Bungie president "certainly didn't agree" with decision to postpone Halo E3 reveal

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 July, 2008

"It is not a laughing matter."

Bungie president Harold Ryan has denied "laughing" when Xbox boss Don Mattrick told him that the studio's latest Halo product would not be shown at E3.

"Keeping things clean, I certainly didn't agree with the decision to delay our news until sometime after E3," Ryan told Eurogamer today.

"Bungie is always concerned first and foremost with our fans. Whenever we are prevented from exceeding their positive expectations it is not a laughing matter."

Mattrick, who is in charge of the Xbox 360 business at Microsoft, told Eurogamer during E3 that Ryan "just laughed and he said, 'Boy, just a sign of growth inside the business, we agree'."

Mattrick went on to say that the new Halo product would be unveiled at a separate event "another time of the year" that would "create an opportunity where people can interact with it".

Neither Microsoft or Bungie has released further details on the new Halo product.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (64) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Santino #1 4 years ago

    fight!

  • lambtron #2 4 years ago

    I think Mattrick should consider keeping his mouth closed from now on regarding this issue ;).

  • Vice.Destroyer #3 4 years ago

    Santino beat me to it, but since he is inciting keyboard warriors, I'll join in.

    Fight, fight, fight

  • mcbi4kh2 #4 4 years ago

    Microsoft and Bungie fight, Bungie find new home on PS3.........

  • Feanor #5 4 years ago

    Laughing can turn to crying in a hurry.
    Edited by 1 at 24/07/08 @ 15:15

  • zoidberg #6 4 years ago

    burned

  • Farzlepot #7 4 years ago

    Uwe Boll might be a talentless plonker, but he did come up with one good thing - director fights! I think we should have the same thing in the gaming world between execs.

  • Weezer #8 4 years ago

    Mattrick = big fat liar?

  • Widge #9 4 years ago

    More comical than Konami trying to make online games!

  • mcmonkeyplc #10 4 years ago

    SACK THE MOTHERFUCKER! I demand Mattricks head on a platter!

  • Darren #11 4 years ago

    Don Mattrick is a [insert your own expletive here], I think we've all pretty much gathered that by now! LOL

  • lb003g0676 #12 4 years ago

    Yer, if he lies about his 2nd party, then he'd be more than prepared to lie about most of the 1st party crap he said.

    I don't believe half of it, it's all quite futile for the 360,a nd I believe he has the difficutl job of covering it up.

  • agparrot #13 4 years ago

    Finish the Fight.

  • Peew971 #14 4 years ago

    "I think Mattrick should consider keeping his mouth closed from now on regarding this issue ;)."

    I think Mattrick should consider keeping his mouth closed from now on. Period.

  • kestral #15 4 years ago

    Glad that's cleared up.

  • jebus #16 4 years ago

    Christ - does anyone actually care?

  • LeD #17 4 years ago

    Oh wow, talk about burning bridges.

  • Lave #18 4 years ago

    Ok, so there is this game development studio called Bungie, who singel-handed saved the first xbox from being a failure by a game called Halo. They then proceed to make a game which is one of the most sold in history of gaming for the xbox 360.

    Why do someone employed by Microsoft threat this studio with anything less than respect, gratitude and general ass-kissing?

  • Rash' #19 4 years ago

    "Finish the Fight."

    Yeah, that made me laugh!

  • Santino #20 4 years ago

    "Why do someone employed by Microsoft threat this studio with anything less than respect, gratitude and general ass-kissing?"

    prob cos MS own the halo ip, and the halo ip is more valuable than bungie

  • anomagnus #21 4 years ago

    mattrick did come across as a total dick

  • Weezer #22 4 years ago

    "I think Mattrick should consider keeping his mouth closed from now on. Period."

    Is that like a full stop? Or have you... y'know... got the painters in.

  • bushwod #23 4 years ago

    "prob cos MS own the halo ip, and the halo ip is more valuable than bungie"

    Until they drill the Halo ip into the ground with crappy spin off titles; meanwhile Bungie go and create another masterpiece ip.

