Halo 3 reclaims top spot on Xbox Live

by Xav de Matos { Jul 23rd 2008 at 11:15AM }

Look who's back on top? After falling in the Xbox Live ranking to Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Halo 3 has been named the most played Xbox Live game of the last week according to Major Nelson. There are a few things that could have helped the spike. Maybe gamers were hoping they'd catch some kind of in-game hint to Bungie's next project, maybe the concept of a free map finally sunk in or maybe it's because Halo 3 is a great game. Either way, Halo 3 is back to the number one spot. Can Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare reclaim the crown next week?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:23AM

Heh, it's definatley not because it's a great game.

Ejab @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:26AM

Thats true, you dont have to be a good game to be #1, look at C**k of duty 4.

Btw Halo 3 is an awesome game.

Drago Dracini @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:15PM

Right, because Call of Duty 4 is more fun than Battlefield Bad Company. Right.

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:23AM

"The King, has returned..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qNP6rAeOeo

sifer2400 @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:32AM

it was only a matter of time

Zoot Suit Jedi @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:50PM

more like a waste of time.

Rick @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:25AM

Enjoy it while it lasts, boys.

Magic Whiskey @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:25AM

I'll tell you for sure why COD4 dropped last week; my 360 is dead. Once the community hears I'm back this weekend, it'll be quazy!

In all seriousness, I bet it has something to do with "The Dark Knight." Hey, stranger things HAVE happened.

All of the adults are still seeing the movie during the evenings (which they all should; I've seen it twice)
and the kids, as well they should, have been home playing Halo 3. TDK is not for anyone under say 16 years old for sure.

ZombiesRPplsToo @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:23PM

the games are both rated M

even if anyone followed your logic, the kids would be out seeing wall-e

dumbass

sfgiant25 @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:33AM

Wasn't a big fan of the Dark Knight, I liked Jack Nicholson as the Joker better. Anyway it makes me happy to see Halo at the top again, I can't stand COD anymore, by far the worst spawning system in video games, not to mention the god like helicopters that ALWAYS know where you are.
Halo is a quality game, people who suck at it always say it sucks. I wonder why? One bad thing about Halo though it's a real tough on beginners, like if you just pick up the controller go on live and play for the first time, and have little experience with FPS's you are probably going to suck at it, and it's going to uber frustrating for you.

Deezul @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:41AM

What's starting to turn me off to Halo 3 again is the folks that ae creating Silver accounts with the one month of free Gold service, just so they can go in an pwn n00bs. Takes the fun out REAL quick. Like when someone ranked 5, playing against 20s, is the MVP? Yeah, beginneers luck...

Ejab @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:41AM

Exactly, the only people who hate halo suck at it.

Terror @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:45AM

" by far the worst spawning system in video games"
Someone hasn't played Battlefield Bad company, re-spawning gets no worse than this.

ZeitgeistXIII @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:02PM

Battlefield lets you choose your spawn either on a team mate or at a base. The only time it sucks is if you choose the wrong place ie: your team mate is way out on the edge sniping, sitting in arty, or you jump in as hes getting lit up by the enemy. But you can see where you are going to spawn unlike Halo or COD4. You just have to remeber to choose the safest place.

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:06PM

Please, the only people that hate halo suck at it whatever, the only people that hate gh3 on expert suck at it.
Halo is and has always been the most simplistic fps game to play and master. Thats the prime reason the game is so popular with the little kids.
Please try and play Unreal or Quake to truly understand what halo is in terms of a muliplayer game.

sfgiant25 @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:30PM

The only people that I've met who hate Halo are people who either suck at it or who don't play games on consoles. Guys who play all their games on PC usually don't like Halo.
I hate GH not because I suck at it, but because the game is repetitive and is just boring to me. I don't see why playing a fake Guitar to horribly done cover songs is fun to some people. I don't mind other people playing it but I just don't get a thrill out of pressing colored buttons at designated times, it's just boring as fuck to me.

sfgiant25 @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:19PM

p.s I have played Quake, I would hardly consider that the master of FPS's, that game is no harder in my opinion to Halo. A good game to compare it too would have been like CS or something, Quake and Unreal tournament not so much.

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:02PM

Wow you really don't know what you are talking about do you.

Quake is the most skilled fps game ever. I would give you all my games if you could even kill me one time in it. That is how sure I am in the skill level of it.
As far as GH3 goes like I have said before I play guitar for real but gh3 is a different beast.
It mesures your ability to keep rythm and is hands down the best test of hand eye cordination out of any game. Yahoo gave it props by saying people that can master it have the potentual to be brain surgens or f16 fighter piliots.

If you dont like it you either hate rock music, have no hand eye cordination, have no sense of rythm or all 3 and I'm betting on all 3.

