RipTen Videogame Blog » Bungie

Bungie Employee Subdues Gunman, Is Awesome

Justin Carter — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:30:20 +0000

This may not have anything to do with video games directly, but it’s still worth posting. Jeff Fletcher, an employee at Halo developer Bungie, took down a suspected gunman, and even used his own pair of handcuffs to bring the guy in.

Fletcher drove up to an ATM at 8:30 PM on Saturday outside a US bank and watched the suspect shoot another man. Fletcher, a former security guard, waited from behind the ATM for the shooter to come to him before taking out his own concealed firearm.

“I told him to drop his weapon, he dropped his weapon,” Fletcher said to King5.com. “I told him to get on the ground, he got on the ground.”

Fletcher’s father, a former Seattle police officer, gave him a pair of handcuffs that Fletcher used to bring the gunman in. Of course, Fletcher doesn’t recommend that everyone do that.

“To ex-police or ex-army, or somebody who’s got sufficient training and who’s willing to take on that kind of risk for their loved ones or their community and has the capacity to do it, absolutely.”

Looks like Mister Fletcher finished the fight peacefully.

[Via CVG]

Bungie Bringing Marathon To The Ipad, For Free

Aaron Alexander — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 04:28:16 +0000

Remember Marathon? I had no idea about it’s existence until Bungie rose to god tier among the pantheon of developers. Quickly picking it up on Xbox Live Arcade when it launched, I was actually surprised how well it played for a decade old Mac game.

For age old fans, and newer ones like me, Marathon will be coming to the iPad for absolutely no charge. The transition to iPad wasn’t a Bungie initiative however, Marathon fan “Daniel Blezek” began porting the game to his iPad unbeknown to Bungie. But it’s all good news, as the project is indeed sanctioned by Bungie, an appreciative Daniel stated the following in an interview;

“It’s not every company who would support bringing a 16 year old game back to life,”

Bravo Dan and Bungie, I for one will download this app as soon as it’s made available. Keep checking RipTen for information as to when Marathon hit’s the App Store, and leave your thoughts below.

via [nowgamer]

Burn Blue In Halo Reach as Bungie Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Chris Carlson — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:55:56 +0000

2011 marks the 20th Anniversary for Bungie Studios, the masterminds behind the critically acclaimed Halo franchise. As a celebration for their anniversary, they’re giving back to you, the fans.

Before today, if you were playing Halo Reach and saw a bright blue flaming helmet, that only meant one thing: you’re playing with an official Bungie Employee. Starting today, you have free access to those kick ass blue flames, and a nameplate as well. All you need to do is head over to Bungie.net and register or sign in with your account, click “Unlock Blue Flames” on the main page and you’re good to go. You only have until the end of Bungie Day to light up these flames, which concludes on July 7th.

Time to kick some Bungie ass

The fun doesn’t end there either. On July 7th, Bungie will deploy four-man squads into a special Bungie vs. the World playlist for a full straight 24 hours. If you happen to square up against one of these vicious squads and win by a margin of 20 kills or more, they will personally send you a real steak, – not sure if serious – unless you’re a non-US resident, then you’ll receive a nice little gift card. So make sure you log into Halo Reach come July 7th if you plan to kick some Bungie ass.

To conclude their celebration, the guys from Red vs. Blue tell you everything you need to know about Bungie’s 20th Anniversary.

Bungie Will Not Be Releasing Any More Halo Reach Map Packs

Matthew Sims — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:45:42 +0000

Well the headline says it all. Bungie, the company that gave birth to Halo, will not release another Halo Reach map pack. This revelation comes from Bungie’s weekly update and really shouldn’t be too much of a shocker for anyone who has followed the company’s acquisition by Activision.

This is what Bungie had to say on the matter:

We are not building map packs for Halo: Reach and we’re not working on any engine modifications, with code pressed tightly to metal.

