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 | February 2011 |  |
February 2011 Archived News
News February 28 2011
CC Roundup, Monday Edition
A couple of videos for your viewing pleasure are up on Bungie's Comm Chatter today:
- Highlights from GGL's Week 3 gameplay in the current Grifball season show off lots of tricky manouvers and enormous multikills.
- Tempus Maximus, a machinima about a team at a remote outpost, starts here. If you like it, check out parts Two, Three, and Four.
There's also a summary of some cool Forge creations, as chosen by the Forever Forgers, and information on how to enter Week Eight of Bungie's All-Stars contest (Chickenpede Edition). Busy day! (Louis Wu 21:06:19 UTC) (permalink)
Domino's Cryptum Giveaway
Domino Theory has a new giveaway for you - he wants to get a copy of Halo: Cryptum into your hot little hands. Sign up on this page, and he'll be picking one name per day for the next four days (starting tomorrow)! One caveat, this time around - the contest is US-only (because he has the books in-hand, and has to mail them himself). If you're a US resident, though - go sign up! Update: my mistake - all four winners will be chosen on Friday. (Louis Wu 17:00:17 UTC) (permalink)
Obligatory
Mc_leprechaun pointed out that a recent VG Cats comic was Halo-themed... and I gotta say, I laughed. Update: iPants pointed out that we already mentioned this when it went live - almost 5 months ago. WOW, is that comic a slow updater! (Sorry, my bad.) (Louis Wu 16:49:47 UTC) (permalink)
Trading Shots
TTL Demag0gue stopped in with the latest Reclaimer - looks like Viper and Reclaimer are vying for 'most manly'.
(Louis Wu 16:47:09 UTC) (permalink)
The sprinkles make it.
Leviathan's birthday was yesterday - and what could taste better than a Grunty cake? (Louis Wu 16:46:31 UTC) (permalink)
Another Nightfall Mythic Guide
CruelLEGACEY let us know that he's released a LASO guide for Nightfall - if you still need help on speedrunning that level, check this out!
(Louis Wu 16:46:05 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Nation 'hacking' story - clarified
Forerunner, a sysop for the Halo Nation wiki, wrote to ask that we let you know that the incident that occurred at Halo Nation over the weekend was NOT an attack by hackers - it was simply edited, as any wiki can be edited, to include pornographic pictures. They've cleaned up the mess, banned the offending user, and wanted you to know that the wiki is safe for use. More information can be found in their press release.
(Louis Wu 16:45:37 UTC) (permalink)
News February 27 2011
VentureBeat talks to Frankie
DEEP NNN noticed a video interview on VentureBeat - Frank O'Connor talks about the upcming Defiant Map Pack and the transition from Bungie to 343. Although this has been pretty obvious for quite a while, it's nice to hear it stated outright that the Noble Map Pack was Bungie's last foray into Halo mapmaking... period. (DEEP NNN typo'd the subject line of his post, but he MEANT that Noble was Bungie's last Reach DLC.) (Louis Wu 21:53:26 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' The Chief: Drunken Halo
Arby 'n' the Chief has Episode 6 of Season 5 up and online - everyone hates Arbiter, I guess, except the giant spider. And maybe Trent. We're back in soap-opera mode... thanks to Moorpheusl9 for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 21:46:03 UTC) (permalink)
What makes games competitive?
ANUBIS x MT let us know that a clan member of his wrote up an article about movement - why it's important in competitive games, how that applies to several games (including Halo 2, Halo 3, and Reach). Give it a read! (Louis Wu 17:34:45 UTC) (permalink)
Behold the Chickenpede!
I've seen a couple of sketches on various forums - but ZZoMBiE13 took the whole 'visualizing the Chickenpede' thing to a new level. A level that... scares me. (Louis Wu 16:59:50 UTC) (permalink)
Falcons and Hogs
Hedgemony created a couple of ginormous panoramas from Reach - flavored by his own special brand of image manipulation. Really, really nice work. Go see. (Louis Wu 16:55:33 UTC) (permalink)
Cats, Controllers, and Socks
Taco Power filmed an all-night gaming session, and produced a surprisingly watchable timelapse video of the event. Since Halo: Reach played a large part over the course of the night, we considered this to be Halo-relevant. Go see! (Louis Wu 16:53:04 UTC) (permalink)
Random Web Roundup
I went through some old Google alerts (yes, yes, I'm still catching up), and found a few articles that may tickle your fancy.
- Todd McFarlane talked to the G4 crew about the future of his company's Halo toys.
- Fanboys vs Haters is a conversation on an Australian website about the merits and faults of Halo.
- Electronic Theatre looked at the Top Ten Combat Drops in video games. Yes, ODST's opening drop made the cut.
Go catch up! I'm getting there myself. (Louis Wu 16:50:30 UTC) (permalink)
Fan Fiction Update - very, very late
Apologies - in the chaos of the last couple of weeks, the Fan Fiction section has languished unforgotten. (Thanks to CaptainRaspberry for the heads-up about this.) I've just gone through and cleared out the queue - there were three poems that had been amongst the lost material from January and early February (now resynched to their original comments), along with four new pieces. Grab a cuppa joe and get reading! (There are still seven stories that were lost but have not been re-uploaded by their writers - four of them from one writer alone! If you submitted content in January, please - check this page, and see if a story you created is on it. If so... PLEASE resubmit. Thanks.) (Louis Wu 14:55:56 UTC) (permalink)
News February 26 2011
Catchin' air with the Chief
This came in last week... but slipped through the cracks. Shawn Jenkins is a huge Halo fan, and recently decked out his snowboard with the universe's greatest supersoldier. Check it out! (Louis Wu 23:16:42 UTC) (permalink)
The Most Important Character in The Last Minecart
Sometimes, fans show that 'fanatic' was the right word to shorten... Elnea was watching a fan-made tribute to Minecraft, The Last Minecart, and noticed a split-second view of the Master Chief about halfway through. MAN that's watching carefully! (Pretty cool movie, all by itself.) (Louis Wu 22:49:35 UTC) (permalink)
We're Not So Different
Hyokin highlighted a machinima from BlueNova Studios, called 'We're Not So Different' - pretty nicely done! Just two and a half minutes... go watch. (Louis Wu 22:46:19 UTC) (permalink)
NGL Offical Live Streaming Partner Announcement
Lance Alexander let us know that the National Gaming League has partnered up with Justin.tv to produce a free live stream for the 2011 season - and the season opener, in Orlando, kicks off on March 12. Swing by to read the details! (Press release also available at PRLog.) (Louis Wu 22:44:03 UTC) (permalink)
The Death Of The Halo Black Market
Fyrefulff posted an OUSTANDING writeup about his thoughts on the evolution of the Ranking systems throughout Halo 2-Reach. He talks about what went right, what went wrong, and the black market. No really. It's a long read, but well worth it. Go look and offer your own thoughts! (GrimBrother One 22:37:51 UTC) (permalink)
All Your Base Concepts Are Belong To Issac
Black Six passes along word that there has been another recent update to the Issac Hannaford blog. This time showcasing some concept aret of Sword base and Halsey's Hideaway. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 22:35:39 UTC) (permalink)
The Chickenpede has slithy toves
The Bungie Weekly Update is online at Bungie.net (and in our Weekly Update Archive) - full of bizarre speculation, GDC info, and more than a few awesome screenshots. Definitely worth a visit - but if you're on a slow connection, you're gonna be waiting a while. (Louis Wu 00:48:30 UTC) (permalink)
News February 25 2011
Fails of the Weak Volume 23
AchievementHunter has posted Fails of the Weak Volume 23 - and once again, lots and lots of people die in embarrassing ways. Great fun! Thanks, munky-058. (Louis Wu 20:35:18 UTC) (permalink)
Halo and Kinect
According to NowGamer, Frank O'Connor talked about the potential interactions between the Halo universe and Kinect - don't worry, he's not looking to make you play full-contact Halo. They've been looking at ways to make it work with Halo: Waypoint, for example. Sounds like appropriate use of technology! Thanks, xmoosev3. (Louis Wu 19:53:15 UTC) (permalink)
Mythic Difficulty Guide - Pillar of Autumn
You may have your hands full with a LASO run through ONI Sword Base - but Tyrant has his sights set on bigger things. This week, his guide for The Pillar of Autumn will help you defeat what is definitely one of the most convoluted Reach level out there. Sixteen movies make his words clearer, while the text itself is chock-full of tips and tricks and caveats to watch for. Check it out - then go beat this massive level on the hardest difficulty of all!
