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 | March 2010 |  |
March 2010 Archived News
News March 31 2010
The Return Trailer - just for you
Yesterday, we mentioned that 'The Return', a story from the Halo: Evolutions collection, would begin appearing on Halo Waypoint this Saturday. Later tonight, the teaser for this series will appear on Waypoint's YouTube channel... but we're here to give you an early taste. You can download it from us, in glorious 720p, in either WMP9 (23.5 mb) or QuickTime (25 mb) formats - enjoy! (And thanks to the Waypoint crew!)
(Louis Wu 22:14:07 UTC) (permalink)
Sarge-ucopia
Ducain sent word of yet ANOTHER new Halo 1 trick the HIH guys have put together - BigGruntyThirst has gotten two Sarges, AND a Hog, to the end of AotCR. Pretty amazing! (Awesome launching.) (Louis Wu 20:37:26 UTC) (permalink)
Personalizing Your Heroes
JeuxVideo.com has interviewed Luke Smith and Brian Jarrard about the Player Investment system in Reach - the interview is in French, but Google does a tolerable job translating, and there are a bunch of new, pretty, screenshots. Thanks, Overdoziz.Update: MagniHarvald has done some nice translating, if you don't feel like wrestling with Google. (Louis Wu 19:51:51 UTC) (permalink)
Montagetrophe
Gear61 Owns submitted a ridiculous number of montages to Bungie's Comm Chatter today - and urk posted 'em all. All told, we're talking over 37 minutes of footage.
- Overclock, from Muggsy and How2BR
- Revolver, from Dutchy and Herbal T
- Let Me In, from Frezz
- Halo 3 Minitage 2, from Tranquility
- Off the Chain 3, from Stubby
- The Coming, from Coasten
- When the World Comes Down, from Trueshot
- Less Than 3, from Wisdom
Go watch. If you've got the time. (Louis Wu 16:59:54 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Info Deluge Continues - GI Drop Today
According to SketchFactor, the next big Reach info drop will hit GameInformer sometime today - keep your eyes open!
(Louis Wu 16:41:19 UTC) (permalink)
Average Joe: Piercingtiger
We missed this yesterday, but there was an interesting Average Joe article posted, featuring Piercingtiger, a Halo addict who draws in his spare time. Go read about someone who shares at least one love with you! (Louis Wu 16:40:01 UTC) (permalink)
Dropping In
The Chronicles of ODS Steve has been updated - #65 shows what happens after Steve's unfortunate run-in with a Scarab. Sometimes, bad luck is good. (Louis Wu 16:32:47 UTC) (permalink)
I think she took all the appropriate puns.
We missed this yesterday, but Hawty McBloggy found a pretty nice lookin' Energy Sword-based tattoo on her Internet hunts, and you can swing by her site to read about it. (Louis Wu 16:31:36 UTC) (permalink)
Something Big
Yesterday, an odd pic went up on Bungie's Twitter account - speculation has been hot and heavy, but so far, we don't know what we're dealing with. (It's not coming from 343 Industries or MS - this one is all Bungie.) (Louis Wu 16:20:29 UTC) (permalink)
News March 30 2010
The Fall of Reach - Pelican Artwork
Cody Brigan continues work on his Fall of Reach Flash movie - he's got a new Pelican for you to see. Noice! (Louis Wu 17:23:00 UTC) (permalink)
Bridge over the river, die!
V10L3N7 JAY stopped in with word of Section 3 Issue 12 - looks like he's serious about bringing it back! Very nice use of ODST screens. (Louis Wu 17:21:42 UTC) (permalink)
Tuesday BCC Movie Roundup
Movies available for your viewing pleasure today on Bungie's Comm Chatter:
- Transcendence makes a comeback (we originally posted it just over 3 years ago) - go enjoy the nostalgia.
- Status Quo is an MLG Pro team, and they've posted a Teamtage - 9 minutes showing off some of their highlights. It's not just about the gameplay - it's also about (in some cases) the competitors.
- Halo 3 Fails: Episode 27 is another collection of head-smacking moments - what better way to get past them than laugh at them?
Go watch. (Louis Wu 17:15:11 UTC) (permalink)
Showin' The Love
The Ke$ha Tik Tok Remix we mentioned yesterday is now supplemented with a video - Bryan Simon is taking the Reach Beta pretty seriously! Nice work - go watch. (Louis Wu 13:56:30 UTC) (permalink)
RvB: Revelation... coming soon!
Rooster Teeth announced the next season of Red vs Blue - it's called 'Relevation', and it debuts this Thursday! Get pumped. (Remember - they just hired Monty Oum, of Haloid fame. Stuff's about to get real...) (Louis Wu 13:55:49 UTC) (permalink)
Hit and Run
Tied the Leader has posted a highlight reel, created by H3Wheelmen.com and showcasing Warthog driving (and Warthog destruction) from all around the Good Game Network ... 8 minutes of vehicular carnage. Great footage, great camera angles, great gameplay! Go watch. Thanks, XerxdeeJ.
(Louis Wu 12:39:49 UTC) (permalink)
The Return, Part 1 - on Waypoint Saturday
We got word that another story from Halo: Evolutions will be making its way to Halo Waypoint - The Return kicks off a four-week run this Saturday. The full Waypoint schedule for the week is now up at halowaypoint.com. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 12:38:16 UTC) (permalink)
Voices in your Head
In a masterful piece of storytelling, urk takes us back to the early days of Halo's development, and the evolution of the Flood - where the idea came from, what it started as, how it looked before being fleshed out (so to speak). It's a fascinating read. And it comes with some great concept art that you may not have seen before. Go read! (Louis Wu 12:36:29 UTC) (permalink)
News March 29 2010
Playing with Hunters
Tony 'ubald' Marcotte has created another pair of renders ('Pan_test01' and 'Pan_test02') using the Hunter and Marine models he started working with a few weeks ago. The second one includes some Elite renders that add some killer atmosphere to the pic! Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 20:28:17 UTC) (permalink)
Tag and Release: Hell
The Tag and Release feature this week looks at orange screenshots. Mostly. Go see what got tagged! (Louis Wu 18:32:23 UTC) (permalink)
Casting for big 'uns
The newest Bungie Podcast is up over at Bungie.net - Chris Carney and Sage Merrill dish the dirt about Reach. Just over an hour long - go listen! (Louis Wu 18:13:39 UTC) (permalink)
Top 10 Kills Episode 51
Anoj has released his Top 10 Kills Episode 51 - Top 10 Kills on Narrows. Sticks, snipes, and some funky shenanigans. Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 17:08:12 UTC) (permalink)
Deeee-em-ar
Bryan Simon is back with a new song - it's called Ke$ha Tik Tok Remix - Halo Reach Beta. You can find it linked from his Twitter account. (Thanks, I guess, to Bungietweets, who re-tweeted it... sort of.) (Louis Wu 16:26:52 UTC) (permalink)
OXM talks to Marcus
Last week, a video went up on Xbox LIVE's Spotlight - it was an interview with Marcus Lehto, recorded by OXM at the Game Developers Conference. There wasn't a huge amount of new content, but for folks looking for every tidbit of Reach coverage out there, it's worth a look. It got posted on YouTube yesterday. Thanks, Zeouterlimits. (Louis Wu 15:39:10 UTC) (permalink)
Without End - Part One
Tommy92L is back with a new film - it's called 'Without End - Part One' and it tells a story of a Spartan escaping a crumbling, polluted civilization, hoping to start fresh. Nice cinematography - intrigued to see where this goes! (Louis Wu 13:26:16 UTC) (permalink)
Last Act
TDSpiral has signed on to Cody Brigan's Fall of Reach movie project - swing by and see the latest piece of artwork he's created for this! (Louis Wu 13:25:27 UTC) (permalink)
News March 28 2010
If Video Games Were Real
Gtag=Reluctant Chaos found a video called 'If Video Games Were Real' - smosh.com took a look at a few video games to see how they'd play if they were realistic - Halo is among the targets. (Louis Wu 20:20:40 UTC) (permalink)
Nine Levels Underground
NeoGAF's Shake Appeal has taken a literary look at Halo 3: ODST - and drawn some pretty impressive parallels between the game and Dante's Inferno. It's a masterpiece of educated videogame discussion, and a fascinating read - and it makes me more enamored with Bungie's story-telling after seeing some of the subtleties that worked their way into the narrative. Give it a read! (Warning: it's quite long - nearly 8,000 words.) (Louis Wu 17:24:30 UTC) (permalink)
Not A Halo Ring
Dani, the man behind Forward Unto Dawn, received an in-game message last night during HaloGAF's weekly custom games. The message came from his girlfriend, and was facilitated by DiabolicalBagel, a friend. The message resulted in a shiny new ring for Dani, some unprintable words for Bagel, and a pretty cool story to tell to the kids someday. Congrats, Dani (and Ellen)! (Louis Wu 17:02:35 UTC) (permalink)
The Gift of Mercy
Nabsuh let us know about The Gift of Mercy, a machinima project directed by Drift0r that uses Halo 3, Modern Warfare 2, and straight-up CGI to tell a story of misunderstanding and betrayal. Narration is done by bs angel. Overall, a great piece of work - go watch it!
(Louis Wu 16:29:09 UTC) (permalink)
A strong vision, from the beginning
Marcus is back with more information about the Campaign portion of Halo: Reach, over on the Reach Developer Blog. Give it a read to see the overall roadmap for game development that Reach is using to get from the team's brains to your Xbox. Go read! (Louis Wu 15:48:36 UTC) (permalink)
Spherical Panorama: Valhalla
HaLo2FrEeEk is back with another cool panorama - this time, it's a 20mb version of Valhalla. Check his forum post for details on how it was created, then swing by to his panorama viewer to play with it! (The Little World version of the map is pretty cool, all by itself.) And if you have a PC, and like the idea of this as a screensaver, he's posted download links for both this panorama and the last one (Epitaph). More are coming! (Louis Wu 15:43:54 UTC) (permalink)
News March 27 2010
Adding the extra spices
SoundWorks Collection is a site devoted to 'profiling the greatest and upcoming sound minds from around the world' - and they've posted some material they recorded at the Game Developer Conference this year. The second video on the page is an interview with Marty O'Donnell, talking about where he came from, and how he's carved out his niche at Bungie. There's a bit about where Reach's music and sound progress is. Great piece! (Louis Wu 19:58:13 UTC) (permalink)
HBOFFPotW - 0326
Almost missed this - kabu stopped by to announce that the HBO Fan Fic Pick of the Week is live on the HBOFF forum - (ENS) Rabid_Gallagher wrote it up, complete with pics. It's EXTREME! (Louis Wu 19:55:53 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Cortana, v2.0
MsValentine remade her Cortana costume - a second iteration of the Halo 3 Cortana - for MegaCon 2010, which took place earlier this month. It's pretty amazing, and you can look through a collection of shots she sent us for a gallery here. If you like what you see... swing by her site and click on the Cortana shot near the top of the main page; there's a much bigger collection. Awesome stuff! (Louis Wu 16:26:35 UTC) (permalink)
Surfeit of Talent
Marcus Lehto has updated the Reach Developer Blog with an apology - and some serious excitement. I guess it's going well! (Louis Wu 14:56:53 UTC) (permalink)
Animals
This week's Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots list is call 'Animals' - and there are some seriously creative shots in there! Check 'em.
