We're inclined to ignore reports from GamePro about supposed Halo 3 preorder dates at GameStop, for obvious reasons. Oops...

If not announcing Halo 3 was supposed to stop speculation about it... it isn't working.

More rumors about the game that may or may not exist have been going around; one very specious one that the game is "44% done", and another that a screenshot would be out this month.

Take both with as much salt as you can stand.

According to scans from Game Informer provided by Xbox365, the "mystery character" from the Haloverse set to appear in Team Ninja's DOA4 game for the Xbox 360 isn't the Master Chief-- but it is a Spartan; female Spartan-458, despite heavy (perhaps too heavy) hints that a curvaceous Cortana would get the nod.

According to Kotaku, Variety is reporting that Peter Jackson's take on the Halo movie as Executive Producer is seven figures (that's at least a million bucks) advance against points. Anything less would be... well, less Bungie-like. (I agree with recent comments that 'you don't just buy Peter Jackson', but I assume that if you could, seven figures would be enough--Ed.)

Frankie posted a very no-nonsense denial of the purported script for Halo 3 that we mentioned yesterday, calling it "either fake, or the fanfic of a dedicated Halo fan being passed off as real."

HBO forumgoer GhaleonEB labeled this as "please tell me this is a joke." We can only hope. Game Informer Online is reporting that a character from Halo will be a "secret character" Tecmo's upcoming game, Dead or Alive 4. Given the franchise's dependance on the rendering of supple female forms, that seems to make the choice rather obvious.

Kotaku got their hands on the newest copy of Xbox 360 World, the magazine that currently has the words "Halo 3" and "PS3 Is Dead" on its cover, along with a picture of the Master Chief. As many predicted, there's no official announcement or even new information in the issue at all:

As it turns out, there’s nothing new in Xbox 360 World, just as we said there wouldn’t be. The cover (see image) refers to a six-page feature at the end of the magazine of readers suggesting what should be included in Halo 3.

Well, a few minutes ago, the Flash countdown at origenxbox360.com reached zero (at least on my screen). Nothing else seems to have happened. There's been no change in the page's source code, no new clickable items have appeared, no other flash files have loaded. Looks like a dud, or else whatever is happening doesn't work on a Mac.

Add another name to the list of directors who are not doing the Halo movie: Peter Jackson.

GameSpot's Rumor Control busts reports that the Halo movie will be directed by Jackson. Despite someone calling themselves "Marty the Elder" on a Uwe Boll fansite making this claim, Universal says Jackson is not doing the film.

...at least, this one better be a lie. Joystiq points out that IMDB's entry for the upcoming big-screen Halo movie now indicates it will be directed by Uwe Boll, despite assurances of late from Bungie that the list of potential directors was strictly A-list. Many commenters on the Joystiq story point out that information at IMDB about projects in progress has historically been inaccurate.

The Tokyo Game Show, going on right now, is where Microsoft is beginning its efforts to try and prove to Japanese audiences that the Xbox is a console worth buying. Major Nelson has put the keynote address including Microsoft's Robbie Bach into his blogcast this week (as usual, in MP3 and WMA formats).

Ryan 'Mhaddy' Matthews at the Junkyard has put up the latest of their Spotlight series of interviews; this one features Jason "Stuntmutt" Cascarina, author of One One Se7en. Plus, there's a strip to commemorate the occasion.

Also of note:

A few items of note:

Also buried in that short Variety article is this tidbit:

Future vidgame iterations of "Halo," which has already generated more than $600 million in sales for its first two versions, are almost certain. If possible, Microsoft and U will synchronize a game and movie release to take advantage of cross-marketing.