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Fulfill all your ODST needs at Halo Waypoint

by: Tina -
More On: Halo 3: ODST
What do you get when you combine ODST episode previews, ODST-specific achievements and avatar awards, and ODST content in probably every shape and form you can think of? No, not ODST overdose. If you guessed Halo Waypoint you were right! Your reward is knowledge. And knowledge is power, so I am sure that will suffice.

If you check the site that was launched just today, you’ll see that a daily schedule has already been mapped out. You’ll also notice that this past Saturday marked the debut of “Halo Legends”, an anime short on the game, which is the first preview episode anticipated for the site. The first episode, entitled “The Babysitter”, is set on hostile grounds as a team of ODSTs is forced to embark on a mission with a Spartan on their strike team. Screenshots of the episode are posted. Episodes will be followed a week after with a special “Making of” feature video. Read on for the full schedule from now till February 2010.

If you’re more interested in the achievement and avatar awards, you can check the full release for details on the goodies and the posted images of the awards.

If you sign up with Halo Waypoint, you’ll also get access to the Monitor accessory to help you maneuver your way around the Waypoint. Check the screenshots and you’ll see that it’s modeled after 343 Guilty Spark, aka “The Oracle”, so it’s only appropriate that it acts as your guide. Although, I wouldn’t necessarily trust the Monitor with any grueling decision-making any time soon.

Halo Waypoint, the new virtual home for all things “Halo,” launches today on Xbox LIVE, and will be the exclusive destination for full-episode previews of “Halo Legends” beginning Saturday, Nov. 7. Available for “Halo” fans worldwide following a successful preview period, Halo Waypoint brings all the richness of the “Halo” universe together in one place. Halo Waypoint features daily updates of fresh, exciting content such as developer interviews, trailers and screenshots, exclusive video footage, community activities and the latest “Halo” news.

In addition, Halo Waypoint includes an innovative career system that tracks players’ accomplishments across multiple “Halo” games and gives them new ways to show off their heroic gameplay feats. By downloading and “enlisting” in Halo Waypoint, players will be rewarded with a variety of Bungie-created “Halo 3: ODST” Avatar Awardables for attaining specific Achievements in the game. Rewards vary from stylish T-shirts to full sets of ODST armor. The experience is retroactive, so if players have already unlocked the requisite Achievements, the awards will be ready for them once they enlist in Halo Waypoint.

Players can unlock the following Achievements to gain access to “Halo 3: ODST” Avatar Awardables:

Achievement Title


Achievement Description


Achievement Awardable

Tourist


Accessed and downloaded the city map to your VISR.


ODST Black T-shirt

Dark Times


Killed 5 enemies while using VISR mode.


ODST hoodie

Campaign Complete: Normal


Completed the Campaign on Normal difficulty.


ODST Rookie Helmet

Good Samaritan


Killed no Engineers in the city at night during entire campaign, alone or with another ODST.


ODST Full Body Armor

Vidmaster Challenge: Endure


In Firefight, on any mission, pass the 4th Set on 4-player Heroic LIVE co-op


ODST Dare Helmet (Female)

Recon Helmet (Male)

As a bonus for enlisting to Halo Waypoint, fans will receive a Monitor accessory for their Avatars modeled after the “Halo” character, 343 Guilty Spark. The Monitor will help fans find their way around Halo Waypoint, the new destination for all things “Halo” on Xbox LIVE.

The rollout of exciting new “Halo” content doesn’t stop there. This Saturday, the first preview episode of the highly anticipated anime series, “Halo Legends,” will debut only on Halo Waypoint. Set to be distributed in early 2010 by Warner Home Video, the rich anthology of anime short films will tell all-new stories in the epic “Halo” saga.

Written and created by an array of renowned anime studios and produced by 343 Industries, “Halo Legends” will explore never-before-told stories based on themes and characters in the vast “Halo” universe. Sponsored by the U.S. Air Force, previews of four new “Halo Legends” episodes will be available only on Halo Waypoint during 24-hour live-streaming events on Xbox LIVE over the next three months.

The first “Halo Legends” preview episode, “The Babysitter,” is created by famed anime house STUDIO4˚C, and follows the story of a group of ODST’s who reluctantly accept a Spartan sniper into their strike team. As they embark on a perilous mission to assassinate a high-ranking Covenant Prophet, old rivalries must be reexamined if the mission is to succeed. Watch what happens as the mission progresses into hostile territory, and both the Spartan and the ODST’s discover something important about the other.

Following each preview episode on Xbox LIVE, fans will receive exclusive behind-the-scenes looks at each studio’s creative process through “making of” specials. Below is the current broadcast schedule of upcoming “Halo Legends” live-streaming events (subject to change):

Episode Airing Date (24-hour)

Introduction to “Halo Legends” 11/05/09

“The Babysitter” 11/07/09

Making of “The Babysitter” 11/14/09

“The Duel” 11/21/09

Making of “The Duel” 11/28/09

“The Package” Part 1 12/5/09

Making of “The Package” 12/12/09

“The Package” Part 2 12/19/09

Making of ‘The Package” 12/26/09

“Origins” Part 1 1/2/10

Making of “Origins” 1/9/10

Trailers of upcoming episodes 2/2/10

To learn more about “Halo Legends,” visit http://halolegends.com and http://halolegendsdvd.com. For the latest updates on the “Halo” franchise, follow the Halo Waypoint Twitter @HaloWaypoint or visit the Halo Waypoint Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HaloWaypoint.