Kotaku: Halo 3

Happy Bungie Day, Halo 3 Fans!

Mike Fahey — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 11:00:00 MDT

Just a quick reminder for those Halo 3 fans in the audience (anyone?) that today is Bungie Day on Xbox Live! What does that mean? It means free gamerpics and themes of course, as well as the debut of the all-new, all-icy Cold Storage map, also available as a free download. For those of you who've fallen behind on your Halo 3 gameplay, the Legendary Map Pack has also had its price slashed in honor of Bungie Day, dropping 200 Microsoft points ($2.50) to 600 points. It's an excellent day to pull that copy of Call of Duty 4 out of your 360 and get your future weapons on!

Adult Anime Drawings Forged in Halo 3

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 03:00:00 MDT

We've previously seen how Halo 3's Forge can be used as a canvas by the artistically included. And while the above image is certainly not the first "erotic" images made with Forge level editor by a damn sight. (Hey, give the plebs the ability to create, and you betcha, they'll whip up naughty bits!) But these are the first MAXIMUM RISKY Japanese anime-style ones we've seen — then again, we haven't exactly been looking. They, of course, were made by lining up weapons.

Hit the jump for the full image and another one. NSFW.

「HALO3」、武器を並べてエロアートを作る職人 [Hatimaki]

Free Halo 3 Map "Cold Storage", Other Stuff Hits On "Bungie Monday"

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:00:33 MDT

This Monday, July 7 is Bungie Day on Xbox Live Marketplace. What does that mean to you? Free stuff! The kind of free stuff that absolutely requires an exclamation point. While free gamerpics and a gratis theme will be available that day and that day only, it's the new map, Cold Storage, that will probably put the biggest strain on Live's servers.

The Bungie Weekly Update also points out that the Legendary Map Pack will see prices slashed, with the regularly 800 MS Points pack dropping to 600 MS Points. Community tough guy Luke Smith has all the details on what's goin' down this manic Monday, so do check out the newest update... and the "viddoc" above.

Bungie Weekly Update: 7/03/08 [Bungie.net]

The Daily Show Tackles Presidential Campaign Games

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:40:00 MDT

Presidential hopeful John McCain is targeting the ~~directionless couch potato~~ youth vote with video games. Poorly. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is doing a kick ass job of it, according to The Daily Show. Unless we're mishearing things, Master Obama is sporting the "Yes We Cannon" in his campaign game, something that's not out of the realm of possibility — and sensibility — when you're holding a quarter of a billion dollars in campaign funds. Do not click through if you're offended by abortion humor.

Bungie Screenshots Verify "Chill Out" Remake

Owen Good — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:00:00 MDT

We linked to last week's MLG San Diego coverage that unveiled the remake, for Halo 3, of Halo:CE's popular "Chill Out" map. Bungie has now dropped two screenshots of "Cold Storage" and they're muuuuuch better quality (read: higher res than cell phone vid of a projection screen.) One's above. Full resolution after the jump.

Bungie Weekly Update 6/20 [Bungie, via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

Bungie Chill-Out Map Remake Debuts at MLG San Diego

Owen Good — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:00:00 MDT

Chill Out, an all-time greatest hit for Halo gamers from the Combat Evolved days, is getting a makeover and will be coming to Halo 3 soon. Bungie debuted "Cold Storage" at Major League Gaming San Diego over the weekend, to wild applause from the gallery, which watched the first match on the new map.

Bungie offered no word on when specifically it will drop. MLG's site has some low-res shots of the event (camera shots of the monitor). You can at least make out the chilly, blue-hued, nitrogen-spewing environment familiar to the original Chill Out. Three more pics after the jump, and more in MLG's gallery.

