The long-rumoured and eternally-desired Halo 3 online co-op feature is a beautiful, beautiful reality.
The news comes from a press conference in Amsterdam, where Microsoft announced that up to four (yes, four) players will be able to shoot, drive and melee attack alongside each other through Halo 3's entire single-player campaign on Xbox Live. We can almost hear our social lives skipping off into the sunset.
The latest Bungie update reads:
"So you were probably wondering why we didn't want to commit to two player co-op online over Xbox Live. We certainly got plenty of mail asking, no, demanding that we make it happen. Of course we were working on it, but we were also working on something better. Not two player co-op. Not three-player co-op, but up to four player co-op. Online. On Xbox Live, or sure, System Link if you prefer.
"That is correct - up to four player co-op in Campaign mode on Xbox Live or System Link.
"We've been playing it for quite some time, and bluntly, having some of our greatest ever Halo experiences. We wanted to make sure all our "t"s were crossed and our "i"s dotted before unveiling this important new part of Halo 3's Campaign mode.
"Apart from the horrifying network challenges this new mode presented us, were the various gameplay balance issues it adds to the fray. So we got it all together, polished it, and that's why we're revealing it now. As a result, you're going to want to play co-op as hard as you can stomach it. We'd certainly recommend Legendary, but we'll be revealing some more ways to make the game more interesting and challenging for multiple players in the very near future.
"Acting as a team is a fantastic new twist to the Campaign gameplay - something that works as well on foot, in close confines as it does on the battlefield, with large scale vehicle mayhem. Scared of Jackal snipers? Send out a scout to see what dangers lie ahead. Terrified of an open field? Flank your enemies and swipe their rides. The combinations and scenarios are endless - and you'll be able to enjoy them time and time again in Saved Films of your co-op exploits.
"We mentioned that we've been having a blast. We have a lot of stories. Many of them would require that we explain some of the reasons replay will be a big factor, but not quite yet. Soon, we promise.
"Like every other aspect of Halo 3, this mode is chosen from a Lobby. Simply select Campaign, choose your network (Xbox Live or System Link) and invite your friends to join you, or they can simply join your session once it's set up and in a lobby (but they cannot join a game once it's in-progress). They will pop into your lobby instantly, and when you have all the players you need (anywhere from one to four) you can begin the game from the beginning - or from any of your saved checkpoints.
"Split-screen co-op is as ever, limited to two players per screen - but they can if they wish join two other friends online or via System Link.
"For fictional reasons, we decided to avoid Halo's slightly surreal compromise of two identical Master Chiefs and rather, use this opportunity to expand the Halo universe just a little bit. Player one will control the Master Chief, player two will control the Arbiter and players three and four will get the chance to control two brand new Elite characters."
Previously the company was refusing to commit to the inclusion of online co-op, telling US mag EGM "We know that people want it and we're trying to make it happen." Seems they knew it would all along, but they just didn't want to say it out loud.
Fantastic news for Halo fans then. It's wonderful to see that as it's August 1, September 26 is just around the corner...
OMG! OMFG!!! I was resigned to the fact this game wouldn't have any online co-op so to read this news is just out of this world. This game will be played on LIVE for ages, much like Gears Of War has managed. Truely great news and well done Bungie for not slacking.
this is going to be sooooooo fun they've got co-op sorted, the forge to tweak the maps, meta games replayability now all we need is dedicated servers and this will be goty and in my 360 for years btw player 3 and 4 will be elites
This is so like Bungie to drop a bomb like that! Great job! I love how the story ran two weeks ago and everyone jumped to the conclusion that there would be no two player online co-op (probably deliverately done by bungie) and now they go one better than that and add four player online co-op. Great job, now the hype is back on!
Sweet. I was still on the fence about buying Halo 3 since I'm not a huge fan of the series, but now it's a sure thing. 4 player co-op will add so much to the game. Crafty Bungie tricking us into thinking they weren't doing any online co-op and then dropping this hype bomb.
Well this might actually be worth playing provided this feature isn't nuked in the PC version & doesn't come out in 2010 when no one gives a s**t anymore.
Xbox 360 - check Legendary edition on pre-order - check Gf to sit there and take the p**s out of me while I geek out over halo - check
Life is good!
I'm hoping to get mine graduated from Mario Kart and into Halo3. Could take some effort though.
My ex got really good at Halo 2 multiplayer.....
Cool, although my girlfriend doesn't like the violence so it might not help her win too many deathmathes. I'll use Gears Of War first maybe to get her desensitised.
Xbox 360 - check Legendary edition on pre-order - check Gf to sit there and take the p**s out of me while I geek out over halo - check
Life is good!
I'm hoping to get mine graduated from Mario Kart and into Halo3. Could take some effort though.
My ex got really good at Halo 2 multiplayer.....
Cool, although my girlfriend doesn't like the violence so it might not help her win too many deathmathes. I'll use Gears Of War first maybe to get her desensitised.
Haha, my ex is pretty dark. Like most girls though I had to break some of the barriers. She like many think it's the domain of the male but wanted to get involved. Topic for another time maybe?
4 player co-op is a stroke of genius by Bungie, it really makes Halo 3 stand out above every other shooters on the 360....I didn't expect to buy it this year, but playing with the CVG lads on 4 player co-op will be a blast!
be interesting to see what other surprises are revealed between now and then! Obviously Bungie will be keeping some really juicy bits all to themselves...
4 player online co-op might even convince me to buy the game, it'll have to have a lot better level design than Halo 2 though. I don't think even online co-op could have saved the Halo 2 single player, more big battles outside like in Halo and less of the crappy corridor shooting please!
The problem that I have is that I could'nt find 3 other people to play co-op with!
I only have 2 friends who own a 360 (though I have more online friends but hardly see them online) but getting together at the same time is near impossible!
Still, for those clans it would be great to play through together.
be interesting to see what other surprises are revealed between now and then! Obviously Bungie will be keeping some really juicy bits all to themselves...
Wouldn't it be cool if co-op was actually with the other Spartans and Bungie created the Elites just for the purpose of announcing 4player online co-op without spoiling the story?
They did say there are quite a few surprises left so I'm very interested about these now! It will be hard not to read Halo3 spoilers on the run up to release though, but I will try
I always thought that player 2 in the first Halo should have been a standard grunt model, but obviously not as weak as they normally would be. It would have made for greater sense.
This is a shocking announcement though - I truly thought there'd be no co-op at all.
The problem that I have is that I could'nt find 3 other people to play co-op with!
I only have 2 friends who own a 360 (though I have more online friends but hardly see them online) but getting together at the same time is near impossible!
Still, for those clans it would be great to play through together.
Go into the Xbox Forum and have a look at the very first thread...lots of people to play on Live with in there.
There are gonna be fights over who get to be the Chief I think. Who wants to be a lame ass elite?
Well it's gonna be the host, obviously. If you have the pipe then you should have the right to be the chief.
I've got to say, like bosker, this was a "I'll get and play it, meh" title to a *preorders with nextday delivery then books day off* title.
Well done bungie, there are lots of happy 360 owners this evening.
I'm most impressed though at the fact you can have 2 player splitscreen and still invite 2 more players to join you. That's unheard of in console games as far as I know.
Pity u cant have 4-plyer on one console, guess u have to draw the line somewhere, but this comes under "tidings of unbelivable, punch my head in, good news" . 4-player co-op is unprecedented!!!
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