As I write this the stream is still going one with Rukari hosting BS Angel and Bravo. However, the exhibition match portion of the stream is over and HFFL brings you those results!
The first game went to the 343 pro team which showed some great team work. They held a big lead for much of the game with the Community Pro team started mounting a comeback. Ultimately though, 343 won with a final score in a match that ended close.
343 Pros 310 – Community Pros 290
The Community pro team came together in this match and dominated the 343 pro team. Having much of the map control during the game and scoring tons of throw in goals, some coming from open ramp through the slot The 343 team never came close in this match.
Community Pros 310 – 343 Pros 100
This game saw some good run-in goals by the 343 team. Some clutch moves as well. Neighbor for whom we were watching the stream through had an awesome triple kill. He was also a nuisance during much of the match for the Community pro team. The community pros couldn’t overcome the mounting lead by 343, which the 343ers won handedly!
343 Pros 310 – Community Pros 150 Advantage 343 2 games to 1.
At the end of this match we watched as Neighbor talked some smack to Ace. Ace had went +11 in the match only to see his team lose. See folks, in objective games it’s NOT about who has the best K/D…
The 343 pro team completely dominated the Community pro team in what would turn out to be a blowout for the final game of the exhibition match.
343 Pros 310 – Community Pros 150 343 wins the first ever Exhibition match 3 games to 1 not even needing to play the 5 game.
A great victory for the 343 pro team and a bit humbling for the Community pro team.
Bravo promises to bring more of these exhibition matches and streams in the future. One can hope that won’t be too long in coming. It’s always great to see/hear from the official folks!
Sometimes, I skip breakfast. Monday was not one of those days.
I spend most mornings (and sometimes entire days) very hungry. When I arrived at the studio Monday, I quickly realized this day would be different. Spread across kitchen tables, desks, and even the senior management board room, were colorful, leprechaun-adorned boxes of Lucky Charms. Luckily, this held me over until green bagels were delivered (note: bs angel definitely does not approve of green bagels), which held me over until green banana nut muffins arrived (she didn’t like those either), which held me over until green rice crispy treats appeared. By the end of the day, I ate a ton of St. Patrick’s Day-themed treats, all of which were delicious, and none of which were approved by bs angel due to their holiday hue. The important thing to note here is that holidays here at 343 are awesome, as long as you’re okay with food coloring.
We’ve got a few things to talk about this week, (one of those things features a special guest who is much taller than a leprechaun, but not much taller than an Unggoy), so let’s get into the details, starting with Matchmaking.
Matchmaking Playlist Update
This week, Extraction returned to Matchmaking alongside Proving Ground, a new Battle Rifle start playlist. We got some great feedback so far, and appreciate your input regarding map pool, game types, and more as we continue to add to the playlist. Next week, we’ll have news regarding Squad DLC and an update to the Flood playlist, but for now, we have a new Community Choice Poll.
HFFL: I can’t wait for Squad DLC. Not only is it a 6v6 playlist (which is much needed), but also a DLC playlist, which I feel is needed as well, especially for those of us who paid for the DLC. Right?
Community Choice Poll: Big Team Battle
HFFL: This one for me is a toss up between Neutral Flag and Legendary Slayer BR. The latter is closer to Halo 3 play, while Neutral Flag is always fun (for me). I think this once, I’m going to pick slayer over and objective game type though. (I not so skilled at snipers in matchmaking, so there’s on way will I ever pick that.)
Each of the above game types offer different experiences, so to help you choose, here are the details:
Neutral Flag
Lots of players, but only one Flag. Bring it back to your base to score and be ready to run it again!
Legendary Slayer BR
Big Team Slayer with standard UNSC goodness: Battle Rifles, Assault Rifles, and Frag Grenades.
Team Snipers
Be stealthy, be sneaky, but don’t poke your head out too far. Because the other team will snipe it off.
