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 | June 2011 |  |
June 2011 Archived News
News June 30 2011
Did Halo ruin online multiplayer?
GamePro has a debate around the question "Did Halo ruin online multiplayer?" (It's not about gameplay, it's about player behavior.) Surprise, surprise - there are actually two sides to this one! (Louis Wu 21:53:37 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Charity Auctions, Round 2
The next wave of Bungie charity auctions is live now on eBay - another 13 items, mostly artwork, but also the Macaroni Sgt. Johnson from Red vs Blue, and the Weta Marine armor that went missing last week. If you missed grabbing something in the last batch, you've got another shot! (That "Silent Cartographer" triptych is amazing.) Auctions end in a week - don't miss out! (Louis Wu 21:14:09 UTC) (permalink)
Last chance to bid
Quick reminder - the Bungie auctions are ending NOW. (First one in 3 minutes, last one in 20.) GO! (Louis Wu 18:48:29 UTC) (permalink)
DoublePlusGood Part Deux
Hedge's second batch of screenshot love for the day is up, despite personal injury issues. And they're worth it! (Louis Wu 17:42:20 UTC) (permalink)
Master Chief Goes Platinum
If you're going to Comic-Con in July, be sure to pick up this Toys"R"Us exclusive Master Chief platinum action figure. The fully-articulated figure will hit stores in August, along with the rest of the "Anniversary" line. And if you are going to Comic-Con, on July 21, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Todd McFarlane will be available to autograph the figures at the Entertainment Earth booth No. 2343. Thanks, Homeboyd! (Hitmonchan 16:04:43 UTC) (permalink)
Gamasutra has more on Aerospace and 'Crimson'
Going beyond the press release, Gamasutra spoke with Jordan Weisman, founder of Harebrained Schemes and the first revealed client of Bungie Aerospace, about the new partnership and the team's game, "Crimson." The site also spoke with Eric Osborne (urk) about the scope of Aerospace and the process of choosing who to work with. An informative read. Check it out! (Hitmonchan 15:40:25 UTC) (permalink)
Playing many instruments at once
Craig Haupert sent us a link to an article from last year in New Yorker Magazine - it's written by a middle-aged non-gamer who has jumped with both feet into the videogame pool. One of the first games he tried was Halo 3: ODST - but the whole article is a pretty interesting read. It's a viewpoint many of us don't see often!
(Louis Wu 14:31:25 UTC) (permalink)
Tools for Gameplay Change?
There's definitely more coming down the road about the Halo: Anniversary package - Dan Ayoub teased Game Reactor with information about how there'll be a reveal at Halofest in August that will discuss "tools we're giving the player to maybe change that gameplay, if they want to." Nice! Thanks again, wwm0nkey.
(Louis Wu 14:30:27 UTC) (permalink)
Scarab
A new Halo: Faith song has been released - go listen to Scarab. Thanks to GAF's wwm0nkey for the heads-up.
Update: DOH! I mentioned Scarab over a week ago. (In fact, I thought I was being clever, then, because I found it on my own after munky pointed out The Landing.) Guess it didn't stick... thanks, DHalo. (Louis Wu 14:29:56 UTC) (permalink)
DoublePlusGood
Hedge continues his Halo screen love - there are two batches today. This is the first.
(Louis Wu 14:29:33 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR Ep 81
Robowski let us know that Postgame Carnage Report episode 81 is live - plenty of Halo discussion, focusing on Halo 4, Bungie's preparations for Bungie Day, and more. (Plenty of other gaming discussion, as well.) Go listen!
(Louis Wu 14:27:59 UTC) (permalink)
Monkey Suit-Up!
RedGrimRune has worked Halo yet again into his 6th Circle comic. You should read it because the art's great.
(Louis Wu 14:27:25 UTC) (permalink)
Phresh
RVideo shot word about Phresh - a very long Halo 3 video with editing by Orphanslayer and gameplay by Wafflebrains and Elite C56. In his words - there's "a lot of good eye candy". (I'd agree.)
(Louis Wu 14:26:40 UTC) (permalink)
Rage
Sl'askia has gotten back to a fanfic she was stuck on for a while - and was inspired to create art for it, as well. Check her post for both colored and line art versions!
(Louis Wu 14:26:10 UTC) (permalink)
McFarlane Reach Series 4 Coming Soon
Sniper94 pointed out that Spawn.com has put up some new info about the McFarlane Series 4 Reach figures - pics and all.
(Louis Wu 14:25:42 UTC) (permalink)
Celebrating the love across the web
Braxton C has been writing Halo articles for Gamerfront.net, in honor of Halo's tenth anniversary - swing by and read some! He's got one explaining ways to improve your chances in Matchmaking, another looking at the Bungie Foundation, and a third focusing on Bungie Week. Always nice to see new people spreading the Halo love! (Louis Wu 14:25:13 UTC) (permalink)
Frostbite - Chapter 7
Ty Coker's back with another episode of Frostbite - Tom Roland and Ben Scofield work together to come up with a plan to break Ryan Young out of the containment facility. As always, nice work!
(Louis Wu 14:24:52 UTC) (permalink)
Examining the TU
CruelLEGACEY has posted an article looking at the Halo: Reach title update news unveiled in this week's Halo Bulletin. Give it a read to see where he thinks it might be going.
(Louis Wu 14:24:17 UTC) (permalink)
Aerospace Observations
Inevitably today, there will be multiple news outlets that will have their own reactions to Bungie's exciting new project. We will continue to collect them and pass them along to you. The first of these is Kotaku's writeup, which includes a few statements from Bungie COO Pete Parsons via phone interview. Thanks for letting us know, calmkiller! (GrimBrother One 14:18:52 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Aerospace Unveiled
It's 8 am EST, which means the news embargo related to Bungie Aerospace has been lifted - let me be the first to point you to the official press release (it's hosted on bungie.org, rather than HBO, because it's not Halo-related at all). Aerospace is a new organization that will help independent developers build mobile and social games - and the first title they're helping with is Crimson, a game coming to iOS and Android from Harebrained Schemes. Go check out the full release! (Louis Wu 12:00:18 UTC) (permalink)
News June 29 2011
Hedge's Week of Halo Love, Part Wed
More beautiful pics from Hedgemony - that first one simply ROCKS. Reach, Halo 3, ODST - they're ALL gorgeous. (Louis Wu 22:36:10 UTC) (permalink)
Catch Me If You Can
Avateur and CrazedOne1988 went into Matchmaking in a full party, and ended up on opposite teams most of the evening. The resultant Spy vs Spy meetings are chronicled in the Catch Me If You Can montage. (Pro tip: Avateur's in the flaming helmet.) (Louis Wu 22:33:08 UTC) (permalink)
Don't Bug Anybody.
Gamepro has an interview with Rooster Teeth as part of Halo's 10th Anniversary celebration - swing by and read what Burnie (mostly), Gus, and Geoff have to say about Red vs Blue, how they met Bungie, and more! (Louis Wu 21:43:38 UTC) (permalink)
Hitmon's Video Hoedown
Y'ant some video lovin'? I got whatcha need:
- Here's your "Top 10" fix with the "Top 10 Amazing Kills" from Anoj. That guy could pluck a golden egg from a rhino's rear end, I tell you what!
- TheMightyPnut has one of them Halo 3 failtages called "LLLL." Looks like someone got into my liquor cabinet.
- Now kids, I might be a belligerent drunk (just ask my wife), but I don't advocate the use of alcohol if ya ain't old enough. With that said, go watch some crazy kids play that video machine while drunker than a stumblin' skunk.
Now grab you a drink, and go have yerselves a good ol' time. Tell 'em Hitmon sent ya! (I'm going to pay dearly for this.) (Hitmonchan 20:58:26 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #30
Achievement Hunter's Achievement HORSE #30 is live now - Geoff is NOT excited. Some great maps this time around, though - love the last one! Swing by and watch. (Louis Wu 20:54:43 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: The New Trilogy
MaxRealflugel let us know he's written up a new article for The Secrets Within - it's some pretty out-there speculation about the upcoming Halo trilogy from 343 Industries. See if he's been hitting the crack pipe too hard or not! (Louis Wu 20:39:16 UTC) (permalink)
High Speed Halo Pre-Bungie Day celebration
NOKYARD let us know that High Speed Halo is celebrating the run-up to Bungie Day with a pair of new speed run records each day. Today's offerings: RC Master aces New Alexandria on Legendary in less than ten and a half minutes... and GewehrM48 and GevarM96 take on a new Achievement Run called 'Short Night of Solace' (description for the Achievement is here) and blow through it in less than 4 minutes. Insanity. Go watch. (Louis Wu 18:30:38 UTC) (permalink)
Wishful Thinking
Avcracy stopped in with word of 'Wishful Thinking', a machinima of a Falcon crash. (Louis Wu 18:28:45 UTC) (permalink)
Second Greg Bear 'Forerunner' Novel to Drop in 2012
I figured this deserved a separate news piece: In the "Glasslands" press release, Tor Books said the second chapter in Greg Bear's "Forerunner Saga" won't be available until 2012. That gives me plenty of time to catch up. (I'm four books behind. Stupid college.) (Hitmonchan 15:36:04 UTC) (permalink)
'Glasslands' Cover Art Revealed
If news of a title update wasn't enough to sate your Halo news appetite today, Tor Books revealed the tentative cover art for "Halo: Glasslands," the first of a new trilogy from Karen Traviss. "Glasslands" will continue the events and character storylines of Eric Nylund's "Ghosts of Onyx." Both the book and the unabridged audiobook will release on Oct. 25. NeoGAF's Homeboyd was the first to mention this. Go look! And once you do, stop by ElzarTheBam's forum thread and tell us what you think! (Hitmonchan 15:19:13 UTC) (permalink)
Signature
Greenskull sent word of a new miniskit - 'Signature' is just 30 seconds. Which means no matter HOW badly the punchline makes you groan, it's over in half a minute. Go watch. (Louis Wu 14:30:17 UTC) (permalink)
Halo PC - screenshotted
Bry dug up a TON of Halo PC campaign screenshots he'd taken back in the day - nice collection! (Louis Wu 14:28:25 UTC) (permalink)
Ballads of Reach
Timgie let us know that he's released Ballads of Reach, a Halo music vid in the style of HMV Hell - and I'd say it's pretty entertaining! Go check it out. (Louis Wu 14:27:10 UTC) (permalink)
20 Questions: TTL Askan
CE United's Willy sat down with TTL Askan, a Gunslinger and a Bungie contract worker. His site has the interview online. It's a little hard to read (every question and answer is on a separate page, with no links between them), but it's a pretty interesting piece nonetheless. Check out a guy who's living the dream a lot of Halo fans would love to live (working for their favorite gaming company)! Update: Leviathan pointed out that I'm pretty unobservant; the entire interview is on one page, the only time you go to individual pages for each question is if you actually click the links at the top of the interview page. Just scroll down, and you can read everything in order. (Louis Wu 14:24:42 UTC) (permalink)
The Power of Many
Postmortem wrote up an article called 'We Are Connected' - it's all about the power of the Halo community. Go give it a read! (Louis Wu 14:19:51 UTC) (permalink)
Title Updates, Auctions, and Rainbows
The latest Halo Bulletin has been posted over at Halo Waypoint - and it discusses some upcoming changes to Reach that will be enacted in time for the release of Halo: Anniversary. (Our forum is full of griping about this - complaints about information being removed, complaints about maps that won't be ported, complaints about - eh, whatever. If you're tired of complaints, stay off our forum, I guess. If you're excited about the possibilities, though - we'd love to hear about it!) You can, as always, read this bulletin in our Halo Bulletin Archive - no reloading to see the bottom of the page. (Louis Wu 00:29:11 UTC) (permalink)
News June 28 2011
Spartans, Prepare for Glory!
