We'll be putting Master Chief's exploits to Crecente's latest hip hop single (as soon as he cuts it, hides it in his brush collection and some very committed Kotaku reader leaks it to Bittorrent).

Halo 2 Cutscene Library [HBO via Xbox360Fanboy]

If Bungie really loved children they'd throw in a steak dinner with Luke Smith.

Signed Halo Mountain Dew Vending Machine! [eBay]

As the box art tells us, Halo 2 plays on Xbox 360, so you really have no reason for it not having a place in your gaming library. Me? I still have plenty of reasons.

No date on this one yet, as we came across it on one of Microsoft's marketing sites. The question: why now? We're asking Microsoft to find out.

He pointed out that Microsoft's promise to focus on the "top selling" original Xbox titles has been, from a corporate standpoint, delivered upon. "For the most part, we've crossed off games that people want to play," he said, adding that "There's always going to be a notable exception here or there."

Penello noted that, outside of Halo 2, internal data points to low numbers of backward compatible games being played on Live, with BC updates "not being downloaded that much anymore."

While some of the more fondly remembered Xbox games, like Otogi and The Chronicles of Riddick, haven't made the list yet, Penello tells us not to hold our breath. "At this point the stuff that's left is work per title, every title now is almost a one-off. Right now we have to think, are we really going to do 300 one-off titles? I know it's not exactly the answer everyone wants to hear, but I feel like it's time."

Watch for more from our interview with Penello later.

A New York man was arrested Friday after allegedly stalking and threatening to rape two Spokane girls he met while playing a Halo game on Xbox Live, KHQ reports.

Joshua R. Stetar was arrested Friday in Spokane, Washington after the man drove 40 hours straight to the city and started texting and driving by the house of the 15-year-old girl and her sister, police said.

Police say Stetar met the girl in 2006 in "Halo" using Live and that he had sent packages and flowers to the parent's home, but they were always returned. He also allegedly text messaged the girl hundreds of times and finally drove to the town.

Around 9:30 p.m. Friday night the suspect sent a text message to the victim saying he was driving by her house at that moment. In the message he even described his vehicle, a Gray Oldsmobile. The girl's parents were outside the home and in fact saw the car driving past.

At 9:36 p.m. the victim received another text message from the suspect saying, "Tell the cops that I'm gonna rape you and your sister."

The suspect had also mentioned that he was staying at a Days Inn in Spokane.

Police ended up picking up the suspect at a nearby Econolodge.

NYC man arrested after traveling to Spokane to stalk girls [KHQ, via Gaming Today]

In its first 24 hours of release in 2004, the second installment of the sci-fi shooter earned $125 million. That number forced many nongamers to take the vidgame biz seriously for the first time.

With "Halo 3," Microsoft's Xbox unit wants not only to top the 2004 figure but to reach $155 million in a single day — besting the $151 million opening weekend for "Spider-Man 3," the current record holder for a pic at the box office.

Officially, of course, the software giant is hedging its bets.

"We did $125 million last time," said Microsoft director of creative marketing Chris Di Cesare, who oversaw much of the second installment's launch. "We're confident we can do better."

Besides having a ton of copies of the game on hand, Microsoft is kicking off the mother of all media campaigns. Lets hope the game lives up the ever-mounting hype.

High 'Halo 3' hopes [Variety]

Sick to death of hearing about everything Halo yet? You'd better get out of this chickenshit outfit now then, buddy, 'cause it's only going to get worse.

Halo History Pack [Xbox Japan]

...it borders on irresponsibility for a public library to sponsor an activity for kids as young as 12 that the industry itself has said is for adults.

You'll find the master Peter Moore tattoo template below. Simply work your image manipulation magic, whether it be in Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, MS Paint (we're sure Pete would be proud) or the software package of your choice and wow us with your pixel pushing talents.

We've already removed the Halo 2 tattoo for you, but it's your job to find a suitable replacement for Bungie's Xbox hit. Hell, if you've got another template you want to work with, that's kosher. All we're looking for are hilarious, totally safe for work tattoo jobs.

The winner of this contest will get something smokin' hot. Send your images to kotakucontest@gmail.com by Friday, July 20th at 9 PM PDT and give it your best 'shop.

As I depart the Big Apple (where I've been reporting from all weekend) I leave you with this list of games coming out this week. Mario Party looks like it might be some fun with the addition of the Wii remote mechanic and I'd like to see how the 2d to 3d Crush is for the PSP. Other than that, I can satisfy myself with finishing up Silent Hill 2 which for some reason I decided to haul out of the mothballs. Anyone going to round out a holiday weekend by picking one or two of these up? Flynn De Marco

• Mario Party 8 (WII) It's the video game that's a board game with mini-games.
• Halo 2 (PC)
  Now with less ass.
• Forza Motorsport 2 (X360)
  The Xbox 360 gets it's dose of Forza racing.
• Shadowrun (X360, PC)
  Magic and guns, 360s and PCs join together for a new multiplayer experience
• Mortal Kombat: Armageddon (WII)
  Nintendo brings Mortal Kombat to their console marking the beginning of the Wii bloodletting game parade.
• Crush (PSP)
  It's like Super Paper Mario on the PSP just without the paper or the Mario. The super remains to be seen.
• Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (PS2)
  A little 2D old school PRG action. I really, really hope this has that silver ball that puts spikes in your brain.
• Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia (X360, PC)
  Fight for control of the suburbs against monster hordes. No, not soccer moms, actual monsters.

As I write this I am listening to the haunting strains of Ancient Machine from the Halo 2 Volume 1 soundtrack on Halo Zune. The Zune, sent my way from Microsoft, is pretty neat looking, and does have a slew of original content, but it's still a Zune. That is to say, while I love the huge screen for video playback and the great all-you-can-eat music service, I'm still ticked that it skips when playing some music back and that Microsoft still hasn't gotten around to adding television and movies to their store.

