Pick through the list to decide which games to give and get and leave a comment to point out any you would add that we didn't review.

And don't forget, this is more reference material than it is suggestion. Just because it's on the list doesn't mean we're saying you should get it.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person hip-hop shooter
Subject Matter: 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand tells the unintentionally(?) amusing tale of rapper 50 Cent as he struggles to reclaim his diamond encrusted skull from a Middle Eastern bad guy. He's assisted by his G Unit hangers on and some laughably outlandish moments.
Value: An adequately long adventure, made seemingly longer by endlessly looping 50 Cent songs. There are much better games to give this holiday season.
Buy it for: someone as a gag. Or a die hard 50 Cent fan fresh from a six month coma.
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Axel & Pixel
Price: 800 Microsoft Points ($10)
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Adventure
Subject Matter: A point and click adventure game about a man and his dog escaping a dream world with small doses of action.
Value: Axel & Pixel is a good couple of hours worth of relaxing adventure gaming, with a few action / racing segments tossed in to keep things interesting. It's very simply, extremely easy, and once you are done there isn't much reason to go back through it.
Buy it for: Adventure game fans and older parents, to show them that consoles have something for them too.
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Assassin's Creed II

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Free-running platforming adventure game
Subject Matter: Assassinations and conspiracy spent mostly in 15th century Renaissance Italy.
Value: Lots more content than the first game had, probably lasting gamers at least double the time they spent with the first Assassin's Creed.
Buy it for: People who were let down by the first game, people who like history, beautiful scenery, dynamic platforming, solving mysteries and games that might be the Game of the Year.
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Batman: Arkham Asylum
Price:$59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Action/Adventure
Subject Matter: Join one of comic books' most iconic heroes on an adventure in Gotham City's insane asylum, where The Joker is on the loose.
Value: With character ability customization, bonus challenge maps and tons of riddles courtesy of The Riddler, Arkham Asylum offers at least three playthroughs' worth of fun.
Buy it for: Batman fans and anybody jonesing for a Mark Hamill voice over fix.
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The Beatles: Rock Band
Price: The stand-alone game sells for $59.99, the Limited Edition Premium Bundle sell for $249.99, the Rickenbacker 325 Standalone Guitar and the Gretsch Duo Jet Standalone Guitar sells for $99.99.
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm music game
Subject Matter: The Beatles: Rock Band is a musical journey through the history of one of the world's most popular bands.
Value: For those new to the Rock Band phenomenon and fans of The Beatles, this 45-track game is well worth a purchase because this is the only way you'll play The Beatles music in a Rock Band game. If you're not into the band, give this a pass.
Buy it for: huge Beatles fans.
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Borderlands

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter RPG
Subject Matter: Borderlands targets the loot-hungry region of the brain, offering four classes with which to stalk the planet Pandora, shoot things and level up, acquiring cool guns, sweet armor and totally rad superpowers. As role-playing games go, it's shallow, but offers a constant stream of junk food gaming.
Value: Seeing all that Borderlands has to offer could take hundreds of hours. But the real value comes in the form of being able to play with friends on Xbox Live or via splitscreen.
Buy it for: the loot glutton with an itchy trigger finger and a history of playing Diablo.
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Brutal Legend
Price: $59.99 Rating: Mature
Genre: Action Adventure
Subject Matter: Brutal Legend is a heavy metal-themed action game that combines racing, shooting, real-time strategy, and hack and slash into one slightly disjointed mix.
Value: Brutal Legend is a game from Tim Schafer, one of gaming's greatest comedy minds, and the absurd humor carries the game a long way. It's the story of a roadie who gets transported to a heavy metal world where he must raise an army to free the oppressed inhabitants. There's plenty to do, though the odd mix of genres might be too much for some players.
Buy it for: Anyone with a strong affection for heavy metal music or sa twisted sense of humor.
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Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Price: $59.99 to $149.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person military shooter
Subject Matter: Lead a team of elite commandoes in Modern Warfare 2 as they try to prevent a Russian invasion and global thermonuclear war. Then take the action online, going head to head against other well-armed gamers. It's loud, violent and a hell of a lot of fun to play.
Value: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's single-player storyline may be short, but the package more than makes up for it with ample cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. Near endless replayability will be stoked with future downloadable content.
Buy it for: the Michael Bay action movie fan who likes his shooters bombastic and nearly devoid of a comprehensible story, one who doesn't shy away from ultra-violent fare.
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Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a Civil War era first-person shooter.
Value: With an engaging story, wide open maps and plenty of mulitplayer options, this game will take up quite a bit of your time.
Buy it for: First-person shooter enthusiasts, fans of the Wild West and Civil War buffs.
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DJ Hero
Price: $119.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Rhythm
Subject Matter: DJ Hero is a rhythm game featuring a replica DJ turntable so players can mix and scratch to the beat of original music mash-ups.
Value: DJ Hero features upwards fo 100 different DJ-driven mash-ups featuring songs from the 70's on up to present-day hits. Unlike the latest Guitar Hero or Rock Band games, however, it's only good for one or two players, so the party element just isn't there. The innovative turntable-based gameplay makes it a breath of fresh air in the currently band-centric music genre, but it certainly isn't as social.
Buy it for: Fans of eclectic music mixes and lonely Guitar Hero fans.
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Dragon Age: Origins
Price: $49.99
Rating:Mature
Genre: Roleplaying
Subject Matter: An epic action roleplaying game set in a world besieged by evil inside and out.
Value: Dragon Age: Origins packs more than 100 hours of gameplay into this action RPG, with branching story paths that encourage multiple play throughs in order to experience it all. BioWare designed the game so it can be played by RPG gamers of any skill level, but mature content and strong sexual situations mean you might want to keep it in the high teens.
Buy it for: Anyone who has ever conversationally mentioned hit points.
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Fairytale Fights

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A quartet of cutesy fairytale characters set out to regain their fame by beating the beejesus out of other cutesy things.
Value: With two-player cooperative play and a four player battle royal mode, you can really let out you violent side in buckets of cartoony blood.
Buy it for: People who need a healthy way to blow off steam after a bad day at work. Just don't be standing next to them if the game happens to crash and they need an immediate alternative.
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Fallout 3: Broken Steel