Continuing our tangentially related Halo news, Noam Murro, director of the "Birth of a Spartan" short for the "Reach" media blitz, is rumored to be on the short list to direct the upcoming "300" prequel. Currently, Murro is slated to direct "Die Hard 5." We hope you land the gig! (Hitmonchan 18:52:05 UTC) (permalink)
Shooting Your Way to a Stress-Free Day
Wired's GameLife has an informative, refreshing article about teens using violent video games as stress relievers. It's not directly related to Halo, though the series makes a brief appearance as the gateway shooter for a Canadian teenager. Considering the recent Supreme Court ruling over the issue, this couldn't have come at a better time. (Hitmonchan 18:39:03 UTC) (permalink)
A Bigger Universe
Over at the Escapist, there's an article exploring the expanded Halo universe (the lore fleshed out in books, action figures, movies, etc), and how it all ties into the games themselves. Interesting read! (Louis Wu 18:20:17 UTC) (permalink)
Hedge... in... SPAAAAACE
Hedgemony continues his week-long tribute to Bungie with amazing screenshots - and these are AMAZING. It's Space Day. (Louis Wu 18:12:03 UTC) (permalink)
The blade won't cut cholesterol
Epic Meal Time is a YouTube channel devoted to making ridiculous meat creations, and then eating them. DHalo noticed that their most recent episode includes a cameo from a Halo energy sword. Heh. (You STILL shouldn't eat like this... but it's funny to watch.) (Louis Wu 18:10:31 UTC) (permalink)
Thank the Maker - erm, Fans
Achronos had mentioned some time ago that the "Thank the Maker" medal description on Bungie.net would be updated to reflect that it's no longer showing you when you play against Bungie employees - looks like it's happened (thanks, Revenant1988, for noticing). The medal now says that you've played against a Bungie FAN, not a Bungie EMPLOYEE. One of the minor side effects of the blue flames going public! (Louis Wu 18:06:00 UTC) (permalink)
Mrs Doublefire Releases Reach Assets
Jason "Mrs Doublefire" Kieth, who worked on Halo Reach's environments, has updated his portfolio site - swing over to the Halo: Reach page to see some of the work he's done! (Let him know what you think in his forum thread.) (Louis Wu 18:03:32 UTC) (permalink)
Iridescent
It's AssaultGodzilla's birthday (Happy Birthday, AG!), so he's created a new HMV to celebrate. Once again, he's done an amazing job finding clips from various Halo media to match the lyrics as they unfold. This one's set to Linkin Park's "Iridescent". I really enjoyed this, and think more people should give me things for their birthdays. (Louis Wu 13:38:54 UTC) (permalink)
How's my driving?
If you've played Big Team Battle with me, you know that I am the world's worst Halo driver. That's why I loved "Crash Course," episode two of "Playtime" from CruelLEGACEY. I might need to try this test track out. Go watch! And remember, the next episode, "The Grif Cannon," comes out next Tuesday. (Hitmonchan 04:34:57 UTC) (permalink)
Focusing on the Target
Halo Waypoint released their newest Halo Universe ordnance piece yesterday, this time taking a closer look at the Covenant Focus Rifle. Always great info. Check it out! (GrimBrother One 02:16:53 UTC) (permalink)
Fail-Safe
Fail-Safe
Red vs Blue Season 9 Ep 3 is now live for sponsors (and will be live for everyone in about 90 minutes) - plenty more cg action, and plenty more Blood Gulch machinima. I'm a little confused - but that's okay, there's a lot of episodes left. Plus, Donut's pretty funny. (Louis Wu 00:30:56 UTC) (permalink)
News June 27 2011
Wrap Your Wings Around the Red Bull LAN Writeup
Last weekend, Red Bull hosted an extravagant LAN event in New York City to give pro players an opportunity to hone their skills. Holed up in Red Bull Space for three days, three teams -- Kiaeneto, Warriors and Status Quo -- fought, taught and bonded with each other over "Halo: Reach." Check out the highlights below:
- Day One of the Red Bull LAN acclimates you to the teams, Red Bull Space and what the LAN is all about. Here are the top ten plays from the first day of pro-playing wreckage.
- Drop in on Walshy's 27th birthday and see the action from Day Two, and check out the top ten plays of the day.
- This writeup showcases the personalities behind the commentators of the live feed, DMaq and Jo Garcia, along with the scoring recap of Day Two.
- And finally, see who won it all in the final wrapup of the event.
Check it out! (Hitmonchan 18:22:19 UTC) (permalink)
Online Reach Tourney this Thursday
Nathan, from Competitive Video Games, wanted us to let you know that they're hosting a 2v2 Slayer tournament this Thursday, June 30. It will take place on Xbox LIVE, use MLG rules and maps, and is open to all. There aren't any prizes or fees - it's just for fun this time around. Swing by and sign up! (Louis Wu 17:54:29 UTC) (permalink)
Surprising Honor for our Grunty Pals
GoozerNation compiled a list of the best video game grunts, and somehow our favorite Covenant punching bags nabbed a spot. That's a Shyamalan-level twist right there. This inspired me to make a list of my own: "Most Elite Characters in Video Game History." (Hitmonchan 17:10:51 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Love - can you dig it?
Hedgemony continues the Halo love with a series of pictures showing off stuff that makes me want to find time to go play more Halo. The man has an eye. Check 'em out. (Louis Wu 15:21:04 UTC) (permalink)
Evac
DeepCee stopped by with word of a new episode in the Chronicles of ODS Steve - #89 has the team moving from downtown to out in the country! (Louis Wu 15:18:28 UTC) (permalink)
Mega Bloks 10th Anniversary Floodgate
TCKaos noticed a Toys R Us exclusive Mega Bloks item, coming soon - a 10th Anniversary Floodgate (odd, since Floodgate is from Halo 3, which is really only coming up on its 4th anniversary...). Should be available soon, if not now. (Louis Wu 14:11:21 UTC) (permalink)
Signs on the Floor
Stephen Loftus sent along a bunch of the directional locator signs from Cairo Station (in Halo 2) and Crow's Nest/Rat's Nest (in Halo 3). You'll find them in his Signs of Halo collection, starting on page 6. (Louis Wu 14:03:59 UTC) (permalink)
Arby 'n' the Chief: 'A Scientific Fax'
The latest Arby 'n' the Chief is another Hypermail episode - most of the mail is making fun of the Chief. Thanks, Mr Wezzle. (Louis Wu 13:44:40 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Faith - FAITHception
The Sparbiter let us know that a new track from the Halo: Faith soundtrack has been released - swing by YouTube to hear it. (Louis Wu 13:42:42 UTC) (permalink)
Haunting up the house
Bierwiser painted the Haunted Helmet from Reach on his basement wall - check out the pics in this post! (Louis Wu 13:41:24 UTC) (permalink)
Killer Instinct
MLGPro.com has published an interview with Instinct, the winners of MLG Columbus - go read to see what the team thought of the tournament, of each other, and how they see things going forward! (Louis Wu 13:34:07 UTC) (permalink)
Anger Sadness and Envy Ep 23
Narcogen let us know that the latest episode of Anger Sadness and Envy (Rampancy.net's podcast) is now live - Narc, Blackstar, and Cody Miller discuss the Halo: CE Anniversary edition, and whether it will be worth purchasing (for each of them). Interesting talk! (Louis Wu 13:26:23 UTC) (permalink)
News June 26 2011
Blow Me Away - in-game instrumental
Stephen Loftus liked the Blow Me Away instrumental you can hear in-game in Halo 2 so much, he combined a few different pieces into a decent-length song (2 minutes, actually). If you want a copy of this, you can grab it from us (.mp3 format, 1.8 mb). (Louis Wu 23:09:41 UTC) (permalink)
Custom Halo 4 Figure - for Cheap(er)
Kaidon stopped in to announce a summer sale on his current inventory - knock 30% off the prices he's had to this point. Not bad! (If you buy in the first week, you also get free shipping.) (Louis Wu 23:06:37 UTC) (permalink)
Twin bridges megabattle with 64 covies
Rockslider is back with another megabattle - he's fighting against 64 covies on Assault in the Control Room. Really awesome looking fun - this is as close to Firefight as you're gonna get in the original Halo! Go see. (Louis Wu 20:51:38 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR: Halo CE Anniversary Special
Robowski sent word that the Halo CE Anniversary Special of Postgame Carnage Report went live a couple of weeks ago - swing by to listen to their discussion! 90 minutes long, available for streaming or download. (Louis Wu 20:46:01 UTC) (permalink)
The Signs! They've Returned!
Stephen Loftus dug out Illustrator again - check his Signs collection for a new batch of Civilian and UNSC images! (New civilian signs start on page 3, while new UNSC signs show up on page 6.) (Louis Wu 15:30:40 UTC) (permalink)
Making Pretty Pictures
Hedgemony plans to post pictures all week to celebrate Bungie's anniversary - today's batch has some really amazing pics from Halo 3 and Reach. Go look! (Louis Wu 15:28:55 UTC) (permalink)
Blow Me Away Returns
Gravemind found a new version of 'Blow Me Away', being released for a Breaking Benjamin retrospective. It's similar, but not the same, as the version from Halo 2 - if you want to hear a version with some great vocals from Valora's Sydnee Duran, take a look! (Louis Wu 15:27:14 UTC) (permalink)
Classy Reach Work
Artem Volchik was a vehicle and weapon artist for Halo: Reach, and recently posted some of his work on Polycount.com. Awesome views of the Focus Rifle, the Concussion Rifle, and more! Thanks to Vladimir Kuksenko for the first heads-up, and to Hedgemony for the forum thread and the link to Ken Taya's tweet. (Louis Wu 15:26:29 UTC) (permalink)
News June 25 2011
Last one out, get the lights
ElzarTheBam put together a video tribute to Bungie, using scenery shots from Reach. Reminding me of Jamie98's Oh So Beautiful series, this takes a gentle look at the charm that is Reach. Check it out! (Louis Wu 16:42:46 UTC) (permalink)
Headhunters 2
Over at Halo Waypoint, Headhunters 2 has been posted (thanks, CaptainTony). Amazing how much damage a single pair of Spartans can do... but things are set up nicely for Episode 3! (Louis Wu 16:19:58 UTC) (permalink)
Structure
Jmacz + The Rev provided the gameplay for a montage called "Structure", while Envious provided the editing. I'm not usually a huge fan of heavily-edited montages - but this one's got some interesting techniques, and isn't overly long. Go watch!