Hit the jump for the full list of packed in goodies and a gallery of the Zune's case and box. I'd say if you're a huge Halo fan this player is a must, if not, maybe wait for the price to drop. Of course by then, you probably won't be able to find this special edition, which is pretty damn slick looking. I'm curious, what would you have wanted out of a Halo Zune, I mean besides a Master Chief to carry it around for you?Brian Crecente

Music
•Halo Original Soundtrack
•Halo 2 Original Soundtrack, Vol. 1
•Halo 2 Original Soundtrack, Vol. 2

Videos
•Halo 2: Theatrical Trailer, 45 sec
•Halo 3 ViDoc, 7 Min (documentary)
•Halo 3 ViDoc, 7 Min (part 2)
•Halo 3 ViDoc, 7 Min (part 3)
•Halo 3: e3 2006 Announcement Trailer, 2 Min
•Halo 3: Starry Night, 45 sec
•Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles (Parts 1-6)
•Red vs. Blue: Turn On, Tune In, Zune Out (Zune welcome video by RvB characters)

Photos
•Halo Brand Imagery, 4 Photos
•Halo Concept Art, 33 Photos
•Halo Graphic Novel, 13 Photos (Not the entire novel)
•Halo Marketing Concepts by Concept Arts, 45 Photos
•Halo Paintings, 27 Photos
•Halo Storyboards, 10 Photos

It's a mixed bag of titles this week. We have a movie franchise game, a new RPG, the re-emergence of a classic, a comic card game, mechs, a high school sim and even the simple crossword puzzle. Not a whole lot that's of too much interest to me although I kind of want to see the Pirates game just because those character models are stunning. Anything here you'll be picking up? Flynn De Marco

• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (X360, PC, PS2, WII, PS3, DS, PSP) Set sail with Capt. Jack Sparrow and grab yourself some booty.
• Halo 2 (PC)
  The long awaited Vista version finally arrives
• Odin Sphere (PS2)
  Take a pretty RPG, throw in a little brawling and you've got Odin sphere.
• Dawn of Mana (PS2)
  The popular Mana series finally gets a follow up.
• Naruto: Ninja Council 3 (DS)
  More Naruto for your DS
• WarTech: Senko no Ronde (X360)
  Major mech madness.
• Brooktown High: Senior Year (PSP)
  Relive the horror of High School all over again.
• Death, Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom (DS)
  La Petite mort.
• Marvel Trading Card Game (DS)
  Think, Marvel:The Gathering.
• The New York Times Crosswords (DS)
  Why wait till Sunday?

Halo 3 - Halo 2 vs. Halo 3 Multiplayer Comparison HD [GameTrailers]

Microsoft cross-promotion at its best! On June 15th, a special Halo 3 Zune music player will be available exclusively at GameStop for US $249.99. The 30GB black device (better than brown!) comes pre-loaded with tons of Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 goodies like vids, music, trailers and artwork for you to stare at on that 3-inch screen. Hit the jump for the details. Yes, the details! Brian Ashcraft

Features: •Special-edition collectible. Fully customized with a "Halo 3" graphic overlay and collectible packaging

•Pre-loaded "Halo" content. Packed with videos, music and artwork from the famed "Halo" franchise, an exclusive new episode of "Red vs. Blue" from the fan-adored machinima creators Rooster Teeth Productions LLC, and more. The content package includes the following:
•Music:
•"Halo: Original Soundtrack" — complete album
•"Halo 2: Original Soundtrack," Volume 1 — all tracks by Marty O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori
•"Halo 2: Original Soundtrack," Volume 2 — complete album
•Videos:
•"Halo 3" "Starry Night" advertisement
•"Halo 3" E3 2006 announcement trailer
•"Halo 2" theatrical teaser trailer
•Three documentary videos on the making of "Halo 3"
•A custom episode of "Red vs. Blue" just for Zune
•The first six episodes of "Red vs. Blue" Season 1
•Artwork. More than 120 images are included, including game concept art, storyboards, paintings, and conceptual marketing imagery.
•Enhanced Xbox 360 experience. Gamers can plug it in and turn it up to enjoy their music, pictures or videos on the go or in the living room. Player can just plug their Zune into any Xbox 360 to enjoy their content on the best screen and speakers in the house. They can also stream music directly from their Zune to create a custom soundtrack for any game.
•30GB digital media player. Gamers get the new "Halo 3" look and the same great Zune features. Users can store up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video:3
•Big, bright screen. The 3-inch LCD video screen works in portrait or landscape mode.
•Built-in FM radio. Users can tune in to their favorite local stations.
•Wireless Zune-to-Zune sharing. Users can beam select music and pictures to friends wirelessly — device to device.2
•Personalized Zune. Users can create a custom background with their favorite picture or image.
•Zune Marketplace. Users can download songs individually or choose a Zune Pass subscription to get unlimited downloads for a flat monthly fee.
•Zune software. Users can automatically import most music, pictures and videos from iTunes and Microsoft Windows Media Player, including existing playlists and song ratings. Some content is protected by the service from which it was purchased, and cannot be imported.

I don't hate Vista...I can see it has potential. I certainly don't hate Halo 2. I do hate the two of them together. As much as I'd love to be able to create and share my own maps over the PC, it just isn't worth it. Michael Fahey

After bumping the PC version of Halo 2 from May 8 to... eventually, Microsoft today announced the new ship date for the shooter.

Halo 2 will now ship to retailers on May 22, i.e. in two weeks, letting PC gamers experience the joy of blasting Brutes and cruising on Games for Windows LIVE!!!!!!!

The game was initially derailed from today's launch because the Games for Windows folks wanted to tweak the install experience (you can play and install at the same time, pretty cool) and to address "other" technical issues. Brian Crecente

By: Brian Crecente

For 1Up's Luke Smith game journalism started and ended with Halo.

It was the summer of 2005 when Broken Halo: Five ways Bungie can fix Halo 2 put Luke on the map and squarely in the pay of Kotaku. The 1Up feature story by Luke explained, in detail, how Bungie could fix Halo 2.

One and a half years and two jobs later, Luke Smith is abandoning the profession to go work for the people the game he once so thoroughly disparaged.

His departure could be seen as a sign of a distressed profession, an outcome that is more the growing pains of game journalism then the product of Luke's own longterm goals.

Luke eased into game journalism when he was still in college working toward his English Literature degree. It started as a gig at the college paper writing about music and art. Occasionally he wrote about gaming.

After graduating, Luke went on to work for a weekly in Dearborn, Michigan, then for a Detroit weekly and finally for Kotaku.

While Kotaku wasn't Luke's first game writing gig, he says it was where he started to come into his own.

"It was a pretty bizarre and cool part of my gaming life," Luke said in a recent interview. "I was living in this nightmare of an apartment with this couple who just fucked and fucked nightly. I tried to stay in my room, eat microwave food, play WoW and write for Kotaku."

Luke came to Kotaku straight from the hands of game writing guru Clive Thompson.

"Clive and I had this long public dispute about narrative versus ludic elements of play and we talked about it on his blog a lot," he said. "Then I saw he had an AIM and I started to AIM him. Clive and I became friends and we would bounce ideas off of each other for stories we were working on. Him for Slate and me for real Detroit Weekly."

When Kotaku started expanding past just one writer (that'd be me) to more, Thompson suggested Luke and we hired him up.

"Kotaku was where I totally got my chops," Smith said in a recent interview, "Citing the sources, being accountable."

But Luke didn't stay long, leaving after a short stay to run the news section for 1Up.

