Halo 3 has no online co-op and yes, we're bitter
by Dustin Burg 
{ Jul 19th 2007 at 2:30PM }
Everyone knows Halo 3 is "the game", the game that the hype machine has latched onto and the game that fans want to be perfect in every way. Being huge Halo fanboys we too want the third in the trilogy to live up to every promise, include every feature, and be the best game that it can be. So, when we hear that not only the rumored four player co-op more than likely won't make it into the game, but any online co-op for the matter we obviously get a little heated and want answers.
You can guarantee that the guys over at Bungie aren't clueless to what the Halo community wants and know that online campaign co-op was expected in Halo 3 and is a feature that fans have begged for since Halo 2's release. So, we just don't see why such a feature wasn't a high priority and can't be implemented even if it isn't a perfect solution. It sounds like Bungie's reason for not including online co-op is because of technical issues due to the possibility that the distance between players in-game can get too great. We have a simple answer for that; do what you did in Halo 2 and "teleport" the player who's lagging behind to the lead player's position. Yeah, it isn't a perfect solution or very "next-gen", but if that's what must be done to give us online co-op then we'll take it. Heck, when playing co-op players are usually fighting side by side anyway, so such teleporting would be minimal. We just want Bungie to know that we'll accept the old-school teleport system if it means we get online campaign co-op.
Will the lack of online co-op ruin Halo 3 and make us boycott the game? Not the slightest chance. But it's one of those things that we all expected and figured would have been important to Bungie. This feature is important to the fans and most of us would be willing to accept the "teleporting" solution if need be as Halo 3 could only benefit from such a feature. We're only hard on you Bungie, because we care and want Halo 3 to be the best. But know we want our Halo 3 online co-op.
We also want to mention that the EGM article that broke this "no Halo 3 online co-op" story was probably written a month or two ago due to the nature of magazines and a lot could have changed since then. Who knows, maybe Bungie has already found a happy balance between including online co-op and still maintaining that Halo feel they were looking for. So, we're just saying that it's possible (although not likely) that online co-op could make it into Halo 3 when it ambushes retailers in September. Our fingers are crossed.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
gettembuck @ Jul 19th 2007 2:40PM
This article serves up my sentiments exactly. I will be highly disappointed if online coop does not make it into the game.
smokindragon @ Jul 19th 2007 2:43PM
That Halo 3, the flagship game of the 360 would not have a function already found in many other "lesser" games is unbelievable. This is not about not being able to make it work, give us a break. It's about having the wrong priorities - guess Bungie doesn't view campaign gameplay as important as they have been telling us since the "failure" of the Halo 2 last levels getting cropped out. Without online co-op, Halo 3 will be missing a huge piece of enjoyment to the gaming community. And why would the distance issue be a problem in online co-op but not in splitscreen. Something doesn't make sense.
The game will still sell of course, but the Halo fans will be the ones to suffer. Online versus games are great, but the campain is the heart of the Halo games, and co-op play takes the campaign to another level of enjoyment.
ezkial @ Jul 19th 2007 2:49PM
gears of war. if they can do it....
microsoft has the time and the money. there is no excuse. pay someone who knows how to make it work, to make it work. ask epic how GoW did it and just copy it word for word. at the very least give us teleport co-op. when im playing with my bud, we fight together. I am not a mile apart from my co op buddy, thats for MMO's.
I will not hear any rebuttals on this, M$ has the money to make it happen. Spend the money and it will return to you literally millions of times over.
gibber9583 @ Jul 19th 2007 2:50PM
"And why would the distance issue be a problem in online co-op but not in splitscreen"
I dont think its a problem with the Xbox being able to handle it, i think it has to be a problem with the net code as well as the amount of bandwidth that will be needed to keep boxes in sync.
DaveC @ Jul 19th 2007 2:50PM
That title is very misleading.
MightyTACO @ Jul 19th 2007 2:53PM
Meh ... as long as the multiplayer is freaking awesome ... which it seems its going to be based on the beta ... its all good to me.