Bungie Makes World Premiere of Chill Out Remake at MLG San Diego [Major League Gaming]

Bungie Looks Back On Microsoft Ownership

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:00:00 MDT

Microsoft used to own Halo developer Bungie. Now, Microsoft does not! What was that experience like — being owned by a corporate monolith? Says Bungie engineering lead Chris Butcher:

To their credit, they did a really good job of getting Bungie our own building. Essentially, we were in a bubble. We were mostly independent the entire time, with all of the perks of having a partner. They respected what Bungie had culturally.

When they bought Bungie, they didn't try to assimilate us and break our will and make us all drink the punch. They let the team maintain what made Bungie, Bungie. I think that's one of the smartest things that they did.

...On the Microsoft side, they still have a great partner in Bungie, and a great relationship. We have a team now that's reinvigorated and also made great games for their platforms. It really was a win-win. It doesn't seem like it really adds up to people, but both groups got what they wanted out of the deal. We're happy that Microsoft allowed this arrangement to happen. It really is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

Everybody's happy! Everyone wins! Hooray!!

Reflecting on Halo [Gamasutra] [Pic]

This Halo 3 Screenie Is Creepy

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:00:00 MDT

Woah. Pulled directly from Bungie.net file, this Halo 3 screenshot is apparently unaltered. Look at the way the smoke swirls into a freaky eyeball. Nightmare inducing!

The Creepiest Halo 3 Screenshot Ever [Hawty McBloggy]

Halo 3 Homicide Detective

Mike Fahey — Thu, 29 May 2008 10:30:00 MDT

Remember the Halo movie the folks at College Humor were working on, featuring our friend in the homemade Master Chief outfit? Well here it is, Halo 3 Homicide Detective, an interesting blend of CSI and FPS. The humor here really lies in the fact that the detectives and police involved are talking as if they were on Xbox Live headsets in a game lobby. Not the best sign that I feel I have to explain that to you folks.

Jim completely kicks ass though, doesn't he?

Which Publishers Can Think Globally, Act Globally?

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 22 May 2008 13:00:00 MDT

Games are a global business. After all, how many other industries could I work in where I live in Australia, work for an American-based company and can be read by anyone from Portugal to the Philippines at the push of a button? Not many. So it's a shame that while information about games is truly global, the games themselves are not.

It's a sad fact that most publishers just can't keep up with the 21st century. Consoles, games, console services like Xbox Live Arcade and the Playstation Network are advertised globally, on globally-read sites, and yet their actual distribution is delayed not just by translation, but by 20th-century ideas like staggered market regions and country-specific licensing deals. Which in the end means lots of people gets lots of games a lot later than other people.

It sucks. You hate it, I hate it, we all (especially the Europeans among us) hate it. So I figured it'd be interesting to take a look at the industry's biggest publishers, look at their biggest games from the past two to three years, and see which companies are doing a good job of satisfying global demand for their product, and which ones...aren't.

Some things to note before we get into it: if a game's already out in one market and not yet out in another (ala Smash Bros), it's not being counted, because the upcoming date is still subject to change. I've also noted the game's release as the day it first appeared on any system, so if it appeared on 360 then PS3, we go from the 360 date. Finally, I'm only noting release dates for the three major markets: the US, Europe and Japan.

I know, this is an important issue - even more important - in places like Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, Korea and Latin America, but for the sake of brevity (and the fact it's tough actually nailing down concrete dates in many of those markets), they've got to go. If it helps any, you can generally align Australian dates to Europe's, Canada's to those of the US and so on and so forth.

The List

So what do we actually get out of this, aside from a bunch of numbers?

Lots of interesting stuff. Like the fact Western publishers are as bad at getting games into Japan as we like to think Japanese publishers are at getting games to the West. And the fact that were it not for Okami's lengthy delay, Capcom would be a surprise "best in show". Oh, and the fact Square-Enix really needs to get its act together for the release of Final Fantasy XIII in Europe, because another year-long delay will be taking the piss.

You know what's most telling about that list, though? The number of games on it that were released worldwide, simultaneously. It's one. Of the biggest-selling and most high-profile games of the past 2-3 years, only one could manage the feat: Halo 3 (though to be fair Metal Gear Solid 4 should double that number in June). Which considering the amount of money and the size of the teams (at least on the publisher's end) involved in big games these days really isn't good enough.

