Halo 3 Is Now Official (Really!)...
Though I am far from a hard core gamer, I have really enjoyed the video games Halo and Halo 2, developed by Microsoft’s in-house development group Bungie. Both of those games were created for the original XBOX, and set the standard for what could be done both visually and in cinematic game design for that platform.
With both games being phenomenal successes, the obvious question was when the next installment of the series would come. Coyly, neither Microsoft nor Bungie would confirm that a ‘Halo 3’ was even in development, though both have made frequent veiled references to it at trade shows and events. Anticipation only grew when the XBox 360 shipped last year.
Well the wait is now finally over. At a Microsoft press event at the E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) this afternoon, Bungie announced that Halo 3 is officially coming in 2007, and gave everyone a taste of what to expect with a two minute teaser video. According to Bungie, everything you see in the teaser was rendered in real-time on the XBox 360, and uses game assets and locations taken from the actual game. The lighting, shadows, particles(smoke), and other effects in the teaser will be what you’ll see in the final game. Bungie did this, no doubt, to avoid the criticism Sony faced at last year’s E3 when they showed rendered footage for an early peek at the PS3 that was impressive visually but had little to do with the capabilities of the console.
That Halo 3 was in the works shouldn’t have come as a surprise to anyone, but the fact that it won’t be out until 2007 will probably disappoint those who had hoped to see it released at the same time Sony starts selling the PS3’s. The biggest surprise, however, is the news that Halo 3 will be the last game in the Halo series.
Or at least that’s what they say now...
If you are a fan of the Halo universe, go over to Bungie’s web site to get more details on the Halo 3 story line, and to download a high definition version of the teaser. They will also have frequent updates on their progress, so keep the site bookmarked.
I have embedded an iPod encoded version of the teaser with this post for a quick view, but you really need to see it in high definition to appreciate what will be coming.
It certainly looks like it will be worth the wait.
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
