Tweak Halo 2 with the Best of the Glitchers, Tricksters, and Modders

For Immediate Release

Farnham, UK--The wildly popular Halo 2 isn't like other games that people play through once and then shelve, sell, or trade. Over 10 million copies have already been sold, and with massive replay value, Halo 2 has earned near permanent residency in most Xbox systems. In fact, the game is still ranked in the number one spot on Xbox Live, where over 300,000 people play the game on a daily basis. But still, "there comes a time in the life cycle of every game when gamers start to ask for more than the out-of-box experience," says Stephen Cawood, former Microsoft employee and original member of the Halo 2 beta test team. So his new "Halo 2 Hacks" (O'Reilly, US $24.95) delivers totally fresh ways to enjoy the Halo universe again and again.

"Halo 2 Hacks" is for anyone ready to see places most people never see, and do things most people never do with Halo 2. "In the enormous Halo 2 customer base, there is a special breed of fan. These are the people that explore beyond the normal boundaries of gameplay," according to Jim "Grenadiac" Cleary, Jeremy "Ducain" Hunt, and Claude "Louis Wu" Errera in their foreword to "Halo 2 Hacks." "They make it their mission to find every glitch, secret, Easter egg, and more." And these are just the kinds of expert hackers, glitchers, tricksters, and modders who worked with Cawood and came up with this book's 100 killer tips and tricks for pushing Halo 2 to a whole new level.

Whether they're still learning the basics and looking for that lethal edge or they've already beaten Halo 2 six ways to Sunday (on Legendary, of course) and can make their way across Lockout with their eyes closed, players will learn to tweak and tinker with Halo 2 in ways they never imagined. "Halo 2 Hacks" shows players how to:

• Find and use the Halo 2 skulls to adjust the difficulty from slightly easier to insanely difficult

• Discover amusing and outrageous secrets hidden in the game

• Exploit the glitches in the Halo 2 game engine

• Get an edge on some key maps by getting above the action

• Get set up with the right software to mod Halo 2

• Mod weapons, vehicles, and maps

• Explore the best fan-created maps and start creating their own

• Make movies out of the in-game action

Readers will discover nooks and crannies they didn't even suspect were there and unleash all sorts of unexpected secrets and glitches in Halo 2. There are hordes of great hacks for weapons, levels, vehicles, game play, and mods--and each includes a thermometer icon to indicate how complex the hack is (beginner, moderate, or expert).

Players can read the book cover to cover or simply pick a hack, any hack--every entry promises a new and improved way to experience Halo 2 and inspires gamers to try clever stunts of their own.

Additional Resources:

To read a sample hack from the book, go to:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/halo2hks/chapter/index.html

For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bio, and samples, see:

http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/halo2hks/

For a cover graphic in JPEG format, go to:

ftp://ftp.ora.com/pub/graphics/book_covers/hi-res/0596100590.jpg

Halo 2 Hacks: Tips and Tools for Finishing the Fight

Stephen Cawood

ISBN: 0-596-100590, 270 pages, $24.95, £17.50, 22 ?

For more information, a review copy, cover art, or an interview with the author, contact:

Josette Garcia on +44 (0)1252 711776 or josette@oreilly.co.uk