the code at present.
This is not an official announcement.
Comment by 7th Columnist May 19, 2007 @ 5:48 pmNo, that’s the problem; you and everyone else are calling this “the code”. That’s absolutely wrong. The strings in a map file are not “the code” at all. Just because strings are left hanging around the map files does not mean there is any functionality behind them in the xex file or an asset behind them in the map. Even finding a tag or two with a new object name in its path implies nothing as far as what is in now or may make it in later.
As far as the disclaimer goes, yeah you put one there, but people do not pay attention to that because they do not want to; when the story gets reported elsewhere, they will kindly omit such information. Also, using just the above article as an example, you go on to say “4 player Co-operative play WILL be included”. There is absolutely no guarantee that it will be, but you readily state it as fact.
I am simply saying that this series of articles will only serve to raise expectations that will most likely not be met. Assets get cut, features are dropped, and there is a reason we have not heard about any of this before – because it comes with a large measure of uncertainty.
I know how it is to find something awesome and want to share it, but show some restraint. If you respect the tens of thousands of man hours Bungie has poured into Halo 3, even a little bit, then you will remove this series of articles and leave unveilings to those who have slaved over the project for years. If you are a true Halo fan, you respect Bungie enough to leave their surprises in their hands.
Comment by Nick May 19, 2007 @ 6:11 pmNick you need to calm down, we all that this is speculation and subject to change.
Comment by jayman007 May 19, 2007 @ 6:13 pmPeople who know better, yes. People who read the news after it has trickled through three or four sites, no.
Do you not remember how “bad” Halo 2 was because it did not include the Mongoose, a vehicle that was in the Halo 2 beta but cut from the final? That was one simple vehicle and people complained about it not being in for months.
I guess you have to be in the position of being a developer of _something_ (anything, really) to understand what it is like to have your plans revealed prematurely. I have had it happen with applications that I have worked on in the past, where the customer hears about a planned feature that we determine we do not want to include, and then we catch flack for something they should have never known about in the first place.
Comment by Nick May 19, 2007 @ 6:23 pmThere’s nothing wrong, in my opinion at least, with showing us whats in the games design. I am an avid halo fan and when I read tings like this, I know they aren’t meant to be official announcements. I find it exciting to see what people can find. Now, I know I’m of the minority of halo fans with common sense, so I can understand why some people would take this information and blow it up to be something it’s not meant to be. With that being said, i was wondering if anyone has come across multiplayer “skins” while digging around in the beta. What I mean is, can players choose to be Spartans and Elites…or do we get more choices this time around? Again, I know it wouldn’t be official information, just fun information. Thanks guys, and I love the website, keep it up!
Comment by Greg May 19, 2007 @ 7:45 pmY’know Nick, so what? Yeah, i was dissapointed in Halo2 for not having what they promised, but guess what? I play that game almost every day because it’s final project is FUN. So, while this possible inclusion would skyrocket H3 to unbelieveable status as THE BEST game of all time, so what?
Comment by Someone dipped in reality May 19, 2007 @ 8:50 pmNick I can’t decide if you are a big douche or a giant turd… quit whinin’
Comment by Douche Turd May 19, 2007 @ 11:53 pmI think it’s cool that your reporting what you, or somebody else, has found in the beta. Screw “Nick.” Whether it ends up in the game or not, it’s fine by me.
Who else votes for Nick to be stoned? Count me in.
Comment by Bob May 20, 2007 @ 12:25 amNick has no friends to player co-op with :-(
Comment by ak May 20, 2007 @ 12:35 amnick your a fracking homo. any iformation exept from bungie ISNT for sure. so if it says 4 player co/opt sweet maybe maybe not. its like Russian rullet..you never know whats coming
Comment by stone nick the douche turd May 20, 2007 @ 12:40 amNick. You are a douche. Relax.
Comment by JizzyB May 20, 2007 @ 12:44 amI think Nick needs a new tampon. Jesus it’s a game that people are excited about and they want to hear every little detail. People know it isn’t official, they’ve been tracking it forever and are used to things getting cut out. Bungie thrives on this crap and proclaim it. So how bout you stop freaking out for no reason. Chill the f*ck out man.
Comment by Chad May 20, 2007 @ 12:45 amamen brother… isnt there a pill for people like him… i think its a cyanide pill or something
Comment by stone nick the douche turd May 20, 2007 @ 12:48 amHaha Nick is getting smashed for just saying his opinion, well it is a pretty stupid one. This guy found something pretty cool and wanted to share it, anyone would, if you found that in the code I bet you would shit yourself, unless ak is right and you have no friends.
Comment by Jason May 20, 2007 @ 12:52 amI really have to agree with Nick- it is poor journalism to state rumor as fact. I am not saying someone shouldn’t point out a cool line of code, but to extend that observation into saying the final version *will* include a feature is very inaccurate and even sensationalist. Bet it boosts page views though.
Would be a freaking awesome feature if it did work out mind you.
Comment by krieger May 20, 2007 @ 1:14 am“If you were a real Halo fan,”
Aha, the old “public shaming/call to authenticity” logical fallacy. Argumentum ad oldskoolium.
Comment by Flashman May 20, 2007 @ 1:32 amNick is right, guys. Keep these #@$%#$% “discoveries” to yourselves. If you think you haven’t single-handedly ushered in a whole suite of negative press for Bungie, think again.
You guys are hurting a developer you claim to love. Plain and simple. Nice work, assholes.
