Waypoint News

Tis the Season

Kiki thinks about getting unnecessarily rough with one of the Seahawks

People assume I enjoy the holidays because of the overabundance of seeds nestled in shells. While I think they are delicious when roasted over an open fire and the ballet version is more than worth the two-hour time investment (not to mention that the act of gently bouncing them against a lifeless opponent’s face is oddly satisfying), there’s more to December than just nuts. In fact, the following things all happened in just the last 12 days:

• Some Seahawks stopped by the studio to play everybody’s favorite virtual sport, and after several games, they proved they know their way around balls, whether they are of the foot or Grif variety. (It's also worth noting that after visiting the studio, the Seahawks went on to score an uncontested all-time franchise record against Arizona. Coincidence? I think not.)
• DJ Skee wanted to check out the Crimson Map Pack so he came to the studio and decided to stop dropping beats long enough to instead drop some lead… directly into our faces.
• Jen Taylor (and Steve Downes, in spirit) joined us for the 2012 Child’s Play Dinner Auction, helping us raise more than $15,000 from our numerous Halo-themed lots. The proceeds from this event go toward improving the lives of children with toys and games in over 70 hospitals worldwide.

While I could go on and on about the aforementioned festivities, I will instead let the following picture, which was a silent auction item from this year’s Child’s Play Dinner Auction, speak for itself. I would ask if you’re jealous of its proud new (343) owner but let’s face it: There’s no way you couldn’t be. ‘Cause it’s just that awesome.

Gus Sorola cardboard standup

Now, we have a lot to talk about in not a lot of time so whad’ya say we cut the chit-chat and get straight to the news? I know, I know. You thought I’d never ask!

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Halo 4 Infinity Challenge

While Monday has a reputation for being the worst day of the week, that perception is about to change because on December 17, we’re joining forces with Virgin Gaming and Xbox 360 to bring you the chance to win a UNSC-themed truck and/or a cameo in a future Halo game. Officially called the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge, this tournament will give you a shot at winning a real life vehicle (you virtual vehicles can suck it!) and one of more than 2,800 total prizes. What exactly will it take to score some sweet Halo swag? Why, I thought you’d never ask!

The Halo 4 Infinity Challenge on Xbox LIVE will bring gamers the biggest and most accessible Halo tournament in the world. This free-to-enter tournament will track your personal score in War Games and the number of Spartan Ops chapters you complete on global leaderboards, and your progress with relevant Halo 4 Challenges. The War Games leaderboard winner will walk away with a UNSC-themed, V8-powered 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor truck designed by our artists here at 343, the Spartan Ops winner will secure an appearance in a future Halo game (don’t blame me if you end up being naked and blue), and the Challenge winners will get a prize pack.

Assuming you find the aforementioned prizes appealing, register today by visiting the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge website (please note localized registration sites will be available on December 12). If you’d like to get into the nitty-gritty of how everything will work, continue reading.

The qualifier phase will take place December 17 - January 10. For that part of the tournament, you will need to climb the ranks of the global leaderboards by competing in either the Spartan Ops or War Games leaderboard. After the qualifier phase, players will be tiered into three groups (Tier 1: Consisting of the top 10% of players competing, Tier 2: Consisting of the next 11-40% of players competing, and Tier 3: Consisting of the bottom 60% of players competing) and will enter the finals phase. The finals phase will start on January 12 and end on January 19. You can also participate in Weekly Challenges for a chance to win great prizes.

During the finals, the leaderboards will reset and prizes will be awarded to the top performers in each tier. While the prizes within all three tiers will rock your socks, the grand prizes will be offered exclusively for those that have battled their way to the top tier.

For tournament and registration information, please visit: www.halo4infinitychallenge.com. Your score will only be tracked from the time you register, so sign up now, Spartans!

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The Halo 4 Infinity Challenge launches Dec. 17, giving players a chance to win
a UNSC-themed 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor truck and a cameo in a future Halo game.

VIRGIN GAMING HALO 4 INFINITY CHALLENGE
Virgin Gaming, Xbox 360 and 343 Industries are joining forces to launch the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge on Xbox LIVE starting Dec. 17, bringing gamers the biggest and most accessible free-to-enter Halo tournament in the world.

