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 | July 2011 |  |
July 2011 Archived News
News July 31 2011
Lego Grifball
Goose Checka told us that GrifballHub has picked a winner for their 1000 Article Celebration Contest - check out this LEGO Grifball stop-motion video, made by Halo7Jet and AlExThEnIcE. Great work! Loved the spawnkilling. (Might be fun if we could do the martial arts stuff too...) (Louis Wu 20:05:47 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' The Chief: Dough Eyes
Naopao Vang let us know about Arby 'n' the Chief's latest Episode - Dough Eyes has Chief shooting fish in a barrel - except it is a river. Excuse me... I feel the need to eat a Toblerone. (Louis Wu 20:00:36 UTC) (permalink)
Sierra 117: Back route to the dam area
Rockslider is still exploring the Dam area of Sierra 117 - leave it to him to find even MORE ways of finding fun in Halo 3! (Louis Wu 19:35:05 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR Ep 84
Robowski sent word that the Post Game Carnage Report Episode 84 is now live - there's a discussion with Froggy (who found the podcast via HBO) about Halo Anniversary, and an audio clip quiz using Halo CEA sounds (play along!). Check it out! (Louis Wu 19:34:12 UTC) (permalink)
Halotracker Top 5 - July: Yoinks
Edge from Halotracker pointed out their latest Top 5 - it focuses on Yoinks. Fun clips! (Well, maybe not for the assassinators.)
(Louis Wu 19:33:16 UTC) (permalink)
WB Finals from MLG Dallas 2011
For the fans of fierce Halo competition out there, Halo Waypoint brings you coverage of the Winner's Bracket Finals from MLG Dallas 2011. Check out the best-of-5 series between Status Quo and Impact to see who came out on top! (GrimBrother One 15:08:05 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Wrap-up for July 30, 2011
If you've missed any of the great content that's been on Halo Waypoint as of late, have no fear... Just grab a gander at the most recent Waypoint Weekly Wrap-up, where you can find all the latest content, from screenshot collections to awesome montages. Check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:05:10 UTC) (permalink)
Hair Is For Suckers
GamesRadar recently did a feature on Gaming's Baldest Space Marines. Halo's own Jun-266, star of Fistful of Arrows and you know, Halo: Reach, made the list of gaming's gritty smooth-topped warriors. Sadly and somewhat surprisingly, 343's shiny stalwart Frank O'Connor was not a part of the feature, and was unable to be reached for comment at the time of printing. (GrimBrother One 14:53:59 UTC) (permalink)
Bow before the grandmaster
The Orange County Register has a feature piece on Matt Piper, a 16-year-old professional Halo player. Piper plays for the team Believe the Hype, which is currently playing in the MLG event in Anaheim this weekend. Kudos to Ian Hamilton for a well-written, journalistic piece. Please, for the sake of great writing and an eye for detail, give this a read! (Hitmonchan 10:00:14 UTC) (permalink)
Sad times at Garfield High
MachinimaRevive told us of "Clash and Desire," a new series that follows Andrew, a high school student whose senior year isn't what it's cracked up to be. Go look! (Hitmonchan 09:54:34 UTC) (permalink)
A moment of silence for grammar
Naopao Vang (Can I have your name?) let us know about "Dough Eyes," the latest "Arby 'n' the Chief" episode. I can't watch too much "Arby" -- I'm an impressionable young man, and after awhile I start talking like the Chief. I have the same problem when I watch "Parks and Rec." (This is how you eat it!) Go watch. (Hitmonchan 09:42:04 UTC) (permalink)
Apparently, my invitation was lost in the mail
George R. R. Martin, the man responsible for "A Song of Ice and Fire," stopped by the Bungie HQ on Friday. (Pic for proof.) During his trip to the sepulchral realm, Mr. Martin learned exactly what Bungie's next game is, but he's not talking. For shame! (Thanks for the heads up, jarsp!) (Hitmonchan 09:18:41 UTC) (permalink)
Through rock and metal
TheSparbiter is back with another Halo music video. This one features Xerjester's "Lament Metal," a sweeping metal song ripe with crunchy riffs and foreign plaints. Check it out, and be sure to let him know what you think in our forums! (Hitmonchan 09:07:45 UTC) (permalink)
Active Playlist repository
GodlyPerfection informed us of a playlist repository created by fellow Reaching Perfection member External Memory. The archive, broken down by active playlists, contains the latest matchmaking gametypes to help forgers test their maps using the most up-to-date settings. This plus FyreWulff's Reach Map Repository will be handy for recreating the matchmaking experience in customs. (Hitmonchan 08:48:22 UTC) (permalink)
Mona Lisa 9
The ninth part (!!) of "The Mona Lisa" is now online. How many parts are left? Not that I'm complaining -- this is a fantastic series. Thanks, Deepblue! (Hitmonchan 08:38:44 UTC) (permalink)
News July 30 2011
Fails and Horses
Sl'askia also wanted to berate everyone for missing recent Fails of the Weak (both Episode 44 and Episode 45 have been released since we last mentioned this series) and Achievement HORSE (Volume 34 is now live). We get it, Sl'askia. We're Failing. (Good vids.) (Louis Wu 17:26:40 UTC) (permalink)
Today's Top Two Top Lists
Well, let's be a little more accurate - they're the ONLY two lists I've seen today that involve Halo in some way. But that makes them today's top two, right? Anwyay - Capsule Computer tells you about the Top 10 Video Game Backstabs (the Brute uprising in Halo 2 makes the list), and Cracked covers the 5 Most Insane Alternate Reality Games (not surprisingly, I Love Bees is on it - thanks, Sl'askia).
(Louis Wu 17:26:13 UTC) (permalink)
The Essential Interview
Dani sat down with Mr. Vociferous, otherwise known as Jeremy Patenaude, the man primarily responsible for the Halo Essential Visual Guide recently published - it's a great interview. Swing by Forward Unto Dawn and read it!
(Louis Wu 17:25:38 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars Mod - in Action
Remember that Halo Wars mod we mentioned a little while ago? kornman00 decided to film it, so you could see what gameplay was like. Seems almost unfair to the Covenant! (Louis Wu 17:25:04 UTC) (permalink)
Fan Fiction Fri -er, Saturday
Missed the Fan Fiction update yesterday - but there's just a single story, so go read it now! (Louis Wu 17:22:22 UTC) (permalink)
News July 29 2011
I heard you like sniping.
Whenever I post a montage, I read the comments. I've listened to your cries and felt your pain. "But Hitmon, there wasn't enough sniping in this one," one forum user told me. "I need more no-scopes," another said. I've rifled the Internet, and now I'm pleased to present the end to your suffering: "Levings :: Halo 3 Montage 3." You can stop emailing me now. (Hitmonchan 17:52:36 UTC) (permalink)
Mike Dongblain-approved
MLG Anaheim kicks off tonight at 5:10 PST, and you can bet your favorite players will be there to shed virtual blood for your entertainment. The streams will be available on MLG.com when the time is nigh. Check out the Anaheim Coverage Guide for pool updates and player interviews! (Hitmonchan 17:43:29 UTC) (permalink)
Willy Wonka Returns
A mysterious page has surfaced at Bungie.net - they're not advertising it, but it appears on some special tickets you may or may not be able to get your hands on. (At least one lucky purchaser of a Bungie Swag Bag received one in his bag, which is why the URL is known at all.) Sounds like if you get one of these tickets, you're gonna get something 'extraordinary' next year. So did you get one in YOUR swag bag? (And if you did... do you think you can hold on to it for a year without losing it?) Update: Now that the existence of these tickets is known, you should know something else: they're non-transferable. (It says so right on the ticket, in fact.) If someone puts one of these up for sale on eBay... the buyer gets NOTHING. (Well, that's not entirely true. The buyer gets a cool-looking ticket. But it cannot be redeemed by anyone but the original recipient - and Bungie knows who that is, since they mailed it out.) So don't waste your hard-earned money trying to buy one of these... because you won't be able to redeem it. (Louis Wu 16:54:15 UTC) (permalink)
More big names at 343
Over at NeoGAF, Kibbles pointed out a post at Vicarious Games, a gaming blog - looks like someone's done a little detective work, and found some game devs who've moved from well-known franchises to 343 Industries. Check out the post for full details - but a quick summary has the Lead Level Designer for Killzone 3, a longtime high-level guy at Retro Studios (Metroid Prime series, Donkey Kong Country Returns), and a guy who's worked at Monolith (F.E.A.R, among others), Nintendo Software Technology (lots of Nintendo titles), and Bluepoint Games (God of War, among others) all moving to work on Halo 4. The talent pool grows! (Louis Wu 16:41:24 UTC) (permalink)
CL Community Spotlight: Smileanddealwithit.com
CruelLEGACEY sent word that a new spotlight has gone up on his site - go read an interview with MASSAIKUR and PAraNoia817 of Smileanddealwithit about their love of Halo. (Louis Wu 16:39:47 UTC) (permalink)
NGL Halo Reach Tourney: St. Louis
Jay Alexander let us know that The National Gaming League will be hosting a Halo Reach tournament in St. Louis, MO on August 14th. Full details, including location, prizes, game settings and fees, can be found on their website. Check it out! (Louis Wu 16:33:09 UTC) (permalink)
Hedgemony: 117 Images Over 5 Days (Day Five)
I'm almost sad it's Friday - because it means it's the end of Hedgemony's 117 Over 5 Days project. The last 25 pics are up now, and there are several that simply had me staring for a while. Halo 3, ODST, Reach - they're all represented, and they all offer up secrets and perspectives to Hedge that would have just passed me by without his screens. Go look. Update: due to a small coding error, the first 8 pics on the page were invisible. (Fixed now.) You don't want to miss them - go look again! (Louis Wu 14:13:08 UTC) (permalink)
Mind blown.
Over at NeoGAF, FyreWulff casually threw out a small tidbit about Halo 2 multiplayer that was news to a lot of people. Did you ever notice the similarity between the Halo Bumblebee and the train on Halo 2's Terminal? I sure didn't. (Homeboyd dug up a couple of screenshots that help you see.) (Louis Wu 14:09:44 UTC) (permalink)
A pair of vids
TheSparbiter stopped in to announce two videos - one is a music vid using Breaking Benjamin's Give Me a Sign and cutscene footage from various Halo games, while the other is a comparison between the E3 2003 demo vid and the final cutscene(s) that made it into Halo 2. This has some pretty interesting moments! (Louis Wu 14:08:55 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Fest brings IGN on board
Yesterday, 343 announced that IGN has been picked as their official media partner for Halo Fest - there'll be a mini-site at IGN that contains all sorts of coverage, including live streams of selected panels. Check the news release for more details!
(Louis Wu 14:07:58 UTC) (permalink)
News July 28 2011
Popcorn and a bedpan? Ew.
If you were planning to stay up late on August 2nd in order to grab your copy of the Bungie ViDoc as early as possible, you might want to read a recent tweet from Bungie - it's been pushed back until the 4th. Sounds like the extra 2 days are definitely worth it! (Louis Wu 21:56:02 UTC) (permalink)
Hedgemony: 117 Images Over 5 Days (Day Four)
Another day, another batch of simply stunning screenshots from Hedgemony. He is so, so good at showing you things you might never have noticed... and doing it in a way that makes them beautiful. No matter WHAT they started out as.
(Louis Wu 17:51:36 UTC) (permalink)
Halo-verse Planetary Scale - Revisited
Stephen Loftus has completely overhauled his Halo-verse Planetary Scale article - the newest version contains all the information of the older versions, plus a bunch of new stuff that we now know about (systems described in books/games, etc) - plus some new distance calculations that are pretty impressive! Check it out.
(Louis Wu 17:45:00 UTC) (permalink)
Halo CEA Terminals get some dev love
The team responsible for the new terminals in Halo: Anniversary are making some noise - AngelicLionheart noticed that they've got a Halo piece up on their Artwork page, and one of their animators posted some cool screen grabs at NeoGAF (thanks, Elzarthebam). Looking pretty amazing!
(Louis Wu 17:44:00 UTC) (permalink)
Halo CEA AR - one fan's reimagining
Yesterday, Deepblue stopped by with a proposition - he was unhappy with the Assault Rifle shown in the most recent Halo: Anniversary footage, because he felt that it suffered from the non-inclusion of all the cool changes made to the Reach AR. Over the course of the evening, he posted a number of revisions of his work - and this morning, he posted what he calls a near-final version. It's met with some positive responses from our forum - go take a look!
