GamesRadar - Halo 3

Vidmaster Challenge connected to Marathon? (News)

Oct 8, 2008

X2theG: "I might have got it all wrong with the "Halo 3 Vidmaster Challenge and the Pot of Gold" post. Shortly after writing this theroy I posted it on Bungies forums and the Halo fanboys were not happy with the potential Pot of Gold. Then "Qualabee" mentioned "Vidmaster is a Marathon term"."

Halo 3 Vidmaster Challenge and the Pot of Gold (News)

Oct 7, 2008

Reminder: Today is October 7th, the one day this month you can get the Vidmaster Challenge: 7 on 7 achievement. The next time will be November 7th. All you have to do is have exactly 7 EXP in any game type and BLAM you have the achievement.

So what's up with the Vidmaster Challenge achievements anyway? There are 4 Vidmaster achievements altogether, three can be had now until the Mythic maps drop.

Bungie.net Fileshare Changes now Live! (News)

Oct 7, 2008

If you have a Halo 3 account head to bungie.net and check out your new fileshare now you can search for files create file sets and more!

Bungie Weekly Update: 10/03/08 (News)

Oct 4, 2008

In this week's update, Bungie talks about the upcoming changes to the file-share system on Bungie.net and matchmaking in October.

That Aussie Game Site: Daily Wrap 3rd October, 2008 (News)

Oct 3, 2008

That Aussie Game Site have wrapped up the day in games reporting on Bungie's Kojima talent aquisition, new DLC for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and a swag of demos coming to the PSN. They've also got information on the free DLC for Gears of War 2, information regarding the Resistance 2 Beta, Dead Space colour-coded suits and a bunch of new media for Tom Clancy's End War. What a day!

Epic game plots made simple: Halo (Video)

Oct 2, 2008

Halo 3 - Exp Playlist Progression (News)

Oct 2, 2008

Grunts R Us writes:

"This is the new Ranking System that was put in to place with TU2 and instead of being True Skill based system it is now Exp based so you can still hit the high ranks with out being a 50 in a Ranked Gametype. Now while they have replaced the True Skill Ranks with this new system the True Skill system is not gone it is still in Play in Ranked Games for you overall Skill Level and also when Searching for Matches. You Earn EXP in ANY Matchmaking playlist both Ranked and Social, but can only increase Skill Level in Ranked Matchmaking. "

World Gaming lets you turn frags into cash (News)

Oct 1, 2008

It's every gamers' dream: win money by playing video games. Despite gaming's newfound mainstream acceptance, most people--especially those in the United States--do not recognize gaming as a legitimate competitive activity. In a country where card games like Texas Hold 'em have recently exploded, turning 21-year-olds into online superstars, it's no stretch to assume that more gaming mediums deserve a similar place in public attention.

Xbox LIVE numbers for week starting Sept 22nd - GamesAreEvil (News)

Oct 1, 2008

GamesAreEvil writes - Xbox Live numbers are in for the week beginning September 22nd. Halo 3 has reclaimed it's throne from Call of Duty 4, while Duke Nukem has 'nuked' his way to the top of the Arcade titles list in his first week.

Xbox Live Went Down Again - This Time Not Scheduled (News)

Oct 1, 2008

After being down for 24 hours on Monday, users of Xbox Live went without the service again for 4 hours late Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning. PWN or DIE kept up with Major Nelson and the Xbox Live support updates until service was restored.

EXP and TrueSkill issues in Halo 3 After Xbox live update (News)

Oct 1, 2008

Users in Matchmaking since Xbox Live's recent downtime are noticing a lack of EXP rewards for their gameplay.

Bungie accused of using Madeleine McCann case to promote Halo (News)

Sep 29, 2008

In an unfortunate cross-cultural coincidence, Halo developer Bungie has inadvertently drawn parallels to a famous child abduction case to promote its new Halo 3 expansion pack. In a new teaser trailer, which depicts a war-torn city landscape, various messages flash up on the screen, including one that asks "Maddie, where are you?"

That Aussie Game Site: Weekly Wrap 28th September, 2008 (News)

Sep 28, 2008

That Aussie Game Site recaps another important week of game news. Featuring their theories on Bungie's "Keep It Clean" trailer, the revelation of a familiar looking nemesis in Gears of War 2 and they discuss the disappointing mix-up that left no one playing the the much anticipated Mirror's Edge demo.

GameStop backlash continues as Halo 3 rep maligns pre-owned game sales (News)

Sep 28, 2008

In a time when the video game industry as a whole is enjoying record profits month-over-month, you would be hard pressed to find a gaming exec directly asserting an anti-GameStop movement was taking place. Indirectly, however, the evidence is coalescing right in front of our eyes.

Earlier this month, GamePro reported that Criterion Games was releasing a rather robust--and rather free--motorcycle upgrade for the months-old Burnout Paradise. While the upgrade was great for gamers, one source at EA told GamePro that the move was more a counterattack against used game sales, than it was to satisfy fans of the series.

