Tuesday, April 10, 2007

"Halo 3" video documentary ...

I've watched the Halo 3 video documentary several times, and I'm pretty stoked, if for no other reason than I really enjoy these kinds of things.

Sure, these folks aren't curing cancer (that would be my brother), but they're working freaking hard on creating the next iteration of something that brings me a lot of joy. I, for one, am very, very grateful.

And even though the footage in the video is caveated 6 ways to Sunday as "Alpha" (Bungie's equivalent of Google's no-accountability forever in "Beta"?), the stuff looks great, and the new maps, chokepoints, weapons, and strategies look to make online a lot of fun. (If we can just get rid of the socially inept griefers.)

I do, however, have comments and questions:

  • There's an artist rendering of a "Big Ass Mortar Gun", and it looks like that's what 3D Artist Tom Doyle is building during the video, but we didn't see it in play. What gives?
  • There's reference to AI Turrets -- are these robotic turrets, or are bots coming to the Halo unviverse? On the footage of one of the snow levels, there seems to be several inactive turrets that don't look like they're meant to be manned. Interesting.
  • How does the "Escort" game type play out? An adult game type for Halo 3?
  • What's the "Warthog Inc." map showing up in the background of one of the custom game setups? Could it be as obvious as a Warthog manufacturing plant?
  • "Porta potties", Mr. Justin Hayward? WTF?
  • I want one of those table top whiteboards in my next job. As a development manager, I like the idea of the collaboration and intimacy, rather than using an on-wall whiteboard as a device to distance people and say, "Look how smart I am!"
  • What names did Interface Designer David Candland get called in gradeschool? Ditto for Sandbox Design Lead Jaime Griesemer.
  • Does Multiplayer Designer Tyson Green really fish, or does he just like the hat?

Valid questions and comments, all. Really.

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