Sunday, December 25, 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

The Halo Bulletin 12.21.11

The Halo Bulletin: 12.21.11

by bs angel 22. December 2011 00:52

One Frank One Meat

This is not the Halo 4 information you’re looking for.

If you were to sneak a peek into the Halo 4 oven, your willing eyes would instantly be tempted with numerous tantalizing treats. Then, as the mouthwatering aroma slowly enveloped you in its enticing embrace, your mouth would begin salivating, your stomach would growl with impatience, and your brain would melt into a pile of mush while you struggled with the decision of what to devour first.

While the timer continues to tick, our Forerunner feast is not yet ready. We will be giving you a taste before it’s finished, and several of them at that, but the associated dates loom in the distance. Thus, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to successfully sneak you the tiniest of tidbits from within the depths of our still sealed casket. Those morsels will not satiate your ravenous appetite. They will, however, whet it.

I’ll let you know when I figure out a way to get you this information without losing my job. Until then, consider it not here. Until it is here, that is. With that being said, let’s move on to something I can talk freely about. And guess what? I even have screenshots for this piece of news!



Happy Halodays

Halo: Anniversary Dashboard Theme

Many of you have Anniversary happily spinning in your disc tray. While you’ve been reliving your ten-year-old Campaign and Multiplayer memories, though, your newly designed Xbox 360 Dashboard has been left in the dust. We couldn’t stand its gloom-pleas'd eyes any longer, so to remedy its embarrassingly bare state, we are releasing a Halo: Anniversary Theme on December 22. That’s tomorrow, if your concept of time is as warped as mine. Here are some screenshots of the dashboard adornments. (And I would have tried to make that last sentence rhyme as the previous one did, but seriously, what rhymes with "adornments?" Besides "reborn hints," anyway.)

Halo: Anniversary Theme Halo: Anniversary Theme
Halo: Anniversary Theme Halo: Anniversary Theme
Halo: Anniversary Theme Halo: Anniversary Theme


You can get this nostalgia-filled image bundle for 240 Microsoft Points. We’ll have a link for you tomorrow, so check back then if you find your interest adequately piqued.



Happy Halodays

Everything you need to know about ATLAS in five minutes or less.

While we’re thrilled to give your console some love in the form of a new theme, we’re equally excited about ATLAS being available on Windows Phone, iOS, and Android mobile devices. Our brand new strategy app launched on December 10, and since then, we have already made it available in 22 additional countries (those newly added countries being Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Russia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, and India).

We will continue to update this experience, but for now, here are three tips for better ATLAS living, brought to you by one of our many amazing Halo Waypoint producers. His name is Justin, but I call him Mr. Super Smart Dude Who Says a Lot of Big Words I Don’t Understand. You can call him Mr. SSDWSaLoBWIDU for short, if you’d like, since that rolls off the tongue so nicely.


Having spent the last couple of months building ATLAS, I’ve had a chance to learn how to use it effectively. So, I thought that it would be helpful to put together a quick post on how I use it, and how you can use it best, too!

“Follow me” mode

ATLAS has a “follow me” mode. Whenever you join a game in progress, “follow me” is on automatically. You can tell that “follow me” is on because the reticle icon glows blue.


ATLAS


When “follow me” is on, the map will move with you throughout the game. Whether you’re sprinting or flying across the map in a Falcon, “follow me” keeps track of you and moves the map with you, so that you don’t have to drop the controller for a second!

Tip - If you do touch the screen to pan around or zoom, “follow me” automatically disengages. This is so it doesn’t get in your way by moving the map when you’d really like to inspect a weapon, or see where your teammates are.

Weapons, vehicles, and health packs, oh my!

When you open a map in ATLAS, you might find yourself immediately overwhelmed with the available weapons and vehicles. Layer on your teammates, and you might just find yourself wondering where the map went! No problem, though, because you can individually turn on or off any equipment type on the map. That way, you can reduce the clutter and find exactly what you need.


ATLAS


On a phone, tap the Legend button in the lower-left corner of ATLAS. Then, tap on the equipment that you want to show or hide.