    P.S. Wii officially wins the console war? http://ww w.googlefight.com/index.php?lan...

  • louyfitz #24 4 years ago

    Mattrick is a twat anyway, did anyone read that interview?
    I have never heard someone that far up their own ass.

    No wonder he works for MS. Bungie have a right to be angry about this, a lot of prep work went to waste, E3 was classed as a pile of wank, and the biggest announcement was when someone announced their departure to the toilet.

    No doubt Bungie has something good up their Overshield protected sleeves.

  • Eighthours #25 4 years ago

    FIGHT!

    Mattrick was silly to make the comment. It was obviously rubbish, and you should only spin something when the person you're talking about doesn't have the right of reply. Since the Bungie pres posted that note on the website about his disappointment, it was pretty obvious that he would retort.

    Major tactical error for Mattrick, and I hope it doesn't signal the beginning of the end of the MS/Bungie relationship. Mutual respect is surely one of the most basic components of a partnership.

  • peterfll #26 4 years ago

    ...... said Bungie president Harold as he laid back into his luxurious hand-crafted diamond-studded throne, paid for by the billion$ of money made from Halo sales which MS had no part in generating at all.

  • Negotiator #27 4 years ago

    Bungie love me and the rest of its fans, and this Don Matrix has stopped them from giving me and the rest of its fans a look at its new game.

  • DB2k #28 4 years ago

    is all this hoo haaaa over that crappy Command and Conquer game thing they were making?

  • miiiguel #29 4 years ago

    ^ huh? what are you talking about ?

  • mcmonkeyplc #30 4 years ago

    DB2k: No that's halo wars developed by Ensemble not Bungie.

  • BBIAJ #31 4 years ago

    No, because Bungie were never doing it, Ensemble Studios were, and still are.

  • miiiguel #32 4 years ago

    oh... I got it. I got over-confused when I read someone labeling a game that is *in development* by Age of Empires guys as being *crappy*.

  • Bill Gates is Evil #33 4 years ago

    Where did Bungie say anything about it being a Halo product? Thats not necessarily confirmed is it?

  • FHUTA #34 4 years ago

    no-one really thought there was laughter and Mattrick obviously looks a bit of a tool when saying it, but as a we're all friends it's a misunderstanding comment it's fair.

    For Bungie to not let it lie and respond in a deliberately public manner is a little out of order and smacks of some serious dispute under the surface - or just two execs who need to have the last word in some self destructive ip damaging willy waving contest.

  • WinterSnowblind #35 4 years ago

    "Until they drill the Halo ip into the ground with crappy spin off titles; meanwhile Bungie go and create another masterpiece ip."

    Bungie have never really made anything else worth talking about, with the exception of Marathon, which was essentially Halo anyway. That beind said, we already know any future games Bungie make will still be exclusive to the 360, and I very much doubt this will change anything. They're still a second party MS developer, despite not being directly owned by them anymore.

    And the only spin-off title we've seen thus far is Halo Wars, and it's being handled very well, with Bungie's super vision. I don't think you can claim they're running it into the ground with "crappy" games, just yet. And even if it does happen, it hasn't hurt Mario, or Pokemon very much, has it?

  • NegativeZero #36 4 years ago

    Mattrick is proving to be a grade-A pillock. Pulls the announcement last minute for bullshit reasons, then lets slip what it was anyway, and then is all like "oh yeah the bungie guys were totally cool with it". Sure they were.

  • miiiguel #37 4 years ago

    Mattrick might have over simplified the issue but "doing laundry" in the media is worse, imho.

    About the "halo spin offs", what's that? wishfull-thinking? Halo is probably the most sucessfull IP of XXI century and they could have milked it, but they didn't (yet), so those claims are unfair.
    Edited by 2 at 24/07/08 @ 16:38

  • monkie_king #38 4 years ago

    WinterSnowblind: The Myth series was a pretty big deal in its day.