(Louis Wu 17:41:21 UTC) (permalink)
Classic Halo goodness from Edge
Edge has just released 150 classic reviews - including all three original Halo games (Halo | Halo 2 | Halo 3). Edge is really one of the most impressive gaming mags out there - and their Halo reviews were spectacular. If you missed them the first time around - go check! Thanks, Hypertrooper.
(Louis Wu 17:40:08 UTC) (permalink)
Details on Primordium Surface
Interesting! hotshot revan noticed that the Amazon listing for Halo: Primordium, Greg Bear's second novel in his Halo trilogy, has been updated with a small summary of the book's plot. If you're dying to see where this story is going - check it out!
(Louis Wu 17:33:15 UTC) (permalink)
Getting Out of Lone Wolf
Carnage A51 let us know that Physics Remastered has released a tutorial showing how to get out of Lone Wolf - pretty cool!
(Louis Wu 17:28:38 UTC) (permalink)
The Return of CMT
Over at NeoGAF, Awesome Barlow pointed out that the Custom Mapping Team (a Halo CE group) is back in action - you can read about it on their site! Update: Masterz1337, the CMT leader, asked that we change the link to point to the CMT site itself - there's far more information. We've done that. (The Modacity post we used can still be found in Awesome Barlow's post.) (Louis Wu 17:20:21 UTC) (permalink)
Psst - wanna know a secret?
Laird is doing something cool at Halo Fest, coming up next month at PAX. He can't tell you what it is yet - but if you're interested in participating (no, you don't have to get naked, and no, it won't cost you any money), he wants to hear from you! Check his post for details. If you're going to be at PAX, and you're a Halo fan... this is probably something you want to check out.
(Louis Wu 17:06:36 UTC) (permalink)
News July 27 2011
Missing this Sparkast would be a Travissty
I thought this might be worthy enough of its own newspost so I'm, well, making a newspost. Hidden in the lovingly-crafted Halo Bulletin that went live around 7 minutes ago was the announcement that there was also a brand new Halo Sparkast, featuring the wind beneath my left and right wings, David Ellis and Frank O'Connor, talking Halo hotness with one Ms. Karen Traviss. There's also a bonus pre-Comic Con segment that you should absolutely hear. (By the way, if you're hot enough, Frankie will let you record anything, just saying) Go and give it a listen! (GrimBrother One 23:13:22 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Bulletin, 7-27-11
Don't forget to check out the latest Halo Bulletin, hot off the Waypoint presses. Plenty of post comic con discussion and cosplay photos to go around, so no need to butt in line. Always lots of great info, go and check it out! Update: It's available in our Halo Bulletins Archive, as well. (GrimBrother One 23:03:05 UTC) (permalink)
GRUNTastic!
Goose Checka sent word that GrifballHub has posted its 1,000th article - and to celebrate, they're running two GRUNTs (tournaments), PLUS holding a contest - with a cool signed T for the winner. Check out all the details on their site! (Louis Wu 21:04:40 UTC) (permalink)
Hedgemony: 117 Images Over 5 Days (Day Three)
It's Day Three of Hedgemony's 117 Images over 5 Days project... and some of my favorite pictures so far are included. "Collapsing Elevator" is spectacular... while "Falling Glass" reminds me of the detail Bungie's added to these games. The entire batch... well, just imagine me kissing my first three fingers and thumb, with a pinky held high in the air. Go look. (Louis Wu 15:26:42 UTC) (permalink)
Fire Team Zulu: Light Fuse Run Away
Fire Team Zulu is back - FyreWulff has a challenge for you on New Alexandria; can you make the run with no human guns? (This includes the turret on your Falcon.) Oh, yeah... and you've only got 30 minutes. Sounds like fun! Go try. (Louis Wu 15:13:21 UTC) (permalink)
Forky Showdown
Lord Friendship built a panorama on ONI Sword Base as a tribute to the adventurous spirit of HBO denizens. It's... epic. (Louis Wu 15:12:54 UTC) (permalink)
Chicks really dig this stuff too.
Over at NeoGAF, Ramirez pointed out a recent episode of Pawn Stars, a show about a pawn shop (and what comes in) - starting at 3 minutes in to this video, a guy negotiates the sale of his homemade Halo armor. The girlfriend's input is priceless. (Louis Wu 14:57:41 UTC) (permalink)
Duke laughs at the competition
Apparently, some DLC coming for Duke Nukem Forever takes shots at other shooters - including Halo. (Sounds like Sandbox is a parody of Blood Gulch, though I can't find any pictures yet.) Thanks, Elzarthebam. (Louis Wu 14:50:07 UTC) (permalink)
Blarg!
mattroe used a Red vs Blue clip as a jumping-off place for an animation class project - the end result is pretty cool! Check it out. (Louis Wu 14:47:53 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Schwag Video Review
mr.sci-fi bought a couple of cool Halo items, and posted video reviews of them - swing by his post to see a couple of minutes each of the Essential Visual Guide and some Peel-n-Stick vinyl graphics. Interesting idea! (Louis Wu 14:46:34 UTC) (permalink)
News July 26 2011
Familiar Feelings
Red vs Blue Season 9 Episode 6 is now live - Caboose changes his name, Sarge decides he doesn't like feelings, and Church yells at the appliances. In other words... business as usual. Go watch! (Louis Wu 15:53:11 UTC) (permalink)
Marcus Lehto to leave Bungie
Whoa. Marcus Lehto, longtime Bungie employee and Creative Director for Halo: Reach, is leaving the company. A tweet he posted last night suggests the end comes soon. We'll miss you, Marcus! (Louis Wu 15:39:30 UTC) (permalink)
Third Person Mythic - Nightfall (Quad-Mythic)
The Tyrant continues with his newest series, Third Person Mythic; once again, he's releasing a Nightfall run, but this time, it's Quad-Mythic. No cutscenes - just four-player Mythic gameplay madness. Lots of tips built into the commentary - go give it a watch! (Louis Wu 15:31:56 UTC) (permalink)
Halo DLC Marked Down
MS has a sale going for Halo-related DLC - you can snag the Noble and Defiant Map Packs for Reach for 400 MS Points each (thanks, HC Lone Wolf). In addition, Hiji points out that Halo 3 DLC is also on sale - the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack is slashed in half, to 200 MS Points, while the Halo 3 Mythic II Map Pack is just 400 MS Points. Go grab 'em while they're hot!
(Louis Wu 15:25:30 UTC) (permalink)
HT Games for Flames 2 Tournament
Edge sent word that Halotracker is running a newFFA tournament named Games for Flames 2 - you can win a Flaming Helmet code and MS Points. There's a fee for entering, with half the money going to charity - full details are on their site.
(Louis Wu 15:21:07 UTC) (permalink)
Hedgemony: 117 Images Over 5 Days (Day Two)
The second batch of Hedgemony's 117x5 series - 117 enhanced images from Halo 3 and Reach over 5 days - is now live. As is often the case with Hedgemony's work, I'm looking at Halo in a whole new way... check these out. Not a bad shot in the bunch.
(Louis Wu 11:56:07 UTC) (permalink)
SEC #1 - !
Over at NeoGAF, Blinding pointed out a short video from SillyGoose - make sure your speakers aren't set too loud before playing this (it starts with a scream), but the editing is pretty wild. (SEC stands for SingleEditedClip.)
(Louis Wu 11:42:42 UTC) (permalink)
Quick! To the Reach-Mobile!
mr.sci-fi has decked his car out in Reach-related decals... the targeting reticle disturbed me a little.
(Louis Wu 11:39:31 UTC) (permalink)
Watch the Closing Doors
CarnageA51 stopped by to announce that Pysics Remastered is back with a new video - they'll show you how to get into the subway station in The Package. Even if the tutorial shows you that the skills involved might be more than you have... just seeing it done is pretty cool! Check it out.
(Louis Wu 11:36:38 UTC) (permalink)
News July 25 2011
Time out of mind - a little late
robbert014 was sad that a montage he posted (from his buddy Nollemaster, though it contains footage of his own gameplay, among others) back in September 2010 never got any love - we dropped the ball, so we're picking it up here. It's actually got some great gameplay, fun music, and solid camera work. Go watch! (Louis Wu 21:39:59 UTC) (permalink)
Hedgemony: 117 Images Over 5 Days (Day One)
Hedgemony loves Halo. And Hedgemony loves HBO. (And HBO loves Hedgemony! But that's not really the story here.) As part of his celebration of Halo's 10th anniversary, he's decided to create a gorgeous, HBO-exclusive gallery of his signature images - 117 images that will be released over 5 days. The first batch is up today. Go browse - they're awesome.
(Louis Wu 16:17:31 UTC) (permalink)
The Gun Show
The latest Arby 'n' the Chief is another episode of Hypermail - The Gun Show contains 5 minutes of Master Chief's offensiveness. (Offensivity?) Also melty plastic. Thanks, MrWezzle. (Louis Wu 16:16:15 UTC) (permalink)
Tyrant's ODST Legendary Walkthrough - Data Hive
The next episode in Tyrant's Halo 3: ODST Legendary Walkthrough is live - he covers Data Hive in his inimitable style. It's a monster - 40 minutes long. (It would be longer if he were using MY footage, I'll tell you that.) Go watch!
(Louis Wu 16:02:03 UTC) (permalink)
DigitalFoundry's Demo Analysis: Halo Anniversary
Eurogamer's DigitalFoundry has done one of their tech analyses on the Halo Anniversary demo shown at San Diego ComicCon last week. Worth a read! Thanks, Hypertrooper.
(Louis Wu 15:59:25 UTC) (permalink)
Recapturing Old Spirits
Postmortem hosted a Halo LAN last Friday - and wrote it up for his "The Life of a Halo Fan" blog. With pictures, and everything! Check it out. (Louis Wu 15:58:00 UTC) (permalink)
It's all about the apes
Halo 3's Monkey Family egg made Cracked's "7 Creepy Video Game Easter Eggs You'll Wish Were Never Found" list. Heh. Thanks, S C. (Louis Wu 15:54:08 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars First Mod
kornman00 is unhappy that Halo Wars doesn't get the credit it deserves - if you swing by HaloMods, you'll find a post about the first ever Halo Wars mod. The creator is hoping to kick off a modding craze! Go see. (Louis Wu 15:52:53 UTC) (permalink)
Playtime - again (and again and again)
If the original series, plus the making-of video, plus all the ancillary releases haven't been enough Playtime for you, CruelLEGACEY has your back; he's releasing the first four episodes again, but this time with commentary. Ep 1 is up now. New episodes every Monday.
(Louis Wu 15:48:52 UTC) (permalink)
An old love, enhanced
ElzarTheBam pointed out a pretty nice wallpaper he found at DeviantART - someone enhanced a screengrab from the Halo 4 trailer. Take a look!
(Louis Wu 15:47:06 UTC) (permalink)
Prophecy Trailer (Round 2)
Avcracy stopped in to let us know that the Dispatch series called 'Prophecy' (videos were released from 2006-2009, and are currently available on DispatchFilms' YouTube channel) is being remade by Firelight Studios and DispatchFilms - the first trailer is up now. Check it out!
