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Bungie's Weekly Update sheds a tiny ray of light on the possibilities for a Halo 3. But is it possible they're gearing up to give gamers a nasty surprise?

Last Friday, Bungie released its usual Weekly Update on Bungie.net. Six paragraphs into the blog, a tantalizing hint set the stage for their next project. "The way we're prototyping aspects of this next game mean that even some gameplay tests, demos and experiments, are surprisingly polished and playable."

Um, are they saying what we think they're saying? Is Halo 3 actually playable?

The short answer: maybe. The long answer: maybe, but.

First things first. Just what does Bungie mean when they say they're "prototyping" a game? According to Bungie, it means they take various internal development teams--art, programming, engineering--have them collaborate at an event called the "Bungie Fair". This is when all the magic happens--think Disneyland--and is where they demonstrate and experiment with playable gameplay elements.

It doesn't take a Master Chief to figure out that this mystery game is likely Halo 3. Microsoft sorely needs a triple-A first-party title for the Xbox 360, and Halo 3 is the only game that could fit the bill in the short-term. Besides, it would make a perfect foil for the PS3 launch--remember when Bill Gates told Time magazine that he wanted Halo 3 ready in time for the PS3 launch? These Microsoft guys sure are sneaky...

On the other hand, it's equally possible that Bungie has other big plans in store. Perhaps they're readying to bring back the Marathon series--hey, id Software got away with it with Doom 3. Or, in a darker scenario, maybe we're soiling our panties over a mystery project that will turn out to be an over-hyped sequel to the crap-tacular Oni.

Please, Bungie, say it ain't so.

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