|
Spoilers are currently disabled. (All newsposts are visible.) |
||
View the Archives: |
||
 | November 2008 |  |
November 2008 Archived News
News November 30 2008
Halo Wars - starting up a new genre?
TheGameReviews.com has posted a substantial interview with Dave Pottinger, Lead Designer for Halo Wars. There's a lot of info there - some of it has been covered before, some has not. Go read! (Louis Wu 18:28:02 UTC) (permalink)
Rare figures for sale - with some proceeds to charity
PFG has tossed up some rare action figures on eBay, and is donating a chunk of the proceeds to Hollywood Arts - go check 'em out! (Louis Wu 18:08:44 UTC) (permalink)
Covie stroll
Rockslider has moved away from huge battles... and is now studying Covenant social interactions. Check out 'Covie Stroll' for a way to see a large contingent of Covenant fighters... not fighting. (Louis Wu 18:05:04 UTC) (permalink)
Sometimes Ze Ranking System, She Ween
Hawty McBloggy had a pair of decent back-to-back games in the Lone Wolves playlist recently... and her rank jumped from 22 to 26 from one game to the next. Have you seen jumps bigger than this? (Louis Wu 18:00:35 UTC) (permalink)
News November 29 2008
Happy Halodays from Halobabies
HaloBabies is kicking off a 4-week screenshot contest, with one winner each week, and one grand-prize winner at the end. Weekly winners get 1600 MS Points, GP winner gets a 360 game of your choice plus a t-shirt. Check out the details and rules at HBN! (Louis Wu 16:16:28 UTC) (permalink)
Matchmaking Season 2: The Horn of Nanu
Master Ph0bia pointed out that Matchmaking Season 2, Episode 1 is now available on YouTube (and in HD via Darkspire's website). Revisit the world of Vince, John, and Travis as they navigate the treacherous shoals of the Realm of the Banned. Darkspire continues to impress!
(Louis Wu 12:20:27 UTC) (permalink)
Mythbusters Episode 7
RandomSauce let us know that Mythbusters Episode 7 is out - they look at everything from how many bodies can a sniper bullet go through to the mobility of the floating platform on Epitaph. Go watch! (Louis Wu 12:18:11 UTC) (permalink)
Top 25 Evil Masterminds of All Time
GameDaily has posted their 'Top 25 Evil Masterminds of All Time' - I was rather surprised by the Halo-related entry at #15. (The rest of the list isn't much better, though.) Thanks, NickLee808. (Louis Wu 12:17:45 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Trek
BlueNinja let us know about Halo Trek, a trailer he made with Halo footage and audio from a trailer for the latest Star Trek movie. I thought the composition was quite well-done... go watch! (Louis Wu 12:17:18 UTC) (permalink)
News November 28 2008
Nine Games They Really Don't Want This Christmas
Ouch - GameCyte has taken it upon themselves to warn you against buying some mistakes this year... and on their 'Anti-Game Guilde 2008, you'll find the Halo Interactive Strategy Game. In fact, their advice goes further:
[S]imply avoid buying your kids anything with the word "Halo" on it — if your child likes Halo, chances are he already owns the games, and that's all he needs/wants. Warn those grandparents!
I'm not sure I'd go that far... but the guide's pretty interesting, anyway! (Louis Wu 19:19:12 UTC) (permalink)
Revival
Interesting - there was no notice on our forum, but Reclaimer 117 is now online - and the Reclaimer is awake again. I don't think Viper's gonna be too happy... (Louis Wu 19:07:56 UTC) (permalink)
Willey2Gr8's Halo 2/Halo 3 Montage
Z let us know about Willey2Gr8's Halo 2/Halo 3 Montage by Phurion - it's a monster, 276 mb and twelve and a half minutes long... but the gameplay is really good, and the editing's exciting. The fast-cut style wears after a while, but the Killtrocities and Killamanjaros will revive you.) Check it out at Halo3Forum.com! (Louis Wu 18:59:30 UTC) (permalink)
Sarge Scares Me
Rooster Teeth has posted a new Thanksgiving PSA for your enjoyment... though I must say it's more disturbing than most of their announcements. In a bunch of ways. Not really NSFW... but definitely disturbing. Looks like elpolloguapo was first with the news.
(Louis Wu 17:49:08 UTC) (permalink)
Thank Goodness for Spandex Mjolnir
Hawty McBloggy has posted another round of Friday Caption Fun - there are some great ones for last week's risqué pic, and a new pic that is sure to bring some interesting captions. Go see what you can do! (Louis Wu 17:48:15 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Just four new pieces in the Fan Fiction section this week - writers are still going easy! Ah, well, it's a holiday week. (Louis Wu 17:46:57 UTC) (permalink)
Buckell Back in the Hospital
Gah - Tobias Buckell is BACK in the hospital, this time with a pulmonary embolism. (This is basically a blood clot in the artery that brings blood to his lungs.) Best wishes to the man - his Halo novel is now out everywhere, but he's in. Several people sent this in - thanks to Aaron Spuler, and to General Battuta for starting a thread on our forum.
(Louis Wu 17:44:52 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Goodies, from fan for fans
A couple of posts on our forum will point you to eBay auctions - one is small, the other is rather huge. pete_the_duck is selling a Legendary beer stein - the auction ends tomorrow night, so look fast! And kornman00, looking to help raise money for Hollywood Arts, has put up a huge pile of his exclusive Halo schwag - signed books, exclusive action figures, a gorgeous print, and signed soundtracks - you really want to check these out. (Auctions end in 5 days; he told us about this on Wednesday, when they went live, but we've been offline with family since then.) (Louis Wu 17:38:29 UTC) (permalink)
News November 27 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
From all of us at HBO, to all Halo fans everywhere, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! (If you're outside the US, you don't celebrate this officially - but the idea of putting some time aside to be thankful for what you have should resonate worldwide.) Enjoy the day - we'll be back and posting tomorrow!
News November 26 2008
Great Halo Renders
Tony 'ubald' Marcotte let us know about two more renders he's done recently - 'Just some characters' looks at some good guys, and 'katana Just a Thought' plays thought games with sword battles. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 22:36:19 UTC) (permalink)
Halopen Pencast Episode 02
Firestorm12 let us know that Halopen has posted a new podcast in celebration of its third birthday. If you have comments for the team, you can post them on their forum. (Louis Wu 21:36:40 UTC) (permalink)
Looking for HW questions
Chris Paladino, from Gamerscoreblog, just twittered a request for questions:
CPaladino wants your Halo Wars questions for an upcoming mini-documentary piece. Questions from Halo Fans, and PC RTS players preferred!
If you've got something for him, you can mail it to gsblog@microsoft.com. (Louis Wu 19:23:09 UTC) (permalink)
The Sidecar to a Sweet Motorcycle
Yesterday afternoon, urk posted the final piece of the 'Art in Halo 3 - In Context' tale over at Bungie.net. Go read how this puppy came to life! (If you missed parts 1 and 2, they're here.) (Louis Wu 15:37:27 UTC) (permalink)
They hire people just for naming, you know.
GameCyte was thrown (as were many fans) by the name change, announced yesterday, from Halo 3: Recon to Halo 3: ODST. They responded with an 'it could have been worse' article - go read "12 Things Halo 3: ODST SHOULD Have Stood For". (I kinda like 'Old Dudes: Simpler Times' myself... but 'Obviously it Didn't Stop at Three' is pretty funny.) (Louis Wu 15:36:37 UTC) (permalink)
Power Drain
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 116 is now live - Viper is wondering what's up. (Louis Wu 15:36:14 UTC) (permalink)
Something Tells Me They Aren't Badass
It's Wednesday, so it's time for another installment of ODS Steve, over at Hawty McBloggy's - Steve's seeming more and more like Larry the Marine.
(Louis Wu 15:35:44 UTC) (permalink)
Bust a Myth
RandomSauce let us know that Halo 3 MythBusters now officially has a site of its own - join the forum if you're interested in helping them bust some myths!
(Louis Wu 15:35:07 UTC) (permalink)
News November 25 2008
Halo 3: ODST
Wait... what? Over at Bungie.net, there's an announcement that the product formerly known as Halo 3: Recon has been renamed - it's now Halo 3: ODST. (Don't worry, you'll still be able to earn Recon armor once it comes out. Only the name is changing.) (Louis Wu 18:46:31 UTC) (permalink)
All The Fixings
Dennis Powers let us know that Shipwrecked 43 is up - some people have one-track minds. (Louis Wu 18:46:10 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough: Halo (and a challenge)
The ninth and final chapter of Daniel 'Tyrant' Morris' Solo Legendary All Skulls On walkthrough of Halo 3 is now online - the level Halo, with its gorgeous architecture and its tribute to the Maw run, can be handled at the highest possible difficulty. Go give it a read/watch! And once you're finished... you might want to swing by Bungie.net, and the Quest for SLASO group Tyrant founded there - he's posted a description of his Monthly Mythic Challenge. Each month, starting on the first, and ending on the 7th, you'll have a chance to use the skills he's taught you to beat Halo 3 on Mythic difficulty - if you're the first to do so for the month, you'll win 4000 MS Points. Full rules (including eligibility and exact timing) are in the newspost - so go read! You've got a week or so to prepare. (Louis Wu 17:19:46 UTC) (permalink)
Ten Signs of a Troubled Halo Relationship
I'm not sure what to say about this article from Hawty McBloggy - so maybe I won't say anything. It's safe for work... but the concepts are a little disturbing. (Louis Wu 16:15:03 UTC) (permalink)
Building a better social framework
Boxes and Arrows has posted the first part of an interview with Colm Nelson, the Interaction Designer for Halo 3 - it's an interesting look into how Bungie works as a studio, and how Colm got a job in the first place. I don't think I'd ever heard of 'Interaction Design' before - in the context of Colm's job, it seems to be about the way that the game ties in with LIVE and Bungie.net in allowing the player to interact with other players. Fun stuff! (Louis Wu 16:08:21 UTC) (permalink)
TTL Y(ay)
XerxdeeJ stopped by late last night with word of a new update at Tied the Leader - it's a discussion of why, in fact, anyone might actually WANT to wear Recon armor in this day and age. It's a funny read. (Louis Wu 16:04:58 UTC) (permalink)
Top 25 Starting Weapons
GameDaily put up a list of their Top 25 Starting Weapons in video games. Halo's M6D pistol made number 6. Thanks, Cardz.