(Louis Wu 15:44:52 UTC) (permalink)
News July 24 2011
PapercraftChief
BuildMyPaperHeart sent us a link to a Flickr set containing photos of a really adorable papercraft Master Chief. The assault rifle rocks! Check it out. (Louis Wu 22:14:09 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Legacy
Paul Shelley let us know that the Halo Legacy project is off an running - in fact, since we last mentioned it, in early May, two full series have been released. The idea behind this project is to use multiple directors to create "create serious halo story based machinima content along the lines of the animated Halo: Legends series." (Paul's words.) Halo: Legacy Angerona has a Trailer, plus a three-part main body (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3). Likewise, Halo: Legacy Quinn has a Trailer, plus three parts (Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3). Go watch! (Louis Wu 22:08:27 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fanfic - on Sunday
Not only did I forget to post a Fan Fiction update on July 15... I forgot again this past Friday. I'm really sorry! (On the bright side, the buildup is only three stories - so you don't have to feel overwhelmed!) Go read. (Louis Wu 22:02:02 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Community Charity Marathon at XForgery
XForgery is hosting a Halo Community Charity Marathon - money to go to Child's Play. Check out the details - and join in! (Louis Wu 21:59:56 UTC) (permalink)
Custom Painted Legendary Helmet
If you swing by TheGamersHub, you'll see a video from TotallyLameRobot showing how she painted her Halo 3 Legendary helmet with a custom ODST theme. There are more details in this short video, as well.) Amazing! (Louis Wu 21:57:57 UTC) (permalink)
Make your own shirts, be happy
xxPapaSmurf187x put together a few homemade Halo-themed shirts - nice work! (Louis Wu 21:55:52 UTC) (permalink)
ODST Time
Bry posted a series of ODST-themed panos yesterday that are stunning. Go see. (Louis Wu 21:53:46 UTC) (permalink)
MLG Dallas Round 1 Reforged
If you're into the MLG scene, Halo Waypoint has the rebroadcast of the Halo: Reach Round 1 Winner's Bracket from MLG Dallas 2011. The round features Instinct vs Status Quo and Believe The Hype vs Impact. Some great competition and sweet moments, go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:00:05 UTC) (permalink)
Delivering Great Trailer Music
Some extremely talented and handsome individual put together a list of 5 game trailers that had excellent music over at LoudMouthedGamers.com. The "Deliver Hope" trailer from the Halo: Reach ad campaign made the list. Go and check out the other selections and see if you agree! (GrimBrother One 14:52:48 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Universe Panel Redux
With the Halo Universe Panel footage from Comic Con coming on so late yesterday, we wanted to make sure you knew where to catch it. You can find it on the Halo Waypoint YouTube channel in four parts here: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4. Some great discussion on the future of the fiction in the Halo Universe. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 14:47:58 UTC) (permalink)
News July 23 2011
Official Halo Universe panel footage
Halo Waypoint is slowly but surely uploading the official footage from yesterday's Halo Universe panel. Here's part one of the panel. I'll update this post with the other parts as they go online. There are technical issues with the audio, which means that some people can be hard to hear -- especially Frankie. 343 is working to get fixed audio from Comic Con, but until then, enjoy this version! Update: Halo Waypoint now has parts two, three, and four up for your viewing pleasure on their YouTube channel. Go check them all out! -Grim (Hitmonchan 22:05:05 UTC) (permalink)
Skullybean
You should see Jillbean's proudest Halo moment. Then you should tell her how cool it was. Like, now. (GrimBrother One 20:01:54 UTC) (permalink)
Oh, Mona
The eighth part of "The Mona Lisa" is ready for your viewing pleasure at Halo Waypoint. Insert imperative followed by an exclamation mark! (Hitmonchan 18:05:28 UTC) (permalink)
Frankie goes to Comic Con
Seems like everyone wants to chat with Mr. Frankie. GameSpot's Ricardo Torres spoke with him about "Anniversary" and "Halo 4." It's a pretty decent interview. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 17:53:53 UTC) (permalink)
Phantom Shenanigans
Rockslider continues to play with Sierra 117 Phantoms - go read his latest discussion! (Louis Wu 16:30:12 UTC) (permalink)
7 from the 7th
padraig08 put together 7 panoramas (with some image manipulation on top) as a tribute to Bungie for the past 10 years. They're gorgeous. Go look. (Louis Wu 16:26:14 UTC) (permalink)
Old Physics, New Girlfriends
Owen Good from Kotaku was at the Halo Universe Panel at Comic Con and wrote up some impressions. Go and give it a look! (GrimBrother One 16:00:56 UTC) (permalink)
Cheap Anniversary
Halo Waypoint just tweeted about a NewEgg special where you can preorder Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary and get it for $29 (USD) and free shipping. Check out the links for more info and see if it's something you can take advantage of! (GrimBrother One 15:32:02 UTC) (permalink)
A Developing Story
Hiji pointed out a great thread on game development on the Waypoint forums. The original poster provides a very neat look at how the development process might affect Halo 4. Go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 14:02:42 UTC) (permalink)
Machinima.com Talks To Frankie at SDCC
Machinima.com's Adam Kovic with Inside Gaming was at the Microsoft event at the San Diego Comic Con, and they have video of his interviews. You might be particularly interested just after the 7-minute mark, when he talks to our shiny-domed hero, Frank O'Connor. Give it a watch! Thanks to jo for letting us know. (GrimBrother One 13:53:54 UTC) (permalink)
My Bluescreen Heaven
GeneticSpartan stopped by our forums yesterday with a VERY cool project that he has been working on. Essentially, he has made a bluescreen stage within Reach's Forge mode. You can grab it from his fileshare here, as well as see a very cool YouTube tutorial and explanation. The potential for this in machinima is huge, and I for one can't wait to see how some very creative people are going to use this. Check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:43:57 UTC) (permalink)
News July 22 2011
Writing in Video Games panel summary
In my rabid excitement about the Halo Universe panel, I forgot about the second panel that happened today: Writing in Video Games. Thankfully, GameSpot's mind is sharper and less prone to Halo hype. Check out the site's summary of the panel, which included Frank O'Connor, Greg Bear and Karen Traviss. (Hitmonchan 20:25:35 UTC) (permalink)
'Anniversary' Terminal panel footage
Looks like someone doesn't play by the rules. Darkmacintosh filmed the Terminal footage from the Halo Universe panel and posted it online. Thanks, Hypertrooper, for letting me know, and thanks to Gabotron ES for the initial find! Update: It looks like Speedymanic from GAF found it first. I didn't know there was a new thread made over there. Thanks for clarifying, Hypertrooper! (Hitmonchan 19:53:18 UTC) (permalink)
Twitter updates from the Halo Universe panel
If the liveblog wasn't enough for you, I've gathered the Twitter updates from those who attended the panel. There's some interesting little tidbits in here. Thanks to Tex and Jon Goff for the updates! Check it out! (Hitmonchan 19:35:58 UTC) (permalink)
Happy Anniversary Playthrough
The lovely Veronica from 343 Industries wanted to point us in the direction of the new Halo Anniversary Campaign demo playthrough from the just-wrapping-up Halo Universe Panel at Comic Con. What are you waiting for?! Go watch! (GrimBrother One 19:32:35 UTC) (permalink)
Third Person Mythic - Nightfall (Solo)
The Tyrant has kicked off yet ANOTHER series of Mythic vids - this one is called 'Third Person Mythic', and its goal is to let you see Tyrant's Mythic gameplay from a third-person viewpoint - so that you can tell what weapon he's using, and how his shields look as he progresses. New commentary is included. The first installment is the easiest level to run Mythic - Nightfall. Go watch! (Louis Wu 18:45:52 UTC) (permalink)
The blood on the helmet sells it.
Rooster Teeth's Ubergirl loves Red vs Blue's Agent Maine (otherwise known as The Meta). So much so, she's whipped up some artwork - it's really, really good. Go look. (If you're not used to RT journals, click the pic for a larger version.) (Louis Wu 18:42:13 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR: Best Of Episode 2
Robowski let us know that the Post Game Carnage Report has released a Best Of episode - filled with all sorts of shenaniganry. This can give you an overall idea of how these generally work, if you haven't partaken before. As always, NSFW.
(Louis Wu 18:38:35 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Universe - keep your eyes open!
The Halo Universe panel at SDCC hasn't quite kicked off yet - don't forget, liveblogging here - but a couple of hours ago, Frankie tweeted that something cool might happen at the end. (Thanks, Hypertrooper at GAF and INSANEdrive at HBO.)
(Louis Wu 18:35:41 UTC) (permalink)
SYNAW - Season 2 Coming Soon
Ty Coker wondered if you'd be interested in checking out the earlier work from the studio that brought you Frostbite - they're about to get started on Season 2 of SYNAW, and all ten episodes of Season 1 (well, Episode 9 is in 4 separate pieces) can be found in this playlist.
(Louis Wu 18:31:41 UTC) (permalink)
CCN 13 - There's a Bad Hellmitre on the Rise
NartFOpc wrote up last Saturday's Classic Customs Night - it'w worth reading for the artwork alone.
(Louis Wu 18:18:56 UTC) (permalink)
Secrets of Zanzibar 2 teaser trailer
Hyokin let us know about a machinima project put together by a group he does voice work for - in his post, you can watch a teaser trailer for 'Secrets of Zanzibar 2: Decimated Persistence Part 1' (the title's almost longer than the trailer!). (Louis Wu 18:17:15 UTC) (permalink)
Playtime Production Queries
The lovely folks at CruelLEGACEY Productions have put up a Q&A section for people curious about how the Playtime series is made, as well as general Machinima-making wonderings. Check it out! (GrimBrother One 17:17:28 UTC) (permalink)
Upping the Headhunter Hotness on the Web
The awesome folks over at MoreFrames - the creative team driving the Headhunters Motion Comic at Halo Waypoint - have let us know that they have updated the Headhunters page on their website. The update includes more awesome snapshots from the Motion Comic itself, as well as links to the videos on Waypoint. Beautiful look to it all, go and check these guys out! (GrimBrother One 17:01:31 UTC) (permalink)
Playing Dress-Up
ElzarTheBam noticed a cosplay gallery from ComicVine. If you give it a sift through, you'll find some costumes from our favorite universe such as this one. Some nice shots all around, go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:17:29 UTC) (permalink)
Sacred Icons
Joystick Division recently put out a lits of it's Top 10 Most Iconic Video Game Worlds. Of course, at least one entry shouldn't throw you for a loop. Thanks to Dylan Brashear for the tip! (GrimBrother One 14:59:03 UTC) (permalink)
Resurrecting the dead
For those of you who don't know, the movie adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" came crumbling down earlier this week. In light of this, indieWIRE devised a list of dead projects it wants resurrected from the pre-production graveyard, and "Halo" made the cut. Peter Jackson, after you return from The Shire, please give us a meaty live-action "Halo" flick. A boy can dream, right?
(Hitmonchan 14:31:28 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE 33
Poor Geoff, I think his enthusiasm wanes with each new episode. Rooster Teeth is back with "Achievement HORSE 33." Give 'er a watch!
(Hitmonchan 14:28:09 UTC) (permalink)
'Halo Warfare 3' Interview
DeltaGamer sat down with Jimbothy of McCallahan Industries to talk about the creation of "Halo Warfare 3." This is actually the second part in a series of interviews with Jimbothy — here's the first part, in case you missed it. The third and final section will come out later today. If you're interested in the technical aspects of machinima, check this out! (Hitmonchan 14:23:39 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Universe Live Blog
If you're not geeking it up today at the San Diego Comic Con, then you won't be able to attend the Halo Universe panel. Fear not, fellow Halo fans, for the good folks at G4TV will be live blogging the event, which starts at 11:30 a.m. PST. A little birdie told me that 343 is filming the event. Who knows, we might even see the video as soon as Saturday morning.
(Hitmonchan 14:18:30 UTC) (permalink)
News July 21 2011
Halo Universe Panel at SDCC - got a question?
Gah - meant to post this early this morning, but things didn't go well. Halo Waypoint's Alison Stroll is moderating the Halo Universe panel tomorrow morning at San Diego Comic Con, and yesterday opened a thread on the Waypoint forums where you could post questions. It's not locked yet, so if there's anything you've been dying to ask Greg Bear, Karen Traviss, Frankie, or Kevin Grace... go toss it in! Thanks to PsychoRaven for noticing. (Louis Wu 22:45:20 UTC) (permalink)
Crimson Alliance: Gnox the Mercenary
Just got sent a new trailer for Crimson Alliance. This is a dungeon-based hack-n-slash that's about as far from Halo as you can get... but it's being made by Certain Affinity (who came from Bungie in the first place, and still generate Halo material), and more importantly, it's FUN. This trailer is all about Gnox the Mercenary - and it makes me want this game more than ever! Go watch it (non-HD, for ease of streaming), or download HD 720p versions in QT or WMP9. (No watermarks here, cause we love you too much.) Crimson Alliance is due to hit XBLA on September 7 - mark your calendar! (Louis Wu 22:35:04 UTC) (permalink)
Man... I'd pay WAY more than $60 for that.
