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<toggledisplay> Posted by Frankie at 8/19/2005 2:15 PM PDT

Weekly Update Aug 19th

So we're checking out early today to go visit our new digs in Kirkland, which means a short update, with news on when and why you need FREE maps. And a couple of teeny snippets. And the return of you-know-who.

So here's a thing. Remember way back when we launched the Multiplayer Map Pack and everyone freaked out because we were charging money for the maps that cost us money to make? Well at the time, we pointed out that if you couldn't afford them and you were willing to wait, they'd eventually be free. Well that time is nearly upon us. On August 30th, we're going to make every single new map (Turf, Backwash, Terminal, Sanctuary, Gemini, Warlock, Relic, Containment and Elongation) free for download. Gratis.

That way, we can reward the patient, and reward the faithful who bought the pack(s) by (soon thereafter) rolling every suitable map into every suitable playlist, ranked and unranked alike.

Now here's the thing. The maps will be available for free on August 30th. If you DON'T download them, you may find that you don't have the right map when you go into matchmaking, and you'll be booted, so we strongly recommend that you go download them on or after that date. Again, at that time, they will be FREE. Which is the exact same price as air and anonymous internet abuse.

Now, for the Ritalin Kids, scanning this (while simultaneously watching Dragonball Z) to find the exact opposite of what I just said:

THE MAPS WILL BE FREE ON AUGUST 30th AND NOT A SECOND BEFORE. YOU NEED TO GET THEM ALL AFTER THAT DATE TO PLAY IN ALL MATCHMAKING LISTS.

Anyway, this afternoon, we're going to check out our new Building in Kirkland. Kirk-Land is Scottish for Church-Land. And true to its name, Kirkland is packed full o' churches and the like. However, it is also packed full o' snack places, pancake houses, restaurants, fancy food stores and a multitude of other venues at which we can fill our faces.

Why is this important to you? Because the better we're fed, the better our next game is going to be. Taco Salads on Wednesday at the current cafeteria, are the very reason that the HUD got stretched in widescreen in Halo 2. And the Mongolian BBQ on Fridays caused a problem with netcode that let haxorz mod maps. Kirkland is going to change all that. Probably.

This is also a good reason for Washington State to implement a Bungie Carpool Lane, where a carpool consists of one person and they are allowed to drive crazy-style at any speed their car is capable of. It should also be fully enclosed and air-conditioned, passing over and under Lake Washington in a rollercoaster fashion.

Anyone who says we have entitlement issues should shut up and send us gifts.

The new building is sweet. It's huge (compared to where we are now) and it's a better commute for some of the guys. That of course, thanks to the stupid laws of thermodynamics, means it's a worse commute for some of the other guys. Most folks seem happy about the change though. And we'll be moving sometime in September, fingers crossed.

What about our new project? Well, it's coming along swimmingly. I see cool things every day. More on that much later.

And the movie? Making progress in a Hollywood sort of way – which means lawyers, contracts, agreements and tedious stuff, instead of trailers showing the Master Chief battling hordes of Covenant with the music from Gladiator playing inappropriately in the background.

Props to our animator Nathan's brother on Canadian Idol. He's made the Top 5! If you're Canadian, vote for him eh? And find out how rad he is here:

Canadian Idol's Aaron Walpole

And you have to vote for Nathan's brother Aaron, because he's one of two dudes left – and the other one is a pretty-boy and a Newfie to boot!

Finally, someone asked me what Mister Chief's house looked like. It's just a regular old house. Like this one.

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