September 21st, 2007

Halo 3 leaked, cracked and available

It so happens Halo is “THE” Xbox franchise, a series that moved so many copies that it became the prime reason to own the little Microsoft console. With Halo 3 being the next installment, ready to hit the shelves in less than a week, some tricky individuals were bound to get their hands on the game prior to release. It seems big titles as Halo 3 get shipped in advance to retailers, way before launch day, thus a mix up occurred in UK where retailer Argus went off to sell Halo 3 a week before official release. With Halo hype rising to frantic levels, I wouldn’t blame anyone rushing home and trying their new shiny Halo 3 into a XBL connected Xbox.

Microsoft didn’t see things that way in the beginning as rumors of Live accounts being banned surfaced the net. It appears the misunderstanding was cleared and the latest official word is that no-one playing this early retail copy will have the respective Gamercard associated with the progress banned. They said only Microsoft and distributor employees are passable for such a gruesome fate, in the face of overly correctness towards buyer innocence.

Microsoft have always had a strict policy about their products being pirated, thus the coin could have tossed either way. First the Halo 3 ending cut scene leaked, and now there are reports of a Halo 3 cracked version available for download through regular torrent channels. Temptation is great and the perspective of a freebie before launch date is known to seduce many gamers. Given the fact that we have it just days before the release, it should count for some progress, since Halo 2 was pirated a month before its launch back in 2004. While a discussion about ethics can ensue, be aware that downloading Halo 3 has severe legal implications, starting with huge fines and ending to, well, prison time for up to five years. That’s basically what the US law says. Moreover, cracked Xbox titles require modded versions of the console and Microsoft will likely ban you from Live once they catch you.

Microsoft announced that Halo 3 will be the last game in the Halo trilogy, urging gamers to finish the fight. While this statement has been met with disbelief from the fans’ part, with the game available in stores starting September 25, the company is looking at new ways to get money off the title. Thus Halo has become a fully fledged franchise and deals are in the making for action figures, table top games and replica weapons for the mature audience.