We officially announced the Reach for the Swag contest in June of this year. And here we are, nearly three months later. Bungie.net has a brand new look, Gamestop is completely sold out of preorders, and we now have winners of our first ever giveaway contest.

The second prize winner, who will receive the “Grenades are Tactical” TGZ shirt, is…

…Eric “EZE” Abrams!

Our first prize winner, taking home the Halo: Reach Standard Edition, is…

…Steven “Tweeder” Duvall!

And finally, the grand prize winner, who will be rocking the Halo: Reach Legendary Edition in just a few short days, is…

…Ryan “EMOFATGUY” Eastwood!

Congrats to our winners, and a big, heartfelt thank you from KM and Myself for your donations and support, which makes the Gamerz Zone a great place for gamers like you and me to come together and celebrate our favorite hobby.

It’s less than a month away and we already have a handful people who are the running to win the LEGENDARY Edition of the upcoming game, Halo: Reach.

What does that mean for me?

Your chances are still PRETTY DARN GOOD to be in the running for this amazing chance.

What do I have to do to enter?

Well, you can make me laugh via twitter by giving me, @thekittyman, reasons as to why you think I’m gay. Make me laugh? You’re in. I’ll be sure to let you know if you’re in. It’s not hard to make me laugh either.

Or just follow me and Morte for questions you can answer for another free chance to win! Some of the questions could be pretty hard, so just keep an eye out. Difficulty could mean an EXTRA chance to win.

I don’t have twitter and I’m also not funny! What else can I do?

Well, you can donate 5 dollars and get a name in the drawing or even 10 for 2 names in the drawing. It’s a quick and easy way to help the site and also have a chance to win something really awesome.

*Disclaimer* You are not purchasing a chance in the contest. It is a reward to those who choose to help us maintain the site and forums. Our donors are awesome people and deserve something for their contribution. We at TGZ thank you guys. Ya’ll rock.

Are there any other ways I can get a better look at what this all means?

Well, you could be a member of the forum and get a chance. That’s right. Just sign up on the forum and be a part of the action.

(note: there seems to be a slight problem with registration. Really interested and want an easy way in? Shoot me an email with desired Username and pass to get you started. km@thegamerzzone.com )

What if I don’t win the Legendary Edition?

No need to worry! We’ll also be giving away the regular edition of the game as well as shirts!

What kind of shirts and what if they don’t fit?

They’ll be shirts of our own design.

and we’ll make sure to get your size after confirming the win to ensure utmost satisfaction.

Get cracking. It’s only less than a month left and tons of chances to be a part of this.

The game is ‘Halo 2600′. It debuted at the Classic Gaming Expo this weekend where lucky fans who attended & were lucky enough in the drawings to be awarded with the Atari 2600 cartridge game of ‘Halo 2600′. But thanks to Codemystics.com, you can play the game on your keyboard right now for free! You can play it here.

A simple, straightforward game where you use the arrow keys to move around and tap the space bar to shoot. Lives shown on the bottom left screen and the enemies pop up on the bluish background where you kill them or avoid them and see how far you can get. Simple, easy and fun. Enjoy!

Halo Waypoint has announced that Karen Traviss, bestselling author of Star Wars: Republic Commando and the Gears of War tie-in novels, will be taking on the challenge of following up Ghosts of Onyx in the next Halo novel, as part of a multi-book deal with the English writer to explore the Halo universe post-Halo 3. Tor Books, the leading publisher of Science Fiction in the world, is also set to release the first of Hugo and Nebula Award winning author Greg Bear‘s Forerunner trilogy later this year.

“Halo fiction fans are incredibly passionate about the fate of the Spartans of Onyx and the state of the Halo universe in the aftermath of the game events,” adds Frank O’Connor, 343 Industries Director of Franchise Development. “We know that Karen has the talent, skill and passion to not only bring those stories to life, but also bring her experience a fresh new perspective too.”

Reading: Not Just For Spartans

Traviss is certainly no stranger to the military. Having worked as both a journalist and defence correspondent, as well as serving in both the Territorial Army and the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service, Traviss’ works regularly feature use of accurate military acronyms, jargon, and structure, while developing believable characters and relationships.