(Louis Wu 14:53:02 UTC) (permalink)
Friday Caption Fun - Play on Saturday!
We totally missed Friday Caption Fun, Round 85, posted at Hawty McBloggy's yesterday. Luckily, she went on vacation, and didn't notice! Bonus days to post... she's got last week's caption winners, plus a new (well, old, but classic) shot up for your captioning pleasure - so go pleasure yourself! (While you're there, check out a 7'6" Master Chief... made of paper!) (Louis Wu 14:52:25 UTC) (permalink)
Investments that Pay Off
The Bungie Weekly Update is live (either on Bungie.net, or in our Weekly Update Archive), and it's full of clarifications about the Player Investment System Reach will have. You need to go read it for answers to your burning questions. (Louis Wu 00:22:20 UTC) (permalink)
News March 26 2010
Firefight Friday: New Dawn
FyreWulff is back with another Firefight Friday - this one is called 'New Dawn', and it's available at every difficulty level. And the new site design is live! Go check it out - and kill some Covenant! (Louis Wu 18:17:54 UTC) (permalink)
Pointillism and Jenga
Jaime Griesemer's talk at the Game Developers Conference this year discussed why Bungie changed the time between shots with the Sniper Rifle from 0.5 seconds to 0.7 seconds in Halo 3 - and now you can download a PDF containing all 130+ slides of his presentation, along with notes. Great read! (Louis Wu 18:12:15 UTC) (permalink)
Montagia
Couple of new montages for you, courtesy of Bungie's Comm Chatter: Glory and Fitzy provided the gameplay for Second Chance - very nice editing by Dudeman27. And Kravedwhipped up a short montage called Welcome to Bangkok with some slick gameplay. Go watch! (Louis Wu 18:11:47 UTC) (permalink)
ATF Radio #8
Arm the Flag has a new podcast online - discussion topics include how their site got deleted, how cool urk is, and Reach. Go listen! Thanks, urk. You're cool. (Louis Wu 18:11:24 UTC) (permalink)
After the Game
Sean Bradley (you might remember the name; he's created some amazing Halo universe armor and weapons) has released a ten-minute live-action film with his brother called 'After the Game'. It'll give you a bit of an idea of what happens after you turn off your Xbox... (Seems like Master Chief thinks cats are in the Covenant.) There are two versions: the 'Fanboy Cut' includes additional footage for gamers, while the 'Film Fest Cut' features a different plot and ending. Amazing piece of work! (Lots of little tidbits for long-time Halo fans - and movie fans - in there!)
(Louis Wu 16:05:43 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Just two new pieces in the Fan Fiction section - today - go read 'em! (Louis Wu 16:04:00 UTC) (permalink)
TPP: The Rest of The Mythic Map Pack - Week 1
Brian Gilmore let us know that the Teabag Prevention Team is back with more Halo 3 tips - this time, they're focusing on Heretic. Swing by to learn how to not suck! (Louis Wu 16:03:23 UTC) (permalink)
Field Strip.
Stuntmutt made good (good? wrong word) use of the One One Se7en Stripmaker to whip up a new forum comic - things you can worry about with respect to the new Player Investment system!
(Louis Wu 16:03:02 UTC) (permalink)
The Fall of Reach - in Flash
Cody Brigan is setting to work on a Flash-based movie of The Fall of Reach (the book) - a few days ago, he was looking for voice actors, and today, he's shown off a tiny snippet of footage, so you can see the overall style of the project. Looks promising! (Louis Wu 16:02:24 UTC) (permalink)
Bloodlines #4 out now
Hedgemony noticed that Halo Bloodlines #4 is now on store shelves - go grab a copy!
(Louis Wu 16:02:07 UTC) (permalink)
Microsoft ExpertZone - getting Reach Beta early?
ElusiveEagle found a link for a potential source for early Reach Beta access. You have to be a member to get in... but apparently members will be getting access to the beta in April. Hmm... (Louis Wu 16:01:05 UTC) (permalink)
Action Figure Charity Auction Summary
seraph xxvii stopped in with word of the charity auction he hosted recently (original details are here) - once again, I'm floored by the generosity. (A little saddened that not all the figures sold - but floored by the generosity.) (Louis Wu 16:00:21 UTC) (permalink)
An Assault Rifle for the Ages
Pete Cooper dropped in last night with a pic of the MA5C for Operation Chastity... completed. Looks gorgeous!
(Louis Wu 15:59:48 UTC) (permalink)
News March 25 2010
Brainnnnsssss
The Double XP Weekend Playlist this week is Living Dead - get online and kill yourself some zombies! Update: the full playlist breakdown is up on Bungie.net now. (Louis Wu 21:05:03 UTC) (permalink)
Kotobukiya Steel Spartan - under $50, shipped
dCon V found a superb deal on a Halo 3 Steel Spartan ArtFX 12" Statue - use the link and code, and you can have one of these puppies for $47, shipped. This is less than half of what they used to cost. (Louis Wu 20:55:16 UTC) (permalink)
March goes out with a podcast
This weekend will see two separate podcasts broadcasting live - The Running Riot will be at PAX East, with a show kicking off at 10 am EST, while Zoxin It Up! LIVE will be taking place 12 hours later, at 10pm EST. Thanks to Bungie's Comm Chatter for the reminder on both of these!
(Louis Wu 20:54:28 UTC) (permalink)
Buy Oonsk - 5000 cR
Back a bit earlier than expected - time to summarize the cool news of the day. The reveal (as expected) was Halo: Reach's Player Investment System - it's the way Bungie's going to keep you playing Reach... a LOT. Info, as it showed up for me:
- The initial reveal happened at G4TV - an article, coupled with a 7-minute video (mostly just a discussion between two editors), explains the system, and how it's going to work.
- Tied the Leader wrote up a glowing recommendation of the system, and why it shows that Bungie loves you. (Thanks, urk.)
- A large discussion involving lots of cool stuff happened on our forum - join in. (Thanks, BuzzJuice, for kicking it off.)
- G4TV updated their image gallery with 12 shots of the system at work - thanks again, urk.
Go absorb it all - pretty cool stuff! (Louis Wu 20:39:30 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Info Falls... Today
Yesterday on NeoGAF, ManCannon (aka SketchFactor) updated the crowd on a few upcoming tidbits - there WILL be a Friends & Family portion of the Reach Beta (and it kicks off a few days before the public Beta), the Sage/Carney podcast is coming next week, and (most imminent) a new round of multiplayer coverage drops today. HBO will be dark most of the day, but keep your eye on Bungie.net (or the Halo: Reach thread at NeoGAF) for links; we'll do our best to summarize this afternoon or tonight. (Read Sketch's post for yourself; I only pulled out the best parts.) (Louis Wu 09:18:10 UTC) (permalink)
A bobcast (and Bungie) tribute to ~B.B.
bobcast has a really cool poster that he's selling as a tribute to BerserkerBarage - it's been signed by dozens of Bungie employees, and it's being auctioned off right now; proceeds will be donated to Rebuild Dayton Together, a nonprofit B.B. worked for before he died. Check his forum post for details, then swing by eBay and bid; you've still got nearly a week! (Louis Wu 09:16:01 UTC) (permalink)
SketchFactor interviewed at IndustryGamers
Podtacular co-host BrentGamer let us know about an interview with Brian Jarrard over at IndustryGamers - he talks about the Halo IP, the recurring idea of a Halo movie, and why they're not talking about what's next for Bungie... yet. They're clearly focused on Reach, at least publicly - and this interview lets Brian point out what they're trying to achieve with it. It's a monster article - give it a read! (What caught BrentGamer's attention, and Kotaku's, was Brian's speculation that the success of Reach might be the springboard that the Halo movie has needed to get going again... mouthwatering!) Extra thanks to TRR's Kete for finding this originally. (Louis Wu 09:15:08 UTC) (permalink)
M12-LRV Warthog for Trackmania
Digikid told us about a fan-made Warthog that's driveable in a free PC game called Trackmania Nations Forever - check it out! (Louis Wu 09:14:39 UTC) (permalink)
Fact: Dress for Success.
justin sent us a link to a really bizarre student animation - it's a children's program with a few odd characters... and a bilingual potato. Why is this news on a Halo site? Because the potato... is Steve Downes, the voice of Master Chief.
(Louis Wu 09:14:00 UTC) (permalink)
News March 24 2010
Community Spotlight: ODST Recon
The Bungie.net Community Spotlight this week shines on ODST Recon - go read about who they are, and check out some of their favorite files in the Bungie Favorites section! (Louis Wu 22:47:04 UTC) (permalink)
EU Grifball - signups end in less than a week
The European Grifball League signups are open - and will be until March 29. Swing by Grifball.com for full details! (Louis Wu 22:46:36 UTC) (permalink)
Kerlo's Old School Montage
Quick catch-up on news from Bungie's Comm Chatter before the clock rolls over... starting with a pretty nice montage from a Polish Halo 3 player, Kerlo. The man is scary-good with a sniper rifle. 11 minutes long - but quite watchable.
(Louis Wu 22:45:52 UTC) (permalink)
Backup
A third comic update for the day - TTL Demag0gue stopped by to announce that Reclaimer 243 was online. Ferial gloats, while the Reclaimer waits to see what will happen. (Louis Wu 14:33:25 UTC) (permalink)
ODST - for $20
If you don't have a copy of ODST yet, but really want to particpate in the Reach Beta in just over a month, you might want to swing by GameFly - they're offering used copies of ODST (with both discs) for $20. Nice deal! Thanks to NeoGAF's giga for noticing. (Louis Wu 12:38:28 UTC) (permalink)
Awwww...
Hawty McBloggy found a cute Grunt tattoo on DeviantART - don'tcha just wanna hug him? (Well, except for the fact that he's about to explode...)
