Author: halo@bungie.org

The price Bungie employees are willing to pay for great sound in Reach… ouch. TravisSch was the first to notice.(Louis Wu 14:39:16 UTC)

Just a reminder – this weekend is the ‘Halo Multiplayer Unlock Weekend’ – it means all Halo multiplayer – Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and the Halo Reach Beta – are free to ALL Xbox LIVE members, not just Gold members. (I wondered if this meant that non-Gold members – or non-ODST owners – could…

The Top Ten Halo 3 Screenshots collection this week is called ‘Sports’ – they’re seriously amazing pictures. (We won’t complain that one of them is actually a Reach pic…)(Louis Wu 12:58:42 UTC)

HaLo2FrEeEk is back with another massive panorama – this one is on Swordbase, and it’s available as a scrollable image (spin that camera!), a screensaver, and a really cool spherical image. Go look!(Louis Wu 12:58:22 UTC)

Hawty McBloggy has highlighted a new montage from Americanista123 – it’s called ‘Halo Reach Bungie Employee Bloopers Minitage’, but there aren’t a lot of bloopers. Mostly, it’s a demo of Armor Lock, and how you can use it to kill the poor guy who didn’t choose it at the Loadout screen. Go watch! (Louis Wu…

thatSeniorGuy noticed a Halo video on Gamespot – it’s part of ‘Video Game History Month’. In it, Joe Staten describes how Halo developed from an offshoot of Myth to the complicated multigame universe it is today. Interesting piece!(Louis Wu 12:57:45 UTC)

Looks like Marty’s hard at work! Thanks, Kapura.(Louis Wu 12:55:35 UTC)

So yesterday we mentioned that Hedgemony was offering to take standard screenshots and make ’em prettier; a few people took him up on it, and he’s collected the results in a Tumblr site. Go check ’em out!(Louis Wu 12:55:10 UTC)

The Bungie Weekly Update is live – and if you’re playing the Reach Beta, it’s worth reading. Info on Network Test 1, the real reason behind Spartans vs Elites, a call for specific bug reports. (Well, they’ve been calling for bug reports during the entire beta – but in this case, they’re looking for some…

Just a reminder – Network Test 1 (the Firefight-based game mode in the Halo Reach Beta) is live now. (Very) basic info available at Bungie.net – or just jump in and play!(Louis Wu 18:49:24 UTC)

Some guy built a nearly two-foot-tall Spartan out of LEGOs… and Hawty McBloggy is always one to give size its due. Go look at the pics.(Louis Wu 18:18:09 UTC)

Some fun video stuff today at Bungie.net:Magic is a group montage put together by Axilo – some nice multikills.Halo: Reach Beta Fails Episode 1 contains a bunch of funny clips – many of which have already been publicized this week.The Beginning is a Reach Beta montage from CJnEw001 – very heavy on the slow-mo.Go watch!(Louis…

Hawty McBloggy is back with another round of Friday Caption Fun – last week’s pic got some great captions, and this week’s pic is pure awesomeness in a can. (Well, a Boneyard.)(Louis Wu 17:49:37 UTC)

Rudefire is a US serviceman currently in Iraq. He can’t participate in the Reach Beta – but that doesn’t stop him from showing his Noble Team colors! Check out his custom insignia!(Louis Wu 17:28:26 UTC)

I noticed that Halo 3: ODST was NOT in the Top 5 Xbox 360 games sold for the week of May 13 (according to Gamasutra), so I went back a bit. Last week, ODST was #5, and the week before that it was #3. (There is no ‘Saling The World’ article for the week of…

Hedgemony is getting into the Wallpaper game – cehck out his ode to the Assault Rifle. Love or hate the weapon, it’s hard to deny that the wallpaper rocks.(Louis Wu 15:04:55 UTC)

RVideo whipped up a really cool panorama from Boneyard – take a look! (He’s also posted a single-shot overhead view of the entire Boneyard gamespace – awesome for planning routes!)(Louis Wu 15:04:38 UTC)

Eep – we almost forgot! Yesterday was Thursday, so the Halo 3 Double XP Weekend Playlist went live… this week, it’s Rocket Race. Missing that glorious drive-and-shoot gametype? Take a break from the Reach Beta and go play! (Don’t forget to save any films you might want clips of before you do, though; each time…

FyreWulff is back with another Firefight Friday challenge – this one’s called ‘Beta Zone’, and it takes place on Alpha Site. You’ve got two difficulty variants: Heroic… or Heroic with the Blind Skull. This is the last ‘Firefight Friday’ – he’s back next week, but it’ll be a Campaign challenge. Go play!(Louis Wu 14:59:08 UTC)

Hedgemony is offering to colorize your favorite Reach Beta screenshot, turning it into an interesting keepsake. Go check out his example (and the first request), and then drop your own screen in the queue!(Louis Wu 14:58:29 UTC)