(Louis Wu 16:04:33 UTC) (permalink)
News November 24 2008
Toys For Tots Halo 3 Tournament
Charity Gamers is hosting a Toys For Tots Tournament on December 20 - registration opens tomorrow. It's a 2v2 Halo3 tourney, with MLG rules. Registration is $20, and the first place team wins $100 - but mostly, you're competing to bring gifts to poor children. Check out the info page for an overview, and register on the Registration page! (Louis Wu 22:08:23 UTC) (permalink)
Letting the Halo 3 Art Speak for Itself
There's a fascinating look at the construction of the Halo 3 Art book that goes on sale tomorrow - it's not finished (the last part will be posted tomorrow), but what's there is a great start. Check it out! (Louis Wu 21:44:59 UTC) (permalink)
Tyrant Talks Toughness
Gamers in Action sat down with Daniel 'Tyrant' Morris to talk about beating Halo 3 Solo, Legendary, All Skulls On - and what drives him to make that information available to the world. Fun read! Check it out. (Louis Wu 19:00:44 UTC) (permalink)
Ensemble on how to build an RTS on a console
Gamasutra sat down with Graeme Devine and Bill Jackson, of Ensemble Studios, to talk about the control scheme of Halo Wars - how it developed, why it's better than the way other games do it. It's a pretty interesting discussion! Go give it a read. (Louis Wu 18:10:47 UTC) (permalink)
If I Worked At Bungie (For A Day)
Last night Bryan Simon let us know that he's whipped up a new song - this one's not really focused on Halo 3 (though it's mentioned a couple of times), it's more about Bungie. It's called 'If I Worked At Bungie (For A Day)', and in it he muses about the fun he'd have. Watch it on YouTube, or download the MP3 from us.
(Louis Wu 12:51:48 UTC) (permalink)
Yellow MC Helmet on eBay
For less than half the starting bid of that 8" or so action figure, you can bid on a high-quality Master Chief helmet, being sold by Briar's Armor. You've got almost a week to decide - starting bid is $149. (Louis Wu 12:48:14 UTC) (permalink)
When Action Figures Get out of Control
Hawty McBloggy found an interesting custom action figure... with a starting price that's more frightening than its visage. (Louis Wu 12:45:18 UTC) (permalink)
Critical Error
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 115 is online - which is more than we can say for the Reclaimer himself! Something's gone wrong... (Louis Wu 12:41:01 UTC) (permalink)
HBOFFPotW - 11/14 and 11/21
kr-1426 let us know that the HBO Fan Fic Pick of the Week is live over at the HBOFF forums - there's even one for the previous week, now. Go see who the regulars think is worth reading! (Louis Wu 12:39:46 UTC) (permalink)
MLG Las Vegas - Congrats to Str8
If you missed the live streams last night, you can read a recap of the MLG Las Vegas event over at the MLGPro.com website. (You can actually watch the action yourself, if you'd rather.) The money on the line was pretty steep - Str8 Rippin went home with $100,000 for winning the tourney, Instinct took $60,000 for second place, Carbon settled for $40,000 for third place, and even Final Boss, who placed only 4th, STILL went home with $28,000. Not bad for a weekend's work! (Louis Wu 12:33:05 UTC) (permalink)
News November 23 2008
MLG Vegas - Final Four
MLG Las Vegas is down to its final four Halo teams - Str8 Rippin faces off against Carbon on the Winners Bracket, Final Boss and Instinct are the only two teams left in the Losers Bracket. Play resumes at noon Pacific Time (about 4 hours from the time this is being written) - go watch the live stream at that point! (Louis Wu 16:11:01 UTC) (permalink)
Sierra 117 - Arrival (LEGO-style)
We've mentioned Sapber-Scorpion and his LEGO creations many times in the past (just search our news archives) - but recently, he finished up an entire cutscene in LEGO, and Willy noticed. Swing by to see Sierra 117 - Arrival, from start to finish, and more. (Louis Wu 15:39:30 UTC) (permalink)
News November 22 2008
Arby 'n' the Chief S3E4 - Face Off
DigitalPh33r has posted Season 3 Episode 4 of Arby 'n' the Chief - Arby challenges Craig, in the Chief's name. I guess you have to wait for Episode 5 to see how it turns out... Thanks, AvatarAang. (Louis Wu 22:47:36 UTC) (permalink)
Pretty serious effort, you ask me.
We've mentioned Halo work done in Mario Paint before... but it didn't sound anything like the copy of One Final Effort that Hawty McBloggy found. Pretty amazing! (Louis Wu 22:15:15 UTC) (permalink)
MLG Las Vegas
Just a reminder - MLG Las Vegas is running right now - the 2008 All-Star Classic has wrapped up (congrats to the East Coast), and the Halo 3 tourney kicks off in about 3 hours. Swing by for all the news, and video coverage! (Louis Wu 16:58:58 UTC) (permalink)
Ultimate Screenshot Competition
Jdars pointed out the Ultimate Screenshot Competition - submit yours, and win a chance at having it labeled one of the best! (There don't seem to be any prizes besides pride.) Full rules are listed on the site.
(Louis Wu 16:58:33 UTC) (permalink)
Bungie Weekly Update: ODSTs, Rabbits, and Teases, Oh My!
Bungie posted their Weekly Update as the workday came to a close last night... it's a fun read. There's a writeup on the ODST, the star of their upcoming expansion project - go learn more about him, and what he is capable of! There's also a series of great shots with Fairfax, Marissa's Bunny - that rabbit is getting EVERYWHERE! And finally, there's a warning that next week's update will be nonexistent, owing to the holiday - but that there'll be interesting stuff earlier in the week to make you smile. Go read! (As always, it's also available in our Weekly Update Archive, if that's more appealing to you.) (Louis Wu 12:52:57 UTC) (permalink)
News November 21 2008
Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts (and vehicles)
Dustbunny27 has been working on vehicles in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts - a couple of them are Halo-related. Go look! (Louis Wu 22:30:10 UTC) (permalink)
Grunt Birthday
mendicantbias00 is celebrating his birthday today (one day early). Check out his forum post for a shot of the cake his girlfriend made for him. That one's a keeper, mb! (Louis Wu 20:08:54 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3: Recon Story in OXM UK
Over at NeoGAF, MirageDwarf noticed that there's a Halo 3: Recon story in the latest issue of OXM (the UK version) - you can swing by their Ezine page for a taste. I think Brian 'SketchFactor' Jarrard is going to need to change his name to John Smith, or something - nobody can seem to spell the real one correctly. (Louis Wu 19:54:49 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars NXE Premium Theme
BenjaminBirdie posted a bunch of Premium Themes screens over at NeoGAF, so you can see what you're getting into before you drop 250 MS Points. Scroll down a little to see the Halo Wars theme. Thanks, Herr Zrbo.
(Louis Wu 19:54:04 UTC) (permalink)
BringIt - win cash for playing
Ran across an odd press release - a new service called 'BringIt' will allow you to challenge other gamers to matches in a variety of games (including Halo 3) - you build a challenge, listing how much you want to play for. Others can take up that challenge - winner takes the pot, minus a 10% fee for BringIt. You have to be 18, and it's only available in certain states - read the rules and the FAQ for full detaiils. (Louis Wu 18:45:24 UTC) (permalink)
Charity Auctions - Ending Soon!
My7hos pointed out that his charity auctions are ending this evening - you've still got a few hours left, and most things that are up are still pretty cheap. Go see - maybe you can pick up an inexpensive Christmas present for someone! The money you spend will benefit veterans, via the TTL Foundation. (Louis Wu 18:39:42 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars Assets Surface
Bongo let us know about a thread at Polycount - it was started by DH_, who works at Ensemble. He posted some of the stuff he's worked on, including a bunch of early Halo Wars stuff. Check out the early version of the Ship AI! (Louis Wu 16:29:00 UTC) (permalink)
The Wrecking Crew
RVideo sent along a pair of panoramas, compiled from early portions of The Covenant level. Check out Wrecking Crew 1 and Wrecking Crew 2! (Louis Wu 16:27:46 UTC) (permalink)
The Catch
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 114 is now up - I gotta tell you, what the Reclaimer is about to be in for doesn't sound like a lot of fun. (Louis Wu 16:27:25 UTC) (permalink)
Friday Caption Fun, Round 25
Hawty McBloggy has posted another round of Friday Caption Fun - swing by for some of the best of last week's offerings, and a new (and pretty lewd) shot to caption. Normally, I'd toss my offering in as the title to this post... but lots of people read the RSS feed for this site, and they don't need that sort of thing showing up on their desktop.
(Louis Wu 16:23:42 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Only three new stories this week in the Fan Fiction section... I guess the Doing It Write challenge burned everyone out! (Louis Wu 16:22:29 UTC) (permalink)
Fearless leader gets older, wiser
You think Halo is old? Get a hacksaw and count the rings in the meaty part of Mr. Wu's upper thigh. OK, don't. But wish the old bloke a happy b-day anyway, willya? (Ding 14:55:30 UTC) (permalink)
News November 20 2008
Bungie - a first-class experience
The 'Breaking In' series continues at Bungie.net - urk talks to Pat Jandro, a Cinematic Animator for Bungie, about how he got into the field, and what's good about the job. (Louis Wu 23:43:39 UTC) (permalink)
HB(Pan)O
pete_the_duck put together his own batch of panoramas today - most are fun incidents from matchmaking. I love 'Double Snipe'! (Louis Wu 21:09:25 UTC) (permalink)
Fisticuffs at Dawn (and the rest of the day)
It's Thursday, so it's time for another Double XP Weekend on Xbox LIVE - and this week, the playlist is Legendary Brawl. Ranked 12-player FFA - are there still achievements you need? (Louis Wu 20:51:23 UTC) (permalink)
The Cole Protocol - in the UK before the US
broony announced that he'd just received email from Amazon.co.uk confirming that The Cole Protocol had been dispatched, and Jillybean mentioned it had been in a local Scotland store for several days. The US Amazon, however, has the book on target to be shipped by mid-week next week. Oh, well...
(Louis Wu 14:23:30 UTC) (permalink)
Videogames - an economic bright spot
Dave 'Evil Otto' Candland stopped by to point out a local (Seattle) news story involving Bungie - looks like lawmakers are trying to figure out how to keep video game dollars in the state, and Bungie's a company worth talking to!