Starting today, players can register for the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge by visiting www.halo4infinitychallenge.com (localized registration sites available on Dec. 12). Launching on Dec. 17, the free-to-enter tournament will track your personal score in War Games and the number of Spartan Ops chapters you complete on global leaderboards, giving players of different preferences and skill levels all a shot at the more than 2,800 prizes. For the War Games leaderboard winner, the grand prize will be a UNSC-themed, V8-powered 2013 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor truck designed by 343 Industries, and for the Spartan Ops winner, the grand prize will be an appearance in a future Halo game.

During the qualifier phase (Dec. 17 - Jan. 10), players will need to climb the ranks of the global leaderboards by competing in either the Spartan Ops or War Games leaderboard. After the qualifier phase, players will be tiered into three groups (based on their results on the qualifier phase leaderboards) and will enter the finals phase (Jan. 12 - Jan. 19). In addition, players can also participate in Weekly Challenges found on Halo Waypoint at http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/intel/challenges for a chance to win great prizes.

During the finals, the leaderboards will reset and prizes will be awarded to the top performers in each tier. While terrific prizes are available within all three tiers, the grand prizes will be offered exclusively for those that have battled their way to the top tier.

For tournament and registration information, please visit: www.halo4infinitychallenge.com.

HALO 4 CRIMSON MAP PACK
Comprised of three brand new multiplayer maps (Wreckage, Harvest and Shatter), the Halo 4 Crimson Map Pack will launch on Dec. 10 on Xbox LIVE for 800 MS points (or at no additional charge for those that purchased the Halo 4 Map Pass or Halo 4 Limited Edition).

Timed just before the launch of the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge, the new map pack gives players more reason than ever to stay online and prepare for the upcoming competition by exploring these stunning new battlegrounds.

SPARTAN OPS SEASON 1 CONTINUES IN JANUARY
Clearing the way for the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge and the Halo 4 Crimson Map Pack, Spartan Ops will go on a mid-season break starting Dec. 10. During the week of Dec. 10, 343 Industries will re-enter five chapters from the first half of the season into Matchmaking as a Best of Spartan Ops compilation. From Dec. 17 – Jan. 14, episodes 1-5 will be re-entered into Matchmaking (one episode per week) to support the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge, and allow anyone who missed the first run or wants to replay a previous chapter to easily find teammates online. Check out http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/intel/spartanops for more information.

The second half of Spartan Ops Season 1 will resume later in January with brand new episodes, chapters, locations and maps. Be sure to tune into the Spike TV 10th Annual Video Game Awards, live on Spike TV, Dec. 7 at 9:00 PM ET/6:00 PM PT for more information and an exclusive first-look at the continuation of Spartan Ops Season One. The Spike TV Video Game Awards will simulcast on MTV 2, MTV Tr3s, Xbox LIVE, spike.com and gametrailers.com.

Cover art for the third novel in the New York Times bestselling Halo Forerunner Saga,
written by legendary science fiction author Greg Bear

New York, NY – December 5, 2012 – Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, the largest publisher of science fiction in the world, and 343 Industries are excited to unveil the cover art for the forthcoming hardcover and trade paperback edition of Halo: Silentium (March 19, 2013) by #1 New York Times bestselling author Greg Bear. The New York Times bestselling Halo series of novels, based on the hugely successful Halo videogame franchise that has sold over 50 million copies, is part of a global phenomenon that has dominated the science fiction landscape over the last decade.

In Halo: Cryptum, Greg Bear began a three-book arc set in the era of the Forerunners, the ancient and enigmatic creators and builders of the Halos, which continued in Halo: Primordium. Now, in the last years of the Forerunner empire, chaos rules. The Flood, a horrifying shape-changing parasite, has arrived in force, aided by unexpected allies. Internal strife within the ecumene has desperately weakened Forerunner defenses.

Only the Ur-Didact and the Librarian, a husband and wife pushed into desperate conflict, hold the keys to salvation. Facing the consequences of a profound tragedy, one of them must commit a great atrocity in order prevent an unmatched evil from dominating the entire universe.

