September 24, 2009

The Anomaly That is ODST

Jimmy James 70 Says What exactly is ODST? It's not a brand new, groundbreaking game. It's not a sequel. It's not DLC. It's not promoted as an expansion pack. It's billed as having a new hero, new campaign, and new multiplayer; yet besides Firefight mode, the multiplayer is simply a repackaged online experience with previously released maps and a few new ones. So, what is ODST?

This article is not for the hardcore fans. Chances are, if you are a hardcore fan you’ve already completed the campaign. This article is also not for the non-fans, if you’re a non-fan, you’ve already passed this by.

This article is geared for those of you sitting on the fence. Those of you who are wondering what the fuss is all about, and you want to try the game, but you’re hesitant on dropping $60 on an expanded, glorified expansion pack. This article is for you. The fence sitter. The waiter. Should you buy ODST now, or should you wait for the price to drop. That’s what this article is all about.

If you are on the fence about ODST, and you are wondering if you should pay full price or not, the answer lies on what type of gamer you are. If you’re a newbie to the Halo series, is ODST the best place to start? No. Newbies will miss out on the history of the Master Chief. If you’re new to the series, then start with Halo 2, which is available at 100 Goozex points and is backwards compatible on the Xbox 360. Halo 3 is also relatively cheap at 400 points.

Under normal circumstances, lukewarm fans to a game can usually wait a few months for the price point to drop. Then, they can pick up a game they might be vaguely interested in and not have to pay full price. However, Microsoft and Bungie threw a curve ball with ODST and it’s called the Halo Reach multiplayer beta invite. You need your disc in order to play the beta. This will most likely stop the majority of fans from selling or trading ODST until well after the beta, which is slated for 2010.

Because of the MP beta, demand for ODST will remain high and the value of the game will most likely not drop for a long, long time. ODST will be selling for $60 and staying at 1000 Goozex points for many, many, many months to come.

Advice to Goozers: if you havn't already purchased the game, chances are you're just not that into it. Your best plan of action is to sit tight and wait; maybe even for a year or so. As of today, there are currently zero Active Offers for the game and over 230 Active Requests. You, my fellow Goozer, have a Long Wait ahead of you. If you don’t want to wait that long for the game, then you’re gonna have to plunk down the $60.

If you don’t mind waiting, then simply go back and play Halo, Halo 2, or for that matter, Halo 3. After the beta is over, my hunch is that ODST will become available in droves, the price point will drop like a rock, and the casual Halo fan can play ODST on the cheap. Even if it is late next year.

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JimmyJames70