(Louis Wu 14:47:43 UTC) (permalink)
Fri- er, Saturday Fan Fiction
Oops - forgot about yesterday's Fan Fiction update - sorry, folks! The five new pieces in the queue are up now. Go read! (Louis Wu 14:36:49 UTC) (permalink)
News June 24 2011
Fails of the Weak Volume 40
Achievement Hunter's Fails of the Weak Volume 40 (amazingly spelled wrong in the preview picture) - funny gameplay fails, and failed commentary. (That's Nightfall, guys, not Long Night of Solace. Twice.) Thanks, ZZoMBiE13. (Louis Wu 23:26:07 UTC) (permalink)
Final Firefight
Make sure you check out a very cool piece up on Forward Unto Dawn from GhaleonEB looking at his hopes for the upcoming Firefight map included in Halo: CE Anniversary. Some really nice ideas and a great dose of nostaligia. Check it out! Thanks to Hypertrooper for telling us. (GrimBrother One 18:50:27 UTC) (permalink)
BTB All-Stars
katancik stopped in to let us know that the BTB All-Stars playlist is live! If you got in your 5 games of Invasion last week, you're eligible. (I didn't - so I'm not.) Go play - and grab yourself a star! (Louis Wu 18:45:35 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Universe Paneliciousness at Comic Con
Some very cool news from an unexpected source today, as we learn that there will be another Halo Universe Panel at this year's San Diego Comic Con! The odd thing is not that it came from Twitter, or from Frankie, but because it came from Frankie's Twitter. Good Lord, what's next, Tweets from Louis Wu?! [don't hold your breath -lwu] (GrimBrother One 18:25:56 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention: Boardwalk
The folks over at Teabag Prevention are back, this time with a look at Boardwalk. Always great information, even if you think you know it all already. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:20:39 UTC) (permalink)
Respect Your Roots: Part 2
The lovely Goosechecka sent us word that Chapter 2 of Griffball Hub's Respect Your Roots series is now live. Take a look back at this very cool historical account of their Spring League '08! (GrimBrother One 15:16:30 UTC) (permalink)
New secrets surface in Reach
HaloGAF's A27 Tawpgun pointed out a really fascinating post on Bungie.net - tie-ins between ODST, Reach's datapads, hidden areas in Exodus, and more. Go check it out! (Louis Wu 15:14:02 UTC) (permalink)
Start it today.
munky-058 posted a monster writeup of his visit to the recent All's Well that Ends-OUCH LAN that took place here at HBO HQ in late May. We've seen most of the pics before - but now there's a story behind them. Great read. Check it out. (Louis Wu 14:49:13 UTC) (permalink)
Mike and Marty win ASCAP Award
Hedgemony noticed that Marty O'Donnell and Mike Salvatori took the 'Top Video Game Award' for their work on Halo: Reach during the 26th Annual ASCAP Awards Celebration. Not too shabby! (Louis Wu 14:46:47 UTC) (permalink)
Till I Get There
Over at NeoGAF, dc89 was the first to point out 'Till I Get There', a montage from SaLaYa. It's not like other montages you've watched; SaLaYa does some amazing trick-jumping within Matchmaking, and makes plays that will simply drop your jaw. RVideo pointed out the Halo3Forum link - if you want to download a 190mb, 480p version of the film, this is where you should go. (Louis Wu 14:41:28 UTC) (permalink)
A shift in... something
ChrisTheeCrappy pointed out a nearly information-free post at IGN - the one bit it DOES have is a comment from Frank that there's a reason for the changes in Master Chief's behaviors in the Halo 4 trailer. (I'm not sure what that actually means - but IGN has interpreted it to mean that his personality has changed. Umm...)
= (Louis Wu 14:40:50 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Lost Forerunners - Juarez
ZZoMBiE13 doesn't often point out art he finds - but he particularly liked this Forerunner study he ran across on DeviantART. I'll back him up on that, even though I don't have his eye; it's really cool!
(Louis Wu 14:29:19 UTC) (permalink)
What would you do with it?
One of the things you'll be able to purchase during a Bungie auction (profits to Child's Play, as with ALL of these) is the Caboose-made Sgt. Johnson Macaroni Statue. (A picture is here.) I... I don't know what to say. (I guess thanks to Mid7night might be in order.)
(Louis Wu 14:26:45 UTC) (permalink)
An updated Chief
PyroSporker16 told us about an updated wallpaper from Sam Spratt - the originals were released last September, but this Tumblr post has a link to a newly-updated version. Check it out - grab yourself the 1080p version!
(Louis Wu 14:23:20 UTC) (permalink)
Bungiedayathon 2011 - now in progress!
FyreWulff reminded us that today's the day for his Bungiedayathon 2011 - and in addition to the original goodies, there's one new potential prize you can lay your hands on. All donations $25 and up are entered into a drawing for a ZZoMBiE13 commission - you could win a piece of artwork to your own specifications, done by ZZoMBiE13! Nice. (He ran into some trouble with Oni, and the streaming thereof - so the streaming moved forward to 9am CST (20 minutes before the writing of this post) - go watch!)
(Louis Wu 14:20:29 UTC) (permalink)
News June 23 2011
Bungie.net Insanity - a Road Map
So Grim pointed out the beginning of the B.net festivities... but they're coming so fast and furious that without a roadmap, you might get lost.
- He's already linked to the Rooster-Teeth-created trailer explaining how anyone with a Bungie.net profile can unlock blue flames for their in-game armor - but if you didn't watch it, you should.
- You've been able to unlock those flames for almost a week, if you have an iOS device... but now you can do it right from the Bungie.net front page.
- The Bungie Store has been restocked in honor of the celebration - there are limited-run (VERY limited-run) prints of some really cool artwork and shirts, but the big draw will be the Bag O' Swag. The first batch of 500 is already sold out - but there may be more coming. The contents will vary from bag to bag (and you won't know what's in ANY of them unless you or a friend buys one). They run $30... but what's inside might be worth much, much more. Keep an eye on the page to make sure you don't miss another chance!
- The Bungie vs the World Steaktacular has been written up - swing by to see how you can get a chance to have Bungie mail you steak. Real steak.
- Some super-cool auctions are running on eBay right now - all proceeds will go to Child's Play, and you'll end up with some amazing concept art, framed and placarded. So far there are 12 items up - some have bids, some don't, all end in a week. Check out the artwork - Master Chief Helmet, Covenant Bus, Jackals, Covenant Shadow, Space Elevator, Pillar of Autumn, Quarantine Zone, In Amber Clad, Pillar of Autumn, and an original Penny Arcade "Jim Bean" comic strip. Also, check out the holdable goodies: an original Weta UNSC Battle Rifle and some Weta Upper-Body armor (I can't find a link for this yet). Amazing collection of stuff!
- Check out this link for the Bungie Foundation to learn more about the iPads for Kids program.
Burn Bright, Burn Blue
Announcements like these are almost bittersweet, but with the emphasis certainly more on the "sweet". If you are a Bungie fan (otherwise, why are you here again?), you might want to check out Bungie.net for the next few days, as the Bungie Day celebrations are beginning to kick off in earnest. Make sure you check in often, as it's only going to get better. (GrimBrother One 18:12:24 UTC) (permalink)
Community machinima spotlight
CruelLEGACEY has posted a Community Spotlight of Funny Halo 3 Productions (now known as Dark River Eclipse) on his site - you can see some sample video along with a description of the group and how they've grown. The Annhiliation Circuit video shows off some pretty chaotic gametypes! (Louis Wu 16:16:31 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Reach Challenge Initiative
HaLo2FrEeEk has set up the Halo: Reach Challenge Initiative - it's designed to let anyone (with a Twitter account) offer suggestions about the daily and weekly challenges. Go explore! (Louis Wu 13:11:29 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Combat
FyreWulff speculated about a gametype he'd be able to build with Bungie's scripting tools... looks like it might be fun! (Louis Wu 13:04:05 UTC) (permalink)
He needs a weapon.
Hedgemony took an artistic look back at Halo 3's Master Chief - he can make even SMGs look powerful! (Louis Wu 13:02:32 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement PIG #29
hezekiah noticed that the latest Achievement HORSE -er, PIG - went live last night (links in the forum post); Jack and Geoff whipped through a 3-letter contest in record time. Hard to tell a lot about the maps this time... (Louis Wu 12:58:49 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Bulletin 6-22-11...Re-Orchestrating A Masterpiece
This week's Halo Bulletin from bs angel and the fine folks at 343 Industries should be music to the ears of any Halo fan. Go and check it out! (It's also available in our Halo Bulletin Archive, if you're having trouble getting the bottom portion of the original to display.) (GrimBrother One 00:07:20 UTC) (permalink)
News June 22 2011
An old crew gets back together
TSquared talked to MLG's Shockwave about the return of the original Str8 Rippin roster - TSquared, Legit, Neighbor and ElamiteWarrior. If they can win a tournament on the MLG Pro Tour, they'll be the first team to win games in Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo: Reach with the same lineup. Pretty interesting! Thanks to Account Attempt #4 for posting this on GAF. (Louis Wu 22:17:23 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Faith Unngoy concept
munky-058 found some concept art of a Grunt in Halo: Faith. What do you think? (Louis Wu 21:54:05 UTC) (permalink)
Mid7night Marty Meets
Mid7night stopped in to give us an update on his trip to Seattle. Looks like Urk was kind enough to let him take a peek at the new digs. Nice! The evening kept getting better, Mid7night got to experience the Reach music at the Seattle PLAY event, and met up with the Elder Himself, Marty O'Donnell. Check out his post for more, but all in all, sounds like an epic evening! (GrimBrother One 13:37:50 UTC) (permalink)
DeviantARTistry
padraig08 stopped in with a couple of tidbits he found on DeviantART - a UNSC Hunter (huh?)... and a really adorable little Grunt costume NovemberAdam made for his son for Halloween. (More pics of the Grunt are here.) (Louis Wu 13:36:19 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Faith Original Soundtrack: Landing, Scarab
munky-058 was the first to mention a new piece from the Halo: Faith soundtrack - The Landing was posted last night. They've also posted Scarab - a more tension-filled piece. If you're curious as to where the music for this Fan movie is going, go listen to these pieces! (Louis Wu 13:32:52 UTC) (permalink)
News June 21 2011
Anything fun to do alone is more fun with others.
