Bungie bids emotional farewell to Halo

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 11 July, 2011

"Halo is in great hands... yours."

Bungie has bid an emotional farewell to the Halo universe it created ten years ago.

The US developer marked its 20th anniversary last week with Bungie Day, a celebration of all things Halo.

"Thank you for making our 20th Anniversary, and this year's Bungie Day, kick so much ass," Bungie's community manager Eric "urk" Osborne wrote on Bungie.net.

"As we prepare to become fans of the universe our studio began creating more than ten years ago, it's nice to know that we'll be counted among such esteemed company.

"Some might consider the upcoming transition a bittersweet occasion punctuated by a sense of loss and sadness. We feel otherwise. Halo is in great hands... yours.

"Halo is yours now. In many ways, it always has been. Its new caretakers will strive, just as we did, to be worthy stewards but you have the package. Hold these characters and stories and worlds to the same unflinching standards you did while we were at the helm, but allow them all to blossom and change and grow in the ways that they must."

Halo is now the responsibility of Microsoft's internal studio 343 Industries, which is currently managing the development of remake Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, due out this November, and next year's Halo 4, announced at E3 last month.

Halo 4 marks the beginning of a new Halo trilogy.

Bungie, meanwhile, is now fully focused on its next game, for publishing giant Activision – and suggested it will be a long while before we know what it is.

"We'll be undergoing a metamorphosis of our own," Osborne continued. "Very soon Bungie.net will change, culminating with the launch of our next universe at some unknown time in the future.

"The first small steps will be taken soon, with Halo playlist management changing hands on August 2nd, the very same day we plan to deploy our parting thoughts on the last twenty years through a ViDoc titled, 'O Brave New Worlds.'

"Afterwards, we'll be going dark on our studio’s next major endeavour – the creation of a brand new universe. You'll still have a home here should you choose to stay, but our next project demands an unwavering focus. We owe it to ourselves to make something better than we ever have before. We owe it to you, as well.

"So, this isn't a goodbye. It isn't The End. Instead, it's the very beginning of a new journey that will stretch the limits of what we are capable of. Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio, and their energy will power us through the upcoming darkness. Like all dark times ours will be broken first by a single strand of light – a tether reaching out to bind us all together again.

"One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. We will look up to the heavens, and find hope.

"Thank you for everything.

"See you starside."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (87) Latest comment 11 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • jetsetwillie #1 11 months ago

    all i can say is thank you bungie for creating the greatest FPS franchise of all time. and im sure many of my fellow poster will agree with me. thanks...

    Love Jim

  • repeater #2 11 months ago

    Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio

    An ancient engine was rumbling deep within Halo: Reach as well.

  • braydee89 #3 11 months ago

    Whilst I love Bungie's Halo games and have purchased them all, I kind of feel that they lacked a certain something production- wise after 2. The gameplay is something I thought remained fantastic, but the story telling and animation all fell below the standards set. I'm actually looking forward to another studio's take on the story ark and whilst my friends are apprehensive for Halo 4, I cannot wait.

  • braydee89 #4 11 months ago

    @repeater Reach ran on a new engine. ODST was the last to use the H3 engine.

  • ZizouFC #5 11 months ago

    /tear

  • king26 #6 11 months ago

    I just can't get into 'cartoon' like fps games like Halo, but I remember liking the first as a kid

  • Monkey_Puncher #7 11 months ago

    "One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. We will look up to the heavens, and find hope."

    If this isn't a quote from something that I'm not aware of, it's slightly pretentious.

  • The-Bodybuilder #8 11 months ago

    >"I just can't get into 'cartoon' like fps games like Halo..."

    Well I'm sure you've now got plenty of sombre, grey & brown, "gritty" and realistic modern FPSs to choose from. Enjoy.

  • the_dudefather #9 11 months ago

    Haloha!

  • oupe #10 11 months ago

    Barf

  • Daeltaja #11 11 months ago

    Always felt the series was way overrated, but that's just me. The first was great, but they stagnated after that. I really, really wanted to like Reach, but it lacked in so many areas. I wonder how they will fare with a new IP.

    Best of luck, Bungie.

    /Neg away!

  • king26 #12 11 months ago

    Have I offended you by saying I don't like a certain genre to have a cartoon feel to it. I was just stating why I don't like the series.

