Halo 3: ODST Message Board older than one year ago

Bungie quickly responded to a 60-page-long thread on the Halo 3: ODST forums where users complained the title had experienced disc read errors while playing in the game's Campaign and Firefight modes. Now, Microsoft has also sounded off on the errors, telling Eurogamer, "we are aware of a very small number of people who are reporting they can't play the game," and later adding "at this point it doesn't appear to be a widespread issue." In our last post regarding the game-crashing errors, we asked readers if they had encountered similar problems during their time with ODST. Out of the 5,608 participants who responded at the time this article was written, 1,769 (or 31.5 percent) had reported technical issues with the game. We're sure Microsoft has their own method of tracking this data, but our polling figures certainly make the problems seem as though they've spread fairly wide.

Halo 3: ODST had the type of UK launch one would expect from a Bungie Halo game. According to Chart Track, 64 percent of ODST's sales were recorded in the first 24 hours after launch last Tuesday, September 22, helping to rank the game twelfth on the list of all-time week one sell-throughs (for a single format). For context, Master Chief's previous outing, Halo 3, rocketed to the fourth highest first week sell-through upon its release, trailing only GTA: San Andreas for PS2, Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360, and -- surprise, surprise -- GTA IV for PS3. Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (the Diabolical Box in the States) premiered at the number two spot last week, with prior week's top performer, Need for Speed: Shift, tapping the brakes down to third. Source -- Halo 3: ODST shines brightly at #1 (Chart Track) Source -- All formats chart (Chart Track) Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes -- and our new miniFAQ!

During the last day of TGS 2009, Microsoft was handing out free (and stylish!) UNSC-branded t-shirts to gamers willing to wait in line to play (the already released) Halo 3: ODST. For their effort, gamers seemed to enjoy the reward of partaking in local multiplayer sessions of ODST's Firefight mode. Check out a closer look at the shirt after the break.

According to a rather lengthy thread on Bungie.net, several Halo 3: ODST players are having technical issues with the game. Users are reporting that disc read errors are occurring during the game, rendering it unplayable. Some believe the issue only affects older consoles, specifically those with older DVD drives. Anecdotally, our own David Hinkle encountered the DRE issue on a 2008 Elite. According to Hinkle, installing the game to the hard drive seemed to fix the problem. He later bought a second copy of the game and hasn't encountered the issue again. It's also worth noting that this issue seems to be isolated to the ODST campaign and Firefight mode. The Halo 3 multiplayer disc appears to be unaffected. Bungie is looking into the problem, with a member of the test team asking forum users for specific information about problems that have been encountered. For those out there with a copy of ODST, let your voice be heard in the poll below. View Poll

It's been on store shelves for less than two days and Halo 3: ODST has logged nearly a million players in the last 24 hours. More specifically, according to Bungie.net, the game had logged 936,278 players when this post was written. All of those troopers have managed to put away 5,653,310 games. That's roughly six games per person in a 24-hour period. On a weekday. We don't want to jump the gun here, but Bungie just might have a success on its hands.

So, now you have ODST. The second you get home from work / school / gambling, you're going to pop in that disc and get ready for some Firefight. But what's this? You have a whole new character to customize and you haven't done any planning? Getting your color scheme just right could take you hours, possibly even days. And that's why we're here to help by pointing you to the new Halo 3: ODST armor generator. Now you can check out all the custom color and helmet options anywhere, even at work / school / the track. Just like the original Halo 3 armor generator, the ODST generator lets you pick your character, colors and even your helmet preference, and then shows you the results in real time. Go ahead and get your choices settled now. That way you won't have to waste any time later. Our suggestion: Go with a classic "Pink and Black Attack."

For those looking for just one more way to celebrate the release of Halo 3: ODST, we've got some good news. A premium ODST theme is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace. The theme obviously offers up some art from Halo 3: ODST, but also lets you surround the poor souls on your friends list with menacing Brutes. Best of all, the theme is free for Gold members (unlike the grotesquely expensive Sgt. Johnson). Go ahead, add it to your download queue and complete the ODST experience. Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes and our Skull Location video guide.

Pre-ordering is for the weak -- those who truly want Sgt. Johnson will pay the price he's worth for his survive-anything awesomeness, which is currently 99999 on the Xbox Marketplace, a measly $1,250 converted to Earth dollars. That pre-order price is lookin' pretty good now, huh? Carpe diem, capitalists! Those with the code can put that on eBay for ... $10?! Hey, Microsoft, are you trying to rip off someone who's got too many points burning a whole in their virtual wallet? Carpe diem, capitalists, indeed! [Thanks, Jesse]

For some, Halo 3: ODST's $60 price point has become a point of contention (though not for us, we should note). And not for Bethesda production director Ashley Cheng either, who says on his blog that, "reviewers are now mentioning that Halo 3: ODST may not be worth the price point, that it should've been cheaper, etc. ... give me a break." According to him, these complaints wouldn't be arising if it weren't for the game's "totally bungled" marketing campaign. "First saying it was a standalone expansion pack, then coming out and saying wait, no, we're charging full price because - surprise! - we put 'more' stuff in it and it's called Halo 3: ODST now, vs its original title, Halo 3: Recon." Bungie has since justified the new price point to us, though apparently for some that just wasn't enough.

