Halo: Combat Evolved Forum
This topic has moved here: Subject: (?) Specific reasons why Halo:CE is currently not on XBL
  • Subject: (?) Specific reasons why Halo:CE is currently not on XBL
Subject: (?) Specific reasons why Halo:CE is currently not on XBL
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I have been browsing through this section of the forums on and off and although some provide bits and pieces of information as to Bungie has not re-coded Halo:CE for XBL I've really not found any specifics to answer my question. So, I've decided to provide a list of questions that I think are reasons as to why Bungie hasn't released Halo:CE on XBL.

1. Is it a time issue? Was there simply no time to work on it after it was release because the time had to be spent working on Halo 2 post Halo:CE's release and then Halo 3 post Halo 2's release?

2. Is it a financial issue? Is the amount of time each employee that would be involved in the project simply not a good investment?

3. Is it a marketing issue? Is there a fear that if it was released the most recent installment of the series would lose some of its online fan base?

4. Is it a technical issue? Can Halo:CE simply not be re-coded for XBL? If it was re-coded for XBL would it not be tolerable for online play? Would there be problems with it being on the 360?

5. Is it simply not a desire of Bungie? Is the game old enough to the point where there is no desire to even bother re-doing anything for it? Is it considered a lost cause?


I'm sure I could think of some others but those stick out in my mind. As a dedicated Halo:CE player in both the casual and competitive side of things I would really like to know the specifics as to both why Halo:CE hasn't be re-coded for online play or why it hasn't even been considered. I conclude it hasn't been considered since I've never heard any rumors about it nor seen any legit news about it.

[Edited on 02.08.2008 7:43 AM PST]

  • 02.08.2008 7:30 AM PDT
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because every one would get owned by me at it

  • 02.08.2008 10:08 AM PDT
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Posted by: Da SIGMAN
because every one would get owned by me at it
Hahaha, that was a good one! /sarcasm

I think it's mostly technical constraints. If it was easy to enable Xbox Live for Halo: Combat Evolved, then we wouldn't be having this problem, but as for the specifics, I'm not sure. I know having online play for Halo would involve rebuilding the entire code itself.

  • 02.08.2008 11:53 AM PDT
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I wish they would code it for Xbox Live.

If it can work on PC over the internet, why not over Live?


  • 02.10.2008 10:37 AM PDT

--Dear Father, I've been waiting, I've saved you a seat in hell
--I live to see death, destruction, over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished...
A More Complete Compendium of a Bungie History
-Thanatos 117

Xbox Live was released over a year after Halo's release. The game was designed for six months for Xbox conversion since it was originally designed for PC and MAC use until Microsoft bought Bungie for a undisclosed amount. So the short answer is the game was not designed for Xbox Live as is every game that came out before Xbox Live was introduced. Also, by the time the Xbox Live was introduced Bungie was about 10 months into working on Halo 2, which of course required all their attention. They didn't have as much moolah as they do now.

  • 02.10.2008 12:57 PM PDT
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I agree with all the reasons you guys have listed. But one thing I thought was the Xbox came standard with the ethernet plug. Now at the time of release,it was probably the intent to use for system linking,but I'm sure that they had the idea for XBL when they 1st released the Xbox.so why not have the game developers implement the XBL option in the games,even if the service isn't ready yet? Then when its up and running,the games will be able to be played on XBL. And the fact that BUNGiE took the time to make Halo 1 available for online play for PC but not Xbox?!!!! yeah ok I know you want to say that it was originally made for MAC and PC,but it was put on Xbox in the end.So why make PC online and not Xbox?! That is probably the one thing I won't forgive Bungie for.

plus two maps we never got on Xbox and adding in some weapons and Forge.....WTF?!

[Edited on 02.12.2008 11:41 AM PST]

  • 02.12.2008 11:37 AM PDT
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Posted by: Von Styne
plus two maps we never got on Xbox and adding in some weapons and Forge.....WTF?!

