Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: Vista Halo 2? Surpised? Let's see who Microsoft really fighting...
  • Subject: Vista Halo 2? Surpised? Let's see who Microsoft really fighting...
Subject: Vista Halo 2? Surpised? Let's see who Microsoft really fighting...
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Its all about money. I thionk there still making halo 3, i just think that putting Halo 2 on Vista is a marketing ploy.

[Edited on 2/9/2006]

  • 02.09.2006 4:41 PM PDT
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...that's sort of what I was saying. =|

But Bungie's staff is hardly large enough to support that sort of development. Look at that picture with Peter Jackson...that's what? 50 people? Not enough to release two killer games within the span of a few months.

What I'm mentioning that its strange Microsoft choose to put their eggs in the Vista basket (which already seems very popular to me) and use Halo [2] instead of bringing 360 up to Sony's level of market dominance and use Halo 3 for Xbox 360 promotional purposes.

[Edited on 2/9/2006]

  • 02.09.2006 4:45 PM PDT
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Only the paranoid will survive!

Bungie isn't doing the conversion. It said in the update. It seems to me that you're saying that they tasked Bungie to do the conversion to PC rather then the new project. I'm probably wrong though =P

  • 02.09.2006 4:57 PM PDT
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Posted by:Well I would assume Microsoft is projecting that they will loose marketshare to Apple/Linux (which is admittedly insignificant)...Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft are not competitors in this market. Microsoft makes software (read: programs and such) whereas Apple makes hardware (read: computers and such).

Good rant, but I'm rather confused as to what the point of it is. Is this a theory on how Halo 2 on Vista is related to the release of Halo 3?

In any case, this is in the wrong forum. It belongs in The Maw.

  • 02.09.2006 4:57 PM PDT
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Only the paranoid will survive!

Posted by: prospartan7
Posted by:Well I would assume Microsoft is projecting that they will loose marketshare to Apple/Linux (which is admittedly insignificant)...Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft are not competitors in this market. Microsoft makes software (read: programs and such) whereas Apple makes hardware (read: computers and such).

Good rant, but I'm rather confused as to what the point of it is. Is this a theory on how Halo 2 on Vista is related to the release of Halo 3?

In any case, this is in the wrong forum. It belongs in The Maw.


Actually, it would go in the Flood or the Underground. The Maw is Halo PC- not Halo 2 PC.

  • 02.09.2006 5:02 PM PDT
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Posted by: prospartan7
Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft are not competitors in this market. Microsoft makes software (read: programs and such) whereas Apple makes hardware (read: computers and such).


I think it goes, Microsoft makes software whilst Apple makes software and hardware.

  • 02.09.2006 5:16 PM PDT
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Everything will be gone long before me. When the first living thing was born, I was here, waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job is finished. I'll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.

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Posted by: prospartan7
Posted by:Well I would assume Microsoft is projecting that they will loose marketshare to Apple/Linux (which is admittedly insignificant)...Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure Apple and Microsoft are not competitors in this market. Microsoft makes software (read: programs and such) whereas Apple makes hardware (read: computers and such).

Good rant, but I'm rather confused as to what the point of it is. Is this a theory on how Halo 2 on Vista is related to the release of Halo 3?

In any case, this is in the wrong forum. It belongs in The Maw.


Actually, it would go in the Flood or the Underground. The Maw is Halo PC- not Halo 2 PC.

Accually the Maw is for Halo 2 and Halo 1 for PC, as dmb stated in another post.

But, nice theory-buisness-prediction thing. I think it would be killer if they released Halo 2 on the Vista and Halo 3 at the same time. But I went over the Q&A and found this...

Q: Is the release of Halo 2 for Windows Vista just a way to force consumers to purchase the new operating system?
A: Absolutely not. Bungie Studios and Microsoft's steadfast commitment to quality determined that the Windows Vista platform would provide the best possible version of Halo 2 for the Windows PC. We will provide you with more details in the future.


[Edited on 2/9/2006]

  • 02.09.2006 6:44 PM PDT
Subject: Vista Halo 2? Surpised? Let's see who Microsoft really fighting...
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While this announcement has me literally out of my chair jumping around the room (seriously), it comes as somewhat of a shock to me. This appears to be a seeming shift in Microsoft's advertising policy: Halo was formerly an Xbox promotion game, leading to a bunch of Xbox 1 sales (people bought the old Xbox just to play Halo 1 when it came out).

However, this is quite an interesting development. As Sony's PS3 comes leering on the horizon, surely it makes more sense to bring out the Xbox 360's sleeping arsenal, Halo 3. Right? Well clearly not...it seems that Microsoft is more interested in promoting the Vista launch (scheduled for sometime in September '06, to meet the back to school purchasing wave). I would assume Halo 2 for PC is also on a similar target date (BUT I'M NOT STARTING A RUMOR SO DON'T TELL ANYONE THAT: IT'S NOT CONFIRMED-IT'S MERELY SPECULATION).

