January 31, 2003
[b.Net] The Secret Life of Danger Boy
Part man, part machine - all sack. Bungie plumbs the depths of Chris Carney's shallow soul in The Secret Life of Danger Boy.
Mehve also features Danger Boy in a new Bungie Comic.
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January 30, 2003
Destineer Acquires MacSoft
As reported on Blue's News, Destineer has acquired Infogrames' MacSoft business unit. Whoa, this reporter says, what a trip! For those of you playing at home here is how the circular career of Destineer president Peter Tamte has gone:
1) Tamte founds MacSoft for WizardWorks. 2) He then jumps onto Apple Computer like an oversexed hippo. 3) He joins Bungie. 4) When Bungie is acquired by Microsoft, he founds Destineer. 5) Acting like a vengeful fetch, Tamte acquires MacSoft from Infogrames, who had no idea what to do with it. 6) Long time MacSoft employees rejoice while Tamte gruesomly beheads many of the senior management. 7) Victorious and covered with dried blood, Tamte laughs like Soulblighter.
Well, it's nice to see the Tamte has come home again. Overall, I think so many Mac titles being held by a smaller company is a very good thing. Mac users rejoice!
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Status: Former BungieJanuary 28, 2003
Phoenix Revealed?
As noted by Chief Tortie on the HBO forum, a web page devoted to storyboard artists has mention of a Bungie project called 'Breach.' This entry can be found in a list of work by Lee Wilson, who also did the storyboards for Halo: Combat Evolved. Chief Tortie speculated that this was the actual title of Bunge's ill-fated Phoenix project.
Further digging by the fanatical and often shunned Tortie revealed that Microsoft had trademarked the name to be used in conjunction with games, toys, and probably nose hair trimmers.
After an overnight round-robin amongst several HBO forum lifers, Matt Soell, Bungie mouthpiece and plush toy collector, admitted, "You guys had it right the first time. Breach and Phoenix were one and the same." The comment seemed to be an almost forlorn admission for the tired and overworked Bungie staffer.
But this reporter knows different and must congratulate Soell's simple and brilliant misdirection. Time after time Soell has used vague hints, obscure references, and verbal slight-of-hand to mislead prying minds. Now his skills of prevarication have reached a new apex with his new gift; pretending to tell the truth.
But, since the subjected has been breached, so to speak, I feel it is only fair to divulge the complete details of what the Breach project is. Despite the risks I run publishing this story, I am first and foremost a reporter and it is my journalistic mandate to expose Bungie's secretive operations whenever possible. Using my network of far reaching contacts throughout the gaming industry I was able to locate an old-time source of mine which I will call Deep Trow. DT and I go back to a long time ago when he helped me expose some previous Bungie shenanigans.
According to DT, who was able to sexually compromise a member of Lee Wilson's staff, the Breach project is a Halo 2 insiped short promotional film using Jason Jones, Matt Soell, Martin O'Donnell, and other Bungie irregulars.
Here is a copy of the credits from the film:
Halo: The Breach Delivery
Directed by Joseph Staten
Jason Jones ... The Master Chief
Matt Soell ... Midwife First Class Toonces
Martin O'Donnell ... Dr. Raymond Smarmy
Joseph Staten ... Grunt Baby
Chris Carney ... Nurse #1
David Dunn ... Nurse #2
Steve Abeyta ... Key Grip
Paul Clift ... Best Boy
Adam Crockett ... Gaffer
Music and Sound ... Martin O'Donnell
Unfortunately, I couldn't get a copy of the storyboards, but I have transcribed some plot notes that were surreptitiously acquired.
"Breach" Treatment 5/12/2002
MC [Master Chief] (Jason [Jones]) is captured by the Cov[enant] after escaping Halo. He is torturrd [sic] and some unknown medical expriments [sic] are performed on him. Do this all ala cutscene... artsy... no closeups... blurry... Add Jason voiceover as he recounts what happened and escape.Pan out from MC/Jason's eye and he finsihes [sic] story. Doctor (Marty [O'Donnell]) examines X-Rays of MC. Says something has been implanted in MC. Cannot be removed without killing him. MC shakes head sadly.
Cross fade and montage to indicate time passing aboard ship bound to Earth. MC's belly keeps getting bigger. Doctor patting MC on back. Crewman giving MC strange looks. MC fitted for marernity [sic] version of Mojinor armor.