ATLAS


On a slate or tablet, just tap on the equipment in the legend in the lower-left corner of the screen. You’ll notice that the items immediately appear or disappear from the map.


ATLAS


Tip – Some devices with limited memory (such as the iPod Touch or some Android phones) have a hard time keeping up when there are a lot of items on the map. To improve the experience, try reducing the clutter.

Aerial and illustrated maps

ATLAS includes support for most Halo: Reach maps (with the exception of Forge World variants), including the maps that came with the game, and every map pack. That means that there are over 30 maps in ATLAS for you to explore.

There are two available views for each map – Aerial, and Illustrated.

Think of aerial view as what you’d see from a satellite. It’s a high-resolution overhead view that you can use to inspect terrain in amazing detail. Find the best ledge to snipe from, or identify that obscured pathway that’ll lead your team right to the enemy flag.


ATLAS


Illustrated view is great for maps with lots of interior areas; use it to find your way through a building or a tight corridor. Wondering where that staircase takes you, or where that left turn in a tunnel really leads? The illustrated maps in ATLAS were created by Brady Games to aid you in making the best strategic decision at that split second in the game where going left or right could lead to that highly elusive win or that much dreaded loss.


ATLAS


Tip – ATLAS maintains your view as you swap between Aerial and Illustrated view, so don’t be shy. Take a peek at both while you study the map.

That’s all for now, so get out there, Spartan, and lead your team to victory!


You heard the man. Get to it, already! But only after you finish reading the Bulletin, of course. What, you thought I’d let you off the hook that easily? It’s like we’ve never even met….



Happy Halodays

Everything you need to know about Custom Challenges in 1,000 words or less.

Because I am all about getting other people to do my work, I grabbed another Halo Waypoint producer, this time Humberto, and asked him to write 1,000 words about our Custom Challenges feature. He only came up with 938, so while I take him out back for 62 lashings, you can read his almost-up-to-par tutorial.


Custom Challenges are a feature that allows players to create Challenges for Halo: Reach. They can issue these Challenges to their friends to try to complete within a limited time-frame.

Here is how you can access Custom Challenges:

On Web
1. Go to http://halowaypoint.com.

2. Click on ‘Sign In’ at the top of the site.

3. Sign in with your Xbox LIVE credentials.

4. Once signed in, click your gamertag at the top of the site, which will then show your Career drop-down menu.


Custom Challenges


5. Custom Challenges are on the right side of the drop-down menu. Move your mouse over and click View Challenges.

6. This opens up the Challenges page, which includes the Daily and Weekly Halo: Reach challenges at the top, and the Custom Challenges section below that.


Custom Challenges


On Xbox 360
1. Launch Waypoint.

2. Select your Player Card (Career panel) .

3. Navigate left twice, to the Custom Challenges panel, and press A.


On Windows Phone
1. Launch Waypoint.

2. Select your Player Card (Career panel).

3. Pan twice to the right, or once to the left, to the Custom Challenges panel.


Custom Challenges



You can create challenges on both web and Windows Phone, by specifying some variables and constraints, including time limit, game mode, etc. Once the challenge is created, you can issue the challenge to up to seven Xbox LIVE friends. Whoever accepts the challenge is then competing to see if they can finish the challenge within the allotted time. Time starts as soon as the challenge is issued, and the creator is auto-included.

Once you accept or create a challenge, you will be participating until the timer expires. The challenge takes up one of your active slots (you have five), and it will remain there until the timer expires, you Forfeit, or you complete and turn in the challenge.

Since this feature was built after Halo: Reach was released, Custom Challenges are not tracked directly inside of the game. However, you can track your challenges on any Waypoint client on console, web or your phone.

We track ‘how well’ each user completed the challenge. For example, if the challenge is to kill 100 Grunts, and someone killed 150, we will record that higher number, not just ‘pass/fail’. We will sort the results, and track 1st place when there is more than one participant, as well as anyone who met the base goal to beat the challenge. Challenges are tracked on the player’s challenge page, and totals are tracked (total complete, total 1st place) and shown in the Reach Service Record section for the player.

