With the recent blockbuster release of Call of Duty: Black Ops, Halo: Reach has a real competitor to deal with. Not only was Black Ops GameStop’s biggest midnight launch ever, but it is getting favorable reviews and breaking sales records. Thankfully, Bungie knows what it takes to keep fans hooked and is releasing the Noble Map Pack. Additionally, GameStop is stepping in and offering a special flaming Mark V Spartan helmet for Xbox Live Avatars to its customers that pre-order the map pack.

The gaming industry is changing rapidly and GameStop is struggling to stay relevant as things move more towards digital distribution. GameStop is trying new ventures in PC digital distribution, online gaming, and of course pre-order bonuses.

In order to attract gamers, they have resorted to offering various pre-order bonuses and deals for every major release. Before Halo: Reach’s release, they offered a deal where fans could pre-order the game and receive in-game armor. Not to mention their host of other deals, such as giving people early access to FIFA 11’s Creation Center and more recently their exclusive limited edition of Conduit 2.

Pre-ordering games isn’t unusual, but pre-ordering a map pack that is available online doesn’t make sense. Having to go into the store to pre-order the map pack and then come back a second time to pick up a download code isn’t very appealing. For everyone but hardcore Halo: Reach fans that can’t live without the Xbox Live Avatar Helmet, this offer seems ridiculous.

Bungie is doing a great job so far with keeping the Halo: Reach experience fresh. They have updated the matchmaking playlists to keep things running smoothly and players happy. Also, they recently, raised the level cap for those who have been playing Reach non-stop and obtained the rank of Inheritor. To find out more about Halo: Reach’s ranking system, check out our Complete List of Ranks for Halo:Reach.

What do you think about the Noble Map Pack and will you be pre-ordering it from GameStop? Has GameStop gone too far with this offer? Are you still playing Halo: Reach or have you made the switch to Black Ops?

Bungie is releasing the Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack,  exclusively for the Xbox 360 on November 30, 2010 for 800 Microsoft Points.

Source: joystiq