Thursday Maintenance [Updated]

I know things are quiet right now, but trust me, it is that pre-E3 lull. Behind the scenes, we've got great things going on. Towards that end though, the servers need a little poking and prodding. On Thursday night, starting at 6pm Pacific, you might notice the site become really slow and unresponsive. This could last as long as 12 hours (we're doing datacenter maintenance). After that, we should be primed and ready to go, server wise, for E3.

Halo Video Contest Update

In order to give more fans a chance to create their Halo videos, the deadline for all America's Biggest Halo Fan entries has been extended to April 25th . You've got exactly one week to get those videos in so put on your puffy director's pants and snap to it! Remember, the top three win a free trip to LA to attend FanFest!

World Domination with Style

The latest piece of the 7th Column uniform is now availabe in the Bungie Store! This new knit cap will keep you warm and stylish as we continue our march towards world domination.

FanFest Update

FanFest is just around the corner and the initial response has been overwhelming! We hit our limit of 200 registered attendees in a mere handful of days. The official registration page is closed to further entries but there is still hope for those of you who didn't make it in time.

If you were among the lucky 200 who signed up first, you should have already recevied a confirmation email to the address you provided. In addition, there is a current list of all the confirmed attendess posted at the FanFest Chapter. A few of you have email addresses that did not work and/or you did not provide the necessary information. This needs to be cleared up by Monday, 4/14 or you risk losing your spot.

If you missed the 200 person cutoff, you are still in luck. Inevitably there will be people who drop out and as spots become available, I will be adding people to list in the order that they signed up.

Anyone is also free to simply show up at the event. All confirmed registered attendees will be admitted first but anyone who is not there by 7:30 PM will lose their spot and we will start letting in people from the line. In addition, as people leave throughout the night, we will allow others to enter. So, don't despair - show up at the convention center early and there's a good chance that you'll get in at some point during the evening.

If you have more questions or need more information, please check out the Bungie FanFest 2003 Chapter listed above. There is an ongoing Q&A resource and a dedicated forum to talk with FanFest staff and attendees.

Thanks again to everyone for the strong support for this year's event and we look forward to seeing you all in LA!

FanFest Filling Fast

If you're going to be in the LA area on May 15 and you haven't signed up for the Bungie FanFest yet, you better hurry! We're already over 75% full and the spaces are going FAST.

Got Skillz?

We're looking for an experienced 3D Environment Artist to help us design and build multiplayer worlds for Halo 2. Check out our Jobs Page to get the specficis for this and our other current openings.

Fandango No More

The Halo 3 Man Fandango contest has come to an end so thanks to everyone who posted a gametype. We'll be sorting through the entries and picking our favorites very soon. Game on!

Change of Scenery

7th Column chapters rejoice! We've got three brand spankin new themes available courtesy of our pal poena.dare #CP# >BS< .

Both "Pathways" and "Dossiers & Memories" pay tribute to the old Bungie classic, Pathways to Darkness. The third, "First and Last", features our hero Master Chief and the Covenant attack on Earth. All three can now be selected from the "Group Settings" menu within your chapter. So what are you waiting for? Go check em out!

Thanks again to poena.dare and his chapter, Swift Hands of God.

One Gametype Slays the Rest

Which Halo multiplayer gametype do you enjoy the most? After nearly 1,500 votes, the results of the last poll are in and Slayer wins by a landslide.

While the battle between CTF and Slayer remained close initially, good ole' deathmatch slowly crept ahead and then never looked back. Of course we all love each of the different gametypes but there's only room for one at the top.

Here are the final results:

1. Slayer (52%)
2. CTF (38%)
3. KotH (5%)
4. Oddball (3%)
5. Race (2%)

Halo 3 Man Fandango (updated)

The latest Bungie.net contest has arrived and we're looking for the best Halo gametype variants for a 3 person match. Time to dig through your chapter databases and see if you have what it takes.

The Halo 3 Man Fandango Contest

As the name implies, (sort of), this contest is about creating the ultimate custom gametype suitable for a 3 person match. While many of us enjoy a good LAN match and even some one on one, three player games are often hard to come by. That's where you come in. We're calling on all chapters to submit their best custom gametype for Bungie and the Community to crown the "King of all 3 player games."

This contest is only open to 7th Column chapters and each chapter is only allowed to submit ONE entry. It will be critical that you coordinate with your chapter before you post your entry. If a chapter submits more than one then they will be disqualified. You only have one shot, make it count! Once all the entries are received, we will narrow down the list to the top 7. Bungie will pick their favorite and the community will also be asked to vote on their favorite. The winning chapter(s) and game variants will be immortalized throughout the world of Halo as THE best gametype for a 3 person match.