Head here to vote on the Waypoint forums. Voting will be open for approximately four days. Next week we’ll announce the Community Choice winner along with the Matchmaking Update!
Next up, we’ve got a pretty special segment from a guest writer you likely know and love. Please allow me to now hand it over to our very own bs angel.
A Note from bs angel
My first day at 343 Industries was September 13, 2010. I completed orientation (no, I will not say inappropriate jokes while at work; yes, I will make numerous innocent remarks about balls, every single one of which will be about the game type present in Halo multiplayer) and made my way to the EMP Museum. Typically an institution focusing on music, sci-fi, and pop culture, that night it transformed into the perfect venue for celebrating the launch of a new Halo game. That’s right, my first day was the day Halo: Reach launched.
I spent the evening manning kiosks and watching fans play the very game that would soon be spinning in their Xbox 360s. If there was one prevalent sentiment I felt that night, it was the feeling of knowing I found my home away from home – a job where I would be surrounded by people who not only love Halo as much as I do, but also understand the power of the franchise and the fans who celebrate it with us.
If I seem a little sentimental, it’s because I am. I’ve loved every second I’ve spent as Community Manager for 343, and it’s because of this love that I’ve accepted a new position within the studio. In a matter of days, my new title will be “Studio Operations PM.” It’s not particularly flashy nor impressive (I requested Chief Cat Consultant but was denied), but the potential impact I will have on the studio, and thus the franchise, is enticing, exciting, and, when you look at our goals, essential.
I joined 343 because I love Halo, I stayed because I love 343, and it’s the passion for both that takes me into my new job, where I will focus on ensuring the studio is an environment in which our developers can do their very best work. The importance of that should not be underestimated, as we are working on some incredible projects slated to release this year, next, and beyond. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: good things are coming…and a lot of ‘em, at that.
I’m not bidding you adieu, because I’m still going to be here – five desks up and three rows over from my usual spot, in fact. So, as I don’t have any goodbyes to say, I’m instead going to share my most bestest and memorablest experiences I had while in the role of Community Manager. And yes, bestest and memorablest are totally words. ‘Cause I said so (clicks “Add to dictionary” and proceeds).
Norman Reedus – I love him for his brains
It’s Emerald City Comicon 2011, and I’m working the booth. We’re showing off Halo: Reach and get a request from a handler whose celebrity clients want to stop by and play the game. Apparently the two gentlemen are from The Boondock Saints, which I haven’t seen because clearly it’s a football movie and I’m not into football (I’ve heard of the Saints, you can’t fool me!). I spent 10 minutes or so showing a ruggedly handsome man the basics of the game, wondering the whole time if someone hid all of the world’s razors, if he was half Teen Wolf/half Chia pet, and other totally realistic scenarios that would explain the Brillo Pads of facial hair exploding out of his jowls.
Fast forward to last fall when I discover the good, clean fun that is The Walking Dead. I can’t shake the feeling that Daryl is oddly familiar when it struck me: it’s the dude from Comicon… the guy I taught how to play Halo! I’d like to think his aptitude for headshots came from those very special 10 minutes we shared. I mean, it can’t be a coincidence, right? RIGHT? (You’re welcome, Norman. Call me. Wink wink.)
VGAs – bs angel’s new clothes
Three months after starting my job, I was sent to LA to cover the 2010 VGAs. I was going to be on the red carpet, interviewing the personalities walking the length of the vibrant colored path. Being the non-high maintenance person that I am, I spent hour after hour and evening after evening shopping for the perfect outfit, planning the perfect hairstyle, deciding on the perfect makeup, and selecting the perfect accessories.
It was only after our video was released and I read dozens of comments on YouTube asking if I was naked did I realize that while my shimmery, strapless gown was beautiful, it perhaps wasn’t the right choice for a situation when you’re being taped from the shoulders up.
Lesson learned, YouTube, lesson learned.