Ken Lobb, Xbox's GM creative and technical services, spoke with us a little on how Microsoft Game Studios get their games out the door and across the world. Their emphasis on simultaneous global releases - or "sim ships" - is a handy pointer for other publishers who can't seem to really get a handle on the global nature of gaming these days.

"Sim ship is always a high priority for Microsoft", Lobb says. "There are many reasons for this: it allows us to benefit from building buzz in multiple territories, it permits the team to finish all versions of the game within a small window of time, and it builds on sales and marketing efficiencies".

"The most important reason for us to focus on a worldwide sim ship is that it's the best situation for the gamer", he continues. "In the current world of highly connected gaming via Xbox LIVE, it's only fair to try to have a game available at the same time in all territories". Obviously, this isn't a universal goal for MGS: Mass Effect, for example, is still unreleased in Japan, and many other games have had much longer turnarounds than Halo 3. But it's at least an acknowledgment of the realities of today's market.

The reason Microsoft were able to ship Halo 3 globally was simple: they took a holistic approach to localising it. Normally, a game's delayed due to one of three concerns. One is hardware restrictions, like region-locking. That's a whole other sad, separate topic. One is manufacturing problems, as we've seen with titles such as Rock Band. The other, most common explanation is the translation of a game from its native tongue. The vast majority of games are written, developed and tested in one language, and only when it's done (or nearly done) is it handed off for translation duties.

For Halo 3 - and other MGS games like Lost Odyssey, though to slightly more relaxed timeframes - Microsoft ensured all localisation duties were being performed almost from day one. Lobb says that the dev teams and testers worked closely with localisers from early in the game's lifecycle, meaning that rather than translating the entirety of a finished product (which would result in delays), the game was being localised while it was being developed, and as such was ready for a European and Japanese release the same time it was ready for the American market.

Capcom chose not to be a part of this story, but I'd imagine they employ a similar system. You can't enjoy an eight-day turnaround on a game like Devil May Cry 4 if you hadn't planned well in advance for a speedy global release. Ditto for Konami, who should be applauded for the work they've done in lining up Metal Gear Solid 4 for a global, simultaneous release.

For the rest? Having translators and localisers working with the developers throughout the game's development is a lot of work. And would cost a lot of money. Probably too much of either for companies like Marvellous and Atlus. But for Nintendo, and Square-Enix, and Sony, and Activision, and many other big-name, big-money publishers? It's definitely within their grasp. And is definitely something the lot of them need to be thinking more about in the future.

If Nintendo Made Halo 3

Owen Good — Sat, 10 May 2008 16:00:00 MDT

Reader Dead Hex found this — apparently it was posted in mid-April and we missed it? But it's a concept video that dares asks the question, what if Nintendo developed Halo 3?

Oh, most of the punchlines are predictable stereotypes (you see, Nintendo develops games like this and Microsoft develops games like this) but, c'mon, some of it's pretty clever. Especially the final level. And the aerial combat. As soon as they take off, I was waiting for Starfox and ... yep, it doesn't disappoint.

Gal, Guy and Villain [Major League Gaming, via Typing Loudly, thanks Dead Hex.]

Halo 3 Keeps Winning (Advertising) Awards

Mike Fahey — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:00:00 MDT

Say what you will about Bungie's Halo 3 from a gameplay or plot standpoint, there is one aspect of the game that was excellent from start to finish - the ad campaign. Created by the McCann Worldgroup and T.A.G., the Halo 3 "Believe" ad campaign featured no gameplay footage, instead creating a mood using strong imagery that stirred the audience in a way simply looking at a video game could not. Last night the campaign received best in show at The One Show, an annual worldwide advertising awards show that celebrates great ideas in marketing.

