Chronique:Halo Bulletin 15/12/2011

The Halo Bulletin: 12.14.11

When I hear someone say “ho, ho, ho,” I know either I didn’t hear them call me the first two times, or the holidays have officially arrived. I’m thankful this is the one month out of the year it’s actually the latter.

Something that becomes glaringly obvious, though, to anyone that has the displeasure of crossing my path during the month of December, is that I’m a bit of a scrooge. I do not deck the halls with boughs of holly, I refuse to rock around the Christmas tree, and I choose receiving over giving at any and all available opportunities. However, despite my official “Bah, humbug!” status, I do look forward to a certain recurring holiday-themed event. And that’s the Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction.

Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction

An evening where glamor meets geek over the clanking of champagne glasses, the Child’s Play Charity Dinner Auction showcases one of the best things about the video-game community: their willingness to give back. This year’s festivities, which took place last Thursday at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue, raised an astounding $351,000 in a single night.

Kicking off the lavish affair was a silent auction. While I could spend hours soaking in the incredible assortment of beautiful art (Mister Chief painting!), one-of-a-kind collectibles (Mister Chief painting!), and various pieces of autographed memorabilia (Mister Chief painting!), we were only allotted a little over an hour to quietly stake our claim. Some of the more notable treasures—which were a signed Creeper head, Chun Li-inspired corset, Portal DLC Man costume, Mass Effect N7 Pistol replica, Star Wars Lightsaber, and Head Crab Zombie statue—were found comfortably nestled between bottles of n00b Merlot and Gamer Widow Pinot Grigio.

Those scoping out Halo-specific goodies had a few different choices: a Halo: Anniversary gaming bundle, a signed piece of Halo 4 concept art, a custom bronze Master Chief statue, and "Tons of Halo in a Duffel Bag."

For the record, that last lot really included tons of Halo. And all of it was, in fact, in a duffel bag.

Dinner being served marked the end of the silent auction, and the beginning of the live one. The 343 table mixed Halo 4 mission designers with Halo: Reach playlist designers, and Halo Waypoint producers with Halo 4 artists. While we wined and dined our way through grilled flat iron steak, riesling-marinated chicken breast, and butternut squash ravioli, Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade assumed the monumental task of taking bids while simultaneously keeping up a steady stream of witty banter.

343 donated three different items for the live-auction portion of the evening. These were our listings as they appeared in the auction pamphlet.

Lot 201 - Pair of Duke 360 Retrofitted Controllers

A pair of very limited edition (2 of 8) retrofitted Duke controllers. These beautiful beasts were brought to life by hardware genius Ben Heck for Halo Fest’s celebration of Halo’s 10th anniversary.

Lot 204 - Van Doh. Self-portrait with bandaged ear

This painting by 343 Industries’ own Frank O’Connor was on display at Halo Fest. It went on to be immortalized by the Seattle PI as a “child’s painting”. Don’t miss the opportunity to own this critically important piece of Halo history.

Lot 217 - Mega Bloks Guilty Spark

This one-of-a-kind statue was built by Mega Blok’s Master Builder (great job title, right?) and was on display at Halo Fest. On top of being able to destroy all sentient life with a Halo Array, he also lights up.

Bidding was fast, furious, and freakishly well-mannered. What we hoped would be settled with a gallon of oil, a kiddie pool, and various grappling-type moves was instead handled solely with raised hands and bid cards. Apparently, everybody else has a different way of resolving differences than we do at the studio.

As hands shot up around the room throughout the 19 different auctions, many familiar faces were spotted. Rooster Teeth—who, coincidentally, went home with a brand new Mona Lisa-esque painting—was sitting at a neighboring table. Stephen Toulouse and Eric Neustadter of Xbox LIVE were also in attendance, auctioning off a day with their gargantuan banhammer. And Pop Cap and Bungie made their presence known, when, good-naturedly of course, they battled over a certain blocky artificial intelligence construct.

All in all, the event raised over $350,000 for sick children worldwide. Thus, in my opinion, it can be considered nothing short of an overwhelming success. And we are honored to have played a teeny tiny part in that.

Halo: Holiday Bundle Evolved

If you weren’t able to attend the aforementioned festivities but would still like to donate to a worthy cause, we recently listed a very special auction on eBay. With 100% of the final sale price supporting Northwest Harvest, the proceeds will be used to fight hunger through a network of food banks, meal programs and high-need elementary schools. Included in this Halo-themed holiday bundle are the following highly coveted items:

The auction closes on December 18 at 11:25:22 PST, so if you would like to add these amazing Halo pieces to your ever-growing collection, now is the time to place your bid. In fact, here’s a handy-dandy link so you can do just that!

Check out the Halo: Holiday Bundle Evolved auction now

Now, to continue with the theme of the holidays, it’s time for something that I’m hoping will come in handy as you finish your holiday shopping. Or start, if you’re anything like me….

From action figures to books to interlocking plastic bricks, many of us love the things that focus on our favorite science-fiction video-game franchise. And it’s because of our common love of a certain cybernetically enhanced super-soldier that I have put together this Halo holiday gift guide. So, whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, here are our suggestions for some Halo-themed gifts!

