"Halo 3, please. Oh, and a Wii."

by David Hinkle { Sep 28th 2007 at 10:19PM }

In attending a few select Japanese stores on the morning of the launch of some game starring some guy about rings in space or something (the kids keep calling it Halo 3, but we've never heard of it), Kotaku found that many consumers also took the opportunity to purchase a Wii. As big fans of the console, we're always glad to see more people picking it up and checking out all of the awesome stuff available on the platform.

But, it's such a night and day thing. When picking up a game for Microsoft's system, why would they also pick up a Wii console? Also, it might sadden a few of you still on the hunt to know that the Japanese retail outlets that the Kotaku folk visited were chock full of consoles, almost stacked to the heavens.

Tags: bungie, halo, halo-3, halo3, japan, launch, master-chief, masterchief, microsoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

David W. @ Sep 28th 2007 10:55PM

I can't quite tell, but isn't the special Halo edition X-box 360 as opposed to the game itself?

Adv2k1 @ Sep 28th 2007 11:08PM

awesomw

Zack W. @ Sep 28th 2007 11:28PM

I'm a bit confused. I thought the 360 was not a big seller in Japan, and thus there would be not much of a need for Halo 3, and at the same time Japanese households were chocked full on Wiis already...

Michael K. @ Sep 28th 2007 11:40PM

they're buying a wii and halo for when they see how overrated and bad halo is, they can play wii

Deezul @ Sep 29th 2007 12:09AM

And then realizes there's no games for the Wii either, so thus the same picture can be used when the customer returns both consoles in a month.

cristi? @ Sep 29th 2007 12:33AM

Wheres the blue sticker saying "5 games included!" or whatever it is in Japananese, on the box???

BPM (FDF - Hypno-Toad) @ Sep 29th 2007 12:47AM

@Cristi?:
If you meant on Wii, the Japanese Wii doesn't come with a game. Wii Sports is sold seperately there (and it still sells well!).

If you meant on 360... then I have no idea what you're talking about.

David W. @ Sep 29th 2007 1:11AM

@ Michael:

I have no clue what you're talking about...Halo is a terrific game which is a blast to play. True, it may not have lived up to the hype, but I don't think ANY game could live up to that insane level of hype.

I have a Wii, and honestly it gets almost no play time, I got Resident Evil 4 as a birthday present not too long ago and honestly, I just can't get into the controls. I LOVE Wii Sports but that's more of a party game then anything...I do need to buy Metroid because with all the stuff I've heard it's obviously a good game.
_

If I didn't like the controls for RE: 4, will I like the metroid controls? Are they much much better?

Sonic_13 @ Sep 29th 2007 2:07AM

@#8 - David W.: Metroid Prime 3's controls are phenomenal! You won't be disappointed. It makes other FPS control schemes (aka dual analog sticks) seem dated. They are far superior to any other Wii FPS controls currently out there.

Sonic_13 @ Sep 29th 2007 2:07AM

The extra supply in stock will only be temporary. Smash Bros. and Super Mario Galaxy will make them disappear very quickly.

If I was over there and didn't have one yet, I would buy now before those games come out.

tastybytes @ Sep 29th 2007 2:46AM

luckily owning every gaming console out there (totally making up for my youth when all my parent bought me was the original pong game from a garage sale 4-5 years after it came out), i get to experience the games and controls for all systems.. so far.. xbox360 controller.. best feel (not the orig xbox, ugh) sixaxis on ps3.. neato when done right.. pick up (or rent) heavenly sword for a great bullet time projectile duck hunt.. but the wii still has the most potential.. the possibilities are enormous.. i understand why m$, sony, nintendo dont want people to modify their machines.. but if they opened up the api, there would be awsome advances on all the systems.. even though there arnt that many games for the wii (much to my disappointment) i am sure they are coming... i think nintendo and most developers expected the sluggish sales of the .. *cough* n64 and the *cough* gamecube.. (at least in america) so they didnt start developing many games.. for cost, ui, and gameplay.. i have to say wii is so far beyond the others.. and if the upcoming lightsaber duals are done right... well.. lets just say ill start buying them for my friends just so i can play against them....

beaus27 @ Sep 29th 2007 8:00AM

@ David, yes it is very true Halo is a terrific game,
that is if you have been living under a rock and have not touch a PC FPS since the original Doom.
The only thing Halo managed to accomplish, was bring online mulitplayer to the mass, which PCs started, and CHARGE!!! people for it. Meanwhile PC FPS game are MOSTLY FREE!!!!

....Oh and the controls in RE4 Wii seem perfect to me, as does everone who has ever reviewed the damn game.
www.metacritic.com

Trogdor @ Sep 29th 2007 9:09AM

@1

No, that's the box for the limited edition Halo 3 game. As for the debate of games on each cosole, none of the consoles have truly awesoem games, besides the Wii having LoZ:TP, MP: Corruption, and Strikers. The PS3 has Fall of Man: Revolution (not the greatest game if you ask me), and the 360 has Gears of War, Halo 3, and Bioshock (All of which are M rated games, which seriously reduces the mrket for the games) i'm waiting for the Wii to have some sweet Wifi games like BWii, and I'm also waiting for a couple of more mature titles. But SSBB and Galaxy will both PWN!

