XboxSolution is reporting the same story as everyone else-- that a French language version of Halo 2 has hit the Internet. However, they've chosen to headline the story Halo 2 Source Code Leaked on the Web, which, as far as we know, is NOT true; Shishka's FAQ denies that anyone has broken into Bungie, and that the leaked copy is the binary version of the shipping game, most likely lifted from a manufacturing plant.
SketchFactor has posted at Bungie.net, asking fans with information regarding the leak to email piracy@microsoft.com and to help minimizing spoilers by not publicly posting screens, links, information about the story, or descriptions.
UPDATE: Shishka has written a Piracy FAQ for Bungie.net as well. Seems like Shishka was born to FAQ.
Halo2.com relaunched recently, with a hidden message (one that helped decode a similar message on the newly-released desktop teaser) that's already been deciphered. In case you don't know the answer, we won't spoil it, as there's already been too many spoilers flying around since yesterday.
Mat "Shunji" Noguchi seems amused at the reaction to how tidy he keeps (or, rather, doesn't keep) his desk at Bungie, pointed out in the Video Update by Frankie as a "zone of entropy and horror".
The last Bungie Weekly Update by Frankie, this one in video format and apparently subtitled "Sexy Girls Gone Wild Video Edition" is available for download. HBO has put up a mirror page; there are WMP9 and QuickTime versions, both in BitTorrent and in direct download formats.
This week's Bungie update won't come until Monday, instead of on Friday as usual. Frankie mentions it at Bungie.net and explains it in the HBO forum, along with a peace offering of a new screenshot from the Ascencion multiplayer map. The gist of it is that this update will be in video format, and hosted at Bungie.net once they've got the server sufficiently prepped.
Major Nelson points out the Wired article on Halo 2 is now available online at Wired's site. They talk to Pete Parsons, Joe Staten, Chris Carney, Lorraine and Rob McLees, Eric Arroyo, and, of course, Marty O'Donnell.
Some interesting facts:
Music 4 Games has interviewed Marty "The Elder" O'Donnell about the Halo 2 soundtrack. Here's what he had to say about what's different this time around, under the hood:
The big news in the latest weekly update by Frankie is that, barring any serious bugs, Bungie is essentially finished with Halo 2. They've sent the game out to be certified ready for production.
While short, this update is full of quite a bit of interesting information about clans, about XBL, and even a tidbit about single player:
The BBC has a nice little article on Halo 2 with the usual kind of stuff in it-- will Halo 2 live up to expectations, what are the changes, etc etc. The interesting bits, though, come from Pete Parsons right at the end:
"We have several 100 years of Halo fiction laid out," said Mr Parsons.
and
"After Halo 2 we are planning to do something different. We will do something else and we have a few ideas."
Mat "shunji" Noguchi, tools programmer at Bungie, has come up for air after Halo 2 crunch time, and apologized for the recent (if understandable) lack of entries on his blog.
He ends the entry with a "random bit of trivia" for those awaiting Halo 2:
Legendary is hard. Really really really hard. Adamantium hard.
I guess more practice is in order.
Brian Towne of Mythica, who has so generously offered to host user-created media files under 8mb for free, suitable for linking to from Halo and Bungie-related sites, has graciously agreed to add rampancy.net to the list of allowable hosts. So if you have a picture you want to post in a forum comment, or in your blog, feel free. Rampancy supports BBCode for linking images, or HTML.
As Shishka, recently plucked from the fold of Bungiefen to have a chance to work with Bungie themselves, like Tyson "Ferrex" Green and Jaime "Case" Griesemer before him, posted in the Underground forum at Bungie.net, Subnova, HBO and Rampancy have opened up a connected network of IRC nodes, connected to Subnova's IRC hub, offering channels for fans of Bungie games, including Halo and the soon-to-be-released Halo 2.
Shishka's post does a good job of explaining what you need to connect to IRC if you don't already know. We've also written up a page to help users get connected. Both Subnova and Rampancy have nodes open now. You can connect to them at these server names:
Both use the standard port, 6667. Notice you don't need to connect to both of these, as they give access to the same channels; just pick one and use it, as each has a finite user capacity.
There are a number of permanent channels established so far, including:
as well as many others. You can also easily establish one for your own Group, if you have one.
If you don't have an IRC client but just want to take a quick look around, try a web-based java client. Subnova and Rampancy both have them.
Keep in mind that #rampancy, unlike some other channels on the server, doesn't have a language filter, and thus is password-protected. Once you're on the server, look for me in #hbo and ask for the password.
Smeeisqualityfoo has put up a nice little guide on Myth: TFL and Myth II: Soulblighter in the Underground forum at Bungie.net. For those not familiar with these RTS games originally developed by Bungie and then sold to Take Two Interactive at the time of the Microsoft buyout, it's a nice primer on all things Myth, plus a quick guide on where to get a copy and how to get it going.