With Microsoft's showcase promoting the forthcoming 360 console now looming over the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, excitement concerning Microsoft's planned announcements is definitely growing. have weighed their not inconsiderable mass into the equation today, with one developer commenting of some big news en route. "Oh. Keep your eyes peeled next week for a surprising, cool, awesome Bungie-related announcement. No it is not 3, nor is it the surprise revelation of our next project (whatever that may be) but it's sweet. It's something I've hinted at in the past. And you'll probably like it. More than that I can't say. Which even I know is aggravating. But it ain't up to me. So just be patient," read this week's Halo news update.

Rumour has it that this 'big news' could be Halo 2 on the 360, though we'd hardly regard that as a bombshell, more of a given. We'll keep you posted, regardless, and expect news over the next few days.

Update: Well it looks like the truth behind this conjecture may have finally been uncovered, with a spot of collaboration between and Bungie on the cards. It seems as if a character from the Halo series will in fact be heading east, in Dead or Alive 4. "Tomonobu Itagaki's team is among the most talented in the games business, and we've SEEN the character in action. Words like, OMG, BBQ and Zoinks immediately come to mind. What they've done so far, is perfectly capture the essence of (insert crackpot theory here) and bring an element of Halo directly into the DOA world. It's cool. And by cool, I mean totally sweet," commented Bungie's Frank O'Connor.

Most believe this playable character will be the delectable Cortana, though several names have cropped-up. An X05 announcement is expected, but will we be hearing anything else from Bungie in Amsterdam? Let's hope so.

By Luke Guttridge