Halo Waypoint opens up, anime due out Feb. 9

By Tor Thorsen, GameSpotPosted Nov 5, 2009 12:34 pm PT

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.

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