Bungie's Joe Staten gave the convocation address to the Northwestern University School of Communication class of 2011 - he took the lessons he learned in his life (much of which has been spent at Bungie, working on Halo titles) to impart words of advice to the graduating students. Halo makes a few appearances. Worth watching! (Thanks, urk!) (Louis Wu 22:45:09 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Reach: Arena and Ranks
RC Master wrote up a scholarly-style paper on how Arena could be improved. Interesting read! Available as both a PDF (recommended by RC Master, since the formatting is the way he wants it) and online in a standard web format. (Louis Wu 18:29:35 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: The Essential Visual Guide (Preview)
CaptainTony pointed out a preview of the Halo Essential Visual Guide coming from DK Publishing in a bit over a month - there are several pages of example content. It's pretty interesting to see how close these look to a 'bible-style guide' that Bungie created for Hollywood filmmakers back in 2005 (an example page is here, on Bungie.net) - makes you wonder how long this has been in development! (Louis Wu 18:25:25 UTC) (permalink)
HBO Friends Montage Episode 2
Elzarthebam put together another montage of footage from HBO Euro customs... some funny bits in there! (I think my favorite was the first Myyke clip - don't get in his passenger seat!) Just 3 minutes long - go watch. (Louis Wu 17:28:23 UTC) (permalink)
Genesis
Arby 'n' the Chief Season 6 kicked off last weekend, with a 20 minute first episode... but we missed it until MrWezzle pointed it out. Arby's deep into a bottle of JD, Chief's drawing obscene art on the walls, and a group of gamers have decided they don't like the crackdown on online cheating. I'm really glad XBL doesn't work like this... (Louis Wu 14:54:56 UTC) (permalink)
The Twins
Red vs Blue Season Nine, Episode 2 was released last night - once again, the bar's been raised. The environments are familiar... but the action's all new. The story will grab you, too. Go watch. (There's a discussion thread going on our forum, if you have any comments.) (Louis Wu 13:24:53 UTC) (permalink)
Playtime Ep 1 - Training Day
CruelLEGACEY let us know that the first episode of Playtime is now live. On the plus side, this means we're done with trailers. Another plus - it's pretty well-done; Cobra asks Warren to help him get better at Halo, but things don't go too smoothly. New episodes on Tuesdays. (Louis Wu 13:22:26 UTC) (permalink)
News June 20 2011
The coolest thing I've seen this week
I... holy crap. That's just... wow. Go look. (Louis Wu 16:53:37 UTC) (permalink)
Panomania
nomis78 has released three new panoramas, bundled up ALL his recent panorama work for easy zipped download, and is giving away Amazon vouchers. Read his post for full details! (Louis Wu 15:07:26 UTC) (permalink)
Kinect - it's in EVERYTHING
Moorpheus19 noticed an article at Computer and Video Games which points out that Microsoft's Phil Spencer has said that Kinect support is built into Halo: Anniversary. (Don't worry - you will NOT be required - or even able - to control your in-game player via Kinect.)
(Louis Wu 15:06:47 UTC) (permalink)
Terminal Example Escapes Private Showings
Xbox 360 UK recorded the audio from the Terminal demonstration in their private showing of Halo: Anniversary at E3 - and have now released that (thanks, Elzarthebam). Our forum is full of comments from folks who seem to have forgotten that 343 specifically said that this was an example of how a Terminal would work, but that it's NOT a Terminal that will show up in the game. If you listen to it, please remember that it might include placeholder material.
(Louis Wu 15:05:31 UTC) (permalink)
News June 19 2011
Overhauling a Reach Staple
nscuDuncan has put the finsihing touches on both his new website, Misriah Solutions, and his first meaty article, Armor Equipment. (It also covers, sort of tangentially, Assassinations.) It's a pretty in-depth proposal of a series of fundamental changes to the Armor Abilities currently in Reach, both in how you choose them, and in how they work. It's well thought-out, and worth reading even if you disagree with some of the primary tenets. Go see! (Louis Wu 22:26:01 UTC) (permalink)
The Escaped Prisoner
Prime999r created a Halo machinima based on Boris Vian's 1959 poem "L'évadé" - dialogue-free, but very nice cinematography! (Louis Wu 17:36:38 UTC) (permalink)
Struggle on the Mountaintop!
TDSpiral offered a while back to make Halo art to requests - he posted one last night that disturbs me. (Louis Wu 17:36:05 UTC) (permalink)
Roy takes Columbus MVP
Instinct's Roy was declared MLG Columbus Halo: Reach MVP - swing by MLGPro.com to read about why, and to see a video of one of the Winners Bracket Finals games.
(Louis Wu 17:35:32 UTC) (permalink)
This is the 'cast that never ends...
The Podtacular Anniversary Podcast went on for a LONG time last night - I ended up having to leave after 4 hours or so, but it went for at least an hour past that. (The archived version is just 3 hours; I'm not sure what was cut out.) It was a lot of fun, and I heard a lot of great stories from all around the Halo community - if you weren't there, but you have a lot of free time, you should listen to this!
(Louis Wu 17:34:48 UTC) (permalink)
News June 18 2011
Podtacular Anniversary Podcast - Tonight!
Just a reminder: The Podcast of All Halo Podcasts (as Podtacular is billing it), with guests from all around the Halo fan community, will be streamed live this evening, beginning at 7pm Eastern time. (Well, they're kicking off pre-show shenanigans at 5pm EST... but the show officially starts at 7.) Grim and I should both be there, representing HBO - so be sure to come by and watch! (Louis Wu 15:09:54 UTC) (permalink)
Spies vs. Guards
Pierre Tartaix sent word that the latest machinima from TGO GMBH has been released - Spies vs. Guards is fantastically filmed and edited, well-paced, and surprisingly tense. As usual with this group, there's no dialogue - but it's not missed at all. Go watch - this was great. (Louis Wu 14:40:37 UTC) (permalink)
Headhunters Part 1
Archilen pointed out that Headhunters #1 is now live on Halo Waypoint - great work at turning a fantastic story into a motion comic! Looking forward to Part 2. (Louis Wu 11:53:50 UTC) (permalink)
Frostbite - Chapter 6
Ty Coker dropped by to announce the latest installment of the Frostbite series - Chapter 6 shows there are always those that see opportunity when faced with obstacles. (Louis Wu 11:53:32 UTC) (permalink)
AH: Fails of the Weak Volume 39
Achievement Hunter's Fails of the Weak #39 is full of... well, fails. Of the weak. Several made me laugh heartily. Go watch! Thanks, Sl'askia. (Louis Wu 11:53:00 UTC) (permalink)
Which is master, which is tool?
Triumvirate - Hearts and Minds, the second article in Forward Unto Dawn's Datapad series, is up now - if you haven't read the datapads in Halo: Reach, or if you've been curious how others might interpret them, this is a fascinating read. Take a look! (Louis Wu 11:51:57 UTC) (permalink)
Custom Halo 4 Master Chief
Kaidon watched the E3 Halo 4 trailer... and did a pretty amazing job of reproducing the Spartan we saw there in holdable form. Check it! (Louis Wu 11:49:59 UTC) (permalink)
The Jump
Avcracy stopped in with word of another small machinima from Firelight Studios - The Jump teaches you... well, to not trust your friends. Or something. (Louis Wu 11:49:35 UTC) (permalink)
News June 17 2011
I Beg to Differ.
It's billed as 'not a weekly update' - but it sure seems like a (short) weekly update. urk has posted a small collection of tasty tidbits which are worth reading no matter WHAT you call them. I'm calling them a Weekly Update - screw it. Which means you can find a copy in our Weekly Update Archive. So there. (Louis Wu 23:35:55 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Glasslands?
Archilen was digging around, and noticed a page at Audio Editions touting a book from Karen Traviss, entitled "Halo: Glasslands", to be published on October 25. Amazon corroborates (thanks, DHalo). Looks like we now know the title and release date of her first Halo novel! (Louis Wu 15:54:17 UTC) (permalink)
Respect Your Roots, Chapter 1
Goosechecka sent word that Grifball Hub is putting together a series that covers the history of Grifball - the first chapter went live yesterday. Respect Your Roots looks to be a pretty involved look at each season of the sport (there are 19 now), and they'll be covering one per week until they're done! Go read Chapter 1: Grifball's Creation and AGLA Winter League 08.
(Louis Wu 14:55:20 UTC) (permalink)
Cubeskew 2 will blow your mind
Lee Georgeton stopped in with a link to a video showing off his latest puzzle map. It's... odd. Very odd. Go see.
(Louis Wu 14:54:26 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie All Stars - one man's quest
CruelLEGACEY wanted to point out a gallery he's put up of all of his Bungie All-Star Challenge submissions - an interesting look back on the past 20 weeks! (Now that the star is free for anyone who wants it, or will be soon, there's no need for more of these.) Also, he's got yet ANOTHER trailer up for his upcoming Playtime series.
(Louis Wu 14:53:05 UTC) (permalink)
Price goes down, sales go up
I found it intriguing that Halo: Reach is back in the US top 3 sellers of videogames on ALL platforms, due to a price drop, according to Gamasutra - amazing what a few bucks off can do!
(Louis Wu 14:52:40 UTC) (permalink)
News June 16 2011
NGL Charlotte - Reach Tourney in July
Jay Alexander sent word that The National Gaming League will be hosting a live Halo: Reach tournament in Charlotte, NC on July 23 - you can read the full press release here. If you're planning to play - get there early! (Louis Wu 20:47:25 UTC) (permalink)
No, I'm not being paid for this.
It's been a week since E3, and though it's not directly Halo-related, I wanted to put in one more plug for Crimson Alliance. (It was made by Certain Affinity, a studio headed up by ex-Bungie employee Max Hoberman, and responsible for the 7 netmaps included with the recently-announced Halo: Anniversary edition.) It really was one of the highlights of the show for me; a really fun title that should be available later this summer. If you haven't seen gameplay, swing by and watch (or download) the trailer - then keep an eye out for it on Xbox LIVE Arcade! (Louis Wu 13:55:48 UTC) (permalink)
The Guggenheim Effect on Gaming
Over at the California Literary Review, a video game blog written by Adam Robert Thomas looks at the Guggenheim Effect, and what it's done to gaming. (If you don't know what the Guggenheim Effect is, don't worry, it's explained in the article.) Halo (the original) is used as an example of gaming health done right - and remember, Bungie's gone back to that model for Reach. Interesting read! (Louis Wu 13:35:15 UTC) (permalink)
I hope it isn't a math problem...
Heh - a Halo fan put some love into a video showing a Reach Firefight voice we'd ALL love to be able to buy... (well, I would, anyway.) Great work - I only wish it was real. Thanks, MatthewDratt.
(Louis Wu 13:32:48 UTC) (permalink)
Bungiedayathon website comes online
We mentioned a few days ago that FyreWulff would be hosting a 12-hour Bungiedayathon (before Bungie Day) to raise money for the Brian Morden Foundation - he stopped by last night to announce that the website is now up. You can see schedules, embedded vids (when he's actually playing), and donate. Check it out!
(Louis Wu 13:31:37 UTC) (permalink)
Community Customs Montage 6/10/11
Chris101b put together some footage from the most recent Customs Night shenanigans - and added in a mini-machinima tale. You get a look at some of the maps they played, plus some of the funny/cool moments they experienced. Nice work! Go watch. (Louis Wu 13:30:10 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement Horse #28
hezekiah let us know that Achievement Horse #28 is live (YouTube or AchievementHunter) - cool maps, hungover Geoff. I don't think Jack is being sympathetic enough...