“When I was invited to write Halo fiction I already knew it’d be right up my street; not just because military fiction is my specialty, but because there’s also huge unexplored depth, grey areas, and really uncomfortable moral dilemmas that underpin the Halo story, and that’s like catnip to a writer like me. I write what’s known as tight third person – that is, I get right inside each character’s head and see the world as they see experience it – and Halo offers some terrific chances to explore some fascinating psyches caught in complex situations.”

The Halo novel series has changed hands a few times throughout it’s 9 years of life. The first novel, The Fall of Reach, was written by Eric Nylund, novelist and professional technical writer, and was released in October 2001. Two years later,  writer and former Navy and Marine Corpsman William C Dietz’s Halo: The Flood, a tie in novel to Halo: Combat Evolved, was released. Later that year, Nylund returned to the series with Halo: First Strike, an interquel between Halo:CE and Halo 2, and followed up three years later with Halo: Ghost of Onyx. In 2007, Joseph Staten published Halo: Contact Harvest, a prequel to The Fall of Reach, and in 2008, Tobias S Buckell released Halo: The Cole Protocol.

Joe Staten(L) and Eric Nylund(R)

Nylund, Buckell, and Traviss, as well as Bungie artist and keeper of the Halo Story Bible Robt McLees and graphic novelist Fred Van Lente, among others, contributed to Halo: Evolutions, a collection of short stories from the Halo universe. Tor Books is also set to re-release the first three Halo novels (The Fall of Reach, The Flood, and First Strike) with updated artwork and content, as well as  new short stories from the Halo universe, sometime before the release of Halo: Reach on September 14th, 2010.

Full Disclosure

I am an unabashed Karen Traviss, Republic Commando, and Halo fanboy.

The fine folks over at Rooster Teeth are the first to go mano e mano with the newest multiplayer map for the soon-to-be-release Halo Reach, a Blood Gulch/Coagulation remake. So what’s new, you might ask? Well, it’s huge…

On top of that, also showcased are two new variations of the Warthog, one clearly a rocket hog, and another that was indistinguishable upon my viewing, the brand spankin’ new Falcon, and a previously unknown armor ability, the Hologram armor, which allows you to project a duplicate of yourself to take the fire that should have been reserved for you (though don’t be surprised if that turns out to be a hoax, just sayin’, look for yourself).

Also of note, Bungie confirms they will be present at Comic-Con 2010, for those of you on the west coast. Video is embedded below. Enjoy.

Update

Just for clarification, this is a preorder, which will ship on 9/14/2010, Reach’s release date.

Of course, this comes as no major surprise to most of us. Allowing the uncontested King of Xbox to simply ride off into the sunset is just not the economical way of doing things in America, and really, did we think Microsoft would be creating 343 Industries simply to update Halo Waypoint? Not a chance.

So you think you’ve got what it takes to make a Halo game? Well put your money where your mouth is and apply over on the 343 Industries website.

Oh, and if you do get a job with 343, and I don’t get a Halo Battlefront, I will find you…

Don’t forget to check out the Reach for the Swag contest!

In yesterday’s weekly update, Urk teased us with another addition to the armory, Visor Color. This allows you, obviously, to change the color of your particular version of Noble Six’s visor. However, take a closer look at the pictures he included (click to see full size).

Notice the left arm in the zoomed out picture and the helmet in the close up? Looks like camo to me. Could this be an accidental reveal of the next Armory addition? If true, what other armor patterns do you think might show up in the retail? Will they remain realistic,  like the “digital” style of camo currently used today, or will more radical patterns show up, like animal prints?

For now, we can only speculate, but be sure to check back on Wednesday, July 7th, which, you probably know, is the greatest holiday in existence: my birthday. Oh, and it’s Bungie day or some shit. Who cares.

Update 1

Looking at the pictures again, I think I have an idea for one of the two remaining armory options: belts. Notice Urk’s Noble Six has what appears to be a 40mm grenade belt on. Compare to one of my pictures from the beta:

Distinct lack of beltage. So, is the belt a seperate option, or is it tied in with the chest option, like the fanny pack in the Beta? Hopefully we’ll find out soon.

What do you think are the last remaining armory options? Let us know in the comments.

Update 2

The 40mm grenade belt is Emile’s.

