Competition Evolved: Halo National Championship Registration Begins Today.. Microsoft Game Studios today announced the Halo National Championship in conjunction with iGames and Electronics Boutique. Halo players nationwide can stop trying to make Warthogs fly and start winning some serious prizes. Prizes at stake include an RCA 50-inch plasma flat screen television, Bose Lifestyle 35 surround sound audio systems, Xbox video game systems, controllers, and stacks of Xbox games.

Microsoft Game Studios announced today development of the PC and Macintosh versions of the critically acclaimed Xbox first-person shooter, "Halo: Combat Evolved."

"WE WANT IT. You want it. Everybody wants to know what's really going on with Halo 2. We know. Other than confirming its coming, Microsoft has been very coy about the game, repeatedly dodging everyone's questions. Everyone, that is, except for Official UK Xbox Magazine."

Hailed widely as "video game of the year" and recipient of multiple industry awards for excellence, "Halo: Combat Evolved" has earned the distinguished honour of being the fastest million-unit seller ever for any next-generation console. According to NPDFunworld, the definitive source for toy and video games industry sales data, "Halo: Combat Evolved" recently crossed the magical 1 million mark in sales in the United States and Canada. Statistically, this means that more than six copies of "Halo: Combat Evolved" have been sold every minute of every day since its launch on Nov. 15, 2001.

Xbox.com tossed up an interview with Marty O'Donnell, audio director for Bungie Studios at Microsoft. They talk about sound and music on all Bungie products. Here is a snip from the interview.

Xbox.com: A little bit of your background: What is your position at Bungie?

Marty O'Donnell: I'm audio director for Bungie Studios at Microsoft, which means I oversee everything that has to do with sound and music on all Bungie products. Luckily, I don't actually have to do it all (that would be horrible) and I've got really talented people that work with me. Jay Weinland is my right-hand man... Full interview HERE!

Matt at bungie says: We passed certification yesterday. Halo is done. The manufacturing plant got the GM today and is pressing up a zillion Halo discs as I type this. All of us worked very hard to get to this point and we are collectively very proud of what we have done.

The official Halo Xbox site offers a new trailer of the 3D action game Bungie.

There is also a new video of Bungie's upcoming Xbox (and eventual PC) title, Halo. You can grab this babe right here!