(Louis Wu 17:08:36 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Friday
Make sure you stop by the Reclaimer website today and check out the latest issue. No, not later. Go do it now! (GrimBrother One 16:56:59 UTC) (permalink)
Fire Team Zulu: ThunderKat
FyreWulff sent word of the latest Fire Team Zulu challenge: ThunderKat will have you whipping your way through ONI Sword Base with a lot of skulls, but a handful of unusable weapons. Best entry before March 6 gets 3 months of Xbox LIVE - so what are you waiting for? Go play. (For the first time, international entries are accepted.) (Louis Wu 15:59:54 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention Presents Reflection
Brian Gilmore let us know that the Teabag Prevention Team is back on the job - this week, they're covering the map Reflection. It's a pretty in-depth look at what's on the map, what can help you beat your opponents, and what you need to watch out for - give it a read! (Louis Wu 15:23:42 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' The Chief: Hypernews I
Looks like we missed an Arby 'n' the Chief last week - Hypernews I went live on the 19th. Our heroes go back in time and check out Zelda. Chief might be my favorite game reviewer... (Louis Wu 15:17:51 UTC) (permalink)
The Circle of Li- uh, Halo
Tunavi combined the Reach ending with the original Halo's beginning - I thought it worked pretty nicely! Take a look. (Louis Wu 14:43:26 UTC) (permalink)
It's like popcorn... for zombies.
pete_the_duck and FyreWulff were playing with game options... and stumbled across something hilarious. (Check the video in this post, too.) (Louis Wu 14:40:41 UTC) (permalink)
Now THAT'S a Speed Run.
RC Master shows you how to beat ONI Sword Base, LASO, in under 3 minutes. (Well... if you can play at 7x speed, I guess.) Pretty funny vid! (His post also contains a link to the Bungie.net Fileshare slot containing the REAL run, if you want to watch it in regular time. 18 minutes is still a tiny fraction of what most people are needing to beat this level at this difficulty...) (Louis Wu 14:37:38 UTC) (permalink)
Defiant Assets Hit the Web
A set of screenshots and a couple of videos pertaining to the Defiant Map Pack hit the streets yesterday - Gamersyde has a nice roundup. (Lots of sites have a nice roundup. That's just the one I picked.) (Louis Wu 14:33:15 UTC) (permalink)
20 Kill Clips from IGN
Looks like we missed a couple of episodes of IGN's Top 10 Reach Kills - thanks to ChrisTheeCrappy for pointing out the entries for the week of February 16, and the week of February 23 - some great kills in these batches! (Dumb and Dumber, from the 23rd, made me laugh out loud.) (Louis Wu 14:29:37 UTC) (permalink)
News February 24 2011
Pretty Colors
Crudeoyle took a MegaBlok figure and lit it up but good, using a Christmas decoration. Fun!
(Louis Wu 20:52:07 UTC) (permalink)
Mythic Sword Base for Dummies
CruelLEGACEY posted a Mythic Guide to ONI Sword Base, for those of you who are still struggling with the current Weekly Challenge. He takes a lot of his inspiration from Tyrant's guide right here on HBO - but he shows you that you can make mistakes and STILL get through the level with All Skulls On, something you might have despaired about after trying Tyrant's routes yourself. Take a look! (I'm not saying CruelLEGACEY is a dummy - I'm saying that for anyone who's ever used the 'For Dummies' guidebooks, you might find that this guide gives you the same sort of no-assumptions help that they do.) (Louis Wu 20:50:37 UTC) (permalink)
Defiant Drops March 15th
According to Major Nelson, the Halo Reach Defiant Map Pack will drop on March 15th for 800 MSP. Mark your calendars! (GrimBrother One 20:36:53 UTC) (permalink)
These guys would be no fun to watch Die Hard with
Mendicant Bias let us know about an article at Topless Robot called '7 Things About the Halo Universe That Make No Sense' - I'm guessing they could have kept going. (Louis Wu 17:23:16 UTC) (permalink)
Hey! I see the guy wires!
BlueNinja slid behind the curtain on The Package - if you're curious, check out his pics! (And while you're checking out his handiwork, swing over to Views from the Edge for three cool new Package-based panoramas.) (Louis Wu 17:19:29 UTC) (permalink)
Kit out your Avvie
ElzarTheBam pointed out a bunch of new Halo Avatar gear on Xbox LIVE Marketplace - mostly new armor, in a variety of colors. Take a look! (Louis Wu 17:16:59 UTC) (permalink)
Porcine Madness
trappeddark1 noticed that Achievement HORSE #12 is live on YouTube now - It's PIG again, because Geoff wasn't around and Burnie took his place. Burnie's not QUITE as whiny as Joel was... but it's close. The maps look pretty fun, though, no matter WHAT Burnie says. (Louis Wu 17:14:30 UTC) (permalink)
Legendary Deal on Amazon
In case you are in the market for a Limited or Legendary Edition of Halo: Reach, Amazon has a pretty sweet deal today. $59.99 USD for Legendary, and $39.99 for the Limited. If you need 'em, go snatch 'em up! (GrimBrother One 15:08:51 UTC) (permalink)
Updates Afoot For Waypoint At Home And On The Move
Looks like GhaleonEB noticed that the new Stats section of the Halo Waypoint site has gone live (at least in beta form). A good bit of what you're used to seeing over on Bnet is replicated here, with a few new additions, and more to be added later one. Plug in your Gamertag and give it a try! And while you are over there, check out the soothing voice of bs angel as she guides you through the latest upcoming update to the Waypoint Mobile application. In the video, she also discusses the new stats feature of Waypoint, which is also available on the go. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 04:06:16 UTC) (permalink)
Huge Reach-themed giveaway at Marissa's Bunny
Marissa's Dad sent word of another Reach Console giveaway at Marissa's Bunny, the site devoted to raising awareness for Infantile Spasms. This one's pretty massive - the winner will walk away with a Reach Special Edition xBox 360 Slim, a Kinect unit, a copy of the Reach Legendary Edition, and a $500 Gamestop gift card. Wonga. To be entered, you have to vote for the blog and let them know (read the instructions for full details). You can also get extra entries by letting them know what you'd do with the card. Not bad! This one runs for two weeks (it started a couple of days ago) - what do you have to lose? (While you're there, be sure to learn a little something about Marissa's disease, and consider dropping something in the hat.)
(Louis Wu 02:59:20 UTC) (permalink)
Halo News Incoming?
ElusiveEagle519 brings word to our forums of a special invite-only press conference taking place in San Francisco on Wednesday, February 24 ("today" when many of you end up reading this). We also know from 343 Industries' David Ellis' Twitter account that he will be in attendance. Putting certain things together makes it seem that there may be some news of particular interest to Halo fans going down very soon... stay tuned! (GrimBrother One 02:54:27 UTC) (permalink)
A Fistful of Arrows - The Cover
Leviathan has released the cover art to his "A Fistful of Arrows" comic - and even includes a dust-jacket wrap and a timelapse making-of video. I can't say enough about this - I want to see this project realized as a book I can hold in my hands, and Levi's making that feasible. Go see. (Louis Wu 00:23:38 UTC) (permalink)
Digging in the Couch Cushions, Round Two
Took a LONG time - but I can still say "I read every single post on the HBO forum". Caught up! Here's what I found since the last roundup (well, through a day or two ago):
- I almost skipped this, because I noticed Grim's posting about a 'Nasty' montage on our front page earlier this week... I'm glad I looked. FALL3Npro stopped by last week with word of his Halo Reach/Halo 3 montage, Lost Transmission - heavy on the editing, full of sick gameplay. Check it out!
- Leviathan was inspired by Halo: Cryptum to try and visualize the War-Sphinx - those massive protectors set to guard the Didact. The end result is... awesome. (I mean, seriously awesome. Follow that link.)
- masugn pointed out the most recent update to Isaac Hannaford's blog - more vehicle designs. Awesome stuff! (Don't miss the concept art for Deliver Hope Hannaford points you to over at Evan Shipard's site, either...)
- pete_the_duck finished off his Fall of Beta comic... in text format. If you don't remember the comic, never fear, he's included a summary of Part 1 (which WAS finished), along with links to the original artwork. I have to say... had the story played out the way he wanted, I'd feel bad for the UNSC. Their finest hope... well, let's just say he's not the best shot around.
- padraig08 ran across a parody song that's been on YouTube for several months now - but hasn't turned up here yet. ScreenTeamShow used CeeLo Green's tune to create Frag You - a pretty cool (if overly autotuned) parody with guest appearances by Cortana, the Chief, and a hanging pretzel.
- BlueNinja finally broke through some of the barriers on Long Night of Solace... and found the filming location for one of Reach's cutscenes. If you don't enjoy seeing the struts holding up the play's set, don't read this post. (Me, I find this stuff fascinating.) He did some cool stuff in New Alexandria, too.
From here on in, forum posts that are front-paged will be current again! (I've still got to go through Bungie's Comm Chatter, of course... but that's for later.) (Louis Wu 00:15:18 UTC) (permalink)
News February 23 2011
Digging in the Couch Cushions, Round One
Okay, I'm slowly getting there. Currently only a week behind! Here's some of the fun stuff I found along the way:
- Nosolee took a look at some Latin you can find in Halo 3's Bestarium - I LOVE it when we come across Halo fans with relatively obscure skills, and I love it even more when they dig out tidbits Bungie left hidden for us to find.
- RC Master posted a technique which will let you skip the most difficult section of New Alexandria, almost completely. Slick!
- SIX min WHISTLE and InnerRayg teamed up on information from Toyfair 2011 - lots of new stuff coming for Halo fans in the months ahead! Links to writeups and pictures in this post, this post, and this post. Oh, and this post.
