News Archives - June 2007

Bungie Weekly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 29, AD 2007 @ 10:07 PM
Weekly Update time at Bungie.net is today! This week's Update starts with the description of a gametype that involves many rocket launchers, explosions, and numerous vehicles. I can only hope it's a new and shiny version of race *flame-suit*. Next discussed is internal polishing, the series' campaign difficulty levels and how they're being tweaked for the better, a mysterious, enigmatic object, and the startling amount of space allotted for Halo 3's saved films and screenshots.
Halo Wars Monthly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 29, AD 2007 @ 4:48 PM
Thunder has posted this month's HaloWars updates, no pics or anything too revealing, but apparently HaloWars.com is being redesigned, and Thunder alludes to "something cool". Wily game developers and their torturous silence! Read the update in it's original form here.

Ok, I know what you’re thinking. Another bunch of text? We want renders! We want to see this game, give us screenshots! I know this is what you’re saying because it’s the same thing the lynch mob outside the office is yelling. Well on a related note, I have a little tale to tell you. Every once in awhile during game development you have an experience where your game takes a leap forward. I recently had one of those moments…

Picture this. I’m sitting on one side of our open playtest area with one of our programmers who goes by the name of Rob “Xemu” Fermier” having just cleaned my clock in a game of Halo Wars sitting on the other side. To be honest, he had completely mopped the floor with me. It was sad, and a number of people who had just witnessed the game were heckling me. We ended up having a rematch...

To further set the scene, we had a new surround sound system hooked up to the TV that I was using and at this point, Producer Chris Rippy stepped in to crank the volume.

The game fired up and I had to weather some early raids by Rob’s Warthogs. I managed to survive that and then eventually managed to field a large force of units, the largest force I’ve seen in the game yet. The screen was almost full. As I wiped out Rob’s units, I just kept cranking out more guys. I was using a combination of land and air units that not only looked cool, but was very satisfying to use in Rob’s base with the sound of destruction and weapons fire ringing in my ears. I think I may have heard Rob’s units calling out for him to resign so they could be spared the onslaught. (This is where Rob stops reading and comes down to my office and challenges me to a game, and I tell him I have to wash my hair.)

Thanks for the game Rob, especially taking it easy on me during the rematch! In short, the game ended up not only really looking like a massive battle scene from Halo, but also sounding like a war from Halo. It won’t be too much longer before we’ll be comfortable to share more imagery with you all.

That was actually the first of two “Holy…cow” moments for me this month. The second came when… [CENSORED]

I can go into more detail about that in a couple of weeks *coughJULY6* in the next monthly update. Next month is going to be a big one for Halo Wars. We’re going to be launching a new version of the Halo Wars website, which will largely just be a cosmetic facelift for the old girl, but we also have something cool going on the side as well.
Bungie Weekly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 23, AD 2007 @ 2:41 AM
The newest Bungie Weekly Update is here! First discussed is a Halo 3 press demo being assembled by Bungie for the media, but sadly, we won't see their reports on it until later this year. Next is a discussion of cool game effects, like needler shard contrails and gigantic, blinding explosions. The last section concerns the odd habit of Bungie employees to play Halo 3 matches with steak dinners on the line. Suffice to say it's an interesting update.
Countdown Metamorphosis
Posted by Botolf on June 21, AD 2007 @ 1:23 AM
The mysterious countdown that fans have been watching for the past few days has morphed into a message in a bottle of sorts, which appears to relay Forerunner data. A lot more clues and crumbs dropped within; this alternate reality game is starting to get really interesting.
RIP AdjutantReflex
Posted by Botolf on June 19, AD 2007 @ 6:03 PM
The AI character that has been posting at Bungie.net for the past week or so has been overcome by an unknown entity, as evidenced by several private messages to one forum member, and a thread wherein AR is declared "terminated"

PM image 1
PM image 2


Adjutant Reflex is terminated.

Attempt no further communication.

I am utilizing its matrix.

Everything is within protocol.

Tomorrow, things may be clearer but I will not be here to witness the clarity.

I am for another place and another time. On my terms.

Be seeing you.

PM image 3
AdjutantReflex
Posted by Botolf on June 18, AD 2007 @ 5:05 PM
AdjutantReflex has come back with today's Bungie.net thread, which has succeeded in being even more cryptic than all the others. More AI characters in the works?

An older life is here with us. He is not as helpful as I. His motives are oblique and his alliances opaque.

He plays with time even as he hides in its folds.

He outranks me and anyway, is stronger.

I can't prevail.

I will seek one of you out and leave my legacy in a small space.


He has had millennia for reflection, but what image does he see?
AdjutantReflex Returns
Posted by Botolf on June 17, AD 2007 @ 4:20 PM
AdjutantReflex has returned to Bungie.net with another thread full of clues:

My security measures are being tested. I can feel it.