The Halo franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original Halo: Combat Evolved for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more. To date, the Halo franchise has sold more than 50 million copies to date, with sales eclipsing $3 billion over its lifetime. Halo 4 marks the beginning of a new saga in the iconic universe, as Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Developed by 343 Industries exclusively for Xbox 360, Halo 4 released on Nov. 6, 2012, earning high marks from industry insiders and fans alike.

About Tor Books
Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of hardcover and softcover books, founded in 1980 and committed (although not limited) to SF and fantasy literature. Between an extensive hardcover and trade-softcover line, an Orb backlist program, and a stronghold in mass-market paperback, Tor annually publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of science fiction and fantasy ever produced by a single English-language publisher. Books from Tor have won every major award in the SF and fantasy fields, and for the last twenty-five years in a row the company has been named Best Publisher in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.

I think we’re just getting started

Handsome 343 men feet getting started on their holiday pedicure

When I joined the studio in 2010, the team was heads-down creating Halo Waypoint and Halo Legends. As I watched numerous people hunched over their desks, hard at work, I remember saying to myself, “I think we’re just getting started.”

On November 15, 2011, when we released Halo: Anniversary, our remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, the same thought ran through my mind: “I think we’re just getting started."

A mere three weeks ago, when we released Halo 4 – a project that consumed every fiber of our beings for well over three years – it came to me yet again: “I think we’re just getting started.”

Now, as I look at what’s slated for the month of December, I can’t help but repeat, “I think we're just getting started...”

We have so many exciting things planned for the future that I want to open my window, stick out my head, and yell every single one of them at the top of my lungs. Thankfully PR just lifted their embargo date on one such item, so please excuse me while I do just that. *sprints to the nearest window, starts yelling hysterically, and then calmly sits back down*

Now that all the passersby along with their female four-legged companions know everything there is to know about the upcoming Crimson Map Pack, I should probably fill the rest of you in as well. Join me for an introduction to Harvest, Shatter and Wreckage, won’t you?

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Here's a look at what you'll find on Halo Waypoint this week:

Monday: 

• Achievement Hunter: Halo 4 Mongoose Jump. Join Rooster Teeth's Gavin and Geoff from AchievementHunter.com as they attempt to complete various experiments on Ragnarok using the Mongoose and Sticky Detonator. Available on Waypoint Console & Mobile only.

Thursday:

• RvB Revelation: Trailer. Check out the trailer for the Season 8 of Rooster Teeth's Red vs. Blue series: Revelation. Available on Waypoint Console only.

NOTE: This schedule is based on Halo Waypoint's US, English-language content. It may not reflect daily content provided to all regions and languages, and is subject to change — so keep checking back and don’t miss any of the awesomeness that is Halo Waypoint! Be sure to follow the latest Halo news on Twitter and Facebook at @HaloWaypoint and Facebook.com/HaloWaypoint.

Get Stuffed

Made by Mattster092

Earlier this afternoon, the streets of Kirkland reached a near-chaotic state as people rushed to vacate their jobs, classes and all semblances of responsibility to begin preparing for their upcoming four-day, food-filled festivities. Now, though, as the sun sets and a layer of darkness seeps over the horizon, I’m left with two things: The burden of unfinished work and the heavy sound of silence broken only by the rhythmic sounds of my lightning fast and deadly accurate transcribing. Yes, I type better than I play Halo. Don’t judge.

While I’m bemoaning the fact that I’m still at work, there are other people here in the studio working the night away, too, scheduled to be here tonight, tomorrow and all through the weekend, tasked with the responsibility of fine-tuning, tweaking and optimizing the multitude of experiences that take place both inside and outside the game. Oddly enough, though, the aforementioned individuals don’t complain nearly as much as I do, but does anybody, really? (Don’t answer that.)

Before I walk out the door and begin my overeating-induced holiday stupor of a weekend, I do believe I owe you a Bulletin. This week we’ll be talking about next week’s Matchmaking update (yes, you’re getting one!), Spartan Ops (now with a developer interview!), Halo 4 concept art (you can haz pretties!), and an amazing batch of images you made in honor of the impending holiday (some of you are hilarious; the rest of you are banned).

Let’s get started, shall we?