The Filmageddon crew put together 'Real Life Halo Forge' - very nice work! (I found this at Halo Waypoint, cause bs angel is better at scouring than I am.) (Louis Wu 17:18:07 UTC) (permalink)
The child of his maker
Joony Joon pointed out a hidden-in-plain-sight egg the Certain Affinity crew tucked into Condemned, one of the Defiant maps - these have been out for months, and I never thought to look up and notice the shape! Nice call. (Louis Wu 17:15:23 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Reach: Top 10 Kills (07.20.11)
IGN's Top 10 Reach Kills for the week of July 20 contains some fun clips - Go watch! Thanks, ChrisTheeCrappy. (Louis Wu 16:59:47 UTC) (permalink)
HBO Montage 3 Goes BAM!
ElzarTheBam wanted to bless us with another awesome HBO Community Montage. The results are a slick and hilarious as ever. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:53:29 UTC) (permalink)
A New Bulletin Blooms
bs angel used her wily ways of wit and word to craft the lastest Halo Bulletin for our reading pleasure. Go and grab some news on HaloFest, biceps, some text-free cover art, and an explosive skull. Read it!(If you choose, it's available in our Halo Bulletin Archive, as well.) (GrimBrother One 13:48:39 UTC) (permalink)
News July 20 2011
Of Pixels and Patterns
There was some discussion recently about some design decisions in Halo: Anniversary... so The Alpha ELite decided to make things a little clearer by grabbing some comparison shots. Interesting conversation fodder! (Louis Wu 21:14:29 UTC) (permalink)
Frostbite - Chapter 8 (Book 1 Finale)
Ty Coker stopped in to let us know about Frostbite Chapter 8 (the end of Book 1) - it doesn't end the way you might think. If you've been following the series, this episode wraps up a few things - but leaves others wide open. Go watch! (Louis Wu 21:12:01 UTC) (permalink)
Fistful of Awesome
Seriously jonesing for some new Fistful of Arrows action? Finding it hard to wait for the next installment? Let Leviathan ease your pain with some fantastic looking FoA wallpaper. Simply awesome, go get it! (GrimBrother One 19:04:42 UTC) (permalink)
We Are 508th
Lordstemplar1 wanted to share a new video inspired by the We Are ODST short film/ad. The result, titled We Are 508th, is very, very cool. Definitely go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 14:39:23 UTC) (permalink)
Star Wars: A New Halo
I laughed at The Escapist's Kung Fu Grip: Star Wars: A New Halo. I have to thank Hitmonchan for pointing it out. You should go watch it. The swing to safety tickled my funny bone. (Louis Wu 14:10:15 UTC) (permalink)
I don't have time to find a weapon.
AlphaGamma turned us on to Master Chief Predator, a Predator/Spartan mashup from ShrubbyTreeBush. Pretty awesome! (He found it at Kotaku, who also thought it was pretty awesome.) (Louis Wu 14:06:43 UTC) (permalink)
News July 19 2011
Specific Gravity Hammer
We first brought you news that hinted at an addition to the Halo Avatar Collection on Xbox Live. Today, Halo Waypoint confirmed such speculation. On July 21st, you'll be able to snag a Gravity Hammer for your Avatar to swing around on your dashboard. Pretty neat, go check it out! Joshua Allen also started a thread about it on our forum if you would like to discuss. (GrimBrother One 21:36:29 UTC) (permalink)
Tyrant's ODST Legendary Walkthrough - Kikowani Station
Tyrant's back with another chapter in his ODST Legendary Walkthrough - this time, he's looking at Kikowani Station. The streets of New Mombasa that you need to traverse from NMPD HQ to the station are also included. Go watch - then blow up a few Engineers! (Louis Wu 19:44:14 UTC) (permalink)
Hibernation
MaxRealflugel wanted us to let you know that The Secrets Within, his Halo site, is going on hiatus for a while (until Halo 4, it seems) - real life intrudes. Best of luck, sir! (Louis Wu 15:25:03 UTC) (permalink)
MSNBC examines coming Halo titles
Hitmonchan is trying to take a break - but failing, a little bit, at staying away from Halo news. He noted early this morning (on GAF) that MSNBC has a video piece on Halo 4 and Halo: Anniversary (filmed in 343's new digs, which happen to be Bungie's old digs). Take a look! (Louis Wu 15:13:55 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Faith Interview: Daniel Ciurlizza
SikDailyMags has another interview with Halo: Faith personnel - this time, it's composer Daniel Ciurlizza that's talking about inspiration, Halo geekery, and more. Check it out! Thanks, Gabo's Palace. (Louis Wu 14:42:11 UTC) (permalink)
Wait... you can dehydrate bullets?
Red vs Blue Season 9, Episode 5, "Realignment", was released last night - the Gulchers continue to morph, while the Freelancers adjust to the results of the most recent mission. As always, top-notch production quality and some classic humor! Thanks, Dagoonite. (Louis Wu 14:32:44 UTC) (permalink)
Primordium
Tor Books today released new information about the next book in Greg Bear's Forerunner Saga. Information can be found over at Waypoint, including the cover and new title, Primordium. Can't wait for this! Thanks to hotshot revan for catching it. (GrimBrother One 14:29:48 UTC) (permalink)
Musical Swag
Folks have been telling our forum (and other forums) about the contents of their swag bags purchased from the Bungie Store a couple of weeks ago - tons and tons of cool stuff. rowboat stopped in last night with something really cool - his bag contained photocopied sheet music from a number of Halo tunes (first page only). He was kind enough to scan them, so the entire community can share in his wealth! (Our forum was thrilled to see the Siege of Madrigal music in the collection... I guess many of them have forgotten that Marty released that one already, more than 9 years ago.) (Louis Wu 14:28:33 UTC) (permalink)
Cheap Megabloks at TRU
TCKaos let our forum know that Toys 'R' Us is currently hosting a Halo Megabloks
sale - buy one, get one half off. If you'd been eyeing any of their products, now's a good time to buy! (Louis Wu 14:28:07 UTC) (permalink)
Are you the UK's biggest Halo fan?
Elzarthebam pointed out a post at OXM UK's website - they're hosting a contest for "the UK's most dedicated fan", with the winner being sent, all expenses paid, to Halo Fest at PAX in Seattle next month. Not too shabby! You've only got a couple of days to get your entries in - so hurry! (Louis Wu 14:15:59 UTC) (permalink)
News July 18 2011
Cheap Halo (and Forza)
Ooh, noice deal. Snag a copy of Halo 3: ODST... AND Forza Motorsport 3... for under $10 (pre-owned). Sound good? Swing by Best Buy. (Louis Wu 22:02:10 UTC) (permalink)
HTR Community Montage 4
Edge sent word that HaloTracker's put out another community montage - footage all comes from their community, with enditng by Ativan. It's a mix of Halo 3 and Reach, full of multikills and exterms. It also contains the worst batch of spawns I've ever seen on Boardwark. Go watch! (Louis Wu 20:11:03 UTC) (permalink)
Red vs. Blue Season 9 Preview
This went up the end of last week - but we missed it. Rooster Teeth edited together the animated portions of the first four episodes of Red vs Blue Season 9, and ended up with a 5 minute preview that gives you a great idea of what you're missing if you haven't been watching. (It was made specifically for their YouTube channel, so you can watch it there if you prefer.) (Louis Wu 20:05:01 UTC) (permalink)
Hunter Birthday
Jillybean commissioned a pair of Hunter sculpts from Antithesis for her sister - check out the joy upon receipt! You can see some additional closeup pictures of each Hunter in Anti's gallery here (first one is here, just keep hitting 'next'). Cuteness to the nth. (Louis Wu 17:00:55 UTC) (permalink)
The Science of Playtesting
Gamespot AU wrote up an article about playtesting - they talked to people at Valve, Bungie, and Epic to find out how user feedback is incorporated into the design process. Interesting article! Thanks, Dani. (Louis Wu 16:35:45 UTC) (permalink)
Customs: they're not just for breakfast any more
If you've ever considered jumping into HBO customs games - there are a couple of writeups today that might help you decide to go for it. CortanaVII has a ton of pictures (and a pretty nice montage) from this past Friday's Community Customs game... and Overdoziz has pictures from last week's HBeurO Customs night. Both writeups are fun - check 'em out!
(Louis Wu 16:29:44 UTC) (permalink)
The Ascendant Tower
CruelLEGACEY is totally into the sets he's building for his Playtime series - you can check out The Ascendant Tower on his site. Looks like it took a while! (Louis Wu 16:29:10 UTC) (permalink)
That Gas Giant Has a Nice Ring To It
Dark Helmet came by the forum to show off a little something he worked on. Very nice results! Go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 15:10:21 UTC) (permalink)
Now THAT'S a Home Security System
Speaking of Hedgemony, Postmortem stopped by to show off something special that the awesome aussie whipped up for him. So cool... Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:06:59 UTC) (permalink)
Sticking With What Brought Ya
If there's anything you can count on, it's for Hedgemony to bring the goods. Don't miss out on his latest offering of amazing pics and panos. They just keep getting better... Go look! (GrimBrother One 15:01:58 UTC) (permalink)
Tossing Out A New Arby 'N the Chief
MrWezzle dropped in to let us know that the latest Arby 'N the Chief Episode, Tosers, is now available. Never fails to make you smile. Or cringe. Sometimes both. Anyway, go watch it! (GrimBrother One 14:55:02 UTC) (permalink)
Early Bird Anniversary Bonuses
Halo Waypoint announced today some pretty sweet pre-order bonuses for the upcoming Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. If you want to get your hands on some Master Chief Avatar Armor or an in-game skull with hilarious implications, go and check out the press release! (GrimBrother One 14:49:43 UTC) (permalink)
News July 17 2011
LOTS of pics make cool pics
Bry whipped up another small batch of very high resolution panoramas - this batch is even half land-based. Take a look! (Louis Wu 20:29:56 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Auction Mania
A couple of interesting eBay-related posts hit our forum this weekend - check out PFG's prototype Halo figures (lots of 'em - just click the Grunt), and a pretty rare Elite sculpture created back in 2002 (thanks, Joshua Allen). Summertime - the perfect time to spend a lot of cash! (Louis Wu 20:25:06 UTC) (permalink)
Sketchy Surroundings
HBO Community Member Hiji wanted to share a quick sketch he made depicting his impression of the Forerunner/Flood War. Nice job! (GrimBrother One 17:47:21 UTC) (permalink)
Well, It SHOULD Be The Definition...
If you look up "gorgeous" in the dictionary, it's probably going to link you to pics like these from our resident photophile, Hedgemony. Unbelievable. Definitely pay these a visit, and keep bringing them on, Hedge! (GrimBrother One 17:34:37 UTC) (permalink)
Hero: Sacrifice
Halo Waypoint has a new video in the recent "Hero" series, this time focusing on Sacrifice. As always, you can also check it out on your console or WP7 phone. Go watch! (GrimBrother One 14:57:33 UTC) (permalink)
Traxus to Enter Le Mans 24 Hours. Sorta.
Bry shared with us a cool addition to the Forza Motorsport 3 fan-created stable. I know seeing a Traxus-liveried GT blasting down the Mulsanne Straight at Circuit de le Sarthe would certainly get my motor running! (GrimBrother One 14:39:23 UTC) (permalink)
Blood Horizon
TheSparbiter stopped in to share a music Halo music video that he made featuring Mothergoat's Halo-inspired "Blood Horizon". The results are fantastic. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 14:08:53 UTC) (permalink)
News July 16 2011
The Mona Lisa, Part 7
Don't forget to check out Halo Waypoint today on your console, WP7 phone, or on the web, to catch Part 7 of The Mona Lisa motion comic. The style continues to get better and better, and the story is really ramping up. Go and give it a watch! (GrimBrother One 16:47:54 UTC) (permalink)
Digging Deep To Cee What They Can Learn
Continuing to SmileAndDealWithIt, a new Interrogation feature went up at their site, this time featuring DeepCee, the creator of the awesome ODS Steve comic. A great interview, check it out! (GrimBrother One 16:43:34 UTC) (permalink)
Rise of the Spartans
The folks over at SmileAndDealWithIt wanted us to know that they have a new machinma up by Arbiter617 called Rise of the Spartans: Part 1. Arbiter617 always does some great work, and this is no different... go and watch! (GrimBrother One 16:40:42 UTC) (permalink)
More Reasons To Have Faith
Louis Wu ran across a very cool page on the SikDailyMags site featuring the upcoming fanfilm Halo: Faith. A really great read, including an interview as well as some examples of the music, and a contest-winning score/trailer proposal that you should really see. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 16:33:51 UTC) (permalink)
News July 15 2011
30 Seconds of Fun, Explained
Jaime Griesemer's '30 seconds of fun' comment has been quoted a LOT of times, in a lot of different places. Jaime sat down with Joystiq and set the record straight - and while the full story is not nearly so sound-byteable, it's absolutely worth reading. (This is not the full interview - apparently, that's coming in the "coming days". But it's a great start.) Looks like GeekInABox was the first on our forum to notice this. (Louis Wu 17:16:57 UTC) (permalink)
7 panos are worth a thousand screens
Bry took over one thousand screenshots... and put them together in 7 panoramas. The end results are stunning. (Louis Wu 16:23:22 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Linocut Prints
petin took a printing class no religious art from the Renaissance. His final project was Halo-related (and really cool!) - and in honor of Halo's anniversary, he's now sharing the project with the world. Go see!