"I left Kotaku for a couple of reasons, nothing about the work climate or the volume," he said. "At the time stories (on Kotaku) were unsigned. Kotaku was like the Brian Crecente vision. If I posted something or Ash did people thought you did. Also, there was no health insurance, it was just full-time freelance."

Luke took over the 1Up news section, modeling it initially after when he did at Kotaku and then adding his own take on blogging. He also became part of the 1Up Yours show and with his addition the show seemed to take off.

But as the year passed by, Luke became increasingly disheartened with the state of game journalism and the ethics at play in the burgeoning beat.

"Video game journalism is just weird," he said. "You have guys married to women in marketing for the games they cover. Video game journalism is still very young, very early, still trying to find out what it is."

"I was getting increasingly frustrated."

And it was then that Bungie contacted Luke about coming to work for them. As soon as he sent the company his resume, he said, he stopped writing about Bungie and Microsoft to avoid any potential conflicts. About a month later Luke accepted the job at the company.

The reaction to Luke's decision to jump from covering the game industry to working for it was met with mixed reaction. There were those happy or sad to see Luke go and others who felt he had sold out. Luke says he has taken it with a grain, perhaps a bag, of salt.

The reaction, he says, is in many ways justified, but it misses the point. The reason he left, not where he is going.

"It's one of these professions where you have people working tons of hours, more than they should be," he said. "There comes a point when the rewards don't align for people and when that happens they leave."

Luke's last day at 1Up was Friday, he starts in his new career on May 7, but doing what?

"I'm no longer going to be in journalism," he said.

Instead Luke hopes he will be doing something that he thinks will bridge the gap between journalism and PR, something that cuts out the middle man and gets the information straight to the gamers.

"You see these developers who can bridge the gap between fans and the development community," he said. "I think there is a really rich opportunity for someone to come in and tell the stories that people want to know. I think there is a very interesting potential shift about how people are going to cover and get information about games.

"Right now you have four bridges between developer and reader: Developer to pr, to journalist to reader. This could get rid of those middle two bridges."

While I think that Luke is in many ways right about the future of gaming, I see it as more of a negative than a positive. With this increase in direct to consumer spin-control, journalists are even more necessary than they once were in this industry.

And Luke agrees.

"I think absolutely there is still a need for journalism, it has to find out how it's going to operate, function."

Now that Luke is on the other side of the thin green (why not) line, maybe he can try and shake things up from the inside out.

If not expect a feature in the near future: Broken Luke.

For the first week the maps will only be available in custom matches, to give folks a chance to get the maps before matchmaking starts kicking you out of games for not having them. Might neighborly of them!

For more details, as well an odd PAL issue that requires VGA cable users to switch back to composite cables in order to download, hit up the link to Bungie below. Michael Fahey

New Halo 2 Maps are Here! [Bungie.net - Thanks TheForgotenHero]

The list seems a bit unbalanced at first glance. Beating the game on normal nets you 100 points, while heroic and legendary only nets you 50 apiece? Poppycock I say!

Heehee. Poppycock is an awesome word.

Just completing the game you've probably already finished nets you 490 - 590 points (if you do all three difficulty levels), and the rest are spread among various multiplayer achievements, including two viral ones, which are always good for a giggle.

A nice little list, but are achievements enough to make a gamer want to upgrade his PC to Windows Vista? Seeing as my home computer has recently undergone a much-needed Vistectomy, have I finally met a Halo product that I won't impulsively buy? Michael Fahey

Halo 2 launches onto Vista, now with achievements. [Achieve360Points.com via Arrogantics]

In his weekly update, Bungie's Frankie says some big things are coming this week. You've got the two new Halo 2 multiplayer maps, Desolation and Tombstone, for $4 hitting next week. Also, there will be a new auto-update for the game, new playlists and they will be resetting all rankings.

Frankie wraps up his update by talking about the new audio for Halo 3 and then closes with some very cryptic statements about "big news."

So yeah. Big changes coming. Big changes and big news. Next week is going to be significant. Until then, enjoy this potted history of Mister Chief's evolution.

It's hard to tell if Frankie is all excited about the Halo 2 maps, the update, the ranking reset, the audio or perhaps something he didn't mention. I guess we'll find out next week when it turns out the "big news" is a picture of another weapon. Brian Crecente

Bungie Weekly Update [Bungie]

They look to explode real pretty-like which means I'm sure we'll see hundreds of them scattered about Halo 3's levels, with enemy troops taking cover behind or near them. Brilliant.

On the business end of things, Halo 2 players should note that an auto-update is coming before the two new multiplayer maps hit. This update will do two important things, aid in recgonizing cheaters and reset all Halo 2 player ranking data. Consider yourselves warned! Michael McWhertor

Bungie Weekly Update [Bungie.net]

Series co-creator Burnie Burns posted on the RvB forums this Sunday, making the announcement and hinting at what's to come.

One hundred is a great number, and it seems like the perfect place to call it a show. I am sure you have some questions about our plans for the series and beyond. We will be talking about all of that in the weeks and months to come, but I want to use this time to thank all of you for nearly half a decade of support. For now, it's back to work.

Is this really the end or just a much needed reboot prior to the release of Halo 3? We'll know more soon, I'm sure. Michael McWhertor

Thank You [Red Vs. Blue Rooster Teeth Forums]

Since the maps are technically for an original Xbox game, you'll need a credit card with a balance of $4 available to purchase the new maps, as the big black box doesn't know from Microsoft points. Hit the jump for more info! Michael Fahey

HALO 2 MULTIPLAYER MAPS REVEALED

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios today confirmed the upcoming release of two new, eagerly awaited downloadable maps for "Halo 2." The maps will be available as premium downloadable content for Xbox and Xbox 360 on April 17.

Fans of the original "Halo" have long requested the addition of some of their favorite maps to the critically acclaimed multiplayer experience of "Halo 2." These re-creations, developed by Bungie and Certain Affinity Inc., are a perfect way to thank fans for their support as they surpass 800 million hours of "Halo 2" gaming on Xbox LIVE .

The two maps will bring new life to ancient battlefields and legendary skirmishes, as both are new, improved and redesigned remakes of fan favorites from the original "Halo: Combat Evolved." For the price of $4 for the pair, these maps bring a fresh burst of action to the seminal "Halo 2" online multiplayer experience. Both of the maps will be available through the "Halo 2" in-game content downloader for both Xbox and Xbox 360.*

The king of "Halo" maps has returned at last. Hang 'Em High, arguably the most popular multiplayer map for the original title, has been reimagined for "Halo 2" as Tombstone, with all-new graphics, features and a few hidden surprises. Now fans will enjoy the dangerous catwalks and trenches that made this the most requested "Halo" multiplayer map ever, with a modernized "Halo 2" flavor.

