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Between the recent filing to trademark ... something regarding Bungie's first FPS Marathon, and a filing for the name "Bungie Aerospace," we're not exactly sure what to make of whatever it is that's going on over at the house that birthed Master Chief. Both filings, spotted by Superannuation, represent still unknown plans for the studio. And aside from the logo you see above, we know little very, very little about either.

As for the Marathon trademark, it could very well just be an update to an existing filing. The inclusion of references to several past Bungie logos in the Bungie Aerospace filing, however, suggests a possible rebranding of the studio -- something we wouldn't be particularly surprised with considering the break with Microsoft way back in 2007, not to mention the fact that this fall's Halo: Reach marks the last Halo game from the studio before Microsoft's 343 Studios fully absorbs the IP.

Oh, and no, Bungie won't be joining the Richard Garriotts and John Carmacks of the world in heading into outer space, as both trademark filings fall under the usual USPTO video game classification. A Bungie representative told Joystiq "No comment" when asked about the listings, but for now you're free to speculate along with us to your heart's content.

Source 1 - USPTO
Source 2 - USPTO

[Via Superannuation]

We've seen a ton of gaming marathons attempt to raise money for charitable causes, but we've never seen anything quite so ambitious as this: Boston's Singapore-MIT Gambit Game Lab is hosting the "Complete Game-Completion Marathon" from February 26 - 28, in which 11 teams will attempt to beat a wide variety of video games, ranging from the original Final Fantasy to NHL 10. Video of their efforts will be streamed online, where viewers can donate money to Haiti's earthquake relief efforts through Partners in Health.

You can find a full list of the games being played and their anticipated completion times after the jump. We wish all participants the best of luck -- especially the team that's trying to beat Mass Effect 1 and 2 in 25 hours. That's just madness!

[Via GamePolitics]

We know you've probably already spent an irresponsible amount of dough this morning on hot Black Friday deals, but there's a unique gaming marathon for charity (a charithon?) taking place right now that could use some help meeting its $3,000 donation goal. Check out the web page of Clan of the Gray Wolf, where four gentlemen are attempting to play 1,000 Rock Band songs for approximately 80 hours, all the while collecting money for Penny Arcade's Child's Play Charity.

So, instead of buying that set of Growing Pains-themed salt shakers simply because they're 75 percent off, why not lend a helping hand to four guys who, in 80 hours, are going to have the worst blisters anyone's ever had, ever?

On November 20, staffers from UK blog Citizen Game will be holding a video game marathon in support of Children in Need -- a charity established in 1980 in support of disadvantaged, disabled and abused children throughout the UK. Not to be outdone, Citizen Game will hold the event at a film studio in central London for the night and invite gamers from across the globe to help them battle children issues online.

Interested gamers should visit Citizen Game to learn about event start times, Xbox Live Gamertags and PlayStation IDs and how to donate. Thus far, Citizen Game has reached £215 ($358 USD) of its £2,000 ($3,330) goal and have promised to game for one hour per every £100 ($166) they collect. We wish them the best of luck.

We know, we know -- another Sunday, another gaming marathon for charity. Still, we figured that the 30 tips pointing us to this particular marathon which we received within the course of ten minutes meant people were interested in it. Still, if you do find yourself annoyed, then you can go screw right off. It's charity, dude.

The fine philanthropic folks over at TheSpeedGamers are spending this entire week completing Final Fantasy I - XII in an attempt to raise at least $20,000 for an autism treatment organization named ACT Today. By our calculations, that's 15,000 random encounters, 1,300 levels-up and about 200 unbearably long, villainous soliloquies over the course of seven days. That's enough to drive even the most hardcore Squeenix supporters insane -- why not go reward their self-abuse with a few bucks for charity?

This is what makes us smile. Reader Olav sent us word this morning that the Norwegian post office switched its old logo (which we've placed after the break for reference) to something, he said, that "unmistakably looks like a pokéball." After checking it out, we believe Posten Norge's new symbol looks like the love child of a pokéball and the symbol from Bungie's Marathon.

Coincidence, or conspiracy by some gamer in the art department?

Source - Article about new post symbol (it's in Norwegian)
Source - Norway Post in English

[Thanks Olav]

Yes, we know, you've been clamoring for more multiplayer maps like an irate, "plz sir can I hav sum moar" Oliver Twist. You yearn for more of Bungie's first-person shootery, dreaming of running and gunning down corridors you haven't been through countless times already. It'll genuinely make your day to see new downloadable content pop up on the Xbox Live Marketplace, but until a new Halo 3 map pack is announced, that day is still quite a ways off. But here, have some Marathon 2: Durandal stuff in the meantime.

For 250 MS Points (an awkward $3.125), the Jjaro Map Pack will net you 12 new multiplayer environments, playable in King of the Hill, Kill the Man with the Ball and Tag modes, and two achievements worth a combined 30 gamer points. If the game's infamously sickening motion doesn't make you throw up, be sure to grab the content just in case Marathon gets thrown off Xbox Live Arcade.

We here at X3F love our old-school FPS's just as much as the new-school ones, and at a price of 250MSpts, the upcoming DLC for Marathon 2: Durandal looks to get us back into the archaic swing of things. The new Jjaro Map Pack will hit the Marketplace tomorrow and includes twelve multiplayer maps, two Achievements (worth 30pts total) and three new multiplayer modes (King of the Hill, Kill the Man with the Ball, and Tag).