"The 'Believe' campaign catapulted Halo 3 from an ordinary video game into a worldwide cultural phenomenon due to its ability to build an emotional rapport with the audience," said Mary Warlick, CEO of The One Club. "The innovative stream of interactive TV, Web and cinema advertisements was an inspired approach that successfully attracted an audience beyond the typical gamer."

Just last week the campaign walked away with the Grandy, the top honor at the 2008 International Andy Awards. Halo 3 shall truly go down in history as one of the best (advertised) video games of all time.
Halo 3 Believe just keeps on winning. [Adland]

Cinco de Mayo Means Double The Halo 3 XP ...

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:40:36 MDT

Cinco de Mayo Means Double The Halo 3 XP For Some Reason. This weekend leads into the Mexican holiday that commemorates the victory of General Ignacio Zaragoza Seguín over French forces in the Battle of Puebla, giving everyone else an excuse to get mucho sloshed on Coronas and margaritas. It also, for some strange reason, means that Halo 3 players will gain twice the experience in game with "Fiesta" style rule sets. As Bungie.net states "Cinco De Mayo requires both the Heroic and Legendary map packs for participation." Good times!

Newer, Better Halo 3 Toys

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:30:00 MDT

Look, there's nothing wrong with McFarlane's Halo line. They're nice figures. It's just, McFarlane are known for stuff with a little more size, and a little more detail, than the wee little figures they've released thus far. Now this new stuff, it's more their style. They've just announced two new lines for the end of the year: two 12" Master Chiefs (one a Wal-Mart exclusive) and the "Legendary Collection", a series of "non-articulated large-scale" figures that includes the Chief, Arbiter and a Brute Chieftain. The 12" figures are due in September, the Legendary Collection in November.

A Halo 3 Spartan Straight From Hell

Mike Fahey — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:00:00 MDT

I am not allowed to go to the San Diego Comic Con this or any other year, mainly because my penchanted for buying anything plastic, articulated, and limited edition would send me to the poorhouse faster than...well, faster than my normal lifestyle, which says a lot. SDCC sees tons of limited edition toys every year, and these two from McFarlane Toys would surely get my wallet open, silly concept or not. Sold together, the clear CQB Spartan
is joined by the not-so-clear Spartan Soldier EVA "HellSpartan"...basically Spawn-painted Spartan armor. Considering Spawn has been everything from anime to commando to samurai to refridgerator repairman, this really isn't that far a stretch. Right now it looks like some hobbyist kitbashed the thing together, though I am sure it will look lovely sealed in its little, limited-edition package. I'm going to just start sending McWhertor money now, build up a fund so he can grab me one of everything when he stops by this July.

'HALO 3' COMIC-CON EXCLUSIVE FIGURE ANNOUNCEMENT & PHOTOS [Spawn.com - Thanks Juan!]

Most Unintentional Halo 3 Betrayal Falls From Sky

Mark Wilson — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Imagine Master Chief hanging out with Chicken Little. A Warthog drops from the sky and kills Master Chief. And Chicken Little is left with nothing to do but spend hours reviewing tape, discovering just who made the sky fall on our lovable hero/Little's fiance. Wait...was Chicken Little a girl? Was Master Chief a boy? Can we get some confirmation on this stuff before proceeding with the lame metaphor?

Thanks Jason!

Wait! You Might Not Want To Buy The Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack

Mark Wilson — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00:00 MDT

Did we get your attention before it was Too Late? We hope so. Because if you were already interested in picking up Ninja Gaiden II, pre-ordering the game at Circuit City will score you the Halo 3 Legendary Map pack free. While the process isn't instantaneous, Circuit City will email you a redemption code within a week of your order. And seeing as Halo doesn't seem to be going anywhere in the near future, it could be a decent way to save yourself ~~ten dollars~~ 800 Microsoft Points.