(Louis Wu 12:37:57 UTC) (permalink)
VGL on PBS - Coming Soon
Back in December, we mentioned a PBS special on VideoGamesLive, to be recorded on February 5 in New Orleans. As far as I can tell, this was postponed until April 1 - you can read the latest press release for it on their website. (Broadcast is slated for July 31.) Marty O'Donnell will be among those in attendance. (Louis Wu 12:35:17 UTC) (permalink)
Chronicles of ODS Steve: Fizzle
ODS Steve #64 (Fizzle) went live this morning - don't you just hate it when your equipment malfunctions? (Louis Wu 12:34:36 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Buffy Theme
AssaultGodzilla posted another of his older Halo music videos - this one is set to the Buffy theme; he put it together for Halloween 2008. Seems a bit more disjointed than some of his newer work... (Louis Wu 12:21:34 UTC) (permalink)
Section 3 - Issue 11
V10L3N7 JAY stopped in yesterday with a new episode of UNSC Section 3 - we haven't heard from him since November 2007! Go catch up. (Louis Wu 12:19:25 UTC) (permalink)
News March 23 2010
Man of a Thousand Maps (well, a few, anyway)
This went live yesterday, but it's 10 minutes long, and it took until today to find the time to actually watch it: NOKYARD, known for his Grifball maps and his speedrunning, was interviewed by the Halo Waypoint team, letting him show off some of the maps he's built (Grifball and non-Grifball alike). You'll have to visit Halo Waypoint on Xbox LIVE to watch this - but it's pretty cool! (Louis Wu 19:15:41 UTC) (permalink)
Reachified
Bungie has updated their Reach Project page - new information revealed recently is now summarized for posterity. Swing by to read about Arena, Armor Abilities, and easy links to all the Reach trailers! (Louis Wu 19:11:46 UTC) (permalink)
ATF: Ur Doin it Wrong AGAIN!
AnTi PROx sent word that Arm The Flag is running a new contest - create a demotivational poster-style Halo 3 screenshot (Halo 3 or Halo 3: ODST), and you could win a 1600 point card. There are some rules - swing by their forum for full details. (Louis Wu 18:48:46 UTC) (permalink)
Ecko shirts - still at Hot Topic
Last summer, we mentioned some Halo t-shirts from Marc Ecko - they're all gone from the ShopEcko.com website, but according to xoools, who works at Hot Topic, a couple of them (Halo Babes and UNSC Sniper) are still available in those stores. Probably not a universal taste kind of thing... (Louis Wu 18:43:32 UTC) (permalink)
I was gonna skip to the end, but...
Omnicent is the subject of the latest 'Average Joe' interview at Bungie.net - go read which Halo games he liked, and why! (Along with plenty of other stuff about his life.) (Louis Wu 18:02:43 UTC) (permalink)
Tuesday Afternoon Vids
A foursome of new vids for you, courtesy of Bungie's Comm Chatter:
- LaCoz3 released The Fresh Feeling 2 - video quality could use some work, but there are some slick sticks in there.
- Mirific has created his last Halo 3 montage - editing is a tad overdone, mb.
- Another LaCoz3 montage - this one is called 'Shine', and features 100% MLG action. Same quality issues as the first LaCoz3 vid.
- Unidentified Failing Object 3 is a Halo 3 Funtage from Billdebeast - mostly it's clips of him doing good stuff, and his friends doing bad stuff. (I think Scapegoat413 should stay out of hogs on Avalanche...)
Go watch. (Louis Wu 17:59:58 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: ODTB
We missed this when it went live, on March 5 - but over at NeoGAF, squidhands pointed it out today: Virtual Shackles posted 'Halo: ODTB', introducing a new feature for Halo: Reach multiplayer. Just what we need! (Louis Wu 16:53:40 UTC) (permalink)
Tuesday Morning Artwork
Hedgemony has an interesting roundup of Halo creations he found on DeviantART today - sculpture, artwork, modded nerf guns. Go look! (Louis Wu 12:04:04 UTC) (permalink)
Wait... what?
So according to IGN, there's a new service out there - GameCrush says they'll hook you up with a girl gamer to play with online... for a fee. Four 360 games are included in the list of playables... and Halo 3 is one of those four. $8.25 buys you 6-10 minutes of 1v1 time. GameCrush apparently modeled its pricing structure on the cost of buying a girl a drink at a bar... I'm pretty curious to know if this model has any hope at all of surviving. (Louis Wu 12:01:17 UTC) (permalink)
I need a... keyboard?
mattroe bought a Microsoft mouse and keyboard... and was amused by the use of Halo imagery on the PC products. I guess when you own an intellectual property, you might as well get it out there... (Louis Wu 11:28:20 UTC) (permalink)
Quiet and Flashy
Avateur noticed a Spartan Gundam at Kotaku - yes, it's custom-made. (Louis Wu 11:26:42 UTC) (permalink)
The thing on the left is the brake!
MattDratt is working on a HaloCE single player map - his AI is driving warthogs already. (Get off the road - NOW) (Louis Wu 11:23:43 UTC) (permalink)
News March 22 2010
Combine ME2 and Halo... what do you get?
Pretty cool little animation from Nabsuh this afternoon - check it out! (Louis Wu 20:43:40 UTC) (permalink)
Wow, that's... wow.
There's a new Tag and Release feature up at Bungie.net - the term is 'owned', and the sample screens are pure ownage. Can you find better ones? Give it a try. (Louis Wu 17:13:05 UTC) (permalink)
I lost the - DANGIT
A new Grin + Bear It went live at Hawty McBloggy's yesterday - warning, you'll Lose the Game if you read it. Oops - never mind, you just did anyway. (Louis Wu 16:50:54 UTC) (permalink)
Mapping Reach: FUD Delivers
Dani continues his quest to position 'Forward Unto Dawn' as the spiritual successor to 'Ascendant Justice' - there's a new article up called 'Mapping Reach', and it's a doozy. It takes a close look at the tidbits about map layout we've been served so far, and does a spectacular job of putting forth some ideas about what might be coming later this year. Great attention to detail, great read. Check it out. Update: site is down right now (Monday, 8:54pm UTC), sit tight! Update 2: Looks like things are back to normal, mostly. Update 3: we've set up a temporary home for this article (and any other FUD articles Dani manages to get online, while his site is down). (Louis Wu 15:11:50 UTC) (permalink)
AotCR Bridge Descent: the start of a full study
Rockslider has decided to summarize the ways down from the first AotCR Bridge - he's got a few methods up now. He's still looking for more info. Give his forum post a read, watch the videos, read the commentary on his website, and see if you can help him out! (Louis Wu 14:54:34 UTC) (permalink)
Spring Elite Bundle Gets Sweeter
Looks like Best Buy is stepping up the recent Xbox Elite Spring Bundle (first presented by Amazon, then by Gamestop) - you can still get an Elite with Forza 3 and ODST for $300 - but now you get a $50 gift card, too. Noice! (In Australia, it's called the 'Elite Autumn Pack', and runs $449 (AUD). That's significantly more than its US counterpart (at the moment, it's about $410, US) - but it's still a better deal than it used to be.) (Louis Wu 13:26:24 UTC) (permalink)
WatchThis!Gaming: Halo 3, Top 5 Plays, Episode 9
WatchThis!Gaming is up to Episode 9 of their Halo 3, Top 5 Plays - mostly multikills, but one cool delayed sticky. Go watch 'em! (Louis Wu 13:26:04 UTC) (permalink)
News March 21 2010
Sunday Night Fight: Forge Hub vs NeoGAF
Not too long ago, Forge Hub and HaloGAF met on the field of battle (that is, Halo 3 multiplayer) for a best-of-three shootout. A Humpday-style writeup went up at ForgeHub yesterday (thanks, Roche178). Good games, and a great writeup! (Louis Wu 18:17:01 UTC) (permalink)
One Life Remaining S01E12
One Life Remaining, Season 1 Episode 12 is now live - Anthony, Chad and Peter discuss Anthony's bad date, Kathryn and Chris think about ways to get Anthony back. It's a soap opera... without any of the scant clothing. (Louis Wu 18:12:34 UTC) (permalink)
17's Labyrinth - solved
Morpheus posted a couple of links for videos that will help you solve 17's Labyrinth (we mentioned it Friday). If you were stuck - you shouldn't be, any more.
(Louis Wu 18:08:23 UTC) (permalink)
News March 20 2010
Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots: Swords
This week's Top Ten list at Halo 3 Screenshots focuses on Swords... and the pics range from funny to seriously badass. Go see. (Louis Wu 19:34:15 UTC) (permalink)
HBOFFPotW-0319
kabu stopped in at our forum to announce the HBO Fan Fic Pick of the Week, for 3/19 - thanks to eb4642 for writing it up! (Louis Wu 19:33:57 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Waypoint, ECCC Roundup
Jon Goff sent word of a roundup of pics from last week's Emerald City ComicCon, as seen at the Halo Waypoint booth - if you've got a Facebook account, go look! (Don't forget to swing by Waypoint on Xbox LIVE - there's still new content every day!)
McFarlane Halo Series 8 Photos
TDSpiral pointed out some pics of McFarlane Series 8 figures, over at Spawn.com - check 'em out!
(Louis Wu 19:32:36 UTC) (permalink)
Heads Up
It's Headwear Saturday at Hawty McBloggy's - check out a Daily Doodle she found, where MC finds out that Stormtroopers don't always have it so good, and then take a look at a cool piece of wearable headwear (though it's 75 degrees outside right now - I'm not thinking much about fleece at this point). Tomorrow: a salmon for your scalp! (No, not really.) (Louis Wu 19:31:39 UTC) (permalink)
Arena answers, on one page
As we mentioned on Friday afternoon, Ferrex was answering lots of questions about Arena on the Bungie.net forum - we've made his answers available in a more compact format for your reading pleasure. Give it a read! (Louis Wu 01:12:23 UTC) (permalink)
It's all shiny. And stuff.
The Bungie Weekly Update continues the pattern of the last few days - information, and lots of it. Swing by and give it a read - there's lots of clarifications about new game modes and social features. You can, as always, read it in our Weekly Update Archive. (In fact, this week, there's a tangible advantage to doing so - the UI screens are linked to large versions, a feature not (currently) available on the Bungie.net copy.) (Louis Wu 00:14:44 UTC) (permalink)
News March 19 2010
Arena Questions - and Answers
Overdoziz pointed out a Bungie.net thread in which Ferrex is answering a bunch of questions about Arena. Go check out what's already up - we might put up an edited transcript later, to make reading a bit easier. (He's on a lunch break right now.) (Louis Wu 20:05:41 UTC) (permalink)
Building a Better Experience - from the Ground Up
More coolness from Shacknews: Brian Leahy adds a third article to his Reach coverage, this one loking at Reach's Matchmaking and 'Active Roster'. You absolutely need to read this if you play Halo multiplayer. (Louis Wu 18:16:42 UTC) (permalink)
Want a cool Reach poster? Visit BGN.