(Louis Wu 14:22:56 UTC) (permalink)
Halo-enabled Bible Study - update
TruthPastor GBG let us know that the in-game Bible study he was doing (we mentioned it here back in August) has moved - if you're interested in joining, here's a page with all the info. (Louis Wu 14:22:22 UTC) (permalink)
New machinima around the web
AvatarAang mentioned a couple of machinima links you might be interested in - if you're a Rooster Teeth subscriber, you've got access to a pair of clips that were cut from the Reconstruction DVD, and the Running Gun crew has whipped up a project called 'Paint the Line', as part of a 48 Hour Machinima challenge. (More info on their website.)
(Louis Wu 14:21:57 UTC) (permalink)
News November 19 2008
Bungie Community Spotlight - Mjolnir Battle Tactics
Bungie's posted another Community Spotlight, with corresponding new goodies in the Bungie Favorites section - this time, they're talking to Mjolnir Battle Tactics, a Bungie.net group. Go read about 'em, and check out their favorite maps/files! Thanks, Avateur. (Louis Wu 21:29:53 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Blackberry Theme
Hawty McBloggy pointed out a new theme for your Blackberry 9000, courtesy of Halcylon. Nice work! (Louis Wu 19:17:21 UTC) (permalink)
Discovery
Dennis Powers let us know that Shipwrecked Episode 42 is live - it looks like storylines are coming together. (Louis Wu 19:15:29 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 and the NXE - Things to Know
Over on the Bungie blog, there's an interview with Mat Noguchi about how Halo 3 uses the Xbox 360 cache features, and how this affects you with respect to the new 'copy to disk' feature of LIVE's NXE (which is now available to all LIVE subscribers). We've discussed this recently - but this interview provides many more details as to how it all works. The important take-home message, though, can be summarized in a sentence: if you play Halo 3 multiplayer, and you use the 'install to HD' feature of the NXE, not only will your load times be slower, but you will degrade the experience of everyone you play with. Bungie advises that Halo 3 players do NOT install the game on their hard drive.. (Louis Wu 18:16:09 UTC) (permalink)
Green and Red: Your Help Needed
Taco Power is looking for help with ideas for his Green and Red stop-motion Halo Kubrick videos - you can watch the first three (they're each just a few seconds long, and they're just him playing around with the technique), and then suggest plotlines for him! (Louis Wu 14:56:25 UTC) (permalink)
BTS: What is the Bump?
Over at the Rooster Teeth website, Burnie's posted a video that shows off one of the weird glitches in Halo 3 that they (and really MOST) machinima creators need to work around - and some ways of doing exactly that. Education can be entertaining! (Louis Wu 14:44:22 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Zapping
zukan pointed out a video on YouTube - 'Le Zapatabadou' is a French machinima version of Adult Swim's 'Robot Chicken'. As he says, even though the dialogue is in French, it's not hard to figure out what's going on most of the time - and some of the sketches are quite funny. Take a look! (Louis Wu 14:24:27 UTC) (permalink)
Insanity, Not Rampancy
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 113 is live - the Reclaimer meets two more members of the Cavalcade. (Louis Wu 14:06:24 UTC) (permalink)
Str8 Rippin Captain gets Star Treatment
According to the New York Times, Tom 'TSquared' Taylor's mug will appear on 175 million Dr. Pepper labels starting in January - the MLG Pro's deal is the label's first sports promotion with national distribution. He's bigger than the Dallas Cowboys! (They only got regional distribution on Dr. Pepper labels.) (Louis Wu 13:35:01 UTC) (permalink)
Real Men Go Commando
Episode 2 of ODS Steve is now live at Hawty McBloggy's - DeepCee's hapless Helljumper proves he has trouble reading (or at least processing). (Louis Wu 13:34:32 UTC) (permalink)
Custom Armor Variants at B.net
Metalingus627 pointed out a thread at Bungie.net that contains a series of artist renditions of new armor perms (fan-made) - some interesting stuff in there! (Louis Wu 13:34:12 UTC) (permalink)
Heroes vs Nemesis WP
Linken91 posted a series of 'Heroes vs Nemesis' wallpapers, to commemorate a machinima series - if you like your wallpaper with lots of words, check these out.
(Louis Wu 13:33:53 UTC) (permalink)
New Campaign Panos
nomis78 stopped in with six new panoramas - gorgeous work. Take the time to look at these. Update: looks like radiant penguin has posted his own, today (reminded by nomis78). Some great ones here, too! (Louis Wu 13:31:45 UTC) (permalink)
Ultra Kill? Really?
Ross Mills noticed an article at Maxim entitled 'The 7 Greatest Faceless Announcers in Video Games' - Halo's Voice of God renderer makes the list. Some of the 'memorable lines' attributed to him, though, might make you wonder.
(Louis Wu 13:30:39 UTC) (permalink)
Top 10 Halo 3 Moments of Season 2: Episode 14
Anoj108 has posted Episode 14 of his Top 10 Halo 3 Moments series - this one is just a highlights reel from 'Season 2 (Episodes 8-13). Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 13:30:16 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars Art, Hands-on Pieces Continue
More Halo Wars coverage - The Halo Wars website mentions writeups at Joystiq and Xbox360Achievements.com, in addition to the stuff we mentioned a couple of days ago (post 1 | post 2). Planet Halo points out one at TeamXbox, too. And Wired has put up its own piece. On top of this news, the Halo Wars team has posted new wallpapers on their Screenshots page (they're labeled 'XBOX Live Screenshots') - the theme that these papers come from is available on Marketplace for 250 points. And they've added wallpaper containing the Flame Marine, concept artwork of Jackals, and a new Hunter shot. Pretty stuff! (Thanks in part to 2900d4u for the heads-up.) Update: There's even more - The 1UP FM podcast contains an interview with Ensemble's Graeme Devine and Dave Pottinger this week. Thanks, LoneRanger 2.5. (Louis Wu 13:29:23 UTC) (permalink)
XerxdeeJ - He Works for Them
Bungie.net's 'Average Joe' series of interviews grew yesterday when a discussion with Tied the Leader's XerxdeeJ hit the front page (thanks, Bryan Simon). deeJ isn't your average 'Average Joe', as far as Halo community members go - but he's modest enough that you'd almost think he wasn't really responsible for the success of TTL if you took this interview at face value. Go read - and if you're looking for a community of honorable gamers to join, check out TTL - you can't do much better! (Louis Wu 13:28:35 UTC) (permalink)
Tobias Buckell in the hospital
Aaron Spuler was the first to point out a blog post over at Tobias Buckell's website - the author of the soon-to-be-released 'Cole Protocol' novel was admitted to the hospital recently with heart trouble. Here's hoping this all turns out well!
(Louis Wu 13:27:44 UTC) (permalink)
Viral Marketing for Halo 3 Mythbusters
RandomSauce let us know about a video from CO0L Beans - the man risks life and limb to promote the cause of Halo 3 MythBusters on Xbox Live. Funny stuff - but I'm telling you now, if I met him in Matchmaking, I'd still shoot him.
(Louis Wu 13:26:59 UTC) (permalink)
News November 18 2008
Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough: Cortana
It's Tuesday, so it's time for another installment of Daniel 'Tyrant' Morris' Solo Legendary All Skulls On Walkthrough of Halo 3 - this week's info considers Cortana, and the pus-covered ship it takes place on. Lots and lots of movies, lots and lots of tips. When you get through reading this, you might think that SLASO is easier than Heroic! (Okay, not really.) (Louis Wu 18:50:01 UTC) (permalink)
DWT Goes Halo 3 Tricking
urk posted a note about Psychoneurosis, a Halo 3 tricking video put together by DWT Productions - some pretty bizarre stuff! (If you swing by High Impact Halo, you can find a high-res download link, as well - it's a beefy 225 mb, though.) (Louis Wu 17:48:47 UTC) (permalink)
Korea beefs up troop armor
DrDoctor pointed out an article at CNET about some new 'Halo-esque' armor for Korea's troops... we're getting closer to ODSTs! (Louis Wu 17:17:49 UTC) (permalink)
Looking back on an Age of Innocence
Ensemble's Dave Pottinger talked to Shacknews about the closure of Ensemble Studios - and some information about the cancelled Halo MMO (there was a flurry of info about this project back in September). Sounds like they're pretty unhappy about the closure - and the MMO project had gotten a lot further along than anyone thought! Thanks, vshields ash. (Louis Wu 17:16:49 UTC) (permalink)
TTL: What the...
XerxdeeJ stopped in to complain about Mondays, and to point out new content at Tied the Leader. Wait... it's Tuesday again? There's a full writeup of the honorable profession of Wheelmanning, complementing the Tail-gunner article from last week. And OboeCrazy has put together an October Highlight Reel for the Gunslingers (you cannot see it in high quality when it's embedded, so I'd suggest viewing this on YouTube after you read the writeup) - very, very funny stuff. (Louis Wu 17:14:56 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3: I Am the Master Chief
LostRock11 pointed out a rather bizarre, but pretty funny, video put together by Balloon Shop last year just after Halo 3 was released. It made me laugh! (Louis Wu 17:13:01 UTC) (permalink)
Lego Halo Spartans - DIY
Raulboy noticed some cool Custom Lego Spartans for sale on eBay - and Dustbunny27 showed him how to get them even cheaper. Build your own Halo Lego army!
(Louis Wu 17:11:29 UTC) (permalink)
Carter ain't holdin' nothin' back
Hawty McBloggy uncovered a really cool Elite costume... but even better, she found the perfect soundtrack for it. Check it out!
(Louis Wu 17:01:52 UTC) (permalink)
Haloween Clan LAN Hookup
Willy let us know that his clan, CE United, participated in a LAN event with 8-Bit Brigade over Halloween - check out the recap!
