Rumor: 2006 NOT the year of Halo 3?

Source: A GameStop company e-mail scanned and displayed on gaming blog Kotaku.com.

The official story: Microsoft had not responded to e-mails as of press time.

What we heard: Now that the public knows that Brangelina is expecting sometime in June, we can focus on important stuff--like the release date for Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. Given that the date is under tighter lock and key than the plot to Lost, most speculation is sculpted from when we know it won't be out.

Pre-E3 last year, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates told Time magazine that not only would Master Chief be taking on The Covenant, but he'd also be battling the launch of the PlayStation 3. While others in the know scratched their heads at his comment, it took Bill a little longer to swallow his words and admit that the game would be done "when it's ready."

This obviously means that Halo 3 will be released this November, Microsoft's month of choice for gaming, right? Not only is it the optimal release date to take advantage of the holiday crunch, but it's also the time of year that previous Halo games were released, both Xboxes hit stores, and Xbox Live was launched.

Not so fast, according to a company e-mail sent to employees of GameStop. Gaming blog Kotaku.com got word from a source at GameStop that the retailer was flatly told by Microsoft that "Halo 3 will NOT be released in 2006" (emphasis in original). Kotaku posted a scan of the e-mail, whose simple layout could be easily forged. However, a well-placed mole inside the GameStop organization confirmed to GameSpot that the e-mail is indeed legitimate.

That said, GameStop.com is still listing the game as coming out on October 3, 2006. So did the guy who updates product release dates not get the memo? One possibility is that the e-mail is merely a guide to employees on how common questions should be answered, such as, "Sorry, that's for paying customers only" or "No, a middle-school ID won't let you buy M-rated games."

Of course, Microsoft has not commented on the situation, so nothing is official. But given that Microsoft execs have gone from saying that Halo 3 will be a PS3-killer to saying it will be ready when Bungie says its ready, and given that Bungie is still denying that it's working on Halo 3, pushing Halo 3 into 2007 doesn't seem so far off. Remember Halo 2's delays?

Lastly, the GameStop memo gives further validity to the current entertainment-synergy theory spun by industry-watchers, who say the game will be released in tandem with the Halo film. Studios Fox and Universal have tentatively slated the surefire blockbuster, which is being executive produced by King Kong director Peter Jackson, for summer 2007.

Could this mean the ps3 will get ahead of the xbox360?

That really stinks.

By the way, is it possible Halo 3 will work for regular xbox too.

I dont wanna spend 400 bucks for 360 when all i want is halo 3.

It say halo 3 is for the xbox360 but they may release it on xbox.

just to put everyone in the know that don't go to Bungie.net. they haven't said when they would be finished or that they've even started on it so no one can officially say when it comes out. but Bill on the other hand can set a deadline for it but that's only after bungie has something to show that their working on it.

my friend has a cousin who works for bungie and working on halo 3. my friend said that his cousin said it was coming out in december 2006 yeah it close to 2007. but he said what his cousin said to him. so well just have to find out when its time to release comes close. i also think that ps3 will not get ahead because its boomerang control has discouraged ps2 owners to not get the ps3. i know im 1 of em'.

Can we please stop with the whole "A friend of my cousin works for Bungie" routine please, it gets really old really fast.