Halo 3 finishes the fight on two DVDs, box art blowout [update 1]
by Richard Mitchell 
{ Jun 8th 2007 at 1:15PM }
Update: According to HBO, the second disc is not actually a game disc at all, but rather an "Xbox 360 executable," which will only run on an Xbox 360. What exactly this executable is, we're not sure. Apparently the verbiage on the DVD is preliminary and likely to change. Thanks to Matthew Mac for pointing this out. Bungie.net will have more information in the next weekly update.
The quest for the final and real Halo 3 box art is at an end. Microsoft has officially released the art, and they've added a new wrinkle as well. Upon close inspection of the Limited Edition, you can see that there are in fact three discs in the package. This is interesting considering the Limited Edition comes only with Halo 3 and one bonus DVD. Upon even closer inspection, you can clearly see that the DVD on the upper right is labeled "Game Disc Two."
What this means exactly isn't clear. Bungie has noted more than once that Halo 3's campaign will be very expansive. It's possible that it's so expansive that it fills more than one DVD. Another possibility is that the campaign is contained on one disc, while multiplayer is contained on the other. Given Sony's stance that more space (i.e. Blu-Ray) is necessary for new-gen games, we'd be remiss if we didn't note the irony that Microsoft's flagship title apparently can't fit on one DVD. Then again, we're not too worried about the 5-foot trek from the couch to the Xbox. Check out the gallery below to see high resolution shots of each edition of Halo 3 (including hi-res shots of the cat helmet).
[Via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gibber9583 @ Jun 8th 2007 1:20PM
Awesome. now this is good news. I like that its going to be on 2 discs. Game is gonna be huuuuge.
qbix @ Jun 8th 2007 1:39PM
I know it's not likely at all but if my dreams were to come true, disc two is Halo 1 mutliplayer with every original maps and the ones that came in the PC version, optimized for Live multiplayer and rendered in the Halo 3 graphics engine. A man can dream, can't he?
Toph @ Jun 8th 2007 1:50PM
It can only mean good things; the multiplayer AND the single-player are bigger, hence they need two discs. I'm fine with that! I sit not a few feet from my 360 so my lazy nature won't hinder my disc-switchin'.. :)
callum henderson @ Jun 8th 2007 1:52PM
@qbix
That would be awesome, but I personally doubt it. I think disk 1 will be campaign, 2 multiplayer or even most of the space will be taken up by campaign. Personally I dont think the standard edition box art looks that great, theres a huge amount of empty space! I think the limited edition box looks better, I wonder if the limited edition box will be in the Legendary or will the Legendary have the standard game packaging?
Gemini Ace @ Jun 8th 2007 5:05PM
I predicted that the game would come on two discs a long time ago on Podtacular. One for the campaign and one for multiplayer. Damn, I gotta find that show.
doze @ Jun 8th 2007 1:55PM
Yeah sure... it will probably be something lame like the bowel movements of the Halo team.. ;)
Colin @ Jun 8th 2007 1:55PM
install/copy to hard drive feature please and thank you.
Nick @ Jun 8th 2007 1:58PM
Who cares? Are you planning to sit on your couch and look at the box?
Relativiox @ Jun 8th 2007 2:10PM
Where is the link to the releasing of it? The one there is just to a bunch of people babbling on about how there should/shouldn't be two discs.
SxBrrlShtgn05 @ Jun 8th 2007 2:15PM
Sucks: The fact that I had to pre-order limited over legendary at my local GameCrazy. Rocks: THAT BOX OWNS ALL!
Richard Mitchell @ Jun 8th 2007 2:15PM
Relativiox,
The images come from Microsoft's press site, so there is no real "link" per se.
dg10050 @ Jun 8th 2007 2:23PM
Apparently, a lot of people on here don't understand how multi-disk games tend to work. Most likely, _both_ disks will contain the same exact multiplayer portion. So you can play multiplayer off of either disk. However, the campaign will be split across both disks. That way you only ever have to switch disks once. Don't you think it would be a pain if you had to switch disks every time you wanted to play multiplayer?
Devilish2190 @ Jun 8th 2007 2:35PM
yeah, but how would it work if you wanted to play co-op campaign over Live? that's my only concern...
Xion @ Jun 8th 2007 2:52PM
if its really 2 discs, then 1 for single and 1 for multiplayer is the only way it makes sense for this kind of game.
J8675309 @ Jun 8th 2007 3:06PM
MS could spin this so good.
Halo 3: So massive, it takes two discs.
Matthew Mac @ Jun 8th 2007 3:11PM
I don't want to dig through NeoGAF to find it, but Frankie already said this:
"One of the bonus discs is a DVD and one of the bonus discs is a 360 executable - like the Official Xbox Mag disc. The language should have been changed for the retail box art stuff but they walways need those shots so far in advance."
I'm sure it will end up on Bungie's site in a proper release soon.
vid33nyc1 @ Jun 8th 2007 3:15PM
I think all 360 games should come with the campaign on one disc and multiplayer on the other disc.That would mean longer single player games and more maps for multiplayer.
Matthew Mac @ Jun 8th 2007 3:14PM
Here's a link from H.B.O.
http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=18900
Sirurza @ Jun 8th 2007 3:34PM
With online co-op of the single player campaign, there's no way that disc 1 is single player only and disc 2 is multiplayer only.
Multiplayer has to be on both discs regardless of what you're playing.
GigerBullet @ Jun 8th 2007 3:36PM
http://nikon.bungie.org/news.html?item=18900
There are not two game discs.
Lp47 @ Jun 9th 2007 1:08AM
8 gb is not huge hahahahah. try like 16 for resistance fall of man. It's already starting where microsoft doesnt have enough room for their games and theyll need to make all there games on more than one disc. Incovenient. And sony can make all there games on one disc via blu-ray.
chukc @ Jun 8th 2007 9:10PM
okay, okay
but if thats the executables disc
what the heck is the bonus content disc
huh?
Matthew Mac @ Jun 8th 2007 10:18PM
I know you already updated, but:
http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=12531
Strait from the Bungie Weekly Update!
mattclarkie @ Jun 9th 2007 5:12AM
Anyone notice that on the standard edition the rating logo was the UK 15. Presumably the box was a UK version. Also the DVD case wasn't standard, it was rounded at the top right.
Finally the Beta is 1gb. So if there are 9 MP maps they will take roughly 1 layer of a DVD. If they are closer to 15 or more they take almosta an entire DVD-9. The game will be large. The Campaign must take atleast an entire DVD if the Multiplayer is that large, also if it is split over 2 DVDs they have to put all the engine, textures etc twice meaning they lose space.