** Hail to the Master Chief! 'Halo 2' is Coming **

[DrUnKtAnK]

Thursday August 8, 9:01 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Microsoft Corp. LINK

Hail to the Master Chief! 'Halo 2' is Coming to an Xbox Near You
Microsoft Game Studios Announces 'Halo 2' and 'Project Gotham Racing 2,' Highly Anticipated Sequels to Top-Selling Xbox Games
NEW YORK, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- It's time again for gamers to assume the role of Master Chief, protecting humanity with a powerful armory of guns and grenades as they battle the relentless Covenant scourge. It's also time for gamers to be among the first to grab the steering wheel of a shiny new Enzo Ferrari and race through the streets of some of the world's most exotic cities.

Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) today announced at the X02 North America event that "Halo(TM) 2" and "Project Gotham Racing(TM) 2," sequels to best-selling Xbox(TM) games from Microsoft Game Studios, are in development for the Xbox video game system. "Halo 2," developed by Bungie Studios, is expected to arrive on store shelves for the 2003 holiday season, and "Project Gotham Racing 2," developed by Bizarre Creations, is due in early 2004.

"Halo 2," a sci-fi action/first-person shooter game, is a full sequel to the best-selling original and will continue the story of the Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier who is the only man that has successfully defied the Covenant, a coalition of alien races on a murderous march toward Earth. "Halo 2" surpasses its predecessor both in graphical beauty and combat intensity. The Master Chief and his marine allies return to battle the full complement of Covenant forces, as well as new enemies who have not yet revealed themselves. "Halo 2" also expands the Master Chief's already substantial arsenal with powerful new weapons, many pried from the twitching claws of defeated enemies, as well as more than twice as many drivable vehicles for exploring vast landscapes or speeding into battle. In addition to its epic single-player campaign, "Halo 2" will be playable online through Xbox Live.

"Project Gotham Racing 2" returns to city streets with new fully licensed vehicles from major car manufacturers including Ferrari and Porsche. This engaging racing game sequel includes more than 50 vehicles as well as new cities, including Edinburgh, Scotland, and Hong Kong. More ways to earn Kudos will be available, as well as a new rating system, a more accurate way to rank players rather than just by the number of Kudos they have earned. "Project Gotham Racing 2" also enables gamers to play online through the Xbox Live service.........

Read the full article click on the url below:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/020808/sfth019_1.html

[Chr0nik]

Good find, I can't wait.

[DrUnKtAnK]

How about this:

HALO2 wallpapers: http://www.bungie.net/perlbin/blam.p...sktops04.html&

HALO2 screenshots: http://www.bungie.net/perlbin/blam.p...eenshots.html&

[wweomaniac]

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but why is it taking project gotham 2 so long to make?

[Chr0nik]

Just blew a load in my pants, those screens are awesome.

[DrUnKtAnK]

Originally posted by wweomaniac
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but why is it taking project gotham 2 so long to make?

I noticed that too, early 2004...eek

That's alright, I still will be trying to unlock all the cars in GT2002 when 2004 rolls around

[Tinny]

PICTURES! THEY! LOOK! ABSOLUTELY! FABULOUSLY! STUNNING!

Who is the guy that brang me this sweer nectar? DrUnKtAnK, name you drink. I am buying for you. I thankyou. My brother thanks you. I guess we will all thankyou for posting the link to this fabulous glimpse of Halo 2.

The MC looks kinda weird. But I will probably get use to it. Sorry, yeah yeah I know, the game ain't finished yet and the trailer screenshots don't make out the game very well but there is something not exactly right... it ain't EXCTLY like real life! Boy do those shots look great, and I am guessing this is "what you see is what you get" ingame. True or false? If true, can I just say: DOOM III, you have a challenger! Oh, and is these screenshots are anything to go by... imagine how bloody good the final game is!?

That FAMAS lookalike weapon looks pretty damn cool. I can make out some Chinese symbols but I can' read them and "Kat 9.6mmx40" Still, I hope this weapon does not replace the AR. But I would love to use this weapons aswell. *Sigh* GIVE ME HALO 2 NOW!!!!

PS. Where is the MC? In the Longsword Fighter? Note: In the second row, middle pic, there is the sentence "FIGHTER BAY A-02" Does it mean a "fighter bay" for the Londsword fighter like cargo bay or is it the fighterbay in a capital ship?