- GrimBrother One posted a link to some new Halo goodies coming from MegaBloks. (Grim, you posted on the forum, but didn't front-page it? Goodness me.)
- Elnea continued her tradition of creating RvB-themed valentines cards - always worth looking at! (Might have been more useful on Valentines Day... but hey, we're not perfect.)
- Terminal Velocity created a video full of Reach Campaign fun - vehicle launching, getting out of play areas, etc. Pretty long - but lots of good stuff! Check out Meta Stability. And thanks to Muzza for letting us know about it.
- excowboy83 found a page full of... well, go look. I'd tell you about it, but my head's still spinning.
There's lots more that I let lie - after all, we want to give you SOME incentive for hanging out on our forum - and as I mentioned, I've still got a week's worth of catching up to do. But this list should help fill some idle time this afternoon! (Louis Wu 19:36:27 UTC) (permalink)
Photos From The Fall Of A Mad World
Speaking of Waypoint, you should check out the very cool Reach Pictage bs angel stumbled across. Set to the now-familiar "Mad World", the video shows of some beautiful and abstract photos taken in Reach. Great music, and very nice pics. Definitely worth a look! (GrimBrother One 19:20:52 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Upgrades Their FTL Drive
Just as a quick PSA, bs angel wanted to let everyone know that if you had been avoiding the Halo Waypoint website because if long load times and Silverlight issues, you might want to give it a shot now. MUCH quicker. Appease the lady and go give it a shot! (GrimBrother One 19:16:02 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Wednesday
Don't forget to check out the latest Reclaimer comic today. The story continues to rocket toward a climactic finish. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 16:09:36 UTC) (permalink)
Autographed Reach Figures - fer nuthin
There's a ton of stuff coming, I promise - but it takes time to go through thousands of unread posts. In the meantime, though - there was a post from Mr.Sci-Fi a couple of days ago that is somewhat time-sensitive. If you swing by Halo Waypoint's website, you'll see that they've got a few signed McFarlane Reach action figures to give away - you've still got a couple of days to get in on the action! Go see how. (Louis Wu 15:26:40 UTC) (permalink)
Defying Impatience At ECCC
The fine folks over at Halo Waypoint want to remind anyone going to the fast-approaching Emerald City Comic Con that you will be one of the lucky first to get their hands on the Defiant Map Pack. Awesome news for ECCC attendees! For the rest of you, don't worry, as the launch of the maps over XBL won't be far behind! (GrimBrother One 08:06:13 UTC) (permalink)
Ghosts of Envy
Kaidon continues to make it more and more difficult to honor the Tenth Commandment with his newest custom Halo figure. This time, the focus of my - and many others' - desire is his amazing Kurt Ambrose figure, complete with SPI armor as seen in Ghosts of Onyx. So. Sweet. (GrimBrother One 07:58:20 UTC) (permalink)
Capturing Reach
CGSociety just ran a pretty slick article on the development of Reach, specifically the technology used to capture and almost literally "film" the events of the game. It's a very cool look behind the scenes of how we get to the end result of the fantastic game playing out on our screens at home. Thanks to Reluctant Chaos for the heads-up! (GrimBrother One 07:51:21 UTC) (permalink)
Reach-newing Your Gold Account
Morpheus brings word of a potentially pretty sweet deal for users looking to upgrade or renew their XBL Gold account. Apparently upgrading through the dashboard at this time can not only net you 20% off the regular price, but you can nab a free game from a small selection, one of them being Reach. We'll bring you more details if we have them, but either way, keep an eye on this one. (GrimBrother One 07:47:19 UTC) (permalink)
News February 22 2011
Surfacing... and HAFT
Not too long ago, a groundhog stuck his head out of a hole in northern Pennsylvania, and predicted that spring was near. I feel a lot like that groundhog - been buried for far too long, but warmer weather is coming. GrimBrother One's done an admirable job keeping this site online recently, but there are certainly a number of cool Halo-related tidbits that have slipped under our radar. I'm currently in the process of catching up on the last few thousand forum posts, looking for some of those tidbits - I'll probably start posting them tomorrow. In the meantime, why don't you go spend some time with the last few episodes of Halo Action Figure Theater? We've been remiss in letting you know about recent updates - February has already seen Snow What (groanworthy dialogue), Blink (Dr. Who crossovers), and Afterglow (warning: scantily-clad dolls). Enjoy! (Louis Wu 20:06:27 UTC) (permalink)
Watch This Short CircuitSide
Razyre mentioned that he put together a Machinima promo with some other members of the community. Check out CircuitSide, and then drop by our forums to give him your thoughts! (GrimBrother One 18:02:57 UTC) (permalink)
Nasty Montage
urk found a pretty awesome montage on Bungie's Comm Chatter earlier. Don't miss Nasty's Halo Reach Montage. Some ridiculously awesome clips in there. Give it a watch! (GrimBrother One 17:57:20 UTC) (permalink)
FTZ: Border Cross
FyreWulff is back with another awesome round of Fire Team Zulu. Go and check out "Border Cross" and see if you can top the charts! (GrimBrother One 17:52:40 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Monday-ish
Apologies for missing yesterday's Reclaimer update. But worry not, for here it is in all its glory! Always a great read! TTL Demag0gue also adds that if you want to ask questions about the comic, you can do so here. Pretty cool! (GrimBrother One 17:50:56 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie All-Stars Glamour Shot Edition
Wanna be a star? Or at least earn one? Check out the new Bungie All-Stars contest. This week asks for a "glamour shot" of your Spartan. Check out more details in the link above and see if you have what it takes! (GrimBrother One 17:44:20 UTC) (permalink)
The Fails Of Reach Episode 6
CruelLEGACEY is back with another awesome episode of The Fails of Reach. Some hilarious clips in there... Flying Warthog Win! (GrimBrother One 16:13:38 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention: Countdown
The awesome guys over at Geekscape wanted to let us know that anew round of their Teabag Prevention series is up, this time focusing on Countdown. Some great tips in there like always. Go and check it out to put yourself back on the squatting-side! (GrimBrother One 16:11:30 UTC) (permalink)
News February 21 2011
Not So Elementary, My Dear
In actual news, Kotaku recently interviewed Chris Butcher, Engineering Lead for Bungie to get his thoughts on Watson and the future of gaming tech. Chris gives some very interesting answers and shares great insight into the direction that videogaming could be heading. Give it a read! (GrimBrother One 21:21:01 UTC) (permalink)
Rocksliding Down The Cliffs
Rockslider is back with a couple more awesome videos featuring his creative descents in Halo's Assault on the Control Room. These are a MUST-SEE for any fan of Halo tricking and rule-benders, and it's also just plain fun to watch how many different ways there still are to go about getting through a 10-year old game level! Score another one for Bungie Brilliance. (GrimBrother One 19:53:26 UTC) (permalink)
Differing Views From The Edge
If you've never been over to BlueNinja's Views From The Edge, you are missing out on some of the most gorgeous visuals in the Halo universe. BN also wanted to let everyone know that due to life ramping up, he knows that the content on the site itself has slowed... so he is opening t up to submissions from others as well! Head over to his site at the link above to learn more, and see if you have something to add! (GrimBrother One 19:49:21 UTC) (permalink)
The Art of Loving Leviathan
In a pretty awesome move of community support, Arithromaniac has started a petition designed to garner more recognition for a very talented member of the HBO community, Leviathan. If you know Levi's works, and like what you see, then by all means drop by and add your name to the list! You can also view what people have had to say so far both on the petition itself here, or by visiting the thread on our forum. (GrimBrother One 17:53:04 UTC) (permalink)
How To Give Sword Base A Groaning Otis
Tech Artist and Silent trig from HighImpactHalo wanted to show off a pretty sick trick they figured out: Getting a Warthog into the Sword Base Elevator. Nice! You can find more details about their adventure in their thread over at HIH. I doubt that thing meets the weight requirements... (GrimBrother One 06:20:48 UTC) (permalink)
Huskies Halo
DHalo noticed something pretty cool, apparently, the University of Washington played a Halo suite at a recent concert. Beautiful stuff, and not necessarily the pieces you might expect! Definitely worth a listen. (GrimBrother One 06:12:05 UTC) (permalink)
An Oldie Boll A Goodie
Just in case anyone else had forgotten, or not seen it in the first place... Go launch a Warthog. Seriously, it's still fun after all these years. I'd easily pay 400msp for an XBLA version with Leaderboards and Achievements. Thanks to Morpheus for the nostalgia... (GrimBrother One 06:05:35 UTC) (permalink)
Bucking Gorgeous
Hyokin found a REALLY cool piece of artwork showing off Nathan Fillion as Buck. Beautiful job! (GrimBrother One 06:01:31 UTC) (permalink)
News February 20 2011
Halo + FreeSpace 2 = lt3
Thanks to General Battuta (sci-fi writer of the decade. Or something like that) for letting us know about some new news on the Halo FreeSpace 2 mod. Awesome! (GrimBrother One 23:36:33 UTC) (permalink)
343 Guilty Wilson
The everlovely Jillybean poses an intriguing question: Stranded on a deserted island with only one single-player level of a Halo game to take with you and play for all eternity (or until you die of dehydration)... What level would you pick? Hop on in and offer your opinion! (GrimBrother One 23:32:41 UTC) (permalink)
Last Man Standing: Season 2, Ep 4
Definitely check out the new episode of Last Man Standing, the awesome Forge-based gameshow. Lots of great questions and fun moments! Thanks to itsmyyard for letting us know! (GrimBrother One 23:29:21 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Weekly Wrap-up