And nowa days most of gh's tracks are originals not remakes for your information.

The bottom line is if you even believe there is an once of skill involved in playing halo I can't reach you or convince you otherwise and no argument you make has any intrest to me.

JSBeckerist @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:51PM

Game (versions I've played): my experience
Quake (2, 3, 4): No melee, medium pace, health and armor packs, (almost too) powerful weapons
UT (2k4, 3): Melee in the form of a gun, fast paced, health and armor packs, varied weapons
Team Fortress (1 and 2): Melee in the form of a crowbar, slower paced, health but no armor, varied classes (including varied weapons)
COD (2, 3, 4): Knifing melee, no real jumping, slower paced, regenerative health (no armor), varied weapon classes
Halo (1, 2 and 3): Punching melee, fast paced, no health (excluding in 1), regenerative armor, varied weapons

Personally, I found that Halo 3 was the easiest on the console (vs. UT3, COD2 and 4, Quake 4 and 2 that came on the second disk, and TF2, all of which I have for the 360.) UT2k4 and Quake 2 were my favorite PC games.

I share your pain on the "getting a silver account to kick the butts of lower ranks" but honestly it doesn't help much. If you're really that good, your rank goes up so fast that you don't see "n00bs" after the first few games (for example, check my stats on the name "t0uch what" -- I was a 29 in 30 something games then have only gone downhill from there!)

Also, playing against such low ranks only barely increases your rank if you already have like, a briggy.

All in all, Halo is def the easiest to pick up and play on a console (the only one my GF likes, which says a lot! she's tried all of the above too and sticks with Halo and Tomb Raider :-P)

wow, thanks for reading my novel!

Wil @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:53PM

"Yahoo gave it props by saying people that can master it have the potentual to be brain surgens or f16 fighter piliots."

LOL! Yeah, maybe if the act of being a brain surgeon involved mashing colored buttons on a plastic controller at the right times. Too many studies to list to say that hand-eye coordination that you develop in video games does NOT translate to better hand-eye coordination in real life. To become a better brain surgeon you go to MEDICAL SCHOOL and PRACTICE BEING A BRAIN SURGEON. To be a fighter pilot you go to your countries AIR FORCE and PRACTICE BEING A FIGHTER PILOT. No amount of guitar hero mastery will make you any better at real life skills. It's like saying playing Wii Sports Boxing will make you not get your ass kicked by those school bullies. Keep dreaming, buddy.

s7nXover @ Aug 2nd 2008 12:22PM

I'm pretty sure when he said the Yahoo thing he was emphasizing this, and I quote, typo and all:

"have the potentual"

xFenixKnightx @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:39AM

Good to see Gears is still in the game. And at the #4 spot too. I bet it creeps up in the Top 3 when Gears 2 gets even closer. SHIT YEAH!!!

Prediction!

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. Halo 3
3. Gears of War

brian @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:41AM

Thats funny.

I had been playing COD (which I also can't stand now for reasons stated above by others) up until 2 weeks ago. Now I can't stay off of H3, when I have the time.

PeterF @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:44AM

I got sick of CoD because I was ALWAYS put on a team full of little kids. I would lose almost all of my games, even though I had a spead of +20 or so. I just couldn't take it anymore. The little kids think CoD is the cool thing to play, so I am on Halo now.

joey @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:55PM

I echo the sentiment.

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:44AM

Grow a pair people and get urselves Unreal.

Whitesoxfan5622 @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:54AM

How is it on the 360?

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:23PM

Well it's the best version of unreal to ever grace a console and it's easly better than the ps3 version and arguably better than the pc version.

It runs super smooth and is the best fps multiplayer expierence anyone is gonna get on the 360 to date.

Wise Guy @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:46PM

@ ccc

Matter of opinion. Halo 3 has yet to die for a lot of people. While UT3 looks fantastic, I doubt it will have as big a fan base. Again, online stats, forge, matchmaking, new maps, THEATER... all give Halo legs. You must be thinking of a different game if you think it's easy to master. I thought I was pretty good but have come across a lot of TEAMS that are better.

ccc @ Jul 24th 2008 4:54PM

Being ranked what I am in unreal and Gow and being a national Quake 3 arena Tournament champion I am sorry but Halo is for noobs.

Magic Whiskey @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:50AM

Why was my comment deleted? I didn't say anything anti-Halo 3.

Xav de Matos @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:08PM

No one deleted comments duder. I'm a little busy to go play housemaid on comment posts today!

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:09PM

because when it comes to Halo, its fans would die for it like little lemmings jumping off a cliff.

chris @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:03PM

halo+upset its as easy as that gears 2 is gunna rape halo 3 in gaming abalities

Ghostbuddy @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:56AM

The prophecy has come true!

