How Bungie Broke ODST's Mold

[John Funk]

How Bungie Broke ODST's Mold

In a video documentary released by Bungie in advance of next week's launch of Halo 3: ODST, the development team talks about how they went from creating expansion DLC to a full-fledged game.


"There was this great idea that we could get a two-to-three-hour mini campaign," says Halo 3: ODST Production Lead Curtis Creamer - only that wasn't what ended up happening. However, with the only guidance effectively being "here's an engine, here's a story, you got a year, go," the project steadily became more ambitious as the ODST tried to "break the mold" of what was expected from a Halo game.

I love developer videos like this, to be honest. Yes, when you get down to it, they are a form of marketing and hype generation, but it's always so interesting to get a look at the production of a title - especially a big-budget one like ODST. It's fascinating to see what the developers were thinking, how they came up with the concepts, and what ended up being left on the proverbial cutting room floor.

If this is the sort of thing you're into, too, the 8:30-long video is actually a really interesting watch. Plus, there's more Nathan Fillion, and I believe the records show that Nathan Fillion is an extremely sexy man.

Maybe Bungie won't need the Reach beta to sell this game after all [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/94780-Microsoft-Thinks-Halo-Reach-Beta-Will-Sell-ODST].

Permalink

 

[Legion]

Heh. I watched this on game-trailers a couple of hours ago. It was quite good.

It won't be enough to stop all the whiners and naysayers though.

 

[wolfy098]

.....yawn
Honestly if you've got another game don't release crap anime shows

Leave anime alone leave it to be good

 

[TriggerUnhappy]

"There was this great idea that we could get a two-to-three-hour mini campaign," says Halo 3: ODST Production Lead Curtis Creamer - only that wasn't what ended up happening. However, with the only guidance effectively being "here's an engine, here's a story, you got a year, go," the project steadily became more ambitious as the ODST tried to "break the mold" of what was expected from a Halo game.

Not to be insulting here, but how do they plan to do that? Unless the game possesses a lot of stealth, strategy, or even a moving story, I fail to see how they plan to break Halo's basic "shoot things that move" gameplay. Still, looking forward to playing the game, and cool video.

 

[Legion]

.....yawn
Honestly if you've got another game don't release crap anime shows

Leave anime alone leave it to be good

What relevance does this have to the thread? It just seems like trolling to me.

Especially considering neither ODST nor Halo: Legends are out yet.

 

[wolfy098]

.....yawn
Honestly if you've got another game don't release crap anime shows

Leave anime alone leave it to be good

What relevance does this have to the thread? It just seems like trolling to me.

Especially considering neither ODST nor Halo: Legends are out yet.

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

 

[Amnestic]

Nathan Fillion is an extremely sexy man.

Truer words, never spoken.

I love "Behind the scenes"/concept art stuff. Part of the reason why I tend to always try to buy the Special Editions of games with the fancy boxes and the nice art books and sometimes the special DVDs, and ODST doesn't look like it'll disappoint.

.....yawn
Honestly if you've got another game don't release crap anime shows

Leave anime alone leave it to be good

What relevance does this have to the thread? It just seems like trolling to me.

Especially considering neither ODST nor Halo: Legends are out yet.

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

Legends isn't even out yet. The Animatrix (an anime addition to the Matrix franchise for the criminally misinformed) is generally viewed as excellent and the information it gives you makes it a worthy part of the story.

Perhaps you should judge the anime after it all comes out, hmm?

 

[Keane Ng]

Plus, there's more Nathan Fillion, and I believe the records show that Nathan Fillion is an extremely sexy man.

Now I see why you're suddenly interested in ODST.

 

[SharPhoe]

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

That's only according to you, however. And you've only commented about how Halo "needs to leave anime alone" in its most recent threads, regardless of subject matter. If it makes you feel any better, it can't be called anime if it's made outside of Japan Nevermind that.

 

[Amnestic]

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

That's only according to you, however. And you've only commented about how Halo "needs to leave anime alone" in its most recent threads, regardless of subject matter. If it makes you feel any better, it can't be called anime if it's made outside of Japan.

Wait, so if it's done by anime studios like Bones and Toei (wiki them for their libraries if you must) in an anime art style but it's actually made outside of Japan it's not an anime? How does that work?

 

[SomeGuyNamedKy]

I'm very surprised that they cut dual-welding out. But what they showed impressed me. It seems like they are trying really hard to abandon run-and-gun gameplay as much as possible and make it feel like you're not Chief anymore, you're a normal soldier.