Pre-owned market had "big" effect on Halo, says Bungie dev (News)

Sep 26, 2008

Marty O'Donnell, Bungie's audio director, has warned that smaller studios face a difficult future if they can't get a return on their investment due to the sale of pre-owned games.

Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, O'Donnell explained that even larger titles like Halo were effected by the pre-owned games market but that he believed digital distribution would be the way to create a "system that is good and fair to both" consumers and developers.

Bungie claims any link to Madeline McCann is "pure coincidence" (News)

Sep 26, 2008

Bungie writer Luke Smith (Lukems) and Bungie's Sketch factor have assured everyone that the "Maddie, where are you?" slogan in yesterday's teaser was pure coincidence.

Bungie Trailer Rumor Round-Up: Additional Halo 3 Campaign Content And A Hidden Ship Date (News)

Sep 25, 2008

Kombo reports, "When Bungie does stuff like this, the wackos like yours truly, come out of the woodwork. We are the kind of people that will analyze the hell out of every trailer, frame by frame. But it looks like the pieces of the puzzle may be coming together a bit. Below is a breakdown of the current rumors that have been inspired by Bungie's new trailer..."

New Halo Game Teaser Trailer Explained (News)

Sep 25, 2008

Any remote fan of anything Halo knows a new game is coming. Loot Ninja got a glimpse today of a teaser trailer on Bungie about the new game. It looks to be official and not a ruse or red herring. Furthermore, this is most likely what was delayed from the prior countdown around E3 or at least directly related to it. This is their explanation of what was shown in the teaser trailer.

Halo 3 expansion coming possibly on Jan 6, 2009 (News)

Sep 25, 2008

The Halo 3 expansion teaser trailer's only been out an hour or so but gamers have already started to watch it in slow-mo to find every little hint they can. One Joystiq reader seems to have found a date somewhere in the footage - the date for the Halo 3 expansion's release?

Get Hands on with Gears of War 2 Before Launch at Best Buy Tour (News)

Sep 25, 2008

Starting next week and lasting for six weeks, Best Buy will be travelling to 20 of the major colleges throughout the United States bringing the latest in gaming, technology, and music with them as part of their "Game U Best Buy G3: Games, Gear, and Gadgets Tour". At each stop they will allow gamers to play some of the top games like Madden 09 , Halo 3 , Saints Row 2 , Rock Band 2 , and more. The headliner of their games lineup is the ability to not only play Gears of War 2 well before the November release, but also to compete in the "Wingman Challenge" sponsored by Xbox 360 and GamePro Magazine.

The story behind Bungies New Game Annoucement. New title news imminent (News)

Sep 25, 2008

Australian site, Xboxoz360-gamer, will be posting the new Bungie announcement as it happens. Background story to the big announcement.

"Bungie has been teasing gamers with the prospect of a new IP since E3 when their Official Announcement" was pull by MS Head Office moments before it was supposed to become public with the explanation that the announcement was for a "dedicated event" in the future and would serve no purpose if it was announced now. hmmm…."

"Well the Bungie site is again on countdown and will be made public 12 midnight September 25th Aust Eastern Pacific Time. That's the time we will be informing you all as to what the HUGE secret is all about. We'll keep right on the ball and as soon as it is revealed, the notice will go live for all to see. So we'll watch the clock for you, you just tune back in"

Madeleine McCann referenced in new Halo 3 trailer? (News)

Sep 25, 2008

Message to the missing toddler spotted in latest Bungie promo? ...

Halo 3 TU2 FAQ Launched (News)

Sep 25, 2008

For those Halo 3 gamers who have questions about the latest update to the Xbox killer-app, the good people of Bungie have launched the Halo 3 TU2 FAQ to help get to grips with the changes.

It clears up some confusion around how certain achievements will be earned, reassures that there will be no affect to the network performance, and so much more.

Halo 3 Achievement "Vidmaster Challenge: Annual" Obtainable Now (News)

Sep 25, 2008

One of the New Halo 3 achievements that is not suppose to be obtainable until after 9/25/08, "Vidmaster Challenge: Annual" is obtainable NOW!

Buy Your Own Halo Energy Sword for $50 (News)

Sep 24, 2008

Kotaku has reported that there is a company selling an unlicensed replica of the Energy Sword found in Halo 3. If the image at right is any indication, this looks about as realistic as it gets. Retailing at a mere $49.99, this bargain looks like a wet dream to any Master Cheif fanatic...

LIVE Activity for week of September 15th (News)

Sep 24, 2008

Major Nelson has published the list of the top 10 Xbox Live titles for the week of September 15:

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU's)
1 Call of Duty 4
2 Halo 3
3 GTA IV
4 Gears of War
5 Madden NFL 09
6 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
7 Guitar Hero III
8 Rock Band
9 Rock Band 2
10 FIFA 09 Demo

Xbox Live Marketplace Update: Tuesday 23rd September 2008 (News)

Sep 23, 2008

Console Monster writes: "Today's Xbox Live Marketplace update is heavily dominated by new Rock Band tracks (which will also be compatible with Rock Band 2). Don't forget about the Halo 3 title update which is now live and can be obtained by putting in your Halo 3 game disc when connected to Xbox Live. Here is the full Xbox Live Marketplace update for Tuesday 23rd September 2008:

Name: Burnout Bikes Trailer
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Rock Band - Stone Roses "Love Spreads"[Track]
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions

Name: Rock Band - Sleater-Kinney "You're No Rock N' Roll Fun"[Track]
Price: 160 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox Live Regions..."