Comment by Nick is right May 20, 2007 @ 1:32 amI also consider myself an avid Halo fan, yet I have to concur with Nick’s position. You don’t mention IN THIS ARTICLE that this is all based off of leftover code or that it is not official. You might not consider this a problem, but I (an infrequent lurker to your fine website) was linked here via the popular digg.com, which has the screaming headline “*REVEALED* Halo 3 Campaign – 4 Player Co-op over Live!”. Granted, the submittor of that story obviously found it through your website and embellished the facts to some extent, but the fact remains that you should have (and ought to) have these posts include the straightforward fact that your extraneous strings you’ve found do not imply anything. While I DO heartily admire your dedication to revealing information, and don’t see any harm in revealing it to the general public (I differ from ‘Nick’ in this way), I think that it’s only fair to the unknowing Internetgoers of who-knows-where that you include the proper information, including it’s true source and its unreliability. Cheers!
Comment by Eric May 20, 2007 @ 1:36 amI like to be stoned, you can stone me if you want :)
Comment by Socr@tes May 20, 2007 @ 1:41 amSomeone on the floor at Bungie happened to include the text “Up to 4 players may play coop on Xbox Live or System Link.” somewhere in the masses of Halo 3 Beta’s code/data and you immediately jump to the conclusion “4 player Co-operative play will be included in in Halo 3!”
Absolutely anything in the Halo 3 Beta, except what is guaranteed publicly by Bungie, is subject to change. This is especially true for things only found by digging behind the scenes.
Comment by Schalken May 20, 2007 @ 1:57 amI agree with Nick. While reading this article I did not even process your ‘disclaimer’. Lets enjoy (and try to break) the Beta, give some constructive critcism/report bugs, say some words of encouragement to a game company who is actually reaching out to their fans, and wait til September 25th, when we can all have that christmas morning feeling when discovering these new features.
Comment by Mike B May 20, 2007 @ 1:58 amI agree with nic as well. alot of time and hard earned money is STILL being put into it. I produce music myself and respect other artists..in any form. Same goes with music…people find a way to jack it early before its ‘official’ release and spread it around the net and that company loses millions of dollars and the artists get fucked.
John Lennon said it best:
“Let it Be”
Comment by nico May 20, 2007 @ 2:15 amthanks for protecting me from the big bad internet nick. If you are a real halo fan, then I want nothing to do with that. Pretty effing patheitc. And to answer his bitching and kriegers point- A column that speculate on an upcoming game should, oh, i dont know, speculate on an upcoming game maybe?
Comment by r$ May 20, 2007 @ 2:20 amAhhh… I remember when everyone found all of the multiplayer code in GTA3. Those were great times.
Comment by dan May 20, 2007 @ 2:41 amGuess you got attacked by hordes of flaming Halo fanbois there, better protect yourself.
Comment by Alexander May 20, 2007 @ 3:13 amThis site sucks. I agree with the others. Stop spreading false rumors and setting these tremendously high expectations for the game. Also, don’t fucking act as though any of this shit is confirmed.
Comment by blah May 20, 2007 @ 3:23 amI’m not a Halo fan at all, but I have to admit, whether you’re right or wrong, it’s pretty bad to be spreading stuff like this…
Comment by D3stiny_Sm4sher May 20, 2007 @ 3:34 amI shall state again… this is not an official announcement. I am merely reporting what we have found in the code. It’s all in there, but as with anything, the final release may differ.
No harm in getting excited though. Finding this stuff has merely made me feel even stronger about Halo than ever before. I hope at least some of you (perhaps those so far underwhelmed by the beta), will feel the same.
I’ve never been so confident that Halo 3 will flatten everything else out there.
Comment by 7th Columnist May 20, 2007 @ 3:37 amYou should either take these articles down or take down your title as “a halo fan”. We’re all excited for news on the game, but it’s people like you who give modders (not cheaters) a bad name.
Comment by Leg Salad May 20, 2007 @ 3:44 amOMG TEH FOUR PLAYER COOP WAS ANNOUNCED DATS AWESOME!!!11! I WILL KILL BUNGIE IF THEY DONT INCLUDE IT!!!11! IF ITS IN THE BETA ITS GOING TO BE IN TEH FINAL PRODCUT…
jk
Comment by Guy May 20, 2007 @ 3:46 amI agree with Nick, you’re just spreading unconfirmed FUD at this point.
Comment by xxdesmus May 20, 2007 @ 3:46 amUm, spreading completely unfounded rumors is bad? Someone better go tell every Apple fanboy ever…
Comment by verberaj May 20, 2007 @ 4:28 amNick, you’re freaking out about nothing. U sound like my sister when my dad said he’d take her to get ice cream, but instead just made got ice cream out of the fridge. she started crying like a baby. like you, nick. Like you. Did dairy Queen set her expectations too high? Or was it the fact that she’s spoiled. I’m not sure. The moral of this story is: Don’t let the fact that your parents did love enough as a child make you take on Bungie as a parent. They don’t want you.
Comment by Nick's nemesis May 20, 2007 @ 4:38 amC’mon people why get mad when you can get glad
MGS 4 RuLESSSSSSSSSSSSSS
Comment by KingSmash May 20, 2007 @ 4:39 amThe problem with arguments like this, is that people (I.E. “Nick’s nemesis”) lose all credibility by typing “U” instead of you.
7th Columnist: Thank you for trying to excite people/be excited about Halo 3. Perhaps in future posts could there be a even -BIGGER- announcment of the unconfirmed nature of the material? And perhaps write a paragraph at the end stating that all of this is, of course, subject to change on every article about unconfirmed features? Thank you for doing what you are doing, I am just trying to be constructive!
Comment by Mike B May 20, 2007 @ 5:00 amWell, I for one am glad that we can all be respectable adults here. If someone took the time to actually dig through thousands, nay, millions of lines of code to find thirteen simple, yet life changing, words, kudos to them. As for the the opinion that its a “spoiler”, really? Stop bitching about it. I see that people like Nick have taken a precious few minutes of thier time to figurativly shit all over the internet, why? Who knows, perhaps to relieve some of that pent up rage over not being able to come out to thier parents, or perhaps it was a bad day at work (Nick seems like a Wal*Mart employee to me. anyone else think so).
