Lexington, NE - In a move that left adult gamers stunned, 13 year-old Timmy Smith has given up gaming. "I was such a jerk," he explained. "I didn't see how annoying and disrepectful I was. You know what they say, hind sight is 20 something."

Last week, Smith's gaming career reached it's climax, chalking up 36 kills in an online game of Halo 2's Team Training Assault. He marveled at his own skill. "I pwned you [slang for female dogs]," he said in the post game carnage report. "You're all a bunch of n00Bs and I pwned you. You guys must suck, 'cause I got 36 kills. I had, like, 50 medals too, you bunch of [homophobic reference]. Even my teammates sucked my [slang for testicles]. If it weren't for me, you [racial slur] would have lost. I even sang "Cherry Pie" the whole friggin' time, and I still pwned you." The trash talking continued even after everyone else had left the room. That's when Smith realized he had a problem. "I couldn't believe that they didn't want to hear about how skilled I am, or hang out with me in a party. I tried to send them friend requests, but they all declined 'em. I started to get angry with the fact that they wouldn't stay and take what they deserved. Maybe it was all the team kills. That's when I started to realize that I might have a problem." Smith's parents, Gary and Linda, also sensed that their son might have a problem. "I'd wake up in the middle of the night to go to the can, and I'd hear Timmy swearing and singing at people that he was playing with online," Mr. Smith said. "At least I think he was playing with others online. Anyway, I'd check in on him, and he'd tell me that everything was fine, and that he was just making some new friends." "I don't know what could ever have done this to our sweet little boy," Mrs. Smith said. "Ever since he got on that Xbox Now or whatever you call it, I've been so worried about him. Not only because of what I hear coming from his mouth, but because you never know what kind of creepy old men might be out there trying to seduce our child. I mean, just look at Michael Jackson. I thought he was [homophobic reference], but into kids? That's sick!" "What really brought things to a head, was when he started using his smack talk at the kitchen table," Mr. Smith explained. "We don't have a dining room, so our table's in the kitchen. Anyway, Timmy started saying stuff like "Pass the taters, [slang for female dog]," and "Gimme some desert, or I'll no-scope your [buttocks]." We don't really know what that means, but we're a little uncomfortable with it." "I'm such a [annoying stupid person]," Smith said with tears swelling in his eyes. "If only I'd have known what an intolerable pile of [fecal matter] I'd become. No one on my friends list likes me any more, and I'm really not that good. I cheated my way up to a 37 before the reset, but now I'm stuck at 18. I'm the n00B, I'm the one that sucks." Smith went on to say that he's giving up video games, and taking up sports. "I just want to be a part of something where ego's never get in the way. What a better place than a team sports environment?" [url=http://www.2old2play.com]- Agonizing Gas[/url] [url=http://www.2old2play.com]Satire From 2old2play.com[/url]

Time is running out for your chance to win a Master Chief [url=http://www.bungiestore.com/bungieform/images/large_masterchief.jpg]statue[/url] or a special edition [url=http://www.bungiestore.com/bungieform/images/large_goldwarthog.jpg]Warthog[/url]. The last day to enter the [url=http://www.bungiestore.com]Bungie Store[/url] sweepstakes is this Wednesday, 6/15.

The [url=http://www.bungiestore.com]Bungie Online Store[/url] has been running a sweepstakes for the past month that will result in a few lucky people winning some cool prizes. By opting in for the store's regular email alerts and newsletter, you are entered into a drawing for 1 of 20 limited edition yellow Warthogs or the uber prize - a 3' tall statue of Master Chief. Full rules and details can be found at the Bungie Store [url=http://www.bungiestore.com/bungieform/]Contest Page[/url]. And while you're there, be sure to check out some of the cool swag available like the limited edition Master Chief and Arbiter [url=http://www.bungiestore.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=10&idproduct=285]Mylar Print[/url]. Each one is numbered and as of this writing, only 272 remain (out of 500). [i]The Bungie Store is independantly owned and operated by Sunrise Identity for Bungie Studios.[/i]

The Halo 2 Xbox Live Worldwide [url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/news/2005/0427-halo2globaltournament.htm]Championship[/url] wrapped up today as finalists from 24 different countries competed for the overall title. It was a long road with many closely fought battles but sources on the front line report that [i]King Tuur[/i] from the Netherlands has emerged as the champion. Congrats!