Cross fade to pregant MC fighting some Cov. Kills all Cov, takes off helmet, looks bad, puffing. Returns to ship says he wants pickles and ice cream.
Delivery date arrives. MC in ship's medical bay, his legs up in the sturrips. [Sic] Midwife (Matt [Soell]) complains bitterly because MC cannot have 'natural' childbirth. Doctor dismisses him. Doctor tells MC he must have a C-section to deliver the baby. Nurses hold down MC as Doctor performs emergency surgery. MC belly is opened and Joseph [Staten] pops out in Grunt Baby costume. Grunt Baby yells 'Mom!' And hugs MC.
Leave space for tie-in ala Courtship of Grunty's Father.
With great personal danger I was able to purloin a test still of the upcoming movie. Click on the image to see the full-size version.
While releasing this information may damage my otherwise sterling reputation with Bungie, I believe letting the public know about their plans will actually help them. After all, look what the leaked betas of Mortal Kombat: Roe v. Wade did for Capcom!
January 24, 2003
Pillar of Art Contest
I've been working on this project so intensely for the last few days that I forgot to announce it here as well. Doh!
The Pillar of Art is an art contest in the traditional sense. There's some cold hard cash to be won as well as some very cool Bungie swag. So break out that sculptor's knife/paintbrush/modeler's knife/potter's wheel and get cracking!
January 22, 2003
A Phoenix Chick Has Found A Roost
When a cooking sherry inebriated Matt Soell spilled his guts to a bemused mnemesis, pointing out that Peter Marks (AKA mordia) was missing from the Pentathalon lineup because he was no longer with Bungie, mnemesis was further able to electronically badger Matt until he revealed:
Peter had moved from the Online team to a position as a designer on the Phoenix team some time ago (I don't remember the date but it was before our last FanFest - we had to borrow him for that). When the Phoenix team decided to jettison their work in favor of a new game, they also decided they had too many designers on staff. Some of those designers moved to other teams at Bungie; others moved to jobs outside Bungie but still within Microsoft. Peter was not satisfied with his options here, so he took a design position at another (non-Microsoft) development house. He sent me a letter just last week (blackmail? -ed); he seems to be doing well.
Not satisfied with these canned responses, this reporter was able to find Mr. Marks in a mid-southwest-but-a-little-north-of-that brothel where he confessed:
Yup, Seeking to re-embrace the small company environment and looking for opportunities to [do] more design. I've moved from Bungie to 2015, the Tulsa, OK based company that did Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. I'm working on an as of yet unannounced game which is still in early development so there probably won't be any details on it for a while. Other than that, I don't know what else to tell you ;') My parting with Bungie was on good terms, and I try to keep in contact with folks over there.'On good terms,' indeed. This reporter regrets minutely having to spill the beans, but Oklahoma is known for militant separatist militias. Obviously, Bungie is taking another step towards their plan of World Domination.
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Status: Former BungieJanuary 20, 2003
Bungie enters the collectibles market
Spotted by the very sharp-eyed brandontyler over at the HBO forums, looks like we'll finally be getting those Halo figurines. Here's the press release. The company, Racing Champions ERTL, has a subsidiary, Joyride Studios that will actually create the models. I thought their current Mechwarrior lineup might be a good example of what to expect from them. It's nice stuff, and I'll judge the quality of the finished product when it finally ships, but I noticed that a different subsidiary, William Britain specializes in military scenarios. Check out their 2002 archives for some pretty cool scenes that could, with a few tweaks, fit right into the Halo Universe.
That's pretty funny, because when I wrote my rant a few weeks ago, I did some quick research to see if such products were feasible, and I'm pretty sure I stumbled unto the William Britain website.
A possible reality check: I know a teeny bit about the process in creating these models, so if in fact they are *just* starting to work on getting these figures out, usually the turnaround time is, in the best situation, 6 months. However, it could very well be that they've been working on them for a while now and we might see them sooner. I might make myself less anxious if I just resign myself to not seeing these until Halo 2 is released. An official ETA would help, of course. We know where Bungie stands on giving release dates, but I wonder if Joyride has a different take on that. :)
Regardless, I'm psyched, aren't you? Let's hope the sales for these figures and the licensing fees MS is charging are in the proper range to keep them coming.
January 17, 2003
Woot!
The latest Letters to the Webmaster has been posted! Go! Read it now!