Comment by a respectable adult. May 20, 2007 @ 6:00 amSo in a stunning and brilliantly concise ending. Nick, FUCK YOU
G’nite
By the way, Rumble Pit on Turf
My map, My game. So watch it
Halo fans unite!
Comment by a respectable adult. May 20, 2007 @ 6:02 amI have to agree with Nick’s principal ideas, but the vehemence of his arguments indicates some personal attachment to the game, which is intriguing in its oddity. The problem with posts like these is simply that it reenacts what happened with Halo 2 and legitimate magazines before the game itself came out. I can still vividly remember the magazine picture that was laid out across two pages, illustrating multiple types of weapons, an ability to lean around corners, and the new ability to steal vehicles. In the end, only one of those three ideas were actually delivered. The game was still incredible, but the people who had waited for months, paid money to reserve their title, woke up early to buy the game, and skipped school( or called into work sick or just dug a little hole for themselves to play video games) all felt pretty shafted. It was the expectation of great things to come, and the subsequent disappointment. In reality, many of these features might be in the final game. I would think that such a public beta wouldn’t have useless strings of code with certain weapons, vehicles, maps, and game types unless they were actually necessary to integrate it into the final, complete version. That said, one of three things will probably occur:
1) Bungie will have to go back and change, omit, or add to the setup in order to keep everything a new surprise, meaning that we’d risk losing things all together because Bungie would need to stay fresh.
2) Bungie would leave the things in and people would find it “adequate” considering their expectations, but not stellar or phenomenal, because they had known about the features for several months
or 3) Bungie will just be unable to get a fully working version of that aspect of the game into the final product, and the community will be in another uproar, angry that Bungie “failed to live up to expectations again” after Halo 2, when in reality they had surpassed all initial expectations and only failed to meet every single goal for which they were striving.
The point is that any of those three things could occur, but no matter what happens, we will lose out on the magic of putting that disc into our Xbox 360s and thinking “What weapons will there be?” because we’ll have learned months ago. All I’m asking, on behalf of Bungie, is that you let them bring you something on which they’ve been working for years without ruining the surprise. We all know how important the surprise is to them, as they’ve gone to the strictest of measures to ensure secrecy, so why must we fight them on it this late, when all we have to do is enjoy our toy for the next month and then wait patiently for what will certainly be the most fun game on the Xbox 360 to date?
But maybe I’m expecting too much of you guys. If that’s the case, then keep posting rumors and inflating expectations. No matter what disclaimer you put, people will take a rumored item and start to expect it because it catches their fancy.
Comment by shortarabguy May 20, 2007 @ 11:14 amHate to say, but Nick is right. Honestly, I’m happy enough to play the beta. To have the opportunity to be able to play before it’s released and have some sort of chance to change things that may be buggy so we don’t have to wait for patches, and hear thousands of little babies cry that ther game is broken. If you turds keep going with this, it will only lessen the chances of something like this happeneing again. Leave well enough alone already. You douchebags are going to ruin it for the rest of us.
Comment by Hatetosayit May 20, 2007 @ 12:57 pmAnyone that agrees with Nick is also a douche/turd… goddamn i can’t believe you losers are still fighting over this… frackin funny sh%*t…. keep me entertained, my dogs ass is too sore
Comment by Douche Turd May 20, 2007 @ 3:32 pmThe thing that I find wrong about this is that we get the opportunity to play a beta almost as a gift from Bungie, and some idiot betrays Bungie which may ruin the possibility of this happening again.
Comment by T May 20, 2007 @ 4:56 pmI think this is a double edged sword. Bungie had to have known someone would look and brake down the Halo 3 beta code. I mean with the almost subculture of modders, it was an inevitability. So, there are two ways to think about it.
1. Bungie knows exactly what is and isn’t in the beta. So anything in there is done on purpose.
Possibly letting great sites, 7th columnist, 360fanboy.. etc. Do the marketing and hype for them.
2. The extra lines leading to “hidden” information
is a mistake, but bungie had to know the consequences of distributing a public beta with
possible “spoilers” hidden within.
I suppose if spoiling information is against your
developmental ethics, then stay away from sites that tend to publish the information. I understand how you feel.. it will be a disappointment not to have a 4 player co-op, and think you are going to get it. We can always gripe and get it in Halo4 lol.
What does everyone else think?
Comment by Mick May 20, 2007 @ 8:35 pmwow this is soo pethetic XD
its a fucking game! HELLO? a game, who the fuck c ares whats going to be in it and what isnt.
the 1st day H3 is going to launch its going to break almost every racord for best game sales etc.
ow the code the code, you think your fucking neo or something? i sugest you get a life, wait till H3 launches and wank of at the sight of MC and stop posting his crap.
Comment by what ever May 20, 2007 @ 8:38 pmOk anybody else want to try.. possibly with
Comment by Mick May 20, 2007 @ 9:08 pmspell check. JK.. People like the game and
this is fun.
I got too lazy to read all of the comments, but this stuff should be published. How could Bungie not expect people to do this with the code? As far as I’m aware, they did it with the skulls and the hex code, so why not here? They probably did this on purpose.
Comment by Dave May 20, 2007 @ 10:36 pmi removed all my friends named nick from my facebook account
Comment by jon May 21, 2007 @ 1:24 amWell, I have to say its nice and all that you say this, but can you really prove it? I mean, you don’t post pictures, and you do not tell anyone how you got to it. This website tells you more for the most part including theories then what is currently here.
http://digg.com/xbox_360/Halo_3_Beta_Myth_Busters_Whats_really_inside.
I think you guys are right, I am just saying next time post the pics to. Thx!
Comment by A_D May 21, 2007 @ 3:20 am-A_D
Unfortunately there aren’t any pictures to show, just lines of code from the Halo 3 beta data files… and that’s what i’ve been posting.
