Just a friendly reminder that today (July 7) is Bungie Day, which means free Bungie-related gamerpics and themes available on Xbox Live today (and only today). Additionally, the new Halo 3 map Cold Storage is also available free of charge for today. As for that announcement that was teased over the weekend, we've heard nothing so far. Trust us, though, if and when Bungie announces something, we'll let you know.

[Via X3F]

Confused about what exactly you need to do to play the new Halo 3 multiplayer map, Cold Storage, come Monday, Bungie Day? Let Bungie's Luke & Co. explain it all in the "On the Seven7th Day" vidoc, embedded after the break. In short, you need the Heroic map pack (don't worry, it's free), the Legendary map pack (it's being dropped from $10 to $7.50 on Monday) and then, of course the Cold Storage map which, they want you to know, will be free not only on Bungie Day but every day. You also get a good idea of what the map – a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved's "Chill Out" – has got to offer.

Oh, and what's this about celebrating Bungie's independence as a multi-game studio by announcing a game on Bungie Day? Seven guys in a shoebox? Just banter or a tease of what Bungie's got planned for Monday? No, seriously, we're asking you here ...

Like the rumbling of thunder in the distance, an unstoppable force is audibly and rapidly approaching us. Soon, a cacophony of clicks will ring through our ears, the reverberating result of posting an article which not only concerns Halo 3, but prominently features the word "free." What have we done?

Bungie's Luke Smith has announced via Bungie.net that "Cold Storage," a chilly new multiplayer map for everybody's favorite cyborg shoot-em-up, will be downloadable -- for free -- from the Xbox Live Marketplace beginning Monday Bungie Day, July 7. The map will be implemented in regular rotation in playlists that require the Legendary Map Pack, which will also drop from 800 MS Points ($10) to 600 MS Points ($7.50) on the same day. If you haven't tried those environments out yet, now's the time to join in on the gradual extermination of Earth's population.

[Update: Check out a tour of Cold Storage, along with a tease of what Bungie's got in store for Bungie Day, here.]

A member of the Bungie forums points out that the Halo 3 campaign kill count has surpassed the population of the human virus infecting and multiplying on this third rock from the sun.

• Halo 3 UNSC Campaign Report -- Enemies KIA: 6,743,784,316
• US Census Bureau PopClock estimate of Earth's population: 6,705,451,100

Useless information? For sure! But, when it comes up as a Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy question, you'll be happy you knew this factoid.

Attendees of a recent Major League Gaming event in San Diego were rewarded for their ability to watch other people play video games for eight hours with a visit from Bungie figureheads Shishka and Lukems, who gave the glassy-eyed viewers a sneak peek at their newest multiplayer map for Halo 3, named "Cold Storage". This new map is apparently set in the back room of a Cold Stone Creamery, as part of Bungie's recent partnership with the highly successful, treatweaving corporation.

Actually, the map closely resembles a level from Halo the first, titled "Chill Out". It was one of the game's more unique maps, due to it's smaller size and asymmetry -- though how those aspects will carry over into the remake has yet to be revealed, as Bungie has yet to "formally" announce said map. Apparently, speaking to a roomful of professional video game spectators doesn't count as a formal social engagement. Who'd have thunk it?

It appears some of the enthusiasm for Grand Theft Auto IV's multiplayer has waned, as the title has dropped to number three for top Xbox Live titles for the week of May 26. Old stalwarts Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 raced to reclaim the throne, with the latter title once again taking the top spot.

To express gratitude, Infinity Ward's iamfourzerotwo said that this weekend will provide double experience points for all COD4 players. That will apply to both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Additionally, the variety map packs will now show up as often as normal maps (they are currently twice as likely to now).

It's been nearly a year since the Red vs. Bluniverse said its goodbyes, only occasionally popping up to help promote a map pack or the like. But now (as promised last month) the series has returned with Red vs. Blue Reconstruction. And it's exactly the Red vs. Blue you've always loved! ... Except for the fact that it's not particularly funny.

No, Burnie and crew haven't let their talents become dulled from too many rounds of Grifball, they seem to be trying for a more serious approach this time ... or maybe it's just all set up for a big episode 2 punchline. Either way, we're on board for the new episodes coming on Mondays this summer.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

The long-standing "voice" of Bungie, Content Manager Frank O'Connor, is leaving the Halo studio in order to "work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise." In his final Weekly Update, O'Connor sends a heartwarming thanks to the community for a number of things, among them for "not following through on the death threats" (his emphasis, not ours).