Jeremy @ Sep 29th 2007 9:24AM

I wonder if the Japan Limited Edition Halo 3 game has the same scratches as the US version. I didn't get to enjoy Halo 3 at launch because of this problem and the news said it was a big problem.

David W. @ Sep 29th 2007 10:38AM

@ #9, thanks for being mature and answering my question in a mature way :)

@ #12, have you PLAYED a 360? Many many people agree that their online component is the best ever seen and many people, including me, agree that the fee is well worth the quality you get. It easily blows away all multi player components of online PC games.

And I'm sorry I don't agree with everyone about RE:4? Everyone has their own opinion. If you go back and read my comment in now way was I attacking the game, I was just saying I personally wasn't a fan of the games controls.

Jackson Pritt @ Sep 29th 2007 11:54AM

I have to agree with David.
While I haven't played Halo 3 yet (my 360 is in the mail as we speak) I thoroughly enjoyed the first two games, and found them to be wonderful additions to the FPS genre. Sure, there's very little that Halo did FIRST, but what the original Halo did was bring together all the best things about the FPS genre and put them in one box.

As a total package of story, music, gameplay, graphics, and multiplayer the Halo series stands out clearly as one of, if not THE best FPS series of all time.

I also have to agree with David that my Wii gets very little play time, even without another console currently in the house. While I really enjoy Wii Sports and Twilight Princess, the Wii doesn't have a lot of (good) games that I can pick up and play for short stretches when I get home from work or before a show my girlfriend wants to watch comes on. If I had more free time I'm sure I would play it more, but as a working gamer it just doesn't get much time.

TL;DR version = The Wii has the most potential of any system I've ever owned, but it's currently unrealized because developers seem to feel a need to churn out endless numbers of terrible minigame compilations instead of making serious games. Also Halo is a good series and if you hate it you've either never played it or you're a Nintendo or Sony fanboy.

CackNBallz @ Sep 29th 2007 12:34PM

Jackson Pritt,

Aren't you kind of contradicting yourself? You say you are a working gamer and don't have time to play games. Yet you complain about not enough serious games? Serious games tend to sap a lot more time than mini-games; and serious games aren't generally made to be played for short spurts at a time.

I have some suggestions for short spurt gaming and are very endearing in gameplay and story. Trauma Center: Second Opinion is a surprisingly amazing game. The latter levels have a good challenge, the story is pretty good and keeps you wanting to play more to find out what happens next. Excite Truck and SSX Blur are very fun games with crazy jumps and good control. All of the aforementioned games can be played for 5 to 10 minutes at a time and you will be able to progress further into the game almost every time in that timespan because the games were designed to be played for short intervals.

Most of the complainers about the Wii (not talking about you now) that I read lurking here and at Joystiq complain make statements on just two or three games. Most of them being Twilight Princess and Wii Sports. Which leads me to believe that they either only own those two games or don't own a Wii.

Rent a couple of games if you don't want to risk your money to buy them and you will most likely be pleasantly surprised.

Jackson Pritt @ Sep 29th 2007 12:53PM

I own Trauma Center for the Wii, and find it to be pretty crappy in comparison with the original DS game, particularly because of the use of still characters and text. I'm fine with that kind of thing on my DS, but the Wii is capable of so much more, and it's really just inexcusable laziness on the part of the developers. It's still a "good" game, I just wish they had done more to customize the game for the Wii.

I've played SSX and Excite Truck and found both to be pretty ho-hum. Then again, I don't really like sports games and I don't like any racing games that aren't part of the Mario Kart series. Mario Kart DS is the best racer I've ever played, and it's going to be very difficult for any other racing game outside the Kart series to live up to that kind of quality.

I also own and enjoyed Red Steel, though it definitely has really broken controls and could have been a lot better. I know the game is flawed, but people don't give it enough credit for graphics and atmosphere. It's actually quite pretty at times.
I also have Marvel:UA, which has the flimziest, most tacked-on motion controls I've ever seen. But I didn't expect that one to be good, and I only got it as a gift.

I do enjoy Strikers Charged though! It's a fun little game and even though the online can be frustrating and have some lag, it's nice to be able to play against other people. I just wish there was more of an ability to communicate with whoever you were playing against.

What I like about games like Halo is that they have both online deathmatches and solid stories. When I have extra time I can play through the campaign, but when I only have 15 minutes I can just jump into multiplayer and shoot up a mess of 12 year olds. And unfortunately there aren't any Wii games that let me do that yet. Strikers is a good start, but let's be honest - the single player game doesn't really leave you hanging at the edge of your seat.

Once Mario Kart Wii and Smash Bros Brawl come out I think the Wii is really going to turn around and be considered a "serious" console by gamers, but right now it's still being beaten by the 360.