BusyGamerNews.com is giving away a big bag of schwag collected at the Emerald City ComicCon last week - included is one of those cool Halo Reach posters available at the show. (The runner-up also gets one of those posters - that's two shots at a very cool item.) All you gotta do is visit the giveaway page and post a comment. You've got until next Thursday to get your post in - be sure to read all the rules for specifics. Thanks, Dave!
(Louis Wu 17:15:44 UTC) (permalink)
FB5D: Spring Break Screenshot Contest
Facility B5D is hosting a Spring Break Screenshot Contest - take a cool shot, win 1600 points. There are a few rules - check the newspost for full details. Thanks again, urk. (Louis Wu 17:15:19 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Fails: Episode 26
The latest episode of Halo 3 Fails shows off some epic bad luck and bad judgement - funny stuff. Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 17:14:50 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention Presents: Firefight - Windward
Brian Gilmore let us know about the final tips page for the ODST Firefight series at Geekscape; Teabag Prevention Presents: Firefight - Windward. Wanna see some tips for getting through this level? Go read! Now that ODST is finished, they're going to head back and finish up their Halo 3 collection, and the end result will be an all-encompassing Tips page, to get you up to speed quickly. Check 'em! (Louis Wu 15:35:31 UTC) (permalink)
Rat's Nest Chapter 25, continued
bloogyo is back with three more pages of Rat's Nest Chapter 25. New gear and a surprise...
(Louis Wu 15:34:56 UTC) (permalink)
Firefight Friday: Hero Heroics
There's a new Firefight Friday offering from FyreWulff - Hero Heroics is an unrestricted Lost Platoon challenge! Go check it out. (Remember, you've got one more week to participate if you'd like an exclusive beta-tester marking associated with your profile on the Firefight Friday site once it goes live. (You can see a mockup of what it looks like today, too.)) (Louis Wu 14:01:18 UTC) (permalink)
Friday Caption Fun, Round 84
It's Friday, so it's time for another Friday Caption Fun episode at Hawty McBloggy's - Hawty makes fun of me for seeing sex where there wasn't any (she's SUCH a bad influence), and posts a shot of a Bungie staff meeting for your captioning pleasure. While you're there, thinking of some funny thing to write about Jason Jones, be sure to check out an awkward in-game moment... it's funny. (Louis Wu 13:58:02 UTC) (permalink)
So what's YOUR QB Rating?
ShackNews posted a more in-depth look at Halo: Reach's Arena system, building on the article they posted yesterday. It's a fascinating read, and the more you learn, the harder it's going to be to wait through the 6 weeks remaining until the Beta goes live. And it looks like they'll have even more for you later today.
(Louis Wu 12:50:25 UTC) (permalink)
Mandlbaum in: 'Core Tempature' [Part 5]
TripleZeroFilms has posted Mandlbaum in: "Core Tempature" [Part 5] - singing henchmen, rants about stupidity, and plump, juicy salsa. Will Evile Profesure get away? Will Roboclaw forgive his old henchman? Will Master S meet Alex Trebek? You'll have to watch to find out. (Louis Wu 12:49:37 UTC) (permalink)
Double XP Weekend: Maption Sack
This weekend's Double XP Playlist (which went live yesterday afternoon) is Maption Sack - a collection of community created maps with a variety of slayer and objective gametypes. Tons of fun - but be careful of the 4-player teams of Generals you seem to meet every other game...
(Louis Wu 12:49:08 UTC) (permalink)
17's Labyrinth
Morpheus told us about 17's Labyrinth, a new puzzle map from Unlucky17. There's a bit of info in his forum post, as well as a link to the map and gametype. Are you up for it? (Louis Wu 12:48:41 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
There are four new pieces up for your perusal in the Fan Fiction section this week - go read! (Louis Wu 12:48:03 UTC) (permalink)
News March 18 2010
The Planes are Landing!
According to the Reach Developer Blog, the team is shifting back towards Campaign - just because YOU'RE waiting for the multiplayer Beta, doesn't mean THEY'RE sitting around doing nothing! (Louis Wu 20:37:57 UTC) (permalink)
Eclipse Phase absorbs a familiar character
Ross Mills pointed out that a sample character in Eclipse Phase (a recent pen & paper RPG) is a pretty close match for Cortana. You can see a couple of sizes of the image in question in this post. (Louis Wu 20:30:37 UTC) (permalink)
Halopen Pencast 18
Firestorm12 sent word that the Halopen Pencast 18 is now online - it's all discussion about Reach. You can download it from PodBean, or discuss it on the Halopen forum. (Louis Wu 20:18:51 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Multiplayer Advances
As expected, Shacknews has a pretty interesting article online right now - it discusses some of the new Matchmaking and social features coming in Halo: Reach. Active Roster and Arena, terms we've heard before but had no explanation for, are now laid out - along with a description of better voting options, queue-joining, new party handling, and more. It's absolutely worth a read - check it out! (And then try to be patient, May 3 will be here soon.) (Louis Wu 18:45:04 UTC) (permalink)
Video Thursday
A couple of new videos, courtesy of Bungie's Comm Chatter today: Peeps created his first Halo 3 montage - Peeps likes his sniper rifle. And Hudson Creations whipped up 'The Wheel', a short Halo 3 machinima about the wheel of death. (Louis Wu 18:34:08 UTC) (permalink)
Shacknews has got something Reach-related today...
Dani was kind enough to stop by with a summary of some information dug up by the HaloGAF crowd - looks like SOMETHING is getting revealed today... we'll have to wait and see what. (Louis Wu 13:03:13 UTC) (permalink)
There you were!
This is why you want to watch how much rage talk you allow yourself to spew after a bad match. Thanks, Tashi0106, for a seriously funny look at self-delusion. (Louis Wu 12:56:37 UTC) (permalink)
Operation Chastity, through the eyes of Halo.fr
Aymeric Neau, of Halo.fr, sent word of an article (with lots of pics) about Operation Chastity - it's in French, but Google will translate acceptably. A bunch of interesting tidbits in there... go give it a read! There's a second part of the article coming next week, with the promise of a huge reveal... so keep your eyes peeled! (Louis Wu 12:50:40 UTC) (permalink)
News March 17 2010
Play Ball!
padraig08 whipped up a wallpaper that uses the Halo skull logo - swing by DeviantART for a look! (Louis Wu 19:48:54 UTC) (permalink)
WIP MA5C for Operation Chastity
Pete Cooper stopped in with a work in progress - it's an Assault Rifle (the MA5C) for Operation Chastity. What do you think? (Louis Wu 19:47:22 UTC) (permalink)
Updated Favorites: Monitor Built
It's Wednesday, so the Bungie Favorites page has been updated with another batch of files from Monitor Built. Swing by Bungie.net to read about one of the maps in particular. (Louis Wu 18:31:59 UTC) (permalink)
Sticky Bomb... Sir?
GandalfTheGreat put together a montage of Halo 2 sticks - nice memories! Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 18:31:08 UTC) (permalink)
Descended Vale: Conquest, Reborn
We don't often get looks at individual Forged maps - but Bungie.net highlighted one they picked up from Forge Hub this morning, and it looks pretty cool! Swing by and read about Descended Vale - or visit Forge Hub and view screenshots and a download link!
(Louis Wu 18:30:47 UTC) (permalink)
2old2play 40+ers say goodbye to Halo 2
The over-40 crowd at 2old2play held their final Halo 2 tournament last night - DEEP NNN has a few links for you, if you want to see how it went (and where this all started). Old folks playing an old game! (Louis Wu 15:54:40 UTC) (permalink)
Going Full Circle
OXM UK has posted a preview for Halo: Reach - there's not a lot new in there, but it's a decent summary of what we know so far. Thanks, Schlist. (Louis Wu 15:07:06 UTC) (permalink)
Smells Like Ranch Bugles
Comedian Aisha Tyler (a confirmed voice actor for Halo Reach) did a little ETC Extra interview in which she admits her obsession with Halo in a pretty funny piece. Thanks, Hedgemony (who found this via Twitter). She also mentioned that Coby Bell will be doing voice work. (Louis Wu 11:58:14 UTC) (permalink)
I looked for sexual innuendo... Hawty?
Chris Sauer noticed a Halo-themed tattoo on College Humor - I'm thinking that girl might have some trouble explaining that to her grandkids in a few decades.
(Louis Wu 11:57:46 UTC) (permalink)
Chronicles of ODS Steve: Protection
The latest Chronicles of ODS Steve (#63, 'Protection') is now online at Hawty McBloggy's - Steve is full of surprises! (Louis Wu 11:56:44 UTC) (permalink)
Out of the lightbridge pit, with a marine
Ducain pointed out a Halo 1 trick, filmed by Vivid, showing off a truly complicated setup for a Lightbridge Jumping vid. It's amazing to see this sort of dedication for a game that's approaching its 9th birthday... (Louis Wu 11:56:12 UTC) (permalink)
News March 16 2010
Commander Tony on TRR Tonight
Hey - it's time for another Running Riot Podcast - they're recording live, tonight, starting at 9:30 eastern! Special Guest this episode: CommanderTony, from Halopedia. Go listen! Thanks to urk for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 22:23:44 UTC) (permalink)
Attention Whore Trophy: Complete
TheGelo stopped in with links to pics of the Attention Whore trophy for Cody Brigan's Halo 3 tourney - it's now finished. Looks pretty cool! (If you're not sure what these trophies are all about, you can check our news.) (Louis Wu 19:38:06 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Legends Review, Part 2
In early February, we mentioned Alternative Magazine Online's Halo Legends Review, Part 1. Part 2 just got posted (thanks, Marty Mulrooney) - go check it out. (Louis Wu 18:46:22 UTC) (permalink)
It's all about flow.
Edge Online has an article covering Jaime Griesemer's talk at the GDC about extending the rate of fire for the Sniper Rifle - and about balancing games in general. It's a pretty interesting read, even if there are some obvious inconsistencies at the end. (it was time between shots that was extended, not shots per second, and it was 0.5 to 0.7, not 0.5 to 0.75. Which is more than the 10% that Griesemer recommended - but maybe that's a number they learned FROM this, rather than one that drove this change.) Thanks to NeoGAF's JaggedSac for the heads-up.