(Louis Wu 16:19:58 UTC) (permalink)
A nice thank-you
Stephen Loftus helped 343 in the making of the Halo Essential Visual Guide - and they showered him with goodies in return. Check it out! (Louis Wu 15:53:05 UTC) (permalink)
HaloSphere Ready to Round Up Players
The Real N0ble6 wanted to let everyone know that the new browser-based Halo-themed RPG HaloSphere is now live and ready to go as of 8am (EST). It's a free-to-play game you can jump right into. Go and check out this very cool fan creation! (GrimBrother One 13:42:15 UTC) (permalink)
McFarlane Toys Spawns New Anniversary Figures
Halo Waypoint has a new gallery featuring the upcoming Halo Anniversary Figure Collection. Not to be confused with the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary game, this collection of figures captures many of the Halo Universe favorites in a brand new way. Really awesome stuff, definitely go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:36:05 UTC) (permalink)
News July 14 2011
Did you get that?
Sep7imus sent word of an article on Adweek, focusing on the Microsoft ad campaign that's using a Halo Spartan to sell Windows 7 PCs. (We've already mentioned a pair of ads in this series - here and here - but the Adweek piece has a third one that's pretty funny.) Nice to see Halo getting kudos outside the gaming world! (Louis Wu 20:33:16 UTC) (permalink)
I'm gonna hug 'em and squeeze 'em and...
Aww... they're so CUTE! (Louis Wu 18:41:12 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Endurance - it's back!
GodlyPerfection stopped in with word of an upcoming charity event wherein folks will play Halo for at least 60 hours straight to raise money for Child's Play. Full details and links in his post! (Louis Wu 18:28:18 UTC) (permalink)
HALOween, Spartan Style
Sam Bishop pointed us to a blog post from THORSSOLI, a guy who makes Halo armor in his spare time. This particular post does an amazing job of documenting the collection of armor he made for last year's Halloween festivities - really interesting read! (If you explore his blog, you'll find lots of Halo content.) Good stuff! (Louis Wu 15:01:53 UTC) (permalink)
HaloRTS
Elzarthebam noticed a new Halo RTS mod for the C&C3: Tiberium Wars engine - here's hoping it turns out better than Halogen! (Louis Wu 14:57:28 UTC) (permalink)
Riding Lupe
Last night, a quartet of HBO regulars tackled the Exodus LASO challenge together - and the writeup by bluerunner is worth a read! I laughed. I cried. Well, I laughed, anyway. (Louis Wu 14:55:09 UTC) (permalink)
Misdirection, Part 1
Avcracy stopped by last night to announce the first part of Misdirection, a two-part machinima using ODST but set in an alternate universe. Great start! (Louis Wu 14:36:54 UTC) (permalink)
The Halo Bulletin: 7/13/11
DOH! I totally forgot to point out the Halo Bulletin that Waypoint put up last night (and that was added to our Halo Bulletin Archive, even). Discussion about what's going to be showing at San Diego Comic-Con next weekend, what you can expect at Halo Fest next month at PAX, and more. Go read it! (Louis Wu 14:35:12 UTC) (permalink)
A healthy obsession
Hitmonchan needs to take a break from newsposting for a bit - but he couldn't resist sending along a huge batch of farewell links. Check out these videos!
- Straight Outta Bloodgulch is a music parody from JT Machinima - language is not safe for work, but this is pretty funny!
- IGN's Top Ten Reach Kills for July 13 has some silly stuff - but a few are great. (I liked the fusion-barrel-wipes-out-AL clip... and the #1 clip ROCKS.)
- The Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption mod Sci-Fi at War has added some new Halo units - take a look!
- Schwang and Sizzle put together The Dual, a Halo PC dualtage. Fair warning - mute your audio.
- And the best of the bunch (according to both Hitmonchan and me) - Mega Bloks has kicked off their Toymation Contest, and the promo video is simply spectacular. Go watch - and then join in the fun!
Yes, it's true. He's addicted to Halo news. (Louis Wu 14:27:17 UTC) (permalink)
A Message from Playtime
CruelLEGACEY wanted us to let you know that Playtime's not over - he's announced a second season. Go watch. (Louis Wu 14:10:54 UTC) (permalink)
Clash and Desire - S1 Trailer
Machinima Revive sent word of a trailer for Clash & Desire, a new machinima series about young love. With armor. (Louis Wu 14:04:42 UTC) (permalink)
Queso Man says Cheese
Queso Man's been making montages for a long time - but recently, his YouTube account got deleted, so now he's got to start over. He's released his most recent three montages on the new channel, Queso Man Presents. If you missed 'em the first time around (the original newsposts were here | here| here), go watch 'em now! (Louis Wu 14:01:47 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #32
ZZoMBiE13 let us know that Achievement HORSE PIG 32 is online (seems like the shortened version is becoming more common than the full version) - Jack and Geoff torture themselves (and each other) with community-built suicide machines. Go watch! (Louis Wu 13:56:56 UTC) (permalink)
News July 13 2011
Doing Science - with Halo
Aaron Clauset is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder - and a longtime Halo player. And now he's doing a study on team dynamics using Halo: Reach. And you can help! Stop by the study page, sign up and fill out the survey... and you can see how you stack up against your friends, and against strangers! (You can also get the results of the final study, when it's completed.) There are more details in his forum post - so check it out, and then stand back - we're doing science! (Louis Wu 20:28:26 UTC) (permalink)
That's One Tasty Taco
Fans of Halo Machinima should definitely take notice at the newly opened NuclearTaco Productions, a machinima house with some very cool content. To help get you up to speed, check out their new intro video. For an example of their offerings, take a look at Taco's Tips. There will be a lot more great stuff from these guys, so stay tuned! (GrimBrother One 18:08:12 UTC) (permalink)
Weapons Drop
TTL Demag0gue let us know that the next Reclaimer is live - nice little salute to BttF! (Louis Wu 17:56:30 UTC) (permalink)
3D Halo Renders
newguy2445 let us know that he's got a bunch of 3D renders over at DeviantART - check 'em out! (I particularly liked om nom nom nom...) (Louis Wu 14:19:28 UTC) (permalink)
TRR to talk to CL
CruelLEGACEY sent word that he'll be the guest on the next Running Riot podcast - coming up tonight, July 13 at 9:30pm EST. Check it out!
(Louis Wu 14:19:03 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Reach Top 10 Ep 27: Strange Moments
anoj released his latest Halo: Reach Top 10 - this one is called 'Strange Moments', and is filled with... well, strange moments. Some really fun ones! Thanks, Alpha ELite. (Louis Wu 14:10:18 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Warfare 3
JIMBOTHY stopped by yesterday to announce Halo Warfare 3 (a remake of the Modern Warfare 3 trailer in the Halo: Reach engine). Really well done! (They put together a comparison video, with the original and their remake showing side by side - this is amazing.)
(Louis Wu 13:59:58 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie's Last Playlist Update is Up
Reach's July Matchmaking Playlist changes went live yesterday (thanks, Tunavi) - and with them, Jeremiah retires as Playlist Manager. So long, Jeremiah - you will be missed! We'll need to keep an eye on Halo Waypoint, to see who's going to be replacing him... (Louis Wu 13:56:07 UTC) (permalink)
News July 12 2011
Grab Your Hammer and Score
According to the GrifballHub Twitter feed, there is a new Grifball Playlist live in Reach Matchmaking. Time to go get your flower on! (GrimBrother One 17:54:39 UTC) (permalink)
New Halo Avatar Goodies Incoming?
According to Major Nelson, the Halo Collection on the Avatar Marketplace is slated to get a new addition(s) on July 21. No word yet on what they items may be specifically, but I'm sure we'll find out soon. I'm hoping for the pilot helmet, personally. (GrimBrother One 17:40:24 UTC) (permalink)
Looking ahead
Computer and Video Games wonders whether Bungie can make the jump (back) to multiplatform development, and whether Halo will springboard them to success in a new universe, or hold them back? Tough questions to answer without more data... but don't let that stop you from speculating! (Louis Wu 16:42:44 UTC) (permalink)
SHC's June Montage
Hitmonchan also pointed out SHC, a Halo 3/Reach montage containing footage from the SingleHaloClips community collected during the month of June. Some great plays, nice mix of games. Editing only rarely gets in the way of watching the plays. (Gotta love those spawns on Narrows!) (Louis Wu 16:38:45 UTC) (permalink)
Kratos Plays Halo Reach
Heh - when you get teamed up with the God of War in Reach Matchmaking, you should expect some epic gameplay. Or maybe just insults. (Thanks, Hitmon. Good luck on that midterm!) (Louis Wu 16:33:21 UTC) (permalink)
When Speedrunners Talk
RC Master has been one of the most prolific speedrunners in Reach - and now he's begun to tell you HOW he does it. His first commentated run is now online - in honor of this week's LASO Challenge, he's added commentary to his 20-minute speedrun of Exodus. Definitely worth a watch! (Louis Wu 15:40:04 UTC) (permalink)
Supporting Community Cartographers
FyreWulff pointed out a thread on the Halo Waypoint forums where you can express your support for the Community Cartographers, a group of fans Bungie used to help filter out the best fan-made maps for use in Matchmaking. If you like the idea of fan-created maps finding their way into populated playlists, stop by and weigh in! (Louis Wu 15:38:03 UTC) (permalink)
The Wildlife of Halo: A Fan-Made Field Guide
Postmortem is looking for fans interested in helping him create a very high-quality "Wildlife of Halo" field guide - if this sounds intriguing, you should read his post carefully, and see if you can contribute! This sounds like a fantastic project - here's hoping it works out! (Louis Wu 15:33:23 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie's Farewell: A Dramatic Reading
David Houghton, content editor at GamesRadar UK, gave the beginning of Bungie's Starside Speech a dramatic interpretation. It's a good start, but somebody needs to do the full piece. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to practice my best brooding baritone. (Hitmonchan 15:27:17 UTC) (permalink)
What I Did On My Summer Vacation.
Rooster Teeth's production schedule for Red vs Blue season 9 is an episode a week, for four weeks, then a PSA, lather, rinse, repeat. We watched Episode 4 last week - so this week, you get a PSA. It's a very funny PSA, in which Caboose recounts his adventures with the nice men and women of Noble Team. Thanks, mattroe. (Louis Wu 15:24:03 UTC) (permalink)
Gotta watch your words...
A month ago, Microsoft Game Studios VP Phil Spencer talked to OXM UK at E3. He was hyping Halo 4, and talking about how it will be a return to the story of the Master Chief. The terminology he used might be considered... unfortunate, based on the press this article began generating yesterday. (Not sure why nobody noticed before yesterday, but that's a different question altogether.)
"We kind of lost our way a little bit, I'll say. And that's why I wanted to make sure that at the unveiling of Halo 4, you knew you were playing Master Chief, that John was back. Because Master Chief is the John Wayne character of that universe, and that's who you want to play."
