i.nconspicuo.us

After all the anticipation for the actual release date of the Halo 3 beta, some more speculation begins. EBGames.com has posted a Halo 3 Xbox Live Gold Card that is said to ship on April 20th, 2007. Many think that the release date of this Xbox Live Gold Card will also be the release date of the much anticipated Halo 3 beta. Is there any truth to this, or is it all speculation? I think it is strictly speculation, though I’d love to be proven wrong this time (probably not going to happen).

I think the Halo 3 beta will be delayed, and I think the actual release date of the the full version Halo 3 game will be delayed. The Halo 3 beta release date will probably not be disclosed anytime soon, and will most likely end up getting pushed back from late spring to early summer, and the Halo 3 game release date will be pushed back from November 2007 to early spring 2008. You can quote me on that!

Okay, phases 1 and 2 of the Halo 3 beta signup contest are now over, what’s the deal with now getting an actual look at the game? Apparently Bungie Studios is being overwhelmed with emails from people complaining that they didn’t get accepted into the Halo 3 beta. These people need to shutup, because I got my copy, and I absolutely suck at Halo! I’m still a “noob”… haha!!!

UPDATE 5/12/2007

If you’re looking for the actual release time click here.

UPDATE 5/16/2007

If you’re looking for the release time for the Crackdown Halo 3 Beta click here.

UPDATE 5/16/2007

Halo 3 Beta Fix for Crackdown Users

Using all of my knowledge, I was able to come up with a firm date of which I think the Halo 3 beta will actually become available for download. After all of my reading and searching through the internet, combined with a couple conversations from some “gaming insiders”, my estimate had been narrowed down to April… I was originally guessing that April 15th would be the day that we’d see the download, but after reading Bungie’s latest I’m thinking that we’re more realistically looking at a May release date.

“There are still many details of the Halo 3 beta to be finalized but one thing we did want to confirm is that the beta will not be starting with the release of Crackdown. Crackdown will be available in stores starting Tuesday, 2/20, but the Halo 3 multiplayer beta start date is still being finalized. We’re still aiming for a Spring release, but it could be more like late Spring.”

Is May even considered Spring still? I don’t know, but either way, my money is on Halo 3 Beta, released and downloadable May 3, 2007.

Here’s the other kicker… the length of the actual beta period. Bungie (and Mircrosoft Game Studios) are certainly not going to let the beta run all the way up until the game is actually released in Fall of 2007 (Fall – somewhere between September 23 and December 21). Anyone have any ideas on the actual length of the beta trial period? I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s going to involve the number 3. My guess? Halo 3 Beta once activated, will be available for 3 weeks, 3 days, 3 hours, 3 minutes and 3 seconds. How’s that for your Rule of 3?

So its official… after about a year or so, my Xbox 360 has officially crapped out on me. I turned it on last night and had a flashing red ring of light. I guess this is a fairly common problem, after having searched the internet for a solution, but it also sounds like microsoft is usually more than willing to fix the problem promptly.

This morning I called Xbox customer support (800) 4-MY-XBOX and they informed me that I have to send my console in, which they claim that they will fix within 10 business days. We’ll see about that.

Looks like I may have to hook up my original Xbox so I can keep on playing Halo 2 until my Xbox 360 gets repaired. What a hassle!

Has anyone else had this problem, or am I the only lucky one?

Stay tuned to see what happens with my 360…

Xbox 360 Repair Update

On Tuesday morning, January 30th – I packaged my Xbox and sent it into the Repair Center. What can brown do for you? I’ll tell you what they can do for me… they can hussle that ass up and get my Xbox delivered to Texas ASAP! I miss Gears of War!!!

Xbox 360 Repair Update 2

On Friday, February 2nd, I got notice from UPS that my package had been delivered to the repair center. On Saturday, February 3rd, I got notice from Xbox / Microsoft letting me know that they had received my Xbox360 and it was in their system for processing. Here’s a copy of the exact image:

Dear Customer,
We have received your Xbox at our service center. It is our priority to process your Xbox in a timely manner and to get it back to you as good as new. We will contact you as soon as we are finished so you can get ready to get back into the game!

