A hearty handshake to Battleground: Halo, who noted that Doug Zartman sent an email concerning the M$ buyout rumor to PlanetXbox. Responding to their asking Bungie for comment, Doug said:

Excessive kudos to Chia and Troll, who just seconds ago alerted us to the posting of the E3 Halo Demonstration! Daily Radar has posted the movie as well as a few tantalizing shots, and we hope to have this trailer on RHL shortly.

Received from Bounty of Battleground: Halo's PR department:

Haloplayers has been in communication with PC Gamer UK and has learned that the E3 Halo trailer will be released in the PCGUK issue which goes on sale July 31st. Although new video footage was originally promised for the August issue, Louis Wu of halo.bungie.org points out that an on-shelves date of July 31st makes it more likely to be the September issue.

Tim Jenks, PR Officer at Haloplayers, has this to say to y'all:

Game Critics Awards has announced its nominees for the 2000 Best of E3 Awards; the winners will be announced here tonight. Halo has been nominated for Best of Show, Best Original Game, Best PC Game, and Best Action Game. (Oni is sadly absent, although it took last year's award for Best Action/Adventure Game).

And the winners are up! Game Critics Awards has posted the list of winners of the 2000 Best of E3 Awards. Halo was named as Best Action Game, and as the runner up for Best PC Game. In the three categories for which it was nominated but didn't win, Black & White took the gold instead; though I would (of course) have liked to see Halo receive all 4 awards, I must say that Black & White was a very worthy opponent.

Some of you may be aware that Capt. Wegener of the Order of the Sword, a Halo clan, was shot recently during a live-fire training exercise and went into a coma. Now a post on the halo.bungie.org forum lets us know that he's in recovery. We wish him a speedy return to full health and the Bungie community.