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 expansion involving missions with a high-powered fighting force.
Value: High because it extends the level cap to Fallout 3, changes the game's ending and allows the adventure to be played infinitely once the story has "ended"
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans who want to play more; essential for anyone getting any Fallout 3 downloadable content
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Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta

Price: $10.00 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Still a post-apocalyptic RPG
Subject Matter: It's Fallout 3 in space!
Value: Mothership Zeta gives the Fallout 3 player an entire spaceship to explore and make their own, some futuristic new weapons, and tacks a good five hours onto the regular campaign, making it a relatively fair value for your money.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
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Fallout 3: Point Lookout

Price: $10 (Requires a copy of Fallout 3)
Rating: M
Genre: Post-apocalyptic role-playing game
Subject Matter: Fallout 3 in microcosm, set on a spooky island.
Value: Tons of content, and widely seen as the Fallout 3 downloadable content that best shares the strengths of the base game.
Buy it for: Fallout 3 fans.
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FIFA Soccer 2010

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Round-Ball Football
Subject Matter: The best football game on the market.
Value: Almost endless. There are so many leagues and cups, and such a deep singleplayer experience, that it can be played to death until FIFA 11 is released. And that's before we even get to the 10v10 multiplayer…
Buy it for: Anyone who has even a passing interest in the world game.
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Fight Night Round 4

Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Boxing
Subject Matter: Boxing
Value: Tons of fighters, good online options and no real competition.
Buy it for: Boxing fans or people looking for a fighting-based game that has longer-lasting fights.
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Forza Motorsport 3

Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Driving simulation
Subject Matter: Forza Motorsport 3 takes the driving simulation in a new direction, making it easier than ever to get into a car, upgrade it, tune it and take if for a spin. For more advance driving game fans, there's plenty of hardcore driving simulation to enjoy as well.
Value: Hundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, thousands of upgrade possibilities and an increasing amount of user-generated content available via the game's storefront, all purchased with in-game credits, not real money, make Forza Motorsport 3 a great driving value.
Buy it for: the Xbox 360 owner who likes to go fast.
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Gears of War 2: Dark Corners

Price: 1200 Microsoft Points (about $15)
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person tactical shooter
Subject Matter: This downloadable add-on for Gears of War 2 lets players run through The Road to Ruin, a campaign level original cut from the game.
Value: With a new single-player level, seven new multiplayer maps and director's commentary, you can't go wrong for $15.
Buy it for: Owners and fans of the original Gears of War 2.
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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Price: $49.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action
Subject Matter: A arcade-style shooter loosely based on the live-action G.I. Joe movie.
Value: G.I. Joe is a movie tie-in strangely reminiscent of Konami's Contra series. One or two players take control of their favorite Joes from the movie and take on Cobra across multiple levels of run-and-gun action. There are a few unlockables catering to fans of the old cartoon series, but other than that this is strictly a movie-lover's affair.
Buy it for: Really, really big fans of the G.I. Joe live-action movie.
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Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Price: $20 if downloaded through Xbox Live Arcade (requires a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV) or $39.95 if purchased as one half of the Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes From Liberty City disc (GTA IV not required; Episodes disc also includes the similarly-sized first GTA IV expansion, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned.)
Rating: M
Genre: Open world, third-person shooter.
Subject Matter: Over-the-top modern crime drama set in a fictional New York City.
Value: Offers more content per dollar than just about anything else downloadable on the Xbox 360, a 13-hour-plus campaign, numerous side activities and returning multiplayer challenges similar to what was offered with GTA IV.
Buy it for: People who thought GTA IV was too tame and wished their lead character would be asked to parachute off skyscrapers, steal subway cars (with a helicopter), dance in a nightclub and cross paths with the last two protagonists in the GTA IV saga.
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Guitar Hero 5

Price: $59.99 for the game, $99.99 with a guitar controller included
Rating: Teen
Genre: Music/Rythym
Subject Matter: It's Guitar Hero. You play a quintet of color-coordinated "notes" as they scroll downscreen to a new selection of music.
Value: Guitar Hero 5 offers a great suite of single and multiplayer modes, the most robust options yet for the series. What it doesn't offer is the series' most attractive soundtrack, despite an 85 song strong line up. Good for the new Guitar Hero gamer, but that money may be better spent on downloadable songs.
Buy it for: for Guitar Hero noobs who have extremely eclectic taste in music.
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Halo 3: ODST

Price: $59.99
Rating: M
Genre: First-person shooter
Subject Matter: Daytime sci-fi military action interspersed with noir-inspired nighttime sleuthing.
Value: Varies depending on one's Halo experience. A seven-hour campaign and the offline Firefight mode can be played with up to four players and is all-new, but only three of the game's 24 multiplayer maps haven't been sold — and possibly purchased by the prospective ODST consumer — before.
Buy it for: Halo fans who either never bought Halo 3's bonus maps or wouldn't spend $60 of their own for ODST because they did.
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The King of Fighters XII

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: SNK Playmore's latest entry in its King of Fighter series is a return to its roots with 2D fighting and hand-drawn graphics.
Value: The game feels largely unfinished — though, the parts which are done should please the hardcore fans.
Buy it for: Die-hard SNK fighting game fans.
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Left 4 Dead 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-person horror shooter
Subject Matter: Four Survivors fight their way through a gory zombie apocalypse in the Southeastern United States, decapitating, dismembering and generally destroying every walking dead human in their path. Cooperative multiplayer is at the core of the Left 4 Dead 2 experience.
Value: Left 4 Dead 2 is a multiplayer game with a massive amount of replayability, but requires cooperative gameplay and reliable friends to fully enjoy. There's very little here for the lone, single-player gamer, so make sure that Live subscription is all paid up.
Buy it for: the grown-up Xbox Live Gold subscriber who believes there's no "I" in team and may be disappointed with the body count in Modern Warfare 2 and Halo 3 ODST.
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Lucidity

Price: 800 Points
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Platform/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Little girl Sofi wanders through her dreams, looking for her lost Nana.
Value: While the puzzle gameplay element is average, the art style is superb.
Buy it for: Tim Burton fans.
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Mad Catz Modern Warfare 2 Throat Communicator

