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Mod
The Omniscient
/ Moderator
Oct 21, 2004, 8:10 PM
Post #1 of 2
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Halo 2 Leaked To Internet - Just Weeks Ahead of Launch
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Some three weeks ahead of its release date, a copy of the much anticipated Xbox game Halo 2 has been leaked onto the Internet. The leak, reportedly a European French-language version, came just days after Microsoft and its Bungie Studio design team finished the game and sent it out for production ahead of Halo 2's Nov. 9 release date.
"Microsoft has learned that a version of Halo 2 has been posted to various newsgroups and websites," Microsoft said in a statement. "We consider downloading this code or making it available for others to download as theft.
"We are currently investigating the source of this leak with the appropriate authorities. Pending the result of our investigation, we do not have further comment. Microsoft takes the integrity of its intellectual property extremely seriously, and we are aggressively pursuing the source of this illegal act.
The leak does not mean the game is readily available on the Internet - the pirated version reportedly will only work on modified Xbox consoles. Bungie and Microsoft have tried to keep elements of the game's story under wraps.
Bungie, based in Redmond, Wash., restricted early peeks of Halo 2 to journalists to the multiplayer mode, which does not give the plot away.
More recently, journalists who played the single-mode game had to sign a non-disclosure agreement that restricted reporting what they had seen until two days before launch date. There were more stringent restrictions on certain plot points, with journalists forbidden to reveal them until launch day.
Bungie, on a forum on its website www.bungie.net, threatened to ban any gamer who helped show the way to the leaked version.
"Expect harsh reprimand for the posting of leaked information," the forum said. "A link or offer to give out a link via private media on the forums will get you banned permanently. The same goes for any kind of leak-related spoiler information. There will be no warning, no appeal, you'll just be gone."
Bungie also threatened to remove gamers' Xbox Live online privileges.
"We're asking anyone with information on the source of this leak to contact Microsoft at 1-800-RULEGIT or send e-mail to piracy(at)microsoft.com." Halo 2 is slated to ship simultaneously over three days to 27 countries in eight languages.
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(This post was edited by Mod on Oct 21, 2004, 8:22 PM)
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Barry
Mr. Do It All
Oct 21, 2004, 8:31 PM
Post #2 of 2
(842 views)
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Halo 2 Leaked To Internet - Conspiracy Theories
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Some rumors are swirlling that pins the French Halo 2 leak on Microsoft themselves. Seth Jayson - a weiner from the internet - suggests the following:
Let's get the basic facts out of the way: The game's predecessor sold more than 4 million copies. A French version appears to have been leaked from a disc-stamping foundry a full month before the official launch. Yada yada yada. Now, on to the conspiracy. You ready for this? Get your ear right up to the monitor. Microsoft did it. Yeah, you heard me. Elementary detective work, Jackson. Ask yourself: Who benefits from this leak?
Certainly not the miniscule number of gamers out there who 1) have modified their Xboxes and flashed the system with an illegal, karma-wrecking, copyright-avoiding BIOS, and 2) managed to find and complete the 3-gig download before all heck broke loose, and 3) read French.
Redmond issued stern warnings for gamers to ignore the release, but you know they're enjoying a round of free PR courtesy of the world's nerd and financial media. It's cheap advertising and may just help drive a few more players toward the Microsoft box and away from competitors such as Playstation 2 and Game Cube.
In a world where everyone wants to be in ahead of the curve and tech piracy is the norm, what better PR could there be than a leaked preview? Think about it. Make it work only on hacked machines. Force gamers to cope with oddball languages such as Lithuanian or Dutch. Just for fun. Hamstring the leaked version in new and interesting ways. In the French version, have the characters drop their plasma rifles at the first sign of trouble!
The point is, with a bit of creativity, the leak culture can be made into an asset. The future of game marketing would be a lot more interesting.
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