Halo Waypoint opens up, anime due out Feb. 9

Xbox Live's all-Halo channel launches with avatar awards, open to all until Nov. 26; Halo Legends preview coming Sat.; combined Halo 3: ODST US/UK/Japan sales hit 1.85M.

As promised last month, Halo Waypoint opened for business today on Xbox Live. The 113.8MB download adds an entire new channel to the Xbox 360's online service completely dedicated to Microsoft and Bungie's popular series of sci-fi shooters. The most recent installment, Halo 3: ODST, sold 1.85 million units in the US, UK, and Japan in the third quarter, making it the fifth most popular game when those three territories are aggregated. In October, Microsoft declared the game had sold 2.5 million units worldwide.

Now you can tell your parents you're making a career out of playing Halo and technically not be lying.

As previously reported, Halo Waypoint will feature a section called Intel, which includes bonus information on installments in the Bungie-created series past and present. It will also feature daily updated content related to non-game Halo projects, such as the anime collection Halo Legends, due out February 9. Waypoint members get a look at the first preview episode, "The Babysitter," starting Saturday, November 7. The short, made by STUDIO4˚C (Tekkon Kinkreet), follows a Spartan accompanying an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper (ODST) squad on a mission to assassinate a Covenant Prophet.

ODST Armor is just one of the avatar awards offered by Halo: Waypoint.

Besides content, Halo Waypoint will feature a new career section that collates all past and future achievements earned in Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo Wars, and all related downloadable content and "converts them into an overall ranking and recognition system" called Halo Career.

In addition to granting an overall level, Halo Career will reward hardcore Halo-heads in two ways: Waypoint Milestones, which are essentially achievements for getting achievements; and avatar awards, clothes, and accessories for gamers' virtual personas on Xbox Live. Gamers will receive a Forerunner Monitor avatar prop like Halo's 343 Guilty Spark just for signing up for the service. A more detailed list of initial avatar awards, all from Halo 3: ODST, is featured underneath the video below.

Until November 26, Halo Waypoint will be open to all Xbox Live subscribers. However, starting November 26, access will be restricted to those who pay $50 per year for the premium Xbox Live Gold service. The official Xbox.com Web site has more details.

Achievement Title / Achievement Description / Avatar Award

Tourist / Downloaded the city map to VISR / ODST Black T-shirt

Dark Times / Killed 5 enemies while using VISR mode / ODST hoodie

Campaign Complete: Normal / Completed the Campaign on Normal difficulty. / ODST Rookie Helmet

Good Samaritan / Killed no Engineers during entire campaign / ODST Full Body Armor

Vidmaster Challenge: Endure / In Firefight, pass the 4th set on 4-player Heroic co-op/ ODST Dare Helmet (Female) or Recon Helmet (Male)

69 Comments

  • skullzerodeath

    Posted Nov 13, 2009 2:56 pm PT

    I am a silver member, if I download this before Nov. 26 can I still keep it after? Send me a message if you know....

  • BionicBrando

    Posted Nov 10, 2009 11:59 am PT

    When is bungie going to allow people to have the "BLUE Recon Helmet" seen in the awards section? I unlocked it, but I can't wear it, I can only wear Dare's red one.

  • MetalMan300

    Posted Nov 8, 2009 3:33 pm PT

    Its free, what more can I ask for? Free avatar awards, a new halo rank, medals, plus the free avatar armor/guilty spark is just sweet considering that I dont have to pay 5 dollars for one now. Nice download, worth the time

  • CurvedSword

    Posted Nov 8, 2009 4:57 am PT

    @SpiritOfFire117
    Yeh but i do lyk halo, and i still think its just a marketing ploy 2 get ppl 2 get gold. But if u think its worth it then go 4 it.

  • kerrman

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 8:58 pm PT

    Got my armor! Very happy about that!
    I kind of expected Halo to lead the pack with Avatar Awards.. it just seems right.