However pics of the beta glitch that revealed more of the new gametype options by allowing players to explore the custom games menu, can be found in this post.
These new gametypes were also found in the lines of code, with this glitch merely confirming their existence. If the same applies to the rest of our findings, Halo 3 is going to be incredible.
Comment by 7th Columnist May 21, 2007 @ 3:42 amthat would be hilarious if by june 10 someone figures out how to actually play the cusom game types with a modded 360 or something
Comment by Eallmighty May 21, 2007 @ 8:46 amlike a bunch of little kids arguing about whos right and whos in the wrong…if you would stop thinking”ooohhhh noooo false info” and start thinking in common since, nobody knows whats going to be in the final game, not even some code, i myself am a halo fan and can’t wait till it comes out, but as far as believing what this site or any other site says, is an outrage…just wait for the game to come out and wait and see…STOP GETTING SO OFFENDED!!!! if you believe these sites then its your fault you get your hopes up.
Comment by SHUT IT!!! May 21, 2007 @ 7:54 pmI love the taste of dick
Comment by Nick May 21, 2007 @ 8:48 pm1.)Basically a type of Picture in picture for the video chat, where i can be in a game say GoW and i can have a small portion of my sreen used for vido chat.
2.) Voice and video chat w\ messenger friends
3.) The ability to type and play a game at the same time,… ex. the conversation windwow is transparent and fades in and out depeneding on wether the keyboard types or not (so the user doesnt have to select the conversation form the guide blade or by using windows + m)
4.)Players can still play while the keboards in use. (both operate simultaneously) For ex. i’m typing a message to a friend odds are that if i see another player coming towardws me i wont be able to back out of the conversation and defend myself before he kills me, but if the conversation fades in and out depending on the use of the keyboard i could easy defend myself
Comment by Gene May 21, 2007 @ 10:17 pmHmmm, I don’t know how i feel about this. The information could very well be false, but if you actually think posting stuff like this is wrong, there’s something wrong with you. 7th is completely in the right here. I’m not getting my expectations that high up, but i am excited none-the-less. There is no avoiding the fact that when some of this stuff isn’t included, there will be backlash, but i think that a simple disclaimer can’t handle.
Comment by diacu May 22, 2007 @ 2:57 amI can’t see bungie not including online co-op.
Holy fack!!!! you guys over-analyse the SHIT out of EVERYTHING. i think you all need to take a second out of your day and pull that opened umbrella out of your filthy neglected ASSHOLES!
Comment by Disgruntled Nobody May 22, 2007 @ 4:55 amHalo fucking sucks, you’re all idiots.
Comment by Marathon May 22, 2007 @ 2:23 pmI liked playing Halo…and will do so again.
Comment by Artorios May 22, 2007 @ 11:19 pmNick, your a dick.
Comment by Kreepman May 23, 2007 @ 1:08 amShut the fuck up.
We like this kind of news
I have been playing the Halo series since 2 weeks before the original xbox released to the public. I love Halo and Halo 2. That being said, It’s only a fucking game, guys. Fuck Bungie and all thier hype. This site is great and I love hearing about possible features in upcoming games. I hope that Bungie stops doing public betas for Halo 4 because it just makes the wait longer when the Beta expire. There is NOTHING that can be reported here or on any other site that will stop people from buying Halo 3, so stop whining and don’t visit this site if you don’t like it. Eat my asshole with maple syrup Nick.
Comment by Fuck Bungie May 23, 2007 @ 7:27 amNick, boycott this site. The less people who read it, the more you get what you’re after, but don’t bash it on the website itself – you’re just attracting more attention.
7th Columnist, this is a fantastic find. It used to be that people didn’t find things like this until after the game was released (Marathon, for example), but this is a new age. Nothing’s wrong with publishing the text you found, technically anybody else with your skills could have found it, and you just made it available to those of us who can’t dig into that stuff. However, I must agree that the specific line, “That’s right, 4 player Co-operative play will be included in Halo 3. Available both online over Xbox Live and also locally via System link. We begged for it’s inclusion, we got it,” is absurd. By all means, keep posting this stuff, but avoid saying things like that. Be a fan, not an exaggerating reporter.
Everybody, Bungie is extremely famous for producing tremendous amounts of hype that doesn’t get met, but they always deliver an excellent product. What makes this unique is that Bungie isn’t announcing the hype, a fan is. His only fault is that this peek into the beta files was reported using the definite word “will” rather than the indefinite “might.”
Additionally, most of you are a bunch of Halo fanboys – a fantastic, proud, and immature role to play. Grow up, do a little research on Bungie history, and quit bashing on each other like this is a game of Slayer – then you’ll be Bungie fans.
Comment by Richard Harrington May 23, 2007 @ 9:38 pmThat would be awesome if it actually makes it to the release.
Comment by Motorcycle Guy May 24, 2007 @ 1:27 pmBungie you ROCK!!! you made every HALO Game and HALO is the best game i’ve ever played in my whole entire life!! HALO 3 is going to be the best I kknow it. HALO 3 will have everything and old weapons will be back and for newcomers that have never played HALO 1 and HALO 2 they’ll see the old old weapons or the old weapons and The new weapons will be the best for the newcomers on HALO.
Comment by Michael May 25, 2007 @ 12:19 amhey, only reason i’m posting here is cause someone said halo sucks, and my comment to them….
if halo sucks? why does everyone play the friggen game?:D
Comment by moo May 25, 2007 @ 11:15 pm(i refrained from saying very nasties things)
How exacty do you all read the “Beta Code” or whatever you do.(Im new to the whole modding/hacking thing)
Comment by Im New May 26, 2007 @ 3:30 amPeople need to relax, I swear some of you just go over board because someone let an unofficial detail get out. Just calm down and if you dont like the forum you dont have to bitch about it just ignore.