Custom Challenges have these elements:
- Name

- Variants: Matchmaking Multiplayer, Campaign, Matchmaking Firefight, Custom (Custom includes custom Firefight and custom Multiplayer games)

- Time limit (3 to 72 hours)

- Goal type
 Kills
 Kills with a specific weapon
 Kills of a specific enemy
 Headshots
 Wins
 Medals
- Goal amount (1 – 9999)

- Optional constraints: map, difficulty, skulls (for Campaign)

Participants are stack-ranked based on progress towards the goal (e.g. 175/200 kills so far for Joey). At the end, any participants that met or exceeded the goal get recorded as having completed the challenge and are awarded the amount of credits the challenge was worth. In Custom Challenges with two or more people, the person with the top goal amount also receives a 1st place recognition.

Here is a table showing the various goal types, and how they are supported or not across Game Types:

1.1.1            Table of Goals
Goal
Campaign
Matchmaking Firefight
Matchmaking Multiplayer
Custom (MP and Firefight)
Kills >= N
X
X
X
X
Headshots >= N
X
X
X
X
Total Medals >= N
X
X
X
X
Kills w/ weapon >= N
X
X

X
Kills of enemy >= N
X
X

X
Wins >= N


X
X
Medals of group type >= N

X

X
(Groups = Legendary, Multi-Kill, Sprees, Weapon & Style, Objective)


Although you can have multiple active challenges at the same time, you can’t have two of the same type of goal simultaneously. For example, if you already have a Campaign Kills goal, you cannot create or accept another challenge for Campaign Kills, Campaign Kills with weapon, or Campaign Kills of enemy.

On the other hand, you can still have Firefight Kills, or Custom Kills, or Multiplayer Kills active goals, since those are different game variants.

Headshots is also a ‘duplicate’ of Medals, since every headshot you get earns you a medal. This means you cannot have a Headshots and Medals goal for the same game variant active at the same time.

In some modes you can add additional constraints:

1.1.2            Table of Constraints
Constraint
Campaign
Matchmaking Firefight
Matchmaking Multiplayer
Custom (MP and Firefight)
“NO DNF”


X (automatic)

Map
X


X
Difficulty
X



Skulls
X





Credits Awards

When a challenge is created, Waypoint calculates a credit amount for that Challenge, based on the type and on the goal specifics. There are maximum amounts for each Challenge type, so after a certain level of challenge difficulty, all challenges are worth the maximum amount.

There is also a daily credit maximum cap, which means that although you have no limit on how many challenges you can technically participate in during a day, you will be limited in how many total credits you can earn each day.

Credit values may vary over time, as we adjust the feature based on how everyone is using Custom Challenges.


To get you started on making your own Custom Challenges, I enlisted the help of four community members. What, you didn’t think I would actually do it myself, did you?


From Greenskull of Ready Up Live:

When confronted with the task of creating a challenge that caters to my unique and specific community, I knew right from the start what it had to involve: shenanigans. I know how much the Ready Up Live community members love messing around and having a good time in Halo, so we looked into the most preposterous and silly challenges we could make.

Thus, Who Needs a Weapon? was born. Your goal is to kill 13 enemy Spartans with Collision Damage in a custom game. That means using objects in the environment to end the life of your opponent. It will require a bit of Forging magic to get it just right, but if you're resourceful you might be able to figure out your own way to accomplish the task. The challenge is only worth a mere 31 credits, but that's how we roll at RUL. It isn't about winning or losing, it's about going nuts and having a good time!

Custom Challenges
Challenge Name: Who Needs a Weapon?
Challenge Type: Custom
Goal: Kills with weapon
Type: Collision Damage
Target: 13
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Constraints: Map - Forge World
Payoff: 31 cR



From Slightly Live of Forward Unto Dawn:

The Yanme'e are often the most overlooked of the Covenant species, and it's high time for a closer inspection. This challenge should appeal to fans that appreciate the width and breadth of Halo’s wide variety of enemies. And masochists. The idea came from the painful realization that the Yanme'e are quite overlooked and under-utilized in the game. All are equal under the banner of the Covenant, even annoying buggers.