The Xbox Live sponsored Halo 2 Worldwide Championship kicked off several months ago as players in 24 different countries began competing to crown regional winners. A series of mini events continued throughout each country until eventually one single person was chosen to represent in the world finals. Today the finals took place over Xbox Live in a series of matches that would separate the best of the best and set the stage for the grand finale. While nobody at Bungie was in attendance for the finals, our contacts on the Live team did pass along some information regarding todays games. The final pool of players came down to Japan, Germany, Netherlands, USA, France and Australia. The player from Japan won his heat giving the American, Aussie and French players their second loss and eliminating them from the competition. In the following round, Germany suffered their second defeat setting the stage for a Japan vs. Netherlands world finale. Apparently it was a close match but King Tuur of the Netherlands pulled ahead and never looked back. Congratulations to Mr. Tuur who becomes the first ever Worldwide Halo 2 Champion and also the proud recipient of a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV, a Samsung DVD Player/Recorder, a personalized world champion trophy (featuring a 24k gold Halo 2 game disc) AND $1,500 in cash. Good stuff. More information about the Xbox Live sponsored tournament and profiles of the finalists from each region can be found at Xbox.com.

Waiting an extra day to write up the report of this week's humpday match against [url=http://www.halobabies.net]Team Halobabies[/url] doesn't make the loss any less painful. How much more abuse can Team Bungie endure? Not much.

This week's Humpday Challenge actually took place on Tuesday night. We were originally planning to play the guys from Halo Babies last week but due to last minute conflicts we had to postpone. And, since their team is unavailable on Wednesdays, we settled for a Tuesday match. Obviously I haven't been in a huge hurry to recount our latest in an ongoing string of defeats... but, to give props to our opponents, it's only fair that we at least acknowledge that the match took place. Here's the quick and concise recap of what happened on Tuesday night.... (check out the Halo Babies website for their take on what happened). [b]Team Bungie[/b] Shishka, Achronos, Evil Otto, New001, Ninja on Fire and myself [b]Team [url=http://www.halobabies.net]Halo Babies[/url][/b] TMC Elite, Gruntsbane, AllMaster D, Milk N Cereal, Live killa and hnbmrsmiley [b]Game One[/b] Team Slayer on Lockout (BR start) [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?panel=stats&gameid=198563545&player=Shishka]Game Stats[/url] Duration: 04.53 I actually sat out this match since the Halo Babies team was short a player. I can't speak to the specifics of the match but the score pretty much speaks for itself. Live Killa represented his team with a nice 7 kill spree while Milk N Cereal gained the most amount of overall kills with 14. Achronos was the top scorer for Team Bungie with 11 kills but our top player New001 had a disappointing 5 kills and 9 deaths. Final Score: Halo Babies wins 50 to 37 [b]Game Two[/b] 1 Flag CTF on Burial Mounds (first to 3) [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=198598573&player=ske7ch]Game Stats[/url] Duration: 22:46 Gruntsbane decided to show up for Team HB so I was able to return to even out the teams. CTF on Burial Mounds CAN be fun.. but before the game even started we knew this was going to be a drawn out struggle. As anyone knows, playing the first to 3 scores often results in an insanely long match that could very well take up the entire night. The first round resulted in a stalemate for both sides as each team tried to feel out the other one for any signs of weakness. Halo Babies managed to get our flag outside but a well coordinated defense prevented them from scoring. On our second offensive round we pushed hard and managed to break through their fortifications and get the flag out into the open. As you know, once the flag is outside the base, the chances of scoring increase by approximately 90%. And score we did. Credit for our first (and only score) goes to Shishka. We continued the back and forth push and pull for several more rounds and neither team made any real progress in their effort to score. Finally, after spending over 20 minutes on this game, we decided we were calling it. We gave Halo Babies one last offensive shot and then we ended the match (we had already gone through 4 full rounds and Halo Babies had their 5th shot on offense). This would prove to be a bit controversial but since we ended up losing 2 of the 3 matches nobody made it into a big deal. Kudos to New001 for stepping up and finding his game with a match high 36 kills. (where were you last game??) Final Score: Bungie Wins 1-0
[b]Game Three[/b] Team Snipers on Coagulation [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=198612292&player=ske7ch]Game Stats[/url] Duration: 8:01 This was the game that we picked since New and a few of us are quite fond of sniper games. At least, we used to be. The match started out great with both teams picking one another off at long distance while the lead switched back and forth. It was neck and neck for the first half of the match but then things started to slip away. Yours truly played incredibly horrible (partly due to nearly a 2 week hiatus and the inevitable decay of my reaction time). Achronos and I managed to get a mere 2 kills each (compared to 7 and 9 deaths respectively). Eventually our entire team became pinned down at the base while Halo Babies took up positions on the ridges and rocks surrounding our spawn points. It was a closely fought battle but in the end we couldn't quite pull it off. Final Score: Halo Babies wins 50 to 46 And there you have it... another humpday, another close defeat for Team Bungie. I can honestly say that the team is starting to feel the effects of loss after loss. I hope the weekly tradition can continue well into the future but losing is only so much fun. : ) Until next week...