As always, The Waypoint Blog provides us with an awesome catch-up on their content for the week in their Waypoint Weekly Wrap-up. Tons of awesome content for your Halo-loving perusal! (GrimBrother One 21:47:53 UTC) (permalink)
He Should Have Gotten a Thom-Thom
Check out the Waypoint Weekly Webcomic. Certainly worth a good chuckle! (GrimBrother One 21:34:31 UTC) (permalink)
News February 19 2011
Fails Of The Weak 22
You know what, forget it. Watch all the videos, no matter how many there are. Especially when it's the guys from Achievement Hunter back with another episode of Fails of the Weak. As always, some HILARIOUS moments on the planet Reach. (GrimBrother One 19:02:20 UTC) (permalink)
How The Elite Got So Unlucky
Okay, so if you watch two videos on YouTube today, add this one to your list. Jamie T let us know that he did a prequel to The Unlucky Elite. Really neat use of Halo Custom Edition, and some pretty funny moments. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 18:50:55 UTC) (permalink)
I Am Noble Four
If you watch one video today, make it BlueTeam1138's outstanding mashup I Am Noble Four. Putting scenes from Reach with the trailer audio from the new movie I Am Number Four, this remix features awesome editing, and a very neat focus; specifically someone other than Noble Six. Go give it a look and then drop back by here and give your opinions! (GrimBrother One 18:32:56 UTC) (permalink)
BWU: Part Clarity, Part Arena Rebirth
Check out this week's Bungie Weekly Update, where there are some pretty substantial changes afoot for The Arena. You can also get a look at some of the awesome submissions for this round of Bungie All-Stars, as well as some further clarification on the past few days on the rumor mill. (GrimBrother One 17:22:13 UTC) (permalink)
News February 18 2011
We Don't Comment On Rumors And, Well You Know The Rest
Just to be official, yes, we know that there has been quite a bit of rumor and speculation on a specific Bungie-related situation allegedly brought to light in the past couple of days. I hadn't front-paged anything yet because as far as we were concerned, there was nothing actually concrete about any of it. And I still won't front page the original source of the rumor for the same reason (it's easy enough to find). Around these parts though, until proven otherwise this is all we need. Right now that's good enough. And now for something completely different! (GrimBrother One 07:19:05 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Wedn- Wait, Thur... What?
My apologies to TTL Demag0gue for not getting to this yesterday, but for those of you who all missed it, go and check out the latest issue of Reclaimer. If you haven't read it up until now, well, I don't know what's wrong with you but you have some catching up to do. No go ahead. We'll wait... (GrimBrother One 07:16:09 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #11
Jack and Geoff are at it again with Halo Reach Achievement HORSE #11. And hilarity ensues! I really do love these guys... (GrimBrother One 07:13:49 UTC) (permalink)
For Battling E Majors and G Minors
bs angel showed of a pretty sweet custom Rock Band guitar. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 07:10:30 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Wringer
I really encourage you all to stop by the Waypoint Blog at some point today and check a great story that bs angel did on ROG Survivor. Going by the real name of Mathieu, this real life warrior has battled cancer 3 different times throughout his short 16-year time on this Earth, and has been recently diagnosed again. For many people, this would be their breaking point. Were it so easy... Mat continues to inspire the people around him every day, whether they be right next to him, or in a Slayer lobby. Go and give the story a read, and let's show our HBO support to him and his family as well. Best of luck, Mathieu... You are a true Spartan. (GrimBrother One 07:01:36 UTC) (permalink)
News February 17 2011
Irish Them All Good Luck!
Apologies for slower news today; lots going on in real-life land getting in the way. But on to it! Four Irish students are attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for Longest Video Game marathon on an FPS, and they are doing it with Halo: Reach! Lots more cool info can be found here. Go and give it a look, and be rooting for them! (GrimBrother One 19:54:50 UTC) (permalink)
News February 16 2011
The Mona Lisa is on Fast Approach
If you have been wondering what happened to the motion comic from 343 Industries on The Mona Lisa, head on over to the Waypoint Blog for information. You can also get some more details at author Teassa Kum's website as well as take a look at a couple of screenshots from the upcoming video. Nice! (GrimBrother One 22:30:54 UTC) (permalink)
XForgery Race Tourney
DIEabolical D from XForgery wants to let you all know about the XForgery Cup Race Series Tournament that will be going on this weekend starting Friday. Hit the jump for more details and get those engines revved up! (GrimBrother One 22:24:00 UTC) (permalink)
They Should Have A Three-Way Fight to Decide the Top Spot
thebruce0 was kind enough to share the results of the Guinness Book of World Records Top 50 Video Game Characters of All-Time. Anyone want to guess what green-armored galaxy-saving cyborg made the top 3? Yeah... THAT guy. We really should consider this an overall win, since the first two almost can't even count... Go look at the whole thing and discuss! (GrimBrother One 22:03:39 UTC) (permalink)
I hear Mig Is A Riot Anyway
Kete reminds us that The Running Riot will have a live interview with HBO celeb Miguel Chavez. Definitely worth checking out for the star power alone! (GrimBrother One 22:01:27 UTC) (permalink)
FALL3Nmontage
FALL3Npro stopped in to show off an awesome montage from both Halo 3 and Reach. Some great clips, and very cool editing. Go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 21:58:25 UTC) (permalink)
News February 15 2011
Munky Vs. Wolves
More on the HBO Community front, munky-058 is entering a Reach FFA Tourney put on by his University. Stop by and offer your own well wishes, good lucks, advice, watch-outs, and you're screweds. Okay maybe not that last one. Good luck, KooooorrrnyMunkeehhhh. Keep that Crimson Tide logo going strong and you can't go wrong! (GrimBrother One 23:29:58 UTC) (permalink)
I'm NOT On A Boat!
Good ol' Bry continues to depress us by bringing up more things that had to be cut from Reach. At least the artwork is awesome. On a brighter note, bluerunner did bring up a good point that made us all feel a little bit better about the aquatic exclusion. You're off the hook, Bry. (GrimBrother One 23:25:15 UTC) (permalink)
Double Killers
Thanks to padraig08 for niticing a VERY nice little addition to the Reach playlist: Doubles Attack. Score Attack for Two is 100% Grim-Approved, I can tell you right now! (GrimBrother One 23:22:23 UTC) (permalink)
Sculpted With Care For High-Altitude Warfare
Kaidon dropped in again with another custom figure that has me drooling. This time it's a Spartan Pilot. So sick. Make sure you give it a look! (GrimBrother One 23:19:12 UTC) (permalink)
Asimov Would Be Proud
In some cool HBO community news, our own General Battuta recently won the Dell Award, a writing prize designed in honor of Isaac Asimov to showcase young writing talent in Science Fiction and Fantasy. Big congrats to the General, and many best wishes for his future endevours! You can stop by the thread on our own forums to hear the news from GB himself. (GrimBrother One 20:10:43 UTC) (permalink)
Resquiat In Pacem
This is somewhat of a tough post to make, as in many ways I don't feel as qualified to speak to the memory adaquetely enough. 8 years ago, the Bungie (and by extension Halo) Community lost one of its brightest stars to Ewing's Sarcoma. Brian Morden was nothing if not a model community member, and friend to all who were blessed enough to cross his path. Our own Miguel Chavez has put up a very well written post to honor and remember Brian in all the best ways. If you have a moment, definitely stop by and pay tribute to a forever friend. (GrimBrother One 17:59:04 UTC) (permalink)
News February 14 2011
The Art Of Video Games
Thanks to thebruce0 for dropping by to let us know about an awesome art exhibition that is being put together for the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The exhibit will feature 80 games from 5 different eras, focusing specifically on games that showcase striking visual effects and innovation in design. It looks like 3 Halo titles are up for voting to include them. Go and cast yours now! This is very cool, let's help Halo have a good showing! (GrimBrother One 21:44:16 UTC) (permalink)
You Had Me At Halo
Many of us have special someones who we are able to share our lives with. Most of us (I assume from you reading this site) also have a passion for Halo. Sometimes, those two things are dual-wieldable. bs angel has put up a pretty cool feature over at the Waypoint Blog today featuring 5 Halo-forged couples in the community. Go and take a look at the stories of Goose Checka & Kalbelgarion, E & Kitty, Sickndehed & Psychovandal, PMS Zombie & Green Team Tex, and Holburn72 & V4Volcanicity. Some very sweet reads <3. (GrimBrother One 21:32:10 UTC) (permalink)
AssaultGodzilla's Tribute To Single's Awareness Day v2.0
AssaultGodzilla is back with a great new music video, capturing the passion and romance of Valentine's Day. Pretty much at least. Check out Valentine's Day 2.0, and if you like, you can also stop by AG's thread on our forums to find links to 2 previous vids he did for Cupid's Hallmark Holiday. (GrimBrother One 21:17:31 UTC) (permalink)
Defiant Info On The Bnet
If you are looking for a bit more info on the new Defiant Map Pack, you can also check out Bnet, where they have a quick writeup about the maps, including the official press release, and a YouTube version of the trailer. Give it a look! (GrimBrother One 21:13:00 UTC) (permalink)
Shortacular Episode 4
If you get a chance, check out Hyokin's Shortacular Episode 4. And don't panic. (GrimBrother One 21:08:04 UTC) (permalink)
The Best of Bungie's Impacts
GameFAQs just did a neat article entitled The 10 Best Things Bungie Did To Halo. Pretty interesting list. Go give it a read and see if you agree! Thanks to Urban Reflex for noticing. (GrimBrother One 16:55:00 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Monday... The Suspense Is Killing Me!
