Game news Halo, the famous Bungie game, is soon celebrating its 20th anniversary!
He is 2.18 meters tall and weighs 500 kilograms. Protected by his Mjolnir armor, he only rarely takes his helmet off. Perhaps he deigns to show his face to blow out the candles on his birthday cake? The famous Master Chief will be celebrating his 20th birthday tomorrow. It was actually on November 15, 2001 that the game he is the hero of, Halo: Combat Evolved, was released in the United States. Cheered on by the trade press until last month after it was released, the app had an overwhelming success. We invoke the living memory of 343 Guilty Spark to recall the good old days when millions of gamers agreed to wear the Bungie Forged ring.
Alignment of the planets
Halo: Combat Evolved was initially conceived as an RTS before evolving into TPS and then FPS, and has survived a turbulent development due to a regularly redefined artistic vision. The MacWorld 1999 demonstration, orchestrated by Jason Jones (co-founder of Bungie and director of Halo), was an unexpected high point for studio managers. We have to believe that Steve Jobs discovered genius in these developers who gave journalists an impressive demo. The artificial intelligence seemed good, the physics engine looked beefy, and most importantly the environments were open, which was rare enough to impress an audience in the late 1990s, but it’s the apple group’s big rival that struck Bungie in June 2000 bites. Microsoft, then on a mission to secure content for its future – and first – game console, is buying Halo’s parents. The studio will then only have one big year to finish a piece of software that has to be the spearhead of a brand new machine.
Despite everything, Microsoft remains cautious about its sales prospects. After the American giant’s admission, the Redmond-based company’s marketing teams did not believe in Spartan’s commercial performance. “When we looked at the forecast, Halo was at the bottom of the list“Recognizes Phil Spencer”. At the time, the first-person shooter was struggling to gain traction on consoles, despite the success of GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark sending out encouraging signals. “Halo didn’t explode the charts on day one“Recognizes Jaime Griesemer (Game Designer at Bungie) in the book Halo, the Space Opera after Bungie our dear Epyon. As the cave is accessible in the “gloriole“The success of Bungie’s game has nothing in common.
Triumphant
When Halo: Combat Evolved hits the newsrooms, it’s like a bomb. “Before I went to Canada where I brought my Xbox, I was on Metal Gear Solid 2. You can imagine that strictly speaking I wasn’t happy to give up my dog tag search, to do this report came with the console and Halo home, work came first, I couldn’t go back to MGS2. I had to hit Halo in the meantime. I’ll give it to you by the thousands: the pill worked fantastic, I had so much fun with HaloRaHaN joked in his test published in the lines of Joypad (No. 115): The editors are amazed at the richness of the environments, the transitions without loading times, the detailed textures and numerous special effects that have never before been seen on consoles. The app fills your eyes, your ears and proves that the Xbox is the most powerful console out there. In the first few months after the machine is sold, 80% of buyers leave with a copy of Halo. Week after week the madness 117 spreads across the Atlantic. In 2002, producer Nile Rodgers persisted with the Redmond company to release the game’s soundtrack under his label, and in 2003 the machimina scene picked up soft and gave birth to Red VS Blue. In three years, Halo: Combat Evolved has sold more than 5 million copies: All lights are green for a sequel. Proof of the shock caused by the franchise’s first episode, Halo: Combat Evolved was inducted into the esteemed World Video Game Hall of Fame along with Pokémon and Donkey Kong in 2017. Master Chief is still at war with the Alliance, but he has earned the respect of his colleagues. And millions of fans.
Although Master Chief plans to descend to Earth to fend off the Bund in Halo 2, the Spartan’s call reaches the sky. When Bungie unveiled the title trailer on the New York X02 in August 2002, the fuse was detonated. Fans can’t wait any longer. Microsoft will then skillfully maintain the waiting time through impressive gameplay snippets (at E3 2003 and 2004) and above all through the development of a fascinating alternate reality game. In mid-July 2004, the Redmond-based company released a new Halo 2 trailer in American cinemas, just four months after its release. It invites the viewer to go to a fun website called “ilovebees.com”. As the days passed, this beekeeper-run site fell victim to beetles. There are mysterious messages and especially audio clips from … the future. The enthusiasm is so great that des poster ilovebees are swung between Kerry and Bush during the televised debates. The result is there: 1.5 million pre-orders have been registered for Halo 2. Artists go out of their way to be associated with the halo madness. On the soundtrack of the second part we find pieces by Breaking Benjamin, Hoobastank and Incubus, while Steve Vai brings a little electric guitar to the main theme. In 2004, gamers are eager to continue the adventures of Master Chief and Cortana and meet up online to compete against each other over Xbox Live. Bet won: Two-thirds of Xbox Live subscribers buy Halo 2. The game breaks previous records, selling 2.38 million copies in a single day in North America alone. On November 9, 2004, the successful Halo 2 morning launch hit NBC, ABC and Komo 4. Xbox sales rose 27% and Xbox Live subscription kits sold out like hotcakes.
Call from 117
Nothing stopped the Master Chief in the years that followed. If Halo 3 lands on Xbox 360, it’ll be another hit. A year after it was released, almost one in two Microsoft console owners bought Bungie’s software. Why such a success? Halo knew how to tell a simple but fascinating story. Thanks to its level design and the artificial intelligence of the opponents, no two games are the same. Above all, Halo is aimed not only at hardcore gamers, but also casual enthusiasts who like split-screen campaigns. Bungie delivers Halo 3: ODST (2009) and Halo Reach (2010). Two titles that once again met with great success when they were released. Still, the influence of Call of Duty begins to weigh on the shoulders of the UNSC soldiers.. Packs are invited to the party as well as special skills and the blossoming of certain weapons.
Halo 4 continues with the arrival of assets and killstreaks at the intersection. Despite a good single player campaign, the fourth episode divides the fans. This first Halo, led by 343 Industries after Bungie’s exit, is still selling very well: generating $ 220 million in revenue in just 24 hours.. In addition to its scenario, and even if it is the direct continuation of the third part, Halo 4 is breaking new ground with The Didacte and the Librarian. He is particularly concerned with the relationship between an end-of-life Cortana and the Master Chief. A story that Halo 5 will try to advance with all the worries in the world. Halo 5: Guardians has no split-screen co-op, is opaque in its storyline, and settles for an 84/100 on Metacritic, which, along with Halo 3 spin-off: ODST, makes it the worst-received episode by critics. This average is still very good, of course, but She insists that the saga has lost some of its luster. Fortunately, the 343 Industries software puts the show online thanks to its multiplayer mode called Warzone. According to the studio, it would have sold 5 million copies of Halo 5 in three months.
Figures officially released since then prove that Halo continues to interest millions of fans. But the series faces tough competition and a lot of criticism. The video shown at Xbox Showcase 2020 didn’t do any good for Halo Infinite’s future communications campaign, and while multiplayer testing is comforting, there are still many secrets surrounding 343 Industries’ production. Either way, Halo is a strong license that has shaped an entire generation of gamers. So it’s only natural that we wish him a happy birthday.
By Karnbee, Journalist igamesnews.com
MP