Whether you're preparing to drop right in or are wavering outside the enlistment office, this is your basic field guide to Halo 3: ODST.Jump to a specific answer by clicking on a question below, or view the entire FAQ after the break: Is ODST worth $60? What's in the box? What's it like not playing as Master Chief? What are the new weapons in ODST? Will you show me the Achievements list? How many missions are in Campaign? What are the collectible Audio Logs, and how many are there? Is co-op play supported in Campaign? What are the basic rules of Firefight? How many missions (or maps) are in Firefight? Can I customize my character in Firefight? How many skull modifiers are there, and what does each skull do in Firefight? Does Firefight support online matchmaking? Is there new Halo 3 multiplayer content? Do I need to keep downloaded Halo 3 maps on my hard drive? Where are the hidden skulls in the new Mythic maps? How do I unlock Recon armor for Halo 3 multiplayer? WARNING: FAQ contains spoilers pertaining to names and descriptive elements of Campaign and Firefight missions, Achievements, and certain hidden/unlockable content.

Warning: Spoilers! As we did when the Mythic Map Pack was released, Joystiq brings you a quick video guide to locating the final three skulls in the new Halo 3 multiplayer maps included with ODST. In order for gamers to grab the final skulls -- and the Gamerscore attached to them -- players will need to enter each new map (Citadel, Heretic and Longshore) in Forge mode accessed on ODST's second disc.Like the Mythic Map Pack, not every skull is in an easy to reach location. Citadel may pose somewhat of a challenge, because the skull is placed in an area gamers may not be able to access when exiting Monitor mode. However, with the help of a few objects and the Grav Life equipment, it will eventually be yours. Found a better way to grab the skulls? Drop some science in the comments! Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes.

Xbox Canada is hosting a Halo 3: ODST training event in Toronto -- and you're invited. Starting tonight at 7PM (and ending 10PM), fans will get a chance to participate in a variety of Halo-inspired events, including basic training and going head-to-head with other ODST "recruits."The public event takes place at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto's Distillery District. As far as what kind of "training" Canadian gamers can expect... well, it's a good thing health care is given away like candy in the Great White North.

We train the lens on Bungie game designer Alex Pfeiffer and Microsoft global product manager Ryan Crosby for this look into the design and marketing of Halo 3: ODST, and the future of the franchise. Be sure to check out Joystiq's Halo 3: ODST Review, as well as in-depth analysis of the Campaign and Firefight games modes.

Spike got a five-minute look at the upcoming anime Halo Legends, and (as you'll see for yourself right after the break) it's got all our favorite tropes of the genre: comically exaggerated animations, vaguely effeminate dudes and very weird-looking soups. Of course, it's also got something else that's going to have your eyes glued to all 298 seconds: Master Chief being a total badass and kicking the living crap out of a Brute. Enjoy. [Via Siliconera]

If our late-night review of Halo 3: ODST filled you with an unbridled desire to purchase the noir-filled shooter, Toys R Us will have quite the deal on the game's launch day. Those willing to travel to the giraffe-approved retailer this Tuesday are eligible to receive an ODST action figure and a $20 gift card with their purchase of the title. We suggest spending the complimentary Geoffrey Bucks on another action figure to keep your lil' trooper company as you spend the next few weeks exploring New Mombasa. Make sure you don't purchase any Master Chief action figures, though. There's no reason to give the poor guy an inferiority complex.

Enter "The Green Box." The question we've all been asking ourselves: Is Halo 3: ODST worth $60? If you want the answer, this is your review: In hindsight, announcing what was then "Halo 3: Recon" as a "value-oriented" expansion appears to have been a crucial first misstep for Microsoft and Bungie along the road to marketing what is now Halo 3: ODST. In time, the so-called expansion grew to include a complete campaign with 4-player support; Firefight, a separate co-op multiplayer mode; a comprehensive version of Halo 3 multiplayer; and access to the Halo: Reach beta when it becomes available at an unspecified date next year. ODST was ultimately set at the standard, full-game price of $60. That's when folks got skeptical.So how's your money being spent? $30 + $10 + $10 + The Remainder = Halo 3: ODST