The second map, Desolation, is a symmetrical, Deathmatch-oriented map and a beautiful remake of the original Derelict. With new graphics and effects and a massive gameplay overhaul, the old favorite is now faster-paced and more balanced than ever — perfect for intense "Halo 2" combat.

Don't expect anything to have changed when you get back on, as this was merely a behind-the-scenes update. Racial epithets and homophobic slurs are still working as normal and Halo 2 tea-baggers will notice little to no difference in Xbox Live performance. Enjoy! Michael McWhertor

The Godtacular Bible Study will next meet on Monday at 8 p.m. eastern (or perhaps 9 p.m., the post says both) to discuss the bible. Yes, the real bible, not the bible of the flood or the bible of Master Chief.

"We'll be continuing with learning some things to help us make right choices tonight. We'll also learn how it's a process and no one starts life with an innate ability to do life right."

Hopefully that will followed up with a serious session of fragging and tea-bagging. Brian Crecente

Godtacular Bible Study [Podtacular]

Computer and Video Games is reporting on a rumor from Official Xbox Magazine that the Halo Mjolnir Theme Song will be a downloadable add-on song for Guitar Hero II when it hits the Xbox 360.

The theme song is quite complicated and I'd suspect not so easy to play. I have calls out to Msoft with great expectations of a "we don't comment on rumors" in my future. Brian Crecente

Guitar Hero to Include Halo Mjolnir Song [CVG, thanks Alex]

It looks like Halo 4 might have just been accidentally confirmed, not that news of a sequel to the Xbox 360's top exclusive would be surprising at all.

The Bungie guys were kind enough to donate a voice cameo in Halo 3 for non-profit Hollywood Arts, a group that "reaches homeless young people through the arts." But in the description of the official eBay auction for the cameo it seems that some legumes were spilled.

Voiceover will be recorded at Blindlight Studios in Hollywood, CA before May 15, 2007 or this package will have to redeemed for Halo 4.

While this seems pretty straight forward, I suppose it's possible the Hollywood Arts people jumped to some conclusions when they said there was a Halo 4, but I sorta doubt it. Brian Crecente

Cameo in HALO 3! Donated by Bungie for Hollywood Arts! [eBay, thanks Curtis]

UK gaming pub Edge recently ran an extended feature on Bungie, which is now available for non-subscribers to read on their web site. It's amazingly deep and wordy, but one quote that stands out is the following from Halo technical lead Chris Butcher

We had about four to five weeks to polish Halo at the end. No more than that. And that last five per cent is responsible for 30 per cent of the success of the game, or more. The entire game came together within that four- to six-week period.

We had none of that for Halo 2. Take that polish period and completely get rid of it. We miscalculated, we screwed up, we came down to the wire and we just lost all of that. So Halo 2 is far less than it could and should be in many ways because of that. Even the multiplayer experience for Halo 2 is a pale shadow of what it could and should have been if we had gotten the timing of our schedule right. It's astounding to me. I fucking cannot play Halo 2 multiplayer. I cannot do it. And that's why I know Halo 3 is going to be so much better.

That particular quote is heavily edited for space on my part, but should give those who felt a little deflated by Halo 2 some hope for the third iteration. If you're going to print out anything for your next half-hour bathroom break, let it be this. Michael McWhertor

Inside Bungie (aka This Spartan Life) [Edge]

At the Microsoft booth in Central Hall, a slew of games are available, from Rail Simulator to Luxor 2, every taste is accounted for. Okay, that was uncalled for. There was Halo 2, which, as you recall, is exclusive to the Windows Vista operating system. Despite being a port of a two year old game, it still drew plenty of curious gamers.

I waited about fifteen minutes for my chance to compete in a few rounds of Halo 2 multiplayer. The game was straight up deathmatch on the map Sanctuary from the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. The option to play with the Xbox 360 controller or mouse and keyboard were both available, so I opted for the latter to see how my Halo skills held up sans controller.

Visually, the game looks unimpressive. The models, textures and level architecture don't smack of a 2007 PC first-person shooter release. The game's frame rate was surprisingly shaky, but controls were solid. Despite my preference for mouse and keyboard controls, it felt a little strange to play the game this way.

Gameplay-wise, it's the same Halo 2 multiplayer gamers have logged millions of hours with on Xbox Live, just in higher resolution. After playing Shadowrun, another Vista only Windows game, the Halo 2 gameplay feels very meat and potatoes. Just a bit too straightforward for me at this point. I think I'll be passing on this port, but those of you who haven't tired yet of the Xbox version should at least take a look. Michael McWhertor

Former Halo 2 ad 3 multiplayer lead Max Hoberman has formed a new Austin, TX development studio named Certain Affinity, who have today announced a partnership with (surprise!) Microsoft Game Studios to develop content for Halo, including the Xbox 360 exclusive map pack coming out this spring.

"We're not setting out to change the industry," says Hoberman. "We're creating games by choosing strong leaders, talented and experienced developers, and solid partners. This partnership with Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios is a piece of that puzzle and we hope it's the start of a long and fruitful relationship."

The studio's staff is made up of folks who've worked on lots of amazing titles, including games in the Ultima, Wing Commander, Myth, Asheron's Call, Freelancer, and Ghost Recon series. Should be interesting to see what they come up with.

Full press release after the jump!

CERTAIN AFFINITY, INC. PARTNERS WITH MICROSOFT GAME STUDIOS TO DEVELOP HALO CONTENT

AUSTIN, TX (DECEMBER 14, 2006) - Certain Affinity, Inc. (www.certainaffinity.com) unveiled itself to the world today as a new development studio based in Austin, TX. In a strategic partnership with Bungie Studios and Microsoft Game Studios, Certain Affinity's first project is developing multiplayer maps for Halo 2, which will release this spring by Microsoft Game Studios exclusively for the Xbox 360. The company is also creating a new Xbox 360 title to be announced at a later date.

Founded by Max Hoberman, an industry veteran and former Halo 2 and Halo 3 multiplayer team lead, Certain Affinity is focused on creating top-tier games and content in an efficient, no-nonsense manner. The company's staff and leadership averages 12 years in the industry and draws on a wealth of experience from such companies as Origin, Digital Anvil, and Bungie. The team includes major contributors from dozens of hit titles including games in the Ultima, Wing Commander, Myth, Asheron's Call, Freelancer, and Ghost Recon series, as well as all of the titles in the Halo series.

"We're not setting out to change the industry," says Hoberman. "We're creating games by choosing strong leaders, talented and experienced developers, and solid partners. This partnership with Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios is a piece of that puzzle and we hope it's the start of a long and fruitful relationship."

This down-to-earth approach has been a hallmark of Hoberman's success as the former Halo 2 and Halo 3 multiplayer team lead, where he initiated and oversaw the multiplayer gameplay, user interface, and online systems. Hoberman drove the invention of features like matchmaking and the party system that helped to make Halo 2 the most played game on Xbox Live for two straight years after its release in 2004, with a total of 800 million hours of Halo 2 played online to date.