  • HL706 #13 11 months ago

    If you're that sad about giving up Halo why'd you do it in the first place!?

  • metalangel #14 11 months ago

    "Halo is in great hands…yours."

    No, it's on my shelf, next to 2, 3, ODST and Reach. No Wars.

    In my hands is an All-Day Breakfast sandwich from Tesco.

  • sfp_noodle #15 11 months ago

    Well no Halo IS NOT in our hands. It never has been. None of us have ever had a say in what goes into the game. Ever.

  • berelain #16 11 months ago

    Its become so fashionable to hate Halo, but I generally find those that don't like the games are those that:
    a) don't understand them - the storyline isn't the simplest out there (though far from complex..!) but it does take some effort on the part of the player to follow it all, or
    b) like their shooters to be in a straight line and full of set-pieces. There are moments I remember fondly from every single Halo title that weren't pre-scripted set pieces, that were mere one-offs, a fluke of the exceptional AI and great level design that resulted in a terrifying chase through constrained corridors by a Hunter in Halo: ODST; that left me and my co-op buddy desperately holed up in a Covenant-ridden town in Halo: Reach; that led to a simultaneous takedown of both Scarabs at the end of a level in Halo 3, and countless more brilliant moments from Halo and Halo 2 that happened completely organically, and I'll never see again.

    Don't hate Halo for being brave enough to be a little bit different. I love its colourful, moody world far more than I'll ever love Call of Duty's brown battlefields.

  • andromeda #17 11 months ago

    Uh...it's only a game guys....

  • coolbritannia #18 11 months ago

    Best game series of all time. I'm not pleased 343 are taking the Halo mantle now, their map pack felt different from the others, the visuals had a slightly cheap quality, the objects in the map were not all solid as they should be. Felt like a step towards the cheaper market.

  • geeza2020 #19 11 months ago

    Jesus Christ. These guys do realise that they were making a game right? Not creating some world shattering new religion or anything.

    "So, this isn't a goodbye. It isn't The End. Instead, it's the very beginning of a new journey that will stretch the limits of what we are capable of. Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio, and their energy will power us through the upcoming darkness. Like all dark times ours will be broken first by a single strand of light – a tether reaching out to bind us all together again.

    "One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. We will look up to the heavens, and find hope."

    If anyone can read this without wanting to vomit all over their keyboards, I think you need some help.

  • StolenGlory #20 11 months ago

    Halo 3 Limited Ed for £48.92.

    Bargain!

  • king26 #21 11 months ago

    berelain
    I also dislike CoD, and the Michael Bay set pieces, but I seriously dislike the cartoon like approach. There is nothing wrong with trying new things, but the Halo universe just isn't for me as it feels a bit childish.

  • P1GEONPOO #22 11 months ago

    Bungie by name Bungie by nature. Start at the very top (halo1) then quickly drop (halo2+3) till you reach the bottom (odst) then a bounce back up a little bit (reach).

  • chubster2010 #23 11 months ago

    Damn....what a bloody OTT Press release. It think it should have ended like this (call it 'The Watchmen Remix').

    "One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. [The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout "Save us!"... and I'll whisper "no."]

    Also:

    'Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio'

    Ancient engines? What...they're making a game with first Unreal Engine? The Doom engine? The Pong engine?

    Edited by chubster2010 at 11/07/11 @ 13:02

  • PixelPirate #24 11 months ago

    Best game series of all time.

    Mario or Zelda?

  • ILoveThrashMetal #25 11 months ago

    Thank you Bungie for creating without doubt my favorite games of all time.I would hate to see how many hours/weeks/months I've put into playing your games online,but I've enjoyed every minute of it.I even lost a girlfriend over playing your games (she was fugly so that's a good thing!)
    Just hope one day that we get dedicated servers and get rid of the golden nappy (armor lock)

  • Raz76 #26 11 months ago

    Nothing like Halo spurs people to randomly proclaim their dislike for it at any oppertunity.

  • Snufkin #27 11 months ago

    Best...ending.....ever......

    Seriously, dunno if I'm in a sensitive part of my monthly cycle or something, but that actually brought a tear to my eye, even if it was tongue in cheek. Sniff.