Xbox One Commercial – And start feeling…
I don’t have a bucket list. Well, I didn’t until I took part in the Xbox One Anthem. When I was approached by the Xbox team to take part in a super-secret video, I knew it would be an amazing experience. I was dolled up before the shoot (“Yes, you may do my makeup with all your fancy-schmancy MAC stuffz.”), had people adjusting my hair in between takes (“Excuse me, I have a single strand out of place!”), and was followed by a crew of approximately 10 people through the woods, while I attempted to feel natural, and also alive (pretty sure I failed on both accounts).
The video was shrouded in confidentiality, so I didn’t get to see it until it launched. When I saw it starred Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams (among others), I ran to my desk and immediately started a bucket list. First thing on it was “be featured in a video with Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams.” First thing to be crossed off was “be featured in a video with Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams.”
Oh, and did I mention I was in a video with Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams? ‘Cause I was. And let me tell you, did I ever feel ALIVE…
Cortana VO – I will not allow you to leave this sound booth
There’s a certain part of game development where campaign levels are fleshed out enough to begin dropping in voice overs during important parts of each mission. This is often before final VO is recorded with our professional voice actors. During that interim period, members of the studio sometimes read the lines so placeholders can be implemented in pivotal moments. During this part of Halo 4’s production, I put my name in the hat for Cortana and was selected by an audio engineer who was apparently unaware of my ability to perfectly replicate the intolerable screech of nails on a chalkboard with each and every spoken word.
The experience I had in the recording studio was one of the most memorable I had during Halo 4 production. While the recordings were provisional, I read them in the real sound lab, received direction from the audio team and creative director of the game, and truly felt, for a few brief hours, like the character I was portraying. I refused to play through those missions for as long as my VO was in the game (I didn’t need to hear myself to know how truly bad I am at voice acting) but I do remember walking out of the studio that day with a sense of despair that I couldn’t completely shake for several hours.
Spoiler: Cortana has a rough time in Halo 4. And on that day, so did I.
When You Wish Upon a Star…
One of my core beliefs is using your voice to make a positive impact, especially if said voice is louder than average. Thankfully the studio mirrors those sentiments, which means I often have the honor of hosting Make-A-Wish visits. Meeting these kiddos has made more of an impact on me than I can express, and certainly not one that I can discuss without emotion.
One of those kiddos was Mathieu. After successfully battling cancer three times in his 16 years of existence, the fourth took its toll. We chatted regularly during this trying time, talking about both significant and insignificant topics. Something he said during one of those conversations stuck with me, so much that I knew we needed to make it a reality. After recognizing his time was fleeting, he offhandedly said, “I wish I could live forever in Halo.”
We had him take a series of headshots, and then modeled an in-game Marine after him. His character is in Halo: Anniversary, and arguably one of the most important in the game. He’s the person that lets the Master Chief out of his cryo-chamber, and he also teaches the player the controls for playing the game. We made that choice because Mathieu, to the very end, wanted to help others. And to this day he continues doing just that, inside the Halo universe.
Real-life Warthog – I call turret
Up until this point, you may think my job is completely glamorous and I’m the luckiest person on the planet. While the latter is true, the former is not. My day-to-day responsibilities are typically mundane, and sometimes consist of making sure parcels arrive safe and sound at the studio. In fact, one time I drove to a city almost 30 minutes away (SO FAR) to confirm the intact arrival of an incoming shipment.
When I arrived at the warehouse, I was told our package had, in fact, reached its desired destination, and I should verify it was in acceptable shape. This particular time, that meant I needed to sit in the driver’s seat. And the passenger seat. And hop on the turret for good measure. Sure, I was unable to see over it (I’m not that tall – DON’T JUDGE) but that didn’t matter. I had a job to do, and I was going to do it. ‘Cause I’m that dedicated. And I like joy rides. But more the dedicated thing. ‘Cause yeah.
