Rampancy

Stuntmutt's 300th One One Se7en comic is online today, along with a frightening afterword and shocking revelations.

[image:9163 align=left hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]Xbox.com and Bungie.net have news on Bungie's map expansion and downloadable content (DLC) plans for Halo 2.

At the end of next month, there will be two maps available for free to Xbox Live subscribers, and an additional two maps available for $5.99.

[image:9162 align=right hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]On June 28, the entire collection of nine maps, plus additional materials including a documentary and a cinematic, will be available for sale in stores for $19.99; this is the item that EB Games characteristically revealed too early. On that same date, the final five maps not released on Xbox Live will be available for $11.99.

At some unspecified date at the end of the summer, all the maps will be free to Xbox Live subscribers.

[image:9165 align=left hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]The first four maps are: Containment and Warlock, which will be free to XBL users, and Sanctuary and Turf, which will be for sale. The remaining five maps are called Terminal, Relic, Elongation, Gemini and Backwash.

Several sites have been carrying the news in addition to the official ones: Major Nelson linked from his blog, Major League Gaming has the press release, Joystiq has the announcement. Halo Planet, demented puppy dot com, Sector 7, and, of course, HBO all have coverage.

[image:9164 align=right hspace=5 vspace=5 border=0]Bungie has also placed screenshots, one of each of the first four maps, into their screenshot section. We've also added them to our Halo 2 screenshot gallery.

Over at Bungie Sightings, mnemesis points out a King County Journal story that says that Bungie Studios will be moving out of the Microsoft Millennium Campus in Redmond and into the Kirkland Hardware Store, previously home to the longest-running retail business in the area, open from 1890 to 2000. The move is apparently designed to alleviate space concerns and "maintain camaraderie". The story quotes a Microsoft spokesperson and the Kirkland city manager, but no one from Bungie Studios itself.

UPDATE: Major Nelson also comments on the move; he says Kirkland is nice.

In other news:

• SketchFactor asks for feedback on Bungie's proposed playlist changes, specifically the 2v2 playlist they are considering.
• Joystiq reports users having electrical problems with Xbox replacement cords.

Voodoo Extreme wonders whether Xbox demand is really as high as Microsoft says, or whether supply is being restrained in anticipation of the sequel's release. Only the Shadow knows.