ShackNews noticed a Reuters story on Yahoo following up on Microsoft's recent non-denial denial of the HomeStation rumors.

Xbox.com has put up an interview with Bungie's resident audio expert, Marty O'Donnell, about his role in making Halo:

Xbox.com: Ok, nuts and bolts time. How do you actually create a soundtrack like this? Was it composed and synthesized all on a computer, or was it recorded? What's the sequence of your tasks?

MO: I worked in studios that contain many keyboards, synths, and samplers as well as digital recording equipment controlled by computers. I start there, and then when needed, add live instrumental performances to those recordings. When I mix the music, I sometimes eliminate the synth/sampler track and only use the live performance. Very little of the music plays back in the game the way it was originally recorded, however. I cut and edited the music into chunks that the game audio engine could play back dynamically based on the player's actions.

Thanks to Count Zero at HBO.

UnknownPlayer.com has posted an interview with Randall Glass, the author of the extremely popular Warthog Jump movie created with Apple's iMovie software and Bungie's Halo:

How long did it take you to create this movie?

{rglass} I have about 1.5 hours of videotape footage of the jeep doing various things. It took about 30 minutes to set up the stunt itself. I'll talk more about that in a second. Editing the movie took considerably longer. I figure it took about a day and a half (not continuous). The first cut of the vid was well over 5 minutes. I went back and forth about what songs I wanted to put in it, what sound samples worked best. Setting up the trick... I knew I wanted to launch the jeep over some sort of arch (it's pretty boring just launching it straight up. I had to make a game of it). The funny thing about that particular halo level is that when you force a marine out of the jeep, in most cases he'll run immediately back to the beginning of the level. It's hard to clobber the guy when he's running away from you. Fortunately the marines didn't run near the place where I shot the vid. So I knew that was the right spot. The perfect thing about that spot is that you can see the jeep after it's cleared the arch, so you know if it made it over. I think bungie may have secretly made that arch just for warthog jumping.. ;-)

Thanks to VoodooExtreme for noting the interview.

Rumor has been spreading over the past several months that Microsoft is building an expansion device called HomeStation for the Xbox. Microsoft has now denied the product's existance and claims it is nothing short of fiction. TeamXbox writes:

HomeStation rumors were sparked last September by a report in PC Format magazine that such a device would cross the Xbox with a PC and boast a bigger hard drive, audio and video technology and a wireless connection.

HomeStation talk resurfaced earlier in January as one analyst said he could confirm the existence of the machine in Microsoft and that it could debut later this year.

This reared its head several weeks ago. The odd thing is there is no thing called the HomeStation product or initiative, Microsoft spokeswoman Erin Brewer said.

Microsoft was interested in some of the longer-term ideas, but there's no product called that, Brewer said.

This is disappointing to some and relieving to others. It would have been nice to have the power and feature boost, but then again some would have felt pressured to purchase the potential Xbox upgrade. Check out TeamXbox's story for more details.

We've got Khen Rigzin's new video now mirrored on Rampancy.

Siva (W'rk)'s Halo video, How I Learned To Stop Playing And Love The Halo video is now available here on the Rampancy website.

The way to my heart is through metal music and Halo. After seeing Siva (W'rk)'s How I Stopped Playing And Learned To Love The Halo, Khen Rigzin took his footage, modified it a bit, and put in a new music track of his own. He then posted a link here on Rampancy to inform the world. If you liked Siva's version, there's absolutely no reason to miss Khen Rigzin's.

It's 55.6 MB Zip-compressed (uncompressed it's a 60 MB MPG) and is currently being housed at PlanetInternet. There aren't any mirrors just yet, but this site is plenty fast (I pulled 300k/sec the entire download). I'll see what we can do about hosting the video, although I'm not entirely sure we have the webspace for another big file.

We've got yet another masterpiece on our hands, folks. Siva (W'rk) has created an intense video displaying many moments of pure adrenaline during Halo's single player campaign as Napalm Death's Incendiary Incoming song flows seamlessly with the action. I have another name for this video, For Testosterone Apply Within.

The MPEG is 57.7 MB large and is over three minutes long. It definitely contains some spoilers, so those who haven't beaten the game may want to hold off on downloading this one for awhile. Mr. Zarquon is mirroring the video, as is Psyjnir Complex Hotline. The video is also being uploaded to RampancyHL although I can't guarantee it will be there for too long. (Thanks HBO)

The Banshee Flare movie has been added to our Halo Movies page and is now available for download from the website as well as the Hotline server.

I kid you not. Toalmaster made a tea pot modeled after a Hunter from Halo and has posted several pictures in the Marathon's Story forum. (Thanks HBO)

YAHV (Yet Another Halo Video) has hit the web and calls for your attention. FrogBlast has posted the Banshee Flare video in the HBO forum. It's not nearly as long as the two other popular Halo videos; this one's short and sweet. Click this link and 1.1 MB later you'll see a plasma grenade explode, launching a second plasma grenade up in the air and attach itself to an overhead Banshee. Pure brilliance!

UPDATE: The video is now mirrored on RampancyHL and will be on the website shortly.

There is now a local copy of What Goes Up here on the Rampancy.net website as well as the hotline server.

There's no dispute that the original Warthog Jump video was a success, but now Aikidoka and Halorigin are looking to upstage it with their new clip titled What Goes Up. In the original Warthog Jump, R. Glass used a few grenades and a rocket launcher to give the Warthog its lift. This definitely did the job, but Aikidoka and Halorigin figured that 53 grenades would work a little better.

They were right.

What Goes Up is 35 MB and is over six minutes long. Mirrors are appearing over at HBO and we plan on hosting the video here at Rampancy, too. It's already being hosted on RampancyHL for those of you who just can't wait.

You will need Apple's QuickTime software to view the video.

This is just to note that downloads of the now infamous Warthog Jump movie from Rampancy.net have just passed 17,000. And not to worry, we won't be pulling this mirror for any reason as long as there is demand.

Truth & Reconciliation has had a couple updates today, beginning with an interview with Rob McLees. Some may be unfamiliar with his name, but McLees is a veteran Bungie employee who has contributed many art and story elements to the company's fantastic game library. McLees can be thanked for creating the majority of Halo's weapons; check out the interview for loads of information about the process behind this.

As if an interview wasn't enough, the concept art section has had a seventh gallery added that features some of McLees' Flood art.