Custom Challenges
Challenge Name: Yanme'e Yanyo'u
Challenge Type: Campaign
Goal: Kills of Enemy
Type: Drone Infantry
Target: 100
Time Limit: 60
Constraints: Heroic + Cloud, Famine, Tilt, Mythic and Blind Skulls
Payoff: 357 cR



From ContactTango of The Spartan 1 Project:

I had the members of The Spartan 1 Project work on this, and I got dozens of entries. Here is my favorite. Enjoy!


Custom Challenges
Challenge Name: The Tango Special (our member named this after me because of my affinity for the shotty)
Challenge Type: Custom
Goal: Kills with weapon
Type: Shotgun - M45 TS
Target: 300
Time Limit: 24 hours
Constraints: Map - Holdout
Payoff: 3,433 cR



From Puptastrophe of GrifballHub:

I went with a challenge based on wins. I named it "Just Win, Yo" and any playlist will do!

Custom Challenges
Challenge Name: Just Win, Yo
Challenge Type: Matchmaking Multiplayer
Goal: Wins
Target: 75
Time Limit: 48 hours
Payoff: 15,825 cR


These amazing challenges have inspired me so much that I’m toying with the idea of accepting one community-submitted custom challenge per week, and then attempting to complete it. Time will tell if I’m truly a glutton for punishment….



Happy Halodays

A Brand New Sparkast

While I’ve been sitting here debating if I’m brave enough to step up to the Custom Challenge plate, the very dapper David Ellis has been busy auto-adjusting his velvet voice just for your sensitive earholes. From the rather debonair man himself:


With various teams taking time off to recharge their batteries, it’s a little quiet around some parts of 343. Fear not, we’re ending the year in fine form with a brand spanking new Sparkast. While we’re not quite ready to throw open the doors on the topic everyone keeps asking about (it’s a Frank O’Connor plushy with removable beard, btw), we did want to take a little time to reflect on 2011.

This year has been important for the studio because it was the first time we’ve been able to talk about we’ve been working on in relative anonymity for so long. And as we continue the journey to bring Master Chief back from cryo storage, we find ourselves transforming from a group of very talented people tossed together over the last couple of years into a unified army of artists, designers, producers, and others who are working day and night to bring this vision to fruition.

On a personal note, I want to thank each and every one of you who has subscribed and listened to the 343 Sparkast this year. Without you, Frank and I wouldn’t have the chance to put these shows together. I hope the hours of content we’ve put out this year have been worth your time, and I certainly look forward to introducing you to more of our studio in the coming year.

As always, you can subscribe and download the Sparkast through a variety of places.

Download here (Right-click and Save As)

Or subscribe:

RSS Zune iTunes



Happy Halodays

January Matchmaking Playlist Update

Speaking of much of the studio being out on vacation right now, we were originally not planning on doing a Halo: Reach Matchmaking playlist update in January. One rather dedicated soul, though, decided that wasn’t acceptable. So, he’s come in day after day, determined to kick this one out. I won’t have the particulars for you until early next month, but I can confirm this: he’s starting to look like one of the reanimated corpses from Night of the Living Dead. Must be all the hours he’s pulling….


And with that, I’m putting a bow on this sucker and calling it done. Until January, my friends….

(And yes, you read that right. There will not be a Halo Bulletin next week. In its place, you will get a sneak peek at Halo: Primordium, the second book in Greg Bear’s Halo Forerunner Saga, which is slated to be released on January 3. I hope you enjoy the one-week break from my ramblings. In fact, consider it my holiday gift to you. <3)

Happy Holidays from everybody at 343,
bs angel

P.S. I may or may not have almost forgotten your Friday Caption Fun wallpaper of the week. Ignore my faulty memory, embiggen, snag, and then hit the latest article to contribute your hilarious quip. Off you go!


Friday Caption Fun

Sunday, December 18, 2011

One year! (and a few days...)

