Halo 1 "Test" Disc?

[PFG]

Any info on this? It is a green disc with a typical Xbox logo at the top. The bottom portion reads as follows:

Left: Microsoft (their logo)
Right: Halo TEST
Bottom: MICROSOFT CONFIDENTIAL

Trying to figure out if it is some sort of beta build, or if it is just a variant of the review disc that I haven't seen yet.

Poor pics, I know:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7193/6872127939_32fc7a6a74_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6872128025_b6cd227c0f_o.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6872127981_d59b31086a_o.jpg

[Museman]

Considering that the pictures suck, I can't figure out anything on the disc. It is interesting though. Is this something that you own? If so take higher res pics.

Edit: Also, anything beta for Halo would have been on an Alpha kit. That for some reason looks like it could run on final debug hardware. I'm just assuming that due to the holograms on the inside, and looks as if it was pressed at Microsoft. So maybe a near final build of Halo for testing?

[jaunelapin]

@ Museman, not too much info available. It was on ebay recently and probably sold in a private deal (the seller ended the auction early).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&item=110820812696&nma=true&rt=nc&si=K0SwHgozPPg1zfJd9H3XI9b1FYg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc


And, in fact, there are Halo 1 Betas for final Hardware, not only for Alpha Kits, remember final (or at least non-alpha) hardware has been available prior to the launch to devs.

[Museman]

Well, I've never seen/heard of a Halo beta on final hardware. I've seen video and pics of the Halo beta on Alpha kits up to May 2001 (and that's pretty frikin late for an Alpha kit), only 4 months till Halo went gold. And I remember hearing on the podcast that Halo CE did go to the beta hardware before they went to final hardware. So, 1-2 months (not including the time before the E3 2001 beta build) is a pretty long time to keep a game in beta.

http://bs.bungie.org/fanfestv/

And if you go down to the 8:30PM section of pics, you'll see this pic.

http://bs.bungie.org/fanfestv/photos/15160020.html

I've just never heard of Halo CE beta on final hardware. I guess I can't really prove there wasn't one. I have no doubt that they had some kind of early build on final hardware.

[DeadperfecT]

From catv246 on gamesniped:


The Halo Prototype is not a prototype. It is a full version game, there is no content that did not make the retail release on here. This is the confidential disc’s that were marked, as such, for display in large flagship stores. I know because I handled a ton of these at a flagship store at launch. I had over 10 of these at one point (too bad I didn’t save them as the auction is up over $120 already)

Now what is cool about this auction is the case that it comes in. Which proves a point and is something rare and unknown.

A lot of people told me I was crazy that HALO WAS RATED TEEN BY ESRB. I know for a fact it was a TEEN rating, I had a boat load of the original retail games I had to sticker over the T rating with the M rating stickers as the rating got bumped up. One of the reasons for the bump in the rating was gun violence and a connection with 9/11 (which was only a few months before launch). This display disc SHOWS that the game had a teen rating as the display case has a a T rating on it (teen) and does not have the Rating Pending logo. The reason for this was, many stores like Toys R us, Gamestop, Virgin mega-store and more, had corporate policy’s in place with game vendors that games had to have an ESRB rating in order to show off demos in the store that were playable, whole video only content could be RP. This was very important. M$ had the proper ESRB rating to get these in stores before launch and a Teen rating was inportant as this was going to be a flagship title for the newest console on the block. This disc has the same confidential label as all the disc I handled and what future demo disc (for the first year) had on them.

[PFG]

Thanks for the info! Someone apparently offered him $1,500. Terrible buy if that's really what it is.

Teen case is hyped up way too much, though. I've had several. Still own two, and also have Teen posters as well as other items. The Mature display case is actually way harder to find.

Seller is still pretty adamant it is prototype, though, despite not knowing what's on it. He seems to think it is prototype regardless of content, and that the only way it wouldn't be is if it were used in stores (which he insists they weren't).

The question is, am I the only one who wouldn't consider it a prototype if it were a typical build? I believe he stated the disc was made only a few months prior to launch.