(Louis Wu 17:01:03 UTC) (permalink)
News November 17 2008
Halo Wars: The Floodgates Open
The Halo Wars news is pouring in fast and furiously. IGN has a hands-on preview of the campaign, GameSpot has updated their hands-on article, D+PAD has an interview with Graeme Devine (four pages long, lots of info). We'd updated our earlier screenshots post - but if you missed the update, swing by and read it now! (Louis Wu 22:41:13 UTC) (permalink)
SPNKr'd
Still not taking full advantage of the tags on B.net's user-generated content? urk gives you another example of why they're cool. Today's pics are SPNKR-related. (Louis Wu 19:24:48 UTC) (permalink)
Hard Justice: Episode 5
DigitalPh33r's story of Esoteria and its police force continues with Bernard's driving test, and the governor's unhappiness with a cop that asks questions. I'm liking the series more than I used to! Thanks to urk for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 18:29:23 UTC) (permalink)
New Halo Wars Art Assets
A new batch of Halo Wars screenshots and a few cutscene stills were released this morning - we've posted them here, because it's a good bet that the full-sized images (5120x2880 for the screenshots, 1920x1280 for the stills) won't make it to the web on most sites - and almost EVERY other site will slap a watermark on each image. Enjoy the full-sized, watermark-free versions! Update: Kotaku got a LOT more pictures than we had access to (though I put up another 5 shots on our page); Kotaku's are not watermarked, but they're not big, either. However... some of them ARE really cool. (There's an interesting article that goes with them - story material, background on gameplay, more. Worth a read. Thanks, gunluva.) (Louis Wu 17:56:39 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars info at VideoGamer
VideoGamer.com has posted a series of Halo Wars news bits this morning - there's one that has quotes from Ensemble's Graeme Devine stating that Halo Wars will never show up on a PC, another that discusses the lack of a Covenant option in the Campaign (it came down to time), and yet another that gives you a hands-on preview of the game. Spread 'em out, more pageviews!
(Louis Wu 16:09:17 UTC) (permalink)
Snipers are Wussies HMV
AnTi PRO let us know that another Bryan Simon song, 'Snipers are Wussies', has been turned into a Halo music video - great song, great clips! (Louis Wu 16:08:50 UTC) (permalink)
Grifball FTW
Bryan Simon sent word this morning that, inspired by this weekend's Grifball list, he's written a new song, "Grifball FTW". You can watch it on YouTube, or you can download the MP3 from us. Your call!
(Louis Wu 16:08:21 UTC) (permalink)
Halo bloggers make my life easier
A couple of interesting bits today at Hawty McBloggy's - she ran across a legitimate Killionaire in ranked matchmaking (it's SWAT, but it's still pretty amazing - how many of these do YOU have?)... and a guest writer, Halcylon, wrote up his experience at Video Games Live in Chicago (the Halo portion continues to impress). Go read! (Louis Wu 16:07:05 UTC) (permalink)
Cracked
TTL Demag0gue announced that Reclaimer 112 is online - things are getting squirrely...
(Louis Wu 16:06:33 UTC) (permalink)
Valhalcry
NeoGAF's EazyB has recreated Valhalla using Far Cry 2's Level Editor - you can check out a pretty long movie showing the features on YouTube. Nice work!
(Louis Wu 16:05:52 UTC) (permalink)
Top 10 MLG Exterminations
B mc gann put together his Top 10 MLG Exterminations - some great play, some funny mistakes by the opposition. Go watch!
(Louis Wu 16:05:32 UTC) (permalink)
Marathon Man Ep7 Pt2 Sneak Peek
sniper2477 stopped in yesterday with word of a new Marathon Man episode teaser. It's a fun little street race romp - dialogue could use some work, but the camera angles are great.
(Louis Wu 16:05:06 UTC) (permalink)
News November 16 2008
CM-XWing Films: Halo 3 Montage 3
lostguru suggested we take a look at this montage from CM-XWing Films - lots of noscopes, lots of sticks, decent timing of gameplay to music. 4:22 long. (Louis Wu 17:58:30 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Memories - Going Strong
The thread we started yesterday, asking people to reminisce about how Halo has affected their lives, is pretty amazing. Lots of stories, lots of love. Bring a pretty big cup of coffee - people have been writing a LOT. I'm seeing names that have been quiet for years, alongside names of relative newcomers, and everything in between. If you have your OWN story, feel free to toss it in the mix! (Louis Wu 14:55:00 UTC) (permalink)
Top 10 Halo 3 Lucky Kills: Episode 13
The latest Top10Series vid is 'Top 10 Halo 3 Lucky Kills' - synchronized sticks, amazing bounces, and a really amazing beatdown. Go watch! (Louis Wu 14:54:05 UTC) (permalink)
A full treatment of Xbox 360 NXE, and Halo 3 loading
NeoGAF's Psychotext did some extended tests with the NXE and Halo 3. Now, it's been known for a while that Halo 3 is already optimized to efficiently use the 360's cache, so that loading times from the hard drive using NXE's new 'copy to HD' feature are actually LONGER than standard loading - but Psychotext went a step further; he also checked second load times (i.e., post-cache), and compared the whole shebang to loading times if no hard drive is connected at all. He wraps it all up with an explanation of how to maximize your use of the cache if you're playing multiple levels in a row. The results might surprise you. (Louis Wu 14:44:05 UTC) (permalink)
Halopen Pencast Episode 01
Firestorm12 let us know that Halopen Films released their first podcast a few days ago - you can listen to it here. They discuss Halopen, Halo, and machinima news. MP3 format, 45 minutes long. Go listen. (Comments and suggestions can go on their forum.) (Louis Wu 14:40:29 UTC) (permalink)
News November 15 2008
Halo: The Long Road
On November 15, 2001, the original Xbox was released... and fans all over the US got their hands on what turned out to be a turning point in console gaming - Halo: Combat Evolved. (The rest of the world had to wait a little longer for the joy.) Today is the seventh anniversary of that day - and in honor of this, we're looking back at how Halo has affected your life since then. We'd love it if you stopped by our forum with any stories you've got - reminiscences, great plays, real-life meetups, fun events... it's been a wild ride, where did it take you? We got word from chaosTheory, a moderator at the MLGPro forums, that he was releasing his fourth and final Halo:CE montage in celebration of this anniversary - it's a monster (23 minutes, over 260 mb), but it's a great look back at the gameplay that hooked an awful lot of us into a series of games that shows no sign of shuttering its doors. Go watch it - maybe before you visit our thread; it could remind you of what you loved at the beginning. (Louis Wu 15:32:22 UTC) (permalink)
I want to respawn with you
Hawty McBloggy sent a Halo-themed love note to her husband yesterday - oh, so tremendously sweet! (Louis Wu 15:15:15 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars: Honor Guard and Flame Hog
The Halo Wars website posted a new piece of concept art showing off the Covenant Honor Guard Wraith and the UNSC Flaming Warthog (scroll down to 'Unit Concepts' on the Concept Art page). Judgement reserved until we see these in action... thanks, Keiran Lovett. (Louis Wu 15:05:50 UTC) (permalink)
Pro Tips with TSquared - a backlog
It's been a while since we've mentioned a Pro Tips with T-Squared on X-Play - but we'll give you a recap from June through now. There were tips for Blackout in May - but he came back to the map on June 24, with four new jumps. On August 5th, he put together some nice pointers for Narrows... and just last week he released a collection for Cold Storage. Go watch!
(Louis Wu 15:01:55 UTC) (permalink)
Off To a Good Start
GameDaily put up a list of their Top 25 Best 'First Levels' in Games... and the Pillar of Autumn made the list. Go read why! Thanks, darthbob. (Louis Wu 14:44:45 UTC) (permalink)
My7hos' Charity Auctions - Final Round
My7hos has posted the last batch of items he's got for donation to the Tied the Leader Foundation - several posters and special action figures are up for grabs! Go check 'em out, and remember - the money's going to a good cause! (Louis Wu 14:40:40 UTC) (permalink)
Fan Fiction Writers help a fan support Child's Play
A Halo Fan...natic stopped in to point out that the winners in the HBOFF "You're Doing It Write" challenge have been posted - these guys helped Phædrus donate $400 to charity! Awesome job, everyone! (Louis Wu 14:38:35 UTC) (permalink)
Business Friday - it'll make you cry
The Bungie Weekly Update is live (after some oddness) - it's not very meaty, but the view inside Bungie Studios at the end is nothing short of frightening. Go read! (If you have any sort of problem with Bungie.net, it's always up in our Weekly Update Archive.) (Louis Wu 02:07:10 UTC) (permalink)
News November 14 2008
Song of the Clan
Wow. A long time ago, Elnea wrote an instrumental piece - a sad song about a group of Elites preparing for a battle they know they'll lose. It was recorded as a duet with piano (Elnea) and oboe (OboeCrazy), but never released. Later, she expanded the piece with lyrics - and a friend (Felicia Quinn) recorded it for a student recital. You can listen to the instrumental version (50 seconds) on Elnea's mac.com site. The expanded version is there as well - but it was recorded from the back of the room, and is very hard to hear; I normalized it a little, and you can listen to that version here. (Elnea's page is definitely worth visiting - she's got backgroud, lyrics, credits - the whole shebang.) (Louis Wu 22:18:49 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Custom Edition Map Screenshot Archive
Dennis Powers let us know that the Halo CE Maps website has put together a Map Screenshot Archive - and they're looking for help in fleshing it out! Swing by and see what you can do. (Upload page for Halo CE screenshots, along with rules, is here.) (Louis Wu 22:03:41 UTC) (permalink)
Hey, remember me?
ZZoMBiE13 created what might be his last RvB: Reconstruction fan art piece - take a look! (Louis Wu 21:06:54 UTC) (permalink)
Hindsight: Halo 3 - Cortana
The most recent installment of Ascendant Justice's 'Hindsight' series covers Cortana - and went live over a week ago. As is always the case with AJ writeups, this is chock-full of details and interesting tidbits you might have missed on your own run-through of the level. (There's also some fascinating discussion about plot points that strikes major chords.) There's an addendum that might help you get through the level on Legendary, as well. Thanks, vlad3163. Update: it's not nearly as old as we thought - it went live last night. Thanks, Cocopjojo! (Louis Wu 15:38:36 UTC) (permalink)
Art of Halo 3 pushed back
onebitrocket noticed that the Art of Halo 3 book, originally slated to be released this week, has been pushed back a few weeks - to November 25 in the US, and December 5 in the UK. (Extra links are in this post.) (Louis Wu 15:36:46 UTC) (permalink)
A cake so good, your cat could wear it.
Avateur found a pretty amazing looking Master Chief Helmet cake over at Team Teabag - go take a look! (If you live anywhere near Redmond, WA, you can even buy it.) (Louis Wu 15:01:28 UTC) (permalink)
Dude... those food nipples sneak up on you.