Since we're dealing with entire chapters, prizes are not exactly feasible. However, the winning Chapter will get great exposure, recognition and most importantly - bragging rights throughout the Column.

Here are the details and official rules, please read them carefully:

1. Gametype variant must be for a 3 person SINGLE XBOX game.

2. The contest begins on Tuesday, March 18 and runs through Sunday, March 30. All entries must be received by midnight on 3/30.

3. The contest is only open to 7th Column chapters

4. Each chapter can ONLY submit ONE entry. Exceeding this WILL result in disqualification.

5. Chapters should enter their gametypes into the official 3 Man Fandango Database
ENTER YOUR CHAPTER NAME IN THE "NAME" FIELD. You can put the actual name for your custom game in the "DESCRIPTION" area. Any entries that don't have the Chapter name clearly listed in the Name field will not be considered valid.

6. All entries will be judged on the following criteria:
* FUN FACTOR (it should be fun for 3 players of comparable skill level)
* Originality
* Ease of Use (it has to be something that others can set up without too much hassle).

7. Bungie will narrow down the list to the TOP 7

8. From the Top 7, there will be two winners. First, the Community will have a chance to vote on which gametype they like the most. This will be the "People's Choice" winner. Second, Bungie will play through the Top 7 and pick the "Bungie's Choice" winner.

9. In the event that the same entry is submitted by different chapters (i.e. the exact same settings), whomever submits it first will be given credit.

Remember, the overall point of this contest is to identify some really fun and cool three player game modes! There are no tangible prizes, just the pride and recognition that comes from having your gametype adopted by Bungie and the Community.

Show Your True Colors

Want to add some color to your Halo games? Xbox colored controllers are on the way and your votes will determine which ones make the cut. Take this quick survey and pick your favorites!

Halo Action Figures FAQ

Aiyaaa... so after last month's coverage on Halo action figures, the same questions seem to keep popping up over and over. SO! It was only logical to compile a good ol' FAQ on the subject. Go here to get edumacated. ;)

Master Chief in da Hood

We've got a fresh new addition to the Bungie Store this week - the Halo Hoodie. With Master Chief emblazoned on the front, this comfy garment will keep you warm and make you cool. Get em while they're hot!

More Flood goodness

In conjuction with The Flood hitting the Bungie store this week, we've added a new wallpaper to the Halo desktops section. The original artwork by Bungie's own Eddie, Mehve and Juan can also be found over in the gallery.

The Flood has arrived (sort of)

Halo: The Flood , the upcoming novel by William C. Dietz, is now available for pre-order in the Bungie store. Sure you can buy it at Amazon, but wouldn't you rather give your money to us? Throw in one of the new Halo T-Shirts while you're at it!

Halo:The Flood is expected to ship on April 1, 2003.

Stay tuned later this week for a new wallpaper of the great cover art for this book.

A Window into the Bungie culture

Admit it, y’all think that we here at Bungie are just having fun all day long. Not a thought about business… just sitting here full of ourselves, having the time of our lives. Far from it. We’re actually thinking about your mom too and what she wore last—ow!! All right all right. Geez. I’m just kidding! Don’t forget that I’m a girl, and I’ll whoop your ass like – ow! That does it! :::shing!!!::: :::thwack!!::: ::: eyaaaah!::: :::thud::: ::: shuck ::: <ahem> There’s a reason I have razor-sharp samurai sword at my desk, fool. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Fun. Yes! We’re all about fun! And carnage. But this is work after all. And even our FUN has a purpose. It’s all part of the P.L.A.N.

So, just to set things on course, in case the Comics section is looking like they’re getting out of hand. I just want to say that each one, even the very first one that Evil Otto penned, is really a Window into the Bungie Culture. All the better to prepare the masses for our eventual takeover. There will be more Halo Babies comics. There will be more Bungie Adventures starring Skip and the Online Team along with other Bungie personalities that I hope you’ll come to know and love. And just to throw in that Skittle in a jar-full of M&M’s, I present: Great Moments in Bungie History. This is the first excerpt from the fabled Bungie Handbook created by The Man. These moments are based on REAL LIFE events. They’re so crazy that we had to make rules about them to protect employees and to indemnify Bungie from any liabilities.

Toy Fair Goodies

Toy Fair has come to a close and as a special Friday treat we've got some new pics of the upcoming Halo collectibles. Head on over to the gallery and take a peek!

Reminder: Downtime Monday!

Update: The site is back online and the changes are live!
This is just a reminder that all Bungie web sites will be intermittently up and down starting at about 2am through 10:30am (PST) while we perform some updating. I know, it is kind of a long period, but trust me, you'll like some of the stuff we have ready for you. More on that after the update.