Readying Yourself for Competition

• 1). Familiarize yourself with the game and multiplayer capabilities, both for a local area network for hooking several consoles together, or for playing online via Xbox Live. Understand the object of the game and the controls for moving, discharging weapons and driving vehicles. Halo is exclusive to Xbox consoles, meaning it's not available for the Playstation or Wii. There is still support for the original Xbox, for which Halo and Halo 2 were made. The Xbox 360 is capable of playing Xbox titles, but the Xbox cannot play 360 titles, according to the Xbox.com website.
  
  
• 2). Decide whether you want to have the tournament on a single console, where up to three players can compete simultaneously; via System Link, where up to 16 consoles can be connected together; or through Xbox Live, a Microsoft online service accessed by millions of gamers. In Xbox Live, you can compile a friends list of other Halo gamers you have met online and select "Create a Party" from the initial Xbox Live screen to invite them to play (by text or voicemail message) at a certain time. You can also join one of several "clans," a Halo gaming group that can have up to 100 members and regularly organizes matches and tournaments.
  
  
• 3). Select one of several game types on the multiplayer option. "Slayer," where the team that kills the most opponents wins, is the most popular by far.
  
  
• 4). Take charge. Organizing your own tournament is a great experience if you plan to eventually participate in sanctioned four-player team tournaments, where you compete for money and a chance to become a pro. Tom "Tsquared" Taylor of Major League Gaming offers this advice for competing at the highest levels of multiplayer Halo: Practice, practice, practice. Find players online (Xbox Live) and form teams. Establish a name for yourself at competitions, and keep in mind that amateur teams do win.