After 10 years at Bungie, Hoberman is leaving in the wake of a remarkable string of achievements and maintains a strong relationship with the studio. He spent the first year and a half on Halo 3 developing a solid foundation for the multiplayer and online game, and building a team able to carry the project through to completion. "What we've accomplished with Halo 3 is extraordinary," he says. "Halo 2 turned the online world on its head, but Halo 3 is going to rip its head right off. I am proud of my contribution to the Halo series and have learned a lot from my friends at Bungie."

Certain Affinity is not releasing details yet on the game they are working on.

About Certain Affinity
Certain Affinity was founded in 2006 to make innovative action-oriented games set in immersive worlds. The studio is focused on creating original content and titles with top leadership talent, an experienced, professional team, and with strong partners. For more information about Certain Affinity, visit www.certainaffinity.com , or email info@certainaffinity.com.

—-—-—-

Michael Fahey

Now that Gears of War has knocked Halo 2 out of the Number 1 spot on Xbox Live, there's bound to be some hard feelings. In their latest web comic titled "The Dustiest of Trails", the boys over at RPG-TV pit Master Chief against Marcus Fenix in a touching passing of the torch.

Poor Master Chief, it can't feel good to be left behind like a cheap hooker for a new slab of burly man-meat. Marcus Fenix, I wish I knew how to quit you. Flynn De Marco

The Dustiest of Trails [RPG-TV]

Big time Hollywood stars just love to do some video game voice work for some extra bread. No-name actors love to do the same. And for less money! Take theater actress Jen Taylor, who voices Cortana in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. For the first game, she got about US $500 and twice that for the sequel. She adds,

But the technicians had gotten so good at what they were doing. That they got twice the amount of work done in half the time. So my actual pay was about the same.

US $500 to voice one of the most memorable characters in a smash hit video game? That seems rather low. Brian Ashcraft

Actors Make Extra Cash [Seattle PI via Cathode Tan]

By Florian Eckhardt.

That adorable, auburn-haired sprite with the exposed milky calves, hugging her violin? That's Hanah Stuart... teenage girl, classical violinist, and the pixy who casually pranced upon a high school auditorium stage and rocked the Halo 2 theme song so hard that Steve Vai started spitting up bloody chunks of lung.

A couple of weeks ago, I reported on this YouTube video of an unknown band, fronted by a blurry, undefined violinist. Everyone loved it. Marty O'Donnell, the audio director of Bungie himself, cooed in appreciation. But no one really knew who they were.

Well, wonder no longer. In this exclusive interview, Hanah sets the record straight on the origins of the Halo 2 performance, talks all about the band she's with, Corporeal, and the various gangly teenage geniuses behind it. She also totally smacks down Steve Vai and Yo Yo Ma.

By the end of the interview? I don't want to ruin it for you, but she agrees to go steady with me. Hit the jump for our passionate tale of love.

Florian: Okay, we're going to start. Are you ready?

Hanah: Eek. Okay!

Florian: I'm a little nervous. I'm a gamer. I'm not used to talking to girls. Alright, so why don't you start off by telling us who you are, besides a 20 pixel tall, beige-and-black colored blur in a popular YouTube video?

Hanah: My name is Hanah. I'm a freshman at The Juilliard School for violin performance. I've been playing since I was five. And this is my first AIM interview.

Florian: As such, it will be scathing, penetrating and utterly journalistic, to the highest standards of my Pulitzer winning field. Let's find out a bit more about you.

Because you have captured the gamer zeitgeist, many individuals have fallen madly in love with you, even though — as far as we can tell from the low resolution YouTube video — you might not even have a face. As you know, I myself wrote a particularly maudlin poem about how your performance of the Halo theme song made me feel. Can you give any of us poor suckers any leads on how to capture your heart? Second best thing would just be to tell us where your Amazon.com gift list is, so we can start buying you presents.

Hanah: Ha ha ha! Wow. I should go do that right now :-). Well honestly I'm pretty high maintenance. Not in a bad way (at least I know it!) but I like to spend a lot of money, Not necessarily on makeup or clothes but on food. I love food. Especially sushi and coffee. Not necessarily together, of course.

On a little more serious note (yeah, okay, that was cheesy... but I'm like that!) I obviously love music. I love all the arts. I'm really into theater and dance. I love going to shows and performances and concerts. Anything that can expand my artistry. I loved rocking out with Corporeal with the Halo theme. It was a great way to escape from the classical world.

But let's get back to buying me presents. I have no idea... no, wait! There's something I'd like. But I have no idea what it's technical name is. It's what Dave Ver Lee (guitarist of Corporeal) hooked me up to for the concert, it's a souped up "wawa" pedal. I'm such a... how do you say... "noob" in that area of rock.

Other than that, send me cash. I'm a musician!

Hanah's Self-Proclaimed 'Slutty' Picture, Andy Warhol Style. Like Ashcraft, Eliza and Florian, Hanah is a big Mac fan.

Florian: Okay, fellas. Write that down. Hanah loves cold fish, classical music, and money. A sensualist, in other words. But she also likes wa-wa pedals, which are god's gift to rock.

Hanah: Do they need an address?

Florian: You don't want to give them your address. Instead, give it to me. Unlike this undersexed rabble, I can be trusted not to perch naked in a tree outside your window. I will send on any presents.

Hanah: I was just kidding.

Florian: Me too. That's me outside your window right now. Let's talk about this performance. We've all seen it on YouTube. We all agree it rocks. But honestly, no one has any idea what's going on, except a bunch of high school students take the scene and knock the Halo theme song out of the park. Can you give
us a brief rundown on where it was held, when, and how it came about?

Hanah: Okay. I attended Libertyville High School, Illinois In May, there was a variety show at our school called "Collage". One day, Dave Ver Lee of Corporeal came up to me and said, "Hey, I need a violinist for an act. Are you interested?"

I immediately said yes, of course: I've known Dave since 5th grade. We went to the same church [editor's note: the Church of ROCK!] and high school. I know how awesome he is at guitar and percussion, so I knew if I said yes to anything that genius did, it would be awesome. So that's how I got into it.

Rehearsals were held in Dave's basement. First rehearsal was with just me Dave, and Dave (Bedell). Second rehearsal we added Rob Leu (bass) Third rehearsal was at the high school in the bad room and we added Pat, Artie, and Corey (percussionists). We did that a second time. Then we auditioned. Then we rehearsed for the dress, and then rehearsed again. And then we performed it. Hooray!

Florian: So Dave is the lead of Corporeal?

Hanah: Yes. Dave Ver Lee.

Florian: So you're not a member of Corporeal normally? What would Nelly say? You 'feated' with them?

