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Frank O'Connor leaves Bungie for more Halos


For Bungie fans one name has been synonymous with a Halo branded encyclopedia of knowledge and human complaint cushion. Frank O'Connor, content manager at Bungie Studios, has announced he is leaving his position and heading to Microsoft in order to work more closely on the Halo franchise.

In his final weekly update, Frankie thanks fans for their continued support and for not following up on various death threats made throughout the years. We'd like to believe that's a joke, but we're sure it isn't.

Frankie left fans with something they've grown to expect from Bungie's public face, a tease for the future. "I was busy working on a story for one of our next games, an experience that is destined to surprise, amaze and entertain like nothing we've ever made before." We know every Bungie fan is holding their breath for the next morsel of info that drops and can't wait to see what Bungie has in store for the future.

Take care Frankie, and don't be a stranger.

[via Joystiq]

Community Content: Back at Blackout Edition


Each week, X3F showcases the best in Halo 3 downloads with Community Content. To find out how to set up your Bungie.net account, click here. Submit your own ideas at: comcon [AT] xbox360fanboy [DOT] com

This week in Community Content we bring you a subtle change to Blackout. Blackout is supposed to represent isolation from the outside world. Fighting for survival on a floating oil rig, you must fend off your foes and achieve the maximum body count to come out on top. This week's content, Juicy Blackdome, changes the map on its head by removing the majority of the maps power weapons and creating a new perch for players to "rain down" the doom.

Due to technical difficulties, no video walkthrough for this weeks content is provided. Apologizes!

Continue reading Community Content: Back at Blackout Edition

Grifball returns for H3 Double EXP Weekend

Double EXP Weekend is back yet again, because it's weekend time and team Bungie just loves to doublify (is that even a word?) Halo 3 players' EXP. They really are that caring. And this time Grifball makes a return to the Halo 3 matchmaking hopper complete with hammers, swords and plenty of stiff-arms to the face. The only switch-up from the last Grifball Double EXP Weekend is that they'll be utilizing the new Spring League map which we're told makes it, quote "harder for jerks to escape the map." The Grifball playlist will disappear come Monday morning, so form a team and get to Grifballing (we guarantee that isn't a real word.)

Photoshop Frankie, then you can haz Recon

If you're looking for new Halo 3 information, then this week's Bungie Weekly Update isn't for you because Frankie is still missing in action and isn't doing his job. Though, if you're looking for a new way to earn Recon armor AND a way to mock Frankie publicly, then this week's Bungie Weekly Update IS for you.

Bungie is holding a contest where they're challenging expert (and not so expert) Photoshoppers to take some old Frankie photos (ones where he actually has hair) and mess with him. The three categories for entry include Best Use of Frank's Image via an Existing Internet Meme, Best Utilization of Frank's Image in a Motivational Poster and Best Use of Frank's Image Inspired by a Major Motion Picture and the winner from each category will walk away with Recon. Fire up Photoshop, there's Recon to earn ...

Community Content Recap


Each week, X3F showcases the best in Halo 3 downloads with Community Content. To find out how to set up your Bungie.net account, click here. Submit your own ideas at: comcon [AT] xbox360fanboy [DOT] com

Ordinarily at this time of day you'd be shaking your head at lame machinima and commenting on the latest entry into our weekly Halo 3-centric feature, Community Content. This week is slightly different.

After unleashing user-generated content for nearly four months we thought now would be a good time to recap all the content we've ever recommended in our weekly Community Content feature.

Missed a few weeks? Looking to spice up that copy of Halo 3 you still hold onto for dear life? Check out our super-list of Community Content after the break!

Continue reading Community Content Recap

Halo Wars audio designers make birds you can't see


The Halo Wars RTS Chapter on Bungie.net has conducted an interview with Ensemble Studios' Kevin McMullan and JD Smith, the two people in charge of the audio in Halo Wars. Again -- as seems to be a trend with Halo Wars -- you won't find any breathtaking news in the interview, but it does serve as an interesting glimpse into the development process. McMullan and Smith discuss how complex the soundscape is in RTS games, which combine the sounds of combat, dialogue, UI effects, and music all at once. They also talk about the challenge presented by creating sound for a Halo RTS that has to stay true to the series and yet still create its own identity. Finally, and perhaps most interesting, is the discussion of creating ambient sound effects. In particular, Smith mentions creating birds that aren't graphically represented in the game, but instead are represented solely through moving, intelligent sounds. Fascinating stuff. Even more fascinating is Smith's source file he used to create one of the game's bird calls: his 3-year-old daughter. Hit the "read" links below to read the interviews and hear the sound files.

Read - Interview pt. I
Read - Interview pt. II (including sound files)

Halo 3 doubles the EXP with Team Snipers

As is beginning to be customary every weekend, Bungie recently made available a new double experience point weekend playlist that will make sniper fans giddy with headshot happiness.

The new (and weekend limited) Halo 3 Team Snipers double EXP matchmaking playlist is live right now, will end sometime during the early morning hours this Monday and requires both the Heroic and Legendary Map packs. Secondary requirements for enjoying Team Snipers is a steady hand, a talent for shooting people's heads and we're sure a previous preference for the sniper rifle would help too. Have fun, rack up the EXP and earn that General Grade 3 already.

Halo Wars designer talks controls, DLC, and more


Australian site Gameplayer recently managed to snag a few minutes with Graeme Devine, lead designer on Halo Wars at Ensemble Studios. While there are no earth-shattering announcements to be pulled from the interview -- sorry kids, still no confirmation of playable Covenant or Flood -- there are still a few tasty bits to be gleaned. First of all, Devine reemphasizes that one of the main goals of Halo Wars is to prove that RTS games can work without a keyboard and mouse.

