Are there any plans to release the bonus stuff through the Marketplace so we don’t have to rebuy the game? I want the pre-order bonus content and the themes.
Hope not. Those armor pieces are too common now as it is and no longer rare anymore. They should never have been released with the GOTY edition to begin with.
I’m pretty sure people are supposed to wear armor because they like the way it looks not because of how “rare” it is. I hope they do release all of the pre order armors as DLC, everyone deserves a chance to enjoy them. The period of exclusivity has been long enough.
> I’m pretty sure people are supposed to wear armor because they like the way it looks not because of how “rare” it is. I hope they do release all of the pre order armors as DLC, everyone deserves a chance to enjoy them. The period of exclusivity has been long enough.
You’re entitled to your opinion just as I’m entitled to mine. BTW could you please explain to me why you put quotations over the word rare? I didn’t use that word other than for the commonly accepted Webster definition, so there’s no need for that. Anyway just like some people prefer to play halo competitively or MLG, me and my friends enjoy sporting armor that’s rarer or more difficult to attain. We may not be the majority but trust me there are still fans who did not appreciate 343i giving out those pre order armors. Therefore I think I’m pretty safe to state that you’re wrong in your assumption where you stated, “I’m pretty sure people are supposed to wear armor because they like the way it looks not because of how ‘rare’ it is…”
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s fine if you disagree with my opinion but you definitely don’t speak on behalf of all people who play Halo 4.
I’m pretty sure I read on here before it was released that the GotY edition was the only way 343 were releasing the pre order DLC and that it wasn’t coming to the XBL Marketplace at all.
i bought it myself since all of the pre-order content is included. it costs only about 30 bucks that’s very cheap. (before goty edition some guys paid 30 bucks only for deadeye or arctic BR) and i don’t mind if i have 2 copies … a true halo fan can never have enough copies
Alright, I’m pretty lost. Game of the year edition? Since when was this a thing? I’ve already got all the special preorder dlc bull and all that, I just had no idea that they actually made it available to everyone now. Doesn’t that take the point out of pre-ordering something for the special, limited time content?
> Alright, I’m pretty lost. Game of the year edition? Since when was this a thing? I’ve already got all the special preorder dlc bull and all that, I just had no idea that they actually made it available to everyone now. Doesn’t that take the point out of pre-ordering something for the special, limited time content?
I feel you here. I’ve asked myself all those same questions as a matter of fact. No real good answers except for, “yes” to your last question.
Pre order disc locked content is a bad industry practice and 343i should have no part or it?
Gala…Most likely the answer would be No. The reason for that is because it would somewhat be unfair to those who bought a physical copy of Halo 4: GOTY. Not to mention, MS would never allow that.
That’s a shame. But oh well. A lot of companies favor early adopts and the ones who arrive latest while those that joined in the middle always get treated like a -Yoink- child. Same company that refused to give me my beta shirt even though they clearly had my stats for playing in the beta.
On note of the rare comment. A company should never alienate a group just because they weren’t lucky. Halo is about the people that play it not some treasure to make you stand out. They should reward skill not wallet size or ebay know-how. No amount of flashy gimmicks will ever make the dull in spirit so shiny. Alternative means to unlock these would really mean a lot.
> On note of the rare comment. A company should never alienate a group just because they weren’t lucky. Halo is about the people that play it not some treasure to make you stand out.
Well your feedback was more constructive than the latter comment on my opinion about rare armor. I just want to point out that your opinions about Halo are still personal assumptions and I disagree with you on several of your stances. You claim that, “Halo is about the people that play it not some treasure to make you stand out,” but I’ll refute that with a couple facts.