AG @ Jul 19th 2007 2:57PM
smokindragon
That is a truly ignorant comment there. Bungie has gone through an incredible effort over several years to test and refine the play experience. Sure, this news sucks, and maybe we can even blame them for not creating a more powerful engine to accommodate this prized feature. However, to say the they are simply applying focus elsewhere is rather foolish and shows your lack of industry savvy. I have a feeling that this would be a significant technical hurdle, and I am curious to what extent the developers for the game HAZE will be able to pull this off. (I doubt they will. Sony just wanted tit for tat features available for their "Halo Killer")
The alternative would be level design to limit player distance, or a game mechanic like being constantly teleported forward to catch up with the load cycle of the leading players. With the vastness of the single player levels, that compromise might adversely affect the experience. I for one would rather have a great and polished title, than a bunch of half-realized talking points on the back of the box.
nate @ Jul 19th 2007 3:01PM
jesus what a f'in QQ article.
stop being an emofanboy and grow some freakin nutts.
its gonna come out eventually via patch. no way it isnt. now stfu and go write something with less bitch and contributes more to society than this heap of sh!t
DjDATZ @ Jul 19th 2007 3:01PM
"This article serves up my sentiments exactly. I will be highly disappointed if online coop does not make it into the game."
+1
GOW had teleporting upon checkpoints...why can't Halo 3?
PLEASE Bungie! Include online co-op in the final release of the game. You could even include it in split screen play as the game goes gold, but then figure out co-op by the time the game releases and auto-update it in. PLEASE!!
Fontez @ Jul 19th 2007 3:04PM
Alright I've been reading all of your posts and here's the consensus...
No online Co-op is Extrmeley shitty... We know that and I agree there are no excuses not to to have it incorporated into Halo 3, it would be the naturally logical next step.
However a few arguements were made that show the lack of intelligence coming from a minority of the users on this site... For example...
"Halo 3 is going to bomb because of no-online co-op"
How the hell can you say something so stupid ?!
Are you telling me that Halo 3 is going to be an unsuccessful game in both sales and ratings based on the fact that there's no Online Co-op ?? ARE YOU FUCKIN NUTS ?!? Did Halo 1 or 2 have this feature? IDIOTS !!!! Anyways...
Another arguement made was "GOW did it why can't Halo 3"... Like another much more informed intelligent user had previously answered... They are 2 different games !! You can't compare them, The storyline, gameplay and engine are completely different.
Last thing... Frankie stating that "If it can't be done properly we won't do it at all" is garbage... We know that...
If it CAN be done it SHOULD be done no matter how shitty. Atleast give us the choice or the opportunity to experience this feature in a Halo game. I'm sure it'll have it's problems and I'm sure it will shine at certain points.
But if you can do it...
THEN SHUT UP AND DO IT !!!
Regardless, like I've stated before, the campaign will definetely be a very exciting experience... Although the graphics and animations are very good they definetely don't look to be ground shattering by any means HOWEVER !!...
The Storyline, Music and Epicness of this game will be untouched for quite some time...
Trust me... If you all knew what myself and a few of the users on this site know...
You'd be excited about this game no matter how much Bullshit Bungie throws at us...
This game could have no multiplayer, no co-op and any other shitty scenarios you can think of and I'd still go out and spend my money on it... WHY you ask?
Because CRAZY SHIT IS GOING TO HAPPEN !! and when it does I want to be holding that controller in my hand deciding my fate with nothing more than an MA5C and a Pistol.
It is going to be difficult to grasp the true scale of "what on earth is going to happen"... PUN INTENDED...
Do you want to know how epic I'm talking here?
Listen... Take the earth... Rip a large object out from underneath it's crust into space, add earthquakes, hurricanes, Explosions and one massive space and land battle 7 times larger than the clone wars all at the same time... Then add flying debris everywhere, one pissed off tentacled creature and a fucked up AI with an agenda of it's own. Spin that in circles at Zero G and BAM !!
THAT my friends.........
Is the Final level...
Of Halo 3...
brianfontez@hotmail.com
AG @ Jul 19th 2007 3:14PM
Fontez
Thank you for dispelling the GOW comparison, and also for that tasty spoiler.
DjDATZ @ Jul 19th 2007 3:22PM
I should have figured that massive post would have been you Fontez. lol
Love the re-creation of the final level. Thank you.
rubarb23 @ Jul 19th 2007 3:24PM
Fontez, awesome post dude.
