Chronique:Halo Bulletin 11/12/2011

11 décembre

Original

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Before Halo, Before Xbox, and Before Cellular Networks.

While many of us have smartphones, digital audio players, and other technological devices cluttering up our living spaces, Internet-connected gadgets haven’t always been the norm. In fact, some of us have been around long enough to remember an era known only as BCN, or Before Cellular Networks. Some people dubbed it the Dark Ages. Others didn’t have time to come up with an alternative name because they had already succumbed to the devastating effects of boredom. Thankfully (or not, depending on your viewpoint), I was one of the survivors.

Disclaimer: If you don’t like rambling, barely relevant introductions, now is the time to move on to the next section. You should know that one also consists of rambling, but at least it’s slightly more relevant. Go me!

Anyway, back to my incredibly enthralling story. It was one summer afternoon during that archaic, accessory-absent epoch when a friend of mine called me from her land-attached telephone line. Beside herself with excitement about whatever it was her dad had just brought home, she could barely slow her words down enough to tell me I needed to come over, and preferably in a quick-like fashion.

As my sneakers hit the pavement, my pea-sized brain began to race. Did they buy a ferret? Did they get a trampoline? Were they adopting Corey Haim and Corey Feldman?! While all the things that appeal to an adolescent girl began dancing in my head, the actual thing was much cooler than anything I could have imagined. Because taking up the entire passenger seat of her father’s cushy Cadillac was a very large, and very portable, telephone.

Back in the day, you see, not only did we have to walk to school uphill both ways but mobile phones were extremely large and bulky. And not just large and bulky like the phone my mom still uses (sorry, Mom!), but large and bulky as in you wouldn’t even be able to bring it on a plane as a carry-on in this day and age.

Thankfully phones have come a long way. Now they’re smaller, they’re sleeker, and they’re officially smart. So smart, as a matter of fact, that they can oftentimes double as a GPS. And soon, they’ll be able to do the exact same thing with your Spartan. How, you ask? I’ll get to that. But first, let me introduce you to our new map-viewing mobile application called ATLAS.

ATLAS – Take your gaming to the next level.

ATLAS, or Assisted Tactical Assault System, is a companion experience that provides near-real-time player data and tactical guidance for your Halo: Reach and Halo: Anniversary Multiplayer gameplay. This brand new strategy app will begin to become available on December 10 as part of Halo Waypoint on Windows Phone 7, iOS, and Android devices.

We have partnered with Brady Games to bring you detailed Multiplayer and Firefight maps for Halo: Reach. That includes the Noble, Defiant and just released Anniversary Map Pack! Along with the benefit of being able to study the maps while on the go, ATLAS also features:

• Weapon and vehicle spawn locations for Matchmaking and Firefight games.

• Health pack locations.

• Near-real-time locations for weapons and vehicles during Custom Multiplayer games.

• Your location and that of your team members displayed on the map.

• ‘Follow me’ mode to track your movement.

• Dynamic player list, including current score for the teams and each player and equipped weapon for you and your teammates.

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