You
While I consider myself incredibly blessed to have the aforementioned experiences, none of those things compare to the relationships I’ve had the pleasure of building with many of you. From receiving your emails to meeting you at events to participating in .gif wars on Twitter to engaging in formally arranged cat picture exchanges, getting to know those of you on the other side of the controller has been an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. Some of you I’ve been friends with since the days of Halo 2. Others I’ve met after the release of Halo 4. But regardless of whether you fall into one of those groups or somewhere in between, I’m thankful for our interactions. My own little world – and the Halo franchise – is a better place because of them <3.
And now, I leave the community in the hands of several capable individuals, some of which you know by name (Alfa! Charlie! Foxtrot?!), and others that quietly and effectively work behind-the-scenes (Uncle Dolan!). So, I’ll see you on the virtual battlefields, my friends. Until then…
#heartz #hugz #andallthatjazz
<3,
bs angel
HFFL: So, I take it that means Bravo is now the Senior Community Manager? Or at least the one in charge of community relations, even if he didn’t get a title promotion.
Friday Live Stream – 3/21 1PM PST
If you got a kick out of the above stories, you’re not alone. In my experiences both as a community member and a member of the community team here at 343, I saw firsthand just how lucky the Halo community has been to have a community manager that cared so deeply for the franchise and its fans. Although she did (still does) everything in her power to make me lose every multiplayer match I play, and made (still makes) fun of me for playing Action Sack, there were a few times when we got along, although food bribes and delicious (non-green colored) snacks were generally involved. The community team will miss having her on board. But as she said earlier, I’ve confirmed that luckily for me, and unluckily for her, she’s still within waving distance, just a few desks over. This means that there will still be plenty of team killing, high-pitched squeals, and cat pictures around the studio, and we’re pretty sure this is okay. We’re not sure if desktop computers will still be bursting into flames, but we have a volunteer junior fireman on staff seated adjacent to bs angel’s new desk. You know, just in case.
This Friday, March 21st, bs angel, myself, and a few others will be hopping on a live stream at 1pm PST to chat about some of the above stories and more, because it’s been a while since we’ve hung out. We’ll be streaming at twitch.tv/xbox, chatting with you, and also showcasing a long overdue Halo match-up. Oh yes, read on.
HFFL: Ya know, I wish they would stream/podcast more often. Having that interaction with them would be great for both the community and themselves. Of that I’m certain.
Over the past few months, you may have read through the Twittersphere or interwebz that we’ve hired some talented Halo players to help us work on some of our projects. Internally, we call this group of eight players the Halo Pro team. For many moons, we dreamed of them representing the studio near and far, winning championships on our home turf, foreign lands, and eventually distant planets. This Friday, the dream will come true: we give you the first ever 343 Pro Team vs. Community Pro Team match-up!
The four players representing the 343 team will be:
Representing the community pro team will be:
All of the above individuals have some serious Halo accomplishments under their belt to say the least. Our pro team players have multiple tournament wins (including national championships), but we’re expecting that our professional community opponents will be quite the match. Between the Halo 4 Global Champion Ace, the Halo 4 Infinity Challenge winner StrongSide, and professional veterans Flamesword and Snakebite, the 343 pro team certainly has their work cut out for them, and we’re pretty excited to check out the action.
The friendly exhibition series will include a best of 5 series of Ricochet matches, and we’re expecting lots of interceptions, long-range tosses, and good times. Come hang out and join us this Friday!
HFFL: Okay, that’s going to be fun to watch! Hmm, I think I’m going to have to side with the 343 pros here. Yes, the community pros have Ace and Strongside, however, the 343 pros have all the insights to the game and likely an easier time gaming together. Will it be close? Maybe, but again, I give the advantage to 343.
Screenshot Spotlight: Fire
Last week, we turned the spotlight on Skyline. Take a gander at the following Fire screenshots, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own.
