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[Hero]

Huh? This situation is totally unavoidable regardless of whether the disc is share-able or not. Of course people without Live are going to have to buy another upgrade disc if new maps are made -- how else are they going to get the new maps?

You also have a lot more faith in Bungie than I do anyhow. Given that this has taken more than half a year and Xbox 360 is fast approaching, I'd bet good money that it will be the first and last map update for Halo 2.

I don't have faith in Bungie/Microsoft. Actually, the fact that it took them this long to release anything (even an update) is discouraging as I was a big Halo:CE fan. Not to mention I believe some of these 'new' maps were probably ready to go for Halo 2 launch and MS wanted them to yank it out, ala Online Co-Op.

As far as the multiplayer only disc goes, it still just doesn't make sense. They can piss a lot of people off by doing that. I mean, like I said, what if I just bought the Expansion Disc and wanted to play with you via System Link but you only had original Halo 2? Then you're pretty much forced to pay the 20 dollars to keep up.

Like I said, the EASIEST way for MS/Bungie to go about doing this is to print a bunch of these out and make them install a new sub-save file on your HDD that Halo 2 will recognize after that. Sure, MS won't be able to milk every single Halo 2 consumer, but I doubt they need too many sales to profit off of this.

 

[GhaleonEB]

I don't have faith in Bungie/Microsoft. Actually, the fact that it took them this long to release anything (even an update) is discouraging as I was a big Halo:CE fan. Not to mention I believe some of these 'new' maps were probably ready to go for Halo 2 launch and MS wanted them to yank it out, ala Online Co-Op.

As far as the multiplayer only disc goes, it still just doesn't make sense. They can piss a lot of people off by doing that. I mean, like I said, what if I just bought the Expansion Disc and wanted to play with you via System Link but you only had original Halo 2? Then you're pretty much forced to pay the 20 dollars to keep up.

Like I said, the EASIEST way for MS/Bungie to go about doing this is to print a bunch of these out and make them install a new sub-save file on your HDD that Halo 2 will recognize after that. Sure, MS won't be able to milk every single Halo 2 consumer, but I doubt they need too many sales to profit off of this.

You're making a whole lotta assumptions, and not any of'em are proven true. Or even likely.

 

[Hero]

You're making a whole lotta assumptions, and not any of'em are proven true. Or even likely.

What is easier than having the disc being an installation of the maps + tweaks?

 

[border]

I mean, like I said, what if I just bought the Expansion Disc and wanted to play with you via System Link but you only had original Halo 2? Then you're pretty much forced to pay the 20 dollars to keep up.

I can restrict our game to the maps that are on the original Halo 2 disc, I can pay $20 to keep up, or I can download all the maps for free on Live.

And again, you've hit on a sort of problem that will happen even if the maps are copied to the HDD. A similar (but not the same) situation: What happens if I download the maps over Live and then show up to a LAN party where people don't have the new maps? Halo 2.1 (or whatever) will have to have some sort of compatibility mode so that the old version can interact with the new one regardless of whether the map disc copies maps to the HDD or runs on the DVD drive.

Didn't all of those cards expire on 3/31/05?

Well don't they put out a new round of trial cards every quarter or so? Aren't they still coming with most of the big XBL games?

 

[GhaleonEB]

What is easier than having the disc being an installation of the maps + tweaks?

I agree on that count - and I don't think it will be any other way. If it is, I'll be outraged right up there with you.

But Bungie has said specifically that all of their new maps were made, start to finish, after Halo 2 shipped. MS didn't pull them, nor did they pull online co-op. That's a horse long since beaten to death.

 

[Hero]

I can restrict our game to the maps that are on the original Halo 2 disc, I can pay $20 to keep up, or I can download all the maps for free on Live.

And again, you've hit on a sort of problem that will happen even if the maps are copied to the HDD. A similar (but not the same) situation: What happens if I download the maps over Live and then show up to a LAN party where people don't have the new maps? Halo 2.1 (or whatever) will have to have some sort of compatibility mode so that the old version can interact with the new one regardless of whether the map disc copies maps to the HDD or runs on the DVD drive.
Well don't they put out a new round of trial cards every quarter or so? Aren't they still coming with most of the big XBL games?

You could restrict game maps, but I presume that besides maps, this will include the auto-update that LIVE users are getting on Monday as well. So does that mean my grenades/melee attacks would do more damage to you since I'm on v1.1 and you're on v1.0? I didn't say there was a perfect solution for this, just an ideal one.

And actually, if they really wanted to get the maps to as many people as possible, they might be able to even have you send it over via System Link, but I severely doubt this. It would just be easier for them to get the disc.

I agree on that count - and I don't think it will be any other way. If it is, I'll be outraged right up there with you.

But Bungie has said specifically that all of their new maps were made, start to finish, after Halo 2 shipped. MS didn't pull them, nor did they pull online co-op. That's a horse long since beaten to death.

I know bungie specifically stated that, but they also specifically stated that extra Halo 2 content would be free, but we all know how that went.

 

[Mr. Lemming]

I know bungie specifically stated that, but they also specifically stated that extra Halo 2 content would be free, but we all know how that went.

You mean, how it will be free (eventually)? Right?

 

[border]

So does that mean my grenades/melee attacks would do more damage to you since I'm on v1.1 and you're on v1.0?

Again, this is unavoidable for any XBL'er that goes to a LAN party with non XBL'ers. I'm assuming that everybody will just be forced to play with 1.0 rules. As with any incompatibilty, everybody has to go to the level of the lowest player.

Copying to the HD means that pirates can get the levels and play them on Live without paying for them, so that was the other half of the problem. People are already kind of bent up over having to cough up another twenty bucks for an upgrade, and I dunno if MS wants to give them so many opportunities (disc sharing or outright piracy) to get this stuff for free.

Updating over System Link would be a cool idea, though there might be too much room for people to spoof it and load hacked files onto the box (easy system modification or cheating).

 

[Hero]

Again, this is unavoidable for any XBL'er that goes to a LAN party with non XBL'ers. I'm assuming that everybody will just be forced to play with 1.0 rules. As with any incompatibilty, everybody has to go to the level of the lowest player.

Copying to the HD means that pirates can get the levels and play them on Live without paying for them, so that was the other half of the problem. People are already kind of bent up over having to cough up another twenty bucks for an upgrade, and I dunno if MS wants to give them so many opportunities (disc sharing or outright piracy) to get this stuff for free.

Updating over System Link would be a cool idea, though there might be too much room for people to spoof it and load hacked files onto the box (easy system modification or cheating).

I know, there are so many different problem possibilities here. I'm just saying that I think the easiest and most efficient way is to just have it installed from the disc onto the HDD, ala DoA3 extra costumes via the Exhibition discs.

But the problem of people being pissed off about paying money for the disc (ie me, if I were to buy it anyway) would be alieviated then if a bunch of you and your friends could pitch in a few bucks and just pass the disc like a bong/prostitute.

And yeah, eventually all of this extra content will be free. Just in time for Xbox 360 launch!