Large Unit has written up a FAQ about what is known (and not yet known) about Halo 2, based on the playable content from E3. Check it out at Halo50k3.

Last week, we posted a note about a streaming live interview with Pete Parsons; if you missed it, Team Xbox (who was present and part of the interview team) has it up for download on their site. It’s available in two 17 mb parts (or you can stream it from their servers). WMP9 format. While you’re there, there’s also a similar interview with J. Allard – much less Halo content, but still some. Check ’em out!

Boxer has posted a new Halo-related .comic at Subnova – even other game denizens had trouble getting in to the press briefings. Ouch!

After a rather long delay, another installment of Miniature Halo has been posted. SESpider has sent page 19 for the collection. He also wanted to point out a Miniature Halo DesktopX theme – you can find it linked to his name at WinCustomize. (Well, you SHOULD be able to find it soon; it’s not up yet.) Check ’em out!

Eurogamer has posted a Halo 2 review article – they posted a transcript of the demo they were shown, and then discussed it. (Copy editing was pretty minimal; this was written in the airport on the way home, under deadline.) There’s also a BitTorrent version of the multiplayer walkthrough (56 mb, XVID format). It’s actually the video they transcripted; you can see Frankie giving the presentation that the press saw. Thanks again to Ciarán.

Red vs Blue has posted their E3 video (shown at the Fanfest) on their site; there are hi-res versions for Sponsors, and lower-res versions for the masses, all available now. It’s pretty funny – go grab a copy! Thanks, Ciarán.

xblShooters has posted a story about Xbox Live 3.0’s Clan feature – the feature that will allow you to use custom logos and colors on your character during online play, as well as provide detailed team stats stored on Bungie.net. They state that the cost for Clan play will be $5/month or $50/year, over and above the $50/year for XBL service. As of this moment, there is NO confirmation of this information from anyone at Bungie or Microsoft; if we hear or find something, we’ll be sure to post it. Caelux 1 noticed this at xblgamers (but showed a healthy skepticism). One thing to keep in mind; there were many rumors suggesting that XBL would double or triple in price after that first year; folks couldn’t believe Microsoft WOULDN’T try to fleece its customers for every penny they could. That never happened; XBL still costs $50/year. Bungie has never suggested that the upcoming statistics linked prominently in their navigation bar would actually cost extra to access (and I can’t see any good reason why TEAM stats should cost any more than INDIVIDUAL stats; that’s what computers are good at, after all). This may turn out to be true – but until it’s confirmed by someone in the know, don’t worry too much about it. Update: This has been confirmed as totally false by SketchFactor. Clan gaming will be free. (You still have to pay for Xbox Live, of course.)

In response to a little confusion, we’ve rewritten the submission rules to be clearer for the Going Nowhere Fast competition. In addition, we’ve added a few new times to the Leaderboard. Just keeping everyone informed!

The Bungie crew is back in Redmond, and they’ve managed to post another pair of new screenshots; a large version of the second leaked screen found last week, and an entirely new dual-needler first-person shot (with a great view of the energy sword). Unfortunately, there’s no HUD to see. Check ’em out! First notice came to us from KenshinHimora000.

Dark Helmet comes back with a pretty awesome jump movie; 5:07 long, 17.7 mb, WMP9 format, showing some amazing long jumps with little or no damage. (The link points not to the start of the thread, but to a post with a viable mirror – thanks, Brian.) Watch this one for examples of what you can do without a modded box (or an overshield!).

Dolbex alerted us to a bunch of E3-related content over at the Halo50k3 site; there’s a review of the playable stuff by Large Unit, a full E3 writeup with a goodly chunk of Halo 2 info, and a bunch of pictures from the fanfest. Check it all out! (There are plenty of other new pics in the Gallery, but they’re not really Halo-related…)

Interesting find… fludblud noticed a similarity between the building in the bottom corner of the new Halo 2 promo poster and the Hong Kong Bank in Hong Kong (we’ve archived a local copy in case this goes offline). Inspiration by interesting architecture… or a hint about a Halo 2 location? Only time will tell.

Deanero has written up a different sort of E3 review; definitely worth a read. He seriously skimped on his own party – but not to worry, I’m guessing there’ll be some decent writeups of that from others. Check it out!

Today’s One One Se7en continues the saga of the ODST – the few, the proud, the flat.

Sorry for the delay – got home around 4 am this morning. Then there were some clients to placate… finally getting to HBO updates. First up: Halo: Resolution turns 100. Long run!

In December, we mentioned that Halo (xbox) was up for consideration for inclusion in the World Cyber Games 2004. Today, I found that Halo is on the Official Games List for this year’s competition. Also, another interesting note, the Final Tournament will be held in the USA (normally, WCG is in Korea). This isn’t your everyday, local tournament, either. WCG is a global competition with over $400,000 worth of prizes (they are sponsored by Samsung). Go check it out!

Shaolin Temple Bum has announced the opening of the Haloce.org Map Repository to the general public; this is a place where you can upload your Halo CE maps for others to download. Take a look – sample the wares, and upload your own stuff!

Frontline with Suzie, a fanfic started up by rockslider, has posted Broadcast 2, an interview with a jackal. Thanks to Lothar Hex for pointing it out.

The Enkidu Terminals have drawn to a close; I’m sorry I wasn’t there at the end to watch the fireworks. (I’m also REALLY sorry that a careless oversight on my part, coupled with the necessities of remote administration, allowed folks to see stuff they weren’t supposed to see a day or so early. Totally my fault.) The Man Behind The Curtain has written both an afterword and a forum post to put your feedback in – feel free to jump in and let him know how you feel. I, for one, am thrilled that a piece of fan fiction could inspire so much thought and excitement on our forum and others. To the folks who are angry or annoyed that this didn’t come from Bungie – you have nobody to blame but yourselves. NOBODY said this was official – in fact, I said almost nothing at all about it. You were free to infer what you liked. I was really, really happy to see all the posts that said ‘even if this ISN’T from Bungie, I’m glad it happened – it was fun.’ (That was the point.) Congrats to Steve for pulling off a masterful work – and congrats to the entire community for showing the sort of enthusiasm that sets Bungie fans apart from other gamers!

[HOH] has analyzed another Halo 2 screenshot – stop by and see if you agree!