I certainly hope you've been paying attention to the Reclaimer comic. If you haven't, you are missing out on a great story. Check out the latest issue here as the tale winds to its epic final confrontation! (GrimBrother One 15:13:36 UTC) (permalink)
Defiant Map Pack Trailer
If you have been looking for the first "real" glimpse of the Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack, then look no further. Go. Watch. (GrimBrother One 14:05:12 UTC) (permalink)
News February 13 2011
Assault On The Stars 3
If you haven't been giving Waypoint's "Assault on the Stars" mini-doc a look over the past couple weeks, you can make it up to yourself by catching Part 3, which has gone up now. You might also get a little glimpse of something different and special at the end. Go watch! (GrimBrother One 12:26:18 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Weekly Wrapup 2-13-11
Don't forget to stop by and check out the latest Waypoint Weekly Wrapup. There always a ton of great Halo content from around the web that's otherwise easy to miss. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 12:23:47 UTC) (permalink)
News February 12 2011
Arby 'n The Chief: Rock Bottom
Don't forget to check out the latest Arby 'N The Chief, which as always, never disappoints! (GrimBrother One 20:06:00 UTC) (permalink)
The GrifBall PAX East Panel of Pummel.
Great news for PAX East Attendees, as GrifBall Hub lets us know that there will be a GrifBall panel at the show! More details can be found here. Exciting stuff! (GrimBrother One 18:09:02 UTC) (permalink)
Golfers In FL Have Upgraded Their Equipment For Stormy Weather
If you have a moment, you should check out this pic over at the Waypoint from their "Halo in Real Life" series. Just saying. (GrimBrother One 17:58:42 UTC) (permalink)
Old Hopes Die Hard
Gravemind found a cool tidbit; IGN lets us know that Noam Murro will be directing Die Hard 5. What's the connection? Apparently, what really attracted the 20th Century Fox studios to Murro was his work on advertisements for Halo: Reach, specifically ones like "Deliver Hope". Pretty cool! (GrimBrother One 17:47:18 UTC) (permalink)
Still The One
Konrad just picked up on a pretty neat bit of info on Alienware Arena, who noted that the Halo PC demo, which features one map, one campaign level, and free online multiplayer is still downloading incredibly well... at 8 years old. More cool tidbits in the story itself, go check it out! (GrimBrother One 17:02:19 UTC) (permalink)
One Ring To Dwarf Them All
PasteMagazine put together a list of 9 Ridiculously Oversized Video Game Weapons. Can you guess what takes the cake? (GrimBrother One 16:54:07 UTC) (permalink)
I'd Like To See Him Say That To His Face
So apparently, The Duke has an issue with a certain MJOLNIR-clad hero we are all pretty familiar with. Kotaku reveals his true feelings. (GrimBrother One 16:40:12 UTC) (permalink)
BWU: Tinkering With Their Toys
In case you haven't seen, the Bungie Weekly Update is up and out for your joyful perusal. Go give it a read! No, you won't find any information on that, but you will find some AWESOME Sangheili shots, some clarification on their (misinterpreted) ToyFair appearance, and a ridiculously fun SkeeBall gametype (yes, skeeball). If you haven't had the chance to take a look, do so now! (GrimBrother One 05:58:23 UTC) (permalink)
News February 11 2011
Fire Team Zulu: Hard Iron Cog
FyreWulff let us know that this week's challenge at Fire Team Zulu is a romp through Exodus - with no human assets. (No human vehicles, no human weapons, no radar.) Sounds like fun! (Louis Wu 14:05:45 UTC) (permalink)
Splash, Remixed
Not really Halo-related, but cool nonetheless - Andrew Matecha, a long-time fan, has remixed 'Splash', a song from Bungie's Marathon soundtrack, and set it to a slideshow of Marathon screenshots and art. Triggers all sorts of memories! (Louis Wu 14:02:23 UTC) (permalink)
Administrivia
A quick reminder - if you've got Halo news for us, it should be sent to our public email, halo@bungie.org, not a personal address. This is relevant right now because I'll be away for a few days, with GrimBrother One minding the store - if you send stuff directly to me, it may not see the light of day for a while. (Louis Wu 09:43:46 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR Ep 65 - and a Fan Fiction Contest
SK1LL4XED sent word that Post Game Carnage Report Episode 65 is live (lots of Halo discussion, as always). The big news, though, is that they're kicking off a Halo Fan Fiction contest, with prizes. Top 3 winners get Noble Map Pack codes, and the top prize includes a Halo Wars Store Display (there's a photo in the newspost). You also get showcased on their site, and earn an interview spot on their podcast. They're not looking for something you whip off quickly; the deadline for this contest is Bungie Day 2011 - July 7. Read the post for full details!
(Louis Wu 09:41:50 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction Update (and a plea)
It's Friday, so it's time for a Fan Fiction update. One of the unfortunate side effects of last week's database wipe was the loss of about 15 recent Fan Fiction stories - so earlier this week, I'd posted a note on the Fan Fiction forum, explaining that these stories had been lost, and that if they were resubmitted, they could be resynched with their comments page on that forum. We got four of them back. If the authors of the remaining 11 stories would re-add them to the queue... we could rebuild. (In addition to these four, and one more that was lost from the published list but still in the queue, we've got one new story up - crashedwarthog's 'Like Father, Like Son'.) Slowly, slowly, we're returning to normal!
(Louis Wu 09:39:57 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Goodies
bs angel passed along a couple of links she simply loved - you should swing by Halo Waypoint's website to watch 'em. The first is a Reach Goosetage called Platinum Goose - it almost seems like a Concussion Rifle is a mandatory Mongoose accessory! The second is called 'Sticky Punch' - and I gotta say, getting a plasma grenade stuck on your glove yields some pretty cool visuals! (For folks who have trouble with Silverlight, don't forget to scroll to the bottom of Waypoint's page - there's a 'View Full HTML Site' link that can let you navigate most things -including all YouTube hosted vids - without it.)
(Louis Wu 09:38:41 UTC) (permalink)
News February 10 2011
DICE 2011 Interactive Achievement Awards - Tonight
G4tv's Joe Paulding let us know that the 2011 Interactive Achievement Awards will be streaming on G4tv.com this evening - if you're not at the show, you can't see them anywhere else. (G4 is the streaming partner of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.) Tune in at 7:30pm PT/10:30pm ET to see the festivities! Reach is up for Outstanding Achievement in Online Game Play and Action Game of the Year. Good luck, guys! (Louis Wu 20:00:05 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Mongoose - Weta Style
Weta has put up an informational page about the Mongoose it created for Microsoft and Mountain Dew (we've mentioned it before, but this is the first in-depth info from Weta itself). Background on how the project came about, photos of the final product, and a really cool timelapse video showing the five-week construction process - swing by and check it out! Thanks to thebruce0, for bringing it to our attention. (Louis Wu 19:52:35 UTC) (permalink)
Chattering Nabobs of Nawsomeness.