Price: $29.99
Rating: NA
Genre: NA
Subject Matter: This throat communicator is meant to replace the need for a standard Xbox 360 microphone.
Value: The throat communicator does a great job of cutting down on room noise for your friends and feels pretty comfortable. If those things are important to you, you should pick this up.
Buy it for: Modern Warfare 2 enthusiasts, online gamers and friends who play in noisy settings.
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Madden NFL 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The only video game licensed by the NFL, covering the current season.
Value: For the first time on the current console generation, Madden earns its must-own status among sports gamers. The fine-tuned action is slightly slower, creating greater big play potential on both sides of the ball.
Buy it for: Any sports gamer who doesn't yet have it. Madden is a no-brainer gift that any sports fan will enjoy.
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Marvel VS. Capcom 2

Price: $15.00
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighting
Subject Matter: Marvel characters. Capcom characters. Fighting.
Value: Marvel vs. Capcom 2 contains one of the largest roster in fighting game history, with 56 Marvel and Capcom characters to choose from. The sheer amount of variety plus online multiplayer makes this one downloadable title well worth the price.
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Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2

Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Action RPG
Subject Matter: Tons of Marvel heroes take on tons of Marvel villains
Value: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 may not quite live up to the thrill of the original, but it is a more cohesive package overall, with a storyline ripped from Marvel's Civil War storyline and a good dozen hours of heroic fun for 1-4 players.
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Mass Effect: Pinnacle Station

Price: $5 (requires a copy of Mass Effect)
Rating: M
Genre: Bonus missions for third-person shooter/role-playing game
Subject Matter: Mass Effect gets a battle simulator to allow goal-based shooting challenges.
Value: High for those looking for something new in the original Mass Effect while awaiting the January sequel; low for people looking for what made the first game popular.
Buy it for: Mass Effect completists, though you'll only be able to buy them download points for this game or give them a small check.
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Mini Ninjas

Price: $49.99
Rating: E
Genre: Juvenile Bush Disguise/Phantom Removal
Subject Matter: Play as one of a band of adorable child ninjas on a quest to kill a bad guy and free the adorable little forest animals.
Value: A somewhat short singleplayer game, but the ability to play as one of several ninjas means there's plenty of replay value.
Buy it for: Anyone. Everyone. Kids will love the straight-forward combat, adults will find there's a great stealth and combat system lurking under the hood.
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Modern Warfare 2 Combat Controller Camo

Price: $49.99
Rating: N/A
Genre: N/A
Subject Matter: This wired controller features programmable buttons, better triggers and a Modern Warfare 2 theme.
Value: It's a bit pricey, but if you're a big fan of the game and like the idea of programmable buttons, it's probably worth the $50.
Buy it for: Fans of Modern Warfare 2.
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NBA 2K10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA 2K10 celebrates the 10th anniversary of 2K Sports' best-in-class basketball simulation.
Value: NBA 2K10 offers a much more varied set of gameplay modes, both single- and multiplayer, than its challenger NBA Live 10. Its season simulation lacks the aspect of playing in this year's league but is deeper in all other regards. My Player, in which you create and control one player on his journey from prospect to all-star, is tough but a rewarding experience.
Buy it for: Serious basketball fans with some exposure to the sport in real life, either as a player or a devoted fan.
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NBA Live 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NBA Live 10 is EA Sports' current title covering pro basketball's upcoming season.
Value: EA Sports has poured a ton of effort into resurrecting the franchise. New controls enabling you to move players off the ball on offense and defense are easy to learn and a real plus. Dynamic DNA allows you to run your season simulation as if it were taking place among current league events in real life.
Buy it for: Basketball fans who prefer singleplayer sports gaming, want a very accurate league simulation, and an easy-to-comprehend control set.
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NCAA Football 10
Price: $59.99
Rating: Everyone
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: The tradition and pageantry of college football's 115 teams, plus any schools you might choose to create.
Value: NCAA Football 10 is the deepest simulation of a sport, on and off the field, of any currently available sports title.
Buy it for: Any sports nut with a serious helping of school pride or leftover nostalgia for college days gone by.
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NHL 2K10
Price: $39.99
Rating: Everyone 10+
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: NHL 2K10 is 2K Sports' current title covering professional hockey's latest season.
Value: NHL 2K10 is still a runner-up to EA's NHL 10, but it is not without merit. It features the same robust multiplayer package as its NBA cousin. The action's a little arcadey, but it also is the only NHL title with the league's popular outdoor classic venues.
Buy it for: A casual-to-moderate hockey fan who enjoys lots of scoring action.
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Pro Evolution Soccer 2010

Price: $59.99
Rating: E
Genre: Sports
Subject Matter: Football title encompassing international and club tournaments, manager modes and online play.
Value: Pro Evo's "Master League", a time-devouring game mode incorporating RPG and strategy elements, is the one area fans remain devoted to this series ahead of its rival, EA Sports' FIFA.
Buy it for: Football fans who like to not only play a good game, but also roll up their sleeves and get lost in a sea of statistics and growth charts.
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Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Realistic military first-person shooter
Subject Matter: Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising is a relatively open-world tactical shooter that has players trying to take the fictional island of Skira from China.
Value: Plagued with problems this shooter doesn't deliver much for the premium price you pay.
Buy it for: hardcore fans of realistic shooters that offer no chance for mistakes or do-overs.
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Resident Evil 5

Price: $39.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Survival Horror meets third-person shooter
Subject Matter: The latest iteration in the famed survival horror game ditches a bit of the slow pacing and fear for a bit more of an action feel.
Value: A worthy addition to anyone's library, but perhaps not the sort of game you'll keep around after it's completed.
Buy it for: fans of Resident Evil and those interested in the premise of the franchise but not in the steady pacing of the gameplay.
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South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!

Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Rating: Mature
Genre: Tower Defense
Subject Matter: South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! has the South Park kids big towers to fend off enemies that range from gnomes to old people in an 11 mission campaign.
Buy it for: Fans of South Park, fans of tower defense games, and fans of both.
Value: The game features unlockable characters and challenging maps (especially the later levels), co-op and online. There are also unlockable clips from the show.
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Street Fighter IV

Price: $29.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: The next iteration in the storied and fabulous fighter brings with it a dynamic new look and a death grip on classic mechanics.
Value: Packed with playable characters both old and new and a mechanic that is timeless, the online play and in-room versus mode make this a great deal..
Buy it for: fighting fans, Street Fighter fans.
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Tekken 6
Price: $59.99
Rating: Teen
Genre: Fighter
Subject Matter: Once you've mastered the moves of your favorite character, Tekken 6's 3D fights are all about timing and tactics.
Value: With 40 playable characters and a seemingly endless single-player campaign, Tekken 6 is a good deal for fans of the franchise willing to put up with some online issues.
Buy it for: fighting fans, Tekken fans, and maybe as a taste of something different for Street Fighter IV fans.
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Trials HD

Price: 1200 Points
Rating: Teen
Genre: Racing/Puzzle
Subject Matter: Trials HD is a twist on motorbike racing: Players must navigate trick courses and tricky in-game physics as fast as they can.
Value: The game features over 50 tracks and seemingly simple, yet deep game play — offering replay value as your skills continue to get better and better. A level editor lets players make their own courses. It's the Excite Bike of the 21st Century.
Buy it for: Those who want more from their racing games than speed.
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WET
Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: Third-person acrobatic shooter.
Subject Matter: Rubi Malone is a leather-pants wearing, wall-running, pole-spinning death machine. She can shoot two shotguns while flipping through the air, slide under tables to hamstring and gut with her sword, and regains health by swigging liquor.
Value: The single-player only game has a sizable campaign, fantastic music and troubled controls and camera work. It's sort of a mixed bag.
Buy it for: fans of Kill Bill and fast-paced action noire games.
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Wolfenstein

Price: $59.99
Rating: Mature
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Subject Matter: World War II First-Person Shooter with Occult Tendencies
Value: While Wolfenstein is an excellent first-person shooter from a technical standpoint, the story is a bit far-fetched and the multiplayer is disappointing, especially in the face of games like Modern Warfare 2.
Buy it for: First-person shooter fans looking for a little something different.
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WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010
Price: $59.99
Rating: T
Genre: Pro wrestling
Subject Matter: WWE wrestling, with deep customization options allowing players to create and share their own characters, moves and — the big new addition — storylines.
Value: High value for those who will take advantage of the online play and content creation/sharing.
Buy it for: WWE fans, even those who don't like current WWE programming, since those disgruntled fans can create the WWE of their own liking using the game's deep editors.
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These aren't the kind of things you'd get as a pre-order gift thrown in a cheap plastic frame. No, these are the kind of things that are limited to 100 of each, and will cost you $175.

There are three different prints, and each measures 13x19 inches.

And, all things considered, they're not bad. Since launching on September 22, ODST has sold just over three million units, having sold 1.5 of those in its first month on sale.

Sure, that's nowhere near Halo 3 levels, but then, ODST had nowhere neat Halo 3's levels of content or marketing.

Halo 3:ODST Continues Its Sales Dominance [IGN]

MotorcyleNews.com has concept shots of the X-Lite X-802 helmet fashioned in the Halo 3 ODST style, set to be worn in real life by rider Jorge Lorenzo this weekend. No word on whether X-Lite will release something like for the motorcycle riding, helmet wearing masses, but if they do, we'll let you know.

Exclusive: Jorge Lorenzo to wear Halo 3 ODST helmet at Valencia [MCN - thanks, Jorge!]

Developed by Microsoft's Halo group, 343 Industries, in conjunction with game development studio Certain Affinity, Waypoint launches in November. It is intended to be a must-visit digital location nestled into the Xbox 360 dashboard.

Waypoint will allow Halo fans to watch Halo videos, track their quest for new Halo gameplay awards, brush up on Halo lore and learn about great Halo players. It will also likely be something that they can someday play.

The gameplay aspects that Waypoint creative director Jason Pace hinted at to Kotaku won't be apparent at launch on November 5. Ideas for it are still in development.

"I think it's safest to say that it would be a game-enhancing experience," Pace said. "It will be a much more deeply interactive one."

Responding to suggestions from Kotaku that Waypoint's gameplay could involve anything from a Halo character running through the Waypoint hub to an interactive Halo timeline filled with secrets, a la the PlayStation 3's Metal Gear Solid Database, Pace said, "My answer to that is that both options are fully on the table."

While Waypoint may become some sort of game down the line, what it will be on November 5 is a nexus of Halo content that, in Pace's words, "aggregates your experience across the Halo franchise."

Waypoint will retroactively pull the Xbox Achievements accomplishments from players' Halo 3, Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST save files. It will apply those Achievements toward Halo Waypoint Awards. An example of an Award is a Vehicle Specialist, which will be offered in several tiers. The lowest tire might require a player to have just a few of the vehicle-based Achievements in any of the Xbox 360 Halo games. But to reach the second tier of that award, a player would probably need to have and excel at more than one.

Another sample of an award would be a career-completion tracker than levels up as players finish each Xbox 360 Halo game. Halo games that don't support Achievements — the first Halo and Halo 2 — will not be tracked.

The development team is pondering awards that would require group efforts, but none is planned for Waypoint's initial release.

At launch, pride will be the only reward for achieving the awards in Halo Waypoint's first iteration. But that seems likely to change. "Moving forward, absolutely we feel it is important to pin that achievement to something tangible," Pace said. By "tangible," he said he was referring to anything from additional game content to Avatar add-ons.

The roll-out plan for Waypoint at launch involves an offering new content, seven days a week. Mondays are spotlights on people who play or make Halo games. Tuesday focus on non-video-game Halo projects. Wednesday's are days to showcase Halo gamers' best screenshots and saved films. Thursdays' highlight machinima. Fridays are strategy days. Saturdays are premiere days for portions of the Halo Legends anime series. Sundays are days for delving into Halo lore.

All of this content and the award-tracking is intended to feel like it's being presented as taking place within the Halo universe. Pace said he doesn't want to mess with the established fiction and go so far as having, say, Cortana doling out Achievements to players, but the team's intention is that "the information being presented to you on the screen is coming from a UNSC source."