    Interestingly, the original Halo prototype was a sci-fi RTS, "Myth with aliens", probably not a million miles away from Halo Wars.

  • gingerlink #39 4 years ago

    @Santino #1

    I predicted that would be the first comment, but at least you could've done it in capitals :p

  • cyber_nicco #40 4 years ago

    I think they need to ditch this Mattrick fellow - sooner rather than later...

  • Santino #41 4 years ago

    @gingerlink

    haha as soon as i read agparrot post: "Finish the Fight" i knew what a mistake i had made, that should have been the first post.

  • sneetch #42 4 years ago

    Well, based on Ryans quote I'd think it was more likely that it was more a snort of disbelief, one of those "oh for fucks sake, I can't believe this shit" half-laughs that Mattrick reported as a laugh (which was careless of him).

    I'm sure they'll be bestest friends again by the weekend. I hope so because Harold Ryan was invited to Don Mattricks birthday party and his mom ordered that cake and the bouncy castle and Don will be sulking all day if Harold isn't there.

  • ronuds #43 4 years ago

    Why did they put "certainly didn't agree" in quotes when I don't see it said anywhere in the article?

    EG's been starting a lot of trouble lately...

  • penhalion #44 4 years ago

    Bungie didn't agree because lord knows we were all waiting for yet another Halo game.....oh wait

  • wewillselfdestruct #45 4 years ago

    @ronuds

    First sentence, second paragraph. Nothing but the facts in this article heading. Except where they refer to Halo. Technically that's still supposition.

  • Bill Gates is Evil #46 4 years ago

    From what I've read isn't Microsoft Game Studios the ones working on the next halo??? And that Bungies next game is something unexpected i.e. not halo?

  • LazyDan #47 4 years ago

    I bet Bungie are working on a new IP, it'll be really good and it'll be multiplatform. Hence MS stealing it of its biggest stage to shine.

    Except not really because E3 this year was a joke.

  • ParanoidZombie #48 4 years ago

    Meh, it's not like the game is delayed or cancelled or anything...

    If it's a new halo, we're just a few weeks away from being bombarded with tons of trailers and target renders, enormous hype and a flood of nonsensical angry comments from halo haters, so thanks microsoft for giving us a couple weeks of silence before the madness resumes.

    And if it's not a new halo, i don't think bungie would have been happy either, because their new IP would have been mostly overshadowed by gears2 and the FF13 announcement anyway.

  • patchbox360 #49 4 years ago

    this halo annonucement better be fuking good after all this fannying around

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #50 4 years ago

    wewillselfdestruct:

    "Except where they refer to Halo. Technically that's still supposition."

    I've been told it's a Halo product. Bungie is definitely working on something Halo-related from what I've been told. Mattrick also basically confirms it in the interview.

  • wewillselfdestruct #51 4 years ago

    @Mugwum

    I stand well and truly corrected. Except I'm sitting down. But you get my meaning.

  • Mugwum Verified Operations Director, Eurogamer Network #52 4 years ago

    wewillselfdestruct:

    "I stand well and truly corrected. Except I'm sitting down. But you get my meaning."

    :)

  • trixter©ú #53 4 years ago

    Mattrick = big fat liar?

    no no - Mattrick = big fat idiot!

    Anyway I thought Halo 3 sucked anyway so why the big hoo-ha?

  • Moribundman #54 4 years ago

    God, I love my Xbox, I've never really given a flying fuck about Halo, but *I* think Mattrick's a thick twat. KILL HIM.

  • Moribundman #55 4 years ago

    I attended market research sessions for LIPS, and whilst I think the eventual game will very definitely be a laugh, I thought the MR was the most god-awful, asinine, turd-belching, piss-poor, let's-emulate-that-trendy-show-"Friends" bag of shite. Note to Microsoft - Xbox will never be a 16 year old girl's platform. I am glad you met your market half way with the final E3 ad, however silly it was.

    But hand on heart I love my 360.
    Edited by 1 at 24/07/08 @ 22:30

  • bdc #56 4 years ago

    Mattrick, you complete fucking cunt.