    EDIT: To all those going "bleugh, vomit" etc. This is of course written with a nod to high sci-fi, and is done ironically (though with respect) because of the type of universe that Bungie created with Halo. Grow a sense of humour.
    Edited by Snufkin at 11/07/11 @ 15:08

  • 43n1m4 #28 11 months ago

    I used to be indifferent towards Halo. As a former PC only player, the ports to PC was - at best - mediocre. But now, as I've played through all the games on console, I see the series in a new light. First and foremost, the quality of the Halo games is only readily apparent, when you play through it on the harder difficulty settings (singleplayer). The AI begins to shine, and the evasive maneuvers of the elites, brutes and grunts make sense and shows not only their status in the covenant hierarchy, but also their morale (grunts are quick to cover in fear or run). This is also reflectet, very well I might add, by their battlecries.
    More than anything the balance on the controls and weapons make the battle much more strategic than most other FPS games.
    In short, I've grown more fond of the series over the years.

    Anyway, I look forward to the new games by 343 studios, and like others here, I don't see the harm in a new team taking over and rethink the formula.

  • GooseUK #29 11 months ago

    "Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio.."

    Hopefully this doesn't mean they will be moving to the Call of Duty engine for their next game...

  • CaptainQuint #30 11 months ago

    @geeza

    You're completely missing the point, fella. This wasn't a statement aimed at EG readers; it was aimed at it's fan base. The people who frequent their website and message boards. They love that grandiose nonsense, it's Bungie's way. It's all very tongue in cheek.

    Get off your high-horse and try not to be so much of a smartarse in the future.

  • JayKwon #31 11 months ago

    I only got into Halo when Halo 3 came out. Only then have I played the first and second before I started the 3rd. Had a lot of co-op multiplayer fun with Halo 3 but altogether thought the story kinda lacked in the trilogy. Then I played ODST and liked the story better but felt the game itself was a bit old. Halo Wars is still one of my favourite games ever, that game nailed the RTS-genre on the console, but then again I really like Ensemble studios. But then Reach came. Damn, what do I like Reach's single player. I was truly immersed in the epic stories and battles. I was part of Noble team, and every time I layed down the game I couldn't wait to get back and play it again. It was epic and reminded me of the good old days where I was trully hyped on a game and the game delivered. Of course it helped that MS hyped the game a lot and released a lot of CGI and Real-life trailers, but still it really felt like Bungie's swansong with the death of the spartans. I couldn't help but feel emotionly involved when my nice Spartan lady died. (It felt much better playing like a chick anyway, makes it more sad haha).

    Anyway, what's not to understand about the game's greatness? It is so ultimately polished, it's got great matchmaking, a lot of great modes and mods. It has splitscreen, co-op and a lot of replay value because the game is almost entirely non-scripted with a lot of variety. It pretty much has everything I want from a shooter and the game can be played for ages and ages.

    I really don't understand what MS is going to do with Halo 4. I'm a bit afraid that the franchise will get ruined, but I'll wait. Reach felt like the franchise was finished, and best left alone for atleast a few years. I welcome the anniversary edition, but a Halo 4 feels way to soon. What can they possibly improve on the multiplayer?

  • WizenWolfBain #32 11 months ago

    Bungie has been so far up it's own ass since 2007 that all the pretentious crap they write just glides over my head now. The original trilogy was great, but things went a little stale after Halo 3. Multiplayer has always been the biggest attraction for me, and ODST and Reach pretty much killed any online replayability for me.

    I look forward to seeing the back of these pretentious, over-celebrated, self-indulgent dev's. Let's give 343i a crack at rejuvenating this fatigued franchise.
    Edited by WizenWolfBain at 11/07/11 @ 13:25

  • Subdominator #33 11 months ago

    Wow, people start bashing 343 already? You do know that 50 % of the people working at 343 are former employees of Bungie, right? It's the half of Bungie that wanted to continue working on Halo, what's left at Bungie are those, that did not. And they will regret that decision in the future. Do what you do best. The next Bungie game will obviously be an MMOFPS. Which is exactly why Microsoft, who had the right to call dibs on the new Bungie game, chose not to publish it.