#1. These, “treasures,” that you speak of have been a part of Halo since Halo 3 when armor customizations really broke out for the halo franchise. The Hayabusha armor was given out to the gamers, such as myself, that could find all the skulls in the campaign. The Katana Chest piece was given out to gamers that could rack up all the pre-DLC achievements (With a sweet sword hanging off the back that everybody wished they could’ve used in melee combat). These were rare treasures that displayed commitment and achievement to players that wore them and the Katana Chest piece was essentially unobtainable to most casual gamers. (It should be noted this is relative to armor customization. Halo 2 started rare unlocks with the Bungie.net background behind players’ GamerTags that linked their account to Bungie’s website).
#2. The next, “treasure,” came in the way of linking achievements between halo games. Recon armor in Halo 3 required gamers to attain select “Vid-master,” achievements in both Halo 3 DLC and Halo 3 ODST. Again the level of skill and teamwork involved in getting these achievements, combined with creating an account on Bungie.net and unlocking the armor made this rare treasure a highly sought after piece.
#3. Halo Reach busted out of the singular focal point treasures that previously captivated the fan base. Reach did this by launching with pre order armor customizations, linking armor on Waypoint via legacy Halo Gamerscore tracked on the Halo Career Milestone, and setting the bar pretty high as far as grinding gameplay and saving up ingame currency towards rare armors. Player cards required things just as participation in the Beta for Reach and Halo 2 gameplay logged before Halo 2 went offline on Xbox Live (making this unobtainable for anyone who hadn’t previously done this but much better for players who had this). Since players had to grind for weeks and weeks just to get some of the upper echelon armor pieces, ultimately the majority of gamers could never attain the best pieces. But this didn’t degrade gameplay for anyone and just displayed the level of completion and dedication that players had to obtain these armor pieces. The famous Haunted Skull helmet required the top rank of inheritor and all helmets purchased. The variety of armor made players not really focus on a couple rare armor sets like in Halo 3, but opened the way for endless customization. The blue flame armor effect was released on a one day only, Bungie birthday event and was a nice way for Bungie to wave “adieu.”
#4. History lesson complete now this brings me back to the modern era. 343i still exercises this practice such as with the one day only events for the 343 Guilty Spark emblem in November 2013 and for the Commando Helmet the next month. 343i also continues to link rare treasures for legacy gameplay such as with the Determined Stance and a couple armor and weapon color variants in Halo 4 for having played Halo Spartan Assault. And Pre order bonuses are just a part of the franchise nowadays and should be expected in all future AAA Halo installments. What makes them great is the fact they’re rare. I don’t like to look mainstream or default with my armor and never will. All my halo 4 buddies feel the same way and unique pieces or stances generally produce, “ooooos” and “ahhhhhs.” In fact I’ve only seen people against rare armor posting in this forum- never on Xbox Live. Anyways I think rare treasures are a great idea and hope 343i continues to expand these; especially in regards to legacy gameplay. I wanted legacy armor pieces for Halo 4 but understood this was 343i’s first AAA installment in the franchise so turning a new leaf is okay. However if the next AAA installment doesn’t reward past gameplay in some distinct fashion, it’s possible that I won’t even purchase it. I’d still be a fan of halo canon and stay tuned to books and other media. The reason I point this out is because that’s how much I enjoy these rare armor pieces. You may not like rare armors but I outlined a couple facts that demonstrate how others in the fan base do; therefore you cannot accurately state that no one wants rare armor.
I think it’s important to remember that although you may not agree with this notion it’s really the future of modern day gaming at this point. I’ve heard on several occasions that halo doesn’t have to be like every other gaming franchise and I get that. But the system of pre order bonuses works and it works well, generally with a minor outcry from folks such as yourself. But you’re still purchasing the games. I think it’d be more detrimental to the franchise to turn from this trend as more casual gamers would opt out of purchasing the game without pre order incentive. From a business stand point, pre order bonuses really serve to benefit the different businesses that are marketing for upcoming titles. It gives gamers a reason to purchase the game from say Best Buy instead of Wal Mart. Ultimately I think rare armor pieces are the best thing halo has going for itself at this time and 343i should continue to expand this idea in future installments. For the aforementioned reasons I just outlined, I believe 343i will do this (Albeit probably not as much as I’d prefer). I understand where you are coming from but if you’ve taken the time to read this post you’ll understand there’s a pretty good history behind rare armor in the halo franchise and I’d hate to see that fade away. You can agree to disagree with my opinions but I believe the bulk of the fan base supports rare armors; whether it be from legacy game play, pre order bonuses, grinding for commendations, or other similar unlock requirements.