The launch of Halo Waypoint is not a shutdown of Bungie.net, the longtime hub for Halo info and deep stat-tracking administered by the now-independent inventors of Halo at Bungie Studios. That site will continue, and Pace said that Waypoint won't be trying to duplicate what Bungie's site does best. "They do stats so well it would be silly for us to re-invent that wheel," he said. "There is such a wealth of information there I wouldn't imagine we would look at changing that for Halo 3."

As Bungie moves beyond making Halo games — it's last announced one is next year's Halo Reach — and Microsoft continues to make them, it makes sense that a Microsoft-backed Halo nexus would be built. The teams involved in Bungie.net and Halo Waypoint will coordinate with each other to ensure the ideal content is available at both virtual locations, Pace said.

Waypoint will launch for all Xbox Live users for free on November 5, before switching to premium Xbox Live Gold-only access later in the month. As to whether there could be a mobile version for a Zune or iPod, Pace said he couldn't comment other than to say "mobile is very important to us."

Pace said Halo fans can expect the Waypoint team to "continue to push new features and content all the time."

The Halo franchise has sold more than 25 million copies combined so far, with Halo 3: ODST, the recently released standalone game, making up a good 10% of that in just 2 weeks on store shelves. Along with next year's prequel Halo: Reach, Bungie and Microsoft have a whole lot of Halo going on. There's a new comic book series, Blood Line, kicking off in December, the Halo Legends anime, the Halo: Evolution anthology novel, and the trilogy from acclaimed science fiction author Greg Bear, due out next year. And you know Todd McFarlane isn't going to stop milking the franchise anytime soon.

But with all of this Halo merchandising, there's still something missing. Where's Master Chief? Microsoft's Frank O'Connor says that everyone's favorite Spartan can't possibly be gone for long.

As for Master Chief, odds are he will be seen again. "I think that (his) fate, Cortana's fate and the identity of that giant, dark planet at the ending (on the game's hardest skill level) - that's a spoiler - are probably big mysteries that would be irritating if they were just cliffhangers," O'Connor says. "We do have a plan that goes out at least six years," he says. "Eventually, it will become very apparent that there is a plan for the way the canon all ties together and the way the comic books and the novels all tie together."

See? They have a plan, and once it comes to fruition, the world will tremble at their feet...or at least be really happy to see MC and Cortana again.

Video game 'Halo' spins off books, action figures and more [USA Today]

1. Sony's PSPgo has been the subject of much criticism prior to its release. Which criticism do you feel is most valid?

Its price is too expensive: 35 percent (2,748 total responses)
The inability to play UMD games already purchased is disappointing: 35 percent (2,729)
The device is largely redundant to the existing PSP: 23 percent (1,761)
None of these; the device is fine, it's not a replacement for the existing PSP: 7 percent (580)
7,818 total responses

Equal numbers complain of the price and the lack of UMD. Both are heavy barriers to the Go's adoption, but we didn't ask "Why are you not buying the device," just what the most valid criticism was. This means, theoretically, that for some the lack of UMD does not matter as much as the price, and vice versa. But taken together, if the Kotaku readership is any indication of the core gaming crowd, the PSPgo has two hard strikes against it.

2. Based on what you've seen and read, which motion control system do you feel will be best integrated with its console's offerings?

None of these/Don't care: 27 percent (2,134 total responses)
Microsoft's Project Natal: 26 percent (2,085)
Sony's Motion Control: 24 percent (1,866)
Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus: 23 percent (1,799)
7,884 total responses

3. Which motion control system are you most interested in playing?

Microsoft's Project Natal: 39 percent (3,072 total responses)
Sony's Motion Control: 26 percent (2,068)
None of these/Don't care: 26 percent (2,067)
Nintendo's Wii MotionPlus: 9 percent (701)
7,908 total responses

4. Based on your personal gaming tendencies and preferences, do you feel that motion control systems:

Would not be relevant to the games I play: 42 percent (3,307 total responses)
Would detract from my enjoyment of the games I play: 22 percent (1,725)
Would enhance my enjoyment of the games I play 21 percent (1,682)
None of these/Don't know: 15 percent (1,167)
7,881 total responses

5. How do you feel about motion-control games?

I enjoy them, but I enjoy standard-control games more: 46 percent (3,621 total responses
I do not seek to play these games, but I enjoy them when invited to by a friend: 26 percent (2,076)
I do not enjoy motion control games, and do not want to play them: 14 percent (1,109)
I enjoy them and seek to play games that utilize them: 7 percent (580)
Not sure/Don't care: 6 percent (449)
7,835 total responses

This paints a strongly indifferent picture toward motion control games, as paradoxical as it sounds to say that. Your opinions of, basically, the best motion control system are all in a statistical dead heat - including "Don't care," the overall leader. Given an opportunity to play any motion control system, readers chose Project Natal, reflecting the base's strong preference for the Xbox 360. The Wii's stark underperformance in that question indicates either a disaffection for the console or the lack of perceived novelty in its control scheme after more than two years, and probably both. But the final nail in the coffin is that 42 percent of the readership simply doesn't care for motion controls; a supermajority finds them either irrelevant to the games they play, or that they detract from them.

6. Which platform do you enjoy the most?

Xbox 360: 36 percent (2,835 total responses)
PlayStation 3: 30 percent (2,359)
PC: 23 percent (1,841)
DS/DSi: 5 percent (359)
Wii: 3 percent (226)
PS2: 3 percent (223)
PSP: 1 percent (66)
Mac: 0 percent (30)
iPhone/iPod Touch : 0 percent (18)
7,957 total responses

We asked this as a control, just to establish console preferences and to see if they were consistent with previous answers. In large part they were.

7. Which statement best reflects your opinion of the Scribblenauts "Sambo" controversy?

It was blown out of proportion by the games press: 37 percent (2,850 total responses)
It was not offensive content, and merited no discussion: 30 percent (2,289)
Other opinion/Not sure/Don't care: 20 percent (1,570)
It was a controversy manufactured to harm a good game: 5 percent (424)
It was an insensitive error that deserved an apology: 5 percent (410)
It is a consequence of the lack of diversity in game development: 3 percent (204)
7,747 total responses

No surprise here. The controversy over Scribblenauts - writing "Sambo," a racial slur in the U.S., produced an item that looked like a watermelon - was almost immediately rejected by the commentariat on sites and forums that reported it, with many expressing the strong feeling that it was a gotcha-game invented by a gaming press with not much else to do. Only 5 percent, however, thought it was actively brought up to knock Scribblenauts down a peg.