    MMOFPS don't work (at least with a monthly subscription fee) for one reason: Too much free competition. Why pay for Bungie's game when you can play the Halos, Battlefields and probably the CoDs for free? It's not like they can change an FPS so that it is an exclusive experience. Bungie wants to be like Valve, no doubt about it. The problem is: Valve is and was self funded. Bungie depends on a constant money stream from Activision. Like it did in the past from Microsoft. Working as a contract developer for Activision is a totally different thing than being a 1st party for Microsoft (and being the developer who made Xbox and Xbox 360 a success). Right now they have all the rights to their new IP. But once the first milestones are missed (and they will be missed with this being Bungie who has no experience in MMO gaming and whose milestone history reads as "we cut everything that isn't finished by release date" instead of "we'll get it done in time";) Activision will force them to sell the IP to them if they want to continue being funded. And that is when it will all fall apart. Bungie is so big, they can't survive even three months without a publisher's money. They have to sell out - and then it's hit or miss. If the game fails (and god knows about 90 % of all MMOs across genres fail, so the chances are pretty high) they will have to close doors, if it is a success they won't profit - Activision will. And Bungie will have no choice but to continue working on the same IP for the next decade. Which was the reason they parted with Microsoft in the first place.

    It's history repeating. Just look at Realtime Worlds or Bizarre. Both critically acclaimed 1st party studios working for Microsoft who then decided they were meant for greater things and went for the next big MMO game. Where are they now?

    But it is as braydee89 says: Bungie always lacked in storytelling. All they ever nailed was multiplayer, so it's natural for them to do only that. Before they were bought to release Halo CE on Xbox the game was supposed to be an open environment, you could walk and drive anywhere on the Halo. That is what they want to do now, only with a new IP. Five years from now Bungie will probably not exist anymore. 343 Industries will still be making sequels to the second most successful FPS IP in the gaming industry.

  • MaxFN #34 11 months ago

    I love Halo, thank you Bungie. Thank you for creating game that is outstanding in every way, whether you playing multiplayer, singleplayer or co-op Halo is always amazing. Have you ever tried to watch your campaign walktrough in theater mode in Halo: Reach? Tried to stop playback and just fly around the battlefield, look at background, at explosions, Spartans, Covenants, how much details they have, how beautiful are they. Bungie put their souls in this games, not so many developers do this. Please at least respect them.

  • davisorle #35 11 months ago

    Post deleted at 15:13:16 09-05-2012

  • Slipstream #36 11 months ago

    "One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. We will look up to the heavens, and find hope.

    Someone's been playing too much Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 3.

  • geeza2020 #37 11 months ago

    @captainquint - I think my point still stands whatever you say about being on a highhorse. Even to their fanbase its still a game, and I still think they are blowing the fact they made a game totally out of proportion. I should add that whilst not a fan myself, the games are a bit of fun, and deserving of its legions of fans. I just think this release is a little OTT.

  • sonicyoda #38 11 months ago

    @Raz76

    Minecraft is getting close.

  • layleeloo #39 11 months ago

    @king26. You should know by now that on gaming forums no matter what you say you will be nagged by the lovers who disagree with you, or the haters that disagree with you. That's what makes it so hilarious :)

  • Utopolitan #40 11 months ago

    The first Halo had such a brilliant foundation, both in terms of gameplay and design, to build on that it has been awful to see Bungie pushing the franchise in the direction they did.

    Halo somehow managed to be goofy and serious at the same time, but never taking itself too seriously. I think the series could have been something extraordinary had Bungie truly realized what it was that made Halo great.

  • addugg #41 11 months ago

    I need a tissue, and not because I'm masturbating.

  • Max_Powers #42 11 months ago

    Halo has never been in our hands otherwise we wouldn't have ended up where the series is now with Reach.

    Halo 2 was the high point in the series. Especially multiplayer. The first game with ranked, team-based matchmaking and for its time a superior online system. Almost all the maps were fantastic. My and a posse of about 6 friends played that game for 2 years straight almost every day.

    After that the series slowly went downhill by fragmenting the user base with 3, ODST and now Reach. Especially Reach has made me and a lot of other players sour about the franchise and most have stopped playing altogether.