EDIT: Lemme just post one of those pics.

[faceoff508]

AWSOME!!!!!!!! ABSOULTLY AWSOME!!!!! The thing is in development and IT LOOKS THIS GOOD!!

[Snapple]

thats good news, but will project gotham 1 and halo 1 be on xbox live i hope(at lest for halo)

[DrUnKtAnK]

Halo 2 Announced
By Matt Soell
August 8, 2002

After Halo shipped, a lot of people assumed they knew what Bungie would do next. "Of course they'll do a sequel to Halo," went the prevailing wisdom. "They'd be stupid not to capitalize on the success of the first game. And there are so many loose ends to tie up. Yeah, there's definitely a sequel in the works." So it may not come as a surprise to you, dear readers, that we formally announced Halo 2 at X02 in New York City this morning.

I think I can assume that anyone reading about Halo 2 on Bungie's own Halo site probably knows the basics already. You already know Halo 2 is the sequel to Halo. You already know Halo walked off with a ton of rave reviews and Game-of-the-Year awards. You already know the bar has been raised and expectations for a sequel are high. You already know Bungie has no intention of disappointing anyone.

What you really want to know is: "What does it look like? What's new? What's the solo campaign all about? What about multiplayer?" And of course the all-important "When can I get my hands on it?"

The game itself is everything you loved about the original Halo, but with all the knobs turned up to 11 this time round. This is not a quickie "Halo 1.5" follow-up using the same engine. We are using a completely rewritten graphics engine which allows our artists to work in previously unimaginable complexity and detail. Anyone who thinks the original Halo stretched the Xbox's graphical abilities to the limit is mistaken. There are gorgeous new realms to be explored, and Halo 2 will take you there. There will be several new weapons in addition to the reliable old standards from the first game. Not to mention the new vehicles you'll ride into battle. Or the many new enemies you'll face. If you had a hard time with the handful of Covenant races you met in the first game, you may wish to start practicing now; you'll need it when they unleash the rest of their army.

Halo 2 returns you to the role of the Master Chief - still humanity's best weapon against the Covenant. Their defeat at Halo was only temporary, and they are pursuing their goal - the complete obliteration of humankind - with renewed zeal. Human military forces are exhausted and unable to stave off the Covenant's rapid advance toward Earth. Even with the Master Chief back in action, the situation looks dire - and this is at the beginning of the game, before things get a lot worse. In true Bungie tradition, the solo campaign in Halo 2 deepens and expands upon the story that began in the first game: old questions will be answered, new mysteries will unfold, and the truly epic nature of the story will finally be revealed.

Multiplayer is an entirely different kettle of fish. Halo 2 is designed from the ground up to support internet multiplayer games over Xbox Live™. You're no longer limited to playing LAN games against friends who live nearby. What's more, the multiplayer experience is being completely redesigned. The first Halo offered just a glimpse of what we originally had in mind; now, in Halo 2, our designers' vision will come to glorious, explosive fruition.

In all honesty, your humble author is a bit giddy with excitement over this game, and I think you will be too. For a quick look at what you can expect to see, check out our Screenshots section. There are seven new Halo 2 screenshots available, including three shots exclusive to bungie.net. These are taken from the Halo 2 trailer shown to the press this morning, which will be released to the internet soon. While you're there, we've also got four glorious new desktops to spiff up your computer. We'll have plenty of Halo 2 coverage here at bungie.net in the months ahead, so be sure to check back.

Source: http://www.bungie.net/perlbin/blam.p...announced.html

[faceoff508]

Originally posted by DrUnKtAnK
Halo 2 Announced
By Matt Soell
August 8, 2002

After Halo shipped, a lot of people assumed they knew what Bungie would do next. "Of course they'll do a sequel to Halo," went the prevailing wisdom. "They'd be stupid not to capitalize on the success of the first game. And there are so many loose ends to tie up. Yeah, there's definitely a sequel in the works." So it may not come as a surprise to you, dear readers, that we formally announced Halo 2 at X02 in New York City this morning.

I think I can assume that anyone reading about Halo 2 on Bungie's own Halo site probably knows the basics already. You already know Halo 2 is the sequel to Halo. You already know Halo walked off with a ton of rave reviews and Game-of-the-Year awards. You already know the bar has been raised and expectations for a sequel are high. You already know Bungie has no intention of disappointing anyone.