HFFL: I’m partial to the following two from this week’s gallery:
I really like the “fire glow” off of the spartan. Very cool! I’ve seen this type of pic done before and still love it. That crackling lava flow kind of thing just looks AWESOME. (I wish we could have THAT as a permanent skin for our armor!
For your chance at being in the next spotlight, take a screenshot on Haven and then tag it with “Haven” and “Halo Waypoint”, and maybe, just maybe, yours will be featured in the next Halo Bulletin!
And with that, this week’s Bulletin comes to a close.
Until next week,
Bravo
As always if you want to check out the bulletin on the official site, go HERE.
Last week I loaded up a line art rendering of a Battle Rifle and asked you to create a skin for it.
We had three readers send in submissions and here they are (click pics to make bigger):
Newly registered Arturo sent in his “Green and Blue” skin in honor of Master Chief and Cortana: Looks like Cortana is wrapped all around Chief! Nice work.
Neal Block is a huge fan of the Flash from DC comics, so he made a “Flash” skin: Very nice. Definitely reminds me of that zippy super hero!
Reader Brandon brings us his “Insurgent” skin: Excellent work. I love that blood spatter on the front!
And here are my two renderings. The first I wanted to invoke a special ops feel to, so I did not include any bright colors. Instead I went with black, greys, and white. I call it “Midnight”.
This next one I made would likely see use in cold weather climates, VERY cold that is. It’s called “Fridgid”. After inking in the colors, I then decided to add a iced over effect to it. See the difference below:
So as you can see we got a nice mix of colors in all of the artwork submitted. From colorful to hot and cold, realistic and dark.
So do you have a favorite? If so, what made it your favorite?
Now we come to this week’s Color Me This Halo 4 weapon, the DMR.
As always you have one week to submit your designed skin of this. Feel free to download this artwork and color in as you see fit. You can submit your colored in versions to me and I’ll show them next Wednesday here on the blog. Nothing vulgar folks. You have until noon Wednesday March 26. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with!
Long before sales figures and game releases dominated the headlines, the only thing any gamer wanted to talk about was Microsoft’s radical online strategy for the Xbox One. As it was originally described, theXbox One was going to be an online-only console in the strictest sense — if you weren’t connected to the Internet, the device wouldn’t function. After several unsuccessful attempts to reach a middle ground with consumers, Microsoft threw in the towel and reverted to the standard policies of the previous generation.
In an interview at SXSW, Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Studios, admitted that he and his team did not approach the delicate situation in an ideal manner.
HFFL: You don’t say? First, having suits deliver the message for the next console was a HORRIBLE idea. Yes, they want some limelight and yes, by showing themselves, they tried to give the perception that they believe in their product. But honestly, I think we can all just about agree that the reveal last year weeks before E3 was a monumental failure. I personally would have rather had celebrities come out and pawn the new system off to me than some suits in the high-up offices of MS. A music act would have been great too. In fact, having a live show ALSO being shown live on the XBOX One would have been a GREAT way to demonstrate it.
Total Xbox has taken the time to transcribe some of the more interesting quotes:
“I look at last summer and that wasn’t a high point for me, coming out of the announcement of Xbox One and E3, where I thought our messaging around what we believed in was confused,” said Spencer.
HFFL: The biggest failure was not showing what the gaming portion of the system could do as well as conflicting information about the always online format. It of course didn’t help that we as a nation had just gone through reports of revealing info about the NSA’s involvement with wire-tapping and potentially through gaming consoles as well. Having the Kinect be a mandatory part of the console which raised the cost by $100 AND the NSA spook stuff really REALLY hurt MS. Not to mention Don Mattrick’s advice to those who didn’t want Kinect. That was (paraphrased), if you don’t want Kinect, stick with your 360. Man, that was a kick in the nuts to many a gamer, even the loyal ones.