Halo 3 Title Update now live (News)

Sep 23, 2008

If you put your Halo 3 disc in your 360 you'll be asked for an update. The new addition the new achievements that were discussed earlier, a new stats system and a few surprises that even the latest Bungie.net update won't divulge, so as soon as we know, we'll tell you.

New Halo 3 achievements viewable, more than expected and Mythic maps (News)

Sep 23, 2008

Later today, Bungie will release the second Halo 3 title update and with it a set of ten new achievements will be added which allows an additional 250 Gamerscore to be unlocked. All are now viewable on Xbox.com along with (surprise!) a bunch of additional achievements that haven't been officially announced. These additional achievements total 500 in Gamerscore which bumps Halo 3's total Gamerscore to a whopping 1750!

Bungie teases new Halo (News)

Sep 22, 2008

CVG: Confirms next game is tied to Master Chief universe.

Halo developer Bungie has started up its next game's teaser campaign (again), after the originally planned reveal was blocked by Microsoft earlier this year.

The now infamous 'superintendent' has appeared on the front of Bungie's website, backing up rumours that the mysterious game could be revealed as soon as this week.

The developer has also confirmed for the first time that the new game, which carries the tagline "keep it clean", does indeed take place in the Halo universe.

Bungie Weekly Update: Rare Thursday Edition (News)

Sep 18, 2008

LIVE Activity for week of September 8th (News)

Sep 17, 2008

Major Nelson has provided the Top 10 list for games played on the Xbox 360 for the week of September 8th.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU's)
1 Call of Duty 4
2 Halo 3
3 GTA IV
4 Gears of War
5 Madden NFL 09
6 Guitar Hero III
7 Rock Band
8 Castle Crashers
9 Mercenaries 2: World In Flames
10 Star Wars: TFU Demo

How modern gaming has made us into wimpy gamers (Feature)

Sep 16, 2008

Think you're hardcore? By current standards you might be. But you're still a noob. Here's why. ...

LIVE Activity for week of September 1st (News)

Sep 10, 2008

Major Nelson has posted the top 10 list for Xbox 360, Arcade, and Original Xbox titles played on Live.

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU's):
1 Call of Duty 4
2 Halo 3
3 GTA IV
4 Gears of War
5 Madden NFL 09
6 Castle Crashers
7 Star Wars: TFU Demo
8 Guitar Hero III
9 Rock Band
10 Mercenaries 2: World In Flames

Boy accidently kills himself trying to imitate Halo (News)

Sep 8, 2008

The kid, famous for replicating halo weapons from cardboard, have now accidentally shot himself.

gamegrep.com writes: "While at home skipping school Nimm was apparently trying to imitate moves from the game with his .22 caliber rifle (a common pastime for the child). However he did not obviously grasp that a round could still be loaded in the chamber even when the magazine ejected and was found shot through the head yesterday."

New Halo Achievements Unveiled (News)

Sep 7, 2008

"Luke Smith over at Bungie lays out some of the new achievements coming to Halo 3 when the next patch and Assembly map hits..."

Bungie Weekly Update: 9/05/08 (News)

Sep 6, 2008

New Achievements Confirmed

TGR's Rumor Killers: Kingdom Hearts 3, New Halo Achievements, and GTA Wii (News)

Sep 5, 2008

TGR - "Back when I first played Kingdom Hearts I, like many others, assumed it would be an affront to mankind and would quickly find itself consigned to bargain bins and whatever other place awful game ideas go to die. All the elements sounded awful; Final Fantasy characters melded with Disney mainstays, and combat which featured an over-sized key, a shield, and a duck with a speech impediment casting spells? Seemed like a sure fire flop; all we had to do was sit and wait for the inevitable crash and burn.

But then a funny thing happened and the game actually turned out to be great. All these disparate parts somehow came together to craft a truly memorable experience, which I suppose is a testament to the abilities of Square-Enix and the deep-seeded nostalgia that rests in all our hearts for classic Disney animated films. Ever since that initial success, the Kingdom Hearts franchise has been steamrolling along, producing quality content and massive sales with every new version. Now it looks like Sora and company are ready to strike again, as word has leaked that Sony will be showcasing the game at the upcoming Tokyo Game Show."

New Halo 3 Achievements (News)

Sep 3, 2008

Images have surfaced today of new Halo 3 achievements. It is still unclear how these achievements will be added to Halo 3 but I would say it has something to do with the Mythic picture posted a few days ago. One thing is for sure though, soon bungie will have a lot of explaining to do.

Bungie Weekly Update: 8/29/08 (News)

Aug 30, 2008

Halo 3 "Mythic" In The Wild: Possible Expansion pack (News)

Aug 30, 2008

Addict Gaming Writes "We've just come into possession of this photo:

This is straight from PAX, so take from it what you will! I imagine this is something to do with the rumored "Expansion Pack" that has been hinted in past Halo videos."

Montreal To Host World Cyber Games Canadian Championship (News)

Aug 20, 2008

NextGen Player writes:

"The World Cyber Games, described as the world's largest cyber-gaming event, will be coming to Montreal, Quebec on August 31 - September 1. This three day event will be held at La Ronde, Eastern Canada's largest amusement park. According to the WCG Canada website this is the second time in three years the gaming event is being staged at the Six Flag theme park in Montreal."

Halo 3: Grifball Double EXP Weekend (News)

Aug 15, 2008

That's right, starting today Grifball is back as the weekend double EXP playlist! Warm up your hammers and break out your playbooks. If there's anyone left out there that hasn't yet played Grifball, here's the basics: Neutral Assault, Gravity Hammers, and shenanigans. Of course there's more to it, so feel free to read the official Grifball website for more info!

Grifball is available from Thursday, August 14th at 11am PDT until Monday the 18th at 2am PDT. Heroic Map Pack is required. Have fun!

Bungie Hint At Halo 3 Expansion, Not New Game (News)

Aug 13, 2008

Ripten:

"After receiving the Edge Award for Interactive Innovation, Halo 3 creators Bungie have thanked the publication via a highly entertaining video. In it there are hints towards a new Halo development, but not a new game as many have been suggesting."

Bungie Teases New Halo Project Red vs. Blue Style (News)

Aug 12, 2008

Bungie may be good at making Halo games, but they are also fairly good at teasing the living hell out of their fans. The latest example is a video which displays the voice of Luke Smith magically coming out of a blue Spartan, dropping hints of a new Halo project that Bungie is working on.

Halo 3 - Interactive Innovation Acceptance Speech (Video)

Aug 11, 2008

Halo 3 Scoops Edge Award for Interactive Innovation (News)

Aug 11, 2008

At the Edinburgh Interactive Festival today, Bungie beat competitors such as Nintendo and Rockstar to win the Edge Award For Interactive Innovation for Halo 3.

Microsoft's Hiring Spree for the Next Halo (News)

Aug 11, 2008

Microsoft Game Studios recently posted a bunch of recruitment notices up on its site specifically referring to the full fledged development of the next Halo project.

"Hollywood talent", does this mean/hint to Peter Jackson's' much touted Halo project, perhaps only time shall reveal the true nature of this oblivious and shrouded project.

Halo 3 wins Edge Award for Interactive Innovation (News)

Aug 11, 2008

Respected games magazine Edge has awarded Halo 3 the Edge Award for Interactive Innovation at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival. Deputy Editor Alex Wiltshire praised the game's trailblazing approach to online community features as he presented the award this evening ...

Halo 3, Xbox 360 Top G-Phoria 2008 Awards Full List Rundown (News)

Aug 9, 2008

Bungie's Halo 3 took top Game of the Year honors during the G-Phoria awards last night, broadcast by game-oriented cable television network G4.

Xbox 360 was named the station's favorite system -- which falls in line with the award distribution. Of the show's 18 game awards, only four went to titles not available on Microsoft's system: Best Graphics and Best Voice Acting for Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Best Racing Game for Nintendo EAD's Mario Kart Wii, and, by default, Best Handheld Game for Ready at Dawn's God of War: Chains of Olympus.

Bungie Weekly Update: 8/08/08 (News)

Aug 9, 2008

In this weeks update, Bungie thanks the fans for voting Halo 3 the Best Game of the Year. They also talk about some of the Bungie Publications with some presentations that you folks will probably be interested in.

Bungie Weekly Update: 8/01/08 (News)

Aug 3, 2008

In this week's update, Bungie talks about the new Banhammer for file shares, second auto-update, new ranking system, and the Matchmaking playlist update for August.

Bungie 'banhammering' porn with new tech (News)

Aug 2, 2008

Destructoid writes: "Last week we talked about some of the dirty things a person could find in other users' Halo 3 file share. The point of interest was a picture in a user's shared photos file that revealed two women both fondling and kissing each other. While not exactly the most vile thing a person could think of sharing, it was still a bit disturbing that the adult content could be uploaded through Bungie's service. Yesterday, Bungie officially addressed the topic on their website and outlined a plan for banning members who upload such files onto their accounts.

The new bans will be the direct result of a new tool that Bungie has at their disposal. Luke mentions the device and its cataclysmic results in Bungie's Weekly Update column:

'Users who have modified content on their File Share - regardless of who created said content - will be subjected to the full power of the Banhammer's thrust. This includes some never-before-unleashed technology that will effectively terminate your Halo multiplayer experience online in every imaginable facet. In fact, the ban is so thorough that simply calling it the Banhammer is a complete understatement.'

I suggest that Bungie use the word 'banataclysm,' but that's just me. It's great to know that this is being handled with a particularly heavy fist. If you have any further questions as to why you may not be able to post porn in your file share, check out Bungie's column."

Halo 3 title update to switch up ranking system (News)

Aug 2, 2008

Fulfilling their promise that they made last week, the Bungie crew has outlined the changes coming to Halo 3 as part of the second title update we'll be seeing release in the near future. And even though there won't be any hugely noticeable changes (a lot of the update's feature have to do with invisible back-end and behind the scenes goodness) we'll be getting a new Halo 3 experience system.

New Halo 3 map pack at pax? (News)

Aug 2, 2008

In last weeks update Bungie told us that they would be at pax.

Bungie wrote:
For the record, we have no plans to make any big announcements or huge reveals at PAX this year. While we will have some Halo 3 multiplayer stuff for...

Halo 3: Team Melee Weekend Begins (News)

Aug 1, 2008

Starting Thursday morning, Team Melee is available as a Double EXP Weekend feature in Halo 3. As you might guess from the name, Team Melee focuses on everybody's best friends, the Gravity Hammer and the Energy Sword. Three teams of three face off in a combination of slayer and objective gametypes. Try not to lose an eye out there.

Team Melee is available from July 31st, 11am PDT until August 4, at 2am. All DLC is required for participation. Enjoy!

Halo 3 holds onto Live play top-spot (News)

Jul 30, 2008

Live play figures for the week starting July 21 show Halo 3, yet again, lording over CoD4.

Halo thinks it's board games' a blast (News)

Jul 28, 2008

There are no rocket launchers in Monopoly, and Scrabble would simply be a different game if firebombs were involved.

But the typically genteel world of board games is about to welcome a neighbor from the surlier side of town: Halo Interactive Strategy, a board version of the huge-selling, hyper-violent "Halo" series of video games.

McFarlane Shows New Halo 3 Action Figures at Comic-Con (News)

Jul 25, 2008

As a special exclusive promotion for Comic-Con 2008, McFarlane Toys will be offering a set of two Halo 3 action figures, available for purchase online only during San Diego Comic-Con and available only while supplies last.

This limited-time special offer features two of McFarlane Toys' highly sought-after Halo 3 action figures in a commemorative combo available only to Comic-Con attendees!

An exclusive Spartan Soldier (EVA "HellSpartan") will be paired with an exclusive clear Spartan Soldier (CQB Active-camouflage) figure. Although packaged individually, the two figures will be sold ONLY as a set for $30 (plus shipping). McFarlane's two exclusive figures have a limited production run of 3,000 each.

Microsoft Hints at 'HaloCon' Event (News)

Jul 25, 2008

Microsoft's very own Mr Halo has told Eurogamer that Bungie's series could soon be getting its own dedicated event to rival the likes of BlizzCon and QuakeCon.

Speaking to Eurogamer immediately after the Halo Wars and the Halo Universe panel yesterday at Comic Con 2008 in San Diego, O'Connor, who earlier this year quit his post as Bungie community manager to oversee Halo at Microsoft Games Studios, insisted the franchise was "big enough at this point that it can stand on its own".

"You can do a HaloCon. Nothing on [the scale of Comic Con], but you could bring a few hundred people just to see a Halo thing. We're really not worried about Halo's ability to stand out and shine in the future. There's plenty of stuff coming."

MS: We'll "Explore Not Exploit" Halo (News)

Jul 25, 2008

With a spin-off RTS game, multiple novels and an expanding range of figurines all on show this week at Comic Con 2008, Microsoft has insisted that its strategy is to "explore not exploit" the Halo universe.

Frank O'Connor, who oversees the franchise at Microsoft Games Studios, headed up the Halo Universe panel at the geek-packed San Diego event, in which representatives of Halo Wars developer Ensemble, Bungie and toy manufacturer McFarlane joined Halo novelists to discuss the future of the franchise in front of a packed audience of ecstatic fans.

Speaking to Eurogamer immediately after the session, O'Conner, former Bungie community manager, said that content so far had only scratched the surface of what is possible.

Bungie Blog: New Halo 3 content plus 3 Projects Underway (News)

Jul 25, 2008

The Penny Arcade Expo is rapidly approaching and while some of Bungie plans have changed, they are still planning some goodness for fans who plan to attend.

"At the moment we do have three distinct projects underway within Bungie - some familiar, some not. Some on a closer horizon, some quite far off."

Bungie reflects on the ups and downs of E3 2008 (News)

Jul 23, 2008

Feted Halo-developer Bungie was denied the opportunity to show off its latest game project at this year's E3 at the last minute, leaving gamers worldwide chomping at the bit for more info on what comes after Halo 3.

TechRadar spoke with Brian Jarrard, Community Lead of Bungie Studios to reflect a little more about the ups and downs of this year's E3.

Halo 3 back as top game on Xbox Live (News)

Jul 23, 2008

DarkZero: Major Nelson has just updated with his weekly listing of top games played by users connected to Xbox Live. In a change from recent activity the listing reveals that for this week at least Halo 3 has reclaimed top spot from Call of Duty 4.

Porn and Halo 3 file sharing (News)

Jul 22, 2008

Destructoid writes: "The depth of depravity on the Internet rarely surprises me anymore. What does surprise me is when vice slips through a seemingly secure system. Today, HushedCasket stumbled upon something particularly odd on Halo 3's file sharing system. It was an image of several topless women, instead of the typical Halo 3 picture.

The racy picture was uncovered while a user was browsing his recent players and subsequently their shared photos. The offender's profile and the picture can be found here for those so inclined to see it. The image is at the bottom of the menu, and is obviously not safe for work or minors.

My first question is, how does one circumvent the system and place this picture into the system? Secondly, is this practice very widespread? I imagine that Bungie will squash this as soon as they realize that people are abusing the system in this way, but this is certainly very odd. Have you guys seen anything like this before while playing Halo 3?"

Bungie Mourns, Teases in Weekly Update (7/18/08) (News)

Jul 19, 2008

"Lukems" from Bungie teases:

"Despite whatever eased into the ether regarding what we're working on at Bungie, speculative hunches and guesswork certainly don't tell the full tale. I'd go so far as to say these ramblings are barely even a Prologue, not even a Foreword to the storybook we're putting together. Rest assured, there are multiple machinations afoot at Bungie, one is so close you can feel its familiar warmth on your cheek while you sleep; another so far off and foreign that like a faint star in deep space, you can only look to the heavens as its light speeds ever closer.

Lo, there is still another."

Bungie had 'knock'em down' teaser trailer planned (News)

Jul 18, 2008

Today, details are coming in about what Bungie intended to reveal at Microsoft's E3 press conference. While specific information about its upcoming Halo project remain a secret, the developer reportedly planned to show a sixty second "knock'em down" teaser trailer, only to have it pulled at the last minute.

Halo pulled in favor of 'more dedicated event' (News)

Jul 17, 2008

Microsoft said Wednesday that the decision to pull Bungie's latest Halo project from its E3 press conference was made to help trim the presentation, an "embarrassment of riches" already planned to be shown, and the feeling that the title deserved a more dedicated event.

MS pulled Bungie announcement, confirms a Bungie Halo - But what are they? (News)

Jul 16, 2008

XboxOZ360 recaps the news and then speculates as to what exactly the new Bungie Halo and Superintendent are.

"This would suggest that Microsoft felt that having seen the Sony and Nintendo conferences, they had done enough to "win" E3... It indicates Microsoft feels that Bungie's announcement was big enough to distract the media from their other announcements. Given FFXIII and the massive Live overhaul, this is extremely exciting!

But what is Superintendent?

We think it might be a reimaginging of an old Bungie franchise. Titles would include critical darlings Marathon and Myth, along with Oni... The only spanner in the works is the placement of the Superintendent figure over the area of Kenya in the Halo 3 multiplayer lobby. Given its very close links to the Halo universe, this naturally leads us to...

Microsoft's SVP of Interactive Entertainment, Don Mattrick, has confirmed Microsoft will be making announcements on Halo Wars and Bungie's Halo project sometime in the future, but that Halo Wars, Halo Chronicles and Bungie's Halo project are entirely separate titles!

Given Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter creative director Christian Allen is the lead of Bungie's next project; the strange Superintendent figure over Kenya; the much grittier direction already evident in Halo Wars new trailer... was Gamespot right about a tactical squad shooter?"

Microsoft Confirms That Bungie Is Developing New 'Halo' (News)

Jul 16, 2008

MTV Multiplayer writes:

In an interview shot for MTV News on Tuesday, Microsoft's head of Xbox business Don Mattrick, confirmed to me that Bungie is indeed working on a new "Halo" game of some sort for Microsoft.

I had been asking Mattrick about the lack of "Halo" news at E3. He said that Microsoft's Monday press conference was already loaded with content and so any announcements for that series weren't needed to get gamers excited.

I pushed him on the lack of presence for the series and asked him if we should be worried about the no-show of Ensemble Studio's real-time-strategy game "Halo Wars." Not only did Mattrick say not to worry and that announcements would be coming, he also said that Microsoft is working with Bungie on a "Halo" game.

I asked for clarification, wondering if Mattrick meant Bungie's project was "Halo Wars" or the long-announced Peter Jackson "Halo" project. Neither, Mattrick said. The Bungie game is something else.

And then, not surprisingly, the topic was changed...

The Top 7... games we want announced at E3 (Feature)

Jul 13, 2008

It's everyone's favorite time of the year again, when thousands of overcaffeinated journalists descend upon E3 with their live-blogged, 2000-word diatribes on the most minor of details. The objects of their unending speculation? The biggest games of the show, which, oddly enough, have been known to the gaming press for months and will surprise literally no one.

That's why we're interested in games that haven't been seen, announced or ...

Major League Gaming Returns To Canada (News)

Jul 13, 2008

From NextGen Player:

"Major League Gaming, the largest organized league for professional gaming, has announced they will be returning to Canada as part of their 2008 Pro Circuit season.

The event will be part of the 2008 Gaming Expo that we wrote about last month being held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from August 22-24. Hobbystar, the organizers of the Gaming Expo, have added a ton of details on the MLG Pro Circuit competition on their website today."

Bungie Teases Announcements in Weekly Update (7/11/08) (News)

Jul 12, 2008

In this weeks update, Bungie talks about the quest to 7 billion kills, Bungie Day, and gives a slight tease for E3 2008.

Rest assured, dear vengeful, hypertense reader many things are in motion. Many things. These numerous things include the following:

* Major changes to the Halo 3 Online experience
* Sweet Announcements
* Poignant Clarifications
* Certain-point-of-view Truths
* Things you will love
* Things you will argue about
* Things you will make angry videos about

The Doors have Opened at MLG Orlando (News)

Jul 12, 2008

Let the games begin! The doors have been opened, and thousands of gamers are now flooding into the third stop along the 2008 MLG Pro Circuit here in Orlando, Florida. They?'ll now begin to warm-up in preparation for the the Open Bracket to begin. The action is set to officially kick-off at 5:30 p.m. ET, so keep your browsers locked to mlgpro.com as MLG Orlando gets underway!

It's going to be a fiesta filled Halo 3 weekend (News)

Jul 10, 2008

It's fiesta time in the world of Halo 3 online multiplayer with the rollout of another Double EXP Weekend playlist, Fiesta!

I love bees.com is back (News)

Jul 8, 2008

Ilovebees.com has returned, the site was originally used to promote Halo 2 and has since been closed, until recently.
The site is full of .wav files and collage's of photos and concepts, the site is probably full of content relating to Bungie's current work, fans will be searching through the site for clues as we speak.

"Out of the Ashes...SOON (News)

Jul 8, 2008

A website with a mysterious countdown timer has been discovered by numerous Bungie fans over the weekend. Also, along with it is a cryptic message that seems to be done in typical Bungie fashion.

Interestingly if you search the address in google it appears that the website could have been created by a rock radio station, so if you take everything into account it is either a hint to a new Halo game, Marathon, a new Bungie IP, or it could very well be a hoax.

Halo: Recut Winner Announced (News)

Jul 7, 2008

Microsoft today announced the winner of its unique competition, "Halo: RECUT," which saw budding film directors from across Europe create works inspired by the unseen adventures of Master Chief, the hero of the Halo franchise. The prize? A once-in-a-lifetime all expenses paid trip to Los Angeles to study at the prestigious New York Film Academy.

Free Halo 3 Map Out Now (News)

Jul 7, 2008

Today is 'Bungie Day' according to, well... Bungie. So to mark the occasion it has released a new multiplayer map for Halo 3.

Titled Cold Storage, the new map is a shiny remake of Halo 1 favourite Chill Out - a small map great for one-on-one skirmishes and you can download it for free.

Browse around XBL today and you'll also find new gamer pics and a Bungie Day dashboard theme, too. And the Halo 3 Legendary map pack has dropped in price down to 600 MS points (just over £5).

Bungie Day '08 Theme and Gamerpics on Live (News)

Jul 6, 2008

VG247: The Major brings word that the promised Gamerpics and Theme for tomorrow's Bungie Day are now available on Live.

There are seven pics and the Theme's free. Go get.

Full Bungie Day details released (News)

Jul 4, 2008

VG247: Bungie and Microsoft just put out a press release detailing everything gamers can expect from the developer on Monday:

"The tradition of Bungie Day was born in part due to the significance the number 7 has played in all of Bungie's games over the years, including the "Halo" series (7 Halo rings, Master Chief is Spartan 117, etc.), and each year the developer makes a point to use this date to treat fans to something special ¿ usually new content, a free download or other surprise."

20 Most Rabidly Patriotic Games (Feature)

Jul 4, 2008

To celebrate Independence Day (the holiday, not the movie), we’ve scoured our encyclopedic minds for the most patriotic games to be developed. But that wasn’t funny enough. So, we dug deeper to find the most rabidly patriotic games every developed. Ya know - the ones with so much love for Old Glory that it starts to get a little ridiculous. Behold - our results!

America's ArmyUS Army | 2002Any game can add the word ...

New Halo 3 map on Monday (News)

Jul 4, 2008

A new Halo 3 map is to be released on Monday, Bungie has announced. Dubbed Cold Storage, the new map will be available to download on 7 July (or Bungie Day, as the developer is calling it) and best of all, won't cost you a penny.

The Most Gratuitous Headshots Video Ever (Video)

Jul 3, 2008

Halo 3's Cold Storage free on Bungie Day (News)

Jul 3, 2008

Xbox360 Fanboy: In celebration of Bungie Day and the release of Cold Storage, a special 48-hour free for all playlist is going up. Specific details are sparse, but Bungie's Luke Smith promises that players will be able to control "Rockets, Invis and Snipe." Mmmm ... sounds nice and spammy. Finally, "one last thing" about Cold Storage is set to drop some time today on Bungie.net. Keep your eyes glued to X3F for whatever that may be.