Fontez @ Jul 19th 2007 3:23PM
No problem my friend...
Dispelling faulty comparisons, relaying unknown information in exciting and secretive ways and causing mass hype is what I'm good at lol...
Feel free to ask any vague questions about the storyline and I'll try to answer without spoiling anything...
Fire away...
brianfontez@hotmail.com
DjDATZ @ Jul 19th 2007 3:23PM
Oh and Fontez...If this game does ship with any online co-op, I'll play as much of it with you as I can...
Alex @ Jul 19th 2007 3:27PM
I never finished the halo 2 single player. It honestly lacked what I enjoy about halo, online play. Not including co-op probably dooms halo 3's single player to the same fate as H-2, but that's just for me. Still, it is REALLY strange that such a seemingly simple feature is being left out. I still say they should nix the single player all together and put in 50 multiplayer maps. I'd like to see the following stats: How many hours the average halo gamer has played. Then, a ratio between the number of hours spent playing halo single player vs. multi. THEN I want to see the amount of time they spent developing single player vs. multiplayer. I'd say most people play 20 hours of multiplayer for every 1 hour of single, if not even less than that. To not have online co-op is to ignore what people are really enjoying about halo: playing with other REAL people. the halo above bungie's head ain't shining right now, that's for sure.
Stooch @ Jul 19th 2007 3:43PM
As a huge Halo fanboy myself, and a massive fan of Halo 3 multiplayer, even the thought that there might not be online co-op campaign scares me half to death.
Please Frankie, say it ain't so!
BONUS STAGE @ Jul 19th 2007 3:48PM
Well, even if it doesn't come coop online "4" players, I would not playing with my buddies all on the same tv. It will bring back the love of COOP because you 4 are actually there and can witness it together, but then again ...
Bungie had a loads of time and they KNOW what the community wants...
if you can't do the 4 players online coop... why not 2 players online coop / 4 players offlibe coop
zourskittles @ Jul 19th 2007 3:49PM
Alex, Halo 2 didn't realease on the back of Halo one having any success in online play (i.e IT DIDN'T HAVE IT) so why would no online campaign in Halo 2 suddenly spoil your fun and love of the Halo series. You seriously need to put logic into your posts before you come out and act like online play is what makes a game. Sure, nowadays online stuff is a huge thing but from Halo to Halo 2 that was just starting to make or break console games. If you can't enjoy the single player, don't play the multiplayer.
Fontez @ Jul 19th 2007 3:50PM
lol thanks for the feedback guys, and Datz I'll see online soon buddy lol...
Now in response to the guy above me...
That was a very corny and horrible joke... Please DO NOT pursue a career in comedy... Thank You...
NOW... as you can see I love dot dot dot's lol I'll try to stop... no seriously... LOL
Halo is not Halo unless it has a combination of both a solid Single Player Campaign and Multiplayer experience, it's one thing to say "Scrap multiplayer" but it's another to say "Scrap the campaign".
If it wasn't for The storyline Halo would be NOTHING if you don't know that and you don't believe that, then you my friend, are just plain dumb.
Feel free to take up your agrument with the millions of people who have purchased The Halo Series of Books which are now officially best sellers...
brianfontez@hotmail.com
TouchmyWiimote @ Jul 19th 2007 3:51PM
I can't believe Bungie would let us down like this. At this state, I will not be buying Halo 3 without online co-op. Me and my best friend love the Halo series to death, and I wanted to beat it with him on legendary on September 25th. I'd rather not play it alone on my first play through, and likewise don't want to play it on splitscreen either. I hope to god they put this feature in before launch, otherwise I'll wait until they implement it before I pick it up.
zourskittles @ Jul 19th 2007 4:00PM
Fontez, were you just talking to me on your last post? I didn't make any joke and I never said anything about scraping single or multiplayer? I'm assuming you were talking to the same guy I was, Alex. Make sure you say who your talking to so it doesn't get all confusing.