My post was not directed at you specifically, just the notion that the rare DLC items in games need to stay rare. This game is over the hill, there really is no reason to exclude people who want to pay to enjoy them. I bought the console and the special edition yet the game of the Year Edition gave out pieces from both. It really doesn’t matter in the long run, I had them exclusive for quite a while before they were released to the public. The folks at 343 had said that they were working on a way to release the DLC pre order items to the public, not that they’d be exclusive to the game of the year.
Basically I’m just saying that having rare items that you can unlock is awesome, it gives a reason to keep playing but paid items that are artificially rare really don’t mean anything and should be eventually made available for everyone to enjoy. Regardless of how rare they are supposed to be people should get to use them because they like the way they look.
> I bought the console and the special edition yet the game of the Year Edition gave out pieces from both.
Me too. I still think rare armor makes the games more fun. I also purchased each individual pre order armor piece via eBay (ensuring buyers were delivering the actual official cardboard slip containing original unused codes). The fact is that those armor pieces have always been obtainable to anyone, even more so today with GOTY which is exponentially cheaper and more consolidated than the method I had to take. I think it’s important to recognize the difference between unobtainable and rare armors. Unobtainable was the employee exclusive blue flame helmet that Bungie used to use. My point is that I agree that unobtainable armors are detrimental but rare armors are the best thing halo has going for it at the present moment in time. They distinguish players and show individual achievement and dedication.
> Regardless of how rare they are supposed to be people should get to use them because they like the way they look.
I think there’s one fundamental fact that should be addressed with this notion. All the rare armors from Halo 4 can be attained. It depends on how bad the player wants them - whether it be from purchasing GOTY or grinding for commendations. It just depends on how bad the player wants them. Once the armor is just handed out to everyone it’s not cool anymore. Not that it matters but I didn’t even appreciate GOTY because it made the armors more mainstream and easier to get than before. I don’t want it if everyone else has it, so perhaps that makes me somewhat bias on this issue. Well fortunately for me, I’ve got history and modern day facts on my side that suggests that future AAA halo installments will continue his trend.
> #1. These, “treasures,” that you speak of have been a part of Halo since Halo 3 when armor customizations really broke out for the halo franchise. <mark>The Hayabusha armor was given out to the gamers, such as myself, that could rack up all the pre-DLC achievements.</mark> This was a rare treasure that displayed commitment and achievement to players that wore it and was essentially unobtainable to most casual gamers.
Not true. The Hayabusa armour is/was unlocked by finding all skulls in the Halo 3 campaign. I believe the armour you are refering to is the Security helmet, which was awarded for obtaining all the original achievements and having 1000GS before the Legendary map pack was released (after which it was awarded for simply gaining 1000GS worth of any achievements in the game).
> The folks at 343 had said that they were working on a way to release the DLC pre order items to the public, not that they’d be exclusive to the game of the year.
As you said, the only thing that came from 343 was that they were working on making it available to the everyone and they did: its called the Game of the Year edition, since anyone in the general public can go out and buy the game. 343 have never once stated or even commented that they would definitely be putting all the pre order bonuses on the Marketplace, people just assumed that they would be.
And that wouldn’t even be 343’s decision to make. It would be up to the XBL Marketplace team, who ultimately decide on what promotions and content go onto the Marketplace for download. Once their bosses agree it goes ahead. 343 has no say in Marketplace decisions as they are simply the development department of Microsoft paid to create the content and support it, not how it it is implemented into other aspects of Xbox Live.