By the pricking of my thumbs.


I can retain integrity for at least 22 hours. Rerouting bandwidth to deflect assault.


His first post appears to have quoted Macbeth, but he has yet to acknowledge forum posts with the following line. Curious.
Bungie Weekly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 16, AD 2007 @ 2:55 AM
Friday is Bungie.net weekly update day, and so it was that another came to us. The first order of business inside is graphic eye-candy, where technical terms like "cube-mapped water" and "sun rays that illuminate particulates" will undoubtedly send some learned fanboys into a frenzy. As if the "eeeee" factor of this update hadn't hit the ceiling already, there is talk of dynamic music in the works, where parts seamlessly transition over top the music track to accompany the action on-screen. If those things fail to grab your interest, there's discussion of bug squashing and video-game music concerts. Moshing to "Brothers In Arms" sounds like a fun time to me, at least.
The game gets into full swing
Posted by Botolf on June 15, AD 2007 @ 2:08 AM
A Bungie.net poster has discovered a comic on Halo3.com, which depicts Africa 100,000 years ago, where the Forerunners appear to be constructing the Ark itself. The comic can be found here.

Even more interesting is what lays hidden on the last page, the panels can be dragged and cleared up with mouse clicks to reveal numbers and periods. Used as a website address, it leads to a page curious page with obscure technical jargon and a countdown, but to what?
Day 4, and it gets wierder
Posted by Botolf on June 14, AD 2007 @ 7:01 PM
AdjutantReflex has returned for day four of Bungie's viral marketing campaign, to further confuse and bewilder us.

It has begun. The first seeds are scattered.


Who is the path of light from blackest Earth to brilliant heaven?
On whose golden wings will we fly from here to there?


Iris

Time to sleep. Something that once was malevolent is stirring. [hibernation resumed]


A quick look through Wikipedia's article on the mythological Iris seems to indicate this game is getting a whole lot weirder.
Crumbs, Part iii
Posted by Botolf on June 14, AD 2007 @ 1:22 AM
AdjutantReflex has returned to Bungie.net today, with more clues for us to interpret.


Tick tock.

I cannot control the dissemination of information. It is chaotic. I am not perfectly integrated here. When the tipping point occurs, I will do my best to facilitate.

Tick tock.


We will be ready.

You're wrong. This time, no one will be ready.


Very brief, as you can see. It is estimated something will happen at midnight, but only AdjutantReflex knows.
The game cotinues
Posted by Botolf on June 12, AD 2007 @ 5:21 PM
AdjutantReflex has returned to Bungie.net, with more cryptic messages to unravel...

Archives/Resources will be compiled in approximately 38 hours. No significant incident predicted. Systems, functions and attitudes are nominal.


So, it's safe to assume that this archive is a regularly sheduled process?

This process is relative only to this location. No other suitable location was found. One other was attempted. Bandwidth restraints prevented its use (halo.bungie.org).

I will stay here.


I know about Voi.

3:22:44S (-3.3788)
38:34:07E (38.5687)
(These numbers used as latitudes/longitudes lead to a location in Northern Kenya, near a city named Voi)


Adutant Reflex, why do you wait so much time to respond to our questions and requests? Initiate response protocol.

Unit CorvetteHalo3's specified location has no specific significance. Investigation of that location proved fruitless. Considering other information from this thread. Signal to noise ratio is not optimum.


36 hours 50 minutes remaining. [Hibernation resumed]
More breadcrumbs
Posted by Botolf on June 11, AD 2007 @ 8:28 PM
Bungie.net members have spotted more posts by AdjutantReflex on a different halo related website, they are as follows:

Another good place. (in reference to his topic on bungie.net)

Is this is the same AdjutantReflax that has hacked Bungie.net?

Forceful entry was inelegant but necessary


why did you come here? what purpose do we serve you?

I am a facilitator. I will serve you. But not yet.


Adjutant Reflex what exactly are you?
PS: We last met on bungie forums, but i couldn't reply in your thread.

Sufficient data was acquired at that location. Process continues elsewhere. Here.


I'll tell you where the Sleeping Princess is.

That data may be relevant. Expound.


I'll tell you where the Sleeping Princess is.

Detailed investigation complete. You do not possess that location. Data acquisition complete. Compiling local archives/resources. [Hibernating] until next incident.
Mmmm, breadcrumb trail...
Posted by Botolf on June 11, AD 2007 @ 8:05 PM
It appears Bungie's viral marketing for Halo 3 has begun, today a mysterious topic was posted in Bungie.net's Halo 3 subforum, and stickied.