Top 10 Halo 3 Lucky Kills
Anoj is back with Episode 50 of his Top 10 Halo 3 Kills - this one is Lucky Kills. Some of 'em are SERIOUSLY lucky. Go watch! Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 17:24:23 UTC) (permalink)
Spring Elite Bundle - now at Gamestop, too
Bryan4208 sent word that the 'Spring Bundle', containing an Xbox 360 Elite, Halo 3: ODST, and Forza 3, which went live a week ago at Amazon, is now also available at Gamestop. It's available in-store (he has it in his store), or online (starting tomorrow).
(Louis Wu 14:00:13 UTC) (permalink)
I just want to hug these guys.
Antithesis is back with more cool clay figures - this time it's Engineers, Flood, and a Hunter! Awesome stuff - swing by Hawty McBloggy's for pics. (Louis Wu 12:58:55 UTC) (permalink)
ODST In My Pants
Mike, of Mike and Cheese, let us know that they've posted 'ODST In My Pants', a parody of a famous Lonely Island tune. Go listen at YouTube! (Louis Wu 12:42:01 UTC) (permalink)
Charity Action Figure Auctions - Now Up
Seraph XXVII has gotten the remaining action figures he's selling for a couple of good causes online at eBay - you can see all the links in this post. There's still a ton to buy - go grab something! (Louis Wu 12:41:41 UTC) (permalink)
News March 15 2010
It sounds like wrangling cats, but maybe easier.
Matt Priestley, Senior Producer at Bungie, gave a talk at the GDC about how to keep engineers on task and productive. His Powerpoint presentation is now available for download at Bungie.net. It's a pretty interesting read, if you're looking to see how a studio the size of Bungie manages to keep things running smoothly. (If you're looking for cool new graphics or Reach assets, look elsewhere. This one's all meat, no frosting. Wait, I don't think that metaphor actually works...) (Louis Wu 21:48:57 UTC) (permalink)
Does Not Compute...
The Tag and Release feature today at Bungie.net used the word 'Robot' - go see what folks have built. There are some really cool ones! (Louis Wu 21:40:07 UTC) (permalink)
I don't think that hair is regulation...
Hawty McBloggy has a photo of a Spartan who showed up at SXSW... hawt. (Louis Wu 21:28:30 UTC) (permalink)
Skullface'd
Trunks stopped in with word of a strip of Sure to be Ban'd, his new webcomic, with some Halo content. Check it out! (Louis Wu 21:21:15 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Aerospace Sighting - in the wild
L0U1F3R noticed the Bungie Aerospace logo (we mentioned it on Friday) being worn by Joe Staten in a photo of the Fireside Chat he participated in with Ray Muzyka - definitely starting to get interesting! (Louis Wu 21:20:39 UTC) (permalink)
Hunters Patrol
Tony 'ubald' Marcotte put together another Halo render - a pair of Marines meet... a pair of nightmares. Scary work! (Louis Wu 17:36:47 UTC) (permalink)
Well, it's a Tuesday, at least.
Computer and Video Games is floating a rumor that Halo: Reach might be released on September 14, based on "UK retail sources". Given that just three days ago, Bungie said "we don't have a release date set in stone just yet", I'm inclined to take this info with more than just a grain of salt... but if it makes you feel better to have a date to put on your calendar, go for it. (Thanks to NeoGAF's evanswolves for noticing this.) (Louis Wu 16:01:49 UTC) (permalink)
How about ponies for everybody?
360 Junkies' Jonathan Heier decided to take a look at what might be next for Halo Waypoint - swing by and see what you think! (Louis Wu 15:56:04 UTC) (permalink)
On Halo's Audio
cheapLEY noticed an Jay Weinland's talk at the GDC at IGN - there are a bunch of interesting tidbits, but the most interesting (for me) was that Halo audio is actually better for users with a hard drive than for those without. Give it a read!
(Louis Wu 13:12:53 UTC) (permalink)
Rat's Nest, Episode 25
bloogyo is back with another episode of Rat's Nest - 3 pages, with some spelling issues. He's also got info about his machinima. Check it out. (Louis Wu 13:12:32 UTC) (permalink)
Master Chief Art
AngelicLionheart pointed out a pretty nice sketch of the Master Chief, awaiting the opening of the Hushed Casket. Artwork is by KenanJ.
(Louis Wu 13:12:13 UTC) (permalink)
News March 14 2010
Grin + Bear It: Facepalm
Grin + Bear It, up today at Hawty McBloggy's, points out one of the hazards of customizing your gear... (Louis Wu 13:29:03 UTC) (permalink)
ECCC Coverage from a fan
Lt col hurd was one of the people at the Emerald City Comic Con yesterday - he told us he'd be covering the event on his website. You can swing by IamODST.com and check out his pics and tweets! (Louis Wu 13:24:38 UTC) (permalink)
Zero Bugs? w00t!
Joe Tung posted an update on the Bungie Reach Developer Blog last night - go give it a read to see where they are! The countdown to the Beta has begun! (Louis Wu 13:21:15 UTC) (permalink)
News March 13 2010
Helmoot
ManKitten sent along a very simple, very elegant wallpaper; grab a copy by clicking on the thumb here. (I haven't looked for a while, but I bet there are hundreds in our uploads folder... geez.)
(Louis Wu 15:11:00 UTC) (permalink)
Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots: Off With His Head
This week's Top 10 Halo Screenshots feature is called 'Off With His Head' (I guess in honor of the recent release of Alice in Wonderland), and shows off some pretty funny screens. Swing by Halo 3 Screenshots and see for yourself! (Louis Wu 15:10:26 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: Reach App
NJ Shlice whipped up an iPhone/iPod Touch app called "Halo: Reach Guide". Swing by his post for screenshots, descriptions, and some codes! (Louis Wu 15:09:48 UTC) (permalink)
Ask Sage Questions - without a NeoGAF acct
The Q&A with Sage Merrill we mentioned yesterday wasn't a NeoGAF exclusive opportunity; Sketch just hadn't had time to post it elsewhere. He's posted on our forum as well, and if you have questions, add 'em to the thread!
(Louis Wu 15:09:11 UTC) (permalink)
Balls and Wet Stuff
The Bungie Weekly Update went live a few hours ago - mostly, it's urk telling you about stuff you can't see yet. If you're interested in Reach's development, though, it's absolutely worth a read. And there are some very cool water assets included. You can, as always, read it in our Weekly Update Archive, if you choose. (Louis Wu 03:29:13 UTC) (permalink)
News March 12 2010
The Bearded One Will Speak Again
Got some serious questions for Sage Merrill, Reach's Lead Sandbox Designer? Brian Jarrard stopped by the NeoGAF forum and asked for questions they could put to Sage during the next podcast, being recorded next week... if you have a NeoGAF account and a burning desire to know something, jump in! (Louis Wu 18:27:39 UTC) (permalink)
1v1 Flashback Ladder and Contest
ForgeHub is setting up another 1v1 ladder - end up at the top and you can win a custom-painted camo-themed controller with a 'Ring of Light' LED mod. (You pick the color.) Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 18:26:09 UTC) (permalink)
Good Life
urk has word of Good Life - a Halo 3 montage from Axilo and Stealthy. Very light touch on the editing effects; this one focuses on the carnage. Go watch.
(Louis Wu 18:25:42 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Tattoo - Progress
We last mentioned Cody Brigan's Halo tattoo back in December - he posted a new shot, and now it's got some color! It's not done yet, but it's looking pretty amazing. (Louis Wu 17:23:37 UTC) (permalink)
Wait... isn't that the guy...?
Devin Olsen found a Hardcore Gamer's IQ Test - almost 500 video game characters, illustrated. A bunch of them are Halo-related. Can you name them all? (Not just the Halo ones - those are easy.) (Louis Wu 17:18:06 UTC) (permalink)
Mandlbaum in: 'Core Tempature' [Part 4]
TripleZeroFilms let us know that the next episode of "Core Tempature", starring that 70s superstar, Mandlbaum, is online - you can learn about cheese. And other stuff. And the world. And really, REALLY stupid heroes. (Louis Wu 14:08:35 UTC) (permalink)
Friday Caption Fun, Round 83
There's a new Friday Caption Fun up at Hawty McBloggy - hammer innuendos and big, hard, cylindrical things are all over this one. Oh, Hawty... (Louis Wu 14:07:35 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Armor Permutations
Harmanius went through the Multiplayer trailer, specifically looking for armor permutations. His resultant image is a bit tough to read, but contains a LOT of information. Take a look! (Louis Wu 14:06:32 UTC) (permalink)
Firefight Friday: Neon Nightmare
A new Firefight Friday has been announced by FyreWulff - this one takes place on Crater (Night), and is available on a pair of difficulties. Go read about it - and then beat it! (Louis Wu 14:05:26 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 2 Tribute
CrazedOne1988 put together a tribute to Halo 2, to say goodbye. I think we've seen this sort of thing a few times already... but it's good to be able to say goodbye. (Louis Wu 14:04:01 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie... Aerospace?
Not sure what this is all about - but Attack of the Fanboy noticed a new trademark by Bungie, for 'Bungie Aerospace' (no, they're not getting into the ship-building field; the registration itself mentions computer game software and hardware). Nice logo! What does it mean? Your guess is as good as ours! I found this at Rampancy.net, where Narc also included a link to a Blast story (which, in turn, has a link to an IGN story - the news is all the same, but the comments might be interesting.) There's also a thread on our own forum, if you want to join the conversation. And just to REALLY get the noodles revving, DeathBringer669, over at Bungie.net, also noticed that the MARATHON LOGO is the subject of a brand-new trademark, as well. (Thanks, Hedgemony.) Things that make you go hmm... (Louis Wu 14:02:03 UTC) (permalink)
Halo FTW2 Gephyrophobia Beta
Pepsi sent us a note about a new project undertaken by his HaloPC modding community, Halo Modding - they've overhauled Gephyrophobia with a space battle, water-filled pit, and lots of pretty eye-candy. There's a movie showing off the changes, as well as a download link for the new map, in this thread. If you like what you see, look around - the site's fully outfitted with all essential modding tools and lots of tutorials! (Louis Wu 14:01:12 UTC) (permalink)
See? It's not just Halo!
February 2010 is a milestone month for Microsoft - because for the first time since Halo 3 was released, the Xbox 360 has outsold both of its competitors. (This seems to be more a function of lackluster sales overall than a killer exclusive crushing the competition... but it's still a big deal for them.)
(Louis Wu 14:00:40 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Legends Blu-ray - the
Co-Optimus has a review of Halo Legends online - a bit odd for a site devoted to cooperative gaming, but I suppose watching videos can definitely be done cooperatively. They liked it.