    - Weak maps
    - The maps they make you pay for are just some art assets thrown around and are, to a fault, weak. Nowhere near as glorious as those in Halo 2 or even 3 which managed some great levels. The most well-liked map in Reach is a newly textured Halo 2 remake which says enough.
    - Extra armour types ruin the purity of the Halo gameplay which was always clean and precise.
    - WAY to many playlists so in any given playlist there are not enough people playing.
    - Confusing. Team Slayer which was the dominant Ranked mode is now Team Arena. You'll be lucky is there ever are 500 to a 1000 people in the latter. This used to be +/- 60.000 even in the Halo 3 hayday.
    - All that stupid stuff with exp. points and ugly armor types
    - Shit battle rifle
    Etc.

    I'm actually hoping 343 will be looking at the Halo 2 template more because I feel Bungie has slowly started killing their own franchise with ill-considered design decisions.

    Edited by Max_Powers at 11/07/11 @ 14:49

  • coolbritannia #43 11 months ago

    Troll thread has trolls. Jealous PS3 owners, pissed that they've never had a decent exclusive shooter in over a decade.

  • Jamiesan #44 11 months ago

    I seem to be breaking etiquette here, but I'm commenting on a thread for a game I've played and enjoyed. Many apologies.

    Well no Halo IS NOT in our hands. It never has been. None of us have ever had a say in what goes into the game. Ever.
    I recommend selecting something other than 'Campaign' on the main menu. Halo is the most community focused FPS series I've ever played, by a country mile. Bungie.net greatly enhances it, but you can search for player-made maps, replays, screenshots, game types from inside the game. There are regularly community made maps in the competitive playlists. How many console FPS games have you played with a co-op level editor?

    Personally disagree with the "cartoonish" thing, but that's just my opinion. I think the colours and lighting set Halo apart, and fit the over the top space opera theme.

  • billy-beauts #45 11 months ago

    Man I wish Halo hadn't of been a Microsoft exclusive. It was the only game not on Playstation / Nintendo that piqued my interest, but there's no way I could justify buying an Xbox for that. Oh well, it's a thing of the past now anyway.
    Edited by billy-beauts at 11/07/11 @ 15:07

  • LetsGo #46 11 months ago

    Halo is a bog standard FPS which was elevated by Microsoft via marketing to be something more because the xbox needed a game and a series for the console.

    Kudos for them for getting it spot on but the Halo series never did anything for the FPS genre.

    It's as generic as they come.

  • ronorra #47 11 months ago

    @berelain
    "Don't hate Halo for being brave enough to be a little bit different."

    No, I just hate it for being such an overhyped game that dares to send me through something so boring like the Library level.

    @ CoolBrittania
    "Best game series of all time."
    "Troll thread has trolls. Jealous PS3 owners, pissed that they've never had a decent exclusive shooter in over a decade. "

    Thanks for giving me a laughing fit on such a crappy monday, I knew I could count on you.

  • Utopolitan #48 11 months ago

    Calling Halo:CE generic is nothing short of pure stupidity. The thing is that it's become so extremely fashionable to take a dump on the Halo series - it actually has been ever since the first instalment - just because it has recieved more praise than it probably deserves.

    No matter how generic the sequels have been (multiplayer excluded) Halo: CE still reamins a groundbreaking game. You could argue it didn't do much for the genre as a whole (although I think it did have a substantial impact) but considering the sheer amount of deviating design choises Bungie dared to make in a genre so stale from repetition it's a milestone.

  • SilverInfinity #49 11 months ago

    Did anyone else think of Captain Planet when they saw the subtitle to the article ...

    "Remember Haloteers ... the power is yours!" lol

  • LetsGo #50 11 months ago

    Stale and repetition you say? You obviously didn't get to the 'library' section in Halo.....

  • DwarfyP #51 11 months ago

    @Lets go
    "Kudos for them for getting it spot on but the Halo series never did anything for the FPS genre."

    Apart from standardised FPS controls on a console that are now industry standard
    Boosting the popularity of FPS games on consoles

    Apart from those little things, they did NOTHING!!!

  • LetsGo #52 11 months ago

    @dwarfyp oh dear... Xbox was your first ever console I take it? Quake 3 arena Dreamcast and Goldeneye N64 to name but two pre Halo FPS's.

  • krisskross2 #53 11 months ago

    Stop being pricks, it has been a great series and they have put more passion into their franchise than fucking activision ever dared to with COD now give them a break and let them say farewell. It's tongue in cheek but they have been busting their arses for ten years they fuckign deserve it. Cheers Bungie!

