In the 
4.5 billion years the earth has been around, about 108 billion humans have walked its surface. In the 11 years Halo has been around, a small subset of those humans have killed each other more than 136 billion times.
As Bungie says goodbye to the franchise that brought it fame and fortune, the game developer has released some statistics detailing the dedication of its massive fan base. And the numbers are staggering.
We’re more than a 
year away from Halo 4 hitting store shelves, but Microsoft is already giving fans a peek behind the curtain on one of the most anticipated upcoming games for the Xbox 360.
At last weekend’s Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle, 343 Industries, which has taken over ownership of the franchise from longtime developer Bungie, dropped a few hints about what we can expect in the game — though the crew certainly left attendees with more questions than answers.
Halo, the biggest title 
in Microsoft’s software lineup, is venturing into unexplored territory. This fall, for the first time, the game will be playable in 3D.
“Halo: Anniversary” will be offered in stereoscopic 3D when it releases this November. The game, a remake of the original “Halo” from 10 years ago, is the first entry in the series made by a team other than Bungie Software.
If you’re a fan of ‘Star Wars’ or 
‘The Lord of the Rings’, you’re intimately familiar with Hollywood’s practice of repackaging hit films, adding a bit of polish or new content and enticing you to pay for yet another ticket or version of the DVD.
It’s one of the best ways for studios to make money off old franchises — and now the video game industry is starting to follow in its footsteps.
Microsoft is closer to 
turning Xbox into the everything box.
Sticking with a strategy to promote the Xbox 360 console as more than just a videogame player, Microsoft used its pre-E3 presser on Monday to reveal that the device will start offering live TV in the U.S. and integrate YouTube and search engine Bing as part of a relaunch this fall.
(Co-written with Marc Graser)
“Halo: Reach” players are getting
some more maps.
The “Halo: Reach” Defiant Map Pack goes live today, with two new multiplayer maps, a firefight mission and new achievements letting players earn up to 150 Microsoft Points.
Read more (and learn how to win free codes) at Variety’s Technotainment blog
After ten years of creating and exploring 
the Halo universe, ace developer Bungie Entertainment is ready to build a new world — and it’s apparently going to be a mighty big one.
The developer has confirmed that its next project will be a massively-multiplayer online action game. While the company is still keeping most of the details shrouded in secrecy, Bungie’s lead network engineer David Aldridge told game makers at the Game Developer Conference that the title would not simply be “[World of Warcraft] in space.”
Retail sales might be in the tank, but that doesn’t 
mean 2010 has been a year of bad video games. It’s quite the opposite, in fact.
While shoppers have been more picky about what they buy — and spending more time with games that have extensive multiplayer elements — there are a lot of highly rated titles on shelves and others coming soon. The good news? That makes it easy for gift buyers to find something for everyone.
Here are some suggestions that can’t be overlooked.
Even “Halo: Reach” couldn’t bring 
the video game industry out of its slump in September.
Software sales at retail stores were down a shocking 6 percent last month to $614 million, according to The NPD Group. That’s vastly worse than analysts were expecting and could scare investors, who were holding out hope that September would be a bright spot in an otherwise dismal year for game sales.
The consensus among 
analysts and industry observers was that strong sales of “Halo: Reach” would be enough to bring video game sales into positive territory in September.
The consensus was wrong. Very, very wrong.
Read more at Variety’s Technotainment blog
Chris Morris: Journalist 