If you've kept up with the five seasons (and multiple spin-off miniseries) of Rooster Teeth's (mostly) comedic Halo-based series "Red vs. Blue", then their recent announcement (with accompanying teaser trailer) of a brand new chapter in their seminal machinima franchise should definitely tickle your fancy. However, it seems that the Teeth have left their lollerskates at home for this one -- though the cast list tacked to the end of the above video shows that many of the series' voice actors are making a return, the trailer lacks the Spanish-speaking robots, megalomaniacal medics, and pregnant men that we've become accustomed to seeing in the "RvB" universe. Still, with production values like this, we couldn't be more on board.

Need a crash course for Halo 3's new "Heroic" map pack? The Rooster Teeth crew have reprised their Spartan roles for a special Red vs. Blue episode showing off the three new maps due out tomorrow. Those who persevered through last night's Spike TV VGAs already got to see the video, but for those who had better things to do (like what? No, really, we want to know) or want to watch it again, we've embedded the video above.

The "Heroic Map Pack," featuring new maps Foundry, Standoff and Rat's Nest, are due out tomorrow for 800 MS points ($10) or free if you wait until sometime early next year.

While the Halo 3 multiplayer beta is trickling its way out to the masses, pass the time while all of your neighbors try to download it simultaneously with the latest from Red vs. Blue. (Oh, who are we kidding? We know you're going to watch the progress counter ratchet up to 100 percent, with the same adoration as if you were reading Hemingway the multiplayer guide.)

As the Red vs. Blue guys inch closer to the 100th episode blowout, the latest short shows off some important basics players need to know about the multiplayer beta. Think of it as an orientation initiation into Halo 3. Welcome to the social.

See the video after the break.

Popular Halo machinima series Red vs. Blue is coming to Xbox Live. The first five episodes of the concluding series are already online and selling at 80 MS points (US $1.00) each. The videos range from 77 to 138 MB in size.

As 1UP points out, it's not hard to find much of the series online for free viewing (including the official RvB website, which features some episodes on a rotating basis). You can also purchase a nineteen-episode DVD for each season, with bonus features, from the Rooster Teeth store for $20.

Still, one dollar might be that golden price point where, like Apple found with iTunes store, consumers don't mind paying for the convenience of downloading content. We'll probably have an indication of how well the price is working with what we presume is the inevitable release of episodes six to 10.

[Update: math error with DVD.]

At first glance it may look like an April Fool's joke (hey, so did the closing of The GIA), but it seems as though the war of Blood Gulch really will be coming to an end. Burnie Burns of Rooster Teeth announced on their forum two nights ago that their infamous Red vs. Blue series of Halo machinima will be concluding with its landmark one-hundredth episode. The series that for the past four years has made it worth living through the weekend, brought the concept of machinima to the masses, as well as gave a wildly different perspective of the Halo universe.

With six episodes left to go, the folks behind the Blood Gulch Chronicles are busy wrapping up all the loose ends for the finale but took the time to thank their shisno fans. Beyond RvB, Rooster Teeth has been involved with numerous commercial projects in the past few years, including a television ad for last year's Madden. For introducing us to "The Puma," human-to-robot surgery, and girlie laps, we salute you.