What you really want to know is: "What does it look like? What's new? What's the solo campaign all about? What about multiplayer?" And of course the all-important "When can I get my hands on it?"

The game itself is everything you loved about the original Halo, but with all the knobs turned up to 11 this time round. This is not a quickie "Halo 1.5" follow-up using the same engine. We are using a completely rewritten graphics engine which allows our artists to work in previously unimaginable complexity and detail. Anyone who thinks the original Halo stretched the Xbox's graphical abilities to the limit is mistaken. There are gorgeous new realms to be explored, and Halo 2 will take you there. There will be several new weapons in addition to the reliable old standards from the first game. Not to mention the new vehicles you'll ride into battle. Or the many new enemies you'll face. If you had a hard time with the handful of Covenant races you met in the first game, you may wish to start practicing now; you'll need it when they unleash the rest of their army.

Halo 2 returns you to the role of the Master Chief - still humanity's best weapon against the Covenant. Their defeat at Halo was only temporary, and they are pursuing their goal - the complete obliteration of humankind - with renewed zeal. Human military forces are exhausted and unable to stave off the Covenant's rapid advance toward Earth. Even with the Master Chief back in action, the situation looks dire - and this is at the beginning of the game, before things get a lot worse. In true Bungie tradition, the solo campaign in Halo 2 deepens and expands upon the story that began in the first game: old questions will be answered, new mysteries will unfold, and the truly epic nature of the story will finally be revealed.

Multiplayer is an entirely different kettle of fish. Halo 2 is designed from the ground up to support internet multiplayer games over Xbox Live™. You're no longer limited to playing LAN games against friends who live nearby. What's more, the multiplayer experience is being completely redesigned. The first Halo offered just a glimpse of what we originally had in mind; now, in Halo 2, our designers' vision will come to glorious, explosive fruition.

In all honesty, your humble author is a bit giddy with excitement over this game, and I think you will be too. For a quick look at what you can expect to see, check out our Screenshots section. There are seven new Halo 2 screenshots available, including three shots exclusive to bungie.net. These are taken from the Halo 2 trailer shown to the press this morning, which will be released to the internet soon. While you're there, we've also got four glorious new desktops to spiff up your computer. We'll have plenty of Halo 2 coverage here at bungie.net in the months ahead, so be sure to check back.

Source: http://www.bungie.net/perlbin/blam.p...announced.html

TRAILER!!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE THE TRAILER. I AM GOING CRAZY!!

[OppiumNitrates]

Originally posted by DrUnKtAnK
. You're no longer limited to playing LAN games against friends who live nearby.

i especially like this line since, i live in NJ and have played Halo with Maximus all the way in seattle and neighter of us had to leave our living rooms

[Dre]

Originally posted by faceoff508


TRAILER!!! I CANT WAIT TO SEE THE TRAILER. I AM GOING CRAZY!!

I think those screens are from the trailer.. I can't wait to see it!!!!! Man it looks like its going to be amazing!! Hopefully by the time that this game comes out, I'll have graduated and will have my 110" widescreen hdtv

[Brevity]

MY MY, I cant wait

[Snapple]

anybody going to answer my question

[DrUnKtAnK]

Originally posted by xboxfan38
anybody going to answer my question

I hope that we would see a v 1.5 for both for the lauch of LIVE, but it seems doubtful...who knows???

[Duke]

I'm going to do my best to forget I even saw this for about a year. No point in getting excited now. Those screens do look pretty sick though.

[Snapple]

i just really want halo ce on xbox live and project gotham so i dont have to go out and by a crap load of games

[Duke]

Originally posted by xboxfan38
anybody going to answer my question

I agree with drunktank. In fact, I'm pretty sure if you check the rumors section of the bungie website they say that there will definitely NOT be a v1.5.

I'd love to be proven wrong though.

*edit - I guess it would have been easier to just edit the first damn post. sorry.

[E Nomini Patri]

Originally posted by xboxfan38
will project gotham 1 and halo 1 be on xbox live i hope(at lest for halo)

No, they can't be. It's not possible unless the dev teams go through and build the games up again and include all the stuff for X-box LIVE. Ain't gonna happen! (I love that line