Now before you freak out and assume that Reach is going down the shitter and Bungie is leaving the franchise in the dust, the update also said this:

We’re still here supporting Halo: Reach until Microsoft takes the reins. As phases of the transition (which is already underway) unfold we’ll continue to work with Microsoft and 343 Industries to ensure the handoff requires as little brainpower from you as possible, and as we nail down significant dates we’ll hammer home your expectations in kind. Rest assured all sides are working diligently to make sure the transition experience is as awesome as possible.

There ya go, straight from the horse’s mouth. The Defiant map pack. the last map pack, (at least for Bungie’s involvement) drops March 15th.

Bungie Not Actually Making an MMO – We Didn’t Get The Joke

Dave Oshry — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:15:53 +0000

This week at the GDC everyone was convinced (including us) that Bungie had confirmed their next game was an MMO. Well, as it turns out, the slide and comments presented were in jest and we just didn’t get the joke.

Or maybe it just wasn’t funny?

Lead network engineer David Aldridge showed a slide and made some comments that everyone took as said confirmation. Well, Bungie and David have stated that this was a misinterpretation of a poorly delivered joke and that we just can’t process David. His brain has one speed, one gear . . . GO!

Well, Perhaps David Aldridge should stick to his day job and leave the comedy to people with #Tigerblood who are always #Winning like Charlie Sheen. ^__^

Or maybe it’s a Serbian Jew double bluff and Bungie really are making an MMO but are trying to cover up since David spilled the beans? Who knows!? I bet Bobby Kotick does . . .

GDC11: Bungie’s Next Game Confirmed to be an MMO

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:36:19 +0000

During the Bungie presentation at GDC, lead network engineer David Aldrige confirmed Bungie’s next game will be an MMO.

While very stingy on details, Aldridge made sure to point out it would not be a “WoW in Space”. This was in response to earlier rumors. The game has previous been described as “having something for everyone”.

This will be the first game to be created by Bungie and published by Activision as part of their 10 year multiplatform agreement.

I’ve got to admit, it seems that Bungie is going out of their way to make something different with this one. It will be interesting to finally find out what this game will be.

Source

Halo Reach – ‘Defiant Map Pack’ Details and Trailer

Matthew Sims — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 18:26:29 +0000

For those of you still enjoying Halo Reach multiplayer, myself included, there is another map pack slated to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace in the near future. The Defiant map pack includes three new maps for both competitive multiplayer and Firefight modes and will drop sometime in March.

The three new maps, Condemned, Highlands, and Unearthed, vary in locale from deep in the woods to outer space. Now before you get your hopes up about interstellar combat, it isn’t looking like we’ll be seeing any of that (yet).

Check out the preview of the maps below courtesy of Halo Waypoint, 343 Industries, and Microsoft.

Also, check out the official press release below for an in-depth description of each map direct from the source.

London – 14 February, 2011 – Spartans, ready your assault rifles and prepare to take the fight to new fronts! The Covenant crushed human defences on Reach, but the fight for humanity’s survival still rages on in three brand new battlefields set on the doomed planet. With maps set on a giant orbital station high above the burning surface of the planet, hidden inside the forest of a military wilderness training facility, and wrapped in the remnants of a civilian mining site, the Defiant Map Pack brings awesome new environments for Firefight matches and all competitive multiplayer modes.

·         Condemned: Condemned takes place aboard Orbital Station Gamma, a massive space station high in orbit above the planet Reach. Prior to the Covenant’s overwhelming invasion, Orbital Station Gamma provided long range communications for UNSC fleets and a vital lifeline between Reach and Earth. During the Battle of Reach, the station suffered terrible punishment at the hands of the Covenant but a few fortified sections remain intact, fully pressurized, and ready for combat. Condemned supports 6 – 12 players in a variety of action-packed game types, including Team Slayer, Team Objective and Free for All.

