The downloadable content for the upcoming RTS Halo Wars is complete, apparently. The content was apparently designed into the game's framework from the beginning, so it has been worked on side-by-side with the main title. The DLC will be held back a bit, though, to help sustain interest in the game. Sounds reasonable, not too long now, Bungie.

"It was never the plan to finish the game THEN start work on the DLC," he went on to say, adding that the DLC was pretty much done already.

Bungie has stated that it new IP that we have all heard whispers about is not tied to Microsoft, and even better, it is not tied to the Xbox360. This means the game is likely a non-Halo project, but Bungie admitted they have not even decided on a primary platform yet. Stay tuned.

"No, we're not [tied into a specific platform for new IP]," said community and PR director Brian Jarrard, "We haven't gotten that far yet to be totally honest.

Bungie has revealed that the upcoming Halo 3 Recon will be the last game in the Halo Trilogy series. Bungie is working on two other titles though, so they are keeping busy, but Recon is it for now for the Halo storyline. We think it is better to retire when you are on top anyway. Pull a Seinfeld, if you will.

"But I think when this project wraps up in a couple of months that will be the time when that team moves on to something else - part of that team will move on to something else and part of them will probably be absorbed into one of the other projects that are already on the way."

The HD trailer for the new game Halo Recon is now posted over at Gametrailers. As you can see, the game looks like it is going to be a brand-new adventure, with tons of Halo signature style action. Check it out.

The new Halo game is being debuted now at the conference. The game will be called Halo 3 Recon, and it will feature a brand new hero. Along with the new hero comes an all-new campaign. Sounds like Halo 3 and a half to us! The game will also include new multiplayer maps.

An MS rep has stated that Bungie plans to make a major Halo 3 announcement at TGS regarding the recently announced expansion. Remember, last week, the "Keep it Clean" teaser was released, showing a futuristic city being destroyed by missiles. Then there was the whole "Madddie, where are you" controversy, but that is another news post. So far, the only official info we have from MS is "High action and deep mystery await players in this new Halo 3 campaign experience." Hoefully, next Thursday at TGS we will get all the info we need.

According to Marty O'Donnell, Bungie's Audio Director, smaller game studios face hard times if they cannot get some sort of return on the pre-owned game market. O'Donnell said that he is sure used games had an impact on Halo sales, although how much, he is not sure. He is an advocate of creating a digital system for used games, that is "fair to both consumers and developers." O'Donnell joins a growing faction of developers who are unhappy with pre-owned game sales, although Gamestop does significant pre-owned business, as they have reported in the past. Stay tuned, we will see who wins out in the end.

Today, Bungie has made available the title update 2 for Halo 3. The update includes new game achievements, but for now, only the ten listed at the Bungie site are the ones worth worrying about. There are more listed, but according to Bungie, they are tied to things yet to come which they cannot talk about just yet. The other addition is Playlist Ratings. Players will now have a separate rating based solely on game experience. Check the link for the full details, it is a bit complicated.

Believe it or not, the project that was canceled at Ensemble Studios before they shut down was apparently a Halo MMO. The MMO word is super-overcrowded, so we think it is a good idea the project name came to fruition. This does not mean MS does not have designs on a Halo-themed MMO still, though.

According to a rumor posted on GamerTM, Bungie and Rare will both be announcing new games at a mysterious event next week. An "insider" has confirmed to GTM that MS will be holding this event to take the wraps off the new Bungie title, which could be Halo 4, but we doubt it. The source did not specify the title nor any details about the game. The source also revealed that Rare may be revealing a new game as well, Killer Instinct 3 possible? More info when we have it, rumor mill for now, and the site is getting flooded so be patient.