Comment by killarz007 May 28, 2007 @ 9:16 pmNick. please shut up. Bungie could have been less careless and removed that information from the game. They didn’t, their loss. People are doing what people do, and quite honestly, this isn’t that bad to bungie. So for christ sake, stop posting bull crap?
Comment by Nick shutup May 29, 2007 @ 12:51 amI’ll have to agree with nick and T on this one. Bungie did give us the beta to play, not to go through and destroy what they have put together to find out what they have in store for us. If bungie wanted they could easily take out several things out of Halo 3 that were in the beta. They wouldnt care, sure there would be a lot of publicity, but hey, its halo, everyone is going to play it anyways. They gave us the beta to see how we liked it and to give some feedback on how it was, and yet here you guys are pulling all the strings apart from what could be (like someone said) THE BEST GAME EVER. Just leave it be, use the beta how it was meant to be used….as a game to play. If your going to excavate halo 3’s goodies (from a beta nontheless) don’t state anything, and at least put a disclaimer. Everyone knows there are retards out there who take all this the wrong way, (referring to the guy who found this from Digg).
ooooo one more thing:
(i removed all my friends named nick from my facebook account
Comment by jon 05.21.07 @ 1:24 am )
Faggot
Comment by Don May 29, 2007 @ 3:15 amIm just sorry you’re copping so much flak about this man. I can’t blame you at all for looking through the code, and if it was i who thought i’d found some groundbreaking news on Halo, i’d fucking share it with everyone.
if people didn’t want to know what you’ve got to say then they shouldn’t browse the net looking for Halo news. And besides that, people are forgetting one important thing,
IT’S JUST A GAME YOU GOD FUCKING FANBOYS. IT’S NOT RELIGION, OR POLITICS, OR EVEN IMPORTANT, JUST A VIDEO GAME. If you’re so fragile that some Halo rumours/news is going to get you so angry, then don’t go looking for it in the first place.
As for me, i’ll be checking this page daily from now on to see what else you find, great job mate.
Comment by Dan May 29, 2007 @ 7:07 amPersonally, I don’t think Bungie cares if their beta code is hacked or examined or whatever. In fact, I believe that they probably expected it to happen. If they really wanted everything to be a huge secret then a)they wouldn’t have released a beta in the first place and b)they could have renamed all of their string values, etc to something a bit more non-descript.
And for those that argue that people are getting hyped up on unofficial and unconfirmed news that may possibly change by the time the game releases, I think the fact that the information is derived from Halo 3 “Beta”, says all that needs to be said. (Keyword being Beta – I think we all know what that means as far as software goes – UNFINISHED)
Comment by Just A Gamer May 30, 2007 @ 5:38 pmOh, for fuck’s sake. Chill out, people!
Why is it that Bungie fandom is always replete with insecurity and melodrama? When a developer works on a game quietly and securely without hyping it up overly much, nobody has a screaming fit about what does or does not constitute a “final product”, least of all the fans. The game is released to varying levels of acclaim, and everyone is either happy or unhappy.
Halo, on the other hand, has been nothing but one forum soap opera after another. Everywhere I look, I see trolls insisting that “Halo sucks” and legions of fans rising up to deflect their pointless attacks. People on both sides get the general feeling that armageddon, a godzilla attack, and the sun going supernova would all occur at once if Halo 3 turned out poorly.
I, too, remember the issue of EGM that detailed the peek system and sprinting. These are features that were cut, for a good reason. Peek systems don’t make sense in a game as fast-paced as Halo 2, and sprinting ruins competitive multiplayer by turning fights into pathetic sprintfests that involve very little actual combat (see Saints Row).
Even Bungie themselves keep reminding us that the Beta “is not representative of the final”, which smacks of insecurity despite how true it is. When other developers release unfinished media of an unfinished game, they take for granted that people understand that the game is – would you have ever guessed it – unfinished! They don’t need to tell us this, and we don’t need to tell this to each other. We already know.
People need to stop trying to guilt-trip the rest of us. They’re Bungie, for crying out loud! Even though we gladly provide it, they don’t need our support, since the game speaks for itself. That’s the way it’s always been.
The Bungie I see today is not the Bungie of yesteryear. Good people have left to form their own enterprises. The young ones that took their place are afraid that they can’t reach the level of their predecessors, and it shows in their insecurity.
We need to encourage them and let them know they’re doing a great job, instead of merely defending them on public forums. Too many trolls out there are trying to essentially sabotage a great game, leading me to believe that they’re shills for Sony.
All the PS3 game forums put together don’t have as much drama and trolling as any one Halo 3 forum. Perhaps it’s time we rained on their little parade and reminded them of how poorly their system is selling?
We won’t do that, though, since we’re Xbox 360 fans. We always take the passive stance, enduring constant ridicule while other fandoms go unchecked despite their unique failings.
Perhaps all the trolls should go get a colonoscopy to see how full of shit they are?
The PS3 and Wii have their own problems. Their controllers are about as ergonomic as bricks, they both have a bunch of oft-touted gimmicks that do little to truly enhance or revolutionize gameplay, and their online support sucks ass. The 360 has the most potential of any of the three systems, and Halo 3 is its #1 killer app.
If we want it to be the best it possibly can, we need to stand with Bungie and remind them of how much they rock. We can’t spoil them too much, either, since we don’t want them to get sloppy and think something’s finished when it isn’t.
In the current gaming generation, leaks of high-profile games are a fairly common occurrence. We don’t have to disavow their existence entirely by removing news postings and such, though a disclaimer is helpful. In the end, these games sell very well, allowing developers and publishers to recoup their costs… and then some. It’s not like anybody’s going to cancel their pre-order because one or two things didn’t turn out as they would have liked.
Halo 3 will be a hit, of that I am certain. Four-player online Co-op in the final would be a fucking blast, but if it doesn’t work out, I’d easily settle for two.