January 16, 2003
Grizzled Ancients Schlep to Victory
As posted on BungieNet, once again, the Grizzled Ancients were able to keep their gnarled, arthritic hands on the championship title in the Bungie Pentathlon. Although the field arrayed against them was formidable, they managed to limp to victory past the incontinent Old Schoolers, the confused Middle Schoolers, and the diapered Bungie Newbies.
In other words, no one lost their job.
This reporter personally finds this news almost unbelievable and would like to see proof. Unfortunately, our paparazzi, Michelino, recently suffered a fractured wrist from lifting an Xbox controller and could not attend the event. Any brave souls who are willing to step forward and produce photographs will be paid our going rate.
For those that are interested, here is the line-up of the different teams:
Grizzled Ancients | Old School | Middle School | Newbies |
January 14, 2003
[b.net] A Look at Aleph One (Part 2)
A Look at Aleph One (Part 2)
01/13/03
January 11, 2003
Virtual Reality
It's rare day in this business when you get to see a Bungie prosopopoeia. The occurrences of this rare event I can count on one hand. Let's see, there was the time Alex Seropian became a Journeyman and there was the time the Master Chief became real (even Warbow was possessed at one point).
Now, thanks to Ernie's unique channeling talents, another Bungie character, one that I have logged hundreds of hours looking at, shall one day come to life. This character is known by many long-time Bungie fans to be the best storyteller in all computer gaming: namely the Marathon Terminal.
(For those of you who missed the halcyon days of Marathon, terminals or terms for short, were the in-game mechanism by which the player would view maps, briefings, and an overwhelming amount of background plot. It was the terms in Marathon that caused many Bungie fans to become anti-social bed-wetting pariahs. I should know - I am one.)
Ernie has taken it upon himself to create a functional stand-alone terminal and dropped by the Marathon's Story forum to solicit people's suggestions as to which terms his creation should display. Interested parties can also read of his progress on the Apple Fritter forums.
Once complete, Ernie could probably make a decent income if he hauled it to MacWorld San Francisco and charged people money to use it.
Bungie.net Theme winners
Hanker over to bungie.net and check out the winners of the bungie.net theme contest. The 3 entries are really very very cool!
I've already changed two of my chapters, NYC Bungie-holics and BS, to the "Legendary" by Qbix (1st place) and "Durandal" by Djof (3rd) themes, respectively. The "We Were Soldiers" theme by Patriotic Marine, 2nd place, is also a hoot. If I had a 3rd chapter, I'd change it to that one.
January 10, 2003
Happy Birthday B.org
Bungie.org maintainers were remiss in not pointing out that last Monday, January 6, was Bungie.org's 4th birthday. Happy birthday guys; your efforts in supporting the Bungie community have given hope and comfort to drooling geeky shut-ins the world over.
Troika
Please welcome aboard poena.dare, who along with me and mnemesis will be your guide to the wacky world of Bungie. You can see that he's already got some stuff percolating. Huzzah!
We just need 2 more so we can form that pentagram in the basement...
Seropian Reproduction
Bloodrain, of the famed Clan Plaid, dropped a note that Alex Seropian and his wife appeared in a local Chicago parenting newspaper recently. Unfortunately, Bloodrain was on his way to foreclose on his elderly grandmother and was not able to keep a copy.
Any loyal Bungie fans in the Chicago area would do this reporter a great service by obtaining a copy.
Stay tuned for more developments as we dig to find out if there really is life after Bungie.
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Hiredate: 06/14/1991January 9, 2003
Heh
So my little rant sparked some new material over at the mothership.
Anything I can do to help guys. :-)
January 2, 2003
Marathon over IP Firewire
Apple released a preview of IP over Firewire for OSX a few weeks back, then mysteriously closed it from public access a week or so later... currently you have to be a member of the ADC to get access to the installer. It's a straight-ahead install; the classic Apple ease-of-implementation still shows up from time to time, which is always a pleasure, let me tell you.
What does this have to do with the classic Bungie game Marathon? Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly! :)
A running thread about IP/Firewire over at my favorite Apple news source, Macintouch, has a comment from someone that must've gotten his hands on a really old version of Firewire/IP years ago and had this to say:
Back when Apple was developing Firewire and the only 1394 solution on Macs was through PCI cards, my friend and I played Bungie's Marathon over a Firewire network on a couple of "screamin'" 7600/180s in his lab at Apple. It's nice to see ages-old technology finally coming out of the woodwork.
Obviously, this means that the implementation back then during the days of Power Macintosh 7600 iron was of the Appletalk-over-Firewire kind.