It’s time to lace up your favorite pair of Master Chief boots with Unscripted Nights and the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta. Finish the fight on back to back weekends with U360 and the Halo 3 Beta!
Friday, May 18: 10PM CST / 8PM PST / 11PM EST Halo 3 Beta
Saturday, May 26: 10PM CST / 8PM PST / 11PM EST Halo 3 Beta
How do I get in?
It’s easy. When you see me on Xbox Live, join me! You’ll see the join arrow on my Gamertag or profile indicating the session is available to join. Or, send a message to me via Xbox.com or Xbox Live with “Unscripted Nights” and I’ll get you in the game.
Developer: Mass Media
Publisher: THQ
Rating Guide: How I Review Games
Review:
There aren’t many ways to reinvent the worldwide phenomenon that is Tetris but THQ has decided to give it a shot because everyone still loves Tetris. I’ll admit that I expected a title like this to explode on the Xbox Live Arcade at some point but instead, we have a retail version. It’s called Evolution but has it truly evolved the game? Ofcourse not. We are still talking about Tetris afterall so how much more different can stacking blocks get?
There wasn’t an attempt to redefine the game and for that I was happy. What THQ and Mass Media managed to do was bring an interesting twist to the franchise with some cosmetic changes. And they did it in 1080p as well for all you high definition junkies. Yes, Tetris Evolution can run in 1080p.
Now that the Crackdown issue with the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta is over, I felt like it was safe to post some Halo 3 news. I’m sure you all know but for the few that don’t, Microsoft and Bungie announced the official release date for Halo 3 this past Tuesday.
“Halo 3 is much more than a video game release; it’s the biggest entertainment event of the year,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Entertainment Business. “On Sept. 25, we intend to deliver a finale that will go down in entertainment history and leave people around the world with an experience that will be shared and enjoyed for years to come.”
Are you all ready to Finish the Fight?
I think we all need some good news today don’t we? Universal Studios is bringing my favorite television show to HD-DVD this August! I’m ready to see Sylar and Peter Petrelli face off in high definition (again). For those of you who haven’t been able to see the series in HD (NBC broadcasts Heroes in HD), you’re definitely missing out.
Those of you having troubles accessing the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta via Crackdown need not worry too long. Reports are filtering in from users scattered around that they’re slowly being able to download the beta.
Frankie at Bungie posted a message that they’re well aware of the Crackdown delays and that the proper people have been notified. So don’t worry, you’ll soon get your fix. People who were invited into the beta via Rule of Three, Family & Friends and other non-Crackdown ways are unaffected by this.
So keep trying as the problem appears to be slowly fixing itself.
[Update]
We’re happy to finally announce that the issues being faced with the Halo 3 beta and Crackdown will be resolved shortly. The Microsoft team has found a solution and it’s undergoing final testing now. Assuming the test pass goes according to plan, the fix will come in the form of a Crackdown title update within the next three to six hours.
We understand many of you were eagerly awaiting your chance to jump into the Halo 3 Beta and this technical issue has put a damper on your plans. Thankfully the fix is incoming and we’re sincerely sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Ultimately we hope this will all soon be a distant memory once you pick up the Spartan Laser, launch yourself from a Mancannon and enjoy online shenanigans with your friends.
As a reminder, people who already have the Halo 3 Beta are unaffected by this issue. (thx 1)
[Update 2] - Press Release
We are happy to inform you that the Halo 3 multiplayer beta is now accessible for everyone who purchased Crackdown. The Microsoft team has been working on a software update, which went live shortly after 7:00pm PDT tonight, and is accessible through Crackdown in the Downloads section.
We sincerely apologize for the delay. We know we have a lot of fans that have been waiting for the beta for months, and even took time off of work to start early today. We really appreciate their enthusiasm, and we hope the small delay won’t damper everyone?s enjoyment of the game. Given the circumstances, we will be extending the duration of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta from June 6 to June 10, 11:59 PM PDT.
It’s finally here…at least for the public it is. If you weren’t one of the lucky ones to get into the Friends & Family start of the Halo 3 Beta this past weekend, then your chance has come. That is, ofcourse, if you have a copy of Realtime Worlds’ Crackdown. Halo 3 fans who have a copy of Crackdown will be invited to play the Halo 3 Beta in a few short hours. What was once a few thousand players will increase a hundred fold I’m sure. This will make for some very good competition as well as give Bungie some much needed feedback on Halo 3.