The thread on our forum about this has people a little annoyed that Spencer basically seems to be saying "the direction Halo went in, with ODST and Reach, was not the direction it SHOULD have gone in." Do you think he's right? Do you think that's even what he was really trying to say? Chime in! (Louis Wu 15:21:10 UTC) (permalink)
Armor Locked
Don't forget to check out the 4th and final episode of CruelLEGACEY Production's Playtime machinima series. Awesome stuff, go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 14:28:45 UTC) (permalink)
How To Make a Halo Fan Film
Pete Cooper stopped in to give word that the Operation Chastity feature article in OXM UK has now gone live on the web. Big congrats to them for such a great article, go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 14:25:04 UTC) (permalink)
News July 11 2011
Endgame
Whoa - almost a blast from the past! TTL Demag0gue stopped in to announce that Reclaimer's back - go see! (Plus, congratulate him on the nine-week anniversary of his daughter's birth.) (Louis Wu 15:22:13 UTC) (permalink)
Forbes looks at the legitimacy of pro gamers
Forbes has an interesting piece about how the top echelon of gamers are beginning to be treated like athletes in other sports. It includes a sizeable interview with Dave 'Walshy' Walsh. Go see! (Louis Wu 13:16:43 UTC) (permalink)
From the Ashes
There's a new Arby 'n' The Chief Hypermail episode - the old set got a little mangled, so they're winging it. And stealing jon's credit card. Erm.
(Louis Wu 13:15:54 UTC) (permalink)
News July 10 2011
New ubald renders
Tony 'ubald' Marcotte let us know that he's got a new pair of images for your viewing pleasure - check out 'Delta B Company' and 'Jackals' in his gallery here! Loving the energy... (Louis Wu 16:13:51 UTC) (permalink)
Hero-Fortitude
Halo Waypoint has posted Hero-Fortitude, a look at humanity's unwillingness to give up in the face of impossible odds. Nice piece! (Louis Wu 15:37:49 UTC) (permalink)
From the Vault
Hedgemony dug up some ancient Halo ads that came out in Australia back in 2002 - great stuff! (Louis Wu 15:36:37 UTC) (permalink)
Lumoria Episode 2 Gameplay
Higuy sent word that the TM Mapping Team has released new info about Lumoria Episode 2 - the campaign mod they're making for Halo: Custom Edition. Swing by Halomaps for a full update - including a new trailer! (Louis Wu 15:36:01 UTC) (permalink)
News July 9 2011
A long walk...
Dark Helmet (!!) dropped in with a very nice little piece... (Louis Wu 22:37:05 UTC) (permalink)
Jail's not always bad
Rockslider slipped back into Halo 3 for some fun in Sierra 117's jail - check out his post for details! (Louis Wu 19:24:17 UTC) (permalink)
Haloathon 2
Nidonocu pointed out that Team Grim (no relation to the GrimBrothers) is back doing another Halo marathon for Child's Play - they started this one on the evening of 7/7, and have been playing ever since. (We mentioned them last September.) Go watch the stream, and toss some money in the pot!
(Louis Wu 19:23:52 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3: The War Is Over
CaptainTony let us know about a Flash creation on DeviantART - KazMazter put some kinetic typography to the final speech from Halo 3, to really nice effect. Check it out!
(Louis Wu 19:22:21 UTC) (permalink)
The Bancast, #11
Trunks stopped by with a link to the 11th episode of the Bancast, a podcast put out by the crew of Sure to be Ban'd. They tried really hard to play some Reach against Bungie - they didn't earn any steaks, but you can still go listen.
(Louis Wu 19:21:50 UTC) (permalink)
DeviantARTists, Collected
TDSpiral did a great job of combing through DeviantART for awesome Halo content - check his post for links!
(Louis Wu 19:21:14 UTC) (permalink)
Panning for Gold
Hedgemony's newest batch of panoramas moved me to change my laptop background for the first time in two years. I love it and everything else you do, Hedge. Keep it up! (Hitmonchan 17:08:44 UTC) (permalink)
'Mona Lisa' Did Not Smile
When sharpsniper99 posted about "The Mona Lisa," I was giddy. I threw a bag of popcorn into the microwave, fixed a glass of sweet Arizona Iced Tea and grabbed a comforter for the couch. My mom told me about this movie long ago, and I needed a heart-warming chick flick today. My sad little heart sank when what I thought was the universally lauded film by Julia Roberts was actually part six of "The Mona Lisa," a motion comic based on a "Halo" novella. My dear Julia, someday I will watch your timeless masterpiece, but for now, this will have to do. (Hitmonchan 16:37:00 UTC) (permalink)
'Fails of the Weak' 42
Sl'askia let us know that "Fails of the Weak" Volume 42 is now up. The popularity of the series spurred the gang to make a new YouTube channel dedicated to fails. Check out the new vid, and once you're done, take a look at the new channel! (Hitmonchan 15:56:18 UTC) (permalink)
News July 8 2011
The Making of Playtime
Eep - almost missed this, but CruelLEGACEY posted a video called 'The Making of Playtime' - he explains how he put this series together all by himself. It's a piece that shows its creator's obvious love for his work. Give it a watch! (Louis Wu 20:01:48 UTC) (permalink)
Two more from G4
G4 has two more delectable bites of Bungie to sate your celebration craving. "Bungie Day" takes a look at the ravenous fanbase cultivated by 20 years of gaming, and "The Bungie You Might Not Know About" is an article detailing the company's history before "Halo." Most of you probably know about Bungie's history by now, but I highly recommend the Bungie Day video. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 19:00:01 UTC) (permalink)
Thank God It's You!
If you swing by Bungie.net, you'll find a touching thank-you note from Bungie. It's been a pretty good run - but they're changing gears, and their time with Halo is coming to an end. Playlist control for Reach (and Halo 3) shifts to 343 Industries on August 2, the same day that the next ViDoc drops. (Should be a doozy.) Go give it a read! (Louis Wu 18:48:17 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Just a couple of new bits in the Fan Fiction section this week... go read! (Louis Wu 16:58:38 UTC) (permalink)
G4's take on Bungie's Multiplayer Legacy
The latest X-Play video celebrating Bungie's 20th anniversary is one focusing on its Multiplayer Legacy. Really, it's just discussing Halo's multiplayer legacy (which is pretty funny, given that one of the earliest Bungie games, Minotaur, was multiplayer-ONLY, and seems like it should be a no-brainer for a 20th anniversary retrospective of Bungie multiplayer, but...).It's a pretty enjoyable watch nonetheless. Good stuff from Chris Carney. Go watch! (Louis Wu 16:40:46 UTC) (permalink)
Pour on the Awesome.
Hedgemony can't seem to stop making panoramas. Don't think for a SECOND that I'm complaining. The Kat-based Warthog shot is amazing. (Louis Wu 16:37:04 UTC) (permalink)
The Assist
Bungie tweeted about this yesterday - but there were... well, a few other things going on. Today, though, it's quieter - and you should definitely swing by DeviantART and check out CSutherland's The Assist. It's hilarious. (Louis Wu 16:36:07 UTC) (permalink)
Choice is good.
Ken Levine talked about Bioshock Infinite with Geoff Keighley at E3 this year, and at one point, he mentioned that a particular encounter was inspired by the Halo Warthog. Well... by Bungie's decision to PROVIDE you with a Warthog - but let you choose whether you wanted to use it or not. So really, it was inspired by Halo's open environment, more than the 'hog itself. Interesting interview! (The Halo bit begins at 10:17, if you aren't interested in Bioshock: Infinite - which you absolutely should be.) Thanks to NeoGAF's Dax01 for noticing this! Update: The video linked above was blocked by Viacom - you can watch the demo itself at Gametrailers, but I can't find the full interview yet. (Louis Wu 16:30:55 UTC) (permalink)
You know what they say about imitation...
IGN posted an article entitled 'Steal This Game: Halo Reach' - it lists some cool bits in Reach that other developers should consider including in THEIR games. Interesting read! Looks like Gravemind found it, as well - join his thread if you've got feedback!
(Louis Wu 16:29:51 UTC) (permalink)
Burn Bright, Burn Blue
Salazar14 whipped up a couple of new wallpapers for Bungie Day - they're a bit bright for me, but you might like 'em!
(Louis Wu 16:29:18 UTC) (permalink)
Steaktacular Wrapup - and Cubeskew 2
Hope you all had an enjoyable Bungie Day yesterday. The Bungie vs The World tournament saw Bungie teams beaten 83 times over the course of 24 hours - and 41 of those beatings were bad enough to warrant steak. (The total number of steaks to be delivered is a bit less than 41x2x4, because there were players that met (and steaked) Bungie more than once, and because at least once, Bungie got steaked after half the opposing team quit... but it's still a LOT of steaks.) Guess it's time to get back to regular Halo news! Lee Georgeton stopped by with a link to Cubeskew 2 - a Forge map which will throw you for a loop. (There's a video at the beginning of his Forgehub post that will give you an idea of what you're getting into...) (Louis Wu 16:13:55 UTC) (permalink)
News July 7 2011
Cr1TiKaL Conditioning
Cr1TiKaL continues his personal (very personal) assault on the Halo: Combat Evolved campaign. As always, there's an interesting mix of "lol" and "ummm...". Go watch it nonetheless! Thanks for bringing it to our attention, Urban Reflex. (GrimBrother One 22:33:07 UTC) (permalink)
Retrograde A
defendthehouse just put up a very cool Halo Tribute Video called "Retrograde". It's a very cool piece of work to celebrate this most awesome occasion. Go and give it a watch! Thanks to Gundamguy for noticing. (GrimBrother One 22:27:30 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Town
Wonga. Ken 'Enfu' Taya's 'Bungie Town' is now available for purchase in poster form from the Bungie Store or from Amazon directly (thanks, Joshua Allen). Available TODAY ONLY. Amazing.
(Louis Wu 20:13:26 UTC) (permalink)
'X-Play' on location at Bungie HQ tonight
Tonight at 6:30 p.m. EST, the "X-Play" crew will be on location at Bungie to join in the festivities. These guys are going all out this week! (Hitmonchan 17:07:25 UTC) (permalink)
The Flood - conceived in 1995?
Longtime b.orger (wait, what?) Mikey-san noticed something the rest of us didn't notice; he went digging through the Marathon Infinity source code Bungie released last week, and found, buried in the 'narrative' document inside the 'notes' folder of the marathon2 section, a pair of 'Natives' that were never used:
Fungus Pfhor. Drags staff. Shoots spores, reincarnates after dying.
Fungus Sucker. Shoots spores, reincarnates after dying.
The section for Kill Your Television contains this description:
Human scouts in this area reported Pfhor herders infected with a strange native fungus. The S'pht tell me that this fungus attacks and eventually replaces the nervous system of it's host, reanimating the corpse and using it to search for and infect other victims.
Anyone who's played through the KYT level knows that we never encountered these... at that time. Sure seems like the concept was reused later, though! (Louis Wu 17:04:46 UTC) (permalink)
Marine Sculpt
Lance Rutledge sent us a bunch of shots of his newest sculpt - it's an adorable faceless Marine! Check him out.
(Louis Wu 17:01:10 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: CEA Soundtrack drops November 15
ElzarTheBam found a tiny article about the Halo: Anniversary soundtrack - we already knew it was getting full orchestral treatment, but now we know the release date is November 15. Nice!
(Louis Wu 16:59:32 UTC) (permalink)
Iridescent
TheSparbiter created his own Bungie Day Tribute - it's called Iridescent. Very nice work!
(Louis Wu 16:59:09 UTC) (permalink)
Blow Me Away 2.0
AssaultGodzilla is back with a new video set to Blow Me Away - fantastic integration.
(Louis Wu 16:56:32 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Fanaticism Evolved
Nomis78 decided to look back on the last 10 years, and how Bungie has affected HIS life - we put up a web-readable copy, if you'd rather read it that way. Bungie Love!
(Louis Wu 16:56:11 UTC) (permalink)
GMod fun
TCKaos was playing with a Spartan ragdoll in GMod - came up with some fun shots.
(Louis Wu 16:55:46 UTC) (permalink)
No Regrets (teaser)
Looks like Kermit might be releasing a Bungie Day comic!
(Louis Wu 16:52:42 UTC) (permalink)
B.net Video Rendering - not disappearing yet
Over at NeoGAF, Hey You referenced a B.net post that suggests that you've got at least a year left to render videos of gameplay. Nice to hear!
(Louis Wu 16:51:51 UTC) (permalink)
HSH Bungie Day Celebration
NOKYARD stopped by last night to announce that High Speed Halo's Bungie Day Special Presentation is live - Mr Monopoli sweeps the times for ALL Halo 2 Legendary runs. Not too shabby! (Total running time: 1:48:35. Hmm... that's about 2 minutes less than I spent trying to finish Cairo Station!)