> > #1. These, “treasures,” that you speak of have been a part of Halo since Halo 3 when armor customizations really broke out for the halo franchise. <mark>The Hayabusha armor was given out to the gamers, such as myself, that could rack up all the pre-DLC achievements.</mark> This was a rare treasure that displayed commitment and achievement to players that wore it and was essentially unobtainable to most casual gamers.
>
> Not true. The Hayabusa armour is/was unlocked by finding all skulls in the Halo 3 campaign. I believe the armour you are refering to is the Security helmet, which was awarded for obtaining all the original achievements and having 1000GS before the Legendary map pack was released (after which it was awarded for simply gaining 1000GS worth of any achievements in the game)
Okay so first thing’s first - you’re partially correct on pointing out this one minor discrepancy throughout my entire post (I’ve since edited that post accordingly - BTW, it was the Katana Chest piece with the sword for the original 1000/1000 Gamerscore, not the “Security helmet” which was attainable through 1000 total Gamerscore, including DLC achievements making this way easier to get than the Katana Chest piece). Now I will have to state that it’s pretty annoying to see someone choose to criticize the minor details/technicalities of what I was framing; versus providing constructive criticism on the idea I actually conceptualized. What I mean to say is that I was pretty close on my halo history there and correct with everything else in that post anyways and the concept was still right on par despite that technicality- so perhaps next time you could respond to the concept instead? (Unless of course I make a gross error or miscalculation which I would be more willing to understand such a correction)
PS: I also appreciate and respond to PMs which are more friendly at highlighting possible errors that could always be corrected. 
> > <mark>The Hayabusha armor was given out to the gamers, such as myself, that could rack up all the pre-DLC achievements.</mark>
>
> Not true. The Hayabusa armour is/was unlocked by finding all skulls in the Halo 3 campaign. I believe the armour you are refering to is the Security helmet, which was awarded for obtaining all the original achievements and having 1000GS before the Legendary map pack was released (after which it was awarded for simply gaining 1000GS worth of any achievements in the game).
He was probably referring to the Katana chest piece, which required a number of achievements and gamerscore to unlock.
Regarding unlocking exclusive content, I believe the quote in question was from the October 2 Bulletin:
> We’ve seen some questions regarding the availability of pre-order content, and we’re still looking at different ways, which includes the Game of the Year Edition, to make the content available for completionists.
> > I bought the console and the special edition yet the game of the Year Edition gave out pieces from both.
>
> Me too. I still think rare armor makes the games more fun. I also purchased each individual pre order armor piece via eBay (ensuring buyers were delivering the actual official cardboard slip containing original unused codes). The fact is that those armor pieces have always been obtainable to anyone, even more so today with GOTY which is exponentially cheaper and more consolidated than the method I had to take. I think it’s important to recognize the difference between unobtainable and rare armors. Unobtainable was the employee exclusive blue flame helmet that Bungie used to use. My point is that I agree that unobtainable armors are detrimental but rare armors are the best thing halo has going for it at the present moment in time. They distinguish players and show individual achievement and dedication.
>
>
>
> > Regardless of how rare they are supposed to be people should get to use them because they like the way they look.
>
> I think there’s one fundamental fact that should be addressed with this notion. All the rare armors from Halo 4 can be attained. It depends on how bad the player wants them - whether it be from purchasing GOTY or grinding for commendations. It just depends on how bad the player wants them. Once the armor is just handed out to everyone it’s not cool anymore. Not that it matters but I didn’t even appreciate GOTY because it made the armors more mainstream and easier to get than before. I don’t want it if everyone else has it, so perhaps that makes me somewhat bias on this issue. Well fortunately for me, I’ve got history and modern day facts on my side that suggests that future AAA halo installments will continue his trend.
