Halo 3... Worth the Hype?

Halo 3 is the latest version of the Halo series of games offered by Microsoft Game Studios. The Halo trilogy may have one of the largest followings of any game ever released. To most Halo game owners, the game is they're favourite, why is this?? Many speculate that the latest release is all hype, and Microsoft and Bungee programmers have blown the game out of proportion. Personally, I am all for the hype. It is a brilliant marketing strategy used by Bill Gates and his team at Microsoft. Many people bought the most advanced gaming console sold by Microsoft just for this game. The expectations were so high for this game; I guess it is only up to the owner to decide this.

Not only was Microsoft Game Studios' Halo 3 the most eagerly anticipated video game of the year, it achieved a milestone of a million preorders two months ago. This first person shooter has become a cultural phenomenon, spawning novels, comics, action figures and a top-secret project with Academy Award-winning director Peter Jackson.


So the big question is: Does "Halo 3" live up to the hype? Absolutely. The 3rd and final game e went on sale Tuesday at midnight, contributing to the billion-dollar saga.
The game doesn't stray from what made its predecessors so addictive, but die-hard fans can look forward to some new features, to make doling out their hard earned money justifiable.

The story in this third game is deeper than a usual "save the world" campaign. Halo 3 is mostly a first-person perspective like the previous games with the option to drive vehicles in the third person. The amazing high-definition graphics, which include many cinema quality story sequences, push the X-box 360 to its full potential. Thousands of lines of story and music help you immerse yourself in the story.

Screenshot of the graphics

The feature, which is probably most attractive to Halo 3 owners, is the fact that Halo 3 lets up to four gamers play through the entire game together in a cooperative mode either in front of the same television or on Xbox Live online gaming service. This may be why the hype is so anticipated, the fact that the game brings millions of people together with one common interest. Like we learned in class, the Internet and technology is a space binding. Making it able to bring gamers together into a small community. Also there is a new feature to record a portion of your game, to play back at any time, and from multiple camera angles. A new tool called Forge gives players the option to tweak existing multiplayer maps before playing on them with friends. While you cannot alter the general outline, you can place objects such as weapons and vehicles in different areas and change re-spawn points to structure the game differently.

Of course you may need to be an avid gamer to appreciate the new tweaks to the game. As well, because the game is for the X Box 360 platform, graphics are second to none.

In conclusion, I believe the game is worth the hype and so do many friends. I seriously think that with over 1.2 million preordered copies, many people have fallen for the hype. This game may not just be a game; it is a way of life to some and cultural phenomena amongst gamers.

These are some fans waiting in line for copies of the game at midnight.

Parking lot party the night of the release, note the booster cable to run the TV!!

The following is the link to the 90 second Halo 3 trailer. It's purpose again was to hype the game by reminding fans how epic the game was going to be. Alot of emotion is evoked by this concept of real toy figures combined with the music and finally the impending doom of Cheif.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjhSp7xGsMc

Another commercial with more run and gun hype to get the adrenaline flowing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCsdPszJLNQ&mode=related&search=

Finally the contrasting side to all the hype, Caution some people may not find this funny! View at your own risk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvanJYOGlus