Author: halo@bungie.org

Tech Gear wants to know what sort of setup you have for playing Halo 3 – visit this page for info on how to show them. Let the Gear Wars begin! Thanks, JamesD.(Louis Wu 11:28:39 UTC)

USA Today has posted a piece which looks at how the story of Halo has affected the people who play it. Good read – and it doesn’t hurt that it’s got a quote from our very own Miguel Chavez in it!(Louis Wu 11:24:28 UTC)

IGN Has posted a preview of Isolation, one of the Halo 3 multiplayer maps we haven’t seen yet. Six screenshots (check the screenshots section for the ones not included in the article) and some questions about gameplay answered by Tyson ‘Ferrex’ Green… go look! (A couple of the screenshots show off some of the UI…

Kiaffex has let us know that Podtacular 128 has been released – join the crew as they bid farewell to Halo 2. It’s over an hour and a half long. (Louis Wu 11:06:56 UTC)

Over at Tied the Leader, Dweezle’s posted an article about tattoos, and how they help us remember. As the torch is passed from Halo 2 to Halo 3, check this out to see how folks have paid tribute to their favorite game series.(Louis Wu 11:05:12 UTC)

There’s a great op-ed piece over at the Escapist – how do you rationalize the payment for a Halo 3 preorder when your common sense tells you that money is better off in your pocket? Heh – I know exactly where he’s coming from. Really enjoyable read.(Louis Wu 10:59:36 UTC)

According to Gamasutra, all three Halo games are on Gamefly’s Most Requested lists this week – Halo 3 is number one on the Xbox 360 list, and Halo 2 and Halo took spots one and three, respectively, on the Xbox list. You think folks might be interested in the series? (Louis Wu 10:29:21 UTC)

There are dozens of newspapers doing quick summaries of the Halo universe in preparation for next week’s release – I found this one, in the Hartford Courant, to be slightly more interesting than the rest because of some lesser-known tidbits. Did you know that Steve Downes, the voice of Master Chief, was denounced online for…

Also on Bungie.net today – a Halo 3 How-To giving you some Forge Basics. It’s just the first of three Forge pieces coming from Bungie – this one will teach you how to get started and do some simple things. Check it out!(Louis Wu 10:14:09 UTC)

There’s a note up on Bungie.net about the blue filter that can be used in conjunction with the Audio/Video Calibration tool that comes on the Essentials disc distributed with the Limited and Legendary editions of Halo 3. The filter is not NECESSARY – but it can be helpful. It’s not available yet, but when it…

Xbox 360 Fanboy is giving away a pretty amazing package – 50″ HDTV, surround sound system, Xox 360 Elite – in honor of Halo 3’s release. (No copy of Halo 3, though, oddly enough.) Go read the full details at their site – you’ve got up to 11 chances to win!(Louis Wu 01:02:43 UTC)

We’re not going to list every US store that’s hosting a midnight sale (there are 10,000 of them; we don’t have the front-page space), but we got word that Micro Center in Hilliard, OH is hosting a costume party, and top prize wins a Legendary Edition of Halo 3. (I’m POSITIVE this is happening elsewhere…

Hugh Hancock let us know that the nominations for Machinima Europe can be seen at the Promoting Machinima website; congratulations to Laird, whose Halo Unyielding Parts 1 and 2 have been nominated for ‘Best Technical Achievement’!(Louis Wu 21:23:03 UTC)

Gamespot has made a Wallpaper Pack out of some of the images from the Believe campaign – 11 images at 1600×1200 resolution. Nice work – and it’s free (regisration required). Thanks, serpx.(Louis Wu 20:20:24 UTC)

Halopedia is running a Halo 3 Launch Contest – be active on the site, win chances at Halo 3 schwag. Read the contest page for full details. Thanks, Nogard.(Louis Wu 20:15:50 UTC)

According to GamesIndustry.biz, a Microsoft spokesperson has confirmed that the Halo 3 Legendary Edition is on track to sell out in the US before Halo 3’s launch next week. (There are many reports that it’s already sold out in the UK, although Milk, in IRC, told me today that Play just reopened their preorders, so…

SquirrelOnFire lets us know that today’s Sore Thumbs is Halo-related – comics might be all you have left, go read.(Louis Wu 19:15:16 UTC)

I’m posting this because I need to stem the flood of emails rolling in – but yes, the ending to Halo 3 has been leaked. If you’re trying to avoid spoilers – my suggestion is to get off the internet for a week.(Louis Wu 18:10:33 UTC)

Stuntmutt takes a look at the Diorama from last week’s Believe ads in today’s One One Se7en. Come see me after class – I’ll lend you a whiffle bat for beating him about the head and ears.(Louis Wu 17:58:35 UTC)

A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned a life-size MC statue for sale on eBay – we got word from SG Noodles that his friend won this. Final price was $1035, plus $250 shipping. He sent along a bunch of photos – he calls 03 “Bubble Shield v1.0”, but I’d call it “MC Gets Married”.…