New Halo 3 Legendary Map Vidoc

Bungie released a new video which should provide some more insight into the maps and features which are part of the Legendary Map pack. The new map pack will be available on April 15th for 800 MS points.

Skooba Design Makes Awesome Bag Straps

I got a new Targus bag from Staples a few weeks ago and my only complaint was the poorly designed shoulder strap.  Thankfully my wife got me a Superbungee Strap from Skooba Design and BAM totally transformed my messenger bag!  The strap from Skooba Design is so comfortable i had to fight with the cottonelle puppy to leave for work in the morning.  I only need to haul my bag for short distances but I can’t imagine carrying it on any serious commute without a Skooba Design Superbungee strap!  The strap has a bungee in the top portion which helps support the weight of a 4th edition strategy book so you don’t throw your back out getting an MBA.  Anything that can make taking a step towards a desk for 8 hours enjoyable is well worth it and right now Skooba has 15% off all shoulder straps.

Halo 3 Soundtrack Preview

Bungie announced earlier today that the Halo 3 soundtrack preview site has gone live. Currently the site only allows for short samples of each song on the 2 disk set with some commentary, however much more is to come. The Halo 3 soundtrack releases November 20th and is available for pre-order the Halo 3 soundtrack at Amazon right now.

On December 1st a special section of the soundtrack site will go live called, “Marty’s Playground”. This section will give fans access to many in game sound assets. If this isn’t exciting enough the playground adds an exciting feature. According to the description,

Using this system, you can “score” in game footage in real time.

This feature could be as simple as mixing the score for preset campaign moments, but I am thinging much bigger. Imagine if you could use the same audio assets as Marty to create a soundtrack for that killer multi-player match you just watched in the theater! With the current setup for watching in game footage this feature would apparently rely on the 360 if you mixing a “score” in real time. Until December one chalk this part of the implementation up as speculation on my part.

Bungie and Microsoft Break Up…Stay Friends

Well much like the romantic relationships of your youth the Bungie/Microsoft ownership has come to an end. Thankfully for gamers they have promised to remain friends. Bungie broke the news in their What’s up Weekly Update and assure fans that they will be continuing to both parter with Microsoft and continue work for the 360 and the Halo franchise. The Bungie summation is below with the whole press release after the jump.

As you have no doubt read on the web today, Microsoft Corp. and Bungie Studios, have reached an unprecedented and exciting agreement – starting immediately, Bungie will become an independent company and will retain a long-term publishing agreement with Microsoft Game Studios for “Halo” titles. The new structure became effective on Oct. 1, 2007. The official blurb follows, but since you’re a valuable part of our community, we thought we’d sum it up simply and concisely.

Bungie has long been built on creativity, originality and the freedom to pursue ideas. Microsoft agreed, and rather than stifle our imagination, they decided it was in both our best interests to unleash it. We’ll continue to make Xbox 360 games, and we’ll continue to make amazing games for MGS. In that regard, nothing has changed. All that has changed is that now Bungie Studios is once again, the property of the folks of Bungie Studios. Microsoft is and will continue to be, a brilliant, inventive and creatively collaborative publishing partner. Practically speaking, nothing has changed and you guys won’t see much, if any difference, for a while unless you come to work for us, that is – we’re hiring at http://www.bungie.net/inside/jobs.aspx

Many gamers will be conforted that this won’t disrupt the Halo 3 experience and the reins of Master Chief et al will stay with Bungie at the driver seat, even if the carriage and buggy is owned by Microsoft.

Previously: If MS and Bungie Break Up, Who Gets the Dog?

Halo 3 Announced, Release in 07

Halo 3 was just announced at E3 and is also announced on the front page over at bungie.net

Direct link to more info on Halo 3 at Bungie

The Halo 3 trailer is available in Quicktime and Windows Media Formats in both Small and Large versions and in HD on the Xbox 360.

Note the game was absent of a Forerunner add on to the title.

Check out my Halo 2 Profanity study