  • Trogeton

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 5:26 pm PT

    downloaded it today

  • Vaultboy-101

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 4:42 pm PT

    That halo legends is a disgrace to the halo universe especially because they make spartans fight dinosaurs giant brutes and that they are turning halo into dragonball Z.

  • night_haunter

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 4:24 pm PT

    Halo just keeps getting better and better, thanks for everything Bungie and MS

  • Dekonizer

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 3:51 pm PT

    OMG OMG OMG I cannot wait until tomorrow for the first episode......
    I'm so buying the box set on DVD when it's all done. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • t0taldj

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 12:52 pm PT

    SQUEEZE MOAR! whats next? Halo Lego?

  • bastianthegreat posted Nov 6, 2009 11:46 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    bastianthegreat

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 11:46 am PT (hide)

    halo SUCKS modern warfare 2 is coming in three days and i can't wait

  • SpiritOfFire117

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 11:02 am PT

    @CurvedSword
    My point was you won't pay extra along with Gold. Free or not it's still optional. If you don't like Halo, no one is forcing you to get it and if you do like Halo, it won't cost you unless you have Silver. But XBL fees are totally off topic here.

  • knoetgen posted Nov 6, 2009 10:15 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    knoetgen

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 10:15 am PT (hide)

    Anime = worst thing to happen to Halo............ sad face.

  • weaponx789

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 9:25 am PT

    @SpiritOfFire117
    sorry pal, don't think that's right

  • hyghwayman

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 8:31 am PT

    I like this new WayPoint thing, Thx M$ & Bungie

  • noodles297

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 6:01 am PT

    Stat tracking is lameeeeee o. Everybody gets the same stuff, it just depends on how long you play. Nobody is really good for getting those stupid achievements and junk. But if people wanna go for that okay then.

    I don't even like halo in the least bit, but I'll download it to see what its about. Hopefully they will do similar things for games that are actually good.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 5:39 am PT

    Thank you, Bungie!

  • CurvedSword

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 3:20 am PT

    @ spiritoffire117
    yeh but u still hav to pay for gold, with money

  • cptpeg

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 1:39 am PT

    I would have liked it if you could access your service records as you can on Bunie.net, so that you can view your game history, medals earned etc on your Xbox. And if it had the above it would have also been nice if it was intergrated into the dashboard so you could bring it up while playing Halo games.

  • Antherian_being

    Posted Nov 6, 2009 12:17 am PT

    it is quite a good system, like bungie.net, xcept on ur xbox. i have gold, and u could only useit to a certain xtent w/ silver but that doesnt worry me.

  • SpiritOfFire117

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 6:10 pm PT

    @weaponx789
    It's free if you have Gold meaning you won't get it unless you upgrade from Silver. And when you do have Gold, you won't have to buy it with MS points.

  • weaponx789

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 6:08 pm PT

    @SpiritOfFire117
    it's only a free channel through Nov. 26, unfortunately...

  • dentui

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 6:02 pm PT

    WOW. the guy introducing halo waypoint in the video sounds like Dane Cook.

  • shenron43

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:27 pm PT

    sounds like a cool thing to me.

  • SpiritOfFire117

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:17 pm PT

    @LtReviews
    It's a free channel.

  • Regisland

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:10 pm PT

    @BloodMist
    i was expecting more from a HALO game tha was released in SEPTEMBER

  • wolf0

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:10 pm PT

    on it to day kind of cool for the fans GOW and COD need someing like this to and also i got some free avatar stuff , nice cuz im not buying jack for the lame things but i go to go back and get my Good Samaritan Achievement in ODST

  • LtReviews

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:08 pm PT

    So... it gives us news and updates on halo 3, trailers and news on new halo games- and pretty much just keeps track of achievements... It's like paying to see a commercial, and buying the product afterwords.
    I'm not going to waste money on this until i've seen they add a decent amount of content to this- as of now, it's simply not worth it.

  • SpiritOfFire117

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:05 pm PT

    @BloodMist
    2.5 million isn't "well"?