So December 10th, 2011 marked the one year anniversary of Installation 343. Back then, we where known as Re-halo. it was a terrible, half-assed attempt at making a Halo news site. Now, with quite a few posts a month, I'm happy to say I plan n running the site for years to come. Maybe even blowing it up to be much bigger one day.
 I would like to apologize to anyone who was looking forward to a play date of sorts, somethings came up and I didn't really even get to catch much of the (disappointing) VGAs that I've already judged. Once again, sorry. The next play date wont get cancelled. I promise
-MMC

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Halo Bulletin 12.14.11

The Halo Bulletin: 12.14.11

by bs angel 14. December 2011 23:18
When I hear someone say “ho, ho, ho,” I know either I didn’t hear them call me the first two times, or the holidays have officially arrived. I’m thankful this is the one month out of the year it’s actually the latter.

Something that becomes glaringly obvious, though, to anyone that has the displeasure of crossing my path during the month of December, is that I’m a bit of a scrooge. I do not deck the halls with boughs of holly, I refuse to rock around the Christmas tree, and I choose receiving over giving at any and all available opportunities. However, despite my official “Bah, humbug!” status, I do look forward to a certain recurring holiday-themed event. And that’s the Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction

An evening where glamor meets geek over the clanking of champagne glasses, the Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction showcases one of the best things about the video-game community: their willingness to give back. This year’s festivities, which took place last Thursday at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, raised an astounding $351,000 in a single night.

Kicking off the lavish affair was a silent auction. While I could spend hours soaking in the incredible assortment of beautiful art (Mister Chief painting!), one-of-a-kind collectibles (Mister Chief painting!), and various pieces of autographed memorabilia (Mister Chief painting!), we were only allotted a little over an hour to quietly stake our claim. Some of the more notable treasures—which were a signed Creeper head, Chun Li-inspired corset, Portal DLC Man costume, Mass Effect N7 Pistol replica, Star Wars Lightsaber, and Head Crab Zombie statue—were found comfortably nestled between bottles of n00b Merlot and Gamer Widow Pinot Grigio.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Those scoping out Halo-specific goodies had a few different choices: a Halo: Anniversary gaming bundle, a signed piece of Halo 4 concept art, a custom bronze Master Chief statue, and “Tons of Halo in a Duffel Bag.”

For the record, that last lot really included tons of Halo. And all of it was, in fact, in a duffel bag.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Dinner being served marked the end of the silent auction, and the beginning of the live one. The 343 table mixed Halo 4 mission designers with Halo: Reach playlist designers, and Halo Waypoint producers with Halo 4 artists. While we wined and dined our way through grilled flat iron steak, riesling-marinated chicken breast, and butternut squash ravioli, Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade assumed the monumental task of taking bids while simultaneously keeping up a steady stream of witty banter.

343 donated three different items for the live-auction portion of the evening. These were our listings as they appeared in the auction pamphlet.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Lot 201 - Pair of Duke 360 Retrofitted Controllers

A pair of very limited edition (2 of 8) retrofitted Duke controllers. These beautiful beasts were brought to life by hardware genius Ben Heck for Halo Fest’s celebration of Halo’s 10th anniversary.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Lot 204 - Van Doh. Self-portrait with bandaged ear

This painting by 343 Industries’ own Frank O’Connor was on display at Halo Fest. It went on to be immortalized by the Seattle PI as a “child’s painting”. Don’t miss the opportunity to own this critically important piece of Halo history.


Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

Lot 217 - Mega Bloks Guilty Spark

This one-of-a-kind statue was built by Mega Blok’s Master Builder (great job title, right?) and was on display at Halo Fest. On top of being able to destroy all sentient life with a Halo Array, he also lights up.


