Bungie changes upcoming Halo 3 DLC plans

by Dustin Burg { Feb 2nd 2008 at 9:00AM }

Posted last night as part of this week's Bungie Weekly Update, Frankie mentions that upcoming multiplayer map Purple Reign, which was planned to be a part of Halo 3's Spring DLC, will not make it into the DLC package. Awww. The reason is simple, it simply cannot be ready in time. But all is not lost fanboys, because team Bungie has other map that they've been working on code named "Moonlight Sonata" and it will replace Purple Reign in the Spring DLC. Moonlight Sonata has been in development for a while, but progress on this "universally adored" map was far behind the others. Now, for whatever reason, development on it has picked up and outpaced Purple Reign, so Bungie felt they had to make a Spring DLC swap. So, live with it.

Also, Bungie promises to list specific details about the upcoming Halo 3 title update soon'ish as the biggest change it'll be packing is a new and improved melee system. And honestly, even if the auto update were to just fix the melee, we'd be satisfied. Full Bungie Weekly Update details about love, life and melees can be viewed after the jump.

Tags: bungie, bungie-studios, halo-3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Sunny @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:24AM

Is there a set date for when the first map pack will become free? I don't play it enough to pay for them but them being free would surely be enough to prompt a few more matches out of the blue.

JakubK666 @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:13AM

As far as we expect, It's Spring Update/New Map Pack Release. Either way we'll probably get it by Christmas.

Jayslacks @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:29AM

Last night. I shot a guy with a BR 4 times in the head. He hits me with his AR. I melee him. HE MELEES ME! I DIE! FIX IT! GOD!

JSBeckerist @ Feb 4th 2008 10:20AM

Really? Check my stats (xbl: beckerist) all I do is melee... I finally figured out how to give myself the advantage (hint: jump...a lot...) and they are going to change it?! Argh!

BTW, 4 BR shots to the head = death. Which means, you didn't shoot him 4 times in the head... Really to figure out why you should watch the video in theater from his perspective. I've found that really helps me learn!

john paul @ Feb 2nd 2008 9:55AM

fix the aspect ratio or w.e its called when you' re playing split screen
those black bars get annoying....

FlyByWire @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:43AM

Those black bars are there for a reason you know. It’s to keep the game in the 16:9 aspect ratio for both players in multiplayer. It was done on purpose. It prevents the game from looking stretched on an HDTV. Plus looking through a 16:4.5 (32:9) window is really annoying.

Cameron @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:38AM

Oh Teh Yes!
Bungie really loves their community :)

Project Ekim @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:56AM

Ive never seen a developer so envovled with thier community i mean they got MLG guys to come test the melee... Keep up the good work bungie.

a ham sandwich @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:57AM

it pains me that frankie hates much the wolverines. he must be a bloSU alum. ew

erivera3 @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:10AM

Bungie is the best with support and keeping their fans happy. I'd like to see just ONE of the promises kept to make COD4 more enjoyable (aka fixing the host ending the game issue, joining with a group and having some of the party not make it into the game, buffing up the servers, new maps, etc.).

Halo 3 is just a dang GREAT game.

mattclarkie @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:31AM

Oh thank god. If they really do manage to fix the melee, or fix it for 95% of the time it will be such an improvement. My playing style means that Melee is my weapon of choice, but this glitchy system has really affected me.

While they are at it can they fix grenade sticks. They don't work very well, often the 'nade doesn't blow, and on many occassions they fall off. I have gone into theatre and seen the 'nade stick, the opponent runs, the 'nade still stuck, and then 3 seconds later it disappears and then appears on the ground near them. WTF

Doc @ Feb 2nd 2008 11:48AM

I agree with the melee BS the game needs to be fixed in that reguard and with hit detection with every weapon IMO. Plus the last map pack was a total waste of money for just 3 maps that aren't that great. Can we get at least 5 maps? That or lower the price , hell GRAW got 9 maps and 5 co-op missions for $10 and that is from a company that love to rape all of their customers for every penny they have..take note on the maps (9) and price bungie..

Jared @ Feb 2nd 2008 12:25PM

Is it just me or do they need a Chocolate Rain map as well?

SadisticHam @ Feb 2nd 2008 2:23PM

Lets hope there at a reasonable price this time.

Paul @ Feb 2nd 2008 5:46PM

uhh as long as they are going to be on XBOX LIVE marketplace, they will NOT be a reasonable price......

Ryan @ Feb 2nd 2008 3:36PM

The problem with the downloadable maps isn't the maps themselves or the price, it's that there's no point in buying them because you can't use them.

This whole "matchmaking will add the DLC maps into the rotation automatically if everyone in the game has them" thing sounded great at first, but in practice it's pure garbage as there's rarely a situation where everyone has them. I have never, not once in 300 games since the DLC maps came out, had the maps show up in regular matchmaking. The only way to play them is with the individual, non-ranked, 5v5 push to talk DLC gametype where you rotate between only those 3 maps. It's retarded, I just want the new maps mixed in with all the others when playing the gametype of my choosing.

What they really need to do is just split the entire matcmaking system in half. For instance, there should be "Ranked Slayer" and there should be "Ranked Slayer DLC" where the latter is not JUST the DLC, but ALL of the maps including the DLC and the originals. So it splits the community but big deal, the community is plenty large to always be able to find a game even when split in half. As it is it's completely worthless to buy new maps because until they're free, you can't use them anyways.

I played the DLC gametype the night the maps came out, and have not touched a single new map since because they never come up in regular matchmaking. Lame.

stinger503 @ Feb 3rd 2008 1:53AM

A better solution would be to have where it says Quickest/Best Connection/etc.. would be to have a DLC only option so you could just search for people with DLC.

Zach S @ Feb 6th 2008 4:08PM

A better solution would be to just give out the maps for free.

Doug @ Feb 2nd 2008 4:46PM

Yes, a ranked playlist with ALL the maps, old and DLC, for people who buy DLC maps.

Currently the DLC-only playlists are way too hard. My DLC k/d ratio is way worse than ranked matches because upper-ranked dudes are mixed in with regulars players, i.e. not enough total players to do a proper skill sort. They get off wasting me and I paid $10 for the privilege!

I know, keep practicing, but still, it's tough to enjoy these cool new maps with the current free-for-all DLC system.

Wolfster @ Feb 2nd 2008 5:37PM

At least they're updating their stuff, unlike other game developers that just put out crap and ignore.

EA...hint hint....

mike @ Feb 2nd 2008 10:36PM

thats why I never buy DLC maps. I bought the dlc maps for PDZ and regretted my purchase so much. Not because the maps were not good, I thought they where very good, but it splits the community up and always the smaller half is the ones who purchase the maps.

So from then on I never purchase any maps or any dlc for any game as it simply splits the community up and makes it harder to find games. I just wait for them to be free or dont bother with them at all. This is one of the major downfalls of DLC that im surprised no1 ever points out.