There was some discussion recently about some design decisions in Halo: Anniversary… so The Alpha ELite decided to make things a little clearer by grabbing some comparison shots. Interesting conversation fodder!(Louis Wu 21:14:29 UTC)

Ty Coker stopped in to let us know about Frostbite Chapter 8 (the end of Book 1) – it doesn’t end the way you might think. If you’ve been following the series, this episode wraps up a few things – but leaves others wide open. Go watch!(Louis Wu 21:12:01 UTC)

Lordstemplar1 wanted to share a new video inspired by the We Are ODST short film/ad. The result, titled We Are 508th, is very, very cool. Definitely go and check it out!(GrimBrother One 14:39:23 UTC)

I laughed at The Escapist’s Kung Fu Grip: Star Wars: A New Halo. I have to thank Hitmonchan for pointing it out. You should go watch it. The swing to safety tickled my funny bone.(Louis Wu 14:10:15 UTC)

AlphaGamma turned us on to Master Chief Predator, a Predator/Spartan mashup from ShrubbyTreeBush. Pretty awesome! (He found it at Kotaku, who also thought it was pretty awesome.)(Louis Wu 14:06:43 UTC)

Tyrant’s back with another chapter in his ODST Legendary Walkthrough – this time, he’s looking at Kikowani Station. The streets of New Mombasa that you need to traverse from NMPD HQ to the station are also included. Go watch – then blow up a few Engineers!(Louis Wu 19:44:14 UTC)

MaxRealflugel wanted us to let you know that The Secrets Within, his Halo site, is going on hiatus for a while (until Halo 4, it seems) – real life intrudes. Best of luck, sir!(Louis Wu 15:25:03 UTC)

Hitmonchan is trying to take a break – but failing, a little bit, at staying away from Halo news. He noted early this morning (on GAF) that MSNBC has a video piece on Halo 4 and Halo: Anniversary (filmed in 343’s new digs, which happen to be Bungie’s old digs). Take a look!(Louis Wu 15:13:55 UTC)

SikDailyMags has another interview with Halo: Faith personnel – this time, it’s composer Daniel Ciurlizza that’s talking about inspiration, Halo geekery, and more. Check it out! Thanks, Gabo’s Palace.(Louis Wu 14:42:11 UTC)

Red vs Blue Season 9, Episode 5, “Realignment“, was released last night – the Gulchers continue to morph, while the Freelancers adjust to the results of the most recent mission. As always, top-notch production quality and some classic humor! Thanks, Dagoonite.(Louis Wu 14:32:44 UTC)

Tor Books today released new information about the next book in Greg Bear’s Forerunner Saga. Information can be found over at Waypoint, including the cover and new title, Primordium. Can’t wait for this! Thanks to hotshot revan for catching it.(GrimBrother One 14:29:48 UTC)

Folks have been telling our forum (and other forums) about the contents of their swag bags purchased from the Bungie Store a couple of weeks ago – tons and tons of cool stuff. rowboat stopped in last night with something really cool – his bag contained photocopied sheet music from a number of Halo tunes (first page only). He was kind enough to scan them, so the entire community can share in his wealth! (Our forum was thrilled to see the Siege of Madrigal music in the collection… I guess many of them have forgotten that Marty released that one already, more than 9 years ago.)(Louis Wu 14:28:33 UTC)

TCKaos let our forum know that Toys ‘R’ Us is currently hosting a Halo Megabloks sale – buy one, get one half off. If you’d been eyeing any of their products, now’s a good time to buy!(Louis Wu 14:28:07 UTC)

Elzarthebam pointed out a post at OXM UK’s website – they’re hosting a contest for “the UK’s most dedicated fan”, with the winner being sent, all expenses paid, to Halo Fest at PAX in Seattle next month. Not too shabby! You’ve only got a couple of days to get your entries in – so hurry!(Louis Wu 14:15:59 UTC)

Ooh, noice deal. Snag a copy of Halo 3: ODST… AND Forza Motorsport 3… for under $10 (pre-owned). Sound good? Swing by Best Buy.(Louis Wu 22:02:10 UTC)

Edge sent word that HaloTracker’s put out another community montage – footage all comes from their community, with enditng by Ativan. It’s a mix of Halo 3 and Reach, full of multikills and exterms. It also contains the worst batch of spawns I’ve ever seen on Boardwark. Go watch!(Louis Wu 20:11:03 UTC)

This went up the end of last week – but we missed it. Rooster Teeth edited together the animated portions of the first four episodes of Red vs Blue Season 9, and ended up with a 5 minute preview that gives you a great idea of what you’re missing if you haven’t been watching. (It was made specifically for their YouTube channel, so you can watch it there if you prefer.)(Louis Wu 20:05:01 UTC)

Jillybean commissioned a pair of Hunter sculpts from Antithesis for her sister – check out the joy upon receipt! You can see some additional closeup pictures of each Hunter in Anti’s gallery here (first one is here, just keep hitting ‘next’). Cuteness to the nth.(Louis Wu 17:00:55 UTC)