(Louis Wu 13:29:18 UTC) (permalink)
News June 15 2011
Halo Bulletin Archive Opens
Because we have a long history of archiving Halo-related updates, we've started a collection for the Halo Bulletins being published weekly(ish) by the Halo Waypoint team. As always, images are local, and HTML is (generally) lighter than the original - ideal for slower computers, maybe mobile connections, whatever. Give it a look! Today's release is there, as is last week's. (Louis Wu 23:40:30 UTC) (permalink)
Weekly Infomorsels from 343
The second weekly Halo Bulletin from 343 Industries has found its way from bs angel's tender mindquill and into your retinas via Halo Waypoint. Go and partake of it's fan fodder! Oh and um... there's a freaking Grunt Plushie. (GrimBrother One 21:43:22 UTC) (permalink)
More proof that Halo's good for you
Interesting. We received a press release from someone at Random House, publicizing Eric Nylund's latest book, The Resisters. What's intriguing about this to a Halo fansite is not so much the book itself (it's a science fiction title aimed at younger readers), but the impetus for writing the book in the first place.
Ten years ago, Eric Nylund started writing books based on the HALO video games—HALO: THE FALL OF REACH; HALO: FIRST STRIKE; and HALO: GHOSTS OF ONYX.
Soon thereafter Eric received a few letters and e-mails from kids (and their parents) from around the world who said they never liked to read, but they liked HALO. The kids had picked up and fallen in love with Eric's HALO books. A "few letters and e-mails" soon became dozens, hundreds, and then thousands—and Eric found himself pleasantly surprised to be a gateway for a new audience into the world of reading.
So it seems that to the arguments that video games (and Halo, specifically) can improve reaction times and accuracy, you can add that Halo novels have drawn new people into the wonderful world of reading! Nice. (Louis Wu 18:22:42 UTC) (permalink)
Headhunters Trailer
Jump on over to Halo Waypoint - they're offering a first look at Headhunters, the next motion comic translated from the Halo: Evolutions book. This one's been highly anticipated - go get a taste! Thanks, Grim. (Louis Wu 17:17:53 UTC) (permalink)
Who's That Knocking?
JIMBOTHY stopped by to announce Who's That Knocking? This Reach-based machinima with some nice CGI add-ons tells a pretty interesting story - go watch!
(Louis Wu 16:16:47 UTC) (permalink)
reach4urPhone
xBLACK V3N0Mx sent word about reach4urPhone, a mobile-optimized site for checking your Halo: Reach stats. (There's a slideshow of screenshots on live.com.) Check it out!
(Louis Wu 16:15:25 UTC) (permalink)
Project Lumoria: Episode Two - in progress
Higuy let us know that work on Lumoria: Episode Two is underway - swing by the HaloMaps thread for screenshots and discussion!
(Louis Wu 16:14:18 UTC) (permalink)
$25 Reach
If you need another copy of Halo: Reach, now's a pretty good time to grab it; it's selling for just under $25 as part of Amazon's Dads & Grads Promotion. Hurry!
(Louis Wu 16:13:40 UTC) (permalink)
Score that Flag!
FyreWulff noticed that a bugfix for some Flag gametypes was included in the June Matchmaking update - Flag at Home scoring now works properly in all CTF gametypes. Yay! (Louis Wu 16:11:46 UTC) (permalink)
News June 14 2011
Panoramic Burning
Blue Ninja let us know that he's updated Views from the Edge, his panorama showcase, with a whole passel of new shots. Go see! (Louis Wu 19:41:51 UTC) (permalink)
Halo YouTube Background
Pepsi let us know that he's whipped up a pretty cool Halo-themed YouTube background - classy! If you like it, you're welcome to use it! (Louis Wu 15:45:47 UTC) (permalink)
The Return of Master Chief
MGS VP Phil Spencer talked to IGN about what's coming - including a bunch of discussion about Halo. Two interesting tidbits: a HD version of Halo 2 MIGHT be in the works... and the Halo 4 engine started life as Reach code. Go read the rest! Thanks, Avateur. (Louis Wu 15:43:07 UTC) (permalink)
The Boys are Back in Town
According to Rooster Teeth's Twitter, "Red vs. Blue" Season 9 Episode 1 is now available for sponsors. If you haven't been following along, here's a quick refresher on why you should keep a pair of pants handy. The new episode should be available to everyone at 1 p.m. EST. Update: For the perversely poor plebians like myself, the episode is now available! Are you ready for a mind explosion? (Hitmonchan 15:24:22 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Mobile - more than stats
So yesterday, Bungie went live with Bungie Mobile, an App for your iDevice (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). It's free. It displays your stats, your commendations, Bungie news, and more. And it offers you some pretty cool bonuses - you can get the All-Star nameplate a few weeks before the rest of the world (it'll be free to all on Bungie Day)... and you can get the Bungie blue flames early, as well. (You can also GIFT the All-Star nameplate to 7 of your closest friends. Pretty cool!) If you don't have an iDevice... well, you'll just have to wait! Update: urk has posted a FAQ. You should read it. There are free puppies. (Louis Wu 14:13:06 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Day - A Love Letter to YOU
2011 is a huge year for Bungie. It's the 20th year of their formation as a game company. It's the 10th anniversary of their most powerful creation - the Halo franchise. It is also the year that they are turning over that franchise to the 343 Industries team at Microsoft, and heading out for a new universe. To celebrate all this, they're having their biggest Bungie Day blowout ever. In-game gifts, connectivity tools, information, awesome buying options, and even the possibility of a full steak dinner - for real. They love you - and they want to show you how much. Visit Bungie.net and get all the details... and prepare for the ramp-up to July 7 - a ramp-up that starts in just 10 days! (Louis Wu 02:40:21 UTC) (permalink)
News June 13 2011
BTB All-Stars - coming soon
Want a Star nameplate in matchmaking? A new playlist, kicking off on June 24 for a limited time, seems like the easiest way to get one! According to Jeremiah, if you play in the BTB ALL STARS list when it's live, you'll be rewarded with a Star nameplate (and triple jackpots)... but you have to qualify first. You need at least 5 Invasion games between June 13 (that's today!) and June 20. Thanks to Myyke and Decommissioner for the heads-up! (Louis Wu 23:42:19 UTC) (permalink)
Forward Unto Dawn - new look, new goodies
Dani let us know that Forward Unto Dawn has received a makeover - and a bunch of new content. Go explore! (Louis Wu 17:59:28 UTC) (permalink)
Operation Chastity Updates
Pete Cooper stopped in with updates about Operation Chastity - there's a preview of a big spread in the UK Official Xbox Mag, and a new t-shirt design. Go check it out!
(Louis Wu 17:59:00 UTC) (permalink)
GS's E3 2011 LiveCam 1 - Halo Q's only
Colin Carlisle is a gamer who spent most of his time at E3 with a camera on his shoulder, filming hours and hours and HOURS of material from the show floor. It was streamed on Gamespot's site (here's the 7 hours of Day 3 footage, for example) - but Halo fans have cut out just the couple of minutes in which he interviewed Frank O'Connor. You can find a few different versions on YouTube, but SIX min WHISTLE pointed to this one. It's got a few questions that haven't been answered elsewhere - go listen! (Louis Wu 17:57:58 UTC) (permalink)
Playing for Fun and Profit
FyreWulff let us know that he plans to hold a 12-hour Bungiedayathon, a couple of weeks before Bungie Day, to raise money for the Brian Morden Foundation. Swing by his post for an itinerary, and more info!
(Louis Wu 17:57:24 UTC) (permalink)
He's got our back.
Arithmomaniac updated a couple of his GreaseMonkey scripts to make your HBO browsing more betterer. His HBO Forum Enhancer now closes run-on broken tags in Guestbook mode (this will keep an entire thread from turning bold if someone forgets to close their bold tags), and his HBO Time Adjuster now auto-adjusts time on both the front page of the site and on archived forum posts. Try 'em out!
(Louis Wu 17:56:53 UTC) (permalink)
PGCR Ep 79
Post Game Carnage Report released Episode 79 (their E3 show) at the end of last week - plenty of Halo coverage, mixed in with the profanity. Go listen!
(Louis Wu 17:35:21 UTC) (permalink)
LaCoz3 :: Vicious Traditions
RVideo thought you might enjoy LaCoz3's Vicious Traditions, a Halo 3 montage. It was released last week... but I'm still a bit behind on email notifications. Sorry! Nice intro, heavy editing and a desaturated look. Pretty nice work!
(Louis Wu 17:35:05 UTC) (permalink)
Halo LANfest in Ohio
Andy Deck is a Halo fan who lives in Cincinnati, OH - and he will be hosting a Halo REACH LAN party on the weekend of June 24th and 25th. It's the 7th event he's hosted like this - but some of his regulars can't make it, so he'd like to open it to folks who've never been. If you're in the area, drop him an email! (There's a bunch more info in a Facebook post - but I don't have a link.) Update: If you're logged into Facebook, you can see the LAN page here - Andy just let me know that he's got 5 spaces available at this time. (Louis Wu 17:34:44 UTC) (permalink)
Fire Team Zulu: Hotel Reservation
FyreWulff sent us word a few days ago about a new Fire Team Zulu challenge - 'Hotel Reservation' has you beating Halo 2's Outskirts with the Sputnik skull on (and without a Warthog). You have to kill every single enemy to complete this challenge. You can do it on either Halo 2 Xbox or Halo 2 PC - and once you do, you'll receive the FTZ site achievement 'A Monument To All Your Sins'. More info at FTZ!
(Louis Wu 17:34:26 UTC) (permalink)
It's all about the lists
Among the things we missed in the last week - Morpheus provided a couple of links (here and here) for lists that include Halo. Dorkly.com put together their 10 Most Depressing Endings in Videogame History, and Reach made the top 3. (I'm not sure I'd agree that 'Depressing' is the right word for this...) And G4 decided that Peter Moore's unveiling of Halo 2's release date was among the 5 most shocking E3 moments (of all time). And while we're talking about lists, Sl'askia pointed out a Cracked.com list called 'The 6 Most Ominous Trends in Video Games' which includes the Halo series in #3. Whee!
(Louis Wu 17:34:02 UTC) (permalink)
A Fistful of Arrows - Pages 38-47
We'll certainly get to the rest of the Halo news today, but I'd like to spotlight the latest pages of 'A Fistful of Arrows', Leviathan's graphic novel set in the Halo universe. He dropped off nine new pages last night, along with a ton of no-text variations (for folks who want to use the artwork for wallpaper, or whatever), and some bonus work-in-progress demonstrations. You can find them all in the forum thread, but if you'd rather read them in standard webcomic format, they're available at The Fistful of Arrows site (all bonus art included). We are nearing the end of this tale; the next update will be the last. I will be truly sorry to see it end. (Louis Wu 14:30:42 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Anniversary - the nitty gritty
Frank O'Connor and friends gave me a healthy chunk of their time at E3, and answered a bunch of questions about the Halo: Anniversary release coming this November. Go give it a read! Update: We've added a few new questions, culled from our forum, along with their answers - jump to the bottom of the article for the new content. (Louis Wu 00:37:47 UTC) (permalink)
News June 12 2011
HE IS NOT A WIMP!
In other news, TD Spiral apparently built a device that instantly illustrates the deepest images and dreams trapped in the recesses of bs angel's mind. Don't believe it? Try. Me. When you wake up from your awesome-induced coma, tell him what you think on our forums. Amazing... (GrimBrother One 21:48:36 UTC) (permalink)
Will That Be Cash or cR?