·         Highlands: Highlands takes place on the top-secret Military Wilderness Training Preserve on Reach. The Preserve is a large, wooded area where Spartan super-soldiers trained long before the war with the Covenant began. During the Battle of Reach, the Preserve was the site of key battles between the alien invaders and a group of Spartans who used their familiarity with these UNSC training grounds to significant tactical advantage…but not everyone who enters these woods makes it out alive. Highlands expands the fight with massive-scale engagements for 8 – 16 players in Big Team Battle, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

·         Unearthed: Unearthed takes the battle for Reach to a large Titanium mine and refinery located in the Viery civilian sector of the planet. This particular mine was built to take advantage of the exposed titanium inside a massive meteor crater. The titanium produced here is used in much of the UNSC hardware, from the chassis of the Warthog to the metres-thick armour plating of capital ships like the UNSC Pillar of Autumn. While this facility was quickly abandoned when the Covenant arrived on Reach, it still has significant tactical (and economic) value and it won’t be long before both humans and Covenant return to battle for control. Unearthed allows up to 4 players to launch a counterassault against the Covenant in Firefight and Firefight modes such as Generator Defense.

Created in partnership with Certain Affinity, the Defiant Map Pack will be available this March on Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft points, and will include all new Achievements worth a total of 150 Gamerscore. Eager for a first look at the brand new multiplayer maps? Be sure to check out the explosive world premiere trailer of the Defiant Map Pack available today on Halo Waypoint and Halo.Xbox.com.

The prequel to the bestselling Xbox franchise of all time, “Halo: Reach” is the top-rated shooter of 2010 and one of the must-have entertainment experiences of this generation. To date, more than 40 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 3.3 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE.

New Bulletstorm Trailer Sticks it to Halo Like a Spike Grenade

Dave Oshry — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 05:16:10 +0000

If Bulletstorm is one thing, it’s over the top – Even when it comes to parody. What better way to take on the king of console first person shooters than to mock Master Chief himself!?

Enjoy:

No idea what we’re talking about? Here is the original Halo 3 “Believe” advert:

Impersonation is the highest form of flattery . . . yeah right!!

Halo: Reach Stats Boast 33 Billion Served

Dave Ernst — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 23:26:48 +0000

This week’s Bungie update provides us with an infographic with some stats from Halo: Reach. Let’s just say they are quite impressive. Between campaign, firefight and multiplayer, over 33 billion have been killed!

The inforgraphic goes into every detail including how many people have unlocked aesthetic armor effects such as “Inclement Weather” (lightning) and “Pestilence” (stinky).

Click on the thumbnail for the full inforgraphic and all its glory!

Bungie’s Next Game Coming To All Consoles and PC Online?

Dave Oshry — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:05:38 +0000

Bungie has not made a PC game since 2001. However, news coming out of the BMO Digital Entertainment Conference seems to suggest that Bungie is indeed developing a title for all platforms, both PC and console, and that it will be online.

A presentation slide from Activision at said conference has apparently confirmed that Bungie’s first game for the publisher will be an online game for both PC and consoles.

Can't Argue With The Powerpoint

If this is indeed true, the game will be Bungie’s first PC game since Oni (2001) The PC ports of Halo and Halo 2 don’t count. :-)

Source

Image Credit

Halo: Reach Level Cap Raised, New Armor Unlocked

Rangebar Merani — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:43:47 +0000

That’s right Halo: Reach fanatics, after all the hard work we’ve put in to complete 117 million daily and weekly challenges, the Reach max level cap has finally been lifted.

With the max level cap lifted, Reach players can now move on to Commander, General, Brigader, etc. and now there’s new armor that has been unlocked. Now what are you waiting for? Get back to Reach and unlock that bad-ass helmet you’ve been waiting for!

Insane Halo: Reach Aerial Kill (Video)

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:55:39 +0000

Watch this video and you will have no doubt that this is one of the best Halo kills you’ve ever seen.

It’s a demonstration of teamwork and expert timing. Submitted to Bungie.net by HeeroYhui.

Check it out:

Halo: Reach First Map Pack Drops Nov. 30th – Maps Detailed with Pictures

Garrett Hartman — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:41:07 +0000

Halo Reach DLC is on it’s way - first Map Pack drops on November 30th. The Noble Map Pack will include three new maps and new Achievements worth an extra 250 Gamescore points. For 800 Microsoft Points, or about $10, fans will get 3 playable maps: Tempest, Anchor 9 and Breakpoint.