Thanks,
Xbox Customer Care

Xbox 360 Repair Update 3

On Wednesday, February 7th, my Xbox was returned to me. Not a very painful process at all. I understand that Microsoft will send you a box for shipping if you request one, but I just packaged the xbox myself in order to get it sent out faster. They fixed the problem in a day and had my console back in the mail the following day (shipped via UPS – 3 day select service).

So I turned on my Xbox this evening to get my Halo on, and instead of the normal single green light in the upper left quadrant, I had 3 flashing red lights. Apparently this is the Xbox’s way of telling you that there is something all F’ed up. Depending on the severity of the problem, a different number of quadrants could be flashing red when you boot up your broken Xbox 360. Here’s your guide on what you need to do to figure out what’s wrong with it.

First off, you’re either going to need the capability of remembering 4 digits, or you’re going to have to go get a pen and paper.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, while your Xbox Ring of Light (RoL) is flashing red, press and hold the synch button (the controller connect button) and while holding it, press the DVD eject button. This will put the Ring of Light (RoL) into a faster blink and the the number of lit quandrants may change. This process will need to be repeated 4 times (hence the need for the pen and paper if you’re incapable of remembering 4 digits, but you’re somehow able to remember where every weapon on every map in Halo 2 is). Each time your press the synch and DVD eject button simultaneously, write down the approprite number from the following table:

Here’s an example:

1. Turn on your Xbox360 and wait for the red lights.
2. Press and hold the synch button, then press the DVD eject button – if all 4 lights flash, write down “0″ and repeat this 3 more times.
3. Press and hold the synch button, then press the DVD eject button – 1 light flashes, write down “1″ and repeat this 2 more times.
4. Press and hold the synch button, then press the DVD eject button – all 4 lights flash, write down “0″ and repeat this 1 more time.
5. Press and hold the synch button, then press the DVD eject button – 2 lights flash, write down “2″.
6. Now you’ve got your error code: “0102″

Okay, so now you know how to figure out your error code, use the list below to figure out what’s wrong with your Xbox… and if your lucky (I was not) the list will not say “Not yet known”.

0001 – Power Supply Problem
0002 – Power Supply Problem
0003 – (not yet known)
…
0010 – Over Heating
0011 – Over Heating
0012 – Over Heating
0013 – Over Heating
…
0020 – not yet known, possibly overheating
0021 – not yet known
0022 – GPU Error / GPU Overheating
…
0101 – not yet known
0102 – unknown error*
…
0110 – Memory Error / Memory Overheating
…
1003 – Hard Drive Error**
…
1010 – Hard Drive Error, Can be caused buy a currupt or missing Eprom.
…
1013 – not yet known
…
1020 – not yet known
…
1022 AV cable error***
…
1030 – not yet known

* Literally means the console does not know what is wrong. Possibly a short or cold solder joint somewhere (2 reports of people repairing this, one was removing moisture build up inside the console, the other used a hot-air rework to reflow the BGA Ram chips)

** It could be a problem with the Hard Drive itself or a problem with the internal connection to the hard drive, Try removing the hard drive and playing without it

*** There is a problem with the AV cable, try using a different AV cable. (could also be a problem with the encoder chip)

Hopefully this helps… it didn’t help me, so it looks like I’m going to be making a call to Microsoft/Xbox Customer Support. Here’s the number: (800) 4-MY-XBOX

Free DJ Hero

Just click the banner below and enter your zip code to check eligibility. Most will qualify!

Though there is not yet a release date, all you Guitar Hero fans will soon be able to rock out with Guitar Hero II on Xbox360. I think the biggest improvement is going to be the fact that they offer downloadable content… can you say WOLFMOTHER???

The following text was taken from xbox.com:

Guitar Hero II™ explodes onto Xbox 360™ with over 70 songs and the revolutionary X-Plorer® Guitar Controller. Choose from a wild group of rockers and jam at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses. Play with a friend and shred riffs cooperatively, or go head-to-head in multiplayer modes like Pro Face-Off.