Next month marks the kick off for [url=http://www.videogameslive.com]Video Games Live[/url], the first major U.S. concert tour featuring music from a variety of the most popular games. Fans of Marty's masterpiece will be happy to know that Halo is one of many fine games included in the lineup.

As game soundtracks continue to creep into mainstream consciousness, it was only a matter of time before a full blown concert series took shape. This summer [url=http://www.videogameslive.com]Video Games Live[/url] promises to deliver the ultimate auditory experience as a full orchestra and chorus perform classic game music favorites. In addition to the music, attendees will be treated to giant interactive video screens and theatrical stage shows. So far two dates have been announced - July 6th at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA and August 11th Chastain Park in Atlanta, GA. Stay tuned to their site for more dates. As a special bonus, rumor has it that Bungie's own Marty O'Donnell will be making an appearance at the LA show. We'll catch up to Marty and provide some more insight into this event in the near future. For now, if you're interested, head over to their site and find out how to get your tickets on order.

The team at [url=http://www.h2press.net]h2press[/url] has been working on a Halo 2 toolbar for the past few months...It's finished!

The team at [url=http://www.h2press.net]h2press[/url] has been working on a toolbar for the last several months. We are proud to say it is now finished and working. Some of the features include: [*] RSS feeds from HBO (halo.bungie.org), HaloBabies.net, and h2press.net [*] Updated news feed on Halo 2 and other general gaming news [*] Links to bungie.net, HaloBabies.net, HBO, RedvsBlue.com, and Halo 2 stats page [*] Search box for all the major search engines Ability to launch chat room [*] Scrolling Marquee with important information and news fromt the major halo sites [*]Ability to search bungie.net, gamertag stats, and clan stats Visit [url]http://toolbar.h2press.net[/url] for more information and download the toolbar.

Nedus writes:

A sequel of sorts to the [url=http://www.halobabies.net/archive/05/01/19/master_chiefs_new_york_adventure/]Master Chief's New York Adventure[/url], this one follow the Chief as he plays in a playground, drinks beer with Louis Wu, and flirts with booth babes!

[url=http://www.halobabies.net/archive/05/05/27/master_chiefs_e3_adventure/]Master Chief's E3 Adventure[/url] The Chief gets to hang out with fans, drink beer, take pictures with booth babes, model for fans, and play some Halo 2 multiplayer at the PlasmaFest! I guess you're entitled to it when you're a badass 7-foot cyborg.

You may have noticed that the forums have been nearly unreadable the last few days. This was due to a database error that unfortunately occurred in the middle of code update late last week. It took us a while to repair the damage, but it looks like things are better now. We'll continue to monitor the system, but so far, things look very good.

In case you're interested in the details, during our update last week, several indexes in the table that contains all 3.2 million posts or so became corrupted. Attempts to rollback the change didn't succeed in fixing the problem. The end result was that retreiving topics and posts took much more CPU than they should, and that meant that all of you would get timeout errors, because everything slowed way down. Thankfully, with the help of the Ideal Science guys, we were able to fix the problem. We'll continue to monitor it, but so far, CPU utilization and request speed are back to normal.

The forums were down since about 1:30 PDT on Thursday for maintenance. We were making some performance improvements to those systems, however, there was a problem with the forums that forced the extended downtime. We've since rolled the changes back until we can determine what went wrong. [b]Currently, the system is up but running very slow; we are continuing to work on the problem.[/b]

The performance update requires us to rebuild certain parts of the forum data so they can be accessed faster. This rebuild took longer than expected. As such, we have rolled the changes back until we can determine why it was taking so long to rebuild the index in question.

Last night Team Bungie went to war with players from [url=http://www.2070films.com]2070 Films[/url] in an attempt to regain the Humpday cup and restore honor to the Studio. Here's how it all went down according to Frankie.