 

[VanityGirl]

Regardless of what Halo haters say, Bungie is a great company and I'm really looking forwaard to ODST

 

[Gxas]

You know, I wasn't too thrilled about Bungie announcing another Halo game. I loved the first three and didn't want them to milk the series.

I always knew I would buy this game. I just never got hyped up for it. After seeing that video, and the live-action commercial, I changed my opinion.

This game is going to be boss. I cannot wait until Tuesday. Hell, the Reach Beta is going to be a wonderfully fine addition to the game.

 

[Legion]

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

That's only according to you, however. And you've only commented about how Halo "needs to leave anime alone" in its most recent threads, regardless of subject matter. If it makes you feel any better, it can't be called anime if it's made outside of Japan.

Wait, so if it's done by anime studios like Bones and Toei (wiki them for their libraries if you must) in an anime art style but it's actually made outside of Japan it's not an anime? How does that work?

I think it's according to the Japanese it is not really an anime. A bit like how any 'Champagne' made outside France cannot be called Champagne even if it's identical. It's almost like a patent. I could be wrong.

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

Which again leads me to ask: What relevance does it have to the thread?

 

[wolfy098]

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

That's only according to you, however. And you've only commented about how Halo "needs to leave anime alone" in its most recent threads, regardless of subject matter. If it makes you feel any better, it can't be called anime if it's made outside of Japan.

WRONG anime is an art style get it right

And anyone who'd try an Halo anime wants trouble
It just doesn't work

 

[SharPhoe]

Wait, so if it's done by anime studios like Bones and Toei (wiki them for their libraries if you must) in an anime art style but it's actually made outside of Japan it's not an anime? How does that work?

...Oh. Okay, I stand corrected. You'll have to forgive me for that, those companies completely slipped my mind. I retract my previous statement.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Looks pretty good. On my list of "Games to get once I have my first-choice games". I do love that they're bringing back arguably the best parts of Halo 1: the Health System and lack of dual wielding, though.

 

[wolfy098]

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

That's only according to you, however. And you've only commented about how Halo "needs to leave anime alone" in its most recent threads, regardless of subject matter. If it makes you feel any better, it can't be called anime if it's made outside of Japan.

Wait, so if it's done by anime studios like Bones and Toei (wiki them for their libraries if you must) in an anime art style but it's actually made outside of Japan it's not an anime? How does that work?

I think it's according to the Japanese it is not really an anime. A bit like how any 'Champagne' made outside France cannot be called Champagne even if it's identical. It's almost like a patent. I could be wrong.

I'm saying that Bungie has really screwed up it's image unnecessarily

Which again leads me to ask: What relevance does it have to the thread?

First No.10 and No.15

The relevance is i'm saying they are a little late in saying all this when they already put down proof Halo has become a milk cow series Like FF became (in my opinion since X)

 

[Amnestic]

Wait, so if it's done by anime studios like Bones and Toei (wiki them for their libraries if you must) in an anime art style but it's actually made outside of Japan it's not an anime? How does that work?

...Oh. Okay, I stand corrected. You'll have to forgive me for that, those companies completely slipped my mind. I retract my previous statement.

No problem. Mistakes are made. Happens to the best of us.

I think it's according to the Japanese it is not really an anime. A bit like how any 'Champagne' made outside France cannot be called Champagne even if it's identical. It's almost like a patent. I could be wrong.

Don't suppose you have a source for that? This is the first I've heard of it so I'm naturally intrigued.

And anyone who'd try an Halo anime wants trouble
It just doesn't work

Interesting. Doesn't implies you have knowledge of this. Considering this is (to my own knowledge) the first Halo anime to be created, I wonder how you would know beyond a shadow of a doubt (for your words do not seem to leave any) that a Halo anime=automatic fail.

I thought Root_of_all_evil was the only Time Lord on the Escapist?

/Sidenote: Pretty sure it's 'A Halo' rather than 'An Halo', unless you pronounce 'Halo' like Americans tend to pronounce 'Herb' by dropping the H sound entirely. Eddie Izzard frowns upon your grammatical shenanigans.

 

[T'Generalissimo]

Well damn, I was not expecting to be at all interested in this after how much I disliked Halo 3, but this actually looks like it might be good. I hope that guy was accurate when he said it's more like the original Halo, because I really quite liked that game. Most of all, I hope they have a story more like Halo 1's; Halo 3's story was just an incomprehensible mess, whereas number 1 was much simpler and actually kind of compelling.