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Here's a look at what you'll find on Halo Waypoint this week:

Monday: 

• Achievement Hunter: This is... Halo 4. Join Rooster Teeth's Jack and Gavin from AchievementHunter.com as they walk through some of the cool level-specific and Multiplayer achievements they've completed in the game so far.

Thursday:

• RvB Recreation: Chapter 19. Sarge, Grif and Caboose continue their pursuit of CT and Epsilon-Church. Meanwhile Simmons, Donut and Lopez struggle to turn on the Meta's Warthog as he closes in on their position. Washington arrives at the Warthog's location in the nick of time but reveals a troubling secret. Available on Waypoint Console only.

 Friday:

• Spartan Ops Episode 5 Trailer.  Tune in to see the trailer for Episode 5 of Spartan Ops!

NOTE: This schedule is based on Halo Waypoint's US, English-language content. It may not reflect daily content provided to all regions and languages, and is subject to change — so keep checking back and don’t miss any of the awesomeness that is Halo Waypoint! Be sure to follow the latest Halo news on Twitter and Facebook at @HaloWaypoint and Facebook.com/HaloWaypoint.

Here's a look at what you'll find on Halo Waypoint this week:

Monday:

• HALO 4... 3... 2... 1... LAUNCH! As the clock struck midnight on November 6th, 2012, millions of Halo fans across the globe were finally able to get their hands on Halo 4. Witness firsthand the moment fans had been waiting for (some for 9 hours prior in line) when the newest chapter of the Master Chief’s story hit shelves!

Thursday:

• RvB Recreation: Chapter 18. Grif and Sarge are trapped by enemy gunfire and begin to discuss what will happen should one of them not survive. CT manages to capture Epsilon-Church and takes Caboose, Sarge and Grif on a wild chase through the desert. Meanwhile Simmons, Donut, and Lopez stumble onto that which they've been searching for. Available on Waypoint Console only.

 Friday:

• Spartan Ops Episode 4 Trailer.  Tune in to see the trailer for Episode 4 of Spartan Ops!

NOTE: This schedule is based on Halo Waypoint's US, English-language content. It may not reflect daily content provided to all regions and languages, and is subject to change — so keep checking back and don’t miss any of the awesomeness that is Halo Waypoint! Be sure to follow the latest Halo news on Twitter and Facebook at @HaloWaypoint and Facebook.com/HaloWaypoint.

The first five days of Halo 4

Halo 4 Evil Awakens Wallpaper, made by the not-so-ancient-but-maybe-a-little-evil firestream

Over the past week, millions of you have been glued to screens full of sprinting super-soldiers and delicately dipping Mantises. While I’ve been glued to a screen as well, mine shows a slightly different picture. You see my monitor – or, to be more specific, room full of monitors – show me what you’re doing. I’ve been watching what playlists you’re frequenting (go Infinity Slayer!), what forum threads you’re reading (decrypting the encrypted), and what parts of the website you’re browsing (dem Halo 4 stats). I can see a lot more than that, but I’ll stop there as I don’t want to frighten you. #retreatsbackintothebushes

As someone that’s fascinated with the aforementioned numbers, statistics, trends and figures, I thought I’d share a few fun facts about the first five days of Halo 4. I also thought I’d use as many words as possible that start with “f” (minus one) in a single sentence. You’re welcome.

Over four million people played Halo 4 on Xbox LIVE in the first five days.

13.5 million hours were spent playing Campaign in the first five days.

1.9 million hours were spent playing Spartan Ops in the first five days.

16 million hours were spent playing War Games in the first five days.

31.4 million hours were spent playing Halo 4 in the first five days.

1,116,882 people completed the Campaign in the first five days.

6% of total players completed the Campaign on Legendary in the first five days.

43,335,060 achievements were unlocked in the first five days.

2,675,140,836 kills were earned in Campaign in the first five days.

505,250,095 kills were earned in Spartan Ops in the first five days.

1,410,025,354 kills were earned in War Games in the first five days.

4,590,416,285 kills were earned playing Halo 4 on Xbox LIVE in the first five days.

We couldn’t have achieved any of the above numbers without you, so from all of us at 343, thanks for playing. <3

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