  • Johnson #57 4 years ago

    >> Microsoft and Bungie fight, Bungie find new home on PS3.........

    ...PS3 fans instantly reverse opinion on Halo...

  • Saltefanden #58 4 years ago

    BITCH FIIIGHT!

  • Machiavellian #59 4 years ago

    Feeding the media on this whole thing can never be a good thing for Bungie or MS. Yeah Mattrick may have opened his mouth a little to much but trying to get the last word is just as bad and childish. Work the crap out internally not in public opinion.

    On the announcement, I actually believe that MS saw that Nintendo and Sony did not have anything worth busting out their big gun for. Why waste a bungie announcement when there was so much negative vibe for Nintendo and Sony showings. Instead, wait for the Christmas buying season and see if you can generate some feel good hype which might net you some extra sells.

    For the people wishing for a multiplatform game, unless you consider the PC multiplatform I highly doubt that will happen. Do not forget that MS get first refusal on all Bungie games so if they are the publisher then you can be assured that any game Bungie makes will not see the light of day on the PS3 or Wii. You might see it on a DS but then thats doubtfull as well.

  • zoidberg #60 4 years ago

    I can't believe most people are agreeing with Bungie on this.

    As much of a douche as Mattrick may be, he's doing what ALL of US would've done: keeping our ace in our sleeves. Never show ALL of your cards, especially when your opponents, i.e. Nintendo & Sony, are doing a half-assed E3 to begin with.

    Bungie is the one to start all of this shit with the first comment about the dissapointment and crying over not getting the stage. Mattrick tried to clear it up, but Bungie just burned them more. It's BAD business and I would never let Bungie get away with such PUBLIC undermining of Microsoft's authority in Halo and Bungie itself.

    Even in the interview Mattrick gives kudos to the industry, and the fact that he is trying to SELL consoles not JUST Halo for Bungie, and that he didn't NEED to announce Halo-related-games from Bungie to increase sales.

    Again, most comments here are not really thought-out. Mattrick may be a douche, but he really didn't make a miss-step. Bugine did.

  • Frosty840 #61 4 years ago

    Considering the main focus of the MS event was (according to the interview) games whose release is, if not imminent, then at least on the horizon, and the Halo announcement would, presumably, just have been "Hey, BIG SURPRISE guys! We're making another Halo game at some point, here's some concept art and a video of the MC using a previously unseen melee weapon to stab the camera in the face. Start drooling, fanboys."
    Now, on the other hand, Bungee get to show the same concept art, and the same video at the upcoming Halo 4 announcement event, all by themselves, with no other IP to get in the way of their glory.
    That sounds like an upgrade to me, while at the same time allowing the E3 bit to focus on games that will actually be out within a reasonable period of time.

  • Moonprince #62 4 years ago

    zoidberg you twat! Stop taking that sht and gtfo!

  • actionfitz #63 4 years ago

    Pwnt much?

  • louyfitz #64 4 years ago

    @ Zoidberg

    The announcement would have pretty much revived a dead E3, something for MS to shout about, something for Bungie to shout about and something for us to hype on forums like devs and pubs know we're gonna, even if we dont intend to.

    Right now we're hyping without meaning to, think about it, for all we know this whole little tiff could have been set up by Bungie and MS to keep us all talking about them. While we're thinking about Halo we're not thinking about buying a PS3 and buying shitty Resistance.

    Bungie have every right to respond tho, Mattdick is putting words in their mouths, besides what authority? like MS is going to do anything to harm its most sucsessful dev and franchise.

    If they tried to make Halo at MGS they'd fuck it up royally, they need Bungie and Bungie need them, it's not like you can really play an FPS game on the other home consoles, they feel nasty for that sort of game.

    I bet it's hype, plain and simple, if not then its a very interesting development that MS and Bungie are falling out, especially when Xbox makes money off Bungie and Bungie need the Xbox as a platform, it seems too silly to be true. saying that it is americans we're talking about.