Hanah: Beats me. I don't follow Nelly. So I'll have to take your word for it. But yeah. They were my window to playing rock, or at least some form of "rock". It was so much fun.

Florian: You've never heard of Nelly? That is another reason why we love you, Hanah. Her squealing voice sounds like a sow in mid -slaughter. But we're not interviewing you about Nelly Furtado and her hip-grinding music: we're talking about Halo 2 and your hip grinding music.

Hanah: Oh, THAT Nelly. Anyway, yeah. Halo 2.

Florian: So you are not a member of Corporal? Are they out of their minds? What sort of band turns down a cute violinist?

Hanah: Actually, I was officially added after Collage...

Florian: Damn right.

Hanah: ...Dave is writing parts for me on all of their songs now so they're re-recording everything. We're definitely recording our versions of Halo and Mario around Thanksgiving and hopefully... well, I don't know details yet but Thanksgiving we're working on some stuff that ought to be very fun and exciting.

Florian: Sanity prevails. So let's ask the big questions: had you ever played Halo before, or heard the music? Do you play games? Are you a gaming girl?

Hanah: Yes these are the big ones. Actually, I had not played Halo before our performance. But I had heard the soundtrack numerous times since my Dad actually plays it in our basement. But never fear, I started playing it this summer! Rob made me. And I am absolutely horrible at it.

But it is addicting. I can see why so many people get into it. But I'm horrible: I've never learnt how to use the joystick...thingy. I was looking at the sky while running around aimlessly and getting shot way too many times before I got the hang of it. But once I did it got fun. Just starting was kind of frustrating. Especially when you're playing with two addicted serious players.

[editor's note: Hear that? Her bandmates introduced her to Halo by using her for deathmatch target practice. Nice one, guys.]

I've also played Mario. But I have to say I don't really play video games. But I do like the music! But honestly, I just prefer watching people play. I'm better at that. Ha!

Corporeal Member Robb Leu rocks out Mjolnir in a paintball mask.

Florian: Yes, I can understand it. It's like how my girlfriend is better at driving when she's sitting in the backseat, incessantly nagging me about my technique. But it's okay not to be a gamer: you're obviously the daughter of one, and you did a powerful job interpreting Halo 2 for us.

Speaking of which, you guys performed the Mjolnir Mix of the Halo 2 Theme Song, which is different from the Halo version of the theme in that it has Steve Vai wanking off on the guitar. How do you think it made Steve feel when an 18 year old girl managed to outrock him? Do you think he started crying like one?

Hanah: Ha ha. I don't know. Hmmmm. I don't think I outrocked him. I evenly rocked him. We're all on the same playing field. He has a totally different quality to his sound than I do. I could learn from him, I'm sure. I don't think it's possible to be "the best" at something. People have their own personal qualities and it's fun to listen to someone, then incorporate that into your playing in your own personal way.

Anyway, Steve Vai should call me. We should get together and jam.

Florian: Look, this isn't the time for you to be asking Steve Vai out on a date. You're better than him. He was thoroughly outclassed, by a girl whom - by her own admission - has never played a lick of rock music in her life, and spends most of her time having rickety walking stick classical music professors instruct her upon the orthodoxy of her vibrato. Right now, he is sitting alone in his multi-million dollar mansion, filling his nine Grammies with tears as he watches your Halo 2 video over and over again.

Hanah: HA HA HA HA HA HA! Well, I wouldn't ask him out on a date. He's kind of... old. And gross. And he looks like he's done way too much pot.

Florian: OOOOOH! BURN! OH NO YOU DIDN'T!

Hanah: (long silence) I'm more into 20-something guys.

Florian (internal monologue): ... I'm a twenty-something guy! And I start puking when I smoke a magic jay bone. Do I have a chance? Dare I hope?

Florian (out loud): I already know the headline of this Kotaku interview. FEATURE: Hanah Stuart - "I Out-Haloed A Gross, Freaky Druggie."

Hanah: Ha ha ha! Oh gamers.... Now getting schooled by gamers as well as a violinist. Poor fellow.

Florian: Okay, I think we both agree that Steve Vai is disgusting. I find him musically repulsive; you find him sexually so. High five. We're in concurrment. So let me ask a follow up question.

If there's one thing that's clear now to gamers like Eliza and me (who speak for ALL gamers), it's that your group has made any other version of the Halo theme song completely irrelevant. Don't you think Bungie should fire Steve Vai and ask you guys to record Halo 3's theme song? The only correct answer to this question is "Yes, I jolly well do."

Hanah: Well. Okay. "Yes, I jolly well do!" Actually, that would be awesome. I wouldn't mind at all. A recording contract? Heck yes. Please sign me up. I mean, it was pretty awesome when Marty O'Donnell, the Audio Director of Bungie complimented us, I have to say. That's what a musician likes to hear.

And that I have fans... holy cow, when people appreciate what you do, and that they love what you're doing. That's just what it's all about.

Florian: Well, you were great. But you need to keep in mind the fact that gamers would applaud a man with a butt for a face if he managed to squirt out the works of Hip Tanaka on a kazoo. I say this only because we don't want fame to go to your head: that's what happened to Steve Vai, and look what happened to him.

Hanah: Oh, don't worry about that! There are plenty of people over here to keep me in check. But thank you for your concern. Hot headed musicians are no fun to deal with.

Florian: Nor hot headed gaming journalists.

Hanah: No kidding.

Florian: Whatever. Anyway, I think Steve Vai has probably hung himself from a doorknob by now, thus practically guaranteeing you his job. Who else are they gonna get? Yo Yo Ma?

Hanah: Actually, Yo Yo Ma was just here a couple of days ago. And they would let him in because he didn't have a Juilliard ID.

Florian: Wait a second here. Are you telling me that you have bested both Yo Yo Ma and Steve Vai? Steve Vai's a given, and granted Yo Yo Ma has been on a downward spiral ever since he did that duet with Condoleeza Rice. But still!

Hanah: No, no. I love his stuff - I actually heard his performance at Grant Park for the Silk Road Tour. Just awesome. What I'm saying is that he was at the school and they wouldn't let him in until another student vouched for him.

Florian: But he graduated from there. Class of Ving Rhames, right? And, I mean, Juilliard lets you in. And you play game music. Consequently, you are a greater musician than Yo Yo Ma.

Hanah: Fine. There's no arguing with you. Have it your way!

Florian: New Kotaku headline! FEATURE: Hanah Stuart: Yo Yo Is Ma Bitch!

Hanah: Oh my gosh... my poor classical reputation.

Florian: Juilliard to Hanah: You're FIRED!

Hanah: LOL!

