The teaser? Nearly identical to the one on display during E3 2008, save for minor changes. The drop time? Approximately 7 AM Bungie Standard Time. Be there or be square. Bring some breakfast popcorn.

Spencer says that the publisher has "more than two or three teams building Halo things right now." Some quick calculations lead us to believe that is four or more. We know that two of those are likely Ensemble Studios' Halo Wars and the Peter Jackson-led project currently known as Halo: Chronicles, but what about the other two "things"?

One of those things could very well be Bungie's next project, something which may not be owned outright by Microsoft. ("Some of them we will own, some of them we won't," Spencer notes.) Whatever Bungie has planned next may be revealed within the next few weeks.

The other? It may be Halo 4. It may not necessarily be a proper game at all, as Spencer says that "we have future plans to support ["scalable ventures"] which are unannounced, but we're going to do something with Halo," seemingly in the vein of new maps and software updates.

We hope that, whatever, the fourth Halo-branded thing that MGS has planned, it features space, marines and guns. We're aiming low.

Phil Spencer - Part One [GamesIndustry.biz]

Microsoft’s new Halo Studio team is looking for a technical and highly talented program manager to work with an engineering team to help define the next generation of gaming software technology. As part of a next generation team, you'll be instrumental in helping to lead the development of the engine that will power future experiences for the next generation of gaming platforms.

It fits, really. I mean, you don't start building a team this late if you expect a major title to be done within the next year or two, so a new Halo on a new console makes sense. Hit the link to see the full job app.

Microsoft: Program Manager [Microsoft Careers - Thanks Kay!]

What's more, Gearbox boss Randy Pitchford stated in February: "I've started a new project. It's big. It's, like, look-at-our-line-up-and-imagine-something-even-bigger kind of big. I'm Directing it myself. I can't mention it publicly yet. When you find out what this is, you'll likely agree that I can't oversell this one." But that doesn't necessarily mean Gearbox is doing Halo 4. The "big" project Pitchford is talking about could be something else entirely. And Halo 4 hasn't even been announced. (Though, Microsoft would be silly not to do it.)

So, why all this talk about Gearbox and Halo 4?

The current Director of Technology at Gearbox is Corrinne Yu. Corrinne Yu (pictured) has been called, for lack of a better comparison, "the John Carmack of female programmers". She's an industry vet, cutting her teeth as the Lead Programmer for the 3DO's Asia launch, going on to work as Lead Programmer for the Prey Engine and even working as Director of Technology at John Romero's ill-fated ION Storm and also at 3D Realms.

Her recent work at Gearbox includes programming Brothers in Arms, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands. So why all this talk about Corrinne Yu? We've come in possession of an internal Gearbox email that Yu sent out. It reads:

Hello, friends.

I am Corrinne Yu, Director of Technology of Gearbox Software.

I was offered and recruited to the position of Principle (Lead) Engine Architect of Halo Franchise Team at Microsoft. I accepted the offer to lead the team to build the engines and games for future Halo's on Xbox'es and PC's at Microsoft.

I am staying to simu-ship Brothers In Arms all versions. I will start Halo after BiA starts manufacturing. Aliens: Colonial Marines and Borderlands are more than mostly completed. I assure you I will continue to help Gearbox. I am starting on Halo Team at Microsoft after 09/15/2008. My email after that day will be XXXX@microsoft.com.

I would be glad to introduce my friendly helpful Corrinne replacements at Gearbox to you. I am stoked to program and design and build some awesome Halo's.

Let's stay in touch!

after 09/15/2008

Corrinne Yu
Principle Engine Architect
Halo Franchise Team
Microsoft

after 09/15/2008:
XXXX@microsoft.com
XXXX@XXXX.com
XXXX@XXXX.net

before 09/15/2008

Corrinne Yu
XXXX@XXXX.com

before 09/15/2008:
XXXX@gearboxsoftware.com
XXXX@XXXX.net
Director of Technology
Gearbox Software

Obviously, we added the "XXXX" for privacy. So this email doesn't exactly confirm that Gearbox is doing Halo 4 (it doesn't even confirm Halo 4), but it does make it seem more plausible. Perhaps Yu has been hired to act as a go-between for Gearbox and Microsoft? Or maybe Yu will be lending her programming wizardry to internally developed Microsoft Game Studios Halo titles.

We are following up with both Microsoft and Gearbox.

[Pic]

Official XBOX Magazine [Official Site via Joystiq via Edge]

I'm going to go with Team Ninja as my dream developer for this one. Itagaki has already confessed his adoration for the Halo series and public interest in seeing much skimpier Spartan armor has surely been piqued by the prospect. Make it happen!

If It Couldn't Be Bungie, Then Who Would Make "Halo 4″? [MTV Multiplayer]

Bungie is really funny as hell. No, really. An online auction offered up by the game studio for a cameo bid in Halo 3. Bidding started at US $1,000. The money raised was to help the homeless. The auction read:

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

Which lead to general freak-outtage. That is, until Bungie stepped in and crashed those candy-colored hopes and dreams with this remark:

The cameo is for Halo 3, and the timeframe is tight, although the 'wit' who wrote the eBay copy originally joked that if you don't make the session in time, you'd have to end up in Halo 4. Note that was not an announcement, but rather a sad clunker of a gag.

Heh. Joke or not, no one even made a minimum bid. Chin up, Bungie! You can always do the same for Halo 4. Brian Ashcraft

Halo 4 Joke [Eurogamer]

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

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

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

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

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

1Up (sup Luke) has an exclusive interview with Bungie's music video director and Halo composer Marty O'Donnell. While churning out Halo 3 is gobbling up Bungie's time and energy, the company doesn't just want to be the Halo guys. The studio is interested in Xbox Live Arcade and other things. As O'Donnell points out, "We're not walking away from Halo, because it's a great universe and a great franchise. There's lots of story that we can tell about Halo, but we're working on other stuff." Brian Ashcraft

Watch Here [1Up]