What can you learn by visiting Bungie's Comm Chatter today? Well, you can read about ContactTango, who has just completed his 650th Vidmaster Annual run (that's insane, you know), and you can learn about the Halocharts.com 2nd Annual Big Team Battle Tournament - which needs your help for maps. Good stuff! (Louis Wu 19:46:49 UTC) (permalink)
AOTCR bridge descent via Hunter
Rockslider wasn't content with using a Gold Elite to help him off the first bridge on Assault on the Control Room - he decided to see if a Hunter would give him a hand. (Well, a fuel rod gun.) Looks like the answer is 'yes'! (Louis Wu 16:33:38 UTC) (permalink)
NGL's National Tour 2011 - Orlando
Halotracker's Such a big Jerk let us know about The National Gaming League's upcoming tournament in Orlando, FL - event takes place on March 12-13, Reach is one of the two games to be played, and prize pool is $5000. Check it out! (Louis Wu 16:30:14 UTC) (permalink)
IGN's Halo: Reach Top 10 Kills - 02.09.11
ChrisTheeCrappy noticed the latest IGN Halo: Reach Top 10 Kills - some great clips in there. Go watch it - takes less than 3 minutes. (Louis Wu 15:13:18 UTC) (permalink)
Shades of Oni
What is this I don't even (thanks, I think, wwm0nkey) (Louis Wu 14:19:21 UTC) (permalink)
Bropocalypse
FyreWulff took time out to note some fascinating observations about the new 'Bro Slayer' gametype that is up in Matchmaking right now. The possibilities are rich! Go read. (Louis Wu 14:16:20 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #10
The latest Achievement HORSE features a whole swath of maps from our very own pete_the_duck - and I get the feeling that Geoff might not ever want to play a pete_the_duck map again... (honestly, though, they look like a blast!) (Louis Wu 14:10:51 UTC) (permalink)
Fort Team Charlie series trailer
If you've been around for a while, the name 'Fire Team Charlie' might mean something to you. (If it doesn't... you missed a great time in Halo history.) BennyFortman stopped by last night to announce that they're back - with a trailer for Fort Team Charlie, a Halo/Team Fortress 2 hybrid machinima. The trailer rocks! Go watch it.
(Louis Wu 14:10:25 UTC) (permalink)
New info about next Bungie title imminent?
Yesterday was Rumor Day at Carvel, it seems. Activision released a year-end financial report (thanks, Beckx) that contained this intriguing (if poorly-worded) quote:
These opportunities include Blizzard Entertainment's games currently in development, robust investment in forthcoming Call of Duty titles, the development of a best-in-class digital community surrounding the Call of Duty franchise, a new property from Bungie and an innovative new universe with broad appeal that will be revealed at Toy Fair later this week and will bring the world of toys, video games and the Internet together in an unprecedented way.
(Emphasis added) It's hard to tell if the new property from Bungie (which we already knew was coming) and the 'innovative new universe' are related, from the way that's written - but we DO know that Bungie's 10-year agreement with Activision involves games in a new universe. Will we be hearing more about Bungie's new game this week? Or will we be hearing about ANOTHER Activision universe? Wait and see! (Louis Wu 14:09:16 UTC) (permalink)
Defiantly Vague
Yes, there are rumors around the net of a new map pack. Yes, it was leaked by the French (are you surprised?). No, we have no confirmation (for or against) from Bungie or 343 Industries. You can read about it on our forum, or you can visit Joystiq for a summary. When we know more, you'll know more.
(Louis Wu 14:08:39 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Carnage Report, Issue Le Deux
As Mariachi pointed out, the second issue of Bungie's Carnage Report (a relatively new newsletter designed to keep fans informed of the latest goings-on at Bungie) was mailed out yesterday; we've started an archive for them. (Issue 001 is here - thanks, ZayneHumphrey! - and Issue 002 is here. One of these days, we'll even put up an index file for them.) If you're an avid fan, there's probably not a LOT new in here... but it's a good way to make sure you're caught up! (You can sign up for your very own copy by visiting your Bungie.net Profile, and editing the Profile info to include emailed updates.) (Louis Wu 14:06:18 UTC) (permalink)
Love the Fringe
Gtag=Reluctant Chaos dropped off a sketch of his Halo: Reach Spartan - nice work! (Louis Wu 14:05:58 UTC) (permalink)
News February 9 2011
Top 10 Noble Map Pack Kills: Episode 15
Haven't heard from Anoj in a while, but thanks to urk, I've got a link to his Top 10 Noble Map Pack Kills (episode 15). Fun times! (Louis Wu 22:26:14 UTC) (permalink)
Fire Team Zulu: Kat in the Cradle
The newest Fire Team Zulu challenge is up (FyreWulff has abandoned us for the larger audience at Bungie.net, it seems) - can you beat Tip of the Spear with no sword, no Wraith, and Cowbell and Tough Luck on? In an hour? Go try your luck! (This one's special - the challenge closes on February 13 - this Sunday - and all valid submitted scores will be eligible for a drawing for a 1600 MS Point card. Not bad!) (Louis Wu 22:19:56 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Android Boot Animation
Stormwraith pointed out a funky little boot animation for rooted Android devices - someone modified the Deliver Hope trailer to have Google nuking Apple. Heh. (I wish the aspect ratio was better...)
(Louis Wu 22:14:35 UTC) (permalink)
Animus
TTL Demag0gue let us know this morning that the latest Reclaimer is up... there are still MORE voices to listen to!
(Louis Wu 22:05:48 UTC) (permalink)
Play Reach, Have Fun, maybe Win Stuff
A few quick tidbits that have come in recently - sorry for the abbreviated format, time is short. MDK x2002x let us know that 360Junkies are hosting a Reach playdate - join their site and you've got a shot at winning some Halo-related goodies. More information on their forum! (Louis Wu 22:03:43 UTC) (permalink)
Relaying the Message
Thanks to Mazz for noticing new Hannaford concept art, this time looking at the UNSC Communications Relay seen in Halo: Reach. Still beautiful! (GrimBrother One 14:58:25 UTC) (permalink)
Weekly Update Archive back up-to-date
The list of assets that are missing because of last week's trouble just got a tiny big smaller - the Weekly Update Archive hosted here had been restored from a backup... that ended in early January. (Which meant the last update we had was from December 17.) The five missing updates have now been re-added for your searching (and light HTML) pleasure. (Louis Wu 12:26:49 UTC) (permalink)
Infecdead Type A
Back in mid-January, we'd mentioned a teaser for an upcoming zombie machinima from cellzx - he's released the first episode now. Cinematography, use of existing and new assets, and overall production is amazingly good. (Voice acting could use a little work, but he knows that.) This series has real potential. (Louis Wu 12:02:33 UTC) (permalink)
HBO Friday Failtage Atomic Edition
padraig08 put together his second failtage, entitled 'HBO Friday Failtage Atomic Edition'. Interesting soundtrack, some pretty funny clips!
(Louis Wu 12:01:53 UTC) (permalink)
Bornstellar, realized
Leviathan whipped up a 'quick little sketch' of what he thinks the 'Bornstellar' character from Cryptum might look like. It's a pretty amazing piece of work, for a 'quick little sketch'.
(Louis Wu 11:53:12 UTC) (permalink)
Tuesday Comm Chatter Roundup
Bunch o' stuff we missed at B.net yesterday:
- What if ODST... went deeper?
- This LEGO Jorge is simply adorable.
- Stewie2552 highlights a... really deadly map. (Watch the vid.)
- Underrated is a montage with gameplay from B Mc Gann and Nomad.
All in all, a nice haul! (Louis Wu 11:52:16 UTC) (permalink)
Cheap games at Amazon
Here's a deal for you - Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, combined... for a grand total of $29.48. If you're an Amazon Prime member, shipping's free, too! (You don't HAVE to buy those two Halo titles; there are lots of options, and the deal is buy one game for less than $20, get a second title for half-off. You can pick from games like Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, or Borderlands, or dozens more.) Not sure how long this lasts... so buy now! (Louis Wu 01:19:20 UTC) (permalink)
News February 8 2011
Quite An Achievement (List)
Whether you love them or hate them, the Achievement system and phenomenon has become an important part of modern gaming. Xbox360Achievements.org recently held their 2010 Achievement Awards, and Halo: Reach came home with "Best Achievement List". X360A loved the balance between Achievements spread out through the different modes, solid mission-specific Achievements, and proper balance bewteen skill vs. time investment to complete them all. Reach's "If They Came To Hear Me Beg" Achievement was also nominated for "Hardest Individual Achievement". Great job to Bungie for continually coming up with rewarding challenges that help extend the life of an already stellar title. (GrimBrother One 21:39:29 UTC) (permalink)
Where's My Classic Grifball Arcade Limited Pro Playlist?
In case you hadn't noticed, the new Matchmaking updates that Bungie detailed last week are up. Go and grab yourself some awesome Firefight Arcade and Grifball goodness, among other nice changes! (GrimBrother One 21:06:18 UTC) (permalink)
Passing the Torch
Botolf wrote up a comprehensive review of the Halo: Reach Campaign - meticulously researched, chock-full of pretty pictures and well-written text, this is worth reading. Check it out. (The only thing it's really missing is a navigation system; if you stop reading in the middle somewhere, finding your place, if you didn't bookmark it, is non-trivial.) And with that, I'm going to let Grim handle anything else that comes along today. (Louis Wu 12:34:26 UTC) (permalink)
Monday Comm Chatter Goodness
urk's had no trouble finding cool Halo content for Bungie's Comm Chatter - here's a roundup from yesterday:
- tranQ and Friends posted their second community montage.
- MLG spotlighted a few user-created maps.
- GodlyPerfection posted Lesson 44 of his Forge Tutorials - Aesthetic Noise.
- Bungie posted guidelines for Week 5 of their All Stars Contest series.
- xSoGx Grim built Jorge in Forge. No socks, though.
Go catch up! (Louis Wu 12:29:21 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' the Chief: Low on Hearts
The latest episode of this long-running series went live a couple of days ago - Arby meets up with Claire again, and Chief indulges his less mature side.