Unfortunately I was personally unable to attend the Humpday Match last night. After rounding up our team I raced home to discover that my internet and cable television were completely hosed. Luckily, with Frankie's tactical leadership and elite skillz, team Bungie stepped up to the challenge. I spent the night huddled in a corner staring at the wall.... no tv and no internet, what else is a person to do? [b]The Challengers[/b] 2070 Films has been around in the community for quite some time and they've earned a reputation for making high quality Halo films. I happily accepted their challenge when it appeared in my inbox because they're nice guys and surely our odds had to be better than they were against the Xbox Live team or the U.S. Army. [b]Humpday Challenge[/b] [i]Recap by Frankie[/i] Last night's Humpday Challenge was fun, and I mean that in a very broad, happy sense of the word. Our Humpday Challenges tend to be split along two basic principles – that we either play Teutonic, cold-blooded, scientific rule sets, possibly devised by an angry Spock – Battle Rifles only, no shields, everyone has to wear a drab grey armor and no talking allowed – or decidedly outrageous, fabulous, campy, possibly Tony award-winning rules, of the sort that might be devised by a tipsy Liberace – all Plasma weapons, invisible, with overshields, on Midship with a disco ball. Last night, we got to play mildly customized, but variety-filled games on a wide range of levels. Yeah, we were shocked too. [b]Game 1[/b]: Custom CTF on Containment [b]Duration[/b]: 12:01 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=183998235&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Wins 1-0 The first game was a grueling, customized version of CTF – two flags, a wide selection of weapons on the map, and Battle Rifles and Shotguns as the starting set. I have still to figure out what a shotgun is for on Containment, other than a handy thing to lean against when you get tired from walking. Battle Rifles, on the other hand, bring people together in very nasty ways, forcing close, but not too-close combat situations, and drawing chumps out of their hiding places to be mown down like, erm, grass. It took 12 minutes to complete the game – Bungie winning with just one flag, but to be fair to the other side, we think they were being too cautious, not quite sure of our abilities yet. [b]Game 2[/b]: Multi Flag CTF on Sanctuary [b]Duration[/b]: 04:07 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184009750&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Wins 3-0 The next game was one we got to pick, and it's an office favorite – multi flag CTF on Sanctuary, a straightforward splatterfest, that often ends in ridiculous carnage in the center structure, as two equally single-minded flag carriers accidentally create a kind of splashy abattoir by heading back to their bases in a straight line. The party atmosphere is enhanced by the sudden deluge of plasma grenades and streamers of sniper fire passing through the narrow courtyard. You almost want to say, "Hey," to the passing flag carrier, but instead, you crush his skull with your flagpole. After all, this is Halo, not Parcheesi. Bungie won this three to one, basically sealing the deal on our best of three match. On a personal note, this is the only map where I achieved anything at all, making the longest flag run I've ever made without actually capping it – I was shot about one millimeter from the capture point, by a sniper located all the way back in their base. OW. (continued on page 2...)
[b]Game 3[/b]: Custom CTF on Coagulation [b]Duration[/b]: 04:59 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184017725&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Loses 2-3 As is tradition, we played the third game anyway, just for giggles. It was set in coagulation and was basically Neutral flag CTF, but with a weird twist, two hogs and a Banshee per side. The basic principle is that whoever gets most surviving vehicles to the center, no matter what else occurs, wins. Sadly, it took two flag captures before we figured it out, and by that time, the opposing squad had it in hand and they beat us three to two. After that, we shook hands (virtually) and played another game on Containment, the closest game of Team Slayer you ever saw in your life. It doesn't matter who won, but you can check it out [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184045562&player=Frankie]here[/url]. P.S. We were down a man.

