Master Chief
Before going into San Diego Comic Con (SDCC), I would have said that Halo and anime are two exclusive ideas that should never be combined together. After the announcement of Halo Legends, I’m beginning to come around to the idea.
Halo Legends will be a series of seven short films that will have the traditional anime style attached to them. There are five production houses in Japan that will be handling the creation of the movies. At the end of the day though Microsoft will have the final word in all of the creative decisions. Which is definitely a good idea, because I’ve seen anime really go off into some weird places.
Frank O’Connor, Halo director had this to say about the project, “We’ve seen the world through Master Chief’s eyes, and we’ve experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and Halo fans alike are in for a real treat.”
There have been very few story details come about as of yet. We know that there will be one story that provides us a history of the Spartans. There’s also a story that will fit into two segments and will tell the entire history of the Halo universe. Quite a feat indeed.
Halo Legends will release on DVD, Blu-Ray early 2010. I’m guessing there will be some kind of deal that will mesh with Halo Reach which is also scheduled for 2010.
Master Chief
If you have the time, money, and travel arrangements then you should have wonderful opportunities to play Halo 3: ODST. Here’s a list of all the places that Bungie will be at showing off demos, courtesy of Bungie.net…
* San Diego Comic-Con – I’ll be there along with ODST Design Director, Paul Bertone, offering hands-on Firefight play in the Microsoft booth all day on Thursday, 7/23. You can find us way in the back, booth #5225. Come by, check out the game, say hello and you may even get some swag out of us. Then on Saturday, 7/25, Paul will be participating in a Xbox 360 game development panel at 1:00 PM in room 6DE. He’ll be joined by a few other developers for some riveting discussion about making games for 360, moderated by world famous Major Nelson.
* Gamescon (Cologne, Germany) – This massive game show is open the public and takes place from 8/20 through 8/23. A few Bungie people, dozens of stations of hands-on Firefight, German beer… what could be better?
* Penny Arcade Expo (Seattle, WA) – PAX is back this year, running from 9/4 through 9/6, and should be bigger and better than ever. Sadly we won’t have our own booth but that doesn’t mean we won’t be representin’. There’s a very strong chance we’ll be hanging out in the Xbox booth and offering more hands-on ODST opportunities. In addition, members of the ODST development team will be part of a panel on Friday 9/4 from 3:30 to 4:30 where they will show off bits of the game, talk about development and field questions from the audience.
If you have everything in order, you have no excuse for not being able to give Halo 3: ODST a run through. If you’re going, be sure to share your experiences in the forum.
Master Chief
I hope that everyone had a wonderful Bungie Day (07/07). If you didn’t take part in any of the events for the celebration, which included playing some of the Bungie staff, then you definitely missed out. Along with some Halo 3 action, Bungie unleased some new info on maps that will be included in Halo 3: ODST.
Along with words, there are pictures as well. So, if you haven’t seen them yet here are screenshots of the maps.
Here are summaries of the three maps, and how they’re built:
Heretic: Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the Halo 2 arena “Midship” makes its long-rumored debut in Halo 3. The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents.
Citadel: Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.
Longshore: Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore’s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios
Master Chief
Your favorite day of the year is approaching. No, I’m not talking about the 4th of July. Although it could be your favorite day, but Bungie Day is the holiday of which I speak. So, you’re not going to get any time off work for it but there’s still some cool stuff coming our way for the event.
Here is the latest information we have concerning Bungie Day, straight from the company itself…
“There’s gonna be tons of community maps on display (your maps!), dozens of Bungie employees rocking flames and stomping mud-holes in your soon to be thoroughly stomped and mud-holed faces, and of course, ridonkulous amounts of Recon armor on offer. We’re (as the kids are wont to say) gonna make it rain.
If you want your shot at extinguishing our flames on your own community turf, all you gotta do is fire up Halo 3 and enter into the Bungie vs. The World Playlist on the 7th of next month. Of course, you’ll still have to pull out a victory against one of our numerous four man squads and let’s be honest, we’ve seen your stats, son. Just like that ill wind that blew through the update three paragraphs up, you stink.
Still, it would be an absolute shame if you let your own sloppy online play prevent you from participating in the festivities. You won’t necessarily have to pull out a win against the Bungie gladiators to emerge with some sweet digital prizes. There’ll be rewards raining down from the Bungie skies all day for even the most unskilled players as we cut our brutal swathe through Halo 3’s matchmaking. No need to be intimidated. Hop on in and celebrate with us.
We’re also going to have some other goodies for you should you decide to stop by Bungie.net on the 7th and help us celebrate. Maybe even a screenshot. No promises. Stay Tuned.”