    Neg me.

  • StriderRex #54 11 months ago

    @Max_Powers
    I actually agree with what you said, but for different reasons, for me Reach was the worst because it single handedly destroyed any consistency within the Halo universe, I was one of the few who bought it for the story above all else and Bungie more or less stuck 2 fingers up to fans who followed it closely by reading the books.

    However Halo 1 is still my favourite game of all time and I thank them so much for that, I think I finished it about 7 times (!) over the years, and playing through it on Legendary was amazing, incredibly difficult but fair, the AI was fantastic, almost lifelike.
    The others were also very enjoyable, even ODST which I thought was an interesting side story, very well done, and it gets more grief than it deserves (people forget it was originally supposed to be a download on XBL not a major retail release), still, Reach, while an enjoyable game will always leave a sour taste in my mouth, Bungie made one Halo game too many...

  • Ror1984 #55 11 months ago

    "Guys!! Guuyyysss! Halo's shit! Hey!! LISTEN TO ME!! IT'S SHIT! You don't really like it, Microdollar brainwashed you lololololol!! Hey! Why aren't you listening to me?! My mum told me my opinion matters!! It's a fact that it's actually rubbish and you're all sheep, because people couldn't actually enjoy something I don't, could they?! And all that critical acclaim they got was totally paid for, Tin-foil-hat Jeff told me, so it must be true!! HEY! WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING TO MEEEE!"

    /thread

  • Max_Powers #56 11 months ago

    @StriderRex

    Apart from the first Halo, which had an excellent campaign, I could never really be bothered with the solo play of the series. In the second one they introduced playing as the arbiter, which I found extremely uninteresting. And they had THAT brown anus level with The Flood if I remember correctly (or was that 3?). I think after that I just never went back.

    I play(ed) Halo purely for the online multiplayer and that, I think most agree, was pure gold. Halo 2 ranks alongside GoldenEye ,Quake 3 Arena, Counterstrike et all as an outstanding achievement but sadly much like those series it went downhill from there.
    Edited by Max_Powers at 11/07/11 @ 16:21

  • whoyouknow #57 11 months ago

    Yuck.

  • TOOTR #58 11 months ago

    Out of polite interest - can those that think Halo SP gameplay is generic and even 'rubbish' please point me out an FPS with better AI?

    As I have played an awful lot of them and can't seem to recall one myself?

    That would be marvelous.

    Thanks!

  • Jamiesan #59 11 months ago

    Re: 'standard' FPS controls on consoles. Timesplitters was there first. Perfect Dark (and therefore 99% sure Goldeneye as well) let you use 2 N64 pads on campaign, one analogue stick per hand.
    Quake 2 on the PS1 let you use the analogue/dual shock, but I honestly can't remember if it utilised today's 'standard'.

    However, Bungie can take credit for the standard FPS keyboard & mouse setup. They were the first to do it, in a Mac game no less.

  • trip919 #60 11 months ago

    Yeah, whatever. Just take this rancid horse behind the shed and shoot it right between the eyes.

  • Pumpatron #61 11 months ago

    @General_Ironfist

    I can understand why people don't like Halo, each to their own and all that. But to suggest people who do like it are 'blinded fools/sheep' just makes you sound like a dick.

    I judge games on their merits, not hype. If you find Halo's game play bland and generic, thats fine. But I couldn't disagree more.
    Edited by Pumpatron at 11/07/11 @ 18:04

  • darkmorgado #62 11 months ago

    halo is a overrated series which was given to a mediocre dev with alot of backing with m$'s cash.

    It wasn't "given" to Bungie at all. Bungie created Halo. It was originally going to be released for the Mac until they signed a deal with MS to bring it to the Xbox.

    Any more bullshit you want to spew? You've been pretty generous with it in this thread.

  • coolbritannia #63 11 months ago

    You all make Halo cry, that's why Bungie are leaving it. Sob.

    Wort wort wort.

  • BuckEntropy #64 11 months ago

    @LetsGo - "Halo is a bog standard FPS which was elevated by Microsoft via marketing to be something more because the xbox needed a game and a series for the console."