Bryan Simon passed along news that the new episode of Master Chief IRL has gone live. This time, Chief make his way to the grocery store. Really funny stuff, reminds me of things that have gotten the Grims thrown out of stores on various occasions. Definitely give ita watch, and then decide where Chief goes next! (GrimBrother One 21:19:52 UTC) (permalink)
When I get the jetpack, I will fly around.
I'm a pretty talkative guy. But sometimes, I find things that leave me speechless, and this time, I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Take "Ode 2 Noobz," a defiantly, borderline-obnoxiously happy song about how great it is to be a noob. Skullkruncher13 and patfan8326 have created a poppy earworm that won't leave my head. Check it out! (Hitmonchan 20:40:11 UTC) (permalink)
Does This Holopad Make Me Look Fat?
Smile And Deal With It revealed a piece of the Halo 4 teaser that apparently we all missed the first time around. Is it bad that this scene actually seems halfway plausible? ;-) (GrimBrother One 19:13:08 UTC) (permalink)
Will 'Halo 4' use the Kinect?
The Seattle Times writer Brier Dudley gleaned this nugget of a quote when he asked Mike Delman, vice president of global marketing at Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business group, about "Halo 4" and the Kinect: "I'm sure we'll have some Kinect in it, but we're not that far along." Hopefully, if this comes to fruition, any Kinect features will be enhancements in the vein of voice commands in "Mass Effect 3." Let's hope it doesn't end up like this. (Hitmonchan 17:51:50 UTC) (permalink)
USA Today speaks with Frank O'Connor
There's been plenty of interviews with Frank O'Connor this past week, but this one by USA Today shares a few more details on what to expect at Halo Fest. Not only will the Weta Warthog be available to park your buns in, but Frankie tempers expectations of a "Halo 4" blowout. My question is: What does Frankie mean when he says that "CEA" will be playable for "some lucky people at the show"? Will everyone be able to play it? (Hitmonchan 17:33:49 UTC) (permalink)
Clash of the Titans
On the wings on fanboy fervor, OhhWowFilms pits "Call of Duty" against "Halo" in a live-action showdown. You've got to give it to the team who runs into battle with a golf club and a Plasma Rifle. That's not a bias -- I'm just saying that a BR would've been a wiser choice, and to be that ballsy is an automatic win in my eyes. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 17:23:22 UTC) (permalink)
RvB Art That's Doubly Fine
Scott Campbell, one of the awesome artists at Double Fine Productions decided to draw a couple of our favorite characters for his latest Great Showdown. Stellar stuff! Thanks for letting us know, Padraig08! (GrimBrother One 15:07:49 UTC) (permalink)
With My Dee-ee-ee M-R!
Something that is on the Waypoint website though, is the newest Ordnance piece, this time focusing on the UNSC Designated Marksman Rifle. Good renders and weapon info. Give it a look! (GrimBrother One 15:03:27 UTC) (permalink)
Hunting Heads This Weekend
Halo Waypoint has announced that this Saturday, June 18th, will be the debut of episode one of the Headhunters motion comic. The link is not live on their web portal as of yet, but I noticed it on the WP7 version. Will update with link as soon as it's available. Really looking forward to this one! Update: bs angel was kind enough to provide the link to the full week's schedule. Good stuff! (GrimBrother One 14:59:45 UTC) (permalink)
News June 11 2011
New BrySi Song: 'Come Home, Chief'
Bryan Simon is back, baby. His newest song is a tribute to "Halo 4" titled, "Come Home, Chief." This definitely has a "Where'd You Go" vibe, and whether that's a good thing or not, you should definitely check this out. Did he seriously make this in less than a week? (Hitmonchan 18:45:08 UTC) (permalink)
Plot Devices Brought Full Circle
Sensei322 noticed that Dorkly recently did a feature on what they consider the 6 Greatest Plot Devices in Videogame History. Their choice for Number 1 has a nice ring to it. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 18:36:37 UTC) (permalink)
It's Tricky
In episode 33 of "Halo Reach Tricks," CMNeir and the rest of the crew show you how to get on top of Condemned. Pretty neat! (Hitmonchan 18:27:05 UTC) (permalink)
MLG Columbus: 'Reach Recap'
If you missed the knuckle-bumping action of MLG Columbus, MLG.com has a quick summary of the upsets and final brackets. Trust me, several montages will be made of the primal gameplay of "Instinct" last weekend. I'm definitely looking forward to the next MLG event in Anaheim, Ca., from July 29 to 31. (Hitmonchan 18:10:08 UTC) (permalink)
Jetpacks in FLight
Avcracy let's us know about Firelight Studio's newest machinima short: The Jetpack. A fun, quick watch. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 18:05:52 UTC) (permalink)
Flavor of the 'Weak'
Jack and Geoff are back for their 38th episode of "Fails of the Weak." There's plenty of campaign and multiplayer fails here, including a suicidal Brute and a high-flying glitch on Hemorrhage. Am I the only one who absolutely loves Geoff's laugh? Especially at the Revenant campaign fail. Every time I hear it, I start smiling. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 17:41:15 UTC) (permalink)
Because A Shrink-Ray is SUPER Manly...
SIX min WHISTLE wanted to show our forum an interesting parody found in the new Duke Nukem Forever. Yeah... about that. Pretty funny though, give it a look! (GrimBrother One 16:52:07 UTC) (permalink)
My So-Called Halo Life
0postmortem0 wanted to share with us his new personal Halo blog called Life of a Halo Fan. If you get a chance, make sure you stop and check it out! (GrimBrother One 16:41:32 UTC) (permalink)
BWU: Amplified Sensations
In one of the most voluptuously-versed Weekly Updates ever, urk further prepares us for the coming change, and scribes a beautiful picture of Bungie's view on their baby growing up. Not to be lost in the shuffle is the final (yet disturbing) Bungie All-Stars contest and a really funny Blame Urk. Don't miss this update! (GrimBrother One 16:25:38 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Community Tournament Report
Hitmonchan107 has put together a really excellent recap on the recent Halo Community Tournament. He pulls together photos, videos, self-analysis, and reports from other players into one great highlight package. Definitely give this a read! (GrimBrother One 16:14:43 UTC) (permalink)
RvB Season 9 Approacheth
Mixmasterchief reminds our forum that RoosterTeeth announced that the start-date for the much anticipated Season 9 for Red vs Blue will launch on June 14th. If you aren't sure what you'd be missing, refresh your grey matter by catching the Season 9 trailer. Can't wait! (GrimBrother One 16:03:36 UTC) (permalink)
Playtime Show Trailer 3
CruelLEGACEY Productions sent word that the third official trailer for their upcoming Playtime machinima series has gone live. Great stuff, go give it a look! (GrimBrother One 15:50:11 UTC) (permalink)
News June 10 2011
I need a sonic facilitator.
Home for a whole 3 hours, have to leave again... but a tidbit for you, before I go. Some folks were asking about the music in the Halo 4 Teaser Trailer - it was composed by Neil Davidge, composer and producer on the last three Massive Attack albums. Good stuff! (Louis Wu 20:32:31 UTC) (permalink)
That Old Familiar Feeling.
The third of the trilogy of new comics has been posted to the One One Se7en page - Stuntmutt felt that the best way to help you remember his glory days was to... well, remind you of his glory days. Glasses up! (Louis Wu 16:41:49 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
There were no new stories submitted for last week's Fan Fiction update - but in the previous 7 days, six new pieces have been submitted. Go read 'em! (Louis Wu 16:39:07 UTC) (permalink)
News June 9 2011
Fire Team Zulu - How Good are You?
FyreWulff has let us know about a couple of new Fire Team Zulu challenges - check out Unnerfed, a Reach Firefight challenge on Unearthed with no hog action, and Night Recon, a Reach campaign challenge that's sniper- and warthog-free. Challenge yourself! (Louis Wu 23:10:32 UTC) (permalink)
ReSpawned Spartan
Kaidon continues his custom figure awesomeness with a Spawn-inspired Reach Spartan. As a big Spawn fan as well, I find this creation particularly sweet. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 22:00:22 UTC) (permalink)
Tower 2 Tower - Updated
I meant to get back to this... not enough time near a computer recently. Ducain pointed out that the High Impact Halo newspost about the Tower to Tower challenge completion was updated... with a SECOND successful attempt. MrMonopoly ALSO finished the challenge, and filmed his technique. After 7 years of trying - two people nail this within a day or so of each other. That blows me away. Congrats to the entire Halo 1 tricking community for sticking with this one! (Louis Wu 17:27:41 UTC) (permalink)
When You're Smyelin.
The nerve of that guy! Stuntmutt continues to riff on the Halo 4 trailer in today's One One Se7en. (Louis Wu 17:21:54 UTC) (permalink)
Indestructible 2.0
AssaultGodzilla let our forum know that his Indestructible 2.0 HMV is now complete, featuring new footage from obvious new sources. He never fails to impress me. :-) Go and give it a look/listen! (GrimBrother One 15:38:39 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSEPIGWHATEVER Episode 27
GHOSTKILL helped remind us that Episode 27 of the awesome Achievement HORSE series from our friends at Rooster Teeth went live yesterday. This time, Geoff squares off against HORSE/PIG rookie Joel, and the results are predictably hilarious. You never want to miss these! Go and watch it! (GrimBrother One 15:28:08 UTC) (permalink)
Proof of Concept
Black Six sent notice that Issac Hannaford's blog has had another update, this time with some concept shots of New Alexandria. Gorgeous! Go look! (GrimBrother One 15:25:18 UTC) (permalink)
What Goes Up Must Break Canon
The ever-awesome DeepCee dropped in with word that not just one, but two new editions of The Chronicles of ODS Steve are out. Always great to see! Go give them a look! (GrimBrother One 15:21:06 UTC) (permalink)
Another Wallpaper 4 You
FSC Nightmare wanted to share a wallpaper he put together using various Halo 4 visual assets. I think the result is really nice! Go and take a look! (GrimBrother One 15:17:25 UTC) (permalink)
Of Gulyabani and Covenant
This isn't purely Halo-related, but it certainly has Halo overtones, and should be of general interest to gamers everywhere. We spent a bunch of time talking to Max Hoberman, of Certain Affinity - they're behind the 7 retooled Halo maps that will be included with the Halo: Anniversary package released this fall, and Max is back at his first E3 since 2004, when Halo 2 multiplayer was shown off to huge acclaim. (You can read about Max's recollections of that fateful reveal in CA's E3 Blog - just scroll down to the Day 0 entry.) Certain Affinity was not at E3 to show off those maps, though - 343 Industries is taking point on the Halo: Anniversary unveil. CA is there showing off Crimson Alliance, a new action RPG that gets you right into the carnage without a whole lot of inventory management. Definitely my kind of game - you should absolutely check this out when it hits Xbox LIVE Arcade later this summer! (We have a couple Crimson Alliance t-shirts to give away, thanks to Max - when I get back into town, we'll figure out how to share 'em.) (Louis Wu 07:51:09 UTC) (permalink)
News June 8 2011
Fire The Canon!