Seriously though, I don't know how Halo went from being a overrated game back in 07, to an underrated game in 08. But it happened.

And the Dark Knight was brilliant, but I can tell you for a matter of fact I would of been playing Halo 3 if I didn't go see it. Never liked COD 4s MP. Single player was awesome. Just played through it again last week.

IMO, that games MPs only strength is an addictive reward system. And at the end of the day, you have to ask your self do I want to play an addictive, but boring game? When I asked my self that question, I left COD 4.

Even forgeting the fact I like Halos core mechanics better. I mean custom games in Halo 3 instantly wins my time. I have had so much fun playing user created gametypes in customs. Even more so after Foundry came out.

joey @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:37PM

How can something be addictive and boring at the same time?

sambob117 @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:59AM

I'd like to believe I added to that rank climbing, haven't played in a while (gta4 was too much fun) but I hopped on last night, then after 6 games with no real challenge I became bored.

horngreen @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:02PM

COD4 was great and all but no real updates or changes are made to it. halo 3 at least gets SWAT (which is the best ever) and other game types while COD4 is always the same old COD4. Hell I play nothing on COD4 except hardcore team death match as I find everything else annoying.

RangerPrimeX @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:04PM

I think you have some shift of CoD4 players to Battlefield: BC which I am playing a ton of myself. That shift was enough to knock it down a peg on the list. Both games are modern combat unlike sci-fi Halo.

Magic Whiskey @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:17PM

That's a really good point..my friends/clan have done that. I would have joined them last week for BF:BC shenanigans if it wasn't for a dead 360.

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:35PM

I agree, that is most likley the only reason this game is back on top.

It did this once before for 1 week and 1 week only.

Bottom line is Halo 3 was dethroned really fast from the #1 spot as it should have been and the record for #1 the longest is what game?

Gears of War.

Wise Guy @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:29PM

Halo 3 is the only game I've consistantly played this whole year. I can't get enough of this game. I agree with it being frustrating if you are a beginner. That's why Call of Duty 4 is so popular. I owned both but found COD4 not as rewarding with playback and online stats to measure skill. But COD4 was more accessible to beginners. They have to do a rank reset on Halo 3 though. It would suck at first... but it would help pull the ranks closer together and stop cheap asses who start 1 month trials from owning beginners. Those kind of noobs need a good ass kicking... or a sticky grenade to the chest!

qbix @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:35PM

amen to that.

joey @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:45PM

I found the aim-down-sight mechanics of COD so much harder to master than spot-a-spartan and hold down the right trigger.

We all know the real reason why Halo's on top this week.
Cold Storage.

Tyrone Hawk @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:29PM

Could it be that COD players are getting into BF:Bad Company as a relax for all the playtime and tension they have had on COD4?

Of course I'm happy for our beloved Halo to be the king of the mountain.

qbix @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:34PM

I just need to get to prestige level 10, level 55 and ACOG scopes on all weapons (except shotguns of course) and then I'll return to Halo 3.

samaral70 @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:40PM

glad to see Gears of War hanging in at # 4

Clinton @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:55PM

I'm also going to have to shrug for the Halo 3 vs. CoD4 rivalry and put in my vote for UT3. Maybe if it had real SP campaign it would be viewed more favourably but the controls, graphics and level design are great.

It's so twitchy, you'd think more "kiddies" would be hopping onto this game. The UT franchise just isn't in style anymore.

ccc @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:07PM

People want something thats easy to get good at rather than something that takes skill and tremendus effort to just have a chance at.

You could say its like the difference in transmissions in a care.

Are you a stick shift kinda guy or an automatic lover?

Decapit8 @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:06PM

i never played a halo game before, picked up halo 3, and was consistently MVP. somehow a motion tracking radar makes the game... very easy. ive only played around 200 games, but most the time i do fairly well.

it took me about a month to get good at call of duty 4. being good at call of duty 4 is different than being good at halo. what I call good for halo is having like a 3.0 kdr, while good for call of duty for is finishing a round of tdm with over 30 kills and less than 5 deaths... or a kdr of around 6.

so its hard to judge which game is harder, because being a skilled player on one is different than on the other.

like others have pointed out, i havent played cod4 b/c ive been playing bf:bc. though its growing old quite fast. i see people jumping back to cod4 after a month or so, then whenever bf:bc comes out with conquest gametypes maybe itll have a revival of players.

having over 150 songs on rockband, and bf, i have been finding little time to go back to my old games like cod and halo. and with the upcoming releases of rb2, gow2, fable2, etc. i find it less and less likely ill be going back to them any time soon.

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