bungie

HBO and the HBO forum have both provided links to an editorial by "William Usher" at Cinema Blend about how Halo is killing console gaming.

So now that this specious attempt to nab page hits has worked, there can be little further damage that I can do except to examine the author's premise and see if it holds any merit. For the most part, it doesn't.

When you have to start off your article by saying "this isn't Halo bashing" it's not a good sign. Not because Halo doesn't deserve thoughtful criticism. It does. It is not a perfect edifice placed on Earth by some deity for the entertainment of humanity.

 Click here for the complete text.

Halo 3: Recon is the new game Bungie is going to release in Fall 09. It takes place after The Battle of New Mombasa when the covenant goes through a slip-space portal and destroys the whole city. So it's pretty much like a Halo 2 1/2 You play as an ODST (Hell Jumper). If you want to see the trailer go to Bungie.net. Any comments please post and my answers to questions are limited. Thank You.

GamesIndustryBiz has put up the second part of an interview with Bungie's Brian "SketchFactor" Jarrard and Luke Smith. Here is part one.

Sketch remarks therein that Bungie has complete freedom to choose the publisher and platform for their new intellectual property-- property that Microsoft does not own. Microsoft does own Halo, and Bungie has a team working on the Halo 3: Recon expansion, due out next fall.

I'll do some spin right now: just because Bungie can choose a different platform and publisher doesn't necessarily mean that Bungie's next non-Halo game won't be published by Microsoft for the Xbox 360, but it doesn't mean that it won't, either.

When the rumors about "Halo Blue" and an ODST-focused Halo game first appeared, I began to think that from an intellectual perspective this might be a good game for Bungie, or someone, to make.

Part of Halo's appeal, as well as one of its weaknesses, I think, is the special status of the Master Chief as a near-invincible, supercompetent soldier. Ultimately the only challenge the game offers him is near-insurmountable odds.

An ODST game could be different, putting you in the shoes of a more vulnerable character with less ambitious goals. I don't know if that is what Bungie will do, but it's a possibility.

So while at work I downloaded the smallest version of the trailer, right after it was posted at Bungie.net, and wrote the newspost about the announcement. I watched the trailer without sound. I found myself a bit underwhelmed.

The announcement trailer quickly zips through the events of the teaser: evacuated city, incoming drop pods, big explosion. After a long time the occupant of one pod, thought by the Superintendent to be dead, emerges, just as a squad of Brutes is apparently searching for him. He seems to consider following, or perhaps attacking them, but eventually heads off in the other direction.

The hero is recognizable an ODST. Like the Chief, he (or she) has their face covered by a helmet, and doesn't speak a word, so it is difficult to relate to them at first.

Then I watched it again with the music.

That made all the difference.

Now I'm excited to play this game.

I mean... ODSTs, rain and saxophones? How can you go wrong?

Liveblogging the Microsoft keynote address from the Tokyo Games Show in Japan, Major Nelson says that Microsoft has shown the announcement trailer for Bungie's next Halo game. It's a prologue to Halo 3 called Halo 3: Recon, and as the rumor mill has long anticipated, it is a story told from the perspective of ODST marines.

Head over to Bungie.net for the announcement trailer.

UPDATE: The game is expected out in Fall of 2009, little more than a year away. That might be less time than some expected, and more than others did. The "Halo 3" moniker on the game, as well as the "new campaign" tag in the trailer indicates this uses the Halo 3 engine, although there's no way to tell yet whether this will be extensive DLC or a new boxed title. The trailer itself runs quickly through most of the content in the teaser trailer, then shows an ODST that survived the drop and the explosion and is now being hunted by Brutes dropped off by a Phantom.

If there should be a new halo 3 weapen what would it be? *Please dont say sum super ultra mega beer bottle that makes chief the supreme ruler of the world (cause thats my opinion) lol jk*

I thought it would be interesting to find out what the peoples favorite or worst halo 3 map. I personally love Guardian,Narrows,Blackout,Foundry,The Pit,Epitaph,Epilogue,Snowbound,and Boundless. I love close range maps or sniping maps.I hate Sandtrap and Isolation. What do you like(dislike)?

Nacrogen requested that I post this with paragraphs so here it is...

What is this new achievement you may ask: Vidmaster Challenge: Annual (0 points) – After 9/25/08, complete Halo on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and everyone in Ghosts.