For some reason, Padraig08 decided to share this... um... this BETTER not be the graphically enhanced Anniversary Jackal. I swear to God, 343... (GrimBrother One 23:55:46 UTC) (permalink)
No Brother of Mine
Dangerously close to becoming lost in the avalanche of audio-concern posts and disc vs disk debates was a neat little machinima piece from Firelight Studios called The Warrior and The Brother. Only about 3 minutes long, so a quick watch, but a cool one. Thanks to Avcracy for letting us know about it. Go give this a look! (GrimBrother One 21:44:22 UTC) (permalink)
Reigniting the Sparkast
We mentioned it yesterday already, but it seems to have gotten lost in the shuffle that 343 Industries released their newest podcast, Sparkast 004: E3 Edition. It just went up on Waypoint itself today, so we wanted to remind everyone to go and listen to the sultry manvocals of David Ellis, Frank O'Connor, and 343i Producer Dennis Ries as they discuss Halo Anniversary, Halo 4, and donut-derived codenames. Go listen! (GrimBrother One 21:35:36 UTC) (permalink)
Like An Alarm Clock For Your Desktop
If your desktop wallpaper needs some waking up, look no further than the images Capt Spanish has whipped up utilizing the "Wake Up John" media assets from the Halo 4 teaser. Looking awesome! (GrimBrother One 21:32:00 UTC) (permalink)
Hey June, Your Playlist's Live...
Hitmonchan107 brought word via Tunavi from NeoGAF that the Reach June Playlist is now live. Our own Fyrefulff also weighed in with changes that he's noticed himself. Though there isn't an official changelog from Bungie just yet, details of what were planned for the full update can be found in their most recent Weekly Update. Get in there and swat some heads! (GrimBrother One 21:23:04 UTC) (permalink)
'Halo: CEA' will not feature audio toggle
VideoGamer has a second article up on "Halo: CEA." The site is reporting the game will not allow users to toggle between the original music or sound effects and the re-recorded versions. Of course, the original dialogue is being retained from "Combat Evolved," with the notable addition of terminal dialogue. There are still unrevealed features for the game, so unless Frankie comes in wielding the Dreamcrusher, I'll hold on to my hope for some inclusion of the original audio. (Hitmonchan 19:13:34 UTC) (permalink)
Finding a MIDDLEGROUND
MasterPIE wanted us to know that the newest Machinima project by Arbiter617, MIDDLEGROUND, is now out and available to watch. It's a long one - nearly an hour - but some really good work was put into this one. If you have the time, it's definitely worth the look! (GrimBrother One 14:48:58 UTC) (permalink)
Acting On Impulse.
The announcement of Halo 4 has brought Stuntmutt out of cryosleep, and One One Se7en has a new comic today. (The jokes aren't any better... but the subject material is a bit brainier.) Update: oops, some permissions were broken when the site moved back in January - fixed now. You should be able to see this link again. Sorry! (Louis Wu 14:40:04 UTC) (permalink)
What Was That About Being Bored?
Avcracy let us know about a new short put out by he and his friends at Firelight Studios. I definitely found it funny, go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:29:05 UTC) (permalink)
Cause I Pwn You
Overdoziz stopped by the forums to let us know about a Reach Fail Video done by Dizzle229 over at forum.tip.it. Some pretty funny moments, and an interesting - I guess - soundtrack. Give it a watch! (GrimBrother One 13:21:07 UTC) (permalink)
Dani Way You Want It, That's The Way You Need It
Dani is continuing to be a big help on the news-gathering front with items from The Examiner, MCV Online, and Gamespy UK. Great work, and good info! (GrimBrother One 13:12:56 UTC) (permalink)
More Hi Res Logos 4 You
Asian Inferno stopped in to let us know that you can also find beautiful hi-res versions of the Halo 4 title and logos here. Gorgeous stuff! Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 13:10:32 UTC) (permalink)
Ars Technica gets a look at 'Halo: CEA'
Adding another off-the-showfloor article on "Halo: CEA" is Ars Technica. This piece includes a few more details on the terminals and an awkwardly coy moment when 343 is asked about classic weapons and gameplay for multiplayer. Despite Ben Kuchera's "milking the franchise" comment, it's a well-written piece. Go look! (Hitmonchan 05:46:09 UTC) (permalink)
IGN Live: 'Halo: CE Anniversary'
IGN's Hilary Goldstein sat down with Frank O'Connor to discuss "Halo: CE Anniversary" and "Halo 4." Props to GrimBrother One for pointing out the footage as it was live. Go watch! (Hitmonchan 02:58:42 UTC) (permalink)
Community Customs Podcast: Episode 1
Hyokin wanted to let us know that the first Community Customs Podcast is available for download. Hyokin himself joins HBO regulars Leviathan, Nomis, and KornyMunky to discuss all sorts of Halo merriment, including the recent announcements; wish I would've had the time to join them myself! Lots of fun from great HBO community members. Go check it out! (GrimBrother One 00:36:38 UTC) (permalink)
Visual Guide Arrival Imminent?
ElzarTheBam dropped by with news that Amazon had sent an email update regarding the pre-order of the Halo: Essential Visual Guide from DK Publishing stating that the estimated ship date had been moved up to the 13th of July from the 27th. Coincidentally, my pre-order of the same book says July 4th (also from Amazon). Looks like either way we won't be waiting too long to check it out ourselves! (GrimBrother One 00:15:11 UTC) (permalink)
G4 on H4 and More
G4 grabbed an interview with our beloved Frankie to talk about the new Halo announcements and look ahead toward the future. Go give it a watch! Always great to hear from the Scottish Loremaster! (Even if he did say, "Don't expect an entirely 'flying' Halo game.") (GrimBrother One 00:00:53 UTC) (permalink)
News June 7 2011
More Terminal Tidbits
Speaking with Dan Ayoub, executive producer for 343 Industries, VideoGamer nabbed a few more details on the terminals in "Halo: CE Anniversary." Go give it a read! (Hitmonchan 20:45:45 UTC) (permalink)
Anniversary Preview On The 'Spot
Keeping the hype train rolling, Gamespot has a preview of the CE Anniversary edition. Go see what they thought! Update: The article gives a coy hint at the possibility of campaign skulls or something similar. Also, there's an interview with Dan Ayoub, executive producer for 343i. If you look closely at the main menu behind him, you'll notice four choices: "Campaign," "Halo Reach Multiplayer," "Waypoint," and, my favorite, "Extras." If this has been posted in the forums, I'll go back in and give credit. I caught wind of Nintendo spoilers and backed out of there. - Hitmon (Sorry, Grim!) (GrimBrother One 20:02:56 UTC) (permalink)
Tower 2 Tower - Complete, after almost 7 years
In addition to all the Halo news coming out of E3 yesterday, ANOTHER milestone was reached yesterday - a video showing the completion of one of the oldest tricking challenges out there was released. Swing by High Impact Halo (yes, it came out of cryo for this) for an explanation, along with links to the the trick itself (and videos). Astounding. (Louis Wu 15:43:52 UTC) (permalink)
FUD keeps track of Halo at E3
Dani let us know that Forward Unto Dawn has put up an E3 Halo Hub - it's a nice summary of available content and a recap of what's been announced/released. Check back regularly! (Louis Wu 15:35:18 UTC) (permalink)
Quick Roundup of New Content
There was an amazing amount of new content (and analysis of new content) released yesterday, with respect to the newly-announced Halo: CE Anniversary Edition (coming November 15) and Halo 4 (coming winter 2012) - we hit the highlights yesterday, but here are some of the extra tidbits I found buried in our forum. There's plenty more - if you need every bit you can get, keep a window open there!
- Geoff Keighley interviewed Frankie about the Halo 4 teaser and Halo: Anniversary (thanks, INSANEdrive)
- IGN posted a Rewind Theater episode to analyze the Halo 4 trailer - nice recap (thanks, Chris101b)
- The latest 343 Sparkast is up from 343i (not yet on the rss feed, though) - thanks, Joshua Allen (who also uploaded the Halo: Anniversary main theme).
- If you want to grab logos or a high-res version of the Halo: Anniversary trailer, swing by the Xbox.com Press page - thanks, Asian Inferno. (The Halo 4 trailer is NOT there, unfortunately. You CAN view it on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, and Gamersyde has a 720p version - thanks, AladelAngel.)
- DHalo pointed out a high-res version of the Halo 4 splash, suitable for backgrounding.
More as it comes up! (Louis Wu 15:32:47 UTC) (permalink)
What's the Over-Under on Food Nipple Entries?
Still reeling from only being runner-up in the casting call for the new Old Spice Man, urk has distracted himself by creating new requirements for this week's Bungie All-Stars. This week focuses on Grunty goodness. Go see if you have what it takes to wear the star! (GrimBrother One 15:15:00 UTC) (permalink)
Terminal Addiction
Our resident IGN spy, ChrisTheeCrappy caught a piece highlighting the Terminals in the upcoming Halo CE Anniversary. A neat look at what might be in store for fans of deeper Halo fiction, go check it out! (GrimBrother One 15:07:59 UTC) (permalink)
News June 6 2011
Guess who's back, back again.
What better way to cap off a day of exciting Halo news than to envelop yourself in the whimsical prose of Thy Great One, Frank O'Connor? Head on over to Halo Waypoint to read "The Halo Bulletin: The Inaugural Frankie Edition," which includes tidbits on the revamped graphics overhaul, why we won't be able to play "Halo: CE" competitive multiplayer over Xbox Live and more. Here's to a great start with 343! Thanks GrimBrother One! ;-) (Hitmonchan 23:56:09 UTC) (permalink)
IGN: Query Evolved
IGN reacts to the Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary announcement by providing their 5 burning questions that they have regarding the game. Take a look and see if you agree! (GrimBrother One 22:48:52 UTC) (permalink)
Accept No Substitute
Halo Waypoint has a great comparison gallery that takes a look at the differences - and similarities - between the Classic and Anniversary editions of Halo: Combat Evolved. Go look! ChrisTheeCrappy noticed first on our forums. (GrimBrother One 19:41:14 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint Looks Ahead
The Halo Waypoint crew has a great piece just up that talks a bit about today's announcememnts and their thoughts on moving the series forward. Go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 19:35:56 UTC) (permalink)
Awake
It really feels like anything I can write in this post is going to be incredibly underwhelming, but as you may have heard, there were two megaton announcements at E3 for Halo fans. First up was Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, a completely remastered and faithful return of the game that started it all. Maybe the biggest surprise was Microsoft closing the press conference with the announcement of a new Halo Trilogy, starting with Halo 4. Keep tuned here and of course to Halo Waypoint for all the latest as we can give it to you! (GrimBrother One 19:12:10 UTC) (permalink)
Apologies...
...for the delay in getting some of the major news out on such a crazy day for Halo fans everywhere. Stay tuned though, as we'll be delivering news and reactions from around the net all afternoon and evening!