    In a thread dominated by gratuitous (and so very fashionable) bleating, you're far from the worst troll, yet somehow you've managed to say the single most stupid thing anyway. It's the other way round, Halo "elevated" the XBOX brand, MS never had any sort of media circus about it until AFTER all the positive press and organic word of mouth - people playing splitscreen with friends - had already cemented it as a legitimate phenomenon. Halo is hands down the most important launch title for a console ever... that didn't have 'Mario' in the title. It's the definition of a system seller. And that's simply a fact.

  • scuffpuppies #65 11 months ago

    Thanks for the memories guys.

  • miiiguel #66 11 months ago

    The game which made me like FPS's (the crosshair games as I used to make fun of...), 10 years ago.

    halo is a overrated series which was given to a mediocre dev with alot of backing with m$'s cash.
    Shit, at least do some research. FFS, get some correct info and then build the hate speech, not the other way.
    Edited by miiiguel at 11/07/11 @ 19:07

  • ajaxpliskin #67 11 months ago

    Nice one Bungie. Reach was good, but Halo 3 had the biggest impact. I'll never forget the good ol' Halo days.

  • ajaxpliskin #68 11 months ago

    @LetsGo The Halo series was generic?

    They were the ones who introduced drivable vehicles that you could get in and out of during play with other players, they introduced the recharging health bar in a time when all other games you had to pick up health packs, they created an intentionally slow pace of movement speed to differ itself from otehr FPS games and to encourage the player to be more methodical in approach instead of gun-ho, they created the Forge mode so players could endlessly redesign level layouts.

  • trip919 #69 11 months ago

    @geeza2020's

    "So, this isn't a goodbye. It isn't The End. Instead, it's the very beginning of a new journey that will stretch the limits of what we are capable of. Ancient engines are now rumbling deep within the heart of our studio, and their energy will power us through the upcoming darkness. Like all dark times ours will be broken first by a single strand of light – a tether reaching out to bind us all together again.

    "One day, we will awaken in a wondrous new place and we will remember just what it was that drew us together at the beginning of it all. We will look up to the heavens, and find hope."

    ''If anyone can read this without wanting to vomit all over their keyboards, I think you need some help.''

    Ha. It is truly hilarious. That they can write this drivel and release it to the world suggests an insane lack of perception. It’s like a giant spoof, only it’s not...
    Edited by trip919 at 11/07/11 @ 19:45

  • RedSparrows #70 11 months ago

    I fucking love Halo, and my love has only increased with each release.

    My favourite series of all time, for sure. MP is unsurpassed, on 2, 3 or Reach. All of them are sublime in MP.

  • Badassbab #71 11 months ago

    Buy Halo 3 for £48.92 from Zavvi.com

    A case of miscalculated profiteering?

  • Lucodeath #72 11 months ago

    Killzone 2 A.I.? Ducking behind crates and respawning isnt good A.I.

  • berelain #73 11 months ago

    @ronora
    "No, I just hate it for being such an overhyped game that dares to send me through something so boring like the Library level."

    The library, and the general amount of repetition in the last few levels of the first Halo, is why the first game is not, in my opinion, anywhere near the best.

    @ General_Ironfist
    "Killzone 2. Its AI (IMHO) is far superior to Halo's AI in every way."

    Could not disagree more. All the Helghast do is duck and roll, or rush you, or wait until their scripting tells them to do something else. The AI improved a lot in Killzone 3, though, especially on higher difficulties, but Halo: Reach's AI is, especially on Legendary, utterly incredible. See a single Elite and you know you're in for a tough fight, not because they're harder, stronger or faster than you (although they are) but because they're smarter than you. Well, sometimes.

  • StriderRex #74 11 months ago

    @Max_Powers

    I can understand that, a lot of my friends only bought halo 2 onwards for the multiplayer, but for me personally (I'm not doing this intentionally to annoy you!!) the 1st was the best again, before the days of Halo on XBL I bought the PC release when it came out so I could play online and in my personal opinion it was fantastic, the amount of nights where I would be online till 5am playing this was unreal, I have so many happy memories of it, and it was suprisingly strategic as well as people would try different tactics while playing capture the flag which sadly for some reason never translated as well from Halo 2 onwards on the Xbox, it became very arcadey?
    Can't think of a better description :-/

