COD4 vs. Halo 3 Multiplayer Part II – Pace & Method

PART I: Character Customization
PART II: PACE & METHOD

Like the introductory paragraph to a good essay, pace is what sets the tone for the multiplayer experience in a first-person shooter. The speed at which Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 are players is a main factor that sets players from both camps apart. As soon as a COD4 match starts the first thing you notice (apart from how bad ass the SAS guys sound saying “Let’s do this!”) is that the game is fast. Thanks to the new sprint mechanic (done by holding down the left analog stick) your character is able to zip across the map in short bursts. This new ability makes each match feel more like a true warzone rather than a game of Team Deathmatch. Soldiers sprint from cover to cover in the real battlefield don’t they? You even die fast. It doesn’t take a lot to get killed in a game of multiplayer. The chances of you catching a bullet with your face within the first ten seconds of a match are fairly high. In fact, the chance of you dying every ten seconds is also very high. This may sound frustrating, especially to newcomers, but it makes sense. A shooter that claims to be “realistic” should have somewhat realistic bullet damage, which I feel COD4 gets right (although not perfect). A few shots to the chest are enough to down any soldier and all it takes to kill someone in COD is a few well placed shots. A single shot in the head leads to instant death in the game we call life therefore one headshot in COD means you’re hitting the respawn button. The idea will piss you off at first but if you think about the logic behind it you might come to appreciate it.

September NPD Sales Numbers: Halo Defeats Nintendo

Nintendo’s winning streak has finally come to an end and Master Chief is single-handedly responsible for it. America loves killing them some Covenant and Halo 3’s sales figures for September can prove it. Halo 3 managed to move a flabbergasting 3.3 million units (regular, special, and legendary edition combined) in about a week (let’s not forget the game was released on the 25th of the month). I guess the $10 million advertising campaign paid off.

With The Chief’s support (and the somewhat recent price drop) Microsoft managed to get a slight edge over Nintendo in the hardware department, selling 527K Xbox 360’s while the 507K Wii’s made their way to the homes of many. What a great month for video games in general! According to the NPD, hardware sales are up 124% from August and 47% from this time last year. The games industry is looking to make $17-$18 billion in total. Don’t you just love progress?!!

Here’s the breakdown; hardware then software:

Hardware Sales
Xbox 360: 527,800
Wii: 501,000
Nintendo DS: 495,800
PlayStation Portable: 284,500
PlayStation 2: 215,000
PlayStation 3: 119,400
Game Boy Advance: 75,000

Software Sales
Halo 3 – 3.3 million
Wii Play with Remote – 282,000
Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass – 224,000
Madden NFL 08 PS2 – 205,000
Skate Xbox 360 – 175,000
Madden NFL 08 Xbox 360 – 173,000
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption – 167,000
Bioshock Xbox 360 – 150,000
Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day – 141,000
Heavenly Sword – 139,000

Ok, seriously. Stop with the buying Wii Play!

Halo DS Really Exists

Earlier this year IGN editor Matt Cassamassina claimed to have witnessed an real version of Halo on the Nintendo DS. with his own eyes. He then blogged about ‘Halo DS’ only to receive much skepticism and gallons of haterade from the gamer population. Turns out he wasn’t lying at all; yesterday he posted screens and videos of him dual-wielding a SMG and Plasma Rifle on the dual-screened handheld.

Head over to his blog for videos of the game in action, rendering all Cassamassina haters useless. It looks pretty decent considering the game didn’t get very far in development. It seems to follow in the control scheme steps as Metroid Prime Hunters, a game that I felt was a great fit for the system. Apparently the game probably won’t see the light of day since it was canceled (by some dumb exec. I’m guessing) before it could be fully completed. Shame really, because with Halo’s brand name and the DS’s incredible install base there would be some serious money printing going down. But I doubt Microsoft would be happy making Nintendo’s pockets any bigger.