As I’ve said before, most game developers focus on polishing up specific content for major presentations in order to give the impression that a game is in a more finished state than it really is. Bungie doesn’t do that. They focus on making the game as solid and fun as possible, and then they add the graphical polish and bug fixes last.
People are excited. 7th Columnist is excited. Because we like Halo 3 so much, we get our hopes up. The chanting of “no guarantees” is not something we like to hear, since it reminds us of games like Fable and how they ushered in an era of unfulfilled promises and insecure developers in next-gen gaming. Lighten up, already! This is Bungie we’re talking about, not Lionhead! If something ends up on the cutting room floor, it’s because it sucked or they didn’t have time to make it good enough. What we will have, come September, is a fucking good time!
Remember, if Halo 3 doesn’t turn out as you expected, it’s not the end of the world. There are always “other games” for people like you. The rest of us will be busy beating the campaign on every difficulty three dozen times and ranking up to General!
The next few months are going to be really interesting.
Comment by Allanx May 30, 2007 @ 11:34 pmshut up. Multiplayer over live should have been a reality in halo2 an why wasn’t it? It could of been added in pretty easily but they left it out to leave us wanting for halo 3. Now that halo 3 is about to come out it had better be in there. That’s all I gotta say.
Comment by chaoscontrot May 31, 2007 @ 1:56 amI love when people attack each other’s habits of utilizing clear shortcuts of communication, such as an individual ragging on someone else for typing “u” instead of “you.” What’s the harm in making life easier? If you want to call them lazy, go ahead, but we are all guilty of sitting on our @#$’s and play videogames and chatting about videogames. If you’re going to accuse such individuals as unintelligent, then you’re just being ignorant and unaware of the way language works. Old English had many unnecessary phrases and words that we have abolished or shortened, after generations of people discovered more efficient ways of conveying the same message. My point is that people shouldn’t belittle each other over petty details and stick with the issues at hand. If someone makes a valid point, who cares if they use “u” or “cuz.” If someone doesn’t make a valid point and uses “u” then criticize they erroneous claims.
Another point: Yes, Bungie ended Halo 2 with a cliffhanger as a cheap attempt to increase Halo 3 sales. I mean, they do function under the pressure of being Microsoft’s Manhattan Project against the Japanese (Sony). However, they don’t intentionally leave out major concepts or gameplay aspects solely to keep anticipation for a sequel (i.e. 4 player online co-op), that’s just bad strategy. There were technical problems that arose, that couldn’t be ironed out by their deadline. Not to say they didn’t say “Hey, maybe we’ll just leave this obstacle for Halo 3,” but Halo 3 anticipation wasn’t the reason.
And to those that are getting ulcers stressing about the individual who had the “gall” to post this “treachery,” chill out. He posted somewhat of a disclaimer, so the angry disappointment in Halo 3 is the fault of nobody but the ignorant choleric “gamer” (I prefer to use dorks for gamers of this type). Don’t give us your, “I’m a developer, you don’t know what it’s like” jargon, because many of us on this site are developers and we do know that feeling. It sucks sometimes, but not enough to rip pubes over.
Everybody chill out and if there must be disputes, keep them analytical, not frivolously similar to schoolyard scuffles.
Comment by Grumps May 31, 2007 @ 6:56 amThats gonna be awsome if its true.
Comment by John June 4, 2007 @ 8:26 amYeah, Nick, Bungie doesn’t like leaving little secret tidbits like that for us to find out on our own. Why would they do something like that?
ilovebees.com
Comment by Jawknee June 6, 2007 @ 4:27 pmHope thats true!
Comment by LostprophetVII June 6, 2007 @ 9:58 pmok. I actually honest to goodness read all the posts. Many of the are well thought out, and valid points. so in return, PLEASE READ THIS. Nick, you have a nice point of how we shouldnt assume, and also Grumps on how we should not belittle anyone just because the way people type their online responses. I also have a well thought out response of my own.
The original Issue: the original issue that caused the flaming was the credibility of whether or not 4 player co-op is to be included in the final release of halo 3.
My response: The article is wrong in saying that it confirms 4 player co-op will be in the final version. Seriously, anything can happen in just the next few months. Now for the more important response. The fact that people believe what is said on this site or any unofficial site without official information cannot be held responsible for believing or not believing whether these claims are true or false, because it is their choice to do so. Also, if someone finds out information that could be valid regarding the final version of halo 3, it is wrong to tell them to refrain from letting others know about it. believe it or not, telling others of what they found is a very unselfish thing to do. But its their choice to submit the information regarding halo 3, and we also choose the value of its credibility ourselves. theres no point in arguing because i will tell you what the TRUE situation here is.
This site found information on halo 3, posted it, for everyone to read. Halo fans find this information very interesting, whether it be fact or fiction. Nick was incorrect in saying that people will believe this story the moment they read it. Because to the readers, many of us will read it and automatically assume its true. The truth is that they cant assume its true until the actual release of halo 3. If Nick says people will automatically believe this article, then so be it. It is there choice, and its selfish for us to dictate it as long as its not harming or stretching the truth. However, even if they do believe its true, the fact that halo 3 isnt out yet, negates their opinion from being finalized. and that should always be kept in mind be every1.