(Louis Wu 13:59:35 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 - a game completed
One of the talks at the GDC this week was from a Microsoft researcher who studies Achievements and how they affect players' actions. One interesting tidbit from his talk: more than 93% of Halo 3 players finish the first level of the Campaign - and nearly 72% finish the entire campaign. Those numbers are MUCH higher than I'd have guessed. (Louis Wu 13:58:35 UTC) (permalink)
Earth Invasion
AssaultGodzilla posted an older Halo HMV he'd created - this one is called 'Earth Invasion', and uses footage from an impressive array of sources. Go watch! (Louis Wu 13:57:17 UTC) (permalink)
A Comic Contest - and a familiar entrant
The Escapist Magazine recently hosted a contest for webcomic artists - ZZoMBiE13 submitted four strips from a comic he called 'Wasting Potential'. Two of his submissions are Halo-related, but you should check out all four. (They start here.) I'd have loved to see this on the web! (Louis Wu 13:56:28 UTC) (permalink)
IGN Top Kills of the Week - March 10
The latest IGN Top 10 Kills vid is online - think of these as popcorn for the brain. Thanks to NeoGAF's dilatedmuscle for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 13:56:01 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Just two new pieces in the Fan Fiction section this week - shouldn't take you long to read 'em! (Louis Wu 13:55:00 UTC) (permalink)
Sense of Scale - Sandtrap, Dissected
Bungie has released another retrospective - a look back at the evolution of Sandtrap. Art Director Justin Hayward talks about what this map meant to him, and where he wanted it to go - and where it ended up. Fascinating read!
(Louis Wu 00:55:08 UTC) (permalink)
Double XP Weekend: Rocket Race
Thursday is the day that new Double XP Weekend Playlists kick off on Xbox LIVE - this week, it's Rocket Race. Zoom zoom. Boom. (Louis Wu 00:54:50 UTC) (permalink)
Building the Future
urk also pointed out a very cool idea - LEGO construct of Halo Reach concept art. Now THAT'S meta.
(Louis Wu 00:54:05 UTC) (permalink)
Thursday Movies
Beginning of stuff missed because nobody was home at HBO HQ for most of Thursday:
- Master Chief Theater 3000 Episode 406 covers the cutscenes from ODST's NMPD HQ level. Your mom jokes and funky Brute dialogue.
- Alec944 created his fourth montage by culling good clips from the community files.
- There's a contest where you can send in a cool screenshot, with a caption that reads "Where ________ Happens" (you fill in the blank), and win a spot in the next one of these vids. Sort of cool, if you'd ever heard of these vids...
- Simple As That is a Halo 3 montage from Inxy - I really liked this one. Great footage, nice composition.
Go watch. (Louis Wu 00:53:15 UTC) (permalink)
GIVE ME ALL YOUR GRUNTS
Okay, on the one hand, the Master Chief Ski Mask uncovered by Hawty McBloggy is pretty cool-looking. On the other hand... it's just plain creepy. Go look, and decide which part wins out for you. (Louis Wu 00:51:26 UTC) (permalink)
Analysis via Memes
Time Glitch let us know that he's put together a pretty in-depth look at the Reach multiplayer trailer - lots of stuff you might or might not have noticed. Go give it a read! (Louis Wu 00:50:08 UTC) (permalink)
News March 11 2010
Thursday Forum Art Roundup
We had a bunch of new artwork posted on our forum recently - some created by the poster, some just found. All fun stuff.
- Halochief89 stopped in with new content for his 'Clairvoyance' universe - he's doing new armor permutations, and the first one is on display - Mark VI/F Tesla Armor. Super-shielded! I guess you give up speed for protection.
- Leviathan decided to take a closer look at Spartan-293, the fallen Spartan that Noble-6 replaces. Legs are a little bulky, but the knife up the sleeve is pretty sweet. Available as a Wallpaper, as well.
- Hedgemony ran across some very cool artwork for Halo 3's box... on a platform I haven't used for a bit. Awesome retro!
Pretty pictures to look at while you drink your coffee... (Louis Wu 14:31:21 UTC) (permalink)
Planning as you go
A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned a conversation that would take place at the Game Developers Conference this week, between Joe Staten and BioWare's Ray Muzyka - seems that it went off as planned, and Gamasutra has some of the highlights. Thanks to Hedgemony for finding this! It's a great read.
(Louis Wu 14:30:52 UTC) (permalink)
Waypoint at ECCC
Jon Goff let us know about Halo Waypoint's plans for the Emerald City ComiCon - you can find a full schedule of events on the Waypoint website, as well as details about the show, Waypoints hours and location on the floor, and more. They're giving stuff away, hosting Halo gameplay, and they're home to the Rooster Teeth contingent, as well - if you're going to the ECCC, be sure to stop by! (Louis Wu 14:28:58 UTC) (permalink)
News March 10 2010
They're Spark-Tough.
If it's Wednesday, it must be time for a Community Spotlight - this week, it's Monitor Built, a Bungie.net group that grew into its own site. Go read about 'em, then check out some of their faves in the Bungie Favorites section. (Louis Wu 18:50:55 UTC) (permalink)
H3 Multi, H2 Jumping
Two new vids for you today, courtesy of Bungie's Comm Chatter: a Halo 3 Montage called 'Splitscreen', showing off gameplay fromEpisone and Samsquatch (original gameplay was all splitscreen, though the montage isn't), and a jump video from Team Zenith, called 'Z2' - all Halo 2 stuff. Go watch! (Louis Wu 18:44:39 UTC) (permalink)
Wednesday Comic Roundup
Whoa - we've got a full update!
- The Chronicles of ODS Steve #62 (Face Off) pits Steve against... someone big. Thanks, Hawty McBloggy.
- Reclaimer #242 (Blend) reveals a new player - sort of. Thanks, TTL Demag0gue.
- Halo Action Figure Theater #202 (Google Faster) has Tony either reading really fast... or not.
Comic Cornucopia! (Louis Wu 16:50:30 UTC) (permalink)
Dr. Becker - the Anti-Cola
The latest Bungie Podcast was released Tuesday afternoon - 45 minutes of Bungie goodness. Go listen! Jay Weinland discusses the trials and tribulations of sound design (and how it's evolved over the Halo games), and lots of little tidbits are dropped. Not sure I understand the three minutes of silence at the end, though...) (Louis Wu 15:49:16 UTC) (permalink)
News March 9 2010
Halo: Reach Preview from G4
G4TV has put up a 'Halo: Reach Preview' - it's footage from Bungie's ViDocs, mixed with interview footage of Marcus Lehto recorded at X10; if you've been voraciously consuming every tidbit on Reach as it comes out, there's nothing new here, but if you're not paying close attention, it's a nice 2 minute summary. Thanks to NeoGAF's NeoGIF for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 21:29:39 UTC) (permalink)
Boom, headshot!
bwwaaaa sent word that he had a sizeable library of SWAT films built up on YouTube (79 of 'em, though some are from Call of Duty) - if you like SWAT, this contains full games, cool moments, famous players, everything you could want. Go watch. (Louis Wu 20:53:24 UTC) (permalink)
Montage Tuesday
Video offerings from Bungie's Comm Chatter today:
- Bang Bang is a montage from Audacity - editing doesn't get in the way of great clips.
- Enigma + Krantz + Snowboarder1306 is a tritage from (wait for it) Enigma, Krantz, and Snowboarder1306. Nice sniper action.
- One Hit One Kill is a goosetage from Gorillars. Splatters and brokeback action.
- Into Yesterday is a Halo 3 montage from jEEborz - filtered sounds and filtered video.
- Till I Collapse is a high-energy montage from Cydronix - lots of multikills.
You could make a montage from these montages... (Louis Wu 17:49:17 UTC) (permalink)
Really, Chief? Taylor Swift?
Adam Grumbo let us know that Master Chief and a Stormtrooper were caught on film, panhandling for Taylor Swift tickets on the streets in downtown Austin. Oh, Chief... you disappoint me sometimes. (Louis Wu 17:25:51 UTC) (permalink)
Guns 'n Ros- er, Daisies
Hawty McBloggy highlighted a tattoo of a Battle Rifle... in a flower. ...wait, what? (Louis Wu 17:25:18 UTC) (permalink)
The Last Montage from HaloContest
Morpheus let us know that the last montage from HaloContest is online - for a little while, at least. Go watch! Update: Morpheus uploaded a new copy - watch this one instead. (Louis Wu 17:23:07 UTC) (permalink)
Put your best face on
Gilver pointed out that an article at IGN discusses the licensing of Image Metrics' facial animation code, known as Faceware - they don't mention Reach by name, but Xmoosev3 reminded us that the Game Informer article confirmed that Reach would be using this middleware. If you're a fan of what Image Metrics can do, this is great news! (Louis Wu 17:22:36 UTC) (permalink)
News March 8 2010
Less is more.
MAX2107 sent us word that he'd created a "simple wallpaper showcasing the previewed armor ability emblems from Halo: Reach that were shown in the recent multi-player trailer". Simple, yes - the part he neglected to mention was 'super-cool'. Go look. (Louis Wu 22:19:11 UTC) (permalink)
So THAT'S why the trophies look so cool!
TheGelo, cousin to Cody Brigan (check our news for info about his contest trophies), stopped in with word of a custom-painted Spartan of his own. Check the link for some really impressive shots! (Louis Wu 22:14:44 UTC) (permalink)
Kaboom.
Today's Tag and Release feature at Bungie.net hinges on the word 'Bomb' - the results aren't quite as explosive as I'd expected, but they're still some great shots. Go look. (Louis Wu 22:06:45 UTC) (permalink)
Attacking Boxes and Evil Missiles
Some awesome suicides in the latest Top 10 Halo Countdown from Anoj - go watch. Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 18:03:50 UTC) (permalink)
Rise of a sleeping giant
Reclaimer is back, with Episode 241 (Race) - you might want to review the last few episodes to bring yourself back up to speed, since it's been a few weeks. It's definitely a nailbiter! Thanks, TTL Demag0gue. (Louis Wu 14:42:27 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention Presents: Firefight - Last Exit
The Teabag Prevention Team is back after a hiatus - they're back with a new website design and a new article. Swing by to make the most of Halo 3: ODST's Last Exit! (They'll be doing Firefight tips map-by-map while waiting for Reach news.) (Louis Wu 13:08:08 UTC) (permalink)
Rochelle Rocks.
Hawty McBloggy uncovered a cool mashup image at DeviantART - SligarTheTiger combined two exciting games to create Left 4 Sangheili 2. (If you like the work, you should check out his gallery - he seems to be obsessed with Elites.)
(Louis Wu 13:07:45 UTC) (permalink)
Spherical Panorama: Epitaph
HaLo2FrEeEk took a lot pictures to put together a pretty impressive panorama of the interior of Epitaph; swing by his forum post to read the steps he took, or just visit Infectionist.com to see the final product.