Florian: What are you, Ashcraft? Anyway, here's your chance to redeem yourself. Can you tell us how the Halo theme makes you feel? How do you interpret it, emotionally? I realize that asking someone to actually qualify his or her emotional reaction to something as ephemerally moving as music is difficult, but I think many of us would like to hear you talk about it.

Hanah: It's a rush to perform. I'm on stage with lights and electric instruments and screaming people. It's a totally different kind of feeling then when you're playing Beethoven or Mozart.

Halo was just tons of fun for me. I could play with its intensity and energy. Halo is one of those pieces that if you're really into it, you can't mess it up no matter what you do. For me it wasn't about the notes, but energy. The excitement. The fun. You could improvise the movement and what exactly you wanted to bring out.

A lot of it was just following the line, building up to the climax, and then totally switching gears at the Mario part and then back to Halo. That was a little tricky. I was in four inch high heals for that performance... and I had to make sure I could press the different pedals within 1/2 a second so that the sound quality changed at the right point...

The difference between when I rehearse music and when I perform it is huge. I'm more of an analyst when I rehearse. But the performance? I just let out whatever I want. A lot of improvisation went on that night.

At the last minute we added some glow sticks to our instruments and a lot of choreography was improvised at the concert. Except the coming out at the end was planned which was so awesome. The whole thing was just a rush!

But those back bends... wow, I felt those in my thighs the next morning. Music like this...just...I don't know...takes you to another realm. I call it "performance high." It's like nothing else. You're all shaky afterwards and full of life and energy.

Florian: What was your favorite part to play? We're not plebs. Please reply in musical annotation. If AIM doesn't support that, words will be an inferior second.

Hanah: I really loved it when Dave and I were in unison and then we branch off into thirds. That was great. Also at the big head banging parts. Those were fun. I know, I know... that's really descriptive!

The whole thing was just fun. You can't compartmentalize it.

Another thing that really stands out to me is when we walked out and the confetti was flying everywhere. That moment when the streamers shot off and the audience went nuts. That was probably my favorite part, It was like: "Yes, I'm on stage. I'm totally rocking out. This is just awesome!"

Florian: That really must beat the polite, ascetic clep-clepping of those classical music snobs. It's not like they ever stand up in the concert hall, rip their panties off and start just hooting.

Hanah: That would not be a pretty sight, lemme tell you.

Florian: Yeah. Old Mrs. Rockefeller, patron of the symphony, probably couldn't keep her genitals above her buckling knees if she took 'em off. I think we can count our blessings.

Hanah: Absolutely.

Florian: Let me ask you some specifics about the concert. In the back, prancing mysteriously about, there are some teenage homuncular Blue Men. What's that about? Who are they? Do they serve any purpose besides aquamarine eye candy?

Hanah: Ha ha ha! They were Pat, Corey, and Artie (the percussionists) and they thought it'd be fun to be blue men and incorporate the Blue Men Group act that into our little shindig. It was just a fun thing we decided to do, along with spray painting my face with green and sparkles, along with Dave and Rob's hair.

I went to a movie afterwards with my friends....got the weirdest looks. I was still green at that point

Florian: It's not easy being green.

Kotaku Readers: YOU SUCK, FLORIAN!

Florian: SHUT THE HELL UP!

Hanah: Who are you talking to?

Florian: No one. Ignore them. Back to the Blue Men. A few minutes before the Mario interlude, the Blue Men wandered out and appeared to touch toilet plungers. What was that about?

Hanah: Um. What?

Florian: Did they just not have anything to do at that point?

Hanah: Do you mean the paintball guns?

Florian: Is that what they were?

Hanah: Ha ha ha ha! Yes. They had paintball guns during Mario and we had two boards on either side. They shot at them. It was cheesy, but they had to do something. Before, they were going to do a little dance... but that was just bad.

Florian: Blue Men Can't Dance.

Kotaku Readers: BLOW ME, FLORIAN!

Florian: ShuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupshuttupSHUTTUP! ASSHOLES!

Hanah: ...

Florian: ...

Hanah: ....

Florian: ... Wait a second. Your high school let you bring guns into the building?

Hanah: We had an awesome performing arts director. He let us bring them in. We explained what we were going to do.

Florian: Do you know who Jack Thompson is?

Hanah: Nope.

Florian: Oh. Okay. Well, to briefly explain, he's an idiot.

Hanah: OH! One of those.

Florian: Exactly. But he'd be very upset that a high school allowed you remorseless killers-in-training to bring loaded guns onto school premises while brainwashing the audience audiophonically with a video game tune.

Hanah: I... see.

Florian: We won't tell him.

Hanah: Let's not.

Florian: Okay, now I'm going to delve into some harsh criticism.

Hanah: Sweet.

Florian: Are you prepared?

Hanah: Always.

Florian: Most of us interpreted the discordant Mario interlude as an appeal to the proles. It was like a sexy female Paganini suddenly stopping La Campanella to toss off the Looney Tunes theme song on her Cannone Guarnerius. Predictably, it seems like you got your greatest applause when you did the Mario tune. What's wrong with those people? This wasn't performed at a vocational school, was it?

Hanah: HA HA HA HA HA HA! Man, I love La Campanella. It's ridiculously hard.

Ummmm... jeez. Ha ha! That's the perfect analogy.

Alright, look, we're at a public high school and the audience obviously didn't have many Halo players. We can see why people online weren't to thrilled about it. But people like what they know and they obviously knew Mario.

When we record in Thanksgiving (we had some fans and we had some people that didn't like it so we're doing it a couple ways) we'll have the version that we did onstage and we'll have a version that's just simply Mario and then simply Halo. To appease all.

Florian: But overall, people seemed to love it.

Hanah: Yeah, they did.

Florian: You know, when I was in high school, I actually entered the talent show. All through rehearsals, I dramatically recited The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, only to change my act on show day to an obscenity-laced, hip-hop style roll call of all the teachers who had ever shown me disrespect (all of them, as it happened).

The entire audience of gangly teenagers actually rose as one to start chanting my name in unison; never the less, the winner that year was a kid from the football team who walked on stage and did a 'Pumping Iron' style muscle man show. The school was torn apart by riots for the next three days.

Hanah: Okay.

Florian: ?

Hanah: ...

Florian: ????!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hanah: ?

Florian: ... Okay. My question is: did you guys win your show? If not, were there riots? There damn well should have been.

Hanah: Actually it wasn't really a contest. We closed the show though. So we were the 'finale' act I guess implying that we were the best of the night. Or at least the most interesting of the night.

Florian: You know how sometimes, you're at a concert or a play or a ballet, and some dreamy, somewhat hazy vision under the spotlights captures your heart, and all you want to do is get to know them? Did you get any dates out of your Halo performance?

Hanah: Ha ha! No. I get some people that are "requesting friends" on Facebook, but I have no idea who these people are. Other than that, most of the guys who message me are like, "Please don't think I'm a creep, I just loved the Halo 2 performance."