Joe Schmoe @ Jul 19th 2007 4:02PM
It isn't about money, it's about time. They have used a lot of time developing the game, obviously without on-line co-op in mind. Now they are probably experimenting with an online co-op system, and it isn't meshing well with the game in it's current state. There may be an opportunity to develop a patch, but the amount of "game" resources available to the game would have to be lowered to allow for all the extra work. It's hard to keep track of such large areas on 2-4 consoles. If one player gets too far ahead, does it just auto-spawn everyone else closer? It is obviously a technical hurdle that gave them two choices, a: make a kick-butt single player experience, or b: modify the single player experience to allow for better co-op ability.
The nice thing about Gears was that they designed not only the game, but the story to work with 4 characters. Pretty much 4 characters are running around together in smaller maps than Halo 3. Possessing the bodies of one of the characters becomes easy, and the levels are laid out so one character can't get too far ahead of the other.
I hope I'm gettin my point across. These things are a little more complicated than just money. They don't want the game to play out more like Gears in little spurts of action in small contained areas, they want large areas, epic battles. And they don't want to mess with the story. This game is like a piece of art, and playing the game, is like experiencing that art. Why can't we enjoy Halo 3 for all the goodness that it is, instead of placing unreachable hopes on the features and graphics. Halo 1 and Halo 2 still hold up to the test of time, and I think Halo 3 will be more of the same greatness that made us all play.
Thank you.
xenocidic @ Jul 19th 2007 4:02PM
Playing Halo :CE co-op (locally) was what really turned me onto the game and in turn the Xbox ... I think online co-op would just be that next little oomph this game needs to be really good. otherwise...meh...
DjDATZ @ Jul 19th 2007 4:04PM
"Feel free to take up your agrument with the millions of people who have purchased The Halo Series of Books which are now officially best sellers..."
I am one. I just purchased them a couple weeks ago to relive the whole Halo experience in anticipation for this game, and so I know exactly what everything is about. Too bad I don't have more reading time...oh well.
And TouchmyWiimote...If you're not going to buy Halo 3 because of no online co-op, then you weren't a true Halo fan anyways.
Grant @ Jul 19th 2007 4:10PM
bungie needs to get one the horn with epic.
simply put, if they can do LOCAL co-op, it is a problem on the network side of things, typical average bandwidth probably isn't high enough for what they want. I have faith they can impliment it somehow, but they should really just keep their mouths shut til launch time is closer.
erivera3 @ Jul 19th 2007 4:23PM
Halo 3 is going to fucking kick so much ass, but it is a shame if they don't get online coop to work. I will most certainly be disappointed as I have been talking with friends about finishing the fucking fight with them, not it looks like we may be doomed to system link which is a huge inconvenience.
Regardless, Halo 3 will revolutionize yet again and set another high benchmark for would-be "Halo-killers" to miss horribly, like Killzone POS.
Halo 3 FTMFW!!!
David @ Jul 19th 2007 4:12PM
I think the problem is because halo 3 streams the world to the player, instead of loading everything at once and if the worlds are really as fucking MASSIVE as they seem, people could easily be in two different spots EXTREMELY far away (like getting outside the levels, for example)
That would make the host's xbox have to process not only the world being streamed to his/her xbox, but also the area being streamed to the other person's xbox
Gears of war has online co-op, yes, but the levels are much more linear and on a much smaller scale, so players are usually right next to one another -- plus they are divided up into chapters so you can't go too far without more loading that individual area
That said, I wouldnt be opposed to Dustin's idea of putting a "leash" on players so if they go too far from their buddy they get teleported back to him-- as long as that was only in online, and not LAN or split
TouchmyWiimote @ Jul 19th 2007 4:13PM
Blow me DjDatz. I've beaten Halo 1 & 2 countless times on Legendary, not to mention the hundreds of hours I've logged on to Halo 2 online. How dare you tell me I'm not a fan. I'm merely saying that I want my first experience with the Halo 3 campaign to be with online co-op, if it turns out that the feature is a complete impossibility, I will of course buy the game.
ccc @ Jul 19th 2007 4:22PM
@10
Just to let U know, here at my local Gamestop, Halo 3 had 870 preorders. After the word got out about the co-op the pre orders are now 560 and preorders for Mass Effect have gone up 10 fold. It would seem that gamers take the co-op quite seriously around here. This game will still sell, but not like it was gonna. This will effect sales.
erivera3 @ Jul 19th 2007 4:25PM
@30
There is NO WAY that a leaked BS news article from a MONTH ago had that much affect on so many pre-orders, I guarantee this game will outsell any other by a gazillion, and will EASILY break records.