Trashman @ Sep 29th 2007 3:49PM

This is awesome. Wii60 FTW!!!!!!

Anticrawl @ Sep 29th 2007 9:42PM

I'll have to agree with most of the comments above. My Wii gets little to know play time unless my girlfriend wants to play Boogie or Warioware. I actually own the same number of games for the 360 and Wii but there is just something about games on the 360 that make me wanna play my 360 more. Probably the social online aspect and rewards you get for beating games, without the achievements I'd probably not finish most games. This fall/winter my Wii will get some play time. SSB:Brawl and SMB:Galaxy are gonna be great, just wish they'd push more for online and voice chat and a unified friends system without the stupid codes.

CackNBallz @ Sep 29th 2007 11:29PM

Thank you for your well thought out reply. I would have to agree with you on Red Steel. People didn't give it much credit, but those dang controls were atrocious at times. Hopefully the sequel will control far better since Metroid Prime 3 came out the 3rd party developers should see how an FPS game on the wii should play like.

I found that I enjoyed the Wii version of Trauma Center far more than the DS version. One I didn't have to worry about losing those extra fractions of a second tapping the next surgical instrument; I only had to use my left thumb to select the 8 I needed. I felt that the controls were spot on, even little things like turning the remote to unscrew the cover on the bomb or squeezing the A and B buttons to use the forceps felt very natural and intuitive.

I haven't played Mario Strikers yet, but I plan to pick it up sooner or later. Right now I am just blasting through Rob Everyone 4 - I mean Resident Evil 4. That game has crazy amounts of replay value, especially when you consider the amount of game modes after beating the game such as Assignment Ada, Separate Ways (which is basically a condensed version of the main game but from Ada's perspective) and the absolutely awesome Mercenaries.

Have you tried Metroid Prime 3? I HIGHLY recommend that game. Sadly, I cannot play another console game with dual analog anymore. I just feel constrained by the lack of freedom and movement. You may also be interested in the upcoming Medal of Honor game which apparently boasts 32 online multiplayer and even tighter IR controls than even Metroid according to the editors at IGN.

I agree with you that this Christmas season will be a good one for the Wii and all other consoles. Out of all the systems, the 360 has the best online infrastructure. Voice chat is a given for online and I wish that Nintendo included this in their games.

beaus27 @ Sep 30th 2007 12:14AM

I DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY A 360, DAVID, I HAVE A PC!!!!!!
ANY ONE WHO PERFERS PAYING FOR SOMETHING THAT IS OTHERWISE FREE FREE FREE FREEE!!!!!!!!!!!!, is a fool.
"A fool and his money are soon parted"
These people you speak of who perfer 360 to PC, must be the same people, who believes Irag never had WMDs, CNN!
Next time try presenting COLD HARD FACTs before voicing your opinion. "It easily blows away all multi player components of online PC games."

David W. @ Sep 30th 2007 4:24AM

First off Beaus, using caps lock instantly negates any argument you may have had and the spelling errors certainly don't help. My first question would have to be, how old are you? Because I learned really early on how to state my arguments, which you've failed horrible to do.

"A fool and his money are soon parted."
That WOULD be a valid argument if the experience of playing online with the PC and 360 were exactly the same, which it isn't. Having instant access to all my music, movies, arcade games, and friends at once is awesome. Not to mention a lot of the games on the 360 are available for the PC.

IF the online service were free for the 360 I think it would be nearly unanimous decision for the 360...in the end it's personal opinion, but I feel the difference is easily worth the amount paid.

Irit H @ Sep 30th 2007 5:39PM

beaus27, Iraq did not have WMDs you stupid Republican, but PCs are better than 360s cuz you can do more crap on them, but the 360 has better games, some of which are almost worth paying the exorbitant price M$ charges to play online.

kevinm2k @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:02AM

What so £40 a year for an online service which is WAY better then any other online service is expensive?? You need to get your parents to up your pocket money if you think so.

The 360 is all about interactivity and only people who have a 360 will know about that, seriously if you haven't tried it you can't say its not worth the money, because the amount of things it gives (or tries to rip you off for), if you haven't tried it, then just don't comment.

This is where the wii falls down for me, the online services are awful and those machine codes... they need to get rid asap!

Oh and I have Halo and no its not the best graphics in the world, but it is such a great game, the multiplayer / coop is probably the best i've seen on any game.

eddy @ Oct 9th 2007 3:59PM

i got it! its simple the wii gets a headset system the online feature would work in 2 ways 1.set up by parents would give a match no headphones and if u want to use them u use them with people u know and a friend system would be nice so you can talk to them while playing so they can help you 2. u get to use the headset with anyone and go into online matches

Larz @ Oct 1st 2007 1:17PM

Makes sense to me, but I do the same thing when shopping at video game stores.

A while back I went in and said "umm, I'll take 1 nunchuck, Excite Truck, and throw in one of those PS3's."

Sure they're all unrelated, but so is everything you shop for generally. When you go to the market you might get milk, Tang, fruit, bread, etc. Nobody assumes you're going to eat them all for the same meal.