    Sorry, got a bit sidetracked there, and yes that level your referring to was Halo 3 and yes I hated it too, I kept getting lost as everywhere looked exactly the same (brown), as for the Arbiter levels I hated them at the time, but looking back now I thought it was interesting to see things from a different perspective and he was never ever as irritating as Raiden in MGS2...
    I can still remember picking up Halo 2 very early on the launch day, the Limited Edition, after having looked forward to it for years and I thought it was great, especially the cinematics which I thought were so cool as it expanded the story, and even though the 'ending' drove me nuts at the time it's great now as I can just pop the Halo 3 disc straight in, pretty handy!! ;-)
    Edited by StriderRex at 11/07/11 @ 20:48

  • GI-Joel #75 11 months ago

    kneels before God when mortal life escapes him... God says "when you were 23 - 34, explain to me why a black and then white boxed machine destroyed your life and ruined your relationship and possible marriage?". "Its Bungies fault" i reply.....

  • trip919 #76 11 months ago

    Then God says: 'you were granted with a wondrous thing called life, yet you pissed it away... cretin...'
    Edited by trip919 at 11/07/11 @ 21:11

  • BlinkeredAxis #77 11 months ago

    I don't get htis 'cartoon' thing that people are talking about. I've played the whole series and not seen anything like that at all.

    Are the posters referring to use of bright colours perhaps? Revolutionary use of free-roaming multiple vehicles, still not properly used in non-Halo games? Outside locations with skies that are actually blue?

    Perhaps they mean the limitless possibilties of user-generated content in Forge.

    Rivals are still trying to copy the Halo series after all this time, and falling woefully short. At least they have a benchmark to aspire to.

    Thanks Bungie, see you on the other side.

  • RedSparrows #78 11 months ago

    I still do not understand why no other console shooter (not played PC ones enough) has managed the apparently simple but brilliant vehicle mechanics of Halo.

  • yegon #79 11 months ago

    Nelson Ha-Ha at Killzone 2's AI being better than Halo's, brilliant!

    I just pray Halo 4 is moved to the next Xbox as a launch title, Reach pushed Halo as far as it could realistically go on current console tech.

    /waits to be negged

  • dagas #80 11 months ago

    Halo is dead to me now that Bungie aren't the ones making it. I was getting tired of it anyway. Besides the aliens in Mass Effect are so much more interesting and the story is so much more interesting that the Halo universe that I used to love seem really bad in comparison.

  • mooseti #81 11 months ago

    I like the Halo games but they are a million miles away from Half-Life 2.

  • Matthew_Hornet #82 11 months ago

    "Bungie Day, a celebration of all things Halo."

    So it's Bungie Day, but no mention of Marathon, or Myth (or Pathways for that matter)?

    Nice to know that Bungie's memories only go as far back as their latest cash cow.

  • geeza2020 #83 11 months ago

    lol, oh yeah the "revolutionary" vehicles in Halo *cough* - every battlefield game ever made - *cough*

    and the most important launch game of all time, I dont think so. I think that would probably go to Wipeout wouldnt it? For seriously changing how games were perceived by the masses. Halo just confirmed what everyone knew already, all gamers (me included) are just big kids who like going "pew pew pew" :)

    Halo was an ok franchise, the hate and adoration thrown at it from both sides is absolutely ludicrous though.

  • DAN.E.B #84 11 months ago

    Is Halo availible on PS3? so many PS3 owners seem to have played and hate them all?

  • j-bo #85 11 months ago

    Jeez, this is worse then apple fanboism PR: 'We will look up to the heavens, and find hope.'

    /avoids with a barge pole

  • Jamiesan #86 11 months ago

    People seem to have forgotten about Halo's contribution to playing console games over a network.

    Contributed nothing to the genre, my arse. That's a feature that this entire console generation will be remembered for.

  • pauljrj #87 11 months ago

    lol, what a ridiculous load of old caca Osborne is talking. I still want my money back for the steaming pile of poo that was ODST!

    I wont knock Halo multiplayer... from 3 to Reach, I'd say it's right up there with the best, and a very different experience to Modern Warfare etc... but the single player campaign, in, well, all of them, I found greatly lacking.

    The announcement of Halo 4 being the start of a new trilogy should be met with caution rather than excitement. This is clearly a cash-cow that, I expect, is past its best