Here’s Microsoft’s official descriptions of each map:

Tempest – “Though we may never fully understand these devices, it is not our nature to leave ancient stones unturned.” This abandoned shoreline facility bends both sea and sky to an unnatural purpose, but the ground itself has quickly become another all too familiar battlefield. Though the two opposing symmetrical bases may never reveal their ancient purpose, both now offer makeshift shelter and access to strategic routes perfectly suited for small and large scale skirmishes alike. Tempest supports 8 – 16 players and offers a variety of modes including Free for All, Team Slayer, Team Objective and Big Team Battle. Tempest also provides players with a huge Forge palette, allowing them to create new custom map variants that can be shared with the community-at-large.

Anchor 9 – “Orbital dockyards provide rapid refueling and repairs for a variety of UNSC vessels.” Within the confines of this low orbit dry-dock, UNSC craft undergo rapid repair and rearmament in support of the enduring war effort. But for the small squads of infantry who now fight over the mirrored interior hallways and open central hangar bay, this platform no longer provides any safe harbor – whether the close quarters combat is occurring inside or out of its artificial gravitational field. Anchor 9 allows 2-8 players to face off in game variants including Free for All, Team Slayer and Team Objective.

Breakpoint – “ONI officials believe the data buried within this artifact is key to our survival.” Atop this icy precipice, the Invasion continues. These modular archaeological labs were never intended to withstand such a large scale onslaught of Covenant military power, but the information being extracted here may prove vital to humanity’s survival. In response to the imminent Covenant threat, UNSC ground and air assets have been deployed to bolster entrenched Spartan countermeasures. This dig site must yield salvation, or it will become a grave. Breakpoint offers multiplayer mayhem for 8-16 players, and supports the Invasion and Big Team Battle game variants.

Halo: Reach Campaign Matchmaking Begins Oct. 19

Garrett Hartman — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 14:30:56 +0000

Campaign matchmaking playlists are scheduled for Halo: Reach on October 19th. The game’s rank cap is expected to be raised in the next month.

According to Bungie’s official website, playlist updates are typically on a monthly schedule. Further Updates will include “a dedicated Infection and Snipers playlist amidst a slew of other changes.”

With rank, currently players are limited to Lt. Colonel Grade C with credits accumulating beyond that point. When the rank cap is raised it’s completely possible for some players to jump more than one rank.

While not giving a specific date Bungie notes the changes to the rank cap will come “soon”.

Source: Bungie

Bungie Teases Life After Halo – MMO?

Garrett Hartman — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 19:41:20 +0000

This morning at Joseph Staten’s GDC speaking engagement titled “Writing the Whirlwind”, he had warned the audience that he wouldn’t say one word about the developer’s plans for its first post-Halo game. But could Bungie’s writer and design director keep his mouth shut…of course not. When asked he stated:

“I think it’s a shame that we spent so much time working on this world called Halo and then we only let people spend six or eight or 10 hours in it,” Staten said. “Wouldn’t it be great if we could make a world that was always there for you, with lots of stories to tell, like a big, infinite storytelling horizon? Man, that would be great.”

Sounds like an MMO is a brewing. Possibly a Sci-fi MMO? Whatever Bungie has planned there are legions of fans ready and eagerly awaiting.

Halo: Reach DLC Confirmed, Adds 10 More Achievements

Dave Ernst — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:07:08 +0000

Earlier this week, Bungie let a screenshot out that hinted at upcoming DLC, bringing a total of 1250 Gamerscore for Halo: Reach.

Halo fans are jumping for joy! Details are scarce, but let’s hope the content is more than just a few maps. I personally, would love more co-op and maybe a campaign side mission. Here’s what Bungie had to say:

“We plan to extend the online experience of ‘Halo: Reach’ with a robust lineup of Add-on content for the most popular game on Xbox LIVE today. While we don’t have any specifics to share at this time, we look forward to revealing additional details on new Add-on content for ‘Halo: Reach’ in the near future.”

The ‘near future’ couldn’t come soon enough.