[Borman]

Debug builds of the original Halo exist. (Which run on final hardware obviously)

[DeadperfecT]

Thanks for the info! Someone apparently offered him $1,500. Terrible buy if that's really what it is.

Teen case is hyped up way too much, though. I've had several. Still own two, and also have Teen posters as well as other items. The Mature display case is actually way harder to find.

Seller is still pretty adamant it is prototype, though, despite not knowing what's on it. He seems to think it is prototype regardless of content, and that the only way it wouldn't be is if it were used in stores (which he insists they weren't).

The question is, am I the only one who wouldn't consider it a prototype if it were a typical build? I believe he stated the disc was made only a few months prior to launch.

There is no way I'd risk paying that much for a 'retail build'. I think the seller is over-the-top optimistic considering it is a pressed disc that boots on a retail console and comes in a near-final retail box.

[PFG]

Retail box is completely unrelated, but that is my general sentiment as well.

[PFG]

Ended up bumping into the buyer on another forum (cool guy). For anyone interested, I was told there is no multiplayer, no music, and that the background on the main menu is static.

[oldengineer]

Ended up bumping into the buyer on another forum (cool guy). For anyone interested, I was told there is no multiplayer, no music, and that the background on the main menu is static.

Pic's or GTFO.

[brendand]

intresting disk i have never seen one like that bid is 435 dollars i wouldnt pay that much for any game let alone what could be a demo disk or something tbh xD

[PFG]

intresting disk i have never seen one like that bid is 435 dollars i wouldnt pay that much for any game let alone what could be a demo disk or something tbh xD

The sale price was a bit over three times more than that price...

Personally, I'd have only went up to about $700-800 on it unless I knew for sure it was something special.

[mestizo]

lol PFG I only paid 750 ^_^


And considering there are people out there that pay hundreds to millions for shiny rocks or soft decorative metal, any argument that its not "worth it" is void lol. If I have no intent on resale all that matters is what it means to me.

[PFG]

Finally got one for myself:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8517/8381572859_8c87d50d61.jpg






lol PFG I only paid 750 ^_^


And considering there are people out there that pay hundreds to millions for shiny rocks or soft decorative metal, any argument that its not "worth it" is void lol. If I have no intent on resale all that matters is what it means to me.


Didn't realize that. I was talking to the seller when you bought it, and he kept telling me $1,500 was what it went for.

[CodeAsm]

The data, can we get it from somewhere ?

[PFG]

The data, can we get it from somewhere ?

I'll dump it if someone wants to give me a place to upload.

[marcus667]

ill give you an ftp account to upload it

[Borman]

Id offer the same if there is anything different about it whatsoever. Dont want to be hosting a retail copy of Halo though.

[CodeAsm]

Indeed, no need for retail here at all, but if confirmed or to be confirmed diferent (Can xbe be the same but contents of disk diferent?) anyway, I can host afterwards on FTP or whatever I need to setup. reminds me that I need to dump some demodisks...

[hl718]

I'll dump it if someone wants to give me a place to upload.

Best thing to do would be to dump it and then just post a MD5 of the image as well as a list of files. That'll be enough to know if it's just a retail image or not. You don't want to host a retail copy of a Microsoft game. Well, not unless you want some unpleasant letters from lawyers.

Not to mention this forum can't sanction download links to a retail game. Doubly so when it is available for sale.

[PFG]

Though I haven't personally checked it out myself, an owner of the same disc stated there were differences in the main menu at least. Not sure if he attempted playing it through, though. PM coming your way, hl718.

[PSPdemon]

I would love to check it out if it's not the same as retail...

I'd say hl718 has pretty much said what would be the best way to do it....that being to generate a hash of the image for comparison as that will pretty much tell us whether or not there are any differences to retail.

[DiGi]

Looking forward to see if there are any differences love anything Halo!

[VIRACY]

Any word on this dump?

[slapducky]

I'm also interested in this upload.