Bidding was fast, furious, and freakishly well-mannered. What we hoped would be settled with a gallon of oil, a kiddie pool, and various grappling-type moves was instead handled solely with raised hands and bid cards. Apparently, everybody else has a different way of resolving differences than we do at the studio.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

As hands shot up around the room throughout the 19 different auctions, many familiar faces were spotted. Rooster Teeth—who, coincidentally, went home with a brand new Mona Lisa-esque painting—was sitting at a neighboring table. Stephen Toulouse and Eric Neustadter of Xbox LIVE were also in attendance, auctioning off a day with their gargantuan banhammer. And Pop Cap and Bungie made their presence known, when, good-naturedly of course, they battled over a certain blocky artificial intelligence construct.

Child's Play Charity Dinner Auction

All in all, the event raised over $350,000 for sick children worldwide. Thus, in my opinion, it can be considered nothing short of an overwhelming success. And we are honored to have played a teeny tiny part in that.

Halo: Holiday Bundle Evolved

Halo: Holiday Bundle Evolved

If you weren’t able to attend the aforementioned festivities but would still like to donate to a worthy cause, we recently listed a very special auction on eBay. With 100% of the final sale price supporting Northwest Harvest, the proceeds will be used to fight hunger through a network of food banks, meal programs and high-need elementary schools. Included in this Halo-themed holiday bundle are the following highly coveted items:

- Signed copy of Halo: Anniversary
- Signed Halo: Anniversary launch poster
- Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360
- Kinect
- Signed Xbox 360 controller
- Limited Edition Halo Fest Tritton headset
- Halo: Reach
- Wizkids Halo HeroClix Booster Pack
- Signed NKOK Ghost
- Tor Halo reusable tote bag
- Halo Fest screenshot celebrating 10 years of Halo
- XS Halo: Reach T-shirt
- Limited Edition Heroes Never Die 117 E3 2011 T-shirt
- Signed Defy the Covenant poster
- Our undying love
The auction closes on December 18 at 11:25:22 PST, so if you would like to add these amazing Halo pieces to your ever-growing collection, now is the time to place your bid. In fact, here’s a handy-dandy link so you can do just that!

Check out the Halo: Holiday Bundle Evolved auction now

Now, to continue with the theme of the holidays, it’s time for something that I’m hoping will come in handy as you finish your holiday shopping. Or start, if you’re anything like me….


2011 Halo Holiday Gift Guide
From action figures to books to interlocking plastic bricks, many of us love the things that focus on our favorite science-fiction video-game franchise. And it’s because of our common love of a certain cybernetically enhanced super-soldier that I have put together this Halo holiday gift guide. So, whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, here are our suggestions for some Halo-themed gifts!

Please note that none of the stuff we offer for sale will profit a charity. I blame Fishka.


Best Halo gifts for $10 - $20

Halo Holiday Gift Guide
Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss

Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss

Description: The Covenant has collapsed after a long, brutal war that saw billions slaughtered on Earth and her colonies. For the first time in decades, however, peace finally seems possible. But though the fighting's stopped, the war is far from over: it's just gone underground. The UNSC's feared and secretive Office of Naval Intelligence recruits Kilo-Five, a team of ODSTs, a Spartan, and a diabolical AI to accelerate the Sangheili insurrection. Meanwhile, the Arbiter, the defector-turned-leader of a broken Covenant, struggles to stave off civil war among his divided people.

Price: ≈ $11

Purchase here: Amazon


Mega Bloks ODST Ambush Construction Set

Mega Bloks ODST Ambush Construction Set

Description: Inside a ruined UNSC recruitment center, an ODST Urban Specialist has spotted a Jump Pack Brute on patrol. Using his new SMG with silencer, the ODST sets up a second-floor ambush on the Brute before it can identify and eliminate the trooper.

Price: ≈ $12

Purchase here: Amazon


Halo: Fall of Reach Covenant comic Hardcover Collection

Halo: Fall of Reach Covenant Comic Hardcover Collection

Description: From the bestselling prequel HALO: FALL OF REACH! It is a question that humanity has long asked: Are we alone in the universe? In this riveting prequel, the United Nations Space Command learns the answer to that question - and the answer is "no." Witness the beginning of the struggle between humans and the Covenant in this epic series based on the novel by Eric Nylund, adapted by Brian Reed and brought brilliantly to life by Felix Ruiz! Collecting HALO: FALL OF REACH - COVENANT #1-4.