For those obsessed with such things, the Achievement details can be found after the break. Oh, and according the post at 360sync, the devs will be Live and playing on the night of release.

Over the last few days, we asked you to pick the best and worst of the Xbox Live Arcade titles that are potentially up for delisting. We've now tallied the votes and the results are in:

Best:

1. Texas Hold 'Em (12.77%)
2. Marathon: Durandal (12.48%)
3. Contra (9.18%)

Worst:

1. Shrek N Roll (12.00%)
2. Yie Ar Kung-Fu (8.37%)
3. Screwjumper! (6.48%)

You can view our picks for best and worst here. We want to make a special note regarding the Yaris game, which was not included because it would pass the delist hurdle of over 6% conversion rate (hint: it had no demo and was free; the devil is in the details). We don't know if Microsoft will be that stringent regarding its guidelines, but there is poetic justice in noting that the developer, comprised of former Blizzard North staffers, suspended operations in April.

Looks like 360Sync decided to turn the drip feed of Marathon: Durandal DLC info into a full torrent. There is now video of seven more maps in addition to the two that were revealed already. According to 360Sync, they also have video footage of one more, making ten maps so far. Here are all the maps currently revealed:

• Duality
• Thick and Chunky
• Melatonin
• Mime Target
• Fortress Lh'owon
• Arena
• Mars Needs Women
• Vulcan
• Beyond Thunderdome

Not only that, but Bruce Morisson, project lead for Marathon at Freeverse, has left a comment stating there are "several" more to be included with the upcoming DLC. That's a lot of maps. Check out video of all of the maps revealed so far embedded above. Once the first video is over, the next will automatically load (alternately, you can skip to the next video using the navigation buttons).

[Thanks, StLouisRibs]

It's kind of strange when you think about it. Here we have Marathon, a very old game getting DLC thanks to the magic of Xbox Live Arcade. 360Sync got a look at the new DLC (complete with new achievements) including some super spiffy videos. The first video, embedded above, shows off the map Duality (originally from the Marathon series and remade as Gemini in Halo 2). Fun fact: Duality was named for a game being created by Double Aught, a company comprised of former Bungie employees. Duality the game, sadly, was never released. The second video (embedded after the break) showcases "Thick and Chunky." The primary feature of the level is the large lava pit in the center, which also happens to be where the hill is located in King of the Hill mode. Ouch.

We're not sure how many more maps could wind up in the upcoming DLC. Keep your eyes on X3F for the latest on what to expect and details on when the DLC will be available.

If we lived in Japan and needed to learn English, English of the Dead would clearly be our choice of software. Yet, we're not saying that Paon doesn't have a fun idea for their English training game, too. New Horizon English Training Course DS might not have zombies, but it does have Judo.

As you may have guessed, the way in which this title handles its English quizzes is through sports minigames. It's unclear how exactly the Judo game works, but there's also a marathon event (during which players must write out the correct letters quickly in order to run fast), and a weight training game (which has players identify whether or not a translation is correct).

Of course, in our hearts, zombies still win -- every time.

[Via Siliconera]

One of Bungie's many skills is to talk up future projects without saying much at all, with the latest edition of the now independent company's podcast providing a sterling example of vague vocalizing. In a discussion between Luke Smith, Frank 'O Connor, Brian Gerrard and lead designer Christian Allen, we learn that Bungie's next title will be "totally different" to what you may have envisioned.

Though it's early days yet, we're assured the work-in-progress is looking "very cool." As an adventure involving armor-clad tough guys gallivanting across mysterious space hoops is almost certainly ruled out (we're not mad about it), what do you think is nestled within Bungie's chiffon sleeve?

Vote

[Via Eurogamer]

With three marathon gaming sessions neatly tucked under their belts, the Four48 crew are starting to get a little overzealous. Attempting to beat four Zelda games in forty-eight hours was a lofty enough goal -- but for their latest effort to raise cash for Child's Play, they're attempting to establish global domination by besting seven other teams in a race through Resident Evil 4.

The first team to cross the finish line (via jet ski, if memory serves) nets themselves a copy of No More Heroes, along with bragging rights in the rapidly expanding competitive marathon gaming scene. As always, you can watch their live webstream to see if the Four48ers can back up their boasts -- that is, if you can stand ten straight hours of listening to the death rattles of Spanish pseudo-zombies.

Remember those wacky kids who tried to beat the four 3D Zelda games in a single two day sitting, and failed miserably due to technical difficulties and general overzealousness? Well, they're back, comically tiny TV and all, to take on the N64 cult classic Paper Mario, in an attempt to raise more donations for Child's Play (their first outing netted a total of $1200 for the charity).

These weekend warriors (called the Four48 crew in honor of their first ambitious marathon) are planning on sitting down with a new game every Saturday morning, and not getting up until the ending credits roll. You can watch their exploits on their video webstream (and donate to a worthy cause) on their site. We highly suggest it -- if watching these guys trudge through classic games doesn't trigger your nostalgia gland, at least it's interesting to watch bedsores develop in real time.