(Louis Wu 16:49:13 UTC) (permalink)
Original Halo 3 Recording Score - For Sale
You've only got a day (well, 20 hours at this point)... but Marty O'Donnell's Original Halo 3 Recording Score went live on eBay this morning. Current bid is $540, and (as with all Bungie Day auctions) all proceeds go to Child's Play. Go bid! (Thanks, JDQuackers!) (Louis Wu 16:01:17 UTC) (permalink)
It's Time to Steak Your Claim
The Bungie vs. the World playlist is officially live! From 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. PST today, hop in for a chance to beat Bungie by 20 points or more to win yourself two juicy steaks from Omaha Steaks. For those outside of the U.S., you'll be given a gift card (legal reasons and all that jazz). If you plan on playing, be on the lookout for these gamertags:
- Humproast
- Heavenly Beef
- Tender Loins
- Porterhaus
If The Man is keeping you locked in a cubicle all day, Bungie is streaming today's meaty massacre. And keep an eye on the webcam (Thanks for the direct link, AngelicLionheart!) for an additional behind-the-scenes look. I've got my stock of caffeine, and I took a power nap, so I'm going to be at this all day. Good luck, everyone! Update: Looks like all day lasted 20 minutes. The first official game of Bungie vs. the World found the boys of Bungie blue against me and the ragtag team of NeoGAF. Guess who walked away with eight succulent slabs of steak? Check out the video. Thanks, Steelyuhas, not only for rendering the clip but for carrying the team! Update 2: Just to give you a sense of what your chances might be - we're now 6 hours into Bungie Day's gameplay, and the Bungie team has played 33 games. They've been steaked 8 times - but the first 5 of those were in the first 90 minutes. Trueskill is beginning to get the measure of the team, and though the MAKEUP of the team changes every hour, the chances that they'll meet a team miles out of their league drops with every passing hour. Update 3: Wow - this guy has already met (and steaktacular'd) Bungie twice - with completely different teams (here, and here). The rules DO include a limit of one prize per person... but still. Update 4: Bungie got matched up against a single team twice in 3 games (game 1 | game 2) - and was steaktaculared both times. OUCH! (Hitmonchan 06:24:41 UTC) (permalink)
IGN's 'Top 10 Best Kills' for 7/6/11
This week's "Top 10 Best Kills" from IGN features a pinpoint plasma grenade shot, a double vehicle stick and a stealthy assassination that would make Sam Fisher blush. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 05:20:51 UTC) (permalink)
Behind the Music: Marty O'Donnell
"X-Play" continues to look back at Bungie's history with an interview with Audio Director Marty O'Donnell. He talked about his role in the company, the history of Halo's music and what he believes is the most important legacy for the company. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 05:00:50 UTC) (permalink)
Going Twice
The second round of Bungie's eBay charity auction ends today. If I had the money, I would bid on the original artwork for "The Silent Cartographer." The demo for "Halo: CE" was my first taste of the series, and that level still remains my favorite of the series. Good times. If you have the money and would like to help out a great cause, get in there and start bidding! (Hitmonchan 04:52:30 UTC) (permalink)
New Swag and Avatar Duds
According to Bungie's Twitter, more swag (not swag bags) will be available in the Bungie Store today. And if you're already rocking a 20th anniversary T-shirt in real life, why not show your avatar the same love? (Male Fit | Female Fit) All proceeds go directly to charity, and the little guy (or girl) is probably lonely. Update: The avatar T-shirts (here) are now live! And there's a new piece of swag in the Bungie Store -- a 250-print run of the original Master Chief illustration, each signed by Marcus Lehto. And if you missed out on a real-life T-shirt, those have been restocked as well. Get you one! (Hitmonchan 04:35:54 UTC) (permalink)
Mobile 'Marathon' Now Available
"Marathon" for the iPad is
now available in the App Store. It's free to download, but for $3.99, you can download an "HD Mode," which features high resolution textures for liquids, floors and walls. For 99 cents, you can also download "Master Chief Mode," which grants numerous badass abilities, like invulnerabilty, infinite ammo and instant recharge, and allows the player to instant save and to start on any level. Homeboyd was the first to mention this, but a special thanks to kidtsunami for the information. Check it out! (Hitmonchan 04:20:03 UTC) (permalink)
News July 6 2011
She likes ribbons in her hair...
The latest Halo Bulletin was posted at Halo: Waypoint (and is, as always, in our Halo Bulletin Archive, as well) - swing by and read bs angel's ideas for the upcoming Title Update, a summary of some of the cool panels you can attend if you have a ticket to Halo Fest at PAX next month, and a fun re-creation of the Halo 4 trailer... in Reach. The 'content is cut off at the bottom' problem seems to be cleaned up! (Louis Wu 21:30:00 UTC) (permalink)
Twice as nice!
Never noticed this before... but it looks like some of the scenery in the final Campaign area (Lone Wolf) was recycled for the Firefight map Unearthed! Nice catch by Lord Friendship. (Louis Wu 20:21:40 UTC) (permalink)
Does your belly ache?
Heh. Looks like Bungie's not counting on getting skunked TOO often; they've just upped the ante on their Steaktacular challenge - if you win, you get TWO steaks, not one. OH NO THEY DI'ENT! (Louis Wu 20:18:31 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #31
Achievement Hunter's Achievement HORSE #31 is up - and again, it's Achievement PIG because Burnie's subbed in for Jack. I'm headed to preorder a flaming Mongoose from my local Ford dealership! Thanks for the tip, Burnie! (Louis Wu 17:43:48 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Is Ready to Meat You on the Battlefield.
Bungie wants to remind you that starting at Midnight (PST) tonight, the Bungie vs The World Steaktacular begins. They've also announced the Gamertags you'll be hoping to put through the grinder: Humproast, Heavenly Beef, Tender Loins, and Porterhaus. Let the steaking begin! (GrimBrother One 15:59:34 UTC) (permalink)
More Awesome Tribute Art
AirForceHero is back at it again with the awesome Halo art, this time creating a very cool piece to celebrate Bungie's 20th Anniversary. Gorgeous stuff, go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:11:40 UTC) (permalink)
Needs more padding on the visor.
Caleb ex nihilo had a baby recently, and the photographer asked if he had any props he'd like to include in some of the pics. Turns out the Legendary Cat Helmet can serve more than your cat! Adawwwwable. (Louis Wu 14:56:10 UTC) (permalink)
More speed runs than you can shake a stick at
RC Master announced HSH's pre-Bungie Day celebration catch-up - a whole collection of new runs, posted in the past week, are summarized. Swing by and see what you can find!
(Louis Wu 14:55:54 UTC) (permalink)
Demons
jakewhlr117 released a new tribute vid - Demons says thanks to Bungie for 10 years of Halo. The music hurt my head, but the timing was nice. Check it!
(Louis Wu 14:55:28 UTC) (permalink)
Splinter
Taco Power told us about Splinter, a simple montage - no obnoxious music, no heavy editing. Just a bunch of nice gameplay, well-timed to the mellow soundtrack. A fun watch!
(Louis Wu 14:55:04 UTC) (permalink)
Exploring the Falcon Ride area of TotS
Thagomizer pointed out a pretty fun video showing how you can explore the area of Tip of the Spear that you normally fly through on a Falcon. Inventive! (Louis Wu 14:54:30 UTC) (permalink)
Sons of Glitches
The SuperWaffle dropped in to show us an awesome new technique for getting through walls and barriers in Halo Reach gameplay. Looks pretty awesome; go watch, then go give it a try! (GrimBrother One 14:16:46 UTC) (permalink)
Turn My Swag On
Patar540 recorded the ceremonial unbagging of his swag sack and uploaded it to YouTube. God bless the Digital Age. If you missed out on a Bag O' Swag, go check it out! It's almost like you're opening it yourself. Almost. (Hitmonchan 02:22:04 UTC) (permalink)
Covenant-Grade Adhesive
Anoj has your sticky finger fix with the "Top 10 Sticks." (That's episode 26 for those keeping track at home.) Sticky kills aren't my cup of tea, but if you're into this sort of thing, go watch! (Hitmonchan 02:03:53 UTC) (permalink)
'X-Play' Celebrates Bungie's 20th Anniversary
Take a walk with "X-Play" as the show looks back on 20 years of Bungie gaming history. In this video, the crew sat down with Bungie writer Joseph Staten to discuss the lasting impact of storytelling on the company. Or watch "X-List: Top Five Halo Words," a humorous look at our expanded lexicon thanks to the series. And in case you missed it, earlier this week the staff discussed their favorite Bungie moments. I'm glad to see Bungie is getting the attention it deserves this week. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 01:29:31 UTC) (permalink)
News July 5 2011
Reintroducing Roots
MCV Online published an article today that includes comments from Microsoft UK's Xbox & Entertainment director Stephen McGill. He talks a bit about Anniversary, but also behind the aim to take Halo 4 back to the roots of Halo, introducing a new generation to what made the original Halo so amazing. Go give it a read! (GrimBrother One 19:26:57 UTC) (permalink)
Friendly Fire Jamboree
Rockslider couldn't leave that huge collection of baddies on AotCR alone... but this time, he's brought in some help - the UNSC Marines. Definitely worth a watch! (Louis Wu 19:13:25 UTC) (permalink)
Counter-assault
munky-058 put together another tribute vid - this one is set to Sneaker Pimps' "After Every Party I Die", and tells the story of Reach via cutscenes (re-edited and synched to the music, of course). (Louis Wu 19:10:26 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie ViDoc pushed back to Aug 2
If you were waiting and hoping and drooling for the ViDoc Bungie teased you about last month... you'll need to wait a bit longer. According to a recent Bungie Tweet, it needs a bit more massaging... so you won't see it until August 2. Just builds anticipation, right? (Louis Wu 18:51:28 UTC) (permalink)
Hearing - and seeing - Voices again...
In September of last year, we showed you the Machinima by Treeskunk Productions titled "Voices". Now, Treeskunk is back and has let us know that they have redone the short, but this time using the Reach engine. Check it out! No word yet on whether you'll be able to revert back to the original "Voices" by hitting the back button. (GrimBrother One 18:11:43 UTC) (permalink)
Edge of the Unknown... and more
The Alpha ELite took a few pretty cool shots on New Alexandria (the last one is especially poignant) - take a look! (Louis Wu 16:26:09 UTC) (permalink)
Dressing Up the Desktop
Joshua Allen pointed out a couple of pretty classy fan-made wallpapers he found at Bungie.net - check 'em! (Louis Wu 16:20:30 UTC) (permalink)
Building Tactical Thinking Skills
The UT Daily Beacon has an editorial discussing some intangible advantages conferred on players of modern shooters (including Halo). Nice to see the point made. (Louis Wu 16:17:46 UTC) (permalink)
Transmedia Narrative Design
From "The Cortana Letters" to New York Times bestselling books, the world of transmedia storytelling has been as much a part of the Halo series as the games. Aaron Linde, former community manager for "Gears of War" at Microsoft, will present "The New World: Case Studies in Transmedia Narrative Design," a 25-minute lecture at the Game Developers Conference Online in October. In his lecture, Linde will use the Halsey journal from "Halo: Reach" as an example of why game writers should embrace the expansion of narrative across several mediums as a key component of developing the story. Sounds intriguing. (Hitmonchan 15:28:00 UTC) (permalink)
Evacuation Plan
Yesterday was a federal holiday here in the US - but that didn't stop Rooster Teeth from releasing Red vs Blue Season 9 Episode 4. North and South head back to base (with help), while in the canyon, weird things are happening. Yet again, these guys prove they're working on a different plane. (ZaneZavin started a thread on our forum, if you have any pearls of wisdom to share.) (Louis Wu 12:56:00 UTC) (permalink)
When Halo Meets Mass Effect
Avateur found a pretty cool custom action figure - someone took a Halo: Reach Skirmisher, some armor from an Elite, and some random gun parts and put together a Mass Effect Geth Trooper. The final product is amazing. (Louis Wu 12:46:36 UTC) (permalink)
Spreading the Tech
Elzarthebam found a small article on Gamerzines in which the Saber Interactive CEO suggests that a PC port of the Halo: Anniversary edition isn't an unreasonable idea. Given that the PC platform already has Halo: Custom Edition, this seems... well, maybe like a misallocation of resources. (Louis Wu 12:41:24 UTC) (permalink)
Playtime – Episode 3: The Grif Cannon
CruelLEGACEY sent word that Playtime Episode 3 (The Grif Cannon) is now live - when someone tells you they're just going to shoot you a SHORT way... don't buy it. (Louis Wu 12:34:04 UTC) (permalink)
Recon 7 - Reach Machinima
Elliott Fitzgerald sent us word about Ox Planet's recent machinima efforts, centered around 'Recon 7', a comedy series about a team of soldiers in the Halo: Reach universe. (They started in Halo 3 last summer, but switched over to Reach during the winter, and finally started releasing full episodes this spring. Episode 1 came out in late March, and Episode 2 was released on Saturday. Voice work is a bit rough, but it's been a little while since we've seen a series like this - check it out! (Louis Wu 12:24:58 UTC) (permalink)
20 Years!
Dogiojoe let us know about a new Bungie Day tribute, created by CarnageA51 - it's a Rube Goldberg machine built in Reach... and the end is pretty amazing. (Well, large swaths of it are pretty amazing. Loved the Golf Ball section.) Go watch! (Louis Wu 12:14:45 UTC) (permalink)
News July 4 2011
Customized Evil
Kaidon's back with more custom figures - this time, it's the Prophet of Truth (pretty cool!) and a white Spec-Ops Elite. Go follow the links! (Louis Wu 23:25:16 UTC) (permalink)
Droolworthy
DEEP NNN pointed out a very cool swag bag received by a gamer at 2old2play - it contains pencil sketches of potential cover art for the first game. NICE!