“I learned a ton last summer as leader of our groups about being true to your core vision about what a product is, not being confusing, and frankly, when you’re going to say something to a consumer that might put them off, it’s better to just be direct and honest, rather than trying to sugar-coat something that might be controversial. I’d rather deal with the controversy of what we’re doing, and have an above-table conversation about that topic, rather than trying to sugar-coat it with some other news.”
HFFL: Not what I’m hoping that in-house developers, especially 343, gains from this is that they too MUST follow suit. Be DIRECT AND HONEST. That was one thing that really hurt Halo 4. The whole “perks” thing. Secrecy for secrecy sake, when after what was revealed was more of a let down than anything that merited being kept secret in the first place. I am SO much for honesty even if it means you “rat” yourself out. ‘Fess up to your mistakes from the onset and people WILL be more understanding then than trying to hid things and hope for the best later.
Had Microsoft been more forthcoming at the outset, explaining in detail how its new online strategy could affect the next generation of consoles for the better, consumers might have given the Xbox One the benefit of the doubt. Instead, confusing, drawn out reveals and a refusal to answer basic questions resulted in outrage. If there was anything to be gained by Microsoft’s bold plans, the awkward delivery assured that we’ll never know.
HFFL: It’s possible many gamers may have accepted the new format if it were presented in a better light. The complete mismanagement of the reveal and subsequent showing at E3 really deflated what SHOULD be an otherwise stellar next-fen console. So again, I reiterate that as this pertains to Halo, I hope like heck 343 learned from the mistakes of not just themselves, but those of their superiors AND how those superiors responded. The bolded-underlined portion above is the biggest thing I hope they get.
You’ll forgive me if it seems like I’m harping on either MS or 343. I make no money from this site, so it shouldn’t really affect me, right? Well, yes and no. See, I have a real passion for Halo. So if MS screws things up for the XBOX One and 343 had a less than stellar game, well that affects the Halo community in general. Sure those BIG sites who are well diversified might be fine, but those like mine that are SOLELY focused on one franchise will have a harder time going forward.
I just do not want to go through another hyped up launch of a Halo title only for it to fall flat a month or two after launch. If Halo is to rebound, the hype has to start earlier. It also has to be honest and sincere.
Just as MS/XBOX execs sugar coated the XBOX One, so too did 343 do with Halo 4. perks WERE/ARE perks. Maybe not exactly the same, but close enough. Saying that they were bring Halo back to it’s core, when what they should have said was bring the Halo campaign back to it’s core… I’m sure I’m not the only one that thought they meant bringing multiplayer back to it’s core. Leading us to believe that Spartan Ops was to be an on-going series, only to have the can it after the first season…
They just can NOT do that stuff anymore. Their own execs have said as much for the console and that trickles down to the in-house devs for the respective games/franchises as well.
Okay, sorry, rant over. I just needed to get that off my chest…again. It’s been a VERY slow Halo week. That, plus the fact that I was sick for a few days last week just didn’t give me much to work with/on for the blog.
The premise of these articles is to pose the question of “What if?” in varying Halo scenarios. Most will be in-universe “What If?” questions, however, some will also be about the real world Halo community and business of Halo.
Here are some examples of “What If?” questions that will be posed:
•What if Cortana didn’t die at the end of Halo 4, instead was saved and reached meta-stability?
•What if you were in charge of 343, how would you handle the Halo franchise?
•What if Master Chief were killed off, who then would take his place?
•What if the Didact had won at the end of Halo 4?
•What if Bungie were still in charge of the Halo franchise?
These and many more “What if?” articles will be posted over the next several months.
The way it will work (starting with the second article) is that I will post the question from the previous week, for which you will have had time to write your responses. I’ll post my response, then your responses as well. At the end of the article, I’ll give the next question for you to consider writing a response to for the next week. That pattern will repeat weekly.
Please respond by e-mail for these articles as I do not want to comments section potentially clogged up here. Responses for the What If? column can be sent to sal@halofanforlife.com. In your response, please give your screen name here as the name of the author of the response. If you are not yet registered with HFFL, you can still respond to the “What If?” articles. Registration to HFFL is FREE, btw. Click “REGISTER” for instructions.