Source

Halo: Reach – Get 20,000 Credits In 10 Minutes (Video)

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 03:04:13 +0000

Free credit? Credit guaranteed.

As the video says – get 20,000 credits in just 10 minutes! Wonder how long this lasts? I think I smell another patch coming.

Haven’t tried it yet but follow the steps and watch the video (courtesy of TheresPooOnMyShoe on Youtube):

1: Choose ONI: Sword Base in Campaign on Normal with ‘free for all’ score.
2: Run through the level until you can pick up the Target Locator.
3: Walk to the door and wait for a ‘Checkpoint’
4: Fire at the enemies!
5: Press start, choose ‘Revert to last save’ and let the credits roll!

Check out our Halo: Reach Easter Egg guide here.

Life-sized Replica Halo Energy Sword at Amazon

Garrett Hartman — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 23:00:52 +0000

Ever dream of possesing a life-sized replica of the ultimate Halo melee weapon? Dream no more…buy it at Amazon.

Only this sword isn’t made of energy – it’s made of Steel and only $49.99.

Here’s the Amazon description:

Here it is Folks; at last the HALO Covenant Titanium Color ENERGY SWORD Type-1. Now you can own not only just the video game but part of the video game and the weapon to defeat the bad guys. This Titanium Color Energy Sword is a close quarter’s melee weapon use in Halo. Folks, this sword is one of the most unique and awesome weapon which you will ever own. It is favored by Sangheili and it’s more dangerous than its ceremonial nature implies. This life-size weapon carries an almost exact handle which is used to keep the sword in the video game, Halo. Folks, now instead of paying high price for something which is cheap, now you only get this life-size sword for only $49.99 and its well built. Item also includes a wooden wall plaque. Specifications: Overall Length: 27″ Blade Length: 19.25″, Each side Fatory Sharpen Handle Width: 7″ Handle Material: ABS Plastic, Gray Blade Material: 440 Heat Treated Titanium Color Stainless Steel Item Includes: Wall Display Plaque.

Excited? Well don’t get too excited. Last thing we need is one amped off-kilter gamer to get carried away and use it for nefarious purposes. They are many in the media that would love another opportunity to attack our hobby.

For responsible and stable fans only. Keep it classy.

For the listing, click here.

Microsoft: “It’s Safe To Say We’re Not Done With Halo”

Dave Oshry — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 16:05:07 +0000

Last week RipTen was fortunate enough to be invited to the Halo:Reach launch event in Times Square, NYC. While there, we had a few drinks, ate some food, and of course, played some Reach. We also spent some time talking to Bungie and Microsoft, and they all said the same thing: While Bungie may be done with Halo, Microsoft has made it clear that they are not. And why would they be? Halo is Microsoft’s most bankable franchise, it’s safe to say their continued support of the franchise is a no-brainer . . . but can they keep it going without Bungie?

First, we hung out with the guys from Bungie for a bit:

RipTen: Whats it been like having a 10 year ride with Microsoft and Halo?

Bungie: It’s been a fun ride, it’s been awesome. Everyone at the studio has been super invested in the Halo universe from day one, and we’ve poured a huge part of our lives into it for 10 years. We’re also really happy and proud of what we’ve accomplished with Halo: Reach

RipTen: Speaking of which, how does it feel having Reach be your last Halo game. Bittersweet?

Bungie: It’s absolutely bittersweet. We’ve tried to find other words because we’ve used that one to death, but absolutely, its bittersweet to say the least.

RipTen: So why do a prequel instead of a sequel?

Bungie: Well, the original trilogy was really a trilogy. The Master Chief story. With Reach, we knew it was going tt be our last game so we really wanted to have a lot more opportunities to explore aspects of the Halo fiction that we haven’t focused on. So with Noble Team, we’ve got a real cast of characters. With all of the fiction and backstory, there’s just so much there to work with. This was a chance to really get more personal with some Spartans and expand upon their personalities.

RipTen: What’s it been like being an Xbox exclusive? (Major Nelson actually walks by and gives us a thumbs up as he hears me say this) Do you wish sometimes that you could have appealed to a broader audience?

