Halo 3

Pro-G has "confirmed" with Microsoft that people playing copies of Halo 3 earlier than the official release date will be banned from Xbox Live with great vengeance and furious anger.

However, they have also "confirmed" that this ban only applies to Microsoft employees that have been playing Halo 3 early.

TheFeed hopes it is only MS employees because if a gamer buys the game in a store that's breaking the street date, that is the store's fault. The incredibly lucky gamer should not be at fault.

We'll bring you more as it develops, but for now, hold off on playing your early copy of Halo 3.

Pro-G.co.uk: Microsoft backtracks on Halo 3 LIVE ban threat

Had enough of the drips and drabs of Halo 3 info that have been being released for the past year or so? Too bad. Here's a new drab for ya in the form of a just-revealed multiplayer map called Isolation.

Yeah, it's contradictory, but it seems very cool.  Isolation is a medium sized map, set in an isolated biosphere with an above-ground section and a subterranean bunker.

We want to play it.

We want you to read about it.

IGN: Halo 3: Welcome to Isolation

In case the TV commercials, product tie-ins and internet chatter haven't alerted you: Halo 3 comes out this Tuesday. One of the features we most look forward to (other than killing your noob ass) is The Forge, Halo 3's level customizing utility.

Bungie released all the details yesterday,  and it looks smokin'. It allows group editing and on the fly maniuplation of objects and vehicles in what sounds like a very intuitive interface. You can then save and share your map because you are a generous person.

Finally our dream of a level with rocket launchers on every square surface inch will come true.

We like rocket launchers.

Bungie.net: Halo 3 How-to: Forge Basics

We urge you not to watch the youtube video that's embedded under the "Read More" tag.

Seriously. It's the ending of Halo 3, and you haven't played through the game, so you haven't earned it. So SPOILERS!

We probably shouldn't even link to it...but something compels us to share.

Really. Don't click it. You'll bring yourself shame. You won't be able to take it back.

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We don't care how sick of Halo hype you might be... this is just flat out AWESOME. 

Follow the link below to do a virtual fly-thru of the Halo 'Museum' - a digital re-creation of that bitching diorama from the new "Believe" commercials.

You can click and drag your way to a Halo frenzy, take screengrabs, download wallpapers... we've never been so thrilled whilst being knowingly marketed at.

Halo3.com: Believe

Todd McFarlane is making controllers for Halo 3, and McFarlane Toys gave us an exclusive look at the art that will be on those controllers. Check out the pics below and see how they evolved from a sketch to a full-color experience. This is one of the cooler Halo tie-ins we've seen so far.

Check out the pics...

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Waiting to get a 360 and really love Halo? Well the Halo-themed Xbox 360 is making its way to stores now!

This SKU runs $399 and includes a lovely Halo paint job, 20GB hard drive, HDMI-port, and Halo wireless controller, Halo Play & Charge kit, and exclusive Halo 3 gamer pictures and themes.

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We all know that Halo 3 is gonna mean big bucks for Microsoft and could sell a lot of consoles, but is Sony planning something to fight this?

Analyst Michael Pachter believes that Sony could make some big announcements at TGS. He believes we'll see a lower-priced 40GB PS3 and a $99 PS2.

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Analyst Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets thinks that Halo 3 could be looking at a $200 million day.

This is way higher than Microsoft's own estimate of $155 million, which is still higher than Halo 2's one-day haul of $125 million.

Sales numbers should be helped by the fact that 360 games run $60, while Halo 2 released at $50. The Collector's Edition and Legendary Edition will help as well.

Kotaku.com: Analyst: Initial Halo 3 Sales Should Hit $200 Million

There exists a 1200 square-foot diorama depicting a battle scene from Halo 3 and it may just be touring the country.

The diorama could appear at Halo events and possibly some museums. The diorama is 12 feet tall and has 8 to 19 inch hand-crafted characters.

Kotaku.com: Halo Diorama May Tour Country

And the marketing machine rolls on.  That was a pun, because the above pictured Halo-3 paint scheme is featured on a race car.  And they totally roll.  *sigh*

#40 driver David Stremme will rock Halo 3 colors at Dover on Sept 23rd.  Some of you will say you don't care and that NASCAR is stupid, but odds are more of you will tune-in to watch the race.  Sorry guys, that's the truth of the TV ratings.

Nothing against Stremme, but TheFeed would have preferred that Juan Pablo Montoya (on the same team) were to rock the Halo paint.  JPM is a former Formula 1 driver who has won the Indy 500, wrecks in nearly half of his races and is a kung fu expert.  That's just awesome.

Also, his name is fun as hell to say.  JUAN PABLO MONTOYA.  SAY IT.

Pontiac is teaming up with Microsoft for some Halo 3 promotions, which could net you a brand new car! During the first 3 days of Halo 3's release Microsoft will award 144 random gamers 8,000 MS Points.

These winners will also be entered to win a Halo-themed Pontiac GXP Street Edition (worth $28,000) or a Samsung home theater system worth $3,500.

Pontiac will also be giving 1,000 people a copy Halo 3 before it releases on September 25 with their "First to Own" promotion.

GamesIndustry.biz: Microsoft announces events and promotions

Halo 3 is coming and it's going to be huge. 10,000 retail stores are expected to stay open until or open at midnight September 25th to begin selling the game as soon as possible.

Additionally, thanks to Best Buy, for 3 days after Halo 3 releases, everyone that owns an Xbox 360 and has broadband internet access will have Xbox Live Gold access.

If you were waiting to try Xbox Live Gold (if you don't have it, you forfeit your 360), here's your chance to try it from September 25 to 27th.

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Camp McFarlane sent over more pictures of the newest figures in the Halo 3 collection, which go on sale in March 2008.

Hit the jump to check out Master Chief and the gang below.  Click on any of the images to see the full photo gallery.

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So this guy gets a copy of the Halo 3 Epsilon internal beta through illegal means and decides to connect to Xbox Live with it. Long story short: he got caught.

Not only did he get caught, but he got banned from Xbox Live... for 7992 years. Someone at Microsoft decided to have some fun with this banning and thought a flat out permanent ban was too good for this guy.

Luckily for him, all he has to do is buy a new 360 and get a new Live account, but it's still really funny. Oh, and Halo 3 comes out really soon. Well, before 12/31/9999 anyway.

Destructoid: Halo 3 thief gets banned from Live until the year 9999