It's time for another round of Friday Caption Fun over at Hawty McBloggy's - there are some captions from last week's entry, along with a pretty funny new pic to work with. While you're there, be sure to wish her a happy anniversary! (Louis Wu 14:59:03 UTC) (permalink)
Cows and Bees, and Making Games
Bungie has put up another 'Breaking In' interview - this one has Joe Spataro, whose job title is 'Technical Designer in Animation'. Go read about how he got started, what his interview process was like, and what he thinks you should know if you want to work for Bungie!
(Louis Wu 13:55:56 UTC) (permalink)
Pyrosmile Updates
We haven't heard from Pyrosmile in a little bit - but they've been busy. We got three separate alerts yesterday: Master Chief Theater 3000: Episode 209 is now online, covering the Gravemind cutscene from Halo 2. They were interviewed recently by Machinima.com - you can get some information about the interview (and links) on Pyrosmile.org. And they've posted Episode 3 of Smiley's PAX adventure, which includes a meetup with Halobabies' Gruntsbane. (Minimal Halo content, but we were covering the rest of the stuff anyway...) (Louis Wu 13:54:54 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fan Fiction
Six new pieces await you this week in the Fan Fiction section - go read! (Louis Wu 13:54:03 UTC) (permalink)
Psylence Trailer
Z let us know that you can find a new trailer from Robosteeze and CitriC AcID over at Halo3Forum.com - it's called 'Psylence', and the filmwork is quite nice! The full montage it advertises will be out sometime in 2009. Check it! (Louis Wu 13:51:35 UTC) (permalink)
News November 13 2008
Recon Clarification
There's been a LOT of confusion about Recon armor, and the Mythic Map Pack, and how it all works together, ever since it was made clear yesterday that you'd be able to earn Recon armor through Achievements once Halo 3: Recon is released. We went to SketchFactor for some answers - you should go read 'em. (Louis Wu 19:38:33 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Double XP: Grifball
This week's Double XP Weekend is Grifball - and it's live. Get warmed up for the Winter League (starting in about a month)! (Louis Wu 19:30:16 UTC) (permalink)
Forging Fun
Unreality Magazine has put together a look at eight of the coolest uses of Halo's Forge - check 'em out! Thanks, skellOBISSIS. (Louis Wu 18:42:38 UTC) (permalink)
Grifball League Enhancements
NOKYARD let us know about a cool new feature of this year's Grifball Winter League - your team can build a customized Home Court! The official map has been designed to allow teams to customize the large wall so that 'home' games are more comfy - and you've got permission to get started on the customization. Full instructions and rules can be found in this ForgeHub thread (ForgeHub is working with Grifball.com to make this process smooth, and to ensure that none of the changes affect actual gameplay). Check it out! (Louis Wu 17:31:56 UTC) (permalink)
It's not razzleberry dressing, yo
Hawty McBloggy has taken a solid look at the whole "you can get Recon armor with Halo 3: Recon" revelation, and tried to pin down what this means to various types of Halo players. Go see what category you're in! (Louis Wu 17:22:16 UTC) (permalink)
The Best Fictional Doomsday Devices
LostRock11 was the first to let us know about a new article at Wired.com - "The Best Fictional Doomsday Devices" covers eight pretty nasty pieces of equipment... and everbody's favorite ring-shaped galaxy cleaner is on the list. (Louis Wu 17:17:38 UTC) (permalink)
One Shot on my X - the video
AnTi PRO let us know that Arm The Flag and Bryan Simon have gotten together to create a music video using Bryan's 'One Shot on my X' - funny stuff! Go watch.
(Louis Wu 17:16:29 UTC) (permalink)
From Halo to Hellboy
uber_chaos sent along an audio clip (617k, mp3 format) from the Hellboy II director's commentary, during which Guillermo Del Toro discusses the helmet he designed for the character Johann Krauss (you can see it here) - and how this evolved from a design for the Master Chief's helmet when he was thinking about the Halo movie. Interesting discussion!
(Louis Wu 17:09:49 UTC) (permalink)
News November 12 2008
Halo 3: Recon info in new GI
The December 2008 issue of Game Informer has a cover story on Halo 3: Recon - and it's a doozy. It doesn't contain any new screenshots, but there's quite a bit of concept art, and there's a lot of description of how the game is going to work. There are some very interesting tidbits included:
- Paul Bertone describes the scope of H3:R as "a three to five-hour expansion pack"
- Recon Armor will be earnable for all - complete the Vidmaster Challenge series of achievements and it's yours
- Bungie's Joe Staten says "we do not view this as a $60 title"
- The cover art is spectacular, and has been whipped up by Bungie newcomer Jaime Jones (google him - I found this gallery of pretty amazing stuff)
The game sounds to be a lot of fun to play - you'll need to read the article for details. If you're a subscriber, you should be seeing it today - or very soon. If you're looking for it on the newsstand, you might have to wait a week or two. I'm droolin'... (Louis Wu 23:08:11 UTC) (permalink)
TRR Favorites - go enjoy
Thanks to urk, who put up a note about a new collection of community favorites at The Running Riot. Screenshots and film clips, this time out. (Louis Wu 22:30:35 UTC) (permalink)
Dude, I think we got company
Hawty McBloggy ran across a pretty cool little YouTube clip - you couldn't make that jump in a million years if you tried. (Louis Wu 21:36:44 UTC) (permalink)
Show us yer junk!
The Community Spotlight Second Week has just begun for Halo3.junk.ws - new files, a new interview. Well, a discussion of a joke map. It actually sounds like fun - go grab a copy! (Louis Wu 20:47:59 UTC) (permalink)
Grifball Goodies
It's time for another Grifball season - and the Winter 2009 court has been posted at Grifball.com. Go download it! Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 20:46:31 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Trilogy - a 5-disc set, coming in December
LoneRanger 2.5 noticed the Halo Trilogy Soundtrack - and mendicantbias00 found a listing for it at Amazon. A five-disc box set... so it's just the original Halo OST, the 2-disc Halo 2 OST, and the 2-disc Halo 3 OST (I'd guess). (Louis Wu 18:09:35 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 - been there, done that
Paul Wedgwood, founder of Splash Damage (the developer of the Enemy Territory franchise for id Software), spoke to Edge magazine recently... and had some unhappy things to say about the state of console development today. (He wants to raise the bar, actually.)
"Arguably, and this is not to dismiss what people have achieved in the past, but Halo 3 multiplayer is really Quake 3 from 1999. Even Call of Duty 4 is just Counter-Strike on the PC from 2001."
He's hoping that his studio's next game, likely to be published on PC/Xbox360/PS3, will show the world what can REALLY be done on a console. Huh. (Louis Wu 17:48:02 UTC) (permalink)
Get Ready to Drop
A new comic series has kicked off over at Hawty McBloggy's - DeepCee is publishing the Chronicles of ODS Steve every Wednesday. Episode 1 is up now.
(Louis Wu 17:46:44 UTC) (permalink)
Feed Me Chief
VelocityTino put together a video that shows what happens if you mix Halo and Little Shop of Horrors. (Yes, it's what you'd expect - but he did a pretty good job with the composition.) (Louis Wu 17:46:11 UTC) (permalink)
Duplicity
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 111 is now live - and suddenly, everything you thought you knew about Ferial is tossed into doubt. Things are getting real. (Louis Wu 17:45:14 UTC) (permalink)
Get a taste of The Cole Protocol - in OXM
zofinda noticed that the Holiday 08 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine has an excerpt from the upcoming novel from Tobias Buckell, The Cole Protocol. (There's also a short interview with the author.) If you're interested in what the excerpt holds, zofinda wrote up an overview later on in the thread. (Louis Wu 17:42:59 UTC) (permalink)
Halo3RPG Puzzle Map Contest
Nick, from Halo3RPG.com, let us know that they're running a puzzle map contest. It's unclear what that really means, and without an account over there you can't even read the news items - but if you're interested, sign up, sign in, and read about it. Contest ends on November 28, and the prize is Recon armor (on Halo3RPG). (Louis Wu 17:42:22 UTC) (permalink)
News November 11 2008
Potential Podcast Music
Nick Singer has been in our news in the past, for creating cool Marathon/Halo music mixes - he's back, with a new piece he put together for use on the Bungie podcast. Bungie hasn't said if they're going to use it or not - but you can listen to it for yourself, it's quite short, but pretty full of energy! See what you think. (Louis Wu 20:15:17 UTC) (permalink)
SonicJohn - a Halo Pioneer
The spotlights on community members continue to shine over at Bungie.net - today's entry looks at SonicJohn, a Bungie.net member who was doing SLASO runs when most people thought SLASO was something you put on hot dogs. Swing by and read what makes him tick... and why. (Louis Wu 20:04:13 UTC) (permalink)
TTL: Gunnin' for Tail
XerxdeeJ stopped in with word of new content at Tied the Leader (Tuesday is Tuesday, after all, holiday or not). Check out an interesting article on the different types of warthog gunners you might encounter if you fancy yourself a wheelman. (There's also a new article on Gears of War 2 - but that might be for another fansite.) Go read! (Louis Wu 19:32:38 UTC) (permalink)
Halo ActionClix is all done.
Ouch - WizKids, the company behind Halo ActionClix (among other products, but that's the Halo-related one), is closing its doors; its parent company, Topps, has decided to move away, somewhat, from gaming - though they plan to support some HeroClix events already scheduled. Read Kotaku's story for more details. Thanks, Ross Mills. (Louis Wu 18:50:29 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough: The Covenant
On this quieter-than-usual Veterans Day, we'd like to offer you another chapter in the ongoing Solo Legendary All Skulls On walkthrough from Daniel 'Tyrant' Morris - this one is huge. It covers the level 'The Covenant', and the nearly 20 videos add up to almost 400 mb worth of visual aid. (Once again, these are split between two pages.) Go read... and go watch! (Louis Wu 16:02:27 UTC) (permalink)
KP, Servers, and Cats
Remember Fairfax? Looks like he's making his way through Xbox headquarters! Check it out. Thanks to The Don Wan for the heads-up. (Louis Wu 15:17:17 UTC) (permalink)
News November 10 2008
Brute Strength
urk, over at Bungie.net, again demonstrated the power of the new tagging system for user-created content - this time, the tagged items are 'Brute'-related. Awesome shots! Go play. (Louis Wu 20:51:55 UTC) (permalink)
Guilt O' Lantern Contest: Results
The voting for our Guilt O' Lantern contest wrapped up last night - and the winners are now visible. Congratulations to the winners... and thanks to all the voters! First and second place were solidly taken - but third-place was an EXTREMELY close-fought battle, with the lead changing hands a dozen times in the past few days. The final tally had Jericho's pumpkin taking the slot by just 7 votes. (Interestingly enough, the winning design was popular enough to take second place in last year's competition - different carving, but same base image.) Prizes will go out pretty soon! (Louis Wu 15:37:55 UTC) (permalink)
This Week in Gaming History
The Escapist runs a weekly series called 'This Week in Gaming History' - Halo plays a decent-sized role in the current installment. (Louis Wu 15:24:27 UTC) (permalink)
I'm sorry, did you need that?