The most interesting part of his goodbye later is the tease on the "coming years." Said O'Connor, "I was busy working on a story for one of our next games, an experience that is destined to surprise, amaze and entertain like nothing we've ever made before. That game has an amazing team invested in it, and one that will be tasked with building the Next Big Thing. You should see what they've already achieved, you truly should." We'll be watching with eager eyes. Take care, Frank, you'll be missed.

(Oh, and be sure to check out all the fun Frank O'Connor Photoshops.)

Everyone knows that Cinco de Mayo celebrates when Mexican Spartan forces destroyed a batch of French Covenant troops in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. So it seems only fitting that the bravery and sacrifice of those armored soldiers be honored with a Halo 3 Double XP weekend (which has already kicked off) and a new playlist for Fiesta (which spawns players with random weapons) called "Cinco de Mayo."

Two words of warning before you begin jamming cervezas and the right trigger: 1. Everyone can get double XP but you need the Heroic and Legendary map packs to play in "Cinco de Mayo." 2. The party only lasts until Tuesday, with the fiesta becomes a siesta.

Our pals at X3F scored early access to Halo 3's looming Legendary Map Pack, and -- bless their hearts -- they've decided to share. True, Bungie gave us a tour just yesterday, but X3F's video is no gallivanting stroll through a ghost town; there's no disarming charm to blackout the scrutinizing wit of the audience (that's you). This is a dissection darnit! An avalanche of insight seen through the carefully trained lens of the critic ... Oh, who are we kidding? They're just giddy Fanboys like the rest of yous!

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At the MI6 marketing conference in San Francisco, GameDaily reports on how Halo 3's marketing molded the image of Master Chief. Jerret West, global group product manager at Microsoft, explains they didn't want to portray Master Chief "as a reckless American cowboy." They needed him to be accepted as a savior of humanity and integrate Halo into pop culture. West notes the team had pop culture benchmarks like making the cover of Time or Wired, and worked with numerous other companies to push marketing ideas.

Chris Lee, a product manager from Microsoft, points out that Halo didn't have an awareness problem, it had a perception problem for being too hardcore. Looks like the team's efforts to make the Master Chief mainstream worked out. Halo 3 ended up becoming one of the best selling games last year.

Of the three new maps coming in the "Legendary" Halo 3 pack, "Ghost Town" is the only one that's completely brand new with no roots in earlier Haloz. So it's understandable if you become a little disoriented the first time you play it or, like us, if you start spinning wildly, firing in every direction before finding a safe spot and having a good cry. But there's no need for tears, little one! Three Halo 3 developers are going to take you on a tour in the amusingly named Vidoc: "Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me A Map."

There's also dirt on the other maps, which, frankly, look delectable. Also, we just want everyone to know right now that we're never playing a game of Halo 3 without the old-timey filter. It's sepia or see-you-later, that's our motto.

Wow, this new trailer for the Halo 3 Legendary map pack sure has us feeling nostalgic, and it's not just because two of the three maps are remakes! The trailer reminds us of the mid-autumn media frenzy that was the Halo 3 launch, with all its glitz and splendor. Those were high times for the video game blogger.

Back then it was just "OMG, this is new media for Halo 3! Consume!" You didn't have to worry about what you wrote because you knew no one was reading it. Check some of those old jams out, we bet half of them are just "All work and no play makes Joystiq a dull boy" over and over again. In fact, we're feeling so nostalgic for those halcyon days that we're about to go old school and leave this post with a completely underwhelming ending.

Bungie's resident mascot Mister Chief (no, not that one) has popped up on Bungie's radar as a group effort from every single Europe, African and Asian Halo 3 player that banded together in Halo 3 multiplayer.

... Well, it was either that or some quick image manipulation job by the Bungie staffers themselves, putting a "constellation" of Mister Chief on the map. We opt to believe the first story because it's infinitely more epic. Note that one tiny blip in South Africa, which was Joystiq's own Ludwig Kietzmann's contribution.

[Via X3F]

When Infinity Ward producer, Mark Rubin, told Eurogamer that the number of online users for the PS3 version of Call of Duty 4 was "monstrously huge," we can only assume he was referring to a beast of significant size and infinite terror -- which pretty much rules out those Pokemon things. Indeed, the multiplayer monster appears to be of the house-trampling, child-eating variety, with Rubin having declared, "No other game has come close, either online current, or total unique users in a day."

The battle between Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 for Xbox Live supremacy was also mentioned, with the former shooter's "between 1.2 and 1.3 million users every day" trumping Bungie's slightly more spartan servers. As for the percentage of total game owners (over seven million at last count) that have taken their tactics online, Rubin describes the number as "startling." Who knew statistics could be so scary?