Okay, so let me ask the first “What if?” question…
What if the Covenant had not found humanity?
This is quite a loaded question here. Lots to ponder. I won’t give you those ideas/thoughts though, so as not to sway your respective answers.
You have until 6pm EST Friday March 21 to get your reposes to me. They can be as short as a sentence or several paragraphs long. Please try to keep to no more than 500 words. Also, PLEASE run spell check on your responses. If it looks like I have to do a lot of editing to your response, it may not be posted.
Just two nights ago, the 343 team bravely hopped onto Xbox Live to play with and against some of you in Medal Madness custom games. Naturally, the evening’s activities included lots of needles, explosions, Gravity Hammer smashes, and yelling in various languages. One of my favorite things about these online adventures is learning things (both Halo related and entirely non-Halo related) from community members. For example, I learned that “Snapshot” in Spanish is instantánea, and if you’re going to say the word, you darn well better pronounce it with the emotion it deserves. Also, my final team in the community playdate taught me a thing or two about Medal Madness strategy. Most notably, we decided that in order to succeed in the “Hail Mary” round, where the objective is to get long-distance grenade kills, it’s best to target one player. For consistency, we decided that player would be bs angel. Every time. Oh, and there may or not be a file in my File Share titled “EVERYONE GO FOR BS ANGEL!”
HFFL: Oh, I bet she enjoyed that! (not)
Speaking of epic multiplayer strategy, let’s dig into what’s coming to Halo 4 Matchmaking next week!
Matchmaking Update
Last week, we announced that the Proving Ground playlist was on the way. The new playlist will feature BR-start gameplay, an increased variety of power weapons, the removal of Personal Ordnance and Armor Abilities, and the addition of the Motion Tracker. The settings are similar to Legendary Slayer BRs, and will allow for fast-paced, precision weapon gameplay. We’ll be keeping a close eye on player feedback regarding relevant settings, the map pool, and more… Which reminds me! We should talk about maps.
The following maps will be available in the Proving Ground playlist at launch:
Abandon
Adrift
Haven
Onyx
Orion
Pitfall
Shutout
Simplex
Skyline
Vertigo
You’ll notice the above list includes a new map that you may not be familiar with: Orion. Designed for both Slayer and Extraction, this Forge Island map was designed by community Forger SecretSchnitzel. Take a peek at the below screenshot:
Once the playlist launches, head over to the War Games Feedback section and let us know what you think.
Community Choice: Proving Ground
In last week’s Community Choice Poll, we asked which objective game type you wanted to see included in Proving Ground at launch. Extraction was the decisive victor, grabbing over 50 percent of your votes. Because we are designing the playlist from scratch (including maps, weapon placement, and game types) the design, build, and test time required to get this playlist to you by Monday required that we launch with one Slayer game type and objective game type of your choosing. That said, we do have plans to introduce more objective game types to the playlist in the near future, and at launch, both Slayer and Extraction will be playable on all 10 maps.
Lastly, as stated last week, the Top 200 will move to the Proving Ground playlist, and the Team Slayer Top 200 will conclude with season 2. The final rankings of season 2 will be posted next week, and the Team Slayer CSR will not be regularly reset moving forward.
We hope you enjoy the Proving Ground playlist and look forward to hearing your thoughts!
HFFL: This is one playlist I likely won’t be venturing into. I can easily admit I’m not a stellar slayer and don’t want to go against 2.0’s and higher. I’ll stick to the many other playlists were I have a fighting chance.
Extraction playlist
If you’ve been missing Extraction in Halo 4 Matchmaking, this weekly update is about to get even better. Extraction is our featured rotational playlist from March 17 to March 31, so if you’re all about initiating Extraction processes and defending beacons (no, not bacon, stop it) then grab some friends and hop into the playlist while it’s available.