So I was over at Hawty McBloggy's this morning, and I have to say, I'm sad. I think she must have written this rant after that game we played last night - it was only one game (she booted me after the post-game lobby), but pretty much every complaint she had came from that one 8-minute stretch. (It was a very weird multi-team slayer/CTF/VIP conglomeration in a playlist that only existed for a few minutes.) I'm really sorry, Hawty. I thought you understood that all the weapons were put there for me. Next time, I'll leave you somet -ooh, look, a rocket launcher! And a sniper! Lemme just grab those before I get in the warthog and drive off alone. (Louis Wu 13:40:33 UTC) (permalink)
Real7alk Podcast #4
RandomSauce let us know that the fourth Real7alk podcast has been released - guests include ForgeHub and Bryan Simon (who even gives a live performance). Go listen! And if you like what you hear, swing by their forum and join in the community. (Louis Wu 12:47:51 UTC) (permalink)
WCG 2008 - Canada is Halo 3 Champ
The Halo 3 tournament portion of the World Cyber Games finished up yesterday - Canada's EndResult took first place, followed by France's SSK in second, and the USA's Mob_Deep in third. Congrats to all who participated! (Louis Wu 12:47:09 UTC) (permalink)
Common Enemy
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 101 is up - and suddenly, the story looks more familiar. (Louis Wu 12:46:23 UTC) (permalink)
McFarlane Halo Figure News
News from McFarlane - a couple of interesting announcements. They've announced a new series of Halo Wars mini-figures - 2.5 inches, sold in 3-packs, available in March; you can check out the pics on their site. Also, they've released a "Top 10 'must Have' Holiday Toys For $10" list - two of these figures are Halo figures. If you're thinking about giving Halo figures to friends/family for the holidays - save some dough! (Louis Wu 12:45:43 UTC) (permalink)
News November 9 2008
Halo 3 Series 3 Review from Superarticulated
Superarticulated has put up a review of the Halo 3 Series 3 figures from McFarlane - pros, cons, lots of pics. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 19:40:31 UTC) (permalink)
Top 15 Videogame Commandos: Day 3
IGN finished up a three-day 'Top 15 Video Commandos' series - and Halo's Master Chief is in the final five. Thanks, WarFreak. (Louis Wu 17:38:41 UTC) (permalink)
HBO: Cooler Taglines Than Bungie
The 'Cooler Tagline' contest started by John_117 yesterday has already concluded - looks like we were victorious! That was the fastest Kotobukiya statue we've ever won. Now I have to go back through my mail - I seem to recall getting some cool contest ideas not too long ago... (Louis Wu 17:04:44 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Mythbusters: Episode 6
RandomSauce let us know that the sixth installment of Halo 3 Mythbusters is now available at YouTube. Some of these are REALLY cool. A few are just novelties, or demonstrations of oversights in Halo 3 programming... but others have serious potential in competitive gameplay. I've got to try out the magnetic equipment trick! (Louis Wu 16:44:10 UTC) (permalink)
Teabag Prevention #27 - Foundry
jake108 let us know about Teabag Prevention #27 - tips to keep you from sucking on Foundry. Only read this if you're on my team, okay? (Louis Wu 16:37:50 UTC) (permalink)
Hard Justice: Episode 4
The fourth episode of DigitalPh33r's Hard Justice series is now online - it's hard to be a cop in a town that has different priorities than you do. THanks, AvatarAang. (Louis Wu 16:30:24 UTC) (permalink)
Fourth Time's The Charm
SonGoharotto has had a hard time finding a group to do the Annual achievement with - but yesterday, he managed it... and took some great pictures. Go enjoy his victory with him! (Louis Wu 16:30:05 UTC) (permalink)
Revisiting Halo's Crimes
Last week, Cinema Blend put up an editorial discussing how Halo 3 was killing console multiplayer. There was some discussion on our forum, and a sizeable rebuttal from Narcogen, at Rampancy.net - but I managed to miss a counter-editorial at Cinema Blend itself. (After reading it, I'm not sure that was such a bad thing; the argument boils down to, basically, "multiplayer in most games sucks, and gamers are lazy" - neither of which are really decent arguments.) However, it's there, and I'm sorry I missed it. (Louis Wu 16:29:32 UTC) (permalink)
News November 8 2008
Comical Title Lines? You Decide.
In the weird-but-cool category: John_117 stopped by to point out a thread he's kicked off on Bungie.net (he's known as Helveck over there). He wants to know which site, Bungie.net or HBO, has the 'more comical' title lines. (You know, those lines that show up in the title bar of your browser; look up to the top of this window to see the currently-loaded HBO one.) If he gets enough votes, he's going to give away a very generous prize - a signed (by him) Kotobukiya Master Chief statue. (I don't know if Bungie would even accept something like this - but if he gives it to us, we'd figure out a contest to give it away with.) Go vote! (Louis Wu 21:06:11 UTC) (permalink)
Guilt O' Lantern Voting - Last Call
Only a couple of days remain to vote for your favorite pumpkins in our Guilt O' Lantern contest... if you haven't voted yet, take this opportunity to do so! I'm going to close down the voting at Midnight, EST, Sunday night - you've got about 37 hours. Make sure your voice is heard! (Louis Wu 15:56:44 UTC) (permalink)
One-of-a-kind Elite for charity
Hawty McBloggy dug up a custom-painted pink Elite figure on eBay - proceeds go to the American Breast Cancer Foundation. Auction ends in just under a week... go see! (Louis Wu 15:54:49 UTC) (permalink)
Official Master Chief Helmet
InnerRayg ntoiced that a new licensed product is now on the market - over at Gamernode, there's word of a Microsoft-approved full-sized Master Chief helmet, selling for $115. No word on who makes these. Update: The 405th's Sean Bradley confirmed that this is not a new item - it's simply the Deluxed Halo 3 Master Chief Mask from Rubie's, sold separately. Mr_Sniffles1 took pics of the entire outfit recently - you can see the helmet is the same. $115 might be more than you need to spend - a quick search turned up the helmet for anywhere from $80 to $100. The picture shown on most websites is not accurate (it shows the cheaper vacuformed helmet). (Louis Wu 15:49:21 UTC) (permalink)
Nuggets of New Map Info - Missing, Please Find
The Bungie Weekly Update is now live - and along with a TINY bit of information about Halo 3: Recon, there are also a bunch of user-asked questions, answered. Well, sort of answered. Go read! (As usual, you're welcome to use our Weekly Update Archive.) (Louis Wu 01:13:57 UTC) (permalink)
Bounce it, baby.
I saw new content on Bungie.net - and thought it might be the weekly update. Nope - just a really convoluted suicide. Go watch! (Louis Wu 00:35:46 UTC) (permalink)
News November 7 2008
Getting up-close and personal with vehicles
Bry stopped in with closer looks at the Covenant Assault Carrier and the UNSC Warthog. Awesome pics!
(Louis Wu 18:40:56 UTC) (permalink)
Hurling the Hog
One more RvB: Reconstruction pic from ZZoMBiE13 - The Meta is tossing cars at Grif, and Grif doesn't like it. Nice work! (Louis Wu 18:37:01 UTC) (permalink)
From UNSC to NCTC
The name 'Jen Taylor' should ring a bell with Halo fans - she's been the voice of Cortana since there's BEEN a Cortana. Over at Bungie.net, there's a post that might be of interest to Taylor fans in the Seattle area... she's part of a group that just started the New Century Theater Company, and you can visit to see "cutting-edge, relevant, professional theater." Their first show opens next week - go check out The Adding Machine! (Louis Wu 18:31:26 UTC) (permalink)
Say hello to my little friend.
It's Friday, so it's time for another round of Friday Caption Fun over at Hawty McBloggy's. The last outing was 3 weeks ago - this one contains reader submissions for that screenshot, plus a new screenshot to play with. Seriously... that is one big gun. (Louis Wu 15:43:29 UTC) (permalink)
Vices for the Gaming Age
NartFOpc pointed out an article at Cracked.com - 'The 7 Deadly Sins of Online Gaming' looks at some of the bad things you can do in today's multiplayer games (and what should happen to you when you do). Teabagging makes the list. (Louis Wu 15:43:07 UTC) (permalink)
H3RPG DXP - Team Pistols
Nick, from Halo 3 RPG, let us know that it's a Team Pistol Double XP weekend over there. Also, Mast3r-117 started an official Halo 3 FanClub on Bungie.net. (Louis Wu 15:42:40 UTC) (permalink)
Friday's Fanfic - and the close of a challenge
Seventeen new pieces were added to the Fan Fiction section this week (though only 10 were submitted as part of Phædrus' "You're Doing It Write" challenge - and this was the final chance to get an entry in for that). Go read! (Louis Wu 13:58:05 UTC) (permalink)
Escape Protocol
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 109 is live - sounds like escape isn't exactly foiling Viper's plans. (Louis Wu 13:47:28 UTC) (permalink)
7 on the 7th: Blackout
Should have mentioned this last night, when it went live... but the latest 7 on the 7th list is active now. If you haven't gotten your 7 on the 7th Achievement (or if you just want to play 7 player FFA games on Blackout), this is your chance! (Louis Wu 13:34:04 UTC) (permalink)
More on the Mythic Map Pack
It became clear yesterday, after the Halo Wars Collectible Edition announcement, that the Mythic Map Pack would be available for download from Xbox LIVE soon after the release of Halo Wars. (Bungie says as much here.) We even learned that the inclusion of the Map Pack in the Collectible Edition would come as a downloadable code (which means that you can only install it on one Xbox) - but I forgot to post that information here on the front page. Apologies to folks who weren't following various forum discussions. To sum up: the EARLIEST way to get the Mythic Maps is to buy the Halo Wars Collectible Edition ($80). Soon after its release, though, the maps will be available for public purchase on XBL (price currently unknown, but 800 MS Points is a good bet). It's unlikely the maps will be included in a Matchmaking playlist until there's a large enough population to USE them (this is pure speculation). (Louis Wu 13:28:29 UTC) (permalink)
Richard Lico Breaks Into Bungie
Bungie's put up another developer interview - this time, it's Richard Lico, Animation Lead. Richard talks about how he got into animating, and how he got into Bungie - critical stuff if you want to follow in his footsteps! Check it out.