8. What is the first word that comes to your mind for this game: Halo 3: ODST?

7,120 total responses

Unfortunately, I thought our polling software would aggregate responses using the exact same word, showing at least the top two or three words. Instead, the percentages are all 1/7120th. Scanning the list, "meh" appeared to be a popular choice. "A horse being flogged because it worked once," was another more specific expression of things like "redundant," "overrated" and "cash cow." "Expansion" and "expansion pack" also reflected a disappointment with ODST's singleplayer campaign. Positives included "awesome," "amazing," and "fun." Unfortunately, I simply can't tally up the percentage of positive words versus negative or indifferent. Thanks for participating in this question, but we can't use its kind in the future.

Look for more questions Oct. 10, as we continue to flesh out the habits, preferences and trends among the Kotaku Gamer.

This behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Halo 3: ODST spot offers more than just a peek at how Brute's are made into living, breathing, tiny motor-driven things. There's also a brief live action sequence from the spot left on the cutting room floor, one that Halo fans will probably want to watch frame by frame.

With that advisory out of the way, reader Scazza filmed this Easter Egg (discovery credited to Loose on the Gamefaqs forums.) Hear that clicking? That's Scazza flicking left on the RIGHT analog stick.

If you do it during the epilogue's cutscene, the camera pans left at the conclusion - showing Buck picking a grub off what appears to be the Lone Monkey Man, a glitch/Easter Egg from Halo 3.

Halo 3 ODST Epilogue Easter Egg [YouTube]

This week we seek to measure your attitudes on the PSPgo, whose pre-release has been marred by retailer unhappiness, criticism of its price point, and disappointment in its lack of UMD support. We're also interested in your feelings on motion control, as 2010 figures to be the year when all three major consoles will have some type of full featured system. Finally, two games we've written about provoked a great deal of reader reaction in comments about them. Approval ratings will attempt to crystallize how you feel about both.

Editor's note: For one of these we're experimenting with an open-ended answer capability. An explanation will precede that specific question below.

Again, you will not see the results of these polls after you vote. They will close tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. U.S. Mountain Time. We will publish the results and an analysis the following Thursday evening.

For this next question, because of the limitations of our poll service, we had to include at least two forced choices. These have been identified as null; do not check either of them. Click the third radio button and type your answer in the space provided in the third field.

As of the time this post was written, ODST's 24 hour figure for total players was 949,306; the 24-hour total for games played was 5,708,031. Divided out, that's six games per player, on a school night/in the middle of a workweek. And you know there were some out there blowing the curve and staying up all night with this.

For comparison's sake, Halo 3 saw 1,340,550 games yesterday, so, ODST more than quadrupled that. Some have tried to hazard quick guesses on ODST's first day sales; we'll wait for NPD. But if this is any indication, yeah, it's probably gonna do land office business.

Halo 3: ODST Logs Over 900,000 Players in One Day [Joystiq]

It's a new Halo game, and to celebrate, there's a new Halo theme, featuring the sights of O.D.S.T.'s New Mombasa. It's yours free of charge, as long as you are a paying Xbox Live Gold subscriber. Behold the official description:

ODSTs aren't the only ones getting their hands on upgraded gear to prepare for the upcoming Firefight. Available only for a limited time and free of charge for Xbox LIVE Gold Subscribers, this expertly crafted Halo 3: ODST Premium Theme will get your Xbox 360 ready for a combat drop into the city of New Mombasa.

The free O.D.S.T. theme is now available for download, either on your 360 itself, or the lazy way.

Bungie's fourth Halo game, Halo 3: ODST, will officially be released for the Xbox 360 this week. A side story of a campaign that leads into the events of Halo 3, the game stars less powerful protagonists than series champion Master Chief. It is packaged in a way that has provoked consumer doubt. And it's set for a market rematch against its only formidable competitor in the past eight years.

The ODST package is an unusual bundle. It combines a first-person campaign playable by up to four gamers and can be completed more quickly than those of previous Halos. It also offers three new competitive Halo 3 multiplayer maps, 21 Halo 3 maps that were previously available for purchase and 10 maps of a new cooperative combat Firefight mode along with an as-yet-unusable invitation to the online beta for Halo: Reach, Bungie's next Halo game.

The campaign puts players in control of a rotating cast of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, switching control back and forth between Rookie, who is playable in a timeframe set several hours after his team's drop into the besieged Earth city of New Mombasa has gone wrong, and different members of Rookie's squad. The latter are playable in flashbacks set immediately after the drop. It's all set in first-person, and the series-staple Covenant are the enemy. Master Chief's most powerful vehicle-jacking moves are gone and health is harder to restore, but ODSTs are still fierce warriors.

Loved
Genre-Topping Combat: Halo 3: ODST has been promoted as an adventure of urban combat, an open-world nighttime journey through the ravaged city of New Mombasa that is interrupted by the game's main missions: playable, linear flashback sequences set mostly in broader battlefields like bridges, rooftops and the outskirts of the city's zoo. Whether set in alleyways or under a big sky, the battles engineered by Bungie are as interesting and dynamic as ever. The tactical triangle of guns, grenades and melee is pitted against a familiar and excitingly smart cast of enemies who rush and cover and toss their own grenades in ways that make most skirmishes tales worth re-telling in their own right. Bungie paces the linear flashback missions well. One highlight is a tense and constricted rooftop battle that culminates with the explosive defense of a landing zone from an intense aerial assault of fighters and troop carriers.

Vehicles Worth Driving: I've written before that Halo, to me, represents the digital realization of the 11-year-old boy's fantasy of playing combat with his GI Joes. As a boy and now as a Halo player, I enjoy the toy experience of smashing enemies with an armed truck or flying down a canyon of skyscrapers with a purple hoverplane that shoots lasers. The most direct access to vehicles is in the flashback missions, and each fight through battlefield hell on a Halo ride is a thrill.

