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Microsoft held a major Halo 3 media event in Sydney, Australia, today, with some of the developers from Bungie Studios also making the trek to show Aussie journos the latest on the upcoming shooter. As well as featuring the single-player build demoed at this year's E3, the Bungie boys also decided to unveil some oft-rumoured elements in Halo 3, such as new vehicles and multiplayer maps--including the fabled Elephant, a gigantic mobile base big enough to take a Scorpion tank (plus a few other vehicles) for a ride.

Picture a moving two-storey building on tank treads and you've pretty much nailed the Elephant. This large chunk of green metal--which looks somewhat like an oversized version of World War II beach landing crafts--acts as a mobile base for UNSC Marines, and features two open bays at the front and the rear where the game's other vehicles can be docked. The vehicle's driver's cabin can be found at the front of the Elephant, and towers above floor level. In fact, Bungie developers at the event told GameSpot AU that the Elephant--which is only armed with a single machine gun turret--can become quite a formidable moving fortress when loaded with other vehicles that themselves have on-board weaponry. The Elephant is so large that it can easily hold a Scorpion Tank, and is actually used as a spawn point for a Mongoose in the Sand Trap level. Of course, such size obviously has its drawbacks--the Elephant is painfully slow. The Elephant only appears in the game's Sand Trap multiplayer map (there'll be one at each end of the map) and not at all in the single-player campaign, although a Bungie spokesperson said the giant vehicles could make an appearance in any future downloadable maps which may be released for Halo 3.

The other new vehicle showcased today was the Brute Chopper, a one-person vehicle which, as its name suggests, is ridden by the Covenant's beefy Brutes (although it can obviously be commandeered by other players). The Chopper--which is reminiscent of a motorcycle (albeit a large one)--features two huge cogs at its front to propel it forward, and an anti-grav booster at its rear to keep it above the ground. Just like when using the Banshee or the Ghost, pressing the left trigger when riding the Chopper will initiate a boost, perfect for avoiding fire or ramming into opponents.

Both these vehicles were showcased in the Sand Trap level, Halo 3's largest multiplayer map. As you can probably guess, the map is set in a desert environment, with several large structures included to use as sniper positions for eager players. The map is mainly meant for vehicular-based multiplayer, with each side of Sand Trap featuring a Chopper, several Warthogs, a Mongoose, and of course, the Elephant to drive. The vehicles are all set to respawn quickly to keep the action mobile, and there are plenty of wide corridors between structures and open spaces to exploit.

UPDATE: Bungie and Microsoft unveiled even more multiplayer goodness at their evening Halo 3 event in Sydney, wheeling out a playable version of Last Resort. Fans of Halo 2 will instantly recognise this new map, as it's essentially an updated version of the Zanzibar location from that game. Last resort features many of the same points as Zanzibar--a gigantic windmill-like structure, a beachside area, plus a sprawling fort-like complex. What's been added, however, are brand new runs and walkways around the edges of the base, making it a more secure place to defend depending on the match requirements.

Another level shown--but not playable--was Narrows, which is a large fort set across a high mountain ravine. The bridge across the ravine itself looked to be on two levels, with the bottom level featuring what seems to be a force-field bridge.

Blizzard Entertainment has announced a new expansion pack for World of Warcraft at its annual BlizzCon gaming festival.

The second expansion will be called the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and will open the forbidding wasteland of Northrend to exploration by the hardiest adventurers.

Blizzard say that the expansion will offer “New levels of power, challenging new dungeons and encounters, an exciting new character profession, and the games first hero class are just some of the new features awaiting players in Wrath of the Lich King.”

In addition to new story content, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a number of features specifically requested by players over the past couple of years.

For those that need a recap, players last visited Northrend in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful beings in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde will venture into battle against the Scourge amid Northrend’s howling winds and fields of jagged ice.

New features coming with the game’s second expansion include:

- Death Knight Hero Class: Create a high-level Death Knight character -- the game’s first hero class -- once certain challenges have been met.

- Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 80 and gain potent new talents and abilities along the way.

- Northrend: Explore the harsh new continent of Northrend, packed with new zones, quests, dungeons, monsters, and items -- and do battle with the undead armies of the Lich King.

- “Inscription” Profession: Learn this exciting new profession and gain unique ways to permanently enhance spells and abilities in the game.

- Siege Weapons and Destructible Buildings: the battle goes to another level with new player-vs.-player game mechanics and new battlefields to wage war on.

- New Customization: Change how characters look and express themselves, with different hairstyles and dance animations.

- Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company (YES, THE HOLY OBLIVION MAKERS), today announced its next STAR TREK videogame, STAR TREK: Conquest, a blend of strategy and intense action set in "The Next Generation" era. Conquest will be available for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo and PlayStation2.

Players take control of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, and Breen forces and lead them in a campaign to control the Galaxy, one planet at a time. Build and manage your growing empire in turn-based strategy, fully utilizing the Wii Remote as you select and maneuver your starships throughout the large, galactic map.
Strategically, you must effectively manage limited resources to expand your empire. You decide how to best achieve objectives by managing your fleets and admirals, building support structures, researching technology, and engaging your enemies in combat.

Once battle is initiated, Conquest switches to a ship level tactical view allowing direct command of your ships as you engage in real-time combat. While maneuvering your starship with the Nunchuk, take direct aim and fire away with the Wii Remote.

Conquest has not yet been rated by the ESRB. Scheduled for a simultaneous release this Holiday at an estimated MSRP of $29.99 on the Wii and $19.99 on the PlayStation2. For more information visit http://startrek.bethsoft.com.