This is part 2 from 2old2play's trip to E3 and a review of the new maps

Thursday it was almost impossible to get near the Halo both. We spent most of the time lurking around the Xbox 360 and trying to sneak peeks into the Halo 2 kiosk but the lines were simply to long. The cool thing was that all the gamers handed over the controller after each game so it seemed as though everyone was getting a chance to play. I caught a glimpse of Elongation and its moving belts but not enough to really report on. Backwash was definitely a highlight of Thursday’s trip the convention. Its layout is perfect for the stealth player who likes to hide out and wait for their enemies. Weasel, a default profile, was owning with the sword bobbing in and out of trees while hacking and slashing his way around the swamp. Again, Bungie has really put a lot into the make up of this map as it seems much more like a level from the campaign then just a map. The structure in the middle provides a place to go when it gets a little to hot and muggy out in the swamp. It also seems to be a great place to throw some grenades if you just passing by. In true [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] fashion, our crew was taken apart with ease as we casually walked about the map. In our defense we did not change the default settings so getting owned was already in the cards. [url]http://photos13.flickr.com/15680028_d24c704b27_o.jpg[/url] The last day was when we really shined. [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] got a change to sit back and watch the PMS gales thoroughly whoop the boys in some great Halo 2 matches. After having an entire week in L.A. playing Halo at our clan mates home we sat back to watch. Waiting for a match or two we finally had our chance to take on some of the girls from PMS and other folk. Our map was Terminal which is by far the best map in the new pack in my opinion. There are just so many places to hide, maneuver, and jump too. The train is an awesome addition to the map as all the power-ups are on the tracks. The sword is a leap of faith that I was lucky enough to complete without breaking any major limbs. The beginning of the match was a little brutal as PMS once again showed us the gender has little to do with skill. My 4 kills and my partners -1 was quickly showing everyone that while gender might not have anything to do with skill, age just might. Lucky for us, we fought back with all the vigor of a Viagra pill. Somehow we pulled off the win with a lucky 18 kills from me and 7 for my partner. The map itself was downright fantastic. Maybe it was the win, but to us Terminal is the perfect edition to the multiplayer realm of Halo 2. With all its nooks and crannies it’s just the perfect map for any gametype. [url]http://photos13.flickr.com/15680025_d73e8d7126_o.jpg[/url] In the end, we had a great time trying out all the new maps and talking to the Bungie staff. They really are a great group of people and we hope to one day challenge them to a little hump day. If anyone want some more photos and picks of our E3/Bungie experience head on over to [url=http://www.2old2play.com]www.2old2play.com[/url]. See you all on live.

This is part 1 from 2old2play's trip to E3 and a review of the new maps

The old guys from [url=http://www.2old2play.com]www.2old2play.com[/url] got a chance to fly out to L.A. and join the masses at E3 this year. While we did want to see all the new consoles, Next Gen software, and new handhelds, our eyes were always fixed on the Halo 2 kiosk. This was also do to the fact that our old bodies have trouble walking around all those exhibits for so many hours each day. While Bungie didn’t have any new games to show of this year, their numbers certainly didn’t show it. Day one we didn’t have too much trouble getting into the games much to our surprise. My first experience was with Relic and all its dirt covered splendor. Luckily, one of the friendly Bungie employees pointed out some weapons for me that I couldn’t have found on my own. You see, at our age it is sometimes a little hard to see those tiny LCDs and since I didn’t bring my trusty monocle a little help was needed. After seating myself in the comfortable chair that is the ghost’s driver seat I proceeded to drive around the map taking in the sights and trying to kill whatever came in my path. [url]http://photos9.flickr.com/15680270_6c8811f44f_o.jpg[/url] From what I saw, Relic has a very barren and rocky layout. As much as I was playing the game, I was also trying to take in all the vistas and sounds of the new map. Cover is sparse with rocks lying around the island to provide limited protection. The base seems to be the place were everyone meets up for the real action. A sly player can sit back and pick off others as they fight it out near the top of the base. I for one was killed many times by this very tactic. Not one to take up real gamers time, the [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] boys spent the rest of the day licking our wounds and watching the other maps play out from afar. Gemini, while dark, is amazing to look at. The detail the Bungie team has taken in the set up of this Covenant battle field is more then impressive. The tree has this ominous feel to it while the colors around it are vibrant and eye catching. I almost found it hard to watch the action as I found my eyes focused on the moving doors and multiple levels of this map. Contrary to my concerns as powerful as the sword is, it’s perfectly balanced on Gemini. Since the level is dimly lit, the sword is a dead give-a-way and anyone can layout a field of grenades before being struck down. Also there are many halls to hide in so sneaking up is a huge part of the strategy. I kept seeing the sword go from player to player without very much devastation which is a relief for us old guys. [url]http://photos10.flickr.com/15680024_4100b96a7a_o.jpg[/url]

Posted up on the official [url=http://www.nilerogers.com]Nile Rogers[/url] website they have just announced that Marty has finished mastering the second volume of the Halo 2 soundtrack.

On the official [url=http://www.nilerogers]Nile Rogers[/url] website they have just announced that Marty has finished mastering the second volume of the Halo 2 soundtrack. Though no more information is provided it is still pretty exciting.

H2Wiki - The Halo 2 Multiplayer Knowledge Repository - Reopens. This time the site might even work! For non-morons only.