A Better Side Story: ODST creative director Joseph Staten has told Kotaku that Bungie's new game is inspired by noir and its cast of colorful, lone-wolf detectives searching for clues in the mean city. The players' main character, Rookie, gets to adopt a role like that as he creeps through the dark enemy-patrolled streets of New Mombasa using a series-new visor that highlights items and characters of interest amid the blackness. Rookie searches for beacons that trigger those playable flashbacks which star his squadmates in the hours right after the ODSTs' illI-fated drop. The beacons are curious items — a helmet smashed into a big monitor, a rifle dangling from a power line — that evoke small mysteries of their own. The flashbacks explain their origins.

Equally intriguing is the story the player gleans by accessing computer terminals located throughout the city. These discoveries drip, through voiceover and drawings, the surprisingly harrowing tale of Sadie, a young woman whose life was upturned in the Covenant attack. Extra credit goes to Bungie for figuring out how to introduce a surprise gameplay benefit to tracking down this side narrative, an accomplishment not seen in other games with rich side-stories, such as BioShock and Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Finally, Multiplayer For The Weak: Most of what I played for this review was ODST's campaign, but, for consumers, the most-played part of ODST is bound to be Firefight, an infinite co-op survival mode that supports up to four players against waves of enemies. The rules of these encounters differ from the oft-compared Horde mode in Gears of War 2. In ODST, the completion of Firefight waves introduces new gameplay complications designated as "skulls" that cause all enemies to, among other things, toss more grenades or more smartly evade danger. The best thing about Firefight is that, at last, all players of an online Halo match can play to the benefit of each other. No matter how good Bungie's matchmaking has been, venturing into a competitive match could leave the casual Halo gamer shellshocked from the abuse of multiple losses. In Firefight, the rivals won't teabag you or call you names. Humanity can finally band together to use its Halo skills against a common digital foe.

Hated
Underdone Overworld: ODST, like August's Wolfenstein before it, is a first-person shooter that connects its linear main missions to a hub world, allowing several of its missions to be accessed and played out of order. This structure gives the player more control of the game's flow, but being able to choose one's own adventure gains the Halo gamer little. It is no more illuminating or intriguing to learn the story of ODST's handful of flashback missions out of order than it would have been to learn them in an order mandated by Bungie. The benefit of the overworld/flashback design is supposed to be a contrast in moods: Dark, quiet exploration of the streets backed with a lighter soundtrack does evoke a softer, creepier anxiety than fighting in the flashback missions under bright sun with allies at your sides and war drums beating through the TV speakers. But I only experienced that contrast of moods when I played the game solo. The distinction was muted when I fought through the campaign in never-lonely, always-chattering co-op.

Unknown Hero: Master Chief might as well be an oversharing Twitter addict compared to ODST's lead, the Rookie. The hero of the game's nocturnal detective story reveals nothing about himself in this adventure. The reactions to our hero — the method through which so much of the Chief's identity was defined — reveal nothing that casts Rookie as a character with any character. It's better in the flashbacks, where the playable protagonists are more emotive and more interesting. Also more lively than our main man is the city's Superintendent, an intelligence that manifests itself through talking New Mombasa city computers, flashing directions by taking over digital signs that switch from ads to detour alerts. In Sadie's story, the Superintendent is so expressive through New Mombasa's network of technology that it can stop a train from reaching its station or make an ATM spit money to distract a menace. If only the interactions between the Rookie and the Superintendent were more frequent and more mechanically clever, then we could have had a more memorable lead presence.

Bad Habits: I won't spoil the thankfully infrequent tedious moments of ODST's campaign any more than I will most of the frequently exciting ones. But Bungie still can't shake its legacy of having created the dull and respective Library level in the first Halo and skates toward repeating that error in architecture in ODST.

The unusual collection of features that comes on the two-disc ODST set ensures that the value of ODST will vary among consumers more than most new releases do. Single-player fans will find a little less to do in this game than they did in 2007's Halo 3. If multiplayer is the attraction, buyer beware that those who have already purchased any Halo 3 maps will find less new content for their dollar here. That, among other factors, may sway some consumers to consider purchasing Modern Warfare 2 instead, the season's other big shooter. Two years ago, the last Modern Warfare proved the stiffest competition in terms of acclaim and online popularity to that season's Halo. Having not played Modern Warfare 2, we can't compare the games for you.

If you want to judge ODST for its fun without worrying about its price and the contents of its case, then know that its campaign hits the peaks of Halo 3 less often due both to its relative brevity and its uneven, experimental hubworld. The campaign can mostly be a joy. Firefight with a group of players is a blast. The main hero may be a bore, but the fiction is at least as interesting as it was in prior Halo games. Bungie's done good this time. That's a victory, even if that's a departure from a series which has often seen Bungie do great.

(Halo 3: ODST was developed by Bungie Studios and published by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 on September 22. Retails for $59.99 USD. Played through the campaign on co-op with N'Gai Croal on the recommended Heroic difficulty at a Microsoft review event, using finished copies of the game, over the course of seven hours, with a break for lunch. Played through several missions solo on Heroic and the easier default Normal difficulty. Also played several rounds of four-player Firefight and all three new Halo 3 maps, the enjoyably cramped Heretic, the weapon-filled Citadel and Longshore. All multiplayer sessions were networked over system link; online connections could not be tested prior to the game's launch.)

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

That's not news to hardcore fans (it's all over the Halo wikis), but O'Donnell's past as an adman deliver some neat details in this writeup of Bungie's oldest (by age; he is 54) employee. He's worked on the series since Bungie began work on it 10 years ago. And Halo 3: ODST bestowed an achievement in his honor; "Be Like Marty" awards 10 Gamerscore to anyone completing a Firefight round without killing a single enemy.

O'Donnell vows revenge for that.

Most of the young punks here have this unfounded belief that, because of my age, I'm not good at 'Halo.' This of course is not true. ... The truth is, Marty has never actually "been like Marty." At some point in the future, when they least expect it, I will pay them back for this.

I'd take that threat seriously, coming from the man who wrote the marching song for a generation of kids 10 million strong - and grooooowing.

'Halo' Wouldn't be the Same without Evocative Music of Marty O'Donnell [Seattle Post-Intelligencer, thanks Ted]

Master Chief is such an iconic gaming figure that it almost seems wrong to have an FPS with the Halo name on it without him. It's like a Mario game without Mario in it, or a Team Ninja game without breasts. Yet here we are, with a brand-new single-player adventure in the Halo universe with no sign of the big man.