What does this mean? Well I would assume Microsoft is projecting that they will loose marketshare to Apple/Linux (which is admittedly insignificant)...or worse: they are afraid that Vista will be beaten by XP users (meaning that no one will switch to Vista upon release, blowing initial sales and extending shelf life of Vista boxed software).

Wow, now there's a development. Microsoft seems to be genuinely afraid that Vista will not launch as expected. Why do I say this? Because they are knowingly endangering Xbox 360 marketshare. How? Well, it seems that people worldwide are waiting for Halo 3 before they buy a 360. And with PS3 due this spring...it seems interesting that Microsoft would step down from this competition to fight the battle on another field...very strange. Perhaps Vista will have some other interesting developments not yet on the scene, such as a built in music store (to further Microsoft's battle against Apple's music dominance). I suppose we'd have to look at the Microsoft annual report to see how much bigger MSFT's operating department's sales are relative to the game's department, because I'm sure that maintaining the operating system's sales was integral to this decision. Admittedly, games department is just an addon to far broader MSFT conglomerate.

Now for my personal opinion: I know if I were Bill Gates (who certainly greenlighted/masterminded this highly strategic decision..I say that because it's so important to 2006's sales and revenue)...my first move would not be to switch Bungie's "assumed" priorities, aka Halo 3 for 360, but I would just hire more staff. Microsoft has 40 billion in the bank, they can spare 500 mill for a huge deal of 360 marketshare. I would accelerate Halo's production cycle by bringing in the best and the brightest game programmers and rapid developers locally, nationally, and internationally. Bungie would become a large part of the games department annual budget, sucking up, like I said, between 100 million and 500 million a year in order to churn out 2-3 games for 2006, and effectively moving the market into Vista...thus gaining a bit of OS marketshare ground while simoultaneously beating Sony's PS3 launch into the ground.

What games would be released? A dual launch of Halo 3 of course. Merely a marketing ploy. The game need not be significantly better than it is now. Let me give an example to illustrate: would you buy a "Pentium 5" at 4.0 Ghz? Of course you would. "Pentium 5" makes it sound oh so much faster and better than "Pentium 4" or "Pentium D". Same trick here. Spend as much money as necessary and use little time as possible to create two games: Halo 3 for Vista and 360. Launch the 360 version on par with Sony's PS3 launch (like Bill had announced before and taken back). Launch the Vista version on release in September...possibly coupled with a Halo 2 for PC dual launch (think of the marketing possibilities: Halo Trilogy Bundle! Available for PC now with limited edition art book by Craigg Mullins and all 3 PC [and 360 editions!]...now who wouldn't buy that? Collectors editions always sell for more and attract more crowds, because everyone wants to prove they are a true fan right?)

Well anyways, just me ranting how I would bolster a massive product launch like Vista, while kicking serious ass in the 360/games market. Time to put together my resume...=D

[Edited on 2/9/2006]

  • 02.09.2006 4:32 PM PDT
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oh thats a bunch of bs. just like when bill clinton said "i did not have sex with that woman."

sorry. im a cynical bastard. everything is about money. dont expect anything different, and just enjoy the game. im probably gonna get vista on or near its launch anyway so i dont care. although i would have liked it if they made it xp and vista compatible. who knows, maybe theres gonna be some feature in it that uses part of the vista os.

  • 02.09.2006 7:09 PM PDT
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Apple does not make specificaly hardware and Microsoft does not make only software. Microsoft has the xbox 360 and apple has the itunes which work on computer that are not apple. In fact Vista is planning a joint music program with mtv, vh1, basicaly viacom to deliver more music and music videos for better prices. For more info go to the vista website or just look around microsofts homepage.

  • 02.09.2006 7:10 PM PDT
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can i play halo 2 on my windos xp

  • 02.09.2006 7:18 PM PDT
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No you cannot play Halo 2 on your Windows XP. That's the whole idea, move people forward into an age of 64 bit processors and Windows Vista goodness...mmmmmm. =D

Anyways, yeah Apple definately does NOT make solely hardware. They maintain a "closed box" system: namely, they create their operating system (OS X aka "Tiger") to run on Apple created systems. Apple tried an open box model once, where I think it was...IBM or something, made Apple computers for a time. It didn't work out very well, so Apple continues to use the closed box model.

This happens to be a very hard model to maintain. Imagine. One company is doing ALL the inovations while in Microsoft's case, open box model allows for multiple corporations and designers to take the brunt of the work. Just think: software is immensely profitable, and it maintains shelf value while hardware grows old. Also, compare the cost of a cardboard software box to an Apple G5 chassis...and there you see where Apple's biggest problem begins.

Thus, it's easy to see why Apple is still struggling to gain marketshare. Their business model is not as flexible and "lightweight" as Microsoft's is.

But yeah, Apple makes other software...like the Ipod's software, or ITunes. Even because of that, they solely do not make hardware.

  • 02.09.2006 7:40 PM PDT