(Louis Wu 13:18:47 UTC) (permalink)
Banjo Unto Dawn?
FyreWulff showed off a vehicle that looks awfully familiar - it was created in Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, but it's got a Halo feel! Take a look.
(Louis Wu 13:13:58 UTC) (permalink)
Pew Pew Pew
Jobyn ran across a website promising gesture-based control - Mgestyk Technologies uses a camera to film your hand movements, and software to interpret them. One of the examples in the video partway down the main page is a guy playing Halo PC - he fires the rocket launcher on Battle Creek simply by making a gun shape with his hand, and 'pulling the trigger'. (The Halo content starts around 55 seconds in.) Lots of possibilities! (Louis Wu 13:12:44 UTC) (permalink)
News November 6 2008
Team Flag, Baybee
It's Thursday, so it's time for another Double XP weekend to go live! This week it's Team Flag - 5v5 CTF variants. Woohoo! Go play. (Louis Wu 20:35:28 UTC) (permalink)
Shadoobie (I've Been Splattered)
Over at the Bungie Blog, urk pointed out 'Top 10 Series Episode 12: Splatters'. I wasn't impressed for the first few... but they get WAY better. Go watch! (Louis Wu 20:33:23 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars CE - with some amazing extra content
Whoa. Oddworld noticed an announcement on Xbox.com for the Halo Wars Collector's Edition, which is now available for preorder. Cool stuff in there - a graphic novel, a unique in-game vehicle, a patch, and some cards... but the REALLY big news is that the Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack (consisting of Assembly, Orbital, and Sandbox) will be in the box as well. Release date is 'worldwide this February'. Will this be the ONLY way to get the Mythic Map Pack? Unknown at this point. More when we know it! Update: Kotaku (among other places) has received the official press release - looks like list price for the Collector's Edition is $79.99. (We don't really count as a Halo news source, so we don't get these press releases.) (Louis Wu 17:54:05 UTC) (permalink)
PreGame Lobby Ep 8
PreGame Lobby Episode 8 is now online - 17 minutes long? Wow. Bunch of live-action stuff in this one. (I could have skipped most of the early stuff...) Thanks, Lord Osiris. (Louis Wu 17:49:11 UTC) (permalink)
Late Night Halo
mirel noticed that last night's Late Night with Conan O'Brien contained a bit of Halo footage - it was a short segment making fun of the whole 'hologram' thing news channels have been abusing recently. NBC.com has put the entire episode up - but the one-minute clip in question is not available separately, so we've put up downloadable versions (QuickTime, 8.8 mb, WMP9, 8.6 mb). (Louis Wu 17:44:40 UTC) (permalink)
Classic Halo Tricking
Wow. Ducain sent word of a thread over at High Impact Halo, started by Lone Starr - it contains a bunch of clips of Halo 1 tricks that are really, really impressive. Stuff I've never seen before - and we're now more than 7 years on! Go grab 'em and watch. (Louis Wu 17:32:17 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3, One Year On
Over at Gameplayer.com.au is an interview with Brian Jarrard that originally appeared in Australian 360 magazine. Give it a read to see what Bungie thinks about Halo 3, one year after release! (Louis Wu 14:40:28 UTC) (permalink)
More Costume Voting
We mentioned the Kotaku cosplay contest yesterday - Sean Bradley's Arbiter didn't get the love it deserved because the Halo community didn't know about it in time. Never fear - he's entered it in OTHER contests, and you've still got time to vote! Swing by CollegeHumor, and you'll be faced with 2-at-a-time faceoffs; you might need a few reloads before you get to the Arbiter, but there are some other great costumes in there as well. Go vote! (He entered the I-am-bored.com contest, as well - but voting is over for that one, too. He took second place! You gotta wonder a little, when you see what won first...) (Louis Wu 14:18:31 UTC) (permalink)
Halo'd Spore... Redux
It's been a couple of months since we mentioned the Halo creations built by the Spore community - but Hawty McBloggy revisited the field this morning, and I have to say, some of the characters she dug up are AMAZING. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 14:16:09 UTC) (permalink)
Getchyer Red-Hot Halo Books Here!
Pete the Duck is selling his Halo novels (and a bonus RvB DVD) on eBay, to earn a little money for his NEXT gaming adventure. His loss is your gain! Swing by and check it out.
(Louis Wu 14:14:10 UTC) (permalink)
No, you can't haz Recon
Evil Otto (otherwise known as Bungie's UI wizard, Dave Candland) stopped in yesterday to remind people that there's absolutely nothing you can do to get Recon armor assigned to you - it's not your decision. Beating obstacle courses, challenging Bungie employees 1v1, passing along screenshots or maps... you're not going to get Recon this way. Ever. (He also wanted to point out that it's not even something that EVERY Bungie employee can give out - only a few people actually have that ability.) If you want Recon, do cool stuff. Eventually, someone will notice. (Louis Wu 14:13:24 UTC) (permalink)
Let's get physical
SonofMacPhisto started an interesting thread yesterday - he was talking about body language in Halo cinematics. Lots of little details you might not notice your first time (or three) through - but things that really add to the overall ambience, even without your direct awareness! Go see what others have noticed, too.
(Louis Wu 14:09:57 UTC) (permalink)
Reconstruction Art
ZZoMBiE13 posted a pair of images inspired by the RvB: Reconstruction series - check out Church meets the Man Cannon, and Cram Tank. Whee!
(Louis Wu 14:07:53 UTC) (permalink)
News November 5 2008
Halo 4 : Master Chief looks for Love
Yesterday, we mentioned a video tutorial showing you how to build Halo armor - what we missed was a test film the Indy Mogul crew made using the end product. Funny stuff! Thanks to Jeaux Janovsky, of Channel Frederator, for the heads-up.
(Louis Wu 21:40:56 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 November Matchmaking update
Bungie has posted details about the November Matchmaking update - swing by to see what's in store this month! (Louis Wu 21:33:17 UTC) (permalink)
Stats are Hot
The Community Spotlight series continues at Bungie.net - this time out, it's a look at Halo3.Junk.ws, the comprehensive stats website. Go read how they got started... and check out what they offer if you don't already use 'em! (Louis Wu 21:31:23 UTC) (permalink)
Hey, I know that guy!
Over at the Bungie blog, Urk dug up a funny video called 'Real Teammates of Genius - Mr. Take Off By Yourself In the Warthog Guy', and it pays tribute to that guy who puts the I in TEAM.
(Louis Wu 21:30:38 UTC) (permalink)
The Dilbert Effect
Dennis Powers let us know that Shipwrecked Episode 41 is now live - sometimes you gotta wonder. (Louis Wu 21:30:13 UTC) (permalink)
Kotaku rates reader cosplay
Hawty McBloggy pointed out that Kotaku held a reader cosplay costume contest for Halloween... and posted their finalists for voting yesterday. Unfortunately, voting closed before we heard about it... but results should be up in the not-too-distant future. Two of the costumes were Halo-related - a Master Chief, and an Arbiter. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 18:14:58 UTC) (permalink)
Another option for fileshare recording
Martin Handley has been pretty persistent in trying to get the word out about ShooterClips.com, a website that will record your Halo 3 video clips, for free. You can read some feedback in this thread on their website. Give 'em a try!
(Louis Wu 17:52:05 UTC) (permalink)
The Not-Friends List
Over at Hawty McBloggy's, there's a guest article looking at the political correctness of simply not liking someone. Do you have people on your Friends list that aren't really friends? Go read the article, and see what category they fall under! (Louis Wu 13:40:57 UTC) (permalink)
Tactical Retreat
TTL Demag0gue let us know that Reclaimer 108 is up - looks like hijacking a Hornet didn't go very well.
(Louis Wu 13:40:14 UTC) (permalink)
More on the Halo Interactive Strategy Game
Last week, Joystiq put up some pics of the Halo Interactive Strategy Game - yesterday, Kotaku did the same (more pics, though). Thanks, Schedonnardus. Update: looks like you can GET this game for free by visiting Daily Game. They're giving away a copy in a sweepstakes.
(Louis Wu 13:39:07 UTC) (permalink)
McFarlane 12 inch Master Chief figure review
Plastic Panic! Figure Reviews has put up a look at the McFarlane 12" Master Chief - lots of pics. Might help you decide to buy one!
(Louis Wu 13:38:28 UTC) (permalink)
News November 4 2008
Italian masters... done Halo style
ARxXInSaNeMiXx sent word that he has a small gallery at Photobucket - ever wonder what Michaelangelo's and Da Vinci's works would look like with a Halo slant? Now you don't have to. Check it out! (Louis Wu 20:13:39 UTC) (permalink)
Pete the Duck: Sharing is Caring
urk has continued the 'Average Joe' interviews over at Bungie.net - first we had Bryan the Singer, today, we have Pete the Duck. That name might be more familiar to HBO readers than B.net readers... but not after this! Go read the Q&A - he talks about what keeps him involved in the Halo community, and more. There's even some media (provided by Pete himself!) that shows off what a good sport he is. Go read! (Louis Wu 19:15:54 UTC) (permalink)
CAGE MATCH
Hawty McBloggy wants to make sure you understand the issues before you cast your ballot for the next president of the United States. (Assuming, of course, that you CAN cast a ballot for the next president of the US - sorry, kids/people in other countries). She's put together a comparison of candidates... using Halo resources. Noice! (Please don't take this too seriously... kthnx) (Louis Wu 19:08:37 UTC) (permalink)
Halo 3 Mythic Walkthrough: The Ark
The next chapter of Daniel 'Tyrant' Morris' Solo Legendary All Skulls On guide to beating Halo 3 on the toughest possible difficulty is now live. The Ark is a massive level, and requires a LOT of video content to get you through. There are twenty separate videos for this one - the level has been broken into two pages to keep things manageable. Go on and get to reading/watching! (Louis Wu 17:39:16 UTC) (permalink)
2008 Mackies
This weekend, the Machinima Filmfest 2008 was held in New York City, and the Mackies were awarded to the best films. Although a number of Halo works were nominated (we mentioned them last month), only one came home with an award - congrats to This Spartan Life, winner of Best Series! (Louis Wu 16:09:14 UTC) (permalink)
Halo3RPG, explained
aerzy created a video to show off what Halo3RPG.com has to offer; if you've read the front-page mentions, but haven't felt like registering to see more, this can give you a glimpse into the site. Thanks, Linken91.