(Louis Wu 12:28:30 UTC) (permalink)
BELIEVER: Episode One
A couple of days ago, IESUproductions released a project he's been working on for a LONG time - but the video had some issues. He's fixed them, and re-released it; it's worth your while to swing by YouTube and watch. A pretty nice story, told in the Halo 3 engine!
(Louis Wu 12:27:56 UTC) (permalink)
Two Vids Worth Watching
bs angel sent along a couple of great vids you might want to watch - the latest episode of Halo: Reach Mythbusters is up, from defendthehouse... and Singularity, first part of a planned four-part machinima, is up from EvilChickenLord. Mythbusters is, as always, chock-full of useful and fun bits of Reach trivia. Singularity is really well-filmed, and dialogue-free. (Action is at a minimum - this one has atmosphere, not explosions.) Go watch 'em both! (If you have trouble with Silverlight, as many of us do, the actual YouTube urls are here and here, respectively.)
(Louis Wu 12:26:41 UTC) (permalink)
Final Nominees Announced for G.A.N.G. Awards
We got a press release from G.A.N.G. (the Game Audio Network Guild) about the finalists for their upcoming 9th Annual G.A.N.G. Awards - but we also heard about them from Narcogen, over at Rampancy.net. (It's great to see R.net alive!) As Narc noted, Reach is up for 4 awards this time around - Best Soundtrack, Best Interactive Score, Best Vocal - Choral, and Best Use of Multi-Channel Surround. Good luck, guys! (Louis Wu 12:25:26 UTC) (permalink)
Take a survey, win toys
Mega Bloks is giving away 25 copies of their ODST Covenant Invasion set - for a chance to win, all you've got to do is take this survey. (I'm sure it puts you on their email list, too...)
Update: looks like TCKaos found ANOTHER giveaway - a sweepstakes this time. Enter UPC codes from Mega Bloks Halo packages, win a chance at more Mega Bloks Halo stuff. Go read about it. (Louis Wu 12:24:43 UTC) (permalink)
Best
lostguru stumbled across a Halo-related episode of Nerf NOW! - a gaming-themed webcomic. Good stuff to remember! (Louis Wu 12:16:34 UTC) (permalink)
UNSC Tattoo
I'm still buried neck-deep in reconstruction work (and will be for a couple of weeks, it looks like) - but I'm going to take a few minutes to clear out some of the tidbits that have run across my desk recently. Braxton Colongione (you might remember his plasma pistol) sent along a photo of his UNSC Tattoo - 12 years ago he moved to a new state, and knew nobody... Halo (the original) got him through the early times, and he's remained loyal to the franchise ever since. Great way to show the fan love!
(Louis Wu 12:13:38 UTC) (permalink)
News February 7 2011
Waypoint Weekly Wrapup
Did you check out Waypoint this past week? You should have been, as they always have plenty of awesome Halo-goodness to go around. However, if for some reason you did miss stuff, the 343 crew has your back with their latest Waypoint Weekly Wrap Up. Lots of links to lots of cool content... go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 21:39:47 UTC) (permalink)
Hologram Crackers
If you find yourself in need of a fun few minutes worth of hologram highlights, look no further than Halo Waypoint's current Top 5 vid. Some pretty funny clips in there! (GrimBrother One 21:23:12 UTC) (permalink)
What A Concept
Mazz noticed yet more concept art, this time focusing on the Covenant Elites. This stuff never gets old. (GrimBrother One 21:20:12 UTC) (permalink)
Reclaimer Monday 2.7.11
Be sure to stop in and check out the latest issue of Reclaimer. Veddy Interesting... (GrimBrother One 16:04:37 UTC) (permalink)
Assault on the Stars 2
Don't forget to check out Assault on the Stars 2 over at Halo Waypoint. The folks over at 343i continue their look at OPERATION: UPPERCUT, providing a very neat look at a crucial point in the Halo: Reach campaign. You can grab it at the aformentioned link on the web, or also find it on your console or on the Waypoint mobile portal. (GrimBrother One 05:50:03 UTC) (permalink)
The Scarab is Still Lonely
Revisit an oldie but a goodie by checking out a blast from the past by RVideo. A beautiful look at Halo 2's New Mombassa with some great music to set the proper mood. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 00:51:15 UTC) (permalink)
Hannaford Is My Hero
Yet more Hannaford concept art. Some GREAT Sabre concepts. The awesome just doesn't. Stop. Flowing. Thanks to masugn for providing the link. (GrimBrother One 00:37:15 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Action Figure Theatre
If you get a chance, make sure you check out the latest installment of Halo Action Figure Theatre. It seems like Josh-409 and Gord are just taking some time to chill. Give it a look! (GrimBrother One 00:11:23 UTC) (permalink)
News February 6 2011
We're still not dead!
Just a quick note - news coverage will pick up again soon. I promise. (Louis Wu 22:22:53 UTC) (permalink)
This is not a newspost
What the... (Louis Wu 00:00:01 UTC) (permalink)
News February 5 2011
Digging out from under
This newspost is dated the 5th because that's when most of the work was done - but it's being written on the 6th. The server hosting HBO's database (and a boatlod of other stuff) was attacked, and wiped clean. As far as I can tell, the only goal was to do damage; there was no specific target. (I'm pretty sure at this point that the attack came from someone who found a list of exploits, and poked around servers until he found one that was vulnerable. My bad for not filling in a hole that has had a patch available for a little over a year...) Lots of things will be broken because of this - please just be patient. HBO is a hobby, for the most part, and the priority at this point is getting PAYING clients back online. Apologies to everyone expecting Halo news... we'll do the best we can. (Louis Wu 23:59:59 UTC) (permalink)
News February 4 2011
Make A Wish!
Be sure catch the Bungie Weekly Update, now up. I think's it's pretty obvious what skull they turned on. Also, some pretty awesome upcoming matchmaking details and some VERY cool behind the development scenes videos to boot. What are you waiting for?! (You can find it in our Weekly Update Archive, as well.) (GrimBrother One 23:23:12 UTC) (permalink)
More goodies from Isaac Hannaford
Mazz keeps us informed about yet MORE concept art at Isaac Hannaford's blog - Spartan IIIs, and concept ships. (Tell me that bottom ship design wasn't inspired by the Gravity Hammer...) (Louis Wu 21:04:24 UTC) (permalink)
Fails of the Weak Volume 20
Achievement Hunter's Fails of the Weak, Volume 20 has been posted - some great fails in there. (Plus, it's fun to listen to Geoff totally lose it.) Thanks, Joe Duplessie. (Louis Wu 21:00:43 UTC) (permalink)
Bridge Descent via Elite
Rockslider stopped in yesterday with another new vid - he's come up with a technique to jump off the first AotCR bridge... using the Gold Elite. If your head is currently cocked to the side, with a slightly inquisitive look on your face... go visit his forum post and follow the links. (I remember being scared to DEATH of that guy. Using him to help me down? NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS.) When he posted this, there were no local versions on his Bad Cyborg page here - this has been rectified. (Louis Wu 20:54:08 UTC) (permalink)
Not really CraigsList-appropriate
kornman00 is looking for help setting up a Halo-related Wiki - read his post for full details. If you've got the skills, this would be a cool project to be a part of! (Louis Wu 20:53:31 UTC) (permalink)
Mythic Difficulty Guide: The Package
The latest chapter of Tyrant's Halo: Reach Mythic Difficulty Guide is now live - his writeup of The Package will show you, in a couple of pages and 12 video clips, some consistently effective techniques for beating this long, action-filled level. Go check it out! (Louis Wu 16:39:22 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: CE to be remade?
Hot on the heels of yesterday's interview with Frank O'Connor in which he said that there were no new games to announce for 2011, Joystiq has a story about a hi-def remake of Halo: Combat Evolved scheduled for release on November 15, 2011 - exactly 10 years after the original. Until we get more details, this one's firmly in the 'rumor' category... but it's certainly a juicy one! Thanks, ElzarTheBam. (Louis Wu 14:58:20 UTC) (permalink)
Spherical Panorama: Anchor 9
HaLo2FrEeEk whipped up a new spherical panorama - this one covers Anchor 9. Follow the link to his site for a fully scrollable pano. Gorgeous! (I never look at the stuff outside; I'm always too busy shooting people - or getting shot. It's so detailed!) (Louis Wu 14:47:01 UTC) (permalink)
Worm
TTL Demag0gue let us know about the newest Reclaimer - we continue to learn about the Apostate. (Louis Wu 14:42:55 UTC) (permalink)
Mark of Shame
bobs99 pointed out a really funny flick put together by SpacialEntertainment - it chronicles some of the hilariously bad stuff the Reach AI can get up to while it's fighting you. (To anyone who watches this video and says "see? Reach AI SUCKS!" - I say almost everything we see in that video I've seen from human players in matchmaking - all too often from myself.) (Louis Wu 14:41:10 UTC) (permalink)
Decisions
Chris101b let us know about a new machinima he put together - it's called 'Decisions', and it does a pretty great job of telling a story with absolutely no dialogue. Really nicely filmed, definitely worth watching! (Louis Wu 14:31:08 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Three new pieces are available this week in the Fan Fiction section - go read! (Louis Wu 14:29:31 UTC) (permalink)
Comm Chatter Roundup
Stuff we missed on Bungie's Comm Chatter yesterday, because we were too busy watching soaps and eating bon-bons:
- Antagonize put together a Reach montage using only MLG playlist footage - lots of mulitkills.