(Louis Wu 21:14:23 UTC) (permalink)
Love, Bungie
xExOp91x created a tribute vid, as well - go check out Love, Bungie. (Louis Wu 21:13:49 UTC) (permalink)
The Bombs Bursting On-Air
MLG is hosting a 10-hour live Fourth of July broadcast, and at 7:15 p.m. EST, you can catch Status Quo vs. Dynasty in a best of five "Reach" showmatch. As with all live broadcasts, the time is tentative, so be sure to check in 15 to 30 minutes beforehand to make sure you don't miss it! (Hitmonchan 20:17:18 UTC) (permalink)
Faith Under the Long Shadow
With 343 at the helm, CVG wonders if "Halo 4" is doomed from the start. Can a studio packed with talent but with no previous titles to its name live up to the standards set by Bungie? The odds are stacked against them, but CVG hopes the team knocks it out of the park. And so do I. Go read! (Hitmonchan 17:32:20 UTC) (permalink)
Get hammered, blow things up!
Grifball Hub wants to wish you a Happy 4th of July - even if you're not in the US, explosions are fun. Thanks, Goosechecka! (Louis Wu 14:49:42 UTC) (permalink)
Who's running who?
General Battuta looked at how various sci-fi franchises (including Halo) treat humans in terms of their necessity in wartime. Very interesting read! (Louis Wu 14:47:13 UTC) (permalink)
Not Quite the Beatles
Futur Life let us know that his buddy Ace Party released a farewell tribute to Bungie called 'We say goodbye but we also say Halo'. Give it a watch! (Louis Wu 14:45:12 UTC) (permalink)
News July 3 2011
The Love Giver Gives
The final day of Hedgemony's screenshot tribute to Bungie's Halo titles is live now. MAN what a collection of art! Go browse. (Be sure to look through the whole thread - there are bonus pics.) (Louis Wu 18:45:32 UTC) (permalink)
Hero - Courage
What is it that makes one a hero? Swing by Halo: Waypoint and learn about courage. (thanks, CaptainTony.) (Louis Wu 18:41:53 UTC) (permalink)
A proper home
Sqorck snagged some cool artwork in his Swag Bag he purchased last week from the Bungie Store - so he framed it and put it on his wall. Check out the links in his post!
(Louis Wu 18:39:00 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' The Chief: Hard End
The latest Arby 'n' the Chief ("Hard End") is now live - it's TOSER training time. Well... for some. (Arby's better at this stuff than he looks.) Thanks, hotshot revan.
(Louis Wu 18:32:19 UTC) (permalink)
Great piece for a rec room
Want to buy an original Xbox 360 Kiosk Retail Display, with a built-in LCD screen and a Halo Xbox 360? Swing by eBay now, then. Thanks, Joshua Allen.
(Louis Wu 18:31:36 UTC) (permalink)
Headhunters Character Sketches
Jon Goff created some character sketches of the Spartans he wrote about in Headhunters - and yesterday, he posted those via Twitter. Awesome! Thanks, Leviathan.
(Louis Wu 18:30:40 UTC) (permalink)
They're... gargantuan.
Marcelo Vega sent word that he's got a bnch of new tracks for you to try - but they're more than racetracks. They're adventures. Check out Gartantuan Valley, Garganuan Mines, and the latest version of The Gargantuan. (He's got a trailer so you can see how Gargantuan Mines plays.) Update: There are vids for Gartantuan Valley and Gargantuan, as well.
(Louis Wu 18:29:16 UTC) (permalink)
X-Play Staff Memories: Bungie Hawtness
General Vagueness found a video at G4 with some staff members reminiscing about their favorite Bungie memories. (Of course Halo figured in several.) Nice watch!
(Louis Wu 18:28:30 UTC) (permalink)
Take Forge art screens, save animals
Spencermx14 from Halotracks.org asked us to let you know about their latest screenshot contest - send in a pic of great Forge art, you could win a full donation kit through World Wildlife Fund Canada. Full details are on their site.
(Louis Wu 18:27:34 UTC) (permalink)
News July 2 2011
More portfolio art from a Bungie artist
Over on NeoGAF, MrBig pointed out the portfolio site of Esequiel Garcia, an artist who worked on Halo Reach (and Halo 3: ODST). Some very cool stuff in there! (I wish we'd seen more of those female civilians in the game...) (Louis Wu 18:46:08 UTC) (permalink)
The Beauty of Reach
I sort of expected Hedgemony's weeklong tribute to Halo to wrap up yesterday - but who am I to argue if someone wants to give me MORE cool stuff? Amazing collection of Reach shots, this. (Louis Wu 15:56:10 UTC) (permalink)
A Fan Tribute
Dogiojoe put together a tribute to Bungie in honor of Halo's 10th anniversary - go see! (Louis Wu 15:32:56 UTC) (permalink)
Everything's better with fire. (and bacon.)
uberfoop's goose is on fire! And it's pretty!
(Louis Wu 15:31:37 UTC) (permalink)
Headhunters 3
The third and final part of Headhunters is up at Halo: Waypoint - some fantastic graphics work! If you haven't watched any of these - this is a great one to jump in with. It does a fantastic job of bringing Jon Goff's already great story to life. Thanks, bryan newman.
(Louis Wu 15:29:36 UTC) (permalink)
Marty Feels Left Out
Marty O'Donnell wants to know if you'd be interested in bidding for "old original handwritten (by me) Halo music" as part of the offerings from Bungie for the Child's Play auctions? (By HIM, not by me.) Seems like a no-brainer - but hey, he asked!
(Louis Wu 15:26:40 UTC) (permalink)
IGN'S Top 100 Modern Games
IGN posted their Top 100 Modern Games - and Reach made #14 on the list. (There is only one game per franchise is on the list, for anyone annoyed that, say, Halo 3 isn't there.) Thanks, Avateur.
(Louis Wu 15:25:38 UTC) (permalink)
'twas good enough for the PoA...
I feel like I've seen this one before (it's the wallpaper that's sticking in my head) but I can't find a link, so... NobleSixActual stopped in to show off his Marathon logo tattoo - a clean, iconic tribute to Bungie!
(Louis Wu 15:24:43 UTC) (permalink)
MC Statue on eBay
Been a while since we've seen one of these on eBay - but if you've always wanted to get your hands on a 6-foot Master Chief statue, there's one for sale now (admittedly overpriced). Thanks, Joshua Allen.
(Louis Wu 15:23:39 UTC) (permalink)
News July 1 2011
Fails of the Weak Volume 41
hezekiah pointed out that Achievement Hunter's Fails of the Weak Volume 41 is live (YouTube or AH.com) - some funny ones in there, but the last one's just plain WEIRD. Go watch! (Louis Wu 22:33:38 UTC) (permalink)
Planned Acts of Kindness
As the milestone anniversary of Halo approaches, the wheels of charity keep turning. On July 2, TrueAchievements.com will host "The Ultrafun: Halo Forever! (For a day)," a 24-hour "Halo" marathon to raise money for Child's Play. Here's how it works: Two teams of four will romp through "Halo 3," "ODST" and "Reach" on Legendary. As more people donate money, the teams will back out into the lobby and turn on progressively harder skulls (excluding Iron, which, honestly, I don't blame them). If the team passes $50,000, they'll keep playing for 30 hours straight. The event will be streamed live on the group's USTREAM channel. Visit the team's site for more information on how you can help out. Be sure to stay nourished, guys! (Hitmonchan 18:41:34 UTC) (permalink)
Love, Bungie
It's not Halo-related - but it's near and dear to my heart, and this is the biggest bungie.org site running right now, so I'm telling you about it. Bungie has released the Marathon Infinity source code, as part of their Anniversary celebration - and we're hosting it for your downloading pleasure. Swing by The Infinity Source Code page to grab your own copy! (Louis Wu 18:28:21 UTC) (permalink)
GamePro's Eight Best 'Red vs. Blue' Moments
To celebrate Halo's 10th anniversary, GamePro has a list of the eight best "Red vs. Blue" moments. Go see if your favorite moment made the cut! (Hitmonchan 17:58:23 UTC) (permalink)
More Commissioned Art
Yesterday, MacGyver10 pointed out a couple of new posters at the Bungie Store - one is already gone, but the other is still in stock. Check it out! (Fake update: urk tells me the 'I Need a Weapon' poster will be restocked - yay!) (Louis Wu 17:20:07 UTC) (permalink)
Of Noble men and foes
Hedgemony pours on more Halo screenshot love - have you been inoculated yet? (Louis Wu 17:07:57 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: A Sales History
VGChartz wrote up an article looking at the sales of the Halo franchise games - some interesting tidbits in there! Go give it a read. (Louis Wu 17:06:45 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Just a couple of new pieces added in today's Fan Fiction update - go read 'em! (Louis Wu 17:04:45 UTC) (permalink)
Sacred Icon Suite 2 - Halo: Legends
Over at Rampancy.net, Manditory Reck has transcribed Sacred Icon Suite 2 from the Halo: Legends Original Soundtrack (by ear). You can download his work, as sheet music, as a midi file, and as a MuseScore file, if you're logged in. (Ding 14:36:19 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention Presents: Zealot
Find yourself getting hosed on Zealot? Swing by Geekscape and check out the latest Teabag Prevention Presents - there are some tips that may keep you alive a bit longer, and improve that K/D ratio! (Louis Wu 14:21:12 UTC) (permalink)
Building Halo, one Blok at a Time
Mega Bloks has a bunch of new Halo Exclusives - swing by Halo: Waypoint for a gallery! Thanks to wwm0nkey, on NeoGAF, for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 14:18:25 UTC) (permalink)
Environment art from Matt Turner
=sw=warlord pointed out a portfolio site for Matt Turner, one of the 3D environment artists that worked on Halo: Reach - go check out some of his work on Sword Base and some UNSC frigates!
(Louis Wu 14:13:20 UTC) (permalink)
The Art of Infiltration
TD Spiral wanted to share his newest piece of Halo art, an awesome piece called Infiltrate. Gorgeous! (GrimBrother One 14:09:50 UTC) (permalink)
Destiny Awaits
ncsuDuncan stopped by to give word of his latest article over at Misriah Solutions, this one focusing on everything we know so far about Bungie's new game. It's a really excellent read, and may help connect a few details you might have missed. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:57:27 UTC) (permalink)
Cr1TiKaL Condition
Cr1TiKaL decided to film the "Greatest Attempt at Completing the first level of Halo CE of All Time". Hilarity ensued... Thanks to Urban Reflex for letting us know (GrimBrother One 13:51:26 UTC) (permalink)
The Times, They Have A'Changed Him
IGN has a neat little piece that looks at the Visual History of Master Chief and other Spartans. Very cool wall down visual memory lane. Thanks for letting us know, Morpheus! (GrimBrother One 13:48:21 UTC) (permalink)
| July 2011 | |