(Louis Wu 13:07:03 UTC) (permalink)
Dustbowl Megabattles - fun for all (except grunts)
Rockslider's back, with new megabattles. This time, he's focusing on the early section of Truth and Reconciliation. It's dark, and there are a LOT of baddies around - check out his writeups, pictures, and movies, then go make your own fun!
(Louis Wu 13:06:32 UTC) (permalink)
Building Halo - from the ground up
NeoGAF's Warm Machine posted an image of some Mega Bloks stuff that looked fantastic - so I did a little digging. Came up with this. I know there are folks who aren't happy with Mega Bloks... but I'm lovin' some of this stuff. (Louis Wu 13:06:09 UTC) (permalink)
Fanmade RvB Reconstruction Trailer
MattDratt created a two and a half minute trailer for Red vs Blue's Reconstruction series (which originally ran from May through October of 2008) - it gives away a tad too much (in my opinion) to be great for folks who haven't seen the series yet, but is nicely frenetic, and fits the style of current movie trailers pretty well. (Louis Wu 13:05:44 UTC) (permalink)
News March 7 2010
Kig-Yar - on the (sort of) cheap
Arithmomaniac whipped up a Jackal costume for Purim this year - check out the pics! (Louis Wu 19:16:10 UTC) (permalink)
ODST Speed Painting
pennyzyj stopped by with a link to a cool speed painting of an ODST - check it out! (Louis Wu 19:15:37 UTC) (permalink)
In their spare time...
Marcus Fenix sent along a link to a band page for Modern Athletics; why is this Halo news? Well, because three of the four band members are Bungie employees working on Halo. Cool! (Louis Wu 19:15:05 UTC) (permalink)
News March 6 2010
Oboe Solo from ODST
Awesome. RvB's OboeCrazy had a big concert a couple of days ago - and decided to play some ODST music (on an oboe) to warm up. Just 36 seconds long - go watch it! (Louis Wu 19:31:19 UTC) (permalink)
Saving Money on Halo Stuff
Two Halo-related deals popped up in the Google news feed this morning. Amazon.com will be offering a pretty cool bundle, starting Tuesday: an Xbox 360 Elite, bundled with Halo 3: ODST and Forza 3, for $300. And Buy.com is offering the Halo Wars Limited Collector's Edition for $30 - well below its original $80 pricetag. Stock up! (Louis Wu 19:20:22 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Waypoint: lots of new goodies.
The Halo Waypoint team sent word of cool stuff you can find on their channel this week - The Halo Reach Multiplayer Vid is there, along with the final episode of Rooster Teeth's 'Grifball Expansion'. Tomorrow, there'll be a new feature on the Forerunner Fleet, promising a look at the mysterious ships as they appeared in Halo Wars. If you've got a Gold Xbox LIVE account - go check it out! Next week contains a spotlight on Eric Nylund, along with lots of Rooster Teeth content... and more! (Louis Wu 16:10:10 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Reach: Multiplayer First Look from LTA
LikeTotallyAwesome's Matty boy did his own Reach MP Trailer analysis - nice presentation, and he fits an awful lot into 3 minutes. Check it out! (Louis Wu 15:40:23 UTC) (permalink)
Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots: Faces
The Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots theme this week is "Faces' - if you hated Oonsk, don't visit, because these will get stuck in your head. Shots like 'The Inner Child', though, are simply amazing.
(Louis Wu 15:40:04 UTC) (permalink)
Reach Reach Reach...
In honor of Marcus Lehto's birthday, the Bungie Developer's Blog has released a ringtone (in a couple of flavors) of Marcus describing his neuronal firing. Go grab a copy! (And not only a Happy Birthday to Marcus, but a belated one to Joe Tung, who was fêted on February 28 - we managed to skip over that. Sorry, Joe!) (Louis Wu 15:37:42 UTC) (permalink)
If the US army owned Halo3
Toxic Mayhem pointed out a video that went up on YouTube just a few days ago - but it was clear that it's a much older vid, so I did a little digging. Apparently, it was originally released in September 2007, just before Halo 3 came out. (We missed it then.) Regardless, it's funny - go give it a few minutes of your time. (Louis Wu 15:37:06 UTC) (permalink)
DARK!
No, the Bungie Weekly Update doesn't provide you with the skinny on the Multiplayer Trailer teases. That doesn't mean it's not worth reading, though - lots of good stuff in there. Everything from a clean version of the trailer's soundtrack (C Paul - you rock) to winners of the emblem contest, to a really funny Blame Stosh vid... and even more. Go read. (It's in our Weekly Update Archive, if you'd rather read it there.) (Louis Wu 01:59:26 UTC) (permalink)
News March 5 2010
The Bomb
Pretty odd movie on Bungie's Comm Chatter today - 'The Bomb' is the latest film from Tommy92L, and while it's only 3 minutes long, it manages to draw you in to the ending. Give it a watch! (Louis Wu 18:13:10 UTC) (permalink)
Game Changer
Thanks to XerxdeeJ for the heads-up about a pretty cool Reach Multiplayer Trailer analysis, done by TTL's Hoovaloov. Rather than step through the trailer frame by frame, as others have done, he's taken a more systematic approach, and grouped changes and intriguing bits by content, rather than reveal time. It's very comprehensive, and I'd say that he's done a great job with his guesses. (His insights into game modes are pretty unique - but upon reflection, make an awful lot of sense.) Absolutely worth a watch! (You should definitely watch this in HD - it makes a huge difference in seeing some of the smaller features he points out.) (Louis Wu 16:22:20 UTC) (permalink)
Mythic Brawl: Live
We forgot to mention this yesterday, but Mythic Brawl is once again the Double XP Weekend playlist. Ranked FFA play - though if you're looking for those last few pesky MP Achievements, realize that this list seems to be full of very high-level players either building up accounts to sell, or simply donging on noobs for the fun of it. Shame, really... (Louis Wu 14:13:09 UTC) (permalink)
Rorschach Inkblot Test - Longshore
Hawty McBloggy is back with another Rorschach Inkblot Test - she's provided some of the best answers from the last one of these (which looked at Orbital), and now brings you the heatmap from Longshore. What do you see? (Louis Wu 14:10:50 UTC) (permalink)
It's About Standards
Today's Ctrl+Alt+Del comes back to Halo - amazing what a little flying pack can do. Thanks to Hawty McBloggy, and Toxic Mayhem.
(Louis Wu 14:09:52 UTC) (permalink)
Firefight Friday: My Way or the Highway
FyreWulff has set up another Firefight Friday - this one is called 'My Way or the Highway', and is available in all difficulties on the map Last Exit. Go read about it - and see if you can do it! (The site is getting out of beta at the end of this month - and participants up to that point will get a special beta mark in their profile on the launched site.)
(Louis Wu 14:07:37 UTC) (permalink)
Project Lumoria
Wow. There've been a few forays into single-player gameplay with Halo: Custom Edition - but mostly they've been recreations of the standard Halo PC campaign levels, or small tests. Check out Lumoria - a full campaign experience from the TM Mapping Team. It's not available for download yet, but the link above should show you where they're going. Exciting stuff! (Louis Wu 14:06:23 UTC) (permalink)
Noble Team Portrait - In Progress
Justinian is putting together a new piece of Halo artwork, and wants some feedback on the WIP. Swing by and take a look! (Louis Wu 14:05:55 UTC) (permalink)
It's not all wine and roses
There's another post up on the Reach Developer Blog - always fun when an engine breaks! Great pic of the studio - a surprising number of people at work at 11pm. (Louis Wu 14:04:40 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Eight new pieces are up in this week's Fan Fiction update - solid collection! Go read 'em. (Louis Wu 14:01:33 UTC) (permalink)
Charity Auction Figure Sale - moving to eBay
Seraph XXVII stopped in to mention that the remaining action figures he's selling for a couple of good causes will go up on eBay tomorrow - he gave HBOers first crack at buying this stuff, but now it's time to offer it all to the general public. We'll keep an eye on this!
(Louis Wu 13:58:56 UTC) (permalink)
News March 4 2010
ODST Zbrush Character Model Turntable WIP 3
Brighton's back with another iteration of his ZBrush ODST WIP - new shaders, mostly. Go see how it looks! (Louis Wu 18:29:04 UTC) (permalink)
Video Roundup from B.net
New vids at Bungie.net today:
- IGN stepped through the Reach Multiplayer release, frame by frame, and let you know what they found. (Folks did this on our forum, as well - one's here, another one's here - but they're text only, no video.)
- Kinetic is a jump video from Mooseman93 - bouncy bouncy
- Gamble posted a Halo 2 minitage - it's supposed to be a remembrance of the wonders of Halo 2, but really, it's just Lockout.
Go watch! (Louis Wu 18:25:56 UTC) (permalink)
Another Route into the Reach Beta
This is really interesting - I received an email this morning that (I assume) went out to all subscribers to the original Xbox LIVE service (or maybe to folks who'd played Halo 2 online, or maybe just to people who used an original Xbox online). Microsoft is offering some goodies for folks who will be losing their access via the original Xbox - a 3-month LIVE Gold membership, 400 MS points, and (what might be MOST interesting) a code to participate in the Reach Beta. For folks who passed on Halo 3: ODST, this might be the best way to get into the Beta - though it doesn't seem like something you can finagle after the fact. If you think you should be eligible, but didn't get this email, check your junk folder. (Louis Wu 16:09:12 UTC) (permalink)
You got your Fable in my Halo!
