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Should Microsoft release Halo 3 for Vista?
If you've been keeping an eye on technology news lately, you can't have missed the hype surrounding the launch of Microsoft's Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 console. According to the news, there were queues outside game stores at midnight, full of overexcited teenagers waiting to play the latest episode of the blockbuster first person shooter. As an intrepid technology journalist I braved the queues myself, and it was a less than horrifying experience - I wandered into HMV on the way to work yesterday, and had to wait a whole 30 seconds as the only other man in the store bought a copy of a Neil Young album. So much for launch day chaos.
Microsoft is apparently hoping that Halo 3 will finally bring its Xbox games division into profit, and it's certainly one of the most financially important launches on the console to date. It's also, as far as I can see after playing for an hour or two, a very good game, if not a groundbreaking one - like the previous Halo titles it's an exciting guns-blazing charge-around-and-shoot-em-up. But there's one nagging question in the back of my mind - will Microsoft bring Halo 3 to Vista?
The original Halo appeared on the PC some time after its console debut, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on a preview version. The version I played required so much horsepower that it brought my (then fairly impressive) test PC to its knees, with textures disappearing all over the place as it struggled to keep up. The PC laster longer than I did, though, and I stopped even trying to play after less than an hour. Earlier on this year, Microsoft finally dragged the sequel, Halo 2, to Windows Vista, amid distinctly lacklustre reviews. With Microsoft's Games for Windows scheme taking shape, and some clever product launches such as the PC receiver for the Xbox 360 joypad, this seemed like a missed opportunity.
With Halo 3 picking up excellent reviews and millions of sales on the Xbox, a PC port could be another chance for Microsoft to finally mark Vista as a great gaming platform - or, if it's poorly ported, a disaster. Would you like the chance to play as Master Chief on your PC next year, or would you rather leave gaming for the TV and console users?
Posted by Tom Royal on September 27, 2007 | Permalink
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Comments
I would so buy it, being an avid computer gamer, I do not even own a console.
But I recently bought a book on dx10 programing and the last few chapters are working with a 360 controller, and then I went ou and bought one.
I started into this whole new world.
Posted by: Chris | Sep 29, 2007 5:09:30 AM
the way I look at it is that they should have been working on a 360 and a pc release at the same time. I would like to think, that as a vista ultimate user, MS would have given me, and others like me, as much incentive to use my new OS as they would a 360 user to keep their 360 (in terms of games).
Since I would never own a 360 and a pc (for gaming) at the same time and I don't like consoles, assuming I'm not the only one, I think there is a large PC only market for games that doesn't like waiting a year for a game that will be out of date by the time it reaches the pc and MS's brand new OS.
I wanted to take part in the halo launch, but it seems, as PC gamers, MS rates us as second class! - that's just my feelings.
Some might say, "get a games console, their for games, whilst pc isn't" - but I think their wrong, since anyone with vista is likely to be into pc games, as vista demands the kind of hardware that only gamers would usually invest in.
Posted by: geoff | Sep 29, 2007 3:39:04 PM
Yeah!!! i have 360 and DesktopPC And I Bought Halo 3 For Xbox!!! Best Game Ever! :D :D :D :D
I Would Buy It To PC Desktop Too.. :)
Posted by: Ziv | Oct 9, 2007 5:22:34 PM
I'd definitely look into buying it ;).
Posted by: MGP | Jan 27, 2008 9:44:36 AM
They should put the game out for the pc. Both other halo games are on the pc too. I have a Playstation 3 and i dont want to go buy a xbox 360 just for halo when i have vista anyways.
Posted by: stephen | Feb 28, 2008 2:37:43 AM
Like all monopolies Microsoft cares less every day what we want and more what keeps their ball rolling.
Posted by: ram1009 | Feb 28, 2008 8:24:05 PM
I'm a xbox 360 gamer and a vista gamer i think it would be so cool to get halo 3 for vista and plus because i play halo 2 on pc it was better than the xbox version so halo 3 might be better then the 360 version.
Posted by: luke wheeler | Mar 31, 2008 2:41:14 PM
"Both of the other ones" ????
is everyone forgetting that the first, the very first Halo, not Combat evolved, was only released on pc... the only reason Microsoft is Waiting to release it on pc is a marketing ploy to get people to buy 360's
It's what they did with Halo: Combat Evolved too
Posted by: GriM | Apr 1, 2008 11:57:23 AM
Grim,
Actually the first commercial release of Halo was on the original Xbox - the PC version only arrived in 2003 (I reviewed it at the time).
Tom
Posted by: Tom | Apr 1, 2008 12:22:42 PM
I don't have game system
and I love it i've played
it but I want it realllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy want it.
Posted by: derek | Apr 14, 2008 5:00:24 AM
I love halo 3 it is like
a brother to me.
I think it is the best
game ever.
I don't have a game system
but I played it thow. it
is awsum
Posted by: derek | Apr 15, 2008 2:41:04 AM
I bought Halo 2 for my Vista Ultimate and enjoyed it thoroughy, My computer went down and I lost the program. when I tried to reinstall it, it notified me that programs were missing on the installation disk, I contacted MS and worked for two days trying to reinstall, they could not come up with a salution and gave me a return of product number. If anyone knows of a cure for this program, I would sure like to hear from you as I did very much like the game. I have a new Dell 720 XPs machine, with all of the extras. I need to find a solution so that when Halo 3 comes out, I won't have the same problem. Thanking anyone that has an answer in advance.
Posted by: Mike Anderson | Apr 20, 2008 1:34:42 PM
bungie got lots of money for halo 3.if they hurry up for a pc version they could get more.
Posted by: | Apr 28, 2008 4:23:19 PM
i played halo 2 with vista ultimate too but it worked very good.i heared about lots of other users who couldnt start it but i have no problems.some friends of me test it and it works at their pcs too.one friend of me started halo 2 on windows xp with the input console and typed the command for starting halo 2 and it worked good.maybe if you do it the same way it wont has any problems to start.
Posted by: | Apr 28, 2008 4:39:28 PM
OF COURSE it should also be available for Vista! It's Microsoft isn't it?
Do it for the better graphics if you have any other reason!
I think they're worried that if it's on the pc then nobody would buy an xbox. But that's just bull, cause xbox = best for bringing your friends over
Posted by: Thundordan | May 4, 2008 9:31:14 PM
