Halo 2 All-Nighter on XBL

Well I picked this past weekends Halo 2 All-Nighter event for my first time on Xbox Live and I have to admit I'm quite impressed with how easy the original Xbox connected online for the first time. I had no problems setting up XBL or getting the Halo 2 updates for online play, getting the expansion maps took a little longer, but before I knew it I was right in the thick of the action.

Things are really fast paced, or at least they appear to be now. It's been almost 6 years since I really played a first person shooter style game and that was on a PC. For a first time outing, having not played Halo 2 online and not really knowing the maps, I did alright and managed to take down a few targets. Yes they took me down more than I took them down, but I'm playing against the Halo 2 faithful, those who fight on a regular nightly basis.

The Console connection
I'm borrowing the Xbox Console that a friend has offered and his Halo Game Collection. It's the special Halo Edition and has three controllers and he threw in a few extra games too. The whole time he has had Xbox he never once took it online for any multiplayer game play. So I was thrilled that he offered it and said I could take her out for the first time. It's hard for me to think that this machine is as old as it is and still performs as well as it does. My eyes are firmly set on getting an Xbox 360, but in the meantime I'm having so much fun playing on a game console again.

So far I've played the past two nights online and it's funny how it calls to you, just sitting in the living room you hear the faint call to pick up a controller and log into XBL, I hit the ground running and begin to seek out the targets before they find me.

And the Winner Is?

eBay User randlecurtis is now the proud owner of the first Xbox 360 Elite that has gone up for auction. Somehow retailers let slip the Elite unit and a lucky person snagged it up and posted it on eBay for sale. Eight days before the regular release date of the Elite and we now have the first owner with a winning bid of $5100.

At that price you really have a very Elite 360 in your hands. I'm amazed the price went as high as it did. I mean I know these are cool and should be the best 360's to date. Sure you might have a hard time finding them at first, but come this fall and if the 65nm processor makes its way to these, you could not only see lots of these, but perhaps even a price drop.

It just shows that some people have way more money than they know what to do with and clearly want to be one of the first to own something. I on the other hand don't fit in that world, at least at this stage of my life. I'll wait till I have the money and get one when its not as crowded.

That thing got a HEMI in it?

Not exactly, but the new Xbox 360 Elite does have a Hitachi GDR-3120L FK78 DVD drive, a Fujitsu MHW2120BH 120GB hard drive, a new HDMI port with HANA Image scaler chip, and both the CPU and GPU show different revision information on their chips, this points to a lower power consumption as shown by some of the missing capacitors & transistors, having been removed on this revision of the motherboard and implying that a possible 65nm core, is in fact inside.

Thanks to the kind folks at Llamma.com for getting their hands on a new Elite and checking out what makes it really tick inside. It sure looks like Microsoft has made some much needed changes to help improve the 360. We can only hope that these changes are also taking effect on any future Core or Premiums that come out. Once again, if your thinking about getting a new console, take a good hard look at what the Xbox 360 Elite has to offer, its really set up for the first time game owner and in my mind its the Best Bang for the Buck!

Embeded with Company C

It's the early spring of 2014 and the Ghosts of Company C prepare for another mission and I'm embedded along with the unit on a very rare opportunity, to observe & report back on the recent rebel threats along the 1,900 miles long completed wall of the U.S./Mexico border.

The small three man team of Company C is made up of Coondy, Double Bead, & Major Chaos and they have been working together since the beginning of the year on recon in Mexico. Coondy takes the lead and suggests the plan of action for the Op and we drop into the Hot Zone.

I'm following along with Major Chaos, who provides support for both Coondy & Double Bead as well as keeping me alive and we quickly take out engaging hostiles. The sudden bursts of rapid fire grow from over the hill as we approach and Chaos lobs three Grenades and a series of explosions help Coondy & Double Bead take out the hostiles. Company C works well together and takes out their targets and completes their mission.

It's a job well done and we make our way back home and to safety on the other side of the wall. I can't go into any of the specifics for the mission, but I can say that things on the other side of the wall are very hot and I'm glad that the Ghosts are on the job.

After a short rest, I follow Company C in some 3 on 3 training missions against another Ghost company. The exercise is for the groups to work on their tactics against each other. Its a series of fast paced rounds where both sides take each other out. Once tagged you move back and then work to get back to your unit and engage the enemy again.

I finally say goodbye to Coody & Double Bead and that's when Chaos decides its time to for me to see what its really like to become a Ghost and puts me through some basic training. I learn quickly how the HUD system works and move out learning how to take cover first. They give me a couple small targets to take out and then its time for me to put some of my training to work.

Hostiles are near the area and they need me to take them out. I move around the corner and see two of them as they turn and take notice of me. Amazing how time feels like it stops, as we face each other and then bullets begin to zip by and I take on fire. Cover... that is what I was suppose to be doing as I raise my weapon and take out one and then the other.

Over the com I'm reminded that my score will go down for taking on fire. In a real OP, I'd be dead! I complete the mission and I'm told that I'm unfit and need more training. I tell Chaos thanks for keeping me a live and showing me what its like to become a Ghost, its time for the long trek back home now.