Kaboris stopped in from deepest Japan (okay, Nagoya) with a tidbit from a recent issue of Famitsu Xbox that I haven't seen yet in Western media. His translation:
"In Reach, the chemistry (or lack thereof) plays a role in how the members in Noble Team interact with each other. If a character harbors a disliking towards one of the characters he/she might not back that person up in combat." (laughs)
(This was an interview with Marcus Lehto.) So the question is... are we talking about built-in chemistry (how Kat gets along with Jorge, for example), or is this something that affects US (as in, if we make Kat angry, she leaves us to die when ambushed)? Either way, it's a new concept for Halo titles, and should be fun to see how it plays out! (Louis Wu 16:08:18 UTC) (permalink)
News March 3 2010
Halo Reach: Multiplayer Beta Madness
On Monday night, Marcus Lehto hinted that an "MP bomb" was about to drop on the world - consider yourself bombed. A video showing off gameplay as it stands now has been released, giving you a taste for what you're in store for when the Beta drops on May 3. Swing by Bungie.net to snag it in whatever flavor makes you happy. (Yes, it hit the web, in classic fashion, several hours early - gotta love timezones and people who can't add - but the YouTube version doesn't do this footage justice; you want the full 720p version that you can step through, frame by frame.) There are so many new things shown off, you'll have trouble keeping count - new armor abilities, new game modes, new weapons, new medals... and JETPACKS! Forget Halo: Combat Evolved. This is Halo: Combat Redefined. (And because this newspost will get buried, as they all do each day, we've put up a banner on the right side to get you back to it whenever you feel the need to show off what Halo Multiplayer has become.) (Louis Wu 13:59:09 UTC) (permalink)
Operation Chastity M6G Magnum
Pete Cooper stopped in with images showing off the Operation Chastity M6G Magnum - fully working! Awesome. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 13:29:20 UTC) (permalink)
LEGO Halo on Flickr
Ewok in Disguise sent word of his Flickr set highlighting his LEGO Halo creations - some amazing stuff in there! Vehicles, weapons, locations, figures - you gotta browse this stuff! (He also pointed out a Flickr group devoted to LEGO Halo - lots and lots of fantastic creations, all in one place. Another must-see!) (Louis Wu 13:03:11 UTC) (permalink)
Wednesday Comic Roundup
We've got a couple of new updates today - Halo Action Figure Theater #201 (Follow That Thrall) has both Tony and Lois in altered states, and Chronicles of ODS Steve #61 (Bug Problems) is full of panicked grunts. Go read! (Louis Wu 13:02:03 UTC) (permalink)
Emerald City ComiCon - now with Halo goodness
CaptainTony pointed out that 343 Industries will be present at the Emerald City ComiCon on March 13, to discuss recent releases and upcoming Halo developments. And bentllama waited until his mouth wasn't full of pancakes to tell folks that he will be one of the artists in Artist Alley - he'll be doing live digital sketching, and charity commissions! (There'll be plenty of other Halo-related artists there, too, he says.) If you're in the Seattle area, don't miss it! (Louis Wu 13:01:04 UTC) (permalink)
2010 MLG Pro Circuit First Details
We overlooked this yesterday afternoon, but the first details about the 2010 MLG Pro Circuit have surfaced - swing by Bungie.net or MLGPro.com to read about the first pair of events, and the more than half a million dollars in prize money to be given away! (Louis Wu 13:00:27 UTC) (permalink)
News March 2 2010
The Return of an Old Friend
Not sure how many of you remember Mike Hill; he created some truly spectacular Halo artwork in 2005 and 2006. We haven't heard from him in a while - but today, he found a piece he'd whipped up last year, just an idea for MJOLNIR armor development. It's a tad tall for wallpaper, but it's GORGEOUS. Take a look.
(Louis Wu 23:24:27 UTC) (permalink)
TLG Presents: The SchwartZ Launch
Just in case your Reach jonesin' is exceeding comfort limits, Ducain has news of a Halo 1 trick recently developed by Lone Starr, with some help from his friends. Go check out a truly unique Banshee launch! Quality rocks, the tutorial lets anyone who wants to try it for themselves be successful, and the trick itself... is pretty amazing. Go watch. (Louis Wu 23:18:17 UTC) (permalink)
And not just because he said I was spot on.
Urban Reflex wrote up some concise opinions of both Legends and Halo Evolutions; worth a read! (Louis Wu 22:53:04 UTC) (permalink)
Alpha Strife
Need a new challenge? HaloCharts has a new Firefight Challenge for you. It's called Alpha Strife, and you can read all the details at the HaloCharts website. Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 22:45:20 UTC) (permalink)
Average Joe: Delta 15t
The latest Average Joe is Delta15t, the man behind the music in H3ITWP montages. Interesting read! (Louis Wu 22:43:23 UTC) (permalink)
MLG FFA - Go MatchMake.
New playlist going live today - MLG FFA. (Heck, it's probably live by now; the B.net newspost is 4 hours old.) Go read all the details... (Louis Wu 22:41:33 UTC) (permalink)
I guess he's clearing out the queue.
Serious video droppage on Bungie's Comm Chatter today:
- The Trailer Park: Bob of the Dead warns you about Matchmaking dangers.
- ChrisOfTheDead's Shenanigans 6 is just that - shenanigans.
- Lucid is a Halo 3 montage from KayEmX, FKIV, and Stevis.
- The West Virginia Community Montage is exactly that - a montage from West Virginia players. (Really rapid cuts.)
- WatchThis!Gaming has posted their 8th Halo 3, Top 5 Plays video. I liked the invisible ninja guy.
- IGN's Top 10 Halo 3 Kills for February 24th (how'd we miss this?) has some really fun kills.
Is that enough for you? (Louis Wu 22:39:39 UTC) (permalink)
Playtest Going Well. MP Content Inbound.
nobleactual.com, Bungie's Dev Blog, has been updated again - the lack of timestamps is frustrating, but the content is pretty intriguing. Progress on the playtest is really positive - this is awesome! And a multiplayer "bomb" (Marcus' word) will be dropped either today or tomorrow - so keep your eyes peeled. (There's a thread started on our forum - thanks, Ragashingo - if you're interested in speculating...) Update: many people let us know that the Dev Blog RSS feed has timestamps. DOH! (Louis Wu 12:44:37 UTC) (permalink)
Impressions from Down Under
Blue Dingo let us know about an article on the Australian Halo Reach fansite in which various community leaders from down under offer up their opinions of Reach, so far. What they're excited about, what they hope to see, what they hope they don't see. Interesting read - go take a look!
(Louis Wu 12:43:42 UTC) (permalink)
Giving up on Hide Seek Snap
Well, it's been more than a week since anyone even TRIED to locate one of the final three screens for the Hide, Seek, Snap contest - I think it's time to retire this one. We do still have a few codes - I'm out all day today, but I'll give them away on our forum later this afternoon or this evening, if there are still people who need one. It was a good run, and I'd like to thank AfroRyan for his generosity in supplying so many of these codes. Congrats to all the participants! (Louis Wu 12:41:45 UTC) (permalink)
Mapping the Territory
IGN Australia interviewed Frank O'Connor yesterday - give it a read for a look at the future of the Halo franchise. Thanks, Tashi0106.
(Louis Wu 12:41:05 UTC) (permalink)
Clairvoyance Chapter 4
Halochief89 announced that Clairvoyance Chapter 4 is finished - art and text. Go read! (Louis Wu 12:40:39 UTC) (permalink)
The Good, the Bad, and the Odd One Out
Forum regular GryphonOsiris wrote up his own review of Halo Legends - swing by and give it a read! (Louis Wu 12:38:45 UTC) (permalink)
HAFT Legends
Gah - I read it, but completely forgot to post about it! Halo Action Figure Theater hit 200 issues on Sunday - swing by for a truly odd... vision. (Louis Wu 12:38:16 UTC) (permalink)
I need a beer.
Apparently, Fred Van Lente (the writer behind the Blood Line comics) went out drinking with 'Team Halo' last night. Bungie? 343i? Master Chief and Cortana? Thanks, Hedgemony. (Louis Wu 12:37:52 UTC) (permalink)
News March 1 2010
Master Chief Theater 3000 Episode 405
Pyrosmile sent word that Master Chief Theater 3000 Episode 405 is now up - they're looking at the cutscenes from ONI Alpha Site. I'm getting a hankering to play some ODST Campaign... (Louis Wu 21:25:25 UTC) (permalink)
Red vs Blue Cookies!
Man, those look yummy. DeviantARTists RubyQuinn and SolitaireLost whipped up some Red vs Blue cookies a couple of weeks ago - you can see more of the process (and LOTS more cookies) at Photobucket. Thanks to bs angel for the heads-up!
(Louis Wu 21:04:40 UTC) (permalink)
Tag and Release: UFO
There's a new Tag and Release feature up at Bungie.net - the term is 'UFO', and the screens are varied. Go see! (Louis Wu 21:04:21 UTC) (permalink)
Fight for the UNSC Horizon
Black Water Ops is hosting 'Fight for the UNSC Horizon', a three-contest extravaganza where you can submit writing, a Forged map, or a picture contest (using pics taken from an online game to be played by the winners of the other two rounds, among others). Full details can be found at BWO's website (see above link), or read the summary at B.net. Good stuff! (Louis Wu 21:03:02 UTC) (permalink)
ZBrush ODST Model, Updated
Brighton rebuilt his ODST model (we mentioned it on Friday), incorporating feedback he received from viewers. It's still a work in progress... but it looks FANTASTIC. Go see. (Louis Wu 19:30:01 UTC) (permalink)
Scaling Death
Just one montage today on Bungie's Comm Chatter - 'Scaling Death' has some great gameplay, though if you're not a screamo fan, you might want to use your computer's volume controls before you start it up. The gameplay... wow. (Louis Wu 19:29:46 UTC) (permalink)
Jaw-dropping goodness
karebearstare set word of an article at GamingBolt - 20 Games That Will Make Your Jaws Drop At E3. The number one title? We'll let you guess. (Louis Wu 14:58:57 UTC) (permalink)
CVG Reach Preview
ElzarTheBam stopped in with word of a Reach preview at Computer and Video Games. Not a huge amount of new info (on first glance, none, in fact), but a nice summary of what we know so far. (Louis Wu 13:05:07 UTC) (permalink)
Reach concept art surfaces
serpx pointed out some concept art by Gary Huang, showing off an in-game model for a human soldier. Awesome work! (Apparently, these came to light yesterday, when Split-Screen used them as evidence that Reach can't even match Killzone 1's head poly count, much less Killzone 2's... there are a lot of reasons why that argument is silly, but bringing the artwork to light is enough to thank them for.) Update: in a funny turn of events, SketchFactor pointed out that Gary's models aren't Reach game assets at all:
They are models created as part of a submission portfolio/test when the artist was seeking contract employment with Bungie.
Oops! Guess Split-Screen has some egg on their faces! (Louis Wu 13:04:12 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Trophy Update
Cody Brigan is back with more progress shots of the cool trophies he's creating for a Halo 3 tourney in April. (If you missed the first batch, check this post from last Thursday.) These are shaping up to be pretty awesome prizes - I hope the participants appreciate the work! Update: Cody posted another large batch of pics here. I WANNA GO! (Louis Wu 13:03:27 UTC) (permalink)
~B.B.
FyreWulff created a tribute vid to BerserkerBarage - clips all come from ActionSack, and the love shines through. Go watch. (Louis Wu 13:02:30 UTC) (permalink)
Some mods are FUN.
Hawty McBloggy ran across a video showing off a Halo 3 mod that would be a BLAST to play with; a couple of guys created a functional 1950's style UFO, and removed the killzone between the Sandbox Sky Bubble and the main level. Check it out! (Louis Wu 13:02:02 UTC) (permalink)
| March 2010 | |
