Halo 3

As of May 9, 2006, Halo 3 has been announced for release in 2007 on the Xbox 360. In a video released about the development of the trailer, Bungie confirmed that the trailer was made using in game assets and that the final product will be very similar to the trailer.

"The trailer was built to have minimum impact on the development process, and while it required long hours and hard work from many, many Bungie staffers, it utilizes real-game assets, fiction and locations from parts of the "real" game."

It is obvious that a modified version of the MA5B Assault Rifle makes an appearance. Other vehicles such as the Phantom, Banshee, and the Covenant Assault Carrier appear in the trailer. Master Chief's gloves and armor have also changed noticeably.

"The details of the plot have yet to be revealed. Suffice to say, the Master Chief has returned to Earth. The Covenant has uncovered a massive and ancient Forerunner artifact under the African soil and Cortana is still trapped in the clutches of the Gravemind." --Bungie.net

Cortana's line in the trailer: "This is the way the world ends," references the first of the Cortana Letters. The line itself refers to T. S. Eliot's The Hollow Men, which ends:


 * This is the way the world ends
 * Not with a bang but a whimper.

Cortana's emphasis on "this" implies she is rejecting the poem, and that the world will end with a bang.

The structure in the trailer is thought to be, but not officially confirmed as, The Ark. Although it is mentioned in the Halo Graphic Novel when one Elite says “We need to clear this area before we can secure access to The Ark” this is put in the last story of the Novel called Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa. It is also mentioned in Halo 2 as a place where all the Halo rings could be fired at once, and "This is the way the world ends" most likely refers to the Halo's activation. Though it has not been confirmed or denied by Bungie, it is seen in this small sketch from the DVD. Also, in Bungie's FAQ, they said that although they wouldn't tell what the structure is, Halo fans may recognize it. The structure looks somewhat similar to a structure seen in the Halo 2 multiplayer map Ascension or the circular structures on the exterior of Halo which is visible in the opening menu of Halo. It also looks like the dock that the Forerunner ship at the end of Halo 2 was stationed in.

In the first Bungie weekly update after the trailer, the location is confirmed. The scene in the trailer is at the edge of New Mombasa. The mountain in the background is indeed Kilamanjaro. Also, the weapon the Chief is holding has been confirmed as an Assault Rifle, by Bungie, altough they state that it is not the same as the Assault Rifle in Halo 1. They have also said that it will be in the final game.

Weapons
These are the weapons we know to be in the game:


 * MA5C Assault Rifle - A new version, the MA5C
 * Battle Rifle
 * Carbine
 * Gun Turret(seen in both High Ground screenshots)
 * Shotgun
 * Sniper Rifle
 * Spartan Laser - An anti-vehicle weapon.
 * Spiker - A Brute weapon.
 * Sub-Machine Gun
 * Spike Grenade - A sticking grenade that shoots spikes.
 * Man Cannon - Capable of catapulting a player across the map (Name is possibly a placeholder)
 * Plasma Pistol
 * Needler (Modified)

Vehicles

 * Banshee
 * Brute Ghost
 * Ghost
 * Pelican(Shadow seen in screenshot)
 * Phantom
 * Mongoose
 * Warthog
 * Wraith

Multiplayer Levels

 * Valhalla
 * High Ground
 * Snowbound

Confirmed facts about Halo 3
The following is based on the Wikipedia article on Halo 3:


 * The combat AI for Grunts is said to be in testing
 * Bungie has confirmed via their Weekly Update at Bungie.net that multiplayer as well as singleplayer testing are currently in progress for the title, in varying stages of completion.
 * The Bungie website also alluded to "a devastated and Covenant controlled Earth".
 * During the Bungie Weekly update of 8-11 it mentions that the testing of the combat dialogue for Marines, Elites, and Brutes was underway. So it can be inferred that Brutes will be in the game. Also it aluded to Ghosts and the dialoge that would be said when one was hijacked.
 * Bungie revealed that the game would have a new "materials system" so advanced that "you could see light reflect off the ground and onto his armor", which will be able to "[show] the difference between his armor and the rubber undersuit". The site also includes that "It's so detailed that if you bring the camera close to the Master Chief's visor, you see everything in front of him reflected in it, right down to the ammo counter in his rifle" . In addition, there would be new advanced texturing to reflect permanent, persistent damage.
 * In the trailer, Master Chief's Mark VI armor is battle-worn and plasma-scored. Developer Marcus R. Lehto's response: "The Chief is shown as warrior who has seen horrific battle – and it shows. The Earth is dry, barren, ravaged by the Covenant."
 * Bungie has confirmed the following basic plot points from what the teaser trailer revealed: Master Chief is back on a thoroughly conquered and Covenant controlled Earth.  Cortana is still a prisoner of the Gravemind.  Finally, the Covenant ships are hovering over an excavation site only a few miles from New Mombasa.
 * Bungie has also stated that the rising structure seen in the trailer should be familiar to fans of their previous games. It may be related to the Jjaro station in Marathon Infinity (an artifact used to contain a being within a sun), though this has not yet been corroborated by anyone with the game. Any assistance with verifying this would be appreciated.
 * Bungie has confirmed crates in the game in one of their updates.
 * The Master Chief from Halo and Halo 2 is confirmed to be the Spartan in the Halo 3 trailer. Bungie has yet to release any information on the whereabouts of other Spartan soldiers mentioned in the Halo novels.
 * Halo 3 and the Halo Movie could come out at the same time, however "The two will not affect each other in terms of release dates."
 * Although Halo 3 was planned to end the Halo series, future Halo games haven't been entirely ruled out. On the Halo 3 FAQ from the official Bungie website it says, "Q: Is this the last ever Halo game? A: It is the conclusion to this story arc." Fans note that it is therefore possible that future games could be produced in the Halo universe, even if this particular story arc isn't continued. This was confirmed when Bungie released that the game Halo Wars will be released and is in creation.
 * Multiplayer characters have their secondary weapons on their body, visible to other players.
 * Halo 3 will ship in 3 different versions:
 * Normal version: includes game.
 * Collector's Edition: includes game and extra DVD containing extra/bonus content.
 * Legendary Edition: includes a replica of Master Chief's helmet, and 4 discs. Disk 1=game disc 2=extra bonus content disc 3=spin-off material(Red vs. Blue, etc...) disk 4=every cutscene from Halo 1, Halo 2, and Halo 3 in high-def.

Plot Theories
It has been suggested that the ark's location is on Earth and it is a safe house (as name would imply) where halo can be activated and not be harmed by its effects.

It is also possible that the Master Chief will go back in time to activate the halos initially (when the Forerunner did it) as suggested by 343 Guilty Spark, "Why would you hesitate to do what you’ve already done?"

Internal

 * Halo 3 Announcement Trailer
 * Halo 3 Credits

External

 * Bungie's Announcement
 * | Gamespot Page on Halo 3
 * | IMDB Entry on Halo 3
 * Wikipedia - Halo 3
 * Low-res screenshots
 * Halo 3 Multiplayer Clues at Halowiki.net.