Ninja Gaiden II (Xbox 360) [Circuit City via Xbox360Fanboy]

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Live

Mike Fahey — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:20:00 MDT

The thing I hate about downloadable content? The download speed gives everyone time to rush to their computers and mail us about said downloads, resulting in a flood of emails all telling us the same thing. I've randomly selected one email to represent you all in delivering the news that the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack is now available.

Hey Kotaku - a million people have probably already told you, but Halo 3's legendary map pack is up for grabs. Download speed is a bit of a crawl, as is probably to be expected, although at least it hasn't destroyed Xbox Live like the recent COD4 map pack did.

Thanks Tim! Me? I'm going to hold off on dropping 800 points on the new maps until doing so doesn't completely distract me from working. Might pick up the free theme though, just to support our space marine troops.

Marketing Halo 3 - Finding Master Chief's Humanity

Mike Fahey — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:20:00 MDT

At the MI6 marketing conference earlier this week, various Microsoft staffers presented a talk outlining how they successfully marketed Halo 3 to the masses. They explained how their main goal in expanding the audience for the third installment of Bungie's saga was to put a more human face on Master Chief.

"The marketing statement was really based around Master Chief. We did some research, and found out that people thought of Master Chief the same way they think of Robocop and the Terminator, a killing machine... we had to humanize him to reach a broader audience."

To this end they created the 'A Starry Night' advertisement, which gave us a rather heart-wrenching look at MC as a child, as well as the famous diorama commercials, which showcased his heroism. They talk also covered the Crackdown beta, which invested players in the game. Hit up Gamasutra for a full writeup of the talk. You'd have thought all the marketing strategy they needed was calling the game Halo 3.

Analysis: Microsoft On The Secrets Of Marketing Halo 3 [Gamasutra]

Halo 3's Legendary Map Pack In Motion

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:40:03 MDT

Screenshots? Bah. Video is the wave of the future! To wit, Bungie's latest "vidoc" focuses on Halo 3's upcoming Legendary Map Pack, combining video walkthrough goodness with good old witty banter from the map's designers and developers. If you want to get an in-motion perspective on the trio of downloadables hitting next week, there's 10 full minutes of animated goodness in the clip. Check out those "juicy" filter effects! For giant downloadable versions of the short, grab it from the official site.

ViDOC: Mapmaker, Mapmaker Make Me a Map [Bungie]

These Halo 3 Screens Are Legendary

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:40:35 MDT

Next week, April 15, Halo 3 gamers will be soaking in new, Bungie-created downloadable content, a moisturizing formula of Ghost Town, Avalanche and Blackout. Just imagine the slurs you can toss out in these new environments! I can't promise these 27 screen shots of the new Legendary Map Pack will convince you to drop the Microsoft Points on new multiplayer arenas, but I'm pretty sure fans of scaffolding and planks will be pretty darn excited to lay their rods and cones on this pic. Simply stunning in its plank-ticity.

Red vs. Blue: Reconstruction

ogood — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:00:00 MDT

Rooster Teeth has a trailer out for the sequel to Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Check it:

Now, clearly, these are production values in the upper 1 percentile, and we'd expect no less of Rooster Teeth, and I'm not gonna hate on it. But can I ask a question? How come any elected-office character in a military-genre movie has to have a condescending Southern accent?

It's like a British friend of mine once said about the stereotype of his accent: "If I am in a Star Wars movie, then I command the Death Star."

That said, I can't wait to see (and hear) where this is headed.

RVB: Reconstruction {Rooster Teeth, embedded video courtesy of Slackerchan at Gametrailers]

Halo 3's Forge Gets Filtered

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 20:20:32 MDT

Enterprising map makers and modders will have a handful of new toys to play with in Halo 3's Forge creation tool when the Legendary Map Pack ships. And while new scaffolding and tweaked shipping containers may get you moist, it's the new suite of visual filters that may excite Halo fans most. The latest Bungie weekly update reveals the latest Forge improvements, including funky and fresh filters that will give your map a "juicy", "gloomy" or "old timey" look. That's great and all, Bungie boys, but what we need is the ability to generate lens flare under any lighting condition. We require massive amounts of lens flare!