It was more than two maps; more like 6 new maps.
Death Island
Danger Canyon
Infinity
Timberland
Ice Fields
Gephyrophobia

  • 02.12.2008 12:01 PM PDT
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Posted by: Von Styne
I agree with all the reasons you guys have listed. But one thing I thought was the Xbox came standard with the ethernet plug. Now at the time of release,it was probably the intent to use for system linking,but I'm sure that they had the idea for XBL when they 1st released the Xbox.so why not have the game developers implement the XBL option in the games,even if the service isn't ready yet? Then when its up and running,the games will be able to be played on XBL. And the fact that BUNGiE took the time to make Halo 1 available for online play for PC but not Xbox?!!!! yeah ok I know you want to say that it was originally made for MAC and PC,but it was put on Xbox in the end.So why make PC online and not Xbox?! That is probably the one thing I won't forgive Bungie for.
Bungie wasn't responsible for the port (yet at the same time they were, it's complicated).

Halo was in production for quite a while and Bungie was too rushed to integrate online play especially since the Xbox didn't support it until later. I think that's a pretty damn good excuse.
Posted by: Von Styne
plus two maps we never got on Xbox and adding in some weapons and Forge.....WTF?!
What the Hell are you talking about again? Halo never had the Forge feature, only Halo 3 did, and Halo PC got six new maps, but they're not all gems anyways.

  • 02.12.2008 12:19 PM PDT
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Forge AKA Halo Editing Kit. If it was by bungie or not,its still available on pc,but nothing of the such was released for the Xbox version.THAT is what I'm talking about. I'm really thinking of getting Halo 1 for the PC.I still want to play it online. Not sure though if a lot of people are playing it to be worth buying it.

  • 02.12.2008 2:00 PM PDT
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Posted by: Von Styne
Forge AKA Halo Editing Kit.
Which are completely different. That's like calling a motorcycle a scooter.
Posted by: Von Styne
If it was by bungie or not,its still available on pc,but nothing of the such was released for the Xbox version.THAT is what I'm talking about. I'm really thinking of getting Halo 1 for the PC.I still want to play it online. Not sure though if a lot of people are playing it to be worth buying it.
There are still plenty of people playing it, but considering the fact that Halo wasn't designed to take new updates or content after its release aside from what modders can do I wouldn't complain considering it came out in 2001.

[Edited on 02.12.2008 4:52 PM PST]

  • 02.12.2008 4:48 PM PDT

--Dear Father, I've been waiting, I've saved you a seat in hell
--I live to see death, destruction, over the light, but the light cannot be extinguished...
A More Complete Compendium of a Bungie History
-Thanatos 117

Halo came out the day the Xbox came out. Xbox was a new gaming platform and Microsoft didn't know what kind of success it would have. There was no point in making the manufacturers of its games to take the time to make it capable for Xbox Live when it was not designed yet. It's not that easy to make a game online compatible for a platform when there is no set code or program to do it. So I wouldn't blame Bungie, I would blame Microsoft, if you really want to. Just try to remember both Microsoft and Bungie were trying to meet deadlines they set. And also, this was 2001; not as many people had high speed internet as we do today. If I were Microsoft, I wouldn't have done anything differently.

  • 02.13.2008 1:35 PM PDT
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Live on dial-up would have sucked, no doubt. It's not bad that live is left out of it.

  • 02.21.2008 9:04 PM PDT
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Bombsie? Worphin!

It would be nice to at least play co-op on live.

  • 02.22.2008 7:09 AM PDT
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I know alot of individuals who would re-purchase halo 1if they made it live capable. Im still trying to figure out for the life of me why Classic maps like Hang em high, chill out, derelict have been neglected in halo 3 remakes.

  • 02.23.2008 9:30 AM PDT
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The reason probably is, most spoiled, stubborn players wouldn't want to play it, because, after it was designed, the main thing for multiplayer was 4 players, and they didn't make real big maps, maybe, a 6-8 map once and awhile, but it would be like making a New Halo if they wanted it on Xbox Live, because they'd need to make the maps much, much bigger.
And the graphics wouldn't fit, due to the Mark V armor he wore in Halo 1, and Mark VI armor he wore in 2 and 3.

