If you’re an Xbox LIVE member with a Silver (free) account, you might be interested to learn that this weekend is a Free Halo 3 weekend – all accounts, Gold AND Silver, can play online! This situation is active until Monday, April 13, at 12 pm ET – so get going and play some Halo 3 for nothin’! Thanks to KP, who is putting in an overtime request for the extra work he had to do to nail down this info. Update: Looks like Ranked playlists are not included. Social and Double XP (and customs) only! (Still a nice deal…)(Louis Wu 19:02:21 UTC)

NOKYARD created a custom Grifball arena… in Sandbox’s Sky Bubble. Gameplay gets the added twist of ‘leave the arena, you die’. Go watch some video over at Grifball Hub, courtesy of LBCountry.(Louis Wu 18:41:30 UTC)

IGN has put together an article that contains everything they know so far about Halo 3: ODST. Nice summary of existing info! Thanks to Gilver for the heads-up.(Louis Wu 18:39:24 UTC)

Dave Kramer sent word that BusyGamerNews.com is giving away two Emerald City ComiCon swag bags, each with a different Halo art print signed by Bungie 3D artist and weapon designer Tom Doyle. You can’t beat THAT with a stick! (There’s a truckload of other stuff in each bag – but it’s the Halo artwork that made it relevant here.)(Louis Wu 18:13:51 UTC)

Just a reminder – today’s the day for the Red vs Blue Community Playdate. (We first mentioned this a couple of weeks ago, but if your schedule looks anything like mine, that was ancient history.) The Rooster Teeth crew will be online and playing Halo 3 between 9 and 11, Eastern time… look for ’em and join ’em! Thanks, KP.(Louis Wu 18:10:15 UTC)

jdars has been talking to folks who do great things with Halo 3 screenshots – and has gathered these talks into a new feature we’re hosting here. Aesthetic Artist Interviews is a collection of discussions with folks who know how to get the most out of Halo 3’s visual treasure trove. Swing by and read the first of these – COL0NEL SANDERS talks about what got him into the Screenshot business, along with some of his techniques, and a gallery of his best work. Enjoy!(Louis Wu 17:29:04 UTC)

Adam Grumbo let us know that his Podcast #6 is now up on YouTube (in HD!). You can learn how to make a mold of a Hayabusa helmet, with guest host Ithaca/Dave from the 405th. Fun stuff! (Louis Wu 17:27:03 UTC)

xPimpYo drives a lot. Check out a montage of the Halo 3 roadtrip in HD. Thanks, urk. (Louis Wu 17:26:37 UTC)

Tyler, from Young Street Productions, sent word that they’ve posted a Forecast Easter Short. I don’t think you’ll learn anything about American holidays or culture by watching it… but you might laugh.(Louis Wu 17:24:15 UTC)

Operation Chastity, the fan-driven movie project, finally has a proper website – thanks to the 405th’s Adam Grumbo. Go Adam, and go Pete! Check out their handiwork (fleshing out quickly) at OperationChastity.com. (Louis Wu 17:23:34 UTC)

Bryan Simon ran a Song Cover contest – we mentioned it last month. Bryan told us today that he’s picked a winner! Congrats to the Ninja Adventures – and the special mentions he’s included as well.(Louis Wu 17:15:02 UTC)

We don’t usually put up newsposts about new websites – after all, new ones come online daily. However, GeneticSpartan stopped by with a video promo for Haloasis.com that’s pretty cool… watch it, and if you’re interested in making videos, join ’em!(Louis Wu 13:21:36 UTC)

Not sure if you’ll be able to get to it – Bungie.net is acting wonky – but last night urk posted a new ‘Broken In’ article, this time focused on Michael Wu, Bungie’s Environmental Art Lead. Michael shares the secrets that got him into the company, and the things that make Bungie special. Give it a read!(Louis Wu 13:21:00 UTC)

Hawty McBloggy has posted Friday Caption Fun, Round 42 – and this week’s picture is a little strange. Can you make it funny? (Louis Wu 13:20:10 UTC)