rRootage scanned the display case for the new Multiplayer Map Pack – he found it on display at EBGames. It contains pretty solid confirmation that one of the remaining maps (almost certainly Backwash) is set in a 343GS-type swamp… which would pin down Frankie’s last remaining hint word, ‘Firefly’. The original post is here, with speculation – the actual scan is in this post. (This is news because before this point, 8 of the 9 maps were either released or fully described (look for the writeups on Luke Timmins’ talk at the University of Utah for details on 4 of the 5 coming out in June) – Backwash was the only unknown, and many people speculated that it would be a remake of Damnation. Looks like that’s not the case.) Update: Whoa. mnemesis noticed yet another box acronym. Get started! (If you don’t know about Bungie and box acronyms… read this.)

HaloPC slips to number 9 on the Top 10 PC Games list for the week of April 10-16. The most amazing thing about this is that week is some 80 weeks after the game was released! Thanks, 3Suns.

mrsmiley was unhappy with the changes to the magnum in the recent autoupdate – his response is today’s Halo Babies.

Stephen Loftus has posted yet another in-depth study of Halo – this time, his focus is the signage of Cairo Station. Awesome job – and the pictures, all hand-done in Adobe Illustrator, are gorgeous! Check it out.

Stryke Force had released hi-res versions of their movies on the cover DVDs for Xbox World – now they’re making them available on their website. You can find WMP9 versions of the Opening Credits, plus Episodes 1 and 2, in nice hi-res, on their Videos page. QuickTime links should be up there soon.

Machello writes to point out a new online tourney sponsored by the Arm Chair Athletes – prizes will probably be Halo 2 merchandise, but mostly, you’re playing for pride. If you’re interested in signing up, there’s a forum set up for it.

The Art Institutes system of schools recently conducted a national survey on video game preferences – and the results were more eclectic than the surveyors had expected. A press release from the Institutes suggests that while Halo 2 got the most votes for the overall Favorite Video Game from the over 1,000 students polled, only 11 percent actually voted for it. Silmiarly it took Best Video Graphics… but with only 14 percent of the votes. There’s a page devoted to the survey results at the Art Institutes website – but the ‘Survey Results’ link is not a summary of results, it’s an Excel spreadsheet containing ALL the raw data. (As far as I can tell, the only summaries are in the press release.)

Wow, even the big boys are falling all over themselves with Xbox 360 fever. There’s been a rumor floating around that Halo 2 will come pre-loaded on the hard drive of the next-generation Xbox; we’ve mostly stayed away from it, because Bungie ain’t talking, and nobody else really knows anything. However, it just got sillier – CVG actually posted an article suggesting that an anonymously-sent image MIGHT actually be a box shot for this new game. Ignoring the absurdity of the concept (if the game comes pre-loaded on the hard drive, why would you need a box in the first place?), the fact that this is simply the current box, with an Xbox 360 logo slapped on top and a hastily-drawn ‘Director’s Cut’ (with a non-printing character subbing in for the apostrophe, no less) on the front tells you all you really need to know about its legitimacy. CVG should be ashamed of itself for fanning flames with something this weak.

Looks like the Halo 2 ‘good/bad’ debate has spilled over into today’s PvP – thanks, mnemesis.

Bestmasterchief submitted a trailer for an upcoming Predator remake (in Halo 2). (This has no relation at all to the Halo 1 Predator vids made by c0ld vengeance and demonelite.) Currently it’s just cinematic footage, nicely timed to a Predator trailer audio track, but the final film will contain multiplayer footage mixed with movie sound. The trailer passed our Peer Review Rating System, so you can grab it in WMP9 (10.8 mb) or QuickTime (8.9 mb) formats. (While we’re on the subject of the MPRRS – it looks like CYBRFRK has updated the FAQ with some common questions – details are in this forum post.)

sorahn, over at High Impact Halo, brought attention to a video posted a week ago on their forum. It’s a nice tribute to an activity that has been sadly curtailed by the recent autoupdate. I’ve put up the original WMP9 vid (7.6 mb), as well as a QuickTime version (8.7 mb) for folks who are interested in seeing this. Randy Newman rocks.

Nice find by markhamx2 (with some link help from Pballwizard) – Bungie played three team slayer games against the Frag Dolls last night (and kicked some serious booty in the process); it’s not a guarantee that these three games constituted the Halo Humpday Challenge matches… but it’s a good bet. (Some might complain that the Frag Dolls are getting their second matchup with Bungie before so many opponents have gotten their first… but hey, Bungie makes the rules. )

Overswarm has added 3 new articles to his Not So Common Sense guide – not exactly strategy, but useful to the Halo community nonetheless. These are reviews of products relevant to the community – he looks at CarnageStats, GCSkins, and MLG’s VoD. Check out the articles section for more details!

The Se7enth Prophet found a couple more guitar tabs at powertab.net – they’re posted on our forum. ‘Flawed Legacy’ and ‘In Amber Clad’ – get to playing! (They’re available in .ptb format on this page.)

Lots of people are discussing the auto-update and the new maps, and how they’re affecting gameplay across the board.

• Gotfrag discusses how this affects MLG and pro players (thanks, 3Suns)
• Team 7hr33 is happy with the changes, but thinks that they highlight underlying flaws that still exist
• kons0ul laments the lack of fan-created content for Halo 2, a complaint brought on by the new maps (heads-up came here)
• Saint [lpn] looks at the long-term effects of the auto-update changes (mentioned here)

I’m sure there is (or will be) more… these are just the ones that popped up in the last day or so. Update: one more, written last week, over at Rampancy.net – sistimatic wrote up his own impressions the day the autoupdate was released. I even commented on it at the time – but somehow neglected to actually POST my comments. Gah.

RedNovember writes to say that an obscure Indian comic he reads, Badmash, had Halo content in it yesterday. Look out – it’s invading our lives!

Ben Hollis writes that he’s updated XBList, his program that allows you to see who’s on Xbox Live. Lots of bugfixes, update checking, and faster emblems. Give it a shot!

It’s Wednesday, right? Cause One One Se7en comes out on Wednesday, and I never miss a deadline, you know that, right? It’s Wednesday. It’s even a funny one. Just remember – it’s Wednesday. Until after you read this post.

Sigma posted a short montage on our forum a couple of weeks ago; general reception was positive (though almost everyone thought the subject matter was a bit… unusual). He submitted it to our Peer Review Rating system… and the final result missed a ‘Passing’ grade by 0.5%. Ain’t it a nice thing that the admin has the power to override the system? You can grab this in QuickTime (large, 10.8 mb, or small, 4.8 mb) or WMP9 (large, 10.5 mb or small, 4.6 mb). It’s not very long, but it’s fun!

A couple of new Flash items at Newgrounds, Halo-related; there’s a CTF game on Blood Gulch (thanks, DarkSky Forever), and a ‘Halo for Retards‘ vid – mostly clips parodying Halo – thanks, ghostofhalo.