- Major League Gaming has announced the 2011 MLG Pro Circuit - and Reach is one of the three titles on the circuit. (The post on MLGPro.com announcing this seems to have been pulled... weird.)
- a rascal cat has the next Map Spotlight up - this one is Reactor 9, from Swayz. There's an interview talking about the map, a download link, and a video flythrough.
Now excuse me, this box of bon-bons is empty... (Louis Wu 14:39:59 UTC) (permalink)
News February 3 2011
Confirmed: Hunters Are Giant Lava Monsters
You have got to read scarab's scientific journal entry on the biology of the Lekgolo. From someone who has taught a LOT of science classes, I was giddy. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 16:28:42 UTC) (permalink)
Fan Fails 2
CruelLEGACEY just let us know that Episode 2 of his Fails Of Reach: Fan Fails series is up over at CruelLegacyProductions. Go and give it a look! (GrimBrother One 16:24:28 UTC) (permalink)
343 to create a Halo/Moon Patrol Mashup
Frank O'Connor sat down with OXM to talk about the future of Halo - and about 343 Industries, the group that will oversee that future. Lots of information - two very interesting tidbits are that 1) there are no Halo games to announce for 2011 at all, and 2) there will be more Reach DLC coming (though we don't necessarily know from who). Go read the whole shebang! (Just in case folks don't follow the link... the headline here is a joke.) (Louis Wu 15:25:08 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: SPD Vol 2 - Flash
Hedgemony stopped in with more info about his upcoming webcomic - should be starting up in about 4 weeks. Go check out the promo! (Louis Wu 15:24:49 UTC) (permalink)
Upcoming Playlists Described
Bungie's Playlists page has been updated - starting next week, four new lists will be available: Community Slayer (with new maps), Grifball, Firefight Limited, and Firefight Arcade. Nice! Thanks, FPS Fan. (Louis Wu 15:22:44 UTC) (permalink)
Be Yourself (or Not)
Bungie's Joe Staten talked to Industry Gamers recently about the development of the Master Chief's character, and what drove different aspects of that development. It's a pretty interesting read, and nice to hear from Bungie's perspective. Thanks to Avateur, who found this at Kotaku. (Louis Wu 15:22:00 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #9
cardo 8 atl was the first to notice a new 'Achievement HORSE' video from the Achievement Hunter crew. Actually, this week it's Achievement PIG, because Geoff was busy, and Joel can't spell HORSE. Also, Jack cheats. (Louis Wu 15:21:06 UTC) (permalink)
Forging Ahead: Whirlwind Tour
GhaleonEB has fired up his Forging blog again, over at Forward Unto Dawn - there's a really interesting piece on the development of a large BTB map, and some of the pitfalls he found going forward. Check it out! (Louis Wu 15:20:22 UTC) (permalink)
News February 2 2011
What if Websites were TV Shows?
Gtag=Reluctant Chaos pointed out a College Humor vid (itself spotlighted on Gizmodo) with a brief Halo mention near the end. Can't have a trendy vid without Halo, can you? (Louis Wu 21:12:53 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie All Stars Challenge Tidbits
AmX15 wants to give you a place to display your entry for the current Bungie All Stars Challenge - if you don't win, you can still be seen! (urk's also got a bit of help about card dimensions, if you're confused by the rules.) (Louis Wu 20:55:33 UTC) (permalink)
Figuring out how gamers play
There's a pretty interesting article in Edge Magazine about the Science of Usability Testing in videogames - and Bungie's John Hopson (user research lead) gets some screen space. Go check it out! Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 20:52:38 UTC) (permalink)
Inactive
If you're jonesin' for some MLG Montage goodness, swing by Bungie.net - Inactive is a new Reach montage from KayEmX. 3:44 long. (Louis Wu 20:35:47 UTC) (permalink)
Video Games
Eep - almost missed this. munky-058 found a recent Endless Origami comic that is not only Halo-related, but pretty spot-on. Check it. (Louis Wu 18:25:57 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Special Edition Birthday Cake
Jose, also known by his gamertag, TECJ0001, was surprised by his wife on his 29th birthday with a very cool Halo-themed cake, from Black Label Desserts. Click thumbs below for full-sized versions. Awesome!
It's a close call - do you eat it, or leave it out for display? (Louis Wu 15:56:32 UTC) (permalink)
HTR Halo: Reach Community Montage 1
Edge sent word that he's posted a Halo: Reach Community Montage (based on content from the Halotracker community). You can rate and comment on it at Halotracker. (While you're there, check out their latest challenges - they're over 1000 HTR Challenges completed!) (Louis Wu 15:55:23 UTC) (permalink)
Unrest
It's Wednesday, so it's time for another Reclaimer - TTL Demag0gue dropped in with word of a special search. (Louis Wu 15:54:59 UTC) (permalink)
Noble Bag
Shotgunchief let us know that a friend of hers customized a bag with Halo pins... and some awesome pen work. Go see! (Louis Wu 15:54:16 UTC) (permalink)
Kat's Respite
radiant penguin polished up a simple, but gorgeous, panorama of Kat, from early in Winter Contingency. Fantastic work! (Louis Wu 15:53:33 UTC) (permalink)
Customized Spartan Figure
Kaidon's back with another custom Halo action figure - this one's a Mk V Spartan for Vader RX. Lookin' pretty spiffy! (Louis Wu 15:52:18 UTC) (permalink)
Cryptum Review
Jake108 let us know that he's posted a review of Halo: Cryptum over at Geekscape - no spoilers, but if you haven't bought it yet, this might help you decide. Give it a read! (Louis Wu 15:51:53 UTC) (permalink)
News February 1 2011
Waypoint Goodies
bs angel dropped us a line to point out some pretty cool content at Halo Waypoint's website:
- OptimumForge continues his Forge101 tutorial vids - the latest one will help you make a great CTF map.
- Mike whipped up some pretty cool Windows Phone 7 wallpapers from Reach screenshots - go adorn your speaking device!
- ReggaePanda put together a really nice Reach Screenshot montage - just a couple of minutes long, but full of beautiful images.
Go explore - I bet there's other stuff there you haven't seen yet! (Louis Wu 18:31:03 UTC) (permalink)
5 Amazing Halo Matches
Another Comm Chatter tip-off - last month, a Halo 1 LAN was organized by the OGREs, and the five best games are now online at MLGPro.com. Just... wow. (Louis Wu 18:24:19 UTC) (permalink)
Forge Lesson 43: Lasting Impression
GodlyPerfection continues his Forge Lessons; he released Lesson 43, "Lasting Impression", yesterday. (We heard about it from urk.) Read it, and make your maps more memorable! (Louis Wu 18:22:56 UTC) (permalink)
Rate My Spartan
Last week, Stosh tweeted that someone should use the Reach stats API to create a 'Hot or Not' type Spartan Rating app - and Mad Cow took him up on it. Behold... Rate My Spartan! (Louis Wu 13:13:12 UTC) (permalink)
Brute Force
RVideo stopped in with word of a new release from the Jump Tactics crew - at first, I felt that a jump video on a custom-made map, using unlimited ammo and invulnerability, would be dull to watch... but I quickly realized I was wrong. Maluu has a grace with the Concussion Rifle that's simply a pleasure to behold. Cody Miller mentioned a flashback to the Deprivation Chamber in the first Marathon game - I have to say, it's what came to my mind, too. Definitely worth a watch! (Louis Wu 13:09:43 UTC) (permalink)
Complete Chronological Halo Campaign Run-through
Podtacular's Dust Storm has just finished up a 50-part Chronological Campaign Run-through of Halo - starts on Reach, runs through Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3: ODST, and then Halo 3. A labor of love! (Louis Wu 13:02:15 UTC) (permalink)
Hannaford continues to release concept art
masugn is doing a fine job keeping track of new concept art being posted by Isaac Hannaford at both his personal blog (trooper development) and his CG Hub gallery (Noble Team armor and Sabre variations, most recently). Check this stuff out - it's glorious! (Louis Wu 11:58:28 UTC) (permalink)
A Spartan's Level 4 Dream
An old friend returns with a Halo/Inception mashup - nicely done! (Louis Wu 11:56:28 UTC) (permalink)
Summa Canonica
paulmarv recently posted a treatise at Bungie.net, defending the decisions made by Bungie and 343 Industries with respect to the concept of 'canon' in the Halo extended universe. When I first ran across this (on our forum), I wasn't sure if this was serious or a joke - but paulmarv has since contacted me about it, and it's clearly serious. You can read a standalone HTML version here. At the very least, it's an impressive display of fan love! (Louis Wu 11:54:36 UTC) (permalink)
| February 2011 | |