Otis Whitaker @ Jul 19th 2007 4:26PM
If online co-op is not in this, and they use that excuse, but still have split screen and system link co-op... no one, at all, finds that even a little bit suspicious?
It sounds to me more like they simply don't want to do it, and are MAKING excuses to not do it, and trying to trick their loyal fanidiots. They did the same exact crap with Bots in Halo 2.
false_cause @ Jul 19th 2007 4:34PM
I may wait to buy Halo 3 until it has online co-op because my friends are saying they are going to wait for it. I will be disappointed if it doesn't get it quickly, but there are a lot of games coming along in the next few months that I'm excited about so hopefully I'll keep busy.
ccc @ Jul 19th 2007 4:40PM
@32
Sorry bro, it did and thats a fact I work there and let my customers know whats up with this shit as soon as the word hits, and not just me but all the employees here even the Halo obsessed guys just hang thier heads and agree. This game is nothing special, the beta sucked ass, thier is nothing new to offer in terms of gameplay, the graffix look almost no different than 2, with the exception of some reflective surfaces, the online Vs mode is for mindless/skilless children and the only thing worth getting outa this as it has been the last 2 games is the story line. But after U beat that its over without the online co-op.
U actually think Halo 2 had a good story? If any of U disagree with this than your love for this game truly is blind and Ur faith in it sadly misplaced.
erivera3 @ Jul 19th 2007 5:02PM
@35
I guess you and your "friends" are entitled to your opinion, but damn that sucks to not love Halo. Halo 3 is new in way more ways than I care to describe, sorry to lose you bro, but I will be dominating some Halo 3 come 9/25/07 and enjoying everyyyyy second regardless of whether the online coop gets put it in or not, the game is too good not to enjoy!
Fontez @ Jul 19th 2007 5:04PM
"U actually think Halo 2 had a good story? If any of U disagree with this than your love for this game truly is blind and Ur faith in it sadly misplaced."
Ok I officially hate this guy... ur dumb...
You're also one depressing, pessimistic son of a bitch...
I'd write more but I'll save my time and efforts replying to ppl who actually know and comprehend factual information about this game.
brianfontez@hotmail.com
SGT Monty @ Jul 19th 2007 5:27PM
@35
People like you are the reason I don't shop at Gamestop. You act like you know everything because you read it on a website about a magazine with month old information while the game still has 3 months before it hits shelves.
Then you whip up a frenzy with every poor sap that comes into your store. That is jerk to the umpteenth degree.
And from the sounds of it you're the type of person I don't enjoy playing with on Xbox Live.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
On topic, lack of online co-op will hurt, but I can live without it.
Maximus @ Jul 19th 2007 5:38PM
My fellow fanboys, I am sad. I wanted to worship Halo 3 unreservedly. I believed with all my heart it would the best video game of our day, including all the best of games past and introducing us to the future. September 25 shined brilliantly in my mind, the dawn of a new world. But this devastating online co-op meltdown has torn my heart in pieces. The pieces have fallen on the ice-cold shag carpet of despair.
But wait... maybe there's still hope. Maybe this rumor really originated from an Xbox hater to spitefully destroy our faith. Frankie, please descend from your Bungie throne and tell us it's only a ruse. Bring back the sunshine, Frankie! You have the power! Deliver us from our sadness and despair! Bring us the light of 4-player online co-op!
inferno3387 @ Jul 19th 2007 6:20PM
Well, there is not point in me buying it if it does not have online co-op. Thats the main reason I wanted it... The multiplayer is OLD, it got old in halo 2, but that might last a week at most... Anyway, I dont know if I will buy it now since there may not be any online co-op................
Zon @ Jul 19th 2007 6:23PM
I think I may be the only one who doesn't care if it doesn't have it. Its not that big of a deal guys.
Erik @ Jul 19th 2007 6:31PM
I'm not entirely sold on the idea of 4 player co-op in the first place.