For a fair warning make sure you secure the Iron skull and activate it before you start. Also some friendly advice... DONT DIE OR ELSE YOU AND YOUR BUDDIES WILL START FROM THE LAST CHECKPOINT AND THEY WILL START SCREAMING AT YOU CALLING YOU A CLUMSY IDIOT WHO CANT PLY HALO AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE IM SRRY AND IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN AND THEY'LL ALL BE LIKE YOUR AN FRICKIN WASTE OF SPACE AND THEN THEY'LL KILL YOU AND THEN BAG YOU AND THEN YOULL REALISE HE DOESNT HAVE B@LLS AND THEN YOULL BE LIKE LLLOL LLOLOLLOL OLOLOL OLOLOLOLOL OLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL THEN THEYLL BE LIKE WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH AND THEN THEYLL QUIT AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SO DONT DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This level is relatively easy. When you start turn around and grab the BR (battle rifle) and shotgun behind you. From then progress through the tunnel until you get to your first battle. there will be a rock to your right once you jump down to use as cover. Take out your battle rifle and start picking them off from your cover and if they get close blow their heads off with a shotgun. Ask your friends to do this too. After most of them are gone (until you feel comfortable to progress) cautiously move forward (NOTE: you might want to stick together so nobody dies that easy or separately to separate the flood. I personally would travel in pairs. If you travel in groups have maybe one person blow groups of them away with rockets or fuel rods although he/she should still carry around a BR or carbine too). Progress a bit further and use the mounds of snow and mini structures that are protruding from the ground and facing the building as cover. At the base just keep on fighting till you get to the top. I cant explain the process on how to fight to the top because all you really need to do is pick them off from mid range or shoot them with ur shotgun when things start getting close. Dont worry the sections of the building are bascically the same so you should get used to it.(NOTE: no matter how shiny that flamethrower at the base of the structure and I dont care if it has a picture of a shark on it DONT PICK IT UP. It will just slow you and your team down and get yourself killed. Also you probubly wont be able to get close enough to the flood to do it anyway.)

When you reach the top it will be total chaos. Have someone dispose of the flood form with the rockets quickly and then use them to wipe out large amount of flood. Then just SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT or....... you can hide and wait till Johnson wipes out all the flood himself (although this can take a long time) make your choice. Go in and wipe out the oracle.

Then come out and walk down the ramp you came up from. Turn around, under the ramp are four brand new ghosts. Take thm up and drive them up the mountain and through the door (I reccomend taking the setinals out first before proceeding on the mountainside because they can be a real pain in the @**.)Once through the door you can be patient until the flood and the setinals to dwindle their numbers down to a small number and finish them or you can charge through the mayhem and hope only your hull is missing. Once in the corridor with all the walking blobs holding the infection forms go around them or shoot them from a distance. Proceed foward until you see a slope upwards. Infection forms will attempt to ambush you there. Dispose of them quickly and then proceed.

Then just stick together and drive cautiously(even though I dont remember the final drivethrough perfectly just make sure ur all togerther and watchout. I assume you've all played through the campaign at least once so you should be able to survive. It will be relatively easy with the boost function. Just dont fall...). After you drive off the ramp feel proud and cheer you just have to do the other 24 NEW achivements!

This is a walkthrough on how to get the double double achievements. First off the achievement requirements are simple.Double Double (25 points) – On a Legendary map, get two Double Kills during any ranked or social match. I find it simple to do it two differnt ways.
First off get in a match of Team SWAT on Blackout. Then pick two people from the tower. Then repeat process. Or you can run around with a BR like a crazy maniac which is what I prefer(although the first time I did that I got an Overkill no two duble kills *sadface*).
Second way is to enter a team doubles match on Blackout and camp in a room with your buddie holding a shotgun. Wait till they come in or use your buddy as bait and promise you'll do the same for him afterward. Get your double kill. Then do it again except dis time "accidently" kill ur teammate for lols and do victory danceover their dead body (NOTE: TO PISS OFF YOUR FRIEND EVEN MORE REFUSE TO DO THE SAME FOR HIM LIKE YOU PROMISE. THEN HE'LL BE ALL LIKE OMG THEN YOULL BE ALL LIKE LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL AND HE'LL BE ALL LIKE WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THEN YOULL BE ALL LIKE MWAAHAHAHAHAHAHA THEN HE'LL PICK UP A SWORD AND WILL BE ALL LIKE SLICE SLICE SLICE AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE BOOM BOOM AND HE'LL BE ALL LIKE NO FAIR YOU HAD SHOTGUN AND YOULL BE LIKE LOSER AND HELL BE LIKE X BUTTON AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE OMG DAT BABY JUST BOOTED MEH WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH). CONGRADULATIONS! only 24 NEW ACHIEVEMENTS to go.