Bungie Weekly Update: 4/04/08 [Bungie.net]

An Easier Way To Get Hayabusa Halo Armor

Mike Fahey — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:20:00 MDT

I'm with Dan from TBBPS on this one. Why bother spending your time skull hunting when you can simply lay down $13.99 to preorder the upcoming Hayabusa Spartan action figure from Entertainment Earth? Part of series 3 of the McFarlane Toys Halo 3 line, this little red gem of a toy not only keeps you from having to hunt down all those skulls (something I never bothered with), but you can also carry it around with you, whipping it out at parties to impress women and men alike. Trust me, there is nothing more attractive than a guy that carries around action figures in his fanny pack. Perhaps it will even come with the elusive katana, or an action feature akin to Cortana's magically glowing crotch, currently haunting my fireplace mantle. The red Hayabusa Spartan is due in August, alongside a silver Master Chief, War Chieftain, Human Flood Figure, a Jackal Major, and whatever else the Toddster has up his sleeves.

Halo 3 Series 3 Red Hayabusa Spartan Soldier Action Figure [Entertainment Earth via TheBBPS]

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Trailer

Mark Wilson — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:20:00 MDT

If you can't wait for the Halo Legendary Map Pack, Bungie understands. And while they won't be releasing any maps earlier than their April 15th target, they are happy to give you a trailer to set the mood. It's a pretty decent watch (we have a particular penchant for the overtly dramatic), and it provides a solid glimpse of the new maps Avalanche, Blackout and Ghost Town.

Legendary Map Pack Trailer [Bungie] Thanks Preston!

Mister Chief Visible From Space!

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:40:36 MDT

Either there has been some impressive organization between the hardcore Halo 3 community in the Congo, Uganda and Tanzania or the boys at Bungie are pulling a fast one on us. Considering that it's *sigh* still April 1 Pacific Time, we're guessing it's the latter. Kudos to the Halo teamsters for their subtle and cheery geek map.

Bungie Online [Bungie - thanks, Bradley!]

"Blackout" Completes The Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:20:03 MDT

The third and final map to be included in the upcoming Legendary map pack for Halo 3 should be familiar to fans. Known as "Blackout," the map is a remake of Halo 2's "Lockout" and joins "Avalanche" and "Ghost Town" in the forthcoming downloadable. The official Bungie site has a quick Q&A with the "Blackout" design team in which much hilarity ensues. Ha ha. There are also pictures!

Legendary Map: Blackout [Bungie]

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack - Just a friendly ...

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 02:45:00 MDT

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack - Just a friendly reminder that the Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack's now free to download. Anyone still playing the game online should know this isn't really an optional deal; if you don't get it, you won't be able to play in ranked Big Team, Social Big Team, Team Slayer and Rocket Race matches.

Halo, Gears of War, Final Fantasy VII Characters on PS3

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 01:00:20 MDT

Thank Unreal Tournament III, UTIII mods and a UTIII mod-friendly PS3! These mods were brought to us by the folks at UT.PS3, so kudos to them for cooking them up. Still waiting patiently for the long overdue Mario UTIII mod. Make it happen!

UTIII Mods [GameTrailes Forums]

Halo 3 Heroic Maps Set Free On Tuesday

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:40:08 MDT

Today's Bungie Weekly Update features a handy reminder for the frugal. Next Tuesday, March 25 at 2 AM PDT, the Heroic Map Pack for Halo 3 will become a free download on Xbox Live. Good things come to those who wait (and reject microtransactions). That will coincide with the reveal of the third map from the soon to be released Legendary Map Pack, which, if you're getting greedy, has no current plans for becoming an eventual freebie. Who knows if that may change. God and The Shadow, probably. Maybe Luke Smith.