Bungie Weekly Update: 7/03/08 (News)

Jul 3, 2008

What's the deal with Cold Storage's release date? How much is it going to cost? Read on to find out when you can get free content.

The Most Gratuitous Headshots Video Ever (Feature)

Jul 3, 2008

Two minutes. One video. Fifty-five perforated skulls. ...

Bungie Weekly Update: 6/27/08 (News)

Jun 28, 2008

In this update, Bungie talks about Bungie Day, provides weapon and equipment placement for the new map Cold Storage, and discusses Matchmaking updates.

Halo 3: Three Ball Weekend Begins (News)

Jun 27, 2008

Starting now (11am PDT), 3 Ball is available in Matchmaking as a Double EXP playlist. 3 Ball, as the name implies, is a gametype featuring three oddballs. The catch: There are four teams of three players, which means it'll be pretty difficult to share the wealth. Horde the all the skulls you can!

3 Ball is available from 11am PDT Thursday, June 26 until 2am Monday, June 30th. Heroic and Legendary map packs are required. Have fun!

Family friendly Halo games on the horizon? (News)

Jun 25, 2008

Microsoft may be thinking of taking the Halo franchise in 'unusual' directions, if a marketing survey is anything to go by.

In a questionnaire sent out by an external research company, participants were asked to rate a number of possible Halo projects on a scale from 'definitely would purchase' to 'definitely would not purchase'.

As you can see from an excerpt of the marketing survey (pictured on Kotaku) some of the options ...

Seven Billion Kills Before July 7th? (News)

Jun 24, 2008

Lukems Writes:

Here at Bungie.net, some folks are trying to get the Campaign kill count up to seven billion in time for July 7th (Bungie Day).

Can it be done?

Halo 3 Players Exterminate Entire Human Race (News)

Jun 24, 2008

In a totally useless but interesting piece of news, an observant gamer from the Bungie forums has discovered that the entire human race has been virtually wiped out by players of the Halo 3 Campaign.

Halo 3 campaign kill count exceeds population of earth (News)

Jun 23, 2008

VG247: There's probably something very profound about this, but we have no idea what it is. According to a thread on the Bungie forum, there have been more kills made in the Halo 3 campaign than there are people alive in the world.

Halo 3 wins at International Advertising Festival (News)

Jun 22, 2008

Via MaxConsole: "In Cannes, Four Grand Prix Lions were awarded at the final prize ceremony at the International Advertising Festival. The top film winners were Cadburys' Gorilla by Fallon and Xbox Halo 3's Believe by TAG/McCann Worldgroup of San Francisco."

Bungie Weekly Update: 6/20/08 (News)

Jun 21, 2008

Here is the latest Bungie update defining a few of the network difference between Halo 2 and Halo 3 and also introducing one of the upcoming maps. The long awaited and highly anticipated Chill Out remake now known as Cold Storage.

Halo 3 Team Snipers Weekend Begins Now (News)

Jun 20, 2008

Break out your long rifles. It's time to go hunting.

Starting this morning (Thursday, 6/19, 11 AM PDT) and ending Monday the 23rd at 2am, Team Snipers returns as the weekend double exp playlist. Team Snipers includes a combination of slayer and objective variants with Sniper Rifle spawns.

Also: As of this weekend's playlist all Snipers gametypes (those in the weekend as well as those in full time playlists) are now 50 kills instead of the previous 25. Cheers!

Kick-ass powers that game characters forgot they had (Feature)

Jun 18, 2008

Cutscene after cutscene, they exhibit planet-shaking combat abilities and a level of indestructibility which would make God himself jealous. But as soon as you pick up the controller? The Incredible Hulk turns back into Bruce Banner and all of those showboating tricks and superhuman powers disappear into the ether.

Just why do game characters save their best tricks until we've already done all the hard work for them? Here are the worst offenders. ...

Halo: The Cole Protocol Novel Announced (News)

Jun 17, 2008

GamingShogun writes, "The next Halo novel has been announced. Called 'The Cole Protocol' is is the sixth Halo novel and will show readers an 'unexplored' part of our war with the 'Covies, including the Spartan 'Gray Team'. The novel is set for release in the fall.

For those that have not read the novels, the Cole Protocol was first implemented by Admiral Cole when retreating from Covenant forces. Basically, it states that no ship may make a direct jump to Earth for fear that the Covenant might track the ship and find the planet's location. It forces commanders to make a series of jumps to various locations in order to throw any following enemies off the trail. If in danger of capture by Covenant forces, a UNSC vessel must self-destruct in order to not let Earth's location fall into enemy hands..er, claws... Yes. I am a big nerd..."

The Top 7... Worst Parts of Best Games (Feature)

Jun 16, 2008

Nothing's perfect. Stare closely enough at anything - even a masterpiece - and you're bound to find flaws sooner or later. They might be small. They might be insignificant. They might not detract from the overall quality of the piece at all...

Except when they really, really do. With these seven games, in fact, you don't need to stare. Their flaws are so huge, so obvious, so frustrating and so effing obnoxious that you can't help but ...