What is this new achievement you may ask: Vidmaster Challenge: Annual (0 points) – After 9/25/08, complete Halo on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron, and everyone in Ghosts.
For a fair warning make sure you secure the Iron skull and activate it befre you start. Also some friendly advice... DONT DIE OR ELSE YOU AND YOUR BUDDIES WILL START FROM THE LAST CHECKPOINT AND THEY WILL START SCREAMING AT YOU CALLING YOU A CLUMSY IDIOT WHO CANT PLY HALO AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE IM SRRY AND IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN AND THEY'LL ALL BE LIKE YOUR AN FRICKIN WASTE OF SPACE AND THEN THEY'LL KILL YOU AND THEN BAG YOU AND THEN YOULL REALISE HE DOESNT HAVE B@LLS AND THEN YOULL BE LIKE LLLOL LLOLOLLOL OLOLOL OLOLOLOLOL OLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL THEN THEYLL BE LIKE WWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH AND THEN THEYLL QUIT AND YOULL BE ALL LIKE WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SO DONT DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This level is relatively easy. When you start turn around and grab the BR (battle rifle) and shotgun behind you. From then progress through the tunnel until you get to your first battle. there will be a rock to your right once you jump down to use as cover. Take out your battle rifle and start picking them off from your cover and if they get close blow their heads off with a shotgun. Ask your friends to do this too. After most of them are gone (until you feel comfortable to progress) cautiously move forward (NOTE: you might want to stick together so nobody dies that easy or separately to separate the flood. I personally would travel in pairs. If you travel in groups have maybe one person blow groups of them away with rockets or fuel rods although he/she should still carry around a BR or carbine too). Progress a bit further and use the mounds of snow and mini structures that are protruding from the ground and facing the building as cover. At the base just keep on fighting till you get to the top. I cant explain the process on how to fight to the top because all you really need to do is pick them off from mid range or shoot them with ur shotgun when things start getting close. Dont worry the sections of the building are bascically the same so you should get used to it.(NOTE: no matter how shiny that flamethrower at the base of the structure and I dont care if it has a picture of a shark on it DONT PICK IT UP. It will just slow you and your team down and get yourself killed. Also you probubly wont be able to get close enough to the flood to do it anyway.)When you reach the top it will be total chaos. Have someone dispose of the flood form with the rockets quickly and then use them to wipe out large amount of flood. Then just SHOOT SHOOT SHOOT or....... you can hide and wait till Johnson wipes out all the flood himself (although this can take a long time) make your choice. Go in and wipe out the oracle. Then come out and walk down the ramp you came up from. Turn around, under the ramp are four brand new ghosts. Take thm up and drive them up the mountain and through the door (I reccomend taking the setinals out first before proceeding on the mountainside because they can be a real pain in the @**.)Once through the door you can be patient until the flood and the setinals to dwindle their numbers down to a small number and finish them or you can charge through the mayhem and hope only your hull is missing. Once in the corridor with all the walking blobs holding the infection forms go around them or shoot them from a distance. Proceed foward until you see a slope upwards. Infection forms will attempt to ambush you there. Dispose of them quickly and then proceed. Then just stick together and drive cautiously(even though I dont remember the final drivethrough perfectly just make sure ur all togerther and watchout. I assume you've all played through the campaign at least once so you should be able to survive. It will be relatively easy with the boost function. Just dont fall...). After you drive off the ramp feel proud and cheer you just have to do the other 24 NEW achivements!

http://www.videogaming247.com/2008/09/26/bungie-claims-any-link-to-madeline-mccann-is-pure-coincidence/
This is no "coincidence"...maybe if Bungie matures, their key audience will...

So the teaser that Bungie wanted to tease us with this past E3 is now out for download on Bungie.net in the usual flavors of QuickTime and Windows Media.

Luke Smith's post on Bungie.net calls this a "CG-teaser" and the front page refers to it as being for "one of our current projects".

My general impression is that this teaser is for a campaign expansion to Halo 3 that takes place sometime between the departure of Regret's ship from the Mombasa area and the Master Chief's return to Earth at the start of Halo 3. As such the main character or characters may be other human forces, perhaps marines or ODSTs, and the plot may focus on improvising city guerilla warfare against the Covenant forces in the city.

The most noticeable point of this trailer is that unlike nearly every Bungie game trailer produced to date, it is completely without music.

Without further ado, let's peruse the details the trailer offers.

 Click here for the complete text.

Bungie restarted the delayed countdown from this year's E3 with the Superintendent urging everyone to stay calm and keep clean-- at least until about seven minutes from now. Images on the intertubes (thanks Veegie) suggest perhaps something as dramatic as a trailer for a brand-new Bungie game.

Looks like the Superintendent is back. Perhaps one (or more) of the Bungie announcements that were indefinitely postponed at this year's E3 are about to be made public.