O.D.S.T. began as a little bit of downloadable content that got too big for its own classification, making the leap to full-fledged game. The question is, is it worth its own game, and if so, how are they pulling it off without old MC?

Games Radar
Are you hoping for more Halo 3? Are you looking forward to another adventure in that game's grandly exaggerated yet comfortingly familiar universe? Are you excited to wield the same crazy weapons and vehicles in brand new battles, to encounter the same smart enemies in unexpected new situations and to witness the same epic war from an entirely new perspective? Are more missions and more multiplayer enough? If so, then ODST is the answer. You will definitely not be disappointed. But what if you got carried away by the hype? What if that amazing live-action trailer, or that significant September release date, have you convinced that ODST is the next major milestone in the Halo phenomenon? What if the talk about detective characters, film noir settings and gritty close-quarters combat have you anticipating a bold departure from the Bungie formula? Then yeah, you might be in for a bit of a letdown.

Eurogamer
Halo 3: ODST does present a compelling alternative to the Master Chief, but the smartest thing about the game is that Bungie faces down this intimidating challenge by realising it cannot do so through one man alone. Although you control the Rookie, a seemingly fresh-faced but faceless new tip of the spear in the battle against the Covenant, the developer prefers to tell the story of New Mombasa through a series of playable vignettes, each of which showcases individual acts of very human heroism on the part of a scattered group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers.

ActionTrip
Halo 3: ODST retains the familiar Halo AI, which we still hold in high regard. Stronger enemies react according to your behaviour and will never rush until they are certain they have the upper hand. Grunts and weaker enemies such as the Jackals lose their nerve in battle if you take out nearby Brutes or other Covenant Chieftains. However, with help of the new VISR (standard addition for all ODSTs) enemy threats are easier to make out. When switched on the VISR allows you to see areas of interest and tell friend from foe. It sounds like it makes things too easy, but thanks to the well-balanced AI the game remains challenging throughout the entire campaign. Also, you'll enjoy the freedom that was given to the main character. Yep, the game is not as linear as Halo 3 or other titles in the series. Now, you can choose where you can go and which opponents to tackle.

VideoGamer
Length aside, the campaign is not without other problems. The story is a largely un-engaging affair. The mysteriously silent Rookie is hard to love, and certainly lacks the heroic appeal of Master Chief. His squad mates are classic cliché-ridden space marines, with personalities that aren't explored to any great detail. The plot makes more sense than previous Halo titles, but is still hugely silly. The ending is barmy, and seems as if it should have had a massive bearing on the Halo universe as a whole, but clearly didn't because it's ramifications never came up in Halo 3.

Worth Playing
Aside from the single-player game (which can also be played through in co-op), Halo 3: ODST also features a co-op multiplayer mode called Firefight. Similar to the Horde Mode in Gears of War 2, Firefight pits four human players against wave after wave of Covenant forces. The waves are randomly generated, though things do get progressively more difficult as you progress due to the skull modifiers. Firefight is a true test of skill, as it doesn't have an ending. Your team simply fights until it is dead. The catch is that you have a shared pool of lives, so one weak link can bring down an entire team. While reviewing the game, we saw some Firefight matches exceed an hour in play time. There's no doubt that this is going to be a popular gameplay mode on Xbox Live.

Kotaku
If you want to judge ODST for its fun without worrying about its price and the contents of its case, then know that its campaign hits the peaks of Halo 3 less often due both to its relative brevity and its uneven, experimental hubworld. The campaign can mostly be a joy. Firefight with a group of players is a blast. The main hero may be a bore, but the fiction is at least as interesting as it was in prior Halo games. Bungie's done good this time. That's a victory, even if that's a departure from a series which has often seen Bungie do great.

So there is life beyond Master Chief?

Rooftop Gameplay [GameTrailers]

There'll be trivia, give-aways, blah blah blah. Wondering how long until retailers find out that most of these things aren't worth the wages it costs them to staff the store throughout the night.

That and the fact a lot of gamers are growing numb to the "novelty". I mean, if Madden and Quantum Solace can get midnight openings, it's a good sign the marketing team needs to think of something new.

You are reading Kotaku's once-weekly (sort of) journey back to yesteryear. This week, I wanted to find some old news about Halo and found this gem.

Recall the month of March 2000. In that month MMWire ran an item entitled "To Be Continued...The Next Episode of Your Game" about World Entertainment Broadcasting, a company that would change gaming by enabling developers to produce games in just four or give months:

The current business model of spending 2-3 years developing a PC title that sells for  $30-$40 is too big a risk, [WEB CEO Jim] Perkins tells mmWire. With no guarantee a game will be a hit, it's not worth spending big bucks on development, he adds.

And who among the game development community was interested? Why, the future makers of Halo.

Support for WEB's business model in the development community is strong, Perkins says. He believes shorter development times (about 4-5 months) and faster delivery of royalty checks will appeal to developers, and adds that the company is in discussions with Halo developer Bungie Software. Bungie CEO Alexander Seropian says he is  "very impressed" with WEB's online gaming plans.

Nine years later, no big video game studio this side of adventure game house Telltale is turning around episodes of games in four-five months. WEB is no more, Alex Seropian now works for Disney and... wait!... a quickly-made Halo game is finally on the verge of release. Next week we get Halo 3: ODST, a side-story that was developed in just 14 months.

If you have a favorite moment of the past you'd like Kotaku to belatedly blog about, just say the word.

[PIC]

Cowan's quick and dirty summary of the project might be accurate, but it downplays the sheer amount of work that Bungie has put into Halo 3: ODST. The idea of some quick and dirty single-player downloadable content blossomed into an undertaking worthy of a full retail release, with new weapons, advanced technology, and a new art direction that makes ODST a completely separate beast from the Halo 3 we know.

It contains a 120GB Xbox 360 Elite, controller (curiously, not an ODST controller), a copy of Halo 3: ODST, a copy of Halo 3 and access to the Halo: Reach beta.

It's due later this month, and so far, has only been announced for PAL territories, with prices ranging from €280 in continental Europe (USD$410) to 4,228 Rand in South Africa (USD$574).