• New for Xbox 360: This version of Guitar Hero II includes the X-Plorer Guitar Controller, additional songs, and downloadable content.
• Killer soundtrack: Rock out with with over 70 jaw-dropping tracks, including You Really Got Me, War Pigs, Beast and the Harlot, Crazy on You, Carry On Wayward Son, Heart-Shaped Box, Killing in the Name, Sweet Child O’ Mine, Message in a Bottle, Shout at the Devil, and Surrender.
• Content downloads: With Xbox Live®, grab new songs, themes, and picture packs. Download exclusive songs and check where you rank on the Guitar Hero II leaderboard.
• Multiplayer: Grab a friend and form your own rock band in Cooperative Mode. Want to see who can rule the stage? Go head-to-head with a friend in Pro Face-Off mode.
• Practice mode: It’s going to take some practice to sell out stadiums and have fans screaming your name.

Apparently Xbox and Bungie will be releasing a beta version of Halo 3 in February 2007. You can either get a copy of the beta by being one of the first 13,333 players who complete all of the requirements (listed below) or, you can take the simple way out and purchase a copy of Crackdown (www.xbox.com/en-US/games/c/crackdown/default.htm) In my opinion expert opinion, this looks like a huge stunt on the part of Microsoft and/or Bungie to sell copies of a horrible game, that would otherwise remain on the shelf for months. I’m just going to burn a copy of the Halo 3 Beta when it becomes available!

For those of you who are interested in learing how to be one of the lucky 13,333 who can earn a free copy of the Halo 3 Beta, read below.

The following text was taken from www.halo3.com:

The Xbox Live multiplayer public beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of Halo 3, is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on Xbox 360. This beta also represents an opportunity for gamers to give information that will help in the development of Halo 3. Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further refine and hone the end result of the game.

Phase one registration is now closed. If you have been selected to participate, congratulations and stay tuned for an email notification on the week of January 22-26, 2007.

For those of you that didn’t make it in – fret not as this phase one was just the first of three ways to secure an invite to participate in the development of Halo 3. The next two paths of entry are the following:
- Qualifying over Xbox Live via the “Rule of Three” program in early February
- Purchasing marked packages of the upcoming game Crackdown™, which hits store shelves in the U.S. on Feb. 20

Details of both of these programs are provided below.

Rule of Three Program
The “Rule of Three” program is currently planned for gamers (17 years and older) in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) and Canada who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the Halo 2 game.

It is a two-step process:
1. Participate in at least three hours of Halo 2 multiplayer sessions on your Xbox 360 console via Xbox Live during the three (3) day period beginning February 1st at 12:01 am EST and ending February 3rd at 11:59 pm EST.
2. After the three day window is over, head back over to www.halo3.com on February 5th and register.

If you are one of the FIRST 13,333 to do this (and meet the above requirements) you will receive an invite notification in February to participate in the Halo 3 Beta.

Please note that if you registered to participate in the Halo 3 Beta during Phase One and were not selected, that does not preclude you from registering again for during Phase 2.

Crackdown
When Crackdown hits store shelves (Feb 20 – North America, Feb 22 – Asian territories, Feb 24 – European markets), and you still haven’t secured a place in the Halo 3 multiplayer public beta you can still get in via specially marked boxes of Crackdown. These boxes of Crackdown include an invite to participate in the coveted Halo 3 multiplayer beta program when it becomes available. When the Halo 3 multiplayer beta surfaces in spring 2007, those owners of Crackdown that have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of Crackdown into Xbox 360 and use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the battle in Halo 3 multiplayer.

Hopefully this information provides some additional clarity. See you online!

*Limit one registration / Halo 3 beta invite per person and Xbox Live gamertag. Your invitation is non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. The Halo 3 beta is available in English only.

Best game ever? Not quite… I think the Halo dynasty still takes the cake for that award, however Gears of War does have the best graphics I’ve ever seen in a video game.

It’s got some nice gameplay features, but they’re hard to get used to. The duck and cover and the blind firing options are cool, but it really makes me miss the freedom that you’re given in Halo 2… and I’m assuming Halo 3.

The one thing that was really disappointing was the length of the game. Don’t get me wrong, I like video games, but I’m not the kind of guy who is going to sit down and not drop the control until I finish the entire game. I like to take my time, play for an hour here and there. That’s what I did with this game, and after about a week of playing… I’m done. Do stellar graphics take away from the overall content? Maybe.

My Rating: 8
Gameplay: 9
Graphics: 9
Controls: 7

Rent or Buy?
This is definitely a game that you should keep on your shelf.