HALO 3 NOT COMING UNTIL 2007

http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24270621

2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?

Source: A GameStop company e-mail scanned and displayed on gaming blog
Kotaku.com.

The official story: Microsoft had not responded to e-mails as of press
time.

What we heard: Now that the public knows that Brangelina is expecting
sometime in June, we can focus on important stuff--like the release
date for Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Given that the date is under tighter
lock and key than the plot to Lost, most speculation is sculpted from
when we know it won't be out.

Pre-E3 last year, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Time magazine that
not only would Master Chief be taking on The Covenant, but he'd also be
battling the launch of the PlayStation 3. While others in the know
scratched their heads at his comment, it took Bill a little longer to
swallow his words and admit that the game would be done "when it's
ready."

This obviously means that Halo 3 will be released this November,
Microsoft's month of choice for gaming, right? Not only is it the
optimal release date to take advantage of the holiday crunch, but it's
also the time of year that previous Halo games were released, both
Xboxes hit stores, and Xbox Live was launched.

Not so fast, according to a company e-mail sent to employees of
GameStop. Gaming blog Kotaku.com got word from a source at GameStop
that the retailer was flatly told by Microsoft that "Halo 3 will NOT be
released in 2006" (emphasis in original). Kotaku posted a scan of the
e-mail, whose simple layout could be easily forged. However, a
well-placed mole inside the GameStop organization confirmed to GameSpot
that the e-mail is indeed legitimate.

That said, GameStop.com is still listing the game as coming out on
October 3, 2006. So did the guy who updates product release dates not
get the memo? One possibility is that the e-mail is merely a guide to
employees on how common questions should be answered, such as, "Sorry,
that's for paying customers only" or "No, a middle-school ID won't let
you buy M-rated games."

Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the situation, so nothing is
official. But given that Microsoft execs have gone from saying that
Halo 3 will be a PS3-killer to saying it will be ready when Bungie says
its ready, and given that Bungie is still denying that it's working on
Halo 3, pushing Halo 3 into 2007 doesn't seem so far off. Remember Halo
2's delays?

Lastly, the GameStop memo gives further validity to the current
entertainment-synergy theory spun by industry-watchers, who say the
game will be released in tandem with the Halo film. Studios Fox and
Universal have tentatively slated the surefire blockbuster, which is
being executive produced by King Kong director Peter Jackson, for
summer 2007.

Bogus or not bogus?: Abstain. While a holiday 2006 release and a 360
price drop would be the perfect one-two punch to blunt the PS3 launch,
Bungie is one organization that will not be rushed.

On 31 Jan 2006 16:59:07 -0800, videogamedude RemoveThis @gmail.com wrote:

>|
>|
>|http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24270621
>|
>|2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?
>|
>|Source: A GameStop company e-mail scanned and displayed on gaming blog
>|Kotaku.com.
>|
>|The official story: Microsoft had not responded to e-mails as of press
>|time.
>|
>|What we heard: Now that the public knows that Brangelina is expecting
>|sometime in June, we can focus on important stuff--like the release
>|date for Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Given that the date is under tighter
>|lock and key than the plot to Lost, most speculation is sculpted from
>|when we know it won't be out.
>|
>|Pre-E3 last year, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Time magazine that
>|not only would Master Chief be taking on The Covenant, but he'd also be
>|battling the launch of the PlayStation 3. While others in the know
>|scratched their heads at his comment, it took Bill a little longer to
>|swallow his words and admit that the game would be done "when it's
>|ready."
>|
>|This obviously means that Halo 3 will be released this November,
>|Microsoft's month of choice for gaming, right? Not only is it the
>|optimal release date to take advantage of the holiday crunch, but it's
>|also the time of year that previous Halo games were released, both
>|Xboxes hit stores, and Xbox Live was launched.
>|
>|Not so fast, according to a company e-mail sent to employees of
>|GameStop. Gaming blog Kotaku.com got word from a source at GameStop
>|that the retailer was flatly told by Microsoft that "Halo 3 will NOT be
>|released in 2006" (emphasis in original). Kotaku posted a scan of the
>|e-mail, whose simple layout could be easily forged. However, a
>|well-placed mole inside the GameStop organization confirmed to GameSpot
>|that the e-mail is indeed legitimate.
>|
>|That said, GameStop.com is still listing the game as coming out on
>|October 3, 2006. So did the guy who updates product release dates not
>|get the memo? One possibility is that the e-mail is merely a guide to
>|employees on how common questions should be answered, such as, "Sorry,
>|that's for paying customers only" or "No, a middle-school ID won't let
>|you buy M-rated games."
>|
>|Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the situation, so nothing is
>|official. But given that Microsoft execs have gone from saying that
>|Halo 3 will be a PS3-killer to saying it will be ready when Bungie says
>|its ready, and given that Bungie is still denying that it's working on
>|Halo 3, pushing Halo 3 into 2007 doesn't seem so far off. Remember Halo
>|2's delays?
>|
>|Lastly, the GameStop memo gives further validity to the current
>|entertainment-synergy theory spun by industry-watchers, who say the
>|game will be released in tandem with the Halo film. Studios Fox and
>|Universal have tentatively slated the surefire blockbuster, which is
>|being executive produced by King Kong director Peter Jackson, for
>|summer 2007.
>|
>|Bogus or not bogus?: Abstain. While a holiday 2006 release and a 360
>|price drop would be the perfect one-two punch to blunt the PS3 launch,
>|Bungie is one organization that will not be rushed.


YAWN.. they can take as long as they want IMHO.. Halo2 was such a major let
down.. maybe this time they can get it right. But I highly doubt it.

Pluvious