Halo 3 to compete directly with Playstation 3?

[LTM360]

Off the Record 02.25.05
Here are two rumors you haven't heard anywhere else...
by U. R. Agossip

February 25, 2005 - You've dialed Off the Record, the inner workings of IGN Xbox. This is the ongoing and unofficial place to learn what's going on behind the scenes of the videogame industry, specifically for the Xbox. When we learn it, we tell you here. Check back each Friday to find out what else has happened in this fast-paced, ever-changing industry.

In the last few weeks, Mr. Agossip, our new snoop here at IGN Xbox, has gleaned the watercoolers of America looking for good, clean rumors to offer you. These two stories should whet your whistle quite well.

Mercenary Strike
The game you know and love called Mercenaries was not always a LucasArts game. It was once something quite different. Three sources have helped piece together this little story for you, and two of them have died to provide this crucial news. First, Mercenaries was at one time an EA game. And second, it was, at one time, going to be the next iteration in the publisher's long-running, but recently absent, Strike series.

Can you see it? Mercenaries as a Strike game? Totally. This short re-telling of the story goes back a few years. About two years ago, EA contracted Pandemic to make a Strike game, and in the process of about 10 months, it went from being a helicopter game to a third-person action game, back to.... blah blah who cares about this....




Halo 3 In Production
Yes, we have news about Halo 3. IGN learned last week while drinking secretly imported beers with its informants that Microsoft is prepared for the battle of its life in this upcoming console war. From what we understand, Bungie is hard at work on, not so surprisingly, Halo 3, which will be ready day and date with the launch of PlayStation 3.

So, while Bungie said it's working on something else, well, we have different news. Sure, the smart creative guys at Bungie are working on something else, but you had better bet your bottom dollar they're also working on the next Halo. The release of Halo 3 at the precise launch of PS3 is a pure, military tactical move, similar to the PS2's greatest lineup ever launching simultaneously with the launch of the Xbox and GameCube. It's designed to counter Sony's upcoming launch with the best weapon Earth has on its side, Master Chief. Go, John 17, go! Save Earth from Sony!

If they can finish Halo 3 by that time, I'll say this should be very interesting.

[BlindSniper]

Wow, that is an interesting rumour....
I don't want halo 3 to be rushed though. That would be very funny though, and would probably take a somewhat chunk out of ps3's sales.

[Wolfboy_888]

apparently they make a better game when rushed..

1 > 2

[lllSmokelll]

would probably take a somewhat chunk out of ps3's sales.

uhhh why would it?

people that have PS2's (which is a lot) u think its gona stop them buying a pS3 just cause Halo 3 is coming out?

[Casper]

Didn't Bungie already say that they were working on H2 and H3 at the same thing? This isn't really shocking to me.

[Xer0Mercy]

This is cool. Now that they're more used to meeting a deadline, I think they'll be able to actually finish it in time now. They should have learned their lesson from H2 and become a more efficient team to make the game better, in a shorter amount of time.

[Snowblind]

So are they still going to make the Halo 2 Directers Cut for the NextBox?

[Variation-XBA]

If they somehow managaged to pull this together and launch it same day as PS3, next gen "war" will be right.... MS has the gahones if they can do it.

[SamSmith]

well i sure dont want halo 2,5!! i dont want this game rushed out... it better live up to the fantastic halo2... they know it needs to.
but i hope that instead of just making use of the consoles power (like halo) i want it to push it to its limits like halo2... i would worry since on the early years of a console games dont really make use of its full power... only when it is maturing you know?
thats whats happening to xbox right now, with D3, H2 and rid**** and loads more

[LiquidX]

I dont trust the rumors of anyone who calles the MC John 17, it's 117! But its not hard to believe since everyone is expecting the Xbox 2/Next/360 to launch like a year ahead of PS3... That means they have around 1 and 1/2 more years. Most likely they would reuse the H2 engine with only a few improvements to cut down on development time. It could definately be done.

[thAshAdyOne]

all I'm saying is this...is it hard to htink that H3 was being worked on as part of h2..but got cut and is being built on as the mindblowing h3?

[Sammael]

Game Informer reported this 3 months ago.

[GuiltySpark]

So, Halo 3 in 2007? I can't wait!

I hope they have something at e3 that has to do with halo. It would be in M$'s best interest to release something Halo-ish for the 360...

The 360 launch is going to be mega-tacular....

[CMX Jedi]

i think they where a lot farther in production on halo 2 then what we got, and they just cut it off there and saved the rest for h3

[Nervusbreakdown]

yeah I read that at ign.com if this is true it can really hurt sony in some way but not in a big way.

[vman]

Not surprising to me at all. I knew they wouldnt have H3 at launch for X2. I would have done the same thing if I was MS&Bungie. That was actually what I was hoping they would do. Still, its a rumor, so we have yet to see what will happen.

[Rochey69r]

i recon halo 2 was awesome and was argueing eith a friend about it..he reckons its crap. then he asked me this 'how many times did we play campaign mode on halo 1?' my reply 'heaps, lost count by far' then he goes 'ok, well how many times have you beaten halo 2?' and i pause..........'once...' and thats when it hit me that Halo 2 was crap! the multiplayer is UNREAL...but story mode sucks and takes away from the whole thing..IMO Halo 2....8/10 game...Halo 1....10/10....

i wonder how halo 3 will be considering halo 2 took years and halo 3 will only be in production for 2 years at max and perphaps not have the whole bungie team working on it?

hmmm time will tell

[MerimacHamwich]

And then you realise Halo 1 was out for 3 years before Halo 2 came out. As well, Halo 2 has only been out for 3-4 months. Ofcourse you've played Halo 1 more.

[CRAYMAN]

uhhh why would it?

people that have PS2's (which is a lot) u think its gona stop them buying a pS3 just cause Halo 3 is coming out?

Releasing a 'groundbreaking' game at the same time that Sony's PS3 is released will definitely impact the sales of the PS3. Certainly unless Sony has a comparable title to launch with it. Isn't that what happened at the launch of the Xbox?

Plus, there is a financial consideration. With all of the new games coming out for the
Xbox recently, I have NOT purchased a GC. Even though I want to play RE4, I can buy Mercenaries, Street Fighter Collection and ANY other game and STILL have $$$ left as opposed to getting a Cube, memory card and RE4.

And then you realise Halo 1 was out for 3 years before Halo 2 came out. As well, Halo 2 has only been out for 3-4 months. Ofcourse you've played Halo 1 more.

Yeah, but I think it's fairly well accepted/acknowledged that Halo1's campaign is better than Halo2's.
On a side note: Why do I HAVE to play as the stupid Arbiter??? I wanna be the MC!!!!

[wbio]

Not surprising to me at all. I knew they wouldnt have H3 at launch for X2. I would have done the same thing if I was MS&Bungie. That was actually what I was hoping they would do. Still, its a rumor, so we have yet to see what will happen.

I don't think it's coming out at the Xbox launch, because Xbox is supposed to launch a year before PS3, and this says it is coming at the same time as the PS3. ANyways, I hope this is true, and if it is, I hope Halo 3 is awesome just like 1 and 2.