A key part of the Clan of Bobs plan to reclaim the Halo 2 multiplayer experience from those morons is the [url=http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/]H2Wiki[/url]. The H2Wiki is a friendly place where experts and newbies alike share multiplayer knowledge. As of this writing the site has 250 pages where most Halo 2 nutties should find at least something that can boost their online experience and/or performance. The site is a WikiWiki. Means it isn't based on forums. Rather any site visitor can create new pages at will and also edit any existing pages. Everything gets neatly crosslinked and a powerful search engine ensures no bits of information ever gets lost. No need to bump important dicussion threads or make anything sticky (everything is sticky in a way). To keep the site friendly and make it work as a key in the [url=http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/wiki/Code_of_the_Bob]Bob master plan[/url] we only welcome: [*]non-morons, [*]non-cheaters, [*]non-glitchers, [*]non-sore-losers/winners. If you're a moron go to some other site, why not your own basement. But if you're anything like a Bob and interested in improving in Halo 2 and/or help others improve you are more than welcome, almost obliged, to take part in our revolution. Last time we opened the H2Wiki to the public the interest was so big our site bogged down from the preassure. We don't have any resources really and haven't been able to host the site in any real hosting environment. But we have moved the site to more modern software and set things up best we can. (Took us a month of hard work!) Hopefully the site will stand the test this time. Missed the link to the site up there? Here it is in clear text: [url]http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/[/url] Stay excellent to each other!

Ender Illes writes:

Bungie recently attended E3 armed with the Multiplayer Map Pack. I was there and here are my impressions. Read on!

This year at E3 Bungie was not the "center of attention" with a new game. They did, however, command the same attention armed with the upcoming Multiplayer Pack. The excitement surrounding the new levels was apparent as the Bungie booth was consistantly the most busy of the XBOX booths. [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319724_c9dd4736ea.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319722_8b4a8c629e.jpg[/IMG] Being showcased were the five newer levels that have not yet been released to the public. While talking to Sketch I learned that some fans had been neglecting the rest of E3 and giving all their attention to just this attraction. "Some kids have been here for five or six hours!" he explained, "It is awesome!" The guys at Bungie showed their loyalty to their fans by making personal appearances to show off the new levels, explaining the layouts and functions of the maps [i]hands on[/i] to players. I was fortunate enough to meat the team and ask them a few questions. My associate took a picture and I blame him for its outcome. [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319725_325ee9ba1c.jpg[/IMG] [b]Ender- [/b]How have the new levels taken advantage of interactive functionality like the gate in Zanzibar? [b]Bungie-[/b] We know how popular things like that are in maps that include them and wanted to add such elements into the newer maps. For instance, in "Relic" the offensive team in CTF can open a two-way portal that opens directly into the base via a switch located underneath the Forerunner structure." [b]Ender-[/b]"Can we expect any other updates or downloads for H2in the future?" [b]Bungie-[/b]"Of course. We plan on updating the matchmaking playlists on a regular bases to keep things fresh. As for new maps, we are far to busy with our current project to even think about making any other maps. Who knows though." [b]Ender-[/b]"Speaking of current projects, what do you think about good ol' Bill Gates and his statement?" [b]Bungie-[/b] *[i]laughs[/i]* We are very flattered. Its hard to believe that a man as powerful as him holds Halo in such a high regard. He places a lot of faith in us, and it's flattering." I had a chance to play the new maps twice through each and I was very impressed. The detail in is impressive and relfects the amount of work that Bungie has put into them.

Yes folks, it's that time of the year again, where the myth community throws it's annual Myth World Cup.

Yes folks, it's that time of the year again, where the myth community throws it's annual Myth World Cup. Calling new players, and old back to the playing field, to participate in the greatest Myth Worldwide Competition. Now come on and think, how many of you old schoolers remember the great Myth: TFL, and Myth 2: Soulblighter days, and how much fun Tournaments were back then. Well, this is a chance to bring back some of those good memories by coming around later this may, head over to http://www.m2sbtourney.com/phpBB2/index.php to hear about the latest and greatest of the Tournament happenings!! Head over to Www.Playmyth.Net for new's on Myth!! Hope to see you there!

The Halo 2 Game Viewer will be undergoing tweaks and several screen views per map will be unavailable until later next week as we work on some backend improvements. Please bear with us as we continue to make the site better for everyone.

For the next few days, the Halo 2 Game Viewer will have slightly limited results. A few of the available game viewer map images will be temporarily removed from each map as we work on a few things behind the scenes. This work is expected to be finished next week when the game viewer will return to its full glory along with a slightly better performing Bungie.net. Thanks for your patience as we keep working to make a better, happier Bungie.net!