Final verdict: this site was wrong in confirming 4 player co-op; no matter how much they want to. However, they did apologize. But for nick, you cannot dictate other’s thoughts whether you want to or not(ex: every1 assuming halo3 will have 4player co-op), because the only people in this situation that can, is bungie, and their final version of halo 3. Also, truthfully i was compassionate towards the fact of how we ravaged through the beta code when the halo3 beta was released. I thought it was disrespectful and just as a side note, bungie DOES care. they just wont show it. they wont act like little babies for what we are doing to them. thats not the kind of people they are. in fact, if they were like that, then we WOULD NOT be playing the halo 3 beta that almost all of us TAKE FOR GRANTED. It really was a kind gift from bungie. and even if we decode it, they will feel betrayed because they are working very diligently in providing us with a true trilogy to end the halo series. When we think of bungie we also tend to get angry because they are playing halo 3 and we arent. and how they are having so much fun having the full halo 3 at their fingertips, and how jealous we are of not having that privelage. This way of thinking is so dead wrong that i could go on for pages about it. Just keep in mind, they are having fun, but they will never experience halo 3 like we will, and vice versa. ive explained how their privelages they have over us, now ill explain the privelages that WE have over THEM. The truth is, when they work on halo 3, they are playing it to make sure that it comes as close to perfection as they can. And although they may be enjoying it, the same feeling of finding out how the story unfolds as you play(us), versus knowing the story ahead of time and playing the game over and over again to tweak things as much as they can to better the game for OUR experience(them) are two very different experiences of playing halo 3. They wont get that satisfaction of unfolding the story like we do, and we wont get the satisfaction of playing the game ahead of time and inputting our ideas into the games final release. So honestly guys, which would you rather be? an eager fan waiting to unfold the halo story step by step, or a bungie employee playing the game over and over to try and tweak things to perfection. Most of us will be the eager fan, because when we play we really dont realize all the work they poured in for us. And although it may be a video game that they engross themselves into, it is still hard work, a lot of it. Remember, that playing games, and creating them are TWO VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES.
Side note: Thank you for reading my response, and i hope i’ve clarified this argument up for everybody, and i hope that i have quelled the angry flaming down to an insignificant ember that smokey the bear can take care of. ^-^
GamerTag: The Chhipinator
Comment by Chhipz Ahoy June 6, 2007 @ 10:51 pmFUCK YOU NICK YOUR A FAGIT GO 7th KEEP ON USING YOUR SKILLS TO FIND THIS AWSOME INFO ON HALO 3!!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by FUCK NICK June 12, 2007 @ 8:25 pmI agree with Nick to a degree, but thats only as long as 7th Columnist isn’t gaurenteeing this information by saying thins like “WILL”. Other than that keep rolling in the info, my interest’s in Halo 3 have reached an ultimate high because of all this new stuff that could possibly be in the game :)
Comment by Halotitan June 16, 2007 @ 4:46 amI have several friends that worked on the halo3 game and would like to inform you that indeed there will be a 4 player coop over live. Not only do I have access to info that others don’t I have also already played the first level in the campaign and must say im impressed. If you need any info e-mail me and i will try to answer u as soon as i can
Comment by freakinidoit June 17, 2007 @ 6:02 amby the way the guys that told me this(my resources at bungie) have also told me that yes indeed nick does have a point creators do get angry and cut things out when unreleased info and that is uncertain is being spread. That is what happened with halo2 and the mongoose, it got cut so a heads up u may be being watched by bungie and its not me doing the watching im just varifing info u should not have given out
Comment by freakinidoit June 17, 2007 @ 6:19 amyours truly,
freakinidoit
Freakinidoit wat is your email id like to chat wit ya
Comment by BigRedz June 17, 2007 @ 8:21 ami am not sure if this information is true or not, but i think this is an incredible site. so what if its not included in the game? I think its great that 7 got out there and found something worthwhile good job 7
Comment by Orion255 June 18, 2007 @ 5:03 amSHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!! Fuck!, how much fuckin’ free time do you have anyway??? Shit, tell me about the fucking golf shoes, man!!!
Comment by bigflopydonkeydik June 21, 2007 @ 7:09 amALL I know is that halo7 will bee the greatest game ever I heared you can double shot with the flag.=P
Comment by MAST3R June 22, 2007 @ 8:26 amDear nick and people who agree with him, im sorry, is this site called bungie.net? no it isnt so obviously its unofficial information. 7 is simply telling us what he found, no need to bash on him, if you think its wrong that he said it then ignore it and leave, very simple.
oh and apparently this thread runs off of negativity so ill now contribute to that…
SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!!
Comment by xXxXGuardianxXx June 22, 2007 @ 9:14 amLook halo 3 better have a co-op of somekind i would rather 4 player co-op but 2 is fine. I really don’t think thats asking for alot considering that is todays console standard and this is the last in the trilogy after all. At the end of the day he put up a disclaimer so any interpertation of this being offical is at the fault of the reader alone. while i can understand and respect your opinion nick i think your blaming the wrong person. Blame the people who aren’t stating the facts not the person who did post the facts.
Comment by Ghostbuddy June 23, 2007 @ 12:05 amWow, I honestly thought that people could be more mature about this. There are a few people here “responsible adult” for example who are just trying to calm things down, what is the need for all the pointless flaming?
“nick’s a douche, nick sux cock, nick is a noob” all of it is pointless, 7th columnist has a right to post what he found within the beta code so kudos to him for finding it. Nick has a right to express his opinion, albeit somewhat too close to the game for someone who isn’t weird.
Let Nick express his opinion and express yours aswell, just do it in a mature manner. Is that really that hard? If you do not want to find out about this stuff then dont read it all. If it starts spoiling your expectations of the game then stop reading. Not all that dificult surely?
Oh and 7th columnist, congrats on finding all this stuff, looks cool.