The chest piece is different, however, leaving me to believe the belt is it’s own option, but this is, as of yet, unconfirmed.

Well, the time has come. We’ve made a big push to bring awareness to our little contest, and now you get the juicy details. Don’t worry, we’ll keep this short, sweet, and simple[citation needed].

Prizes

First off, the prizes. We’re going to be giving away three prizes.

Second Prize: The “Grenades are Tactical” TGZ shirt.

The only T-shirt guaranteed to protect you from grenade spam, noob tubes, and campers.*

Inspired by such blockbuster games as Halo: Grenades, Call of Duty: Grenade Spam, and Battlegrenade: Bad Grenade 2, the “Grenades are Tactical” shirt is the perfect way to show your love of grenade spam.

*Disclaimer: Does not protect against grenade spam, noob tubes, or campers.

One winner will receive the “GaT” shirt in the size of their choice.

First Prize: The Halo: Reach Standard Edition

The no frills added version of the future most-played-game-on-Xbox-Live. Save yourself $60, or give it to a friend to convince them to play it with you. Either way, you can never have too much Halo.

And finally, the Grand Prize: The Halo: Reach Legendary Edition

Featuring the MacFarlane Toys Noble Team centerpiece, special Reach packaging and documentation, in-game flaming skull and elite armor, and a +10 Girth to your E- peen, promising to be one of the hottest special edition releases ever, this baby is guaranteed to make your friends jealous.

Contest Method

We’re gonna throw all your names in a hat and pick three of ‘em out. Simple enough right?

Contest Entry

There are three ways to enter the contest, and each one you do will net you a single chance, for a total of 6 chances total. Yes, I said six. No, I didn’t screw up the math.

First Chance: The Contest

Three times over the next month, we will be posting a quote and a question. All you have to do is put the quote and the answer in an email to contests@thegamerzzone.com with “Reach for the Swag Contest” in the subject line. Get it right, you win a chance. Simple right?

Oh, and the quote will be encoded in some way. Good luck.

Possible Chances: 3, one for each correct answer.

Second Chance: Be a Forum Member

That’s right. Simply be a forum member for a free chance to win. This does not apply only to current members: sign up the day of and you still get your shot. Simply include your forum name in the emails you send answering the question.

Possible Chances: 1

Third Chance: Be a TGZ Donator

Simply be one of our donors and receive up to two extra chances. Donations between $5 and $10 will give you one extra chance, and donations over $10 will give you two. This will apply retroactively, so all previous donors will be included, as well as those who choose to donate from here on out. Simply include your paypal account email for verification.

*Disclaimer* You are not purchasing a chance in the contest. It is a reward to those who choose to help us maintain the site and forums. Our donors are awesome people and deserve something for their contribution. We at TGZ thank you guys. Ya’ll rock.

Possible Chances: 2, 1 for $5+ and another for $10+

Total Chances: 6, 3 contest, 1 forum, 2 donor

Still a little confused? Well, let’s give you a practice run.

‘Contest Question Beta:
“00100010 01000110 01101111 01110101 01110010 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000
01110101 01110011 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 01100001 00100000
01110100 01101000 01101111 01110101 01110011 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000
01101111 01100110 00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 01101101 00111111 00100000
01010000 01101001 01110011 01110011 00101101 01110000 01101111 01101111 01110010
00100000 01101111 01100100 01100100 01110011 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010
00100000 01110100 01101000 01100101 00100000 01101100 01101001 01110100 01110100
01101100 01100101 00100000 01100111 01110101 01111001 01110011 00101110 00100010″
Who said this quote?’

So you would send an email saying:

To:contests@thegamerzzone.com
Subject:Reach for the Swag Contest
Field: “Four of us and a thousand of them? Piss-poor odds for the little guys.” -
Blue-Two

Forum Name: Morte
Paypal Email: nick@thegamerzzone.com

And just like that, you got your first 4 chances. Answer the other two questions right and get six total.

After the last question has been given, we’ll tally the results, and do the drawing. Drawing will be done for the grand prize first, then first, then second, to give everyone a fair shot at the grand prize. Winners will be announced and notified shortly thereafter.

So, good luck Noble Six, and make sure you’re checking the forums and twitter as well, never know when we might toss out some extra opportunities to earn a free chance.