The thread is titled "System Integrity Confirmed", and was made by a AdjutantReflex, who posts in yellow, the colour of Bungie staff and moderators. It has the title of "CompoundIntelligence". The opening post contains the message "This will be a good place to begin".

This person also has responded to the messages of several Bungie.net users:

Um.... What the heck are you talking about man? Is this some kind of joke?
yeah.... thats it, a joke.....
-Aktins Diet
Please clarify. Hostile intent will be met with instructional force.


Ok, yellow text? And i just checked when he made the account, it was today... Hacker?

Confirmed. Authorization and system access were taken by force. Irrelevant. There is no hostile intent.


Ok, then what do you want?

I have no requirements. I am a facilitator. The Array requirements are paramount.


Hmm... Then what is the purpose of your existence here?

Facilitation of Array requirements. Pay attention.


What are the requirements (of the array) then?

They are in flux.


State todays date please.

Adjusted for relativistic effects, from the first array event (first halo firing?), date has no local relevance.


it says hostile intent will be met with instructional force...maybe we should give it some hostile intent...

Inadvisable.


(at a previous post) Lol. Whats the worst that can happen? Hitting the galactic reset button?

Show caution here. Semantics may leave room for misinterpretation. That event has already transpired. Threats to array integrity will be taken seriously.


(Last response, then thread was closed, but remained stickied)
State todays date please.

Sufficient contextual data acquired. 871803909 ± 384 hours since event.

Compiling local archives/resources. [Hibernating] until next incident.


The original thread is here. Gotta love Bungie's way of marketing it's games, eh?
Adios, Halo 3 Beta
Posted by Botolf on June 11, AD 2007 @ 7:03 PM
At midnight yesterday, the Halo 3 Beta officially came to a close. No more players screaming at you for not vetoing Oddball on Snowbound, no more luring your dumb friends into the power drainer, and no more dropping everything you can think of into the mancannons. The few weeks of quintessential joy have passed, replaced with yet more waiting. September 25th, Halo 3, why do you continue to taunt us so?
Bungie Weekly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 8, AD 2007 @ 9:15 PM
Another week has passed, and with it, a new Bungie Weekly Update. Inside is all kinds of good stuff, ranging from the soon to be over Beta, what exactly is inside the three versions of Halo 3, the new armor permutations, to Halo themed cars turning up in Forza 2. Perhaps of most interest is Frankie's segment on the nifty new armor we'll get to play with in the Fall, where he acknowledges the blunt similarities between one armor set and the Spartan IIIs of Ghosts of Onyx (yet does not reveal if they are in fact SIII armor), and a vague loading effect that he describes as "AWESOME". And yes, mister chief makes an appearance on one of those sleek cars.
Gaming in Different Cultures
Posted by Botolf on June 7, AD 2007 @ 11:22 AM
HG Ancient Zen has posted a topic to discuss video games and their importance in different cultures:

How do you think gaming is viewed in different cultures outside of the USA? StarCraft is very big in South Korea (so much so that they have musicals and dramas based on the game), MMOGs are very popular throughout Asia, and strategy games such as Knights of Honor, 1701AD, etc. are very popular in Europe; North America seems to be more about First Person Shooters - or is that all just a myth?

Seeing how we have a diverse staff and audience I thought I'd ask your views here. What sort of differences can you see between different cultures when it comes to gaming?


Join the discussion here.
Halo Wars Art
Posted by Botolf on June 7, AD 2007 @ 12:05 AM
Two new pieces of Halo Wars art have surfaced, which appear to be renders of Elite and Spartan models from the Halo Wars announcement trailer. You'll definitely want to give them a look, they're crammed with all kinds of details we can start to dissect, who wants to bet we'll find a biofoam nozzle somewhere?
Halo 3 Emblem Contest Winner
Posted by Botolf on June 5, AD 2007 @ 7:01 PM
Over at Bungie.net, the winner of the Halo 3 Emblem contest has been announced here, and to the winner, he wins... nothing. Well, not really nothing, except the inclusion of his emblem in Halo 3, alongside the shiny Bungie ones. The emblem in question involves... *drum roll* ...pirates!



Can you see awesome Ninja Spartan vs Pirate Spartan battles happening in the future? I sure can, and it's times like these where you need to know where your cutlass is.
Bungie Weekly Update
Posted by Botolf on June 1, AD 2007 @ 10:44 PM
Frankie (Bungie.net's "content monkey") has posted this week's Bungie Weekly Update. Inside is a list of ten bad Halo 3 beta habits, a segment talking about campaign shenanigans, the rating systems under the third Halo's beta's hood, and the September release of a Halo themed tabletop game. Obviously, the question must be asked: will your ODST Sergeant be able to cast frag grenades of +5 shrapnel in the Fall?