Please note that none of the stuff we offer for sale will profit a charity. I blame Fishka.

Halo: Glasslands by Karen Traviss

Description: The Covenant has collapsed after a long, brutal war that saw billions slaughtered on Earth and her colonies. For the first time in decades, however, peace finally seems possible. But though the fighting's stopped, the war is far from over: it's just gone underground. The UNSC's feared and secretive Office of Naval Intelligence recruits Kilo-Five, a team of ODSTs, a Spartan, and a diabolical AI to accelerate the Sangheili insurrection. Meanwhile, the Arbiter, the defector-turned-leader of a broken Covenant, struggles to stave off civil war among his divided people.

Price: ≈ $11

Purchase here: Amazon

Mega Bloks ODST Ambush Construction Set

Description: Inside a ruined UNSC recruitment center, an ODST Urban Specialist has spotted a Jump Pack Brute on patrol. Using his new SMG with silencer, the ODST sets up a second-floor ambush on the Brute before it can identify and eliminate the trooper.

Price: ≈ $12

Purchase here: Amazon

Halo: Fall of Reach Covenant Comic Hardcover Collection

Description: From the bestselling prequel HALO: FALL OF REACH! It is a question that humanity has long asked: Are we alone in the universe? In this riveting prequel, the United Nations Space Command learns the answer to that question - and the answer is "no." Witness the beginning of the struggle between humans and the Covenant in this epic series based on the novel by Eric Nylund, adapted by Brian Reed and brought brilliantly to life by Felix Ruiz! Collecting HALO: FALL OF REACH - COVENANT #1-4.

Price: ≈ $12

Purchase here: Amazon

Halo: Fall of Reach Bootcamp Comic Hardcover Collection

Description: This is where it all began... Before he was Master Chief, he was John—a boy stolen from his parents and conscripted into the SPARTAN II program on the fortress world of Reach. These are desperate times in the human colonies, with galactic civil war just a heartbeat away...and only Dr. Catherine Halsey understands the terrible price humanity must pay to keep from destroying itself. Brian Reed (Spider-Man: American Son), and Felix Ruiz (MARVEL BOY: The Uranian) bring you an adaptation of the best-selling novel HALO: FALL OF REACH by Eric Nylund.

Price: ≈ $13

Purchase here: Amazon

McFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Action Figure'

Description: The classic Halo 3 version of Master Chief returns, featuring his damaged Mark VI armor, Assault Rifle, and two Frag Grenades.

Price: ≈ $16

Purchase here: Amazon

Halo: The Art of Building Worlds Art Book

Description: Charting the glorious decade that spans Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo: Reach, Halo: The Great Journey is a lavish and spectacular review of ten years of groundbreaking game art brought together in one place as never before.

Price: ≈ $20

Purchase here: Amazon

McFarlane Toys Halo 10th Anniversary Master Chief Evolution 3-Pack

Description: The star of the Halo trilogy has evolved quite a bit over the past decade, and the Master Chief Evolution 3-Pack covers his three best-known versions.

Price: ≈ $37

Purchase here: Amazon

Mega Bloks UNSC Falcon Construction Set

Description: This buildable set features rotating propellers and opening cockpit, landing pad, a new Silver UNSC Pilot and Mark V Air Assault Spartan with weapons!

Price: ≈ $37

Purchase here: Amazon

Halo: Anniversary

Description: Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a spectacularly remastered version of the original campaign, created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history. With a bounty of new features including cooperative play over Xbox LIVE, a bundle of some of the most beloved multi player maps in history re-imagined for Xbox LIVE, new challenges and a new story to uncover. Anniversary is a must-have experience.

Price: ≈ $38

Purchase here: Amazon

Square Enix Master Chief Play Arts Kai Collectible Action Figure

Description: The second wave of Halo Reach Play Arts Kai action figures have arrived! NOBLE Team Commander Carter, Warrant Officer Jorge, and Lieutenant Commander Kat have been created with amazing detail, enhanced articulation, and paint applications true to the hit game. Each character includes an arsenal of weapons to take on any force. Included Accesories: JORGE M247 Machine Gun, Fragment Grenade, Additional Hand Parts.

Price: ≈ $53

Purchase here: Amazon

Mega Bloks Covenant Phantom

Description: An Elite pilot maneuvers a Covenant Phantom into action, providing heavy cover fire from its three rotating plasma cannons.

Price: ≈ $67

Purchase here: Amazon

Mega Bloks UNSC Elephant

Description: Based on the legendary Halo universe, the 1,282-piece Mega Bloks Halo UNSC Elephant set will delight and challenge builders with its size and authenticity.

Price: ≈ $103

Purchase here: Amazon

And with that, I have some mistletoe I need to go stand under. Until next week….

<3,
bs angel

P.S. I'm going to assume you won't be adorning your desktop with the picture of me covering my face. So, here's a Friday Caption Fun-themed image for you instead! Embiggen, snag, and then contribute a witty caption or two for the newest image. Off you go!

P.P.S. Discuss.