I’ve included a small Q&A for some based on questions I’ve seen pop up recently. Are U Ready? It’s about to be Betalicious! I’ll have more on this in the next episode of Unscripted 360.
Do I have to have the game to play?
Yes. The Halo 3 Beta can only be accessed with the game inside your console not with a code. There is no redeem code for Crackdown.
How long can I play the beta?
You can play all night if you’d like or until the beta period ends. Go all out, all night.
Can I rent Crackdown and still play the beta?
Yes. If your local video store has a copy of Crackdown with the Halo 3 Beta marking, then you can play.
How’s it going out there in Unscripted land? It’s your friendly neighborhood Deejay Knight here to drop gifts!
I figured that since the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta starts in a few days hours (for those of us that aren’t in the loop and playing already) and new coverage has been flowing like water lately, maybe I should make a couple wallpapers for Halo 3. So far, people seem to like them, so I figured I’d give them out.
The original screenshots and all IP related to them are property of Bungie and/or Microsoft (just as a disclaimer, of course) - I just enjoy making wallpapers. Let me know what you think, and if you have suggestions for more walls, drop them here.
Widescreen
1920 x 1200 - Reversed
1440 x 900 - Reversed
HDTV
720p - Reversed
1080p - Reversed
Box
1600 x 1200 - Reversed
1280 x 1024 - Reversed
1024 x 768 - Reversed
Widescreen
1920 x 1200 - Reversed
1440 x 900 - Reversed
HDTV
720p - Reversed
1080p - Reversed
Box
1600 x 1200 - Reversed
1280 x 1024 - Reversed
1024 x 768 - Reversed
Dual Monitor
If you own an Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive/player, then prepare for a much needed auto-update the next time you fire up an HD movie. I have the 360 HD-DVD player and I’m happy about a few of the new changes.
What to expect:
User will be able to select the following audio output formats via TOSLINK or HDMI:
- Digital Stereo (2 channel PCM)
- Dolby Digital 5.1
- DTS 5.1
- WMA Pro
Added “Dynamic Range Control” toggle for digital audio output; Improved HD-DVD networking support; Improved HD-DVD title compatibility; Improved performance with MPEG-4 AVC / H.264; 1080p via HDMI is supported on the Xbox 360 Elite with HDCP compliant displays; Improved parental controls.
Most of these things are alien to me but the new audio output format selections are great. I’ll see if it changes my experience from a sound perspective tonight. This comes right as many HD-DVD owners prepare for the Matrix HD release. Thumbs up.
More double action is headed to the Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow morning. Soltrio Solitaire and the Microsoft intern-produced Aegis Wing will be available for download. One of these puppies is free!
Soltrio Solitaire Info
“Soltrio Solitaire” from Silver Creek Entertainment offers players a chance to shuffle through a collection of 18 compelling solitaire games.
Additionally, a brand new Voyage Adventure mode provides a new twist on classic solitaire gameplay: in this mode, players travel around a map completing different solitaire games in order to unlock custom card designs. Co-op and competitive two-player game modes further enhance the “Soltrio Solitaire” experience.
When: Wednesday, May 16
How much: 800 Microsoft Points
Aegis Wing Info
The game was created by three students, Scott Brodie, Danny Dyer and Matt Monson, during a summer internship at Carbonated Games. “Aegis Wing” is a 2-D side-scrolling space shooter that combines epic space combat with fantastic visuals, and is set to a rich symphonic soundtrack.
When: Wednesday, May 16
How much: Free
I think this Monday has just become my all-time favorite Monday this year! You can now download a Heroes picture pack and theme in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Everyone should know this is my favorite show on television right now. My obsession has leaked onto the site and show since its debut episode.
Picture Pack: 80 Microsoft Points
Theme: 150 Microsoft Points
Thanks for the head’s up UNSCleric. This can only mean one thing. We’re a step closer to seeing the series in HD on the Video Marketplace! I have an ongoing thread about it that I hope does its part to land the series on the Video Marketplace.