Bungie Weekly Update: 3/21/08 [Bungie]

Bungie Reimagines Sidewinder

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:00:00 MDT

Bungie has revealed the second map from next month's Legendary Map pack that's slated for April 15th for 800 marketplace points. Dubbed "Avalanche," the map is, as Bungie's Luke Smith points out, "a lovingly crafted reimagination of Halo: Combat Evolved classic Sidewinder." Click through the gallery below for a look or swing by Bungie.net for a chat with designers Niles Sankey and Lars Bakken along with artists Mike Buelterman and Jason Sussman.

Avalanche [Bungie]

Cortana In The (Naked Blue) Flesh

Mark Wilson — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:00:13 MDT

Usually I avoid the maximum risky posts that our night editors love so much (mostly because I don't start drinking until later in the day so my mommy issues are still fully repressed). But this Cortana model just had to grace our page asap. I4U's model of the month, we'd tell you her real name...but that would kinda spoil it, no? Hit the jump for some quasi-NSFW shots, depending on your company's standpoint on body paint and Smurf-toned nudity.

Hit the link for the full gallery. Except for you. Yeah, you. You don't even own a 360 so you're just a pervert.

I4U Model Gallery [I4U]

Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack Details Due Tuesday

Michael McWhertor — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:00:00 MDT

The most recent Bungie Weekly Update teases that this Tuesday will see the official word on new Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack details, including a solid release date and a look at the second of three new levels. The first, "Ghost Town," was unveiled just a few weeks ago. We think it's a pretty safe bet that the new map will be frosty, as the game's vehicles have been given a fresh snowjob, with pictures of each new iced out ride over at Bungie.net. Luke Smith also drops word that the Hornet has been given a gameplay nerf, making it "less of an airborne death machine and more of an aerial support vehicle now."

Bungie Weekly Update: 3/14/08 [Bungie]

Electronics Store Promotes Mature Game to Kids

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 03:00:29 MDT

Bad Dick! Bad! That's a page from Australasian electronics retailer Dick Smith Electronics. The happy, solitaire kid is holding up two games: Gears of War and Halo 3. Perhaps they are games other children want! Perhaps. But both are games that children can buy, and there's not a parent in sight. In Australia, Halo is rated "M (Recommended for mature audiences)", but can be purchased by younger customers. Gears of War legally can't! It's rated M +15, meaning "Not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian." No wonder this kid's so happy! So if you are 10 years old, Dick Smith will totally hook you up.

Thanks, Christopher! Close-up after the jump.

Halo 3 Helps Gamer Get New Kidney

torif — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 14:00:57 MST

Getting a gamer to sit down and play Halo 3 is easy. Getting them to throw in $10 for a tournament may, under any other circumstances, be slightly more difficult. But when it's for a good call, like raising money to help a fellow gamer afford a much-needed kidney transplant, I'm sure many of us wouldn't give it a second thought.
On March 22, the Femme Fatales will be holding a tournament to help their fellow clan member, Beenie (aka RagingJellyBean), raise money for a much-needed kidney transplant. For $10, you can enter in either a 4x4 or Free For All Tournament, and compete for a cause. Or, those not wishing to play can make a donation directly to the RJB Charity Paypal account.
According to a friend of Beenie's, there are two things you should know about her:
1) She is not sick. She has some medical issues, but she'll never let you call her sick.
2) She is a hard core Halo player.
For more info on how you can help out a fellow gamer, sign up here.

Play Halo 3, Help Beenie Get a New Kidney [Hawty McBloggy]

Bungie Kisses Boo-Boo, Makes It All Better

Mark Wilson — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 13:20:00 MST

One week ago today, a gamer named Nathaniel told the internet his story of an Xbox 360 repair gone awry. After sending in his console that was adorned with artwork and autographs for repair, it came back from Microsoft scrubbed clean. But Bungie heard the cries of a downed Halo fanboy and offered to make things right. Here's the big gift they sent Nathaniel's way—a Legendary Edition helmet signed by the Bungie staff.

Oh, but he got more stuff than that...