Bungie: I think our audience is pretty broad even being exclusive (laughs) From a development standpoint it’s really nice when you can work with one platform. There’s a lot of complexity to developing on multiple systems, so working on one just one really helped us to focus on the craft and the game itself. We think that worked really well for both of us, both Microsfot and Bungie.

RipTen: Is this really it for you and Halo? Is Bungie really moving on?

Bungie: Well, we’re saying goodbye to Halo, but we’re not finished making games. Some guys at Bungie have worked on nothing but Halo their entire careers, so as much as we love the franchise, we have other stories to tell and other games that we wanna make.

RipTen: So what’s next for Bungie?

Bungie: What’s next? A giant secret! But rest assured we’re working very hard on it

(I shake my fist in faux anger)

RipTen: So why is Reach the best Halo game yet?

Bungie: The easy answer is because it’s got the most in it, it’s really packed with content. We’ve just paid attention to every detail, we’ve gotten good enough at giving the right amount of time to each feature, and nothing was half finished or crammed in. It’s 10 years of experience. It’s a delicate balance, but so far we think everyone’s pretty happy with it. (I agree)

Bungie Getting Swarmed For Autographs

This Room Clearly Needs More Xbox

After a few more drinks and a few more rounds of Reach firefight, we caught up with Microsoft to get their side of the story:

RipTen: What’s it been like working with Bungie over this past decade and having Halo as an Xbox exclusive?

Microsoft: It’s been great. They’re a very talented developer that has obviously made some incredible games and it’s been a great partnership over the last decade. You’ve got our marketing and their ambitious games and talented development.

RipTen: What do you see as the future of your relationship?

Microsoft: Well, right now all eyes are on Halo: Reach, and will continue to be for the immediate future. There’s obviously a lot of questions about the new Activision relationship, but we’re just excited that they’re going to continue to make great games on our platform.

RipTen: With the wild success of this game, how hard is it for you to not have Bungie make another Halo game?

Microsoft: Well, I think it’s safe to say we’re not done with Halo.

RipTen: Is that so? It’s safe to say?

Microsoft: That is definitely safe to say

So after getting this great bit of news, we had a few more drinks, played a bit more Reach, then once again decided to catch up with Bungie to see what they thought about it:

Fans Were Already Waiting for Kid Cudi to Perform

Split Screen For The Win

RipTen: So Microsoft has told me it’s safe to say that they aren’t done with Halo

Bungie: That’s probably safe to say, yes.

RipTen: Well, how do you feel about them carrying on the franchise without you guys?

Bungie: They have our blessing … it’s going to be exciting to see what they do.

So there you have it, Microsoft is definitely not done with the Halo franchise, and they have Bungie’s blessing. But is a Halo game without Bungie really a Halo game? Will the fans settle for anything less than pure excellence? One thing is certain, with fans like these, you can bet that Halo is going to be around for a long time.

If you haven’t already, check out the RipTen review of Halo:Reach as well as our complete Easter egg guide!!

We’ve also got plenty of pictures and video from the launch even that are not online, so if you’d like to see ‘em feel free to shoot me an email at Dave@RipTen.com or find me @DaveOshry on Twitter.

Jaw Dropping Halo: Reach Stats

Garrett Hartman — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 04:32:51 +0000

Halo is known for it’s loyal and active fanbase. Hell, when microsoft discontinued xbox live service for Halo 2 it still had a healthy gaming community. So how popular is Halo: Reach? The statistics Bungie has compiled are jaw dropping.

Keep in mind these stats compiled end September 18th – not even a full week:

31,000,000 Games have been played since launch
98,000,000 Player-games have been recorded
8,214,338 Daily Challenges have been completed
255,996 Weekly Challenges have been completed
78,499,560,895 Total Credits have been earned
953 Man-years have been spent in matchmade games
1365 Man-years have been spent in campaign
854,107 files have been uploaded
577,804 recommendations have been sent to friends
4,619,455 files have been downloaded

Quite impressive. I would love to see the stat for hours of productivity lost.

What do you think about these stats?