  • BloodMist posted Nov 5, 2009 5:03 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    BloodMist

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 5:03 pm PT (hide)

    ODST isn't selling too well for a Halo game.Good, it doesn't deserve to.

  • fauljosh

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 4:54 pm PT

    I'm not a huge Halo fan but I do own 2 and 3. This still interests me. I want to see what those animes are all about.

  • BreakingSpecter

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 4:41 pm PT

    ill DL this soon as I get a chance

  • brian_13un

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 4:17 pm PT

    Looking forward to the Anime ^_^that is made by famous companies in the industries.

  • zelda_adict

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 4:14 pm PT

    I can't believe they're making a Halo anime. I have a feeling this is going to ruin anime in west, with the whole "Since Halo made an anime, we'll give everything to 4kids and we'll ruin every single anime possible since it's popular!" Really though, this is just sad. I know I'll get thumbs down for this, but I just had to get this out of me. God damn Microsoft even have to try getting their hands onto our anime.

  • Regisland

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 4:12 pm PT

    @baystatethrashr
    and halo has a bad single player,but a good multiplayer

  • baystatethrashr

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 3:36 pm PT

    @knoxyknight

    uncharted 2: amazing single player and some of the worst multiplayer i have ever plauyed

  • Shawn45 posted Nov 5, 2009 3:19 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Shawn45

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 3:19 pm PT (hide)

    I agree with Knoxyknight. I got bored of Halo ages ago, but people still play it. Is there something about it I am missing?

  • knoxyknight posted Nov 5, 2009 3:14 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    knoxyknight

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 3:14 pm PT (hide)

    Man thats some wimpy avatar armor. Then again, avatars and whatever the hell they are called are lame to begin, so I don't blame bungie. I still can't believe halo is so popular. I've always been a console gamer so halo was my first real shooter game as nothing prior to it interested me, and I grew weary of halo with time, especially after playing Gears, although the 2nd is a trainwreck of game, so uncharted 2 hold the crown at the moment.

  • ColonelX24

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 3:00 pm PT

    I hope that once Bungie leaves this doesn't start to suck.

  • baystatethrashr

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:53 pm PT

    @gatsbythepig

    not sure but a trip shot needer sounds right if the BR is only single shot. and one of those screens does show a weird looking needler and a normal looking one.

  • Shawcross

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:45 pm PT

    I have had this for a little while now since I was in the beta program for Microsoft's upcoming update. It is pretty cool and a nice way for them to add in avatar awards since ODST was lacking any.

  • Darkmoone1

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:40 pm PT

    wait, theres a male AND female Recon helmet?

    .....I....no comment.

  • baystatethrashr

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:40 pm PT

    @Paul_GameFury @gatsbythepig

    i feel the world coming to an end

  • Paul_GameFury

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:37 pm PT

    @gatsbythepig
    Wait, did we just have an Internet debate with a civil conclusion? What have we done? The world is a rapidly changing place.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:32 pm PT

    @Paul_GameFury
    At least you are getting paid. I am just sitting around with NCIS on in the backround, dorking around on the computer.............................................................................................

    @baystatethrashr
    Nice find. Is that person claiming the quote came from Tsquared? The triple shot needler sounds made-up to me.

  • Darkon_X

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:27 pm PT

    Nice baystatethrashr

  • baystatethrashr

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:26 pm PT

    legit halo: reach screens:

    http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=378966

  • Paul_GameFury

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:23 pm PT

    @gatsbythepig
    My bad. I'm sitting at work bored out of my mind, so I'm probably being overly sarcastic. It may be advertising, but it's also a free way for people to get together to receive some rewards and info on some of their favorite games.

    If it weren't for the ads, I wouldn't have given Demon Soul a second look and really would have been missing out.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Nov 5, 2009 2:21 pm PT

    @Paul_GameFury
    Now you're just being silly. I just called it what it is. Is that so wrong?
    BTW Halo games are my favorite games. Also, I always research my games before a purchase, don't you? It's an exercise of intelligence.

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