Comment by Bravo_22 June 28, 2007 @ 8:34 ami don’t care i they publish there finds on this site or not, in fact it helps bungie in a way with there marketing of the game, if everyone thought it was another halo 2 there would be less buyers, why do you thing they released info on the beta months before a date was confirmed. you would have to be a sad pathetic piece of slime to not notice the spoiler warning and to think halo fans will be disappointed, if it comes with the 4 player co op, brilliant, if not then you will just have to live with it, if its not in the final shipping game it may be updated through xbox live like with the halo 2 map packs, stop whining and live with it, please some body give this baby a pacifier
Comment by nick, shut up June 28, 2007 @ 10:04 pmhey a real halo fan would not find the negative side to something, a good player would listen and contribute in a more civilized way, not like you, you freak, nick get a life, i guess on halo you betray all your team mates because you think the enemy will spare you, you would properly rocket your teams cars in case the enemy gets hold of one and comes to spank your ass with flaming hot whips…
Comment by nick, shut up June 28, 2007 @ 10:15 pmyou thing the man cannon if the enemy’s secret device to kill you, your wrong, it was in the beta for transport, not for launching mongooses, which you still believe are large furry creatures with you drive.
as most people say, shut the fuck up, give me your gamertag so i can piss you off when ever i want, if you don’t give me the name i will presume you haven’t got one, it needed to be said
bungie knows that people will search for hidden treasure in the coding, why do you thing they went through the trouble of giving the spartan a face, or letting you fly out the map on a banshee, they did it on purpose, for us, as they said in the beta,
loading,
Comment by nick, shut up June 28, 2007 @ 10:20 pmhalo 3 beta,
love bungie
This site is amazing. Im a new-comer to this site, but how many people run this or is it really a diary of a halo fan?
Comment by Sh?ne June 29, 2007 @ 5:02 pmyo i really want there to be 4 player co-op xbox live or watever so i can play wit my homeboys around the world. i’m looking forward to that. i’m a be real mad if u cant do it. they need to beat gears of war by having 4 player co op instead of 2. that would be amazing. or if there not gonna do 4p’s then at least do 2.
Comment by trippin June 30, 2007 @ 3:37 amYou all need to calm down what yall don’t know is that nick is right andyou all need to just shutup now if yall even bother to read my other commit yall will see that i have confirmed it maybe yall should read before yall post shit that yall get all worked up about
Calmthe fuck down
Comment by freakinidoit July 5, 2007 @ 5:40 amEveryone calm down.
I consider it disrespectful to talk like this in this comments section.
Congratulations 7th Columnist for an awesome website.
Comment by D-Thunda July 5, 2007 @ 8:01 amkeep up the good work dude!
everyone calm down part of Nick’s argument is right in the fact it needs a bigger disclaimer about these spoilers are subject to change but if he doesnt want to get all hyped up about halo 3 just to get disappointed then he shouldnt even be looking up halo 3 and if he doesnt like it too bad 7th has right to free speech and if bungie didnt want people to hack the beta they would be filing a lawsuit on the people who post the things they find instead of not doing anything so everyone it doesnt matter im excited about halo 3 and i dont like it when people get angry over something that might change in the next 2 months so lets all be respecable people and not start a war over something so small. And congrats 7th been trying to get the code open for a while and still dont have it :P
Comment by calm down July 12, 2007 @ 10:50 pmI read in an interview on IGN that ‘some of the code may even have been left in on purpose…’
Comment by D-thunda July 13, 2007 @ 3:48 amI think the people that say “Halo sux” is because they dont understand the story. I didn’t read most of the books but the campaign in the games tell you the Basic story about what’s happening. The books go more in-deph. Halo haters just see Halo as some bullshit game which is bullshit to me because they have not played Halo. And Halo has an epic story. I also think they’re judging the game by the Multiplayer that they have not played! They say “Bubble Shield is goning to make it unbalanced”….
Comment by DEL360X July 13, 2007 @ 4:56 am…. but it is ballanced. I’ve played the Friends and Family Beta and seen and learned how it works. So if you say Halo sucks without playing the game then that means your an ass. But if you say Halo sucks by playing Halo, then I will accept your judgement.
Case Closed.
– DEL360X
Comment by DEL360X July 13, 2007 @ 5:05 amI think the Master Chief’s gonna need to be using that fancy new energy shield to deflect all the criticism flying his way when Killzone and Haze stick a plasma grenade up Halo 3’s purple ass!
Comment by PS3 fannyboy August 2, 2007 @ 4:17 pmps3 fanboy i totally agree on that there will be a plasma grenade up chief ass, then he takes it out and shove it down the mouths of killzone and haze and you, you fagget sun of a bitch. get the hell out of here go back to killzone forums cause killzone 1 sucked before so what made you think we wanted more. go sucks sony’s dick my friends. haze nor killzone have any multiplayer so FU.
Comment by x_kenney_x August 2, 2007 @ 5:54 pmOMG FUCK U “x_kenney_x”! Last night I was playing KILLZONE. And guess what? It was hotter than Bradd Pitt naked on a pony in the middle of summer. And just as I like to curl up with a hot cup of cocoa, some gay pornography and my PS3 controller shoved up my ass, vibrating, Master Chief is going to curl up into a little ball and piss himself when Killzone 2 comes out because it’s going to be fucking awesome. That’s right, I said it. And no, I’m not a fanboy, just a fag with too much time on his hands. Suck my dick! (No, seriously, I’d be much obliged.)
Comment by PS3 FANNYBOY August 2, 2007 @ 6:21 pmomfg! Ur all fucking computer nobs! Go outside and do something rather than typing essays for fun.
Comment by a normal person December 29, 2007 @ 1:30 pmI mean, wtf sort of an insult is ‘u have no-one to play on Halo with’?
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh
my giant nob sticks in ur grandmothers
Comment by a normal person December 29, 2007 @ 1:32 pmsuzzane russo brass
Comment by Spalva-mt February 8, 2008 @ 3:57 pmwhat the hell why arnt there any mongoose in halo2
Comment by HALO z911 March 31, 2008 @ 7:36 pmI agree with anyone against Nick. & column, (he is right) should be able to say whatever he wants on his own website. this is a dumbass arguement anyways. just shut up! ps Nick is probably a really fat nerd
Comment by nick sucks February 21, 2009 @ 7:43 pmI\’d get so much more work done if it wasnt for pbbgs ;)
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