Blindfire Team Zulu
The team over at FireTeamZulu are at it once again with another great campaign challenge for you all. "Jackals In The Courtyard" takes place in Halo 2, and sets some pretty lofty requirements upon you, including the use of the Blind Skull. If you are up for a challenge, go and check this out! (GrimBrother One 13:32:08 UTC) (permalink)
Halo United by Leviathan
Do you love Halo? Do you love amazing art work? Then you better direct your battle-hardened clicky finger over this way so that you may witness one of the most awesome pieces of Halo art you are likely to see. Leviathan is of course behind this work of greatness, having created it for an upcoming auction for the Child's Play charity. The final poster will be signed by members of Bungie, 343 Industries, and Robot Entertainment. Stellar artwork, and for an awesome cause too! You MUST check it out. After you wipe the drool off your mouth, you can drop by our forum and tell him what you think! While you are at it, don't forget to check out more of Leviathan's amazing work right here in his acclaimed Fistful Of Arrows comic. (GrimBrother One 13:25:50 UTC) (permalink)
News June 5 2011
Wonders on Waypoint
Halo Waypoint has some goodies for you this week - there's a spotlight on the darkest character in the Halo universe, and a pretty cool studio tour of the newest offices of the Rooster Teeth crew - a great look at the space where Red vs Blue (and other cool stuff) is created. As always, if you feel like you might have missed something, there's a very handy Weekly Wrapup post that contains links to all the interesting content they covered this week. Go explore! (Louis Wu 12:05:53 UTC) (permalink)
News June 4 2011
I am The Best
If you swing by the Rooster Teeth website, you'll find 'I am The Best', a hymn to Church pulled off the RvB Revelation soundtrack. I think Burnie thanks his lucky stars for auto-tune... but this is worth watching just for the rappin' Elites. Check it. (Louis Wu 21:11:15 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Shirt Transformation
DeviantARTist Bri-Creative received a shirt that was far too big for her at a Halo event; she hacked it up a bit, and what she was left with was far more appropriate for someone of her build. Nice! (And thanks to Raulboy for letting us know.) (Louis Wu 19:22:29 UTC) (permalink)
Halo E3 2011 Bingo Speculation
Over at Forward Unto Dawn, Dani has put together Halo E3 2011 Bingo Speculation - a game you can play on your own. We can ALL win! Thanks, DEEP NNN. (Louis Wu 19:19:38 UTC) (permalink)
Hedge says 'thanks' (or will, soon)
Hedgemony posted a promo image for a series of short stories in comic form he's planning on releasing soon to celebrate Halo's 10th Anniversary. Looking forward to them! (Louis Wu 19:16:10 UTC) (permalink)
Providing info about Megalo
Jeremiah has offered to provide some information about Megalo, the custom scripting language Bungie uses to create or modify gametypes. You can post questions in that thread - you might even get an answer! Thanks, FyreWulff. (Louis Wu 19:14:02 UTC) (permalink)
News June 3 2011
Weekly Update With Love
Bungie's back with the newest Weekly Update. There's a bit of Bungie Day clarification, some nice details on the June matchmaking update, and a Blame Stosh you'll get an absolute kick out of. Why aren't you reading it yet? Do it! (It's in our Weekly Update Archive, too. Shh! Don't tell Grim. -lwu) (GrimBrother One 21:56:33 UTC) (permalink)
Fails of the Weak, Volume 37
GHOSTKILL let us know about Fails of the Weak, Volume 37 - Jack and Geoff laugh at silliness on LIVE. Play good, or they'll show the world that you're not playing good. (Louis Wu 20:11:09 UTC) (permalink)
Number 8 With a Bullet
In 2008, Bungie made the 'Develop 100' - a list, put together by Develop Magazine, of the top 100 most successful game studios in the world (as measured by sales the previous year in the UK). They were #8, presumably based in large part on the sales of Halo 3. By 2010, they'd dropped to #16 - but it looks like they're back up to #8 on the 2011 list (which is now calculated based on Metacritic score, rather than UK sales data). Thanks to GhaleonEB for pointing this out on GAF. (Louis Wu 16:00:17 UTC) (permalink)
'Halo: CE' action figures to debut at E3
NeoGAF's wwm0nkey pointed out a new Play Arts Halo action figure line from Square Enix. The two new figures shown are from "Halo: CE" and will debut at this year's E3. The figures are envisioned by Square Enix, which might account for the discernible changes in the Mark V armor. How intriguing. Update: Frankie stopped by to elaborate on the action figures. According to him, the figures pull in design elements from every variant of the Chief to create unique, Japanese-flavored celebration items for the 10th anniversary. Update 2: The lovely bs angel just informed me that Halo Waypoint has photos and the official press release for the new line. (Hitmonchan 15:15:45 UTC) (permalink)
Roshambo, baybee
pete_the_duck's back with another funky gametype - you can actually play Rock Paper Scissors (Stone Paper Scissors for the Brits among you) in Halo: Reach! The creativity of Halo fans... it amazes me sometimes. (Louis Wu 14:15:36 UTC) (permalink)
Subject: Fire Team Zulu: Buck the Trend
FyreWulff has another entry in the Normalcy Week collection of FTZ Challenges - you're fighting through Kikowani Station, Tilt is on, and you're not allowed to kill Engineers. Thank goodness Normal Difficulty is allowed! Go give it a shot.
(Louis Wu 14:11:52 UTC) (permalink)
Green Screen Magic
Cellxz stopped in with a small clip of a Reach Elite... in a new environment. It's test footage - can't wait to see where it's going! (Louis Wu 14:09:15 UTC) (permalink)
News June 2 2011
I'm going to regret this, I bet
shiruken dropped us a line about a new Side Note with Paul Shelley, over at Treeskunk Productions. It was created on Monday, and in honor of Memorial Day here in the US, Shelley announced a new series called 'Wasted History'. Minimal Halo content until the end... (Louis Wu 18:19:32 UTC) (permalink)
Thursday CC Visual Offerings
Couple of new vids for you on Bungie's Comm Chatter today: ChrisOfTheDead has the twelfth installment of his Shenanigans series - 8 minutes of silliness... and Forge Spotlight is back with Episode 6 - quick looks at 4 new maps. Check these out! (Louis Wu 17:50:32 UTC) (permalink)
IGN's 'Top 10 Kills: 6/1/11'
This week's 'Top 10 Kills' from IGN is now available. I gasped as I watched No 8. and No. 6. These two clips make this worth the watch, and it's criminal they weren't placed higher. Go see for yourself! (Hitmonchan 15:58:32 UTC) (permalink)
UNSC Theater of War: Duplessie (Part 1)
Hedgemony snagged a supporting charater from his recent Romeo: One Shot comic, and put together a mini-tale. Well, the beginning of one. Nice work! (Louis Wu 15:51:44 UTC) (permalink)
Achievement HORSE #26 - RTX Edition
Achievement Hunter's Achievement HORSE #26, containing maps used at the RTX gathering last weekend, is now live - it's not a serious episode (Jack had a lot of practice before filming), but the maps look pretty wild. Go check 'em! (Louis Wu 15:33:14 UTC) (permalink)
If At First You Don't Succeed, Fail Again
Chris10023 wanted to let everyone know that Episode 9 of his Halo Reach Fails series is up. Why do I feel like any one of those could just as easily be me? Give it a look! (GrimBrother One 14:18:08 UTC) (permalink)
(Only) Footprints In The Sand
The Fire Team Zulu team is at it again with another awesome classic challenge called Treasure Beach. Think you have what it takes to storm up the coast on the Silent Cartographer using no vehicles? How about leaving those rockets and grenades behind as well? This is going to be a good one... Go and try it out! (GrimBrother One 14:13:04 UTC) (permalink)
Calimarnication
CruelLEGACEY Productions has a new Community Spotlight up highlighting Waypoint community member Calimar and his awesome Forge Maps. A good little writeup and some details and links to some pretty incredible maps. Definitely go and check it out! (GrimBrother One 14:08:16 UTC) (permalink)
News June 1 2011
'Halo and Philosophy' cover, release date
Back in March, Hedgemony found the abstracts for a book titled "Halo and Philosophy." According to Amazon, the 288-page book will be available next Tuesday. Also included in the listing is the book's cover. The list price is $20, but Amazon is selling it for $13.01. Update: Arithmomaniac let us know the book is shipping now (and that there's a Kindle version), and atticboy showed us a photo of the book in L.A.'s Little Tokyo. Thanks for the heads up! (Hitmonchan 20:42:00 UTC) (permalink)
Shaw, Fujikawa, Moorpheusl9...
Not really Halo news specifically, but HBO Community nonetheless. A special congrats to HBO-poster Moorpheusl9 for completing his 4-year Masters Degree in Physics. Awesome stuff, man! Feats like that deserve at least a little shout-out. Now can you get on that FTL drive please? (GrimBrother One 20:31:10 UTC) (permalink)
International Halo: Reach Grifball League sign-ups
Do you need some summer Grifball lovin'? The International Halo: Reach Grifball League (IHRGL) wants to be your season in the sun. Check out Goosechecka's post on GrifballHub for more information. (Hitmonchan 20:12:52 UTC) (permalink)
Fresh Ink
Deviantart user linux2501 showed off his sweet UNSC tattoo, complete with realistic blood drips. Wait -- is that actual blood? That's just gross, man. Clean yourself up. (Hitmonchan 20:11:23 UTC) (permalink)
Grab bag of goodies
T07WRX5 is selling a bunch of McFarlane and Joyride Halo stuff - check out the spreadsheet and see what you can grab! (Louis Wu 19:55:42 UTC) (permalink)
I Believe In Community Awesomeness
Also from the Waypoint crew, the My Little Pony-riding, bubblewand-wielding bs angel brings us a few more awesome bits from around the ever-creative Halo Community. Check out the AWESOME Museum of Humanity Forge Map inspired by the Halo 3 BELIEVE campaign. While you are there, also don't miss the next set of awesome Halo lockscreens for your smartphone done by FourteeTwo, and a pretty slick Brute Tatoo. Awesome stuff! (GrimBrother One 19:33:43 UTC) (permalink)
Energy S-Words
In a direct answer to prayers (albeit trivial ones), Halo Waypoint announced today that the Covenant Energy sword is the newest addition to the Halo Avatar Collection on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Woohoo! Thanks to the honorable and immaculate GrimBrother IV for noticing! (GrimBrother One 19:28:55 UTC) (permalink)
The Podcast of All Podcasts
Podtacular is planning on hosting a live podcast to celebrate Halo's 10th anniversary - should be a pretty entertaining event. Check out the full post - and mark June 18 on your calendar! (Louis Wu 17:41:53 UTC) (permalink)
Fat Tony
Sqorck found a pretty cool wire sculpture of the Master Chief at Reddit - I want one for my back yard! (If you're near Sioux Falls, SD, you can see this for yourself on Phillips, between 11th and 12th. Heck - you can even buy it, if you've got an extra $14k.) (Louis Wu 14:27:03 UTC) (permalink)
Fire Team Zulu: A Head Of The Game
Normalcy Week continues at Fire Team Zulu - today's challenge is, as expected, no Normal... you just have to get through Sierra 117, on Halo 3. The catch? No guns allowed. All kills have to be via skull kill! Sounds like fun. More details at FTZ. (Louis Wu 14:26:31 UTC) (permalink)
| June 2011 | |
