Will those 9 maps be available to download and play on launch day? Or will we just get free access to them when they come out a couple of months later?
You will be able to download them as soon as they are released on the marketplace.
The map packs you will get with the Limited edition will be post launch, looking at the trends from previous Halo titles I’d guess the first pack should release early 2013, with the second and third coming in summer and fall/autumn respectively.
That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
> You will be able to download them as soon as they are released on the marketplace.
This.
> That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
No, because then they would be pulling an EA, restricting content created with the original development budget to people who pay more money. That’s bad buisness, and while 343 is owned by Microsoft, they still can’t afford to yoink off the community at the moment.
> That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
Well, I don’t think the maps have been made yet. Nobody wants to play unfinished maps.
You’ll be able to download them for free when they come out.
> That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
No, that wouldn’t be fair, the limited edition lets you download the map packs for freen when they’re released, rather than you pay for them when they come out, it’s kind of like a season pass for Saints Row the Third, or Battle Field.
> That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
How does it suck? More maps than ANY other Halo are launching with the game. It kept us going in all of them until the map packs came out and it’ll certainly keep us going in this game.
Don’t be so spoilt, please? 
> > That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
>
> Well, I don’t think the maps have been made yet. Nobody wants to play unfinished maps.
Obviously the maps haven’t been made. They’re probably focussing on forge, campaign, spartans ops and whatnot. They’re too busy at this time, they’re trying to get everything complete and polished. They’ve no time to be making a load of maps.
> > > That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
> >
> > Well, I don’t think the maps have been made yet. Nobody wants to play unfinished maps.
>
> Obviously the maps haven’t been made. They’re probably focussing on forge, campaign, spartans ops and whatnot. They’re too busy at this time, they’re trying to get everything complete and polished. They’ve no time to be making a load of maps.
Double post 
Essentially with the Limited Edition you are buying a season pass to get the rest of the map packs when they are released. As others said, it would be a bad move if all the map packs were released day one and only Halo 4 LE players got them with their game.
> Obviously the maps haven’t been made. They’re probably focussing on forge, campaign, spartans ops and whatnot. They’re too busy at this time, they’re trying to get everything complete and polished. They’ve no time to be making a load of maps.
But Certain Affinity has the time.
They might throw in 2 to 3 extra maps with limited but they also have extra skins and skins for your brs.
> They might throw in 2 to 3 extra maps with limited but they also have extra skins and skins for your brs.
What are you talking about?
The Limited Edition content is known : in the op’s case, it gives access to the first 3 map packs for free when they will be released some time in 2013.
> > That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition /
>
> More maps than ANY other Halo are launching with the game.
lol wut, no.
> Will those 9 maps be available to download and play on launch day? Or will we just get free access to them when they come out a couple of months later?
Think of it as pre paying for the map packs before they are released. Once a map pack becomes available and if you bought the Limited Edition, you will be able to download them. If you bought the standard edition, you will have to shell out Microsoft points.
You will not however, receive any DLC maps when the game launches. Anyone who says so is completely wrong.
> That really sucks, man. I thought I read somewhere that you would be able to access it on launch day if you bought the limited edition : /
If it makes you feel any better it saves you the trouble to get some microsoft points when the map packs come out.
> > More maps than ANY other Halo are launching with the game.
>
> lol wut, no.
Well, yes, if you only count the console Halo games and if you include the forge environments and there is no reason not to include them.
We have 10 maps + 3 Forge environments. It’s pretty much 13 maps.