Florian: You're better off. One of our writers at Kotaku is a girl. She's grotesquely disfigured, but she shares the same name as a dollsome Seattle model. Consequently, she gets skeevy love letters every week, that are distributed to hilarious effect amongst her fellow Kotaku writers. One reader messaged her the other day. His AIM pic was a picture of a stick figure holding a screw, under which was the caption "Wanna screw?

Hanah: Yes, I'm better off.

Florian: However, an alternative presents itself. Since I know you like sushi, and I know you like twenty something guys, I want to give you adequate forewarning that I may one day send you a dead fish through international post and ask you on a date, because you've captured my heart... all 20 pixels of you. I've never asked out a girl before, because I'm a gamer, but my understanding is that this will mean we're going steady. So your Halo performance won't be a complete loss, romantically.

Hanah: Oh, awesome! And I'm single! So you're in luck!

Florian: Me too! You know how I mentioned a girlfriend earlier?

Hanah: Yes.

Florian: That was just a lie to get you jealous. And I can see you fell into my trap.

Hanah: You had me at Canone Guarerius.

Florian: If we agree we're now engaged to go steady, we can finish up this interview.

Hanah: Only if you fly me out to Ireland! I've always wanted to go there.

Florian: Because I write for a games blog, I'm a millionaire. Naturally, I'll fly you out. But our readers aren't interested in our mutual passion, no matter how lustful and throbbing.

So tell me, Hanah. You've started off a promising musical career by making Steve Vai look foolish and hopefully getting him fired. You've captured the heart of millions of gamers and helped me get paid for creepily flirting with you. You've also dissed and dismissed Yo Yo Ma. What's next?

Hanah: I'm trying to figure that out here. I want to do a couple of international competitions in the next few years, My dream would be to travel internationally with a quartet. I'd also love to get into the movie recording business. I think that would be tons of fun. Who knows? Maybe teach, maybe get into an orchestra, maybe rock out. The sky's the limit!

Florian: Okay. Anyone you want to suck up to?

Hanah: Much much much thanks and love to Dave Verlee who arranged everything. You're my hero.

Thanks and love to the rest of my Halo boys, ROB (you have perfect pitch in my book :P), Dave Bedell (ridiculously amazing drummer with the best smile), Artie, Corey, and Pat (Oh, you blue men!)

Extreme thanks and gratitude to bungie.com (especially Marty for his support and recognition, and the fact that he composed the music so it was possible for us to do this).

Thanks to the support from Kotaku, Digg, and Youtube, and everywhere else.

My parents for always encouraging me to follow my dreams. To my best friend Sean who couldn't watch the whole thing because he couldn't see me as a rocker and thought it was all just awesomely hilarious. But he's always been there for me!

I also want to thank all my buddies back home and all my friends here at Juilliard, as well as my new teacher Mr. Smirnoff who thought it was just awesome that I was part of a rock band.

And last but not least, thanks to all my fans out there! Yay!

Oh... and to Florian, who conducted this interview and has totally made my day.

Florian: Damn right. Final question: has any classical strings player ever performed in high heels and a bikini?

Hanah: No. And I don't think they'll be starting any time soon.

Florian: Maybe that's another way you can stick it to Yo Yo Ma!

Thanks again to Hanah for the interview! Go check out Corporeal's web site and give 'em your support.

Laurel and Hardy, Lucy and Desi, but Monty Python and Halo? You bet. A marriage made in humor heaven. Brian Ashcraft

Thanks, Ryan!

If we're picking (and we are), I'll take Halo over Halo 2 any ol' day of the week and twice on Sunday. And good news for me, Halo 3 is taking its "feel" from the first game in the series. Bungie's Frankie brings word on what the eagerly sequel is like:

There's lots of the feel of the original Halo, where you'll find yourself in a huge (dangerous) and intrinsically fascinating environment and just want to go tool around and check things out... At this stage in development, the encounters are very carefully placed. Sometimes that means you're in frantic firefights (on a significantly bigger scale than in Halo 2, although all I will confirm numerically is at least one more Grunt.) but there's also time for exploratory reflection and the, "Oooh, maybe I can climb up there and check that thing out," sort of play.

Don't get me wrong. It's not GTA - it's still Halo, but there's a bigger feeling scope to some of these levels that has me reminiscing about the original game.

Oh goody goody gumdrop! Cannot wait. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [1Up]

For duffers, there's the golf pro. Tennis players, of course, have the tennis pro. But gamers? Tom "Tsquared" Taylor has you covered. The 18 year-old Major League Gamer created Gaming-Lessons, a site that offers lessons in Halo 2 and Super Smash Bros. Melee pwnage. Tsquared claims that over 1,000 lessons have been given so far, which range from 15 minute to hour long one-on-one tutorials. Game blog GameSetWatch interviewed Tsquared, who had this to say:

Lessons for a video game are just like any other lesson. If you want to improve in something where lessons are offered, for example, golfing, surfing, or snowboarding, then you would jump on the chance to do so. The only difference is we have the best instructors and professional gamers in the world brought into 1 website.

There are currently ten instructors, though most of the Halo 2 teachers are already "sold out." It is possible to schedule lessons with 8 year-old Victor "LiL Poison" De Leon III for US $15 a half hour. Which means, LiL Poison isn't only better than most people at Halo, but he also makes more. Though, perhaps a lessons-for-math-homework arrangement could be worked out. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [GameSetWatch]

Round of applause, round of applause. Gamer Cody Miller's 3 and 1/2 hours Halo 2 speedrun on Legendary with no deaths made it into the 2007 Guinness Book. Says KPaul from Halo's Bungie Studios:

I bet that about 40 of you will say, "ZOMG I TOTALLY DID THAT TWO YEARS AGO IN HALF THE TIME." But you're lying. I know it, you know it and your mom knows it good and hard. So just don't.

When I was a kid, people had to do things like grow their fingernails really long, eat a lot of blueberry pies or be a genetic freak to get into the Guinness Book of World Records. Good to see they're accepting hardcore gamer nerds. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Slashing Games]

Think beer, evolved. Brewed by Oregon's Widmer Brothers Brewing, this "Broken Halo" India Pale Ale isn't some viral Bungie campaign for Halo 3, but a happy coincidence. The green label was a complete kawinky-dink as well—at least, we think so. Though the brewer's website claims, "The finish is juicy, clean, and short lived." Kinda like me playing Halo 2 on Xbox Live. Brian Ashcraft

Drink Here [Widmer] via Video Games Blogger

Classy. Can you sense the students squirming restlessly in their seats during this orchestra's opening for the score to Halo and Halo 2? Too bad this is lost on them, I quite liked it. Brian Crecente

[Thanks Faith Naked]