SonicStorm sends word of a new Halo site in the works: Battleground: Halo. At risk of over using colons, here's a little blurb from the PR:

Just packing the bags for a little holiday vacation, which means things will be a little slow slower around here for a few days. I'll be keeping an eye on things, of course, but for now the focus is on how much egg nog I can consume before it is gone again. Happy Holidays to all you folk out there!

And as a parting gift, a new poll for you to consider (only a few days late, too!). Just don't take this one too seriously... ;)

Cheers!

Kudos to Mark Mezzetta, who pointed out a news item at MacGamer's Ledge describing Bungie's plans for MacWorld San Francisco. In a nutshell:

Bungie Software will be simulcasting a MACWORLD show over the Internet right from their booth and talking about the latest developments in Oni and Halo.

A webcast from Bungie's booth? If nothing else, let's hope the world doesn't end on New Year's Eve just so that we can keep an eye on that one.

Getting right into the spirit, Bravehamster has made choosing a Christmas card a no brainer this year...

• Forum: A Halo Christmas Card

Can't help but admire what an apt choice the wreath was... ;)

As Noctavis points out in the forum, Blue's News reports that id is releasing the source code for the original Quake, the engine upon which HalfLife is loosely based. Given rampant speculation that #2 is the Marathon source code, it seems 'tis indeed the season for giving. So many engines to choose from...

• Forum: The Quake1 source code was just released

Kudos to JucasUpSet, who pointed out an interesting article at Stomped asking some prominent members of the gaming industry which games they're looking forward to in 2000. Sure enough, Halo appears on a few of those wishlists, though perhaps not as many as we devout might have expected. Give them time... they too shall see the light.

Well, it's not Halo, but danged if I'll stand idly by and watch this travesty continue. Chris t' Crappy points out a poll in dire need of a good ol' Bungie community smashing:

Kudos to CyberBob, who kindly sent in this news tidbit which I will now slavishly copy and paste to the news (such a hard job I have):

From halo.gamesweb.de I got that the german publisher of Halo sets its release to September 2000 for the German version.

Laut Take2, dem deutschen Vertrieb von HALO, ist September 2000 der offizielle Release-Termin fьr Deutschland. Etwas Geduld ist also noch angesagt, bis ihr den Covenant auf der Ringwelt HALO die Hцlle heiss machen kцnnt.