Now I understand better what’s going on here. You are financially and (seemingly) emotionally invested in these armor skins. I’d call that a number of things before I’d call it “dedication”. Champions of the Internet and capitalism grabbed up extra code cards where they could be found and resold what was free to them, or perhaps bought extra copies of the game to resell at full price, while the codes were sold at often-ludicrous markup, setting a trap for hyper-completionists and their wallets. That you bought into that scheme does not increase your cool factor in my eyes, as it is not a reflection on any game-related achievement on your part.
The DLC you bought was in fact a bunch of DRM codes, not a copy of the data for the otherwise-inaccessible armor skins and emblems. Every skin from Venator Raptor to you’ve-gotta-be-kidding-me FOTUS is permanently etched into every copy of the game. What you paid for was something you actually already possessed but to which you were denied access. I have no problem with skins (etc.) being rare because the in-game requirements are difficult to achieve–I’ve got the LASO emblem, same as you, along with a relative handful of others. That sort of thing is a challenge and a kind of first-person shooter quest to be completed, not some perverse “loyalty” metagame that goes to the loosest spender.
> Now I better understand what’s going on here. You are financially and (seemingly) emotionally invested in these armor skins. I’d call that a number of things before I’d call it “dedication”. Champions of the Internet and capitalism grabbed up extra code cards where they could be found and resold what was free to them, or perhaps bought extra copies of the game to resell at full price, while the codes were sold at often-ludicrous markup, setting a trap for hyper-completionists and their wallets. That you bought into that scheme does not increase your cool factor in my eyes, as it is not a reflection on any game-related achievement on your part.
>
> The DLC you bought was in fact a bunch of DRM codes, not a copy of the data for the otherwise-inaccessible armor skins and emblems. Every skin from Venator Raptor to you’ve-gotta-be-kidding-me FOTUS is permanently etched into every copy of the game. What you paid for was something you actually already possessed but to which you were denied access. I have no problem with skins (etc.) being rare because the in-game requirements are difficult to achieve–I’ve got the LASO emblem, same as you, along with a relative handful of others. That sort of thing is a challenge and a kind of first-person shooter quest to be completed, not some perverse “loyalty” metagame that goes to the loosest spender.
Interesting take on pre order armor. Still just an opinion nonetheless and I do not agree with you at all; even through your use of provocative terminology to sort of put an exclamation point on your ideas, they’re just another set of opinions. I do appreciate your attempt relate to me in this post by citing similar accolades that you’ve attained but understand this- what you classify as the “loosest spender,” doesn’t equate to what you suggest as being, “emotionally invested.” Would you claim that a coin collector is emotionally invested because they spend a little bit of money attaining a collection of rare coins from the Middle Ages?? Don’t think your rush to judgement necessarily means that you fully, “understand what’s going on here.” I got nothing invested in this except for the fact that halo is a fun past time hobby for me to engage in and the best part for me in particular has been the rare armor pieces that have been a part of the franchise since Halo 3.
Sure I’ll admit; I was a little let down by 343i in Halo 4 because of the lack of legacy-based rare armor offered at the launch which is why I chose to purchase pre order armor instead. I don’t care at all what you consider cool or how the sellers on eBay came to acquire the codes in which I purchased (except that they had been acquired legally by the seller). I still had rarer armor pieces to equip that folks such as yourself did not for the first year Halo 4 was out until the GOTY edition launched.
So no matter what your views on capitalism may be, I just made the decision that the marginal benefits outweighed the marginal cost and bought a couple codes. However I do prefer unlocks that require skill, such as the LASO emblem, the protector helmet, and legacy-based unlocks that reward past gameplay over pre order DLC.
The fact is that for whatever reason (assumedly 343i wanted to turn over a new leaf with their first AAA installment to the halo franchise), no legacy-based armor pieces were included at the launch of halo 4. Therefore I went to the next best thing which was pre order DLC. The other rare armors we’re talking about are better, I admit; but unlike you I don’t completely disregard pre order armor sets because I gotta throw a couple bucks at them.