Author: halo@bungie.org

LazerBlader sent along a PDF containing all the Gamestop stores hosting a midnight opening for Halo 3: ODST on the 22nd. I couldn’t find it on their website, so we’ve got a copy here for you. Nearly 3000 stores on this list… Update: found a link on this page – swing down to the ‘Interact’…

Vast Inspiration wrote a short review of Halo 3: ODST over at NeoGAF that could have been from my head. No spoilers – just impressions about the game itself. And opinions that are mine, except that I’ve never even read a post from this person before. Check it out. (Louis Wu 12:20:44 UTC)

More and more people are getting early copies of Halo 3: ODST – Newegg sent out a bunch of orders early by accident, some countries are less rigid about street dates than others, and even in places where street dates are taken seriously, mistakes are made by employees who might not be paying attention. This…

Minime noticed a new video at IGN – Firefight Starter Tips. It’s a spoiler-free discussion of ways to maximize your survival, at least in the early rounds. (Decent advice, even.) I was pretty amused by the comment at about 1:30 that “teamwork is essential for success”… spoken as the player we’re watching throws a grenade…

Giantbomb discusses Halo 3: ODST in their latest weekly podcast – swing by to listen to the two and a half hour discussion. (Halo content spans the stretch from 7:40 to 18:10.) Thanks, Minime637. (If you’re reading this near the time it’s posted, their server is having trouble with direct podcast links; you can get…

Hehe – it looks like Howard Ryan has a new title. The Kirkland Reporter has a Police Blotter for last week – and the incident involving the sniper model made the list. The funny part? “The president of Halo was contacted after…” It’s like he’s a king or something! (Quick screenshot, in case they fix…

Bungie.net posted a new Community Spotlight late yesterday – this one focuses on Forge Union, a group of (duh) Forge enthusiasts who do a lot of playing together. Check out Bungie Favorites for some of their stuff.(Louis Wu 12:11:46 UTC)

ElusiveEagle519 whipped up some Johnson-flavored wallpaper for you, in an awful lot of different sizes – you should take a look. He knows what the desktops like.(Louis Wu 19:36:56 UTC)

shiruken let us know that Outpost: Isil Episode 13 – “Clash of the Titans” – is now available for viewing; visit the Treeskunk site for a billion different links. Classic AR vs BR matchup in this one… if the vid is anything to go by, it would seem they’re BOTH useless weapons. Go watch.(Louis Wu…

Swing on by Bungie.net to see the gawjuss new makeover – for once, the old links still work! (While you’re there, check out Kampy’s Top Ten Montage Moments – fun fighting.) Update: One side benefit of the site overhaul is that all ODST Achievements are now listed; visit your Bungie.net stats page to see them.…

Captain Spark spent some time with our friendly neighborhood lightbulb – check out the Dialogue Databank for a bunch of new Guilty Spark snippets!(Louis Wu 16:50:11 UTC)

Tony ‘ubald’ Marcotte continues to render cool scenes – his latest is called ‘Take Down’, and MAN it would be fun if you could use a katana like that… If you like it, check out the rest of his gallery here.(Louis Wu 16:49:18 UTC)

Co-Optimus noticed that a new Zune release – the ZuneHD – can be inscribed with a variety of game logos – including Halo 3: ODST and Halo Wars. It’s not quite as cool as the Zune Halo 3 Edition’s design (okay, not ANYWHERE NEAR as cool) – but hey, sometimes you take what you can…

The Sixth Axis jumped into fan fiction today, writing a ‘What If’ story about possible outcomes had Microsoft not bought Bungie. Too many crazy leaps for me… but you might enjoy it.(Louis Wu 16:47:17 UTC)

Thanks to Jordan117, we have a transcript of all but the first 30 minutes of the Best Buy live chat with Brian Jarrard and Joe Staten last night – but I’d like to post a full transcript, if possible. If anyone saved the first 30 minutes or so, we’ll compile them into the full document…

Kotaku’s got word of a PAL-based 360 bundle – A 360 Elite, a copy of Halo 3, and a copy of Halo 3: ODST, all for $400-600 US, depending on the location. (There’s other stuff in the box, but it’s stuff that would have come with these items anyway.) Look for it later this month.(Louis…

Joerhyno is selling his action figure collection to help pay his son’s hospital bills – lots of Halo stuff available. Swing by the Spawn.com forums for all the details – I’m always amazed by how this community pulls together in times of need, and it sounds like Joe is in need right now. (Louis Wu…

WorthPlaying has an interview with Brian Jarrard, discussing Halo 3: ODST. It’s a long, rambling talk, ranging from the reasons behind the multiplayer segment of ODST to how Nathan Fillion got involved to a bit of information about why you might want to find those audio logs hidden around the city. Go see what they…

UNSC_Leatherneck sent word that Grace, a member of the 405th that goes by Cortana, finished her Cortana cosplay in time for GenCon 2009. I must say… I’m impressed. Go check out the pics!(Louis Wu 13:18:29 UTC)

Morpheus was the first to notice (a couple of days ago) that the OXM Report this week on Inside Xbox (a part of Xbox LIVE Marketplace) is ODST-related, with an interview with Curtis Creamer. For those of you without the time to hunt it down on LIVE, we’ve posted it on the web, in HD.…