  • 03.13.2008 5:43 AM PDT
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if you want to play it online you can, through xbc (xbox connect). its a program designed to use your computer to make your xbox think you are system linking with other players across the world. you plug your xbox into your computer and you can play online with other people using xbc. it's not the most user friendly way to play but its possible.

  • 03.13.2008 8:34 AM PDT

Posted by: Rooo
I know alot of individuals who would re-purchase halo 1if they made it live capable. Im still trying to figure out for the life of me why Classic maps like Hang em high, chill out, derelict have been neglected in halo 3 remakes.

same, and i wish that they did put those maps into Halo 3 and Halo 2. it would have made the games so much better.

  • 03.13.2008 4:23 PM PDT
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I am not a technical person at all, so if I'm wrong here please forgive me. Would it be at all possible for Bungie or Microsoft to release some sort of patch for download that would trick your Xbox/360 into thinking it was playing a System Link game when the Halo: Combat Evolved disk was inserted? Sort of like XboxConnect or Xlink, only it would be officially released by the company so you could use your Xbox Live accounts, and they could even charge for the download. I know I would pay for it.

  • 03.13.2008 8:52 PM PDT
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Posted by: Xelyx68
I am not a technical person at all, so if I'm wrong here please forgive me. Would it be at all possible for Bungie or Microsoft to release some sort of patch for download that would trick your Xbox/360 into thinking it was playing a System Link game when the Halo: Combat Evolved disk was inserted?
No. You're forgiven.

  • 03.15.2008 5:09 AM PDT
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I belive number 1 is correct. If I remember correctly, Halo CE had about three multiplayer maps two weeks before launch. Bungie scrambled and almost didn't have a multiplayer mode. So XBL was out of the question. Plus, Halo CE came out before XBL was introduced. So yeah, it was probably a time issue, hope this helps.

  • 03.15.2008 11:23 AM PDT
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Actually Master Kim, you're wrong. There was a way to do just that, it was called Xbox Connect. I know for a fact Shockwav3 did it, and it was very complicated to set up and run. But yes, there was a way. I don't believe it was set up by Microsoft though, but I don't know. You can download it here.

[Edited on 03.15.2008 11:38 AM PDT]

  • 03.15.2008 11:33 AM PDT
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Posted by: Master Kim
Posted by: Xelyx68
I am not a technical person at all, so if I'm wrong here please forgive me. Would it be at all possible for Bungie or Microsoft to release some sort of patch for download that would trick your Xbox/360 into thinking it was playing a System Link game when the Halo: Combat Evolved disk was inserted?
No. You're forgiven.

Ok, but may I ask why it's not possible?


Posted by: ZASilentScope16
Actually Master Kim, you're wrong. There was a way to do just that, it was called Xbox Connect. I know for a fact Shockwav3 did it, and it was very complicated to set up and run. But yes, there was a way. I don't believe it was set up by Microsoft though, but I don't know. You can download it here.

That's exactly what I was thinking, really. Except it would be an official patch from Bungie/Microsoft.

  • 03.16.2008 10:21 PM PDT

Lars, NZ... YAYA
Sarge 104

Because halo 2 and 3 are out why bother with halo CE honestly

  • 03.16.2008 11:57 PM PDT
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Posted by: ZASilentScope16
Actually Master Kim, you're wrong.
I don't mean to sound arrogant, but no, I'm not.
Posted by: ZASilentScope16
There was a way to do just that, it was called Xbox Connect. I know for a fact Shockwav3 did it, and it was very complicated to set up and run. But yes, there was a way. I don't believe it was set up by Microsoft though, but I don't know. You can download it here.
No freaking crap, we all know what XBC is, but is it true Xbox Live-enabled online multiplayer, which is what we're discussing here? No.Posted by: Lars halo 2
Because halo 2 and 3 are out why bother with halo CE honestly
Because they're not as good. :)

  • 03.17.2008 11:55 AM PDT