I mean seriously, that amount of firepower could lay waste to many things.
Even if they upped the life of the enemies, four people concentrating all their fire would be insane.
Tim @ Jul 19th 2007 6:59PM
Halo with out the campaign mode is called Shadowrun.
There's a reason I didn't buy Shadowrun.
Quiz @ Jul 19th 2007 7:12PM
Bungie hasn't confirmes this. Why wouldn't they put online coop in the game. These magazines and sites are writing this crap to get people to buy there magazines.
Mr BoomStick XL @ Jul 19th 2007 8:01PM
Normally I would just have passed up this story and just simply moved on. But I as well as my brother was ruined by the Gears of War co-op mode. I also mean "ruined" in a GREAT way. I have never had so much fun on-line when we were playing the game from start to finish, WOW!!
This is VERY disturbing news and hope that if the game doesn't ship with it, they should patch this ASAP!!! I know that the mulit-player modes are key to Halo 3 being the hero or the goat but I think that Bungie did not think about this as much as they should have!!
Psycho300x @ Jul 19th 2007 8:13PM
Ok, I'd say that Microsoft is dropping the ball lately, but thats not true, Microsoft is Spiking the ball through the floor, with disappointment after Disappointment, I really hate to say it considering how much I hate sony, but if Microsoft doesnt get their shit together they are gonna lose ground even faster then they already are.
MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Jul 19th 2007 8:21PM
does any body remmember the in game trailer they had when they announced halo3 i dont see anybody complaining about that trailer like killzone did MS you pilled a killzone too but the only difference is you never came through on your promise.
Doc @ Jul 20th 2007 12:23AM
This is freaken sad. U guys have to be kidding me that your not going to buy a game just because of the fact that it wont have online co-op. Yeah, i would love to have it too, but online co-op isnt going to kill the game. Its still going to be the best selling game out there. U know what, dont buy the freaken game. No one wants to play with you or hear you complain. I just hate it when I play with ppl that just complain all the freaken time. If you dont like it, dont buy it. Simple as that. Just stay away from it. Stay away from the fourms and worship your $600-$800+ PS3 in your moms basement.
SGT Monty @ Jul 20th 2007 12:50AM
@ccc (is that better?)
A little information to customers is fine. But when you're spouting out old information as the gospel truth, you're doing your customers a disservice.
kenney jimenez @ Jul 20th 2007 1:33AM
they never confirmed that online co-op wasn't happenig okay.that info is a month old and its probably fixed by now. don't count out online co-op just yet. i have a good feeling there are pullin our legs just like the graphics. @19 please do us all a favor and STFU your a ps3 fanboy in the other topic about the new halo guns you said halo 3 keeps getting uglier and uglier. but the real thing thats getting uglier and uglier is your mom in bed, for the past year its been the same old junk with me and your mom and its getting lof just like she is. lol just had to get that strait, now go to ps3 fanboy and stay there with your mom we officialy broke up.
xxxstylzxxx @ Jul 20th 2007 1:37AM
And here I'm thinking that Joystiq.com is a reliable and credible source of gaming info. Boy was I wrong. Has anyone bothered to read what was quoted by Bungie in the article at all before commenting? And if so how could anyone with an ounce of reading comprehension totally misinterpret what was being said? Has anyone checked out Jeremy Parish's latest blog on 1up.com? I guess not. Because if you did you'd realize that not only is the headline for this particular blog misleading, it's downright irresponsible journalism if you even wanna call it that.
Bungie has in no way officially confirmed nor denied online co-op for Halo 3. According to the article and Jeremy himself (one of the editors of the article in question)Bungie wants it and knows that we all want it and they're doing everything in their power to make it happen by launch. And even if it doesn't work out that way they will be more than willing to make it available via DLC. They also explain why a game the likes of Halo 3 is much more difficult to program in terms of incoporating online co-op than say games like Gears of War or Crackdown. Any person remotely knowledgable of video games should know this. So please ,before you all break out your Frankie voodoo dolls, read the article and then read it again if you have to, along with Jeremy's blog. Also keep in mind that this particular interview took place approxiametly a month ago so it is possible that by the time the issue is published next month Bungie may have already figured out a way to make it work. Unbelievable.