Price: ≈ $12

Purchase here: Amazon



Halo: Fall of Reach Bootcamp Comic Hardcover Collection

Halo: Fall of Reach Bootcamp Comic Hardcover Collection

Description: This is where it all began... Before he was Master Chief, he was John—a boy stolen from his parents and conscripted into the SPARTAN II program on the fortress world of Reach. These are desperate times in the human colonies, with galactic civil war just a heartbeat away...and only Dr. Catherine Halsey understands the terrible price humanity must pay to keep from destroying itself. Brian Reed (Spider-Man: American Son), and Felix Ruiz (MARVEL BOY: The Uranian) bring you an adaptation of the best-selling novel HALO: FALL OF REACH by Eric Nylund.

Price: ≈ $13

Purchase here: Amazon



McFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Action Figure


McFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Action Figure

Description: The classic Halo 3 version of Master Chief returns, featuring his damaged Mark VI armor, Assault Rifle, and two Frag Grenades.

Price: ≈ $16

Purchase here: Amazon





Halo: The Art of Building Worlds Art Book

Halo: The Art of Building Worlds Art Book

Description: Charting the glorious decade that spans Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo: Reach, Halo: The Great Journey is a lavish and spectacular review of ten years of groundbreaking game art brought together in one place as never before.

Price: ≈ $20

Purchase here: Amazon





Best Halo gifts for $25 - $40

Halo Holiday Gift Guide

McFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Evolution 3 PackMcFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Evolution 3-Pack

Description: The star of the Halo trilogy has evolved quite a bit over the past decade, and the Master Chief Evolution 3-Pack covers his three best-known versions.

Price: ≈ $37

Purchase here: Amazon




Mega Bloks UNSC Falcon Construction SetMega Bloks UNSC Falcon Construction Set

Description: This buildable set features rotating propellers and opening cockpit, landing pad, a new Silver UNSC Pilot and Mark V Air Assault Spartan with weapons!

Price: ≈ $37

Purchase here: Amazon



Halo: AnniversaryHalo: Anniversary

Description: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a spectacularly remastered version of the original campaign, created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. With a bounty of new features including cooperative play over Xbox LIVE, a bundle of some of the most beloved multi player maps in history re-imagined for Xbox LIVE, new challenges and a new story to uncover. Anniversary is a must-have experience.

Price: ≈ $38

Purchase here: Amazon



Best Halo gifts for $50+

Halo Holiday Gift Guide

Square Enix Master Chief Play Arts Kai Collectible Action FigureSquare Enix Master Chief Play Arts Kai Collectible Action Figure

Description: The second wave of Halo Reach Play Arts Kai action figures have arrived! NOBLE Team Commander Carter, Warrant Officer Jorge, and Lieutenant Commander Kat have been created with amazing detail, enhanced articulation, and paint applications true to the hit game. Each character includes an arsenal of weapons to take on any force. Included Accesories: JORGE M247 Machine Gun, Fragment Grenade, Additional Hand Parts.

Price: ≈ $53

Purchase here: Amazon



Mega Bloks Covenant PhantomMega Bloks Covenant Phantom

Description: An Elite pilot maneuvers a Covenant Phantom into action, providing heavy cover fire from its three rotating plasma cannons.

Price: ≈ $67

Purchase here: Amazon



Mega Bloks UNSC ElephantMega Bloks UNSC Elephant

Description: Based on the legendary Halo universe, the 1,282-piece Mega Bloks Halo UNSC Elephant set will delight and challenge builders with its size and authenticity.

Price: ≈ $103

Purchase here: Amazon


And with that, I have some mistletoe I need to go stand under. Until next week….

<3,
bs angel

P.S. I'm going to assume you won't be adorning your desktop with the picture of me covering my face. So, here's a Friday Caption Fun-themed image for you instead! Embiggen, snag, and then contribute a witty caption or two for the newest image. Off you go!


Friday Caption Fun