The full list includes:

* Legendary Edition Helmet signed by most-if not all-of the studio staff
* Halo 3 Soundtrack (two disc) signed by Marty O'Donnel (with "DO NOT ERASE!" written under his name)
* Bungie Jacket
* Bungie T-Shirt
* Halo 3 Messenger Bag
* Two Halo 3 Limited Edition Wireless Controllers (one covenant, one human)
* Halo 3 Faceplate and Skins for Xbox 360
* Four McFarlane Action Figures (MC, EVA Spartan, Brute Chieftan, Jackal Sniper)
* Halo Actionclix Preview pack (Target exclusive sticker on the front)
* Halo Actionclix Game Pack 4
* Halo 3 Wall Graffix
* Halo 3: Ghosts of Onyx Novel
* Halo Graphic Novel
* Halo 3 Wristband
* Halo 3 Hackeysack

And with these gifts, Bungie balanced the karma of the Universe/Microsoft for ever and ever. The end.

To see the whole swag package, hit the link.

Bungie Unscrews Previously Screwed Gamer [Hawty McBloggy]

Ugliest and Only Halo 3 Lamp

Brian Crecente — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:00:49 MST

Hawty McBloggy found this delightful Halo 3-themed lamp while perusing the dregs of eBay auctions. The lamp, which features two spartans being ambushed by a jackal sniper, is nearly two-feet tall and had a starting bid of just under $95. The auction ends on Sunday. Not bad for a lamp that blends kitsch with Halo.

Halo 3 Lighting Up Your Life [Hawty McBloggy]

Halo 3 Laser Command Gets Priced, Photographed

Mark Wilson — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:40:19 MST

Remember laser tag? Some of you may be too young. But with the coming of Halo 3, laser tag has been reinvigorated with licensing dollars. Last week, Jasman Toys announced new Laser Command toys co-branded with Microsoft/Bungie. This week, we have pictures of the glorious weaponry as it goes on sale at ThinkGeek (along with a few other retailers we're sure). The guns are actually pretty slick, with as much attention to detail as stickered plastic can achieve.

Hit the jump for a video of the guns in action. They are far more impressive when you see...
1. Their absurd sizes.
2. Their absurd firing kickback.

Looks like a fun enough afternoon. The pistol set with run you $80, and the rifle is quite a bit more at $130.

Halo 3 Laser Pursuit Plasma Weapons [ThinkGeek] Thanks Erik!

Warthog RC Car Is Unofficial, Fantastic

Luke Plunkett — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 02:00:00 MST

This is the Helios, a rock-climbing radio-controlled car by Pro-Line. Now, I don't want to go sullying the good name of Pro-Line's art and design departments, but that's no homage. That's straight-up design thievery. And we're all the better for it! Bungie and Microsoft haven't gotten around to plugging this obvious gap in the Halo merch market, so it's good to see Pro-Line picking up the slack. Oh, and yes. At over 12" long you can probably fit your Halo figures in the seats.
Proline - Helios [RCasy, via Hobby Blog]

Rock Band Bundle on Sale at Target

fdemarco — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 08:00:00 MST

Target's weekly ad has some pretty sweet deals this time around. The Rock Band Special Edition bundle for both PS3 and 360 is going for $149 (in store only) which is about $20 off the usual price. Also featured is a $40 gift card with the purchase of the 40GB PS3 and a $10 gift card with the purchase of one of eleven different games. Here's some of the highlights:

Devil May Cry 4 (PS3, 360)
Heavenly Sword (PS3)
Assassin's Creed (PS3, 360)
Call of Duty 4 (PS3, 360)
Halo 3 (360)
Mass Effect (360)
Lost Odyssey (360)

If you're feeling like a shopping spree you could pick up a couple games and use those gift cards to put towards that Rock Band bundle bringing the price down to a comfortable $129.

Best of the Sunday Ad Video Game Deals (2/17 - 2/23) [CheapAssGamer]