(Louis Wu 16:08:36 UTC) (permalink)
Go Vote. (For Pumpkins.)
Two thousand people tossed their votes into the hat for our Guilt O' Lantern contest in the first 24 hours (literally - the count at this moment is 2000, even) - but I'm sure there are more people out there. If you haven't voted yet, swing by and take a look - there are 3 pages of pumpkins, and some of them are SPECTACULAR! The competition is fierce for the prize spots... it's still wide open! Go vote. (Louis Wu 15:17:04 UTC) (permalink)
Become a DIY Master Chief
VelocityTino let us know that you can watch a video tutorial showing you how to build Halo armor - Indy Mogul's Backyard FX tackles the pepakura technique. The guest expert is Erica Langworthy (aka 'Skullcandy Girl' over at the 405th Forums, and the awesome animator behind Drawn by Pain), and the video will give you an overview on what's required, and what NOT to do. (There are links to far more detailed information included in the vid.) Go check it out! (Louis Wu 15:08:25 UTC) (permalink)
Circatage
The Handmade Hero pointed out a trick jumping vid made by a group called Jump Theory, called 'Circatage'. It shows off some amazing jumps. Clearly many of them were done with non-standard settings ('standard' meaning 'base matchmaking')... but all of the tricks are pretty incredible. (The cone-jumpers were definitely some of the most impressive.) Check it out! (Louis Wu 14:53:13 UTC) (permalink)
ChicagoLANd 3.0
XerxdeeJ stopped by on this special election Tuesday (don't forget to vote, if you're a US citizen over 18!), with news of a writeup for ChicagoLANd 3.0, a LAN party that gathered a few dozen Tied the Leader Gunslingers (and friends) for three days of cameraderie, carnage, and comestibles. There's a video recap, as well as photos and text descriptions of the action go check it out! (Louis Wu 14:48:27 UTC) (permalink)
Halo Wars Campaign Gameplay Footage - Cleaner
During the Tokyo Game Show, some Halo Wars footage was released showing the buildup of Alpha Base, and the kickoff of the game. It was watchable live, and later archived on GameTrailers - but it was recorded in the room, off the screen, so audio is a bit hollow, and video is darker than it probably should be. Yesterday, a cleaner version of this footage was released - Littlebigman found it at Kotaku (though you can watch (and download) larger versions directly at GameVideos, as well). This definitely gives you a sense of how Halo Wars works. (Louis Wu 14:43:21 UTC) (permalink)
HBOFFPotW - October 31
Azrael let us know that the latest HBO Fan Fic Pick of the Week is live on the HBOFF forum. Go see what was good, and why. (Louis Wu 14:42:40 UTC) (permalink)
Waxing Eloquent about Multiplayer
Narcogen took exception to the points made in yesterday's editorial, over at Cinema Blend, that Halo is 'killing console gaming'. When Narc takes exception to something, he often offers a rebuttal - and this time he doesn't disappoint. Swing by Rampancy.net for a well-written, 2200 word treatise on where multiplayer stands in the heirarchy of factors that determine a game's popularity. He occasionally gets off-topic (at least with respect to the original editorial), but he keeps coming back to why the problem isn't really a problem, and solutions to solve the problem if it IS a problem for you. Go read it. Comments can go straight on the blog post, or back to our forum.
(Louis Wu 14:40:19 UTC) (permalink)
Halo + Mirror's Edge
MasterCheifn noticed a small Flash piece over at DeviantART - Night-Strider wanted to see what Halo would look like with Mirror's Edge's Freerunning style. Interesting! (Louis Wu 14:39:36 UTC) (permalink)
News November 3 2008
Searching for Snipers
The newest Bungie.net blog piece is a 'tag and release' article - trolling the community fileshare for cool 'Sniper' pictures, maps, and game variants. Check 'em out! (Louis Wu 21:40:33 UTC) (permalink)
HCE game Archive October Update
Dennis Powers sent along an October update for the Halo Custom Edition game Archive - there were 66 new maps and assets added during the month, bringing the total to over 3600 items. Two notable additions: Island Hopping by SiMuLaCrUm, and Snowcast by Sasc/Çound. Go look! (Louis Wu 21:38:57 UTC) (permalink)
Halo video game cover art
New project just went live over at I <3 halo 3 screenshots - Halo video game cover art. That's right - they want you to build video game covers, using Halo 3 screenshots. Get to working! Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 19:44:49 UTC) (permalink)
Halo: 800 Pound Gorilla, or Misunderstood Giant?
Cinema Blend (a website that has not shown a lot of love for Halo in the past) has a new editorial up - this time, they're claiming that Halo 2 and Halo 3 multiplayer are stifling your online gaming options. The argument is that since everyone online is playing Halo 2 or Halo 3, there aren't any gamers providing pools of competitors for OTHER games. Does this seem like a reasonable argument to you? Or is it possible that folks are playing Halo online because they ENJOY it more than their other options? Feel free to discuss this in our forum, or leave a comment on the CB page. (Louis Wu 19:09:31 UTC) (permalink)
The Mondo Brothers
Mondo J. Gecko stopped in with word of a montage of gameplay from him and his brother - mostly vehicle stuff, but also some clutch multikills. It's not very long - check it out! (Louis Wu 19:04:22 UTC) (permalink)
Guilt O' Lantern '08: Voting Open!
Even though we didn't list prizes until the last minute, we STILL got 53 entries for this year's Guilt O' Lantern contest (one fewer than last year). Some of them are truly amazing; all of them are fun. Take a few minutes, look through the entries (be sure to click on the thumbnails, because the details are totally lost at the small size), and toss in your vote for your five favorites! Voting will be open for a week. Update: for anyone who jumped right in... the access perms are fixed now. Thanks to DiscipleN2k for the quick heads-up. Sorry to waste your time! Update 2: Ah, crap. I was careless, and didn't notice that one sleazy person submitted a winning pumpkin from a previous year as his own entry. (Here's Michael Coffing's image from 2004, and here's the offending entry from this year.) I'm really sorry - especially to the people who wasted a vote on this pumpkin. The submitter has just put himself on a permanent contest ban for future HBO offerings. (Louis Wu 15:52:38 UTC) (permalink)
Charity Auction Relists
My7hos has relisted several items that didn't sell in his last round of charity auctions to raise money for the Tied the Leader Foundation. Swing by his eBay page to bid on these Joyride Limited Edition figures! You've got a couple of days to decide. (Louis Wu 15:43:48 UTC) (permalink)
Swatting Hornets
TTL Demag0gue posted to say that Reclaimer 107 is now live - the Reclaimer has taken advantage of a side effect, and we now see where a recent wallpaper came from!
(Louis Wu 15:38:43 UTC) (permalink)
Table Saw Trailer
ReleasetheMonk is creating a machinima project that parodies both the Saw franchise and the obsession with Recon armor - go watch the trailer! He's looking for feedback. (Louis Wu 15:36:27 UTC) (permalink)
News November 2 2008
Halloween, Halo 3 Forge Style
Hawty McBloggy posted a series of pics she found showing off Halloween goodness, created in Halo 3's Forge. Awesome stuff! (Louis Wu 20:03:21 UTC) (permalink)
Checkpoint bypass by highwire
Rockslider stopped in to point out that he's written up a guide to bypassing a critical checkpoint on Tsavo Highway - it leaves you open for some interesting gameplay. Check it out! Update: Ghost Faction pointed out a much older link at High Impact Halo that shows another way around that checkpoint trigger. (Louis Wu 17:20:45 UTC) (permalink)
DigitalPh33r's Guide to Halo3 Machinima Pt.6
Digitalph33r has wrapped up his Guide to Making Halo 3 Machinima - Part 6 covers putting all the pieces together. Thanks, UnSiLeNtSlAyEr. (Louis Wu 17:20:25 UTC) (permalink)
SP42 Cobra - Concept Art
The Unit Contepts section of the Concept Art page of the Halo Wars website has been updated with two new images of the Cobra (this vehicle was discussed a week or so ago, but these images are new). Thanks to Planet Halo for noticing. (Louis Wu 17:20:02 UTC) (permalink)
The Last Spartan - on Accordion
The More Deluded noticed that Renegade Accordion has added a new Halo piece to his Music collection on Facebook - swing by to listen to The Last Spartan, played on accordion! (Louis Wu 17:19:11 UTC) (permalink)
News November 1 2008
Bungie Podcasts - Full of Juicy Goodness
I'm not sure how many of you listened to both Bungie podcasts released yesterday... but there's quite a bit of interesting information buried deep within the joking and PG-13 language. If you haven't had a chance to hear them, swing by the Weekly Update (links are here) and spend some time with 'em! (Louis Wu 11:43:00 UTC) (permalink)
Guilt O' Lantern: Submissions Closed
The submission period for our Guilt O' Lantern contest has ended - I don't have an exact account, but there are a few dozen submissions, at least, sitting in the uploads folder. These will be sorted out and ready for public viewing (and voting) by early next week - thanks for your patience! (And thanks for your participation!) (Louis Wu 11:39:55 UTC) (permalink)
A Film Called Halo
Vociferous, over at the Ascendant Justice blog, wrote up a piece looking at the Halo film saga to this point... and offering suggestions on how to make this project come back to life. Not only suggestions... but a script of his own! Amazing. Go read. Thanks, Cocopjojo.
(Louis Wu 11:36:42 UTC) (permalink)
New McFarlane Figures Revealed
InnerRayg noticed that McFarlane has posted the 2009 2nd wave of figures - some cool ones in there! (I can definitely see getting a few of those marines!) (Louis Wu 11:36:22 UTC) (permalink)
The Monsters of Gaming
Metalingus627 pointed out that Halo is represented in IGN's Monsters of Gaming. Do they have their own awards ceremony?
(Louis Wu 11:35:39 UTC) (permalink)
Master Chief Theater 3000: Episode 208
Master Chief Theater 3000 Episode 208 is out now - this one looks at The Quarantine Zone cutscene. Thanks, AvatarAang. (Louis Wu 11:34:31 UTC) (permalink)
| November 2008 | |