With this in mind, the team at Ensemble created simple controls, consolidating similar actions -- such as different types of unit selection to presses of a single button. For example, single press of the A button will select one unit, a double click will select all units on screen, and a triple click will select the entire army. Another addition, all levels have been designed so that they can be completed without rotating the camera. Sure, players can rotate the camera, but they don't have to.

Finally, Devine mentions that there may be a level editor included with Halo Wars and also details Ensemble's plans for downloadable content. At the moment, new units and maps are definitely in the works. Even more exciting, Ensemble is considering releasing extra campaigns as well. Hit the "read" link for the full interview.

Bungie update: funny screens, Halo lore explored


The latest Bungie weekly update may not be packed to the brim with exciting things like upcoming playlists or talk of yet more new maps, but there are definitely some tasty morsels for Halo fans out there. First and foremost is a collection of some of the funniest Halo 3 screenshots out there. We're particularly enamored of the one above. We have dubbed it "Cojones" for reasons that we don't care to elucidate. Secondly, the update enumerates a few of the more interesting statistics about Halo 3. Our favorite is the number of people who have completed the Legendary campaign with every skull turned on. How many people have done this? Two. We can't figure out if those two people are insanely good or insanely patient. Either way, they're insane. Finally, the update points gamers to Ascendant Justice, a blog that has posted a three part series exploring the story revealed in Halo 3's terminals. Fans of the series should definitely read it. Hit the "read" link to explore the entire update.

New Marathon maps and achievements on the way

It's kind of strange when you think about it. Here we have Marathon, a very old game getting DLC thanks to the magic of Xbox Live Arcade. 360Sync got a look at the new DLC (complete with new achievements) including some super spiffy videos. The first video, embedded above, shows off the map Duality (originally from the Marathon series and remade as Gemini in Halo 2). Fun fact: Duality was named for a game being created by Double Aught, a company comprised of former Bungie employees. Duality the game, sadly, was never released. The second video (embedded after the break) showcases "Thick and Chunky." The primary feature of the level is the large lava pit in the center, which also happens to be where the hill is located in King of the Hill mode. Ouch.

We're not sure how many more maps could wind up in the upcoming DLC. Keep your eyes on X3F for the latest on what to expect and details on when the DLC will be available.

Continue reading New Marathon maps and achievements on the way

Video: Halo 3 meets The A-Team

Honestly, who doesn't like a good A-Team parody? That's right, no one, because everyone likes The A-Team (and Mr T, of course). We've seen a Gears of War A-Team parody before and, frankly, we're surprised it took this long for a Halo 3 version to come across our proverbial desk. Created by the folks at No Scope Comics, the video poses the Master Chief, the Arbiter, and the other two Elites from Halo 3's co-op campaign as the whole gang from The A-Team. It's a surprisingly accurate take on the original intro actually. Enjoy.

[Thanks, Andrew H]

Video: Halo 3 kill stealing with fusion cores


Today is yet another lazy Sunday, so we find no better time than now to visit the pile of random Halo 3 videos to bring you yet another video gem.

We have here one of the most complicated Halo 3 kill steals we've ever seen, complete with sniper action, fusion core explosions, a splatter and a missed melee. It's best to just watch the video to get the full kill stealing experience, but the gist of it is that a player snipes one of the other team's Spartans, then that same bullet hits a fusion core, which explodes next to another player who (by chance) is milliseconds away from being assassinated but gets knocked into the wall giving the sniper player a splatter kill. It's random and totally delicious! These videos also make us want to plead with EVERY game developer to incorporate some kind of record functionality in their games. Moments like this are too priceless to waste.

[Via HBO]

Community Content: Snowed In Edition


Each week, X3F showcases the best in Halo 3 downloads with Community Content. To find out how to set up your Bungie.net account, click here. Submit your own ideas at: comcon [AT] xbox360fanboy [DOT] com

This week in Community Content we bring your an Avalanche map variant that adds a touch more of Sidewinder into the mix. Cottonball is vehicular mayhem at its best with twice as many rides equaling twice as much carnage for Big Team or Objective based gametypes.

Perfect for Capture the Flag, Assault or a high scoring Team Deathmatch, Cottonball is a minimalist approach to Community Content is a whole lot of fun to play. Check it out!

Music: "Foreplay of War" by Critical Mood

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Continue reading Community Content: Snowed In Edition

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a Halo 3 fiesta!

It's time once again for another 100% Bungie approved and X3F certified Halo 3 Double EXP Weekend! This Double EXP Weekend, we get to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a new Legendary Map Pack required, ten person, social, free for all, Fiesta gametype playlist called "Cinco de Mayo". How appropriate, right? For those who aren't familiar with Fiesta, it's pretty much Slayer but every time you spawn you're given a random weapon or two. Kinda like a drunken, super violent fiesta ... get it? Also, since it is May, Bungie rolled out all the new Halo 3 playlist changes including the addition of a full-time (and ranked) Team SWAT as well as making Social Slayer a 4v4 playlist. Check out the matchmaking updates, go play Fiesta and celebrate Cinco de Mayo the Bungie way.

Halo 3 Forge mode art attack!


A day after showcasing some nice Halo 3 screenshot art we got word of a contest on Maximum Fear that asked gamers to get creative with Halo 3's Forge mode. Halo 3 player Hahka submitted the winning piece, as shown above, and took home a $25 Bungie Store gift card.

Some of the other entries included a shockingly realistic portrait of Bungie's Frank O'Connor and a disturbing recreation of Michael Jackson's mug. Oh, so that's how his doctors figure out how to resculpt his face everytime! Makes sense.

[Thanks David and Nathan]

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