HFFL: Now this one I may just check out. It’s a shame that this 343 created game type isn’t always in matchmaking. This and Dominion as a 6v6 playlist would be a nice alternative when you don’t have a full 8 for BTB.
Come work on Halo: Environment Artist
Back in January, we profiled our then open Franchise Writer position and received many résumés from passionate fans.The last “Open Position” feature received a great response, so we figured it’d be nice to shed some light on a new position in the studio. An Environment Artist role is currently available.
To get an idea of what the position and team are about, I sat down with RJ Ranola, a Senior Environment Artist at 343. Read below to find out what he loves about creating Halo spaces as well as tips for those who have dreamed of working in games.
Hey, RJ! What attracted you to working here on the 343 Industries team?
It was really the talent pool that 343 was establishing. When I was brought on board, it seemed like 343 was grabbing artists from all sorts of studios to create this giant all-star team. I was and am a big fan of Sparth and his work, and it’s incredible that he’s now our art director. This was really something that I never imagined happening. I knew I had to go for it, and I got it. It was definitely the talent. They were putting together an amazing team and I had to get in.
What is the best part about working on the environment art team?
Definitely the people – that’s the top thing. I love the group of guys and girls that I work with. Everyone is so talented and comes from different backgrounds and studios. I feel like we’re always growing as artists and never plateauing. We really feed off of each other in terms of both talent level and enthusiasm. It’s been really great.
Also, the really special thing about Halo is that we’re able to create stuff that doesn’t exist anywhere else. There is a ton of room for creativity, and not all games give an artist this luxury. However, with the Forerunners, there’s nothing you can reference – no photos, no past work. You can’t look up “what does this alien race look like?” We had to take the limited info available and create the Forerunner look, and make it awesome. With the UNSC, we are somewhat limited in creating things that have to be functional, but we still have creative liberties in designing them. We ask ourselves questions like “500 years in the future, what will the piece of military machinery look like?” The UNSC tech and machinery is functional, but we still get to have a lot of creative liberties on determining the look and feel.
What have been some of your favorite Halo environments to create?
Working on the Mammoth was really incredible. Being the largest land vehicle we had ever created, the Mammoth fell on the environment art side because it was really a moving environment. Being able to create a moving vehicle was the coolest opportunity. It also became a Mega Bloks set, so it was pretty special to give it to my kid and say “Dad made this!”
HFFL: And that Mega Bloks set is AWESOME! You can read my many part review of this set at the following links:
What is the biggest challenge of working as an environment artist?
For Halo 4, it was really pushing the Xbox 360 to its limit. It was a big challenge, trying to push the graphics. Now the challenge is to set the bar for next gen, and try to deliver on what the Xbox One is capable of handling.
What advice would you give to an aspiring artist who wants to work in environment art?
My best advice is to be passionate and focus on what you enjoy creating. If you like sci-fi, really set up your portfolio that way. If you want to work on real world designs, focus on things that exist, things that people can associate with. If you want to work on medieval and fantasy worlds, do it. Just specialize your portfolio to showcase what you love doing, and be very passionate, not only about art and games, but also about why you want to be an environment artist. It’s important to be passionate about creating worlds that help sell the story and shape the player’s experiences. A lot of environment art is telling the story beyond the script and characters – through your art, you can tell the story of what a space is all about.
HFFL: Sounds like some very sound advice!
Thanks, RJ! I had a blast picking your brain, and will now let you get back to designing some spaces that we’ll be running around in soon.
Thanks for having me!
Screenshot Spotlight: Majestic
Last week, we turned the spotlight on FOTUS. This week, we decided to go with a rather majestic map. Take a gander at the following Skyline screenshots, and maybe even find inspiration to make your own.
For your chance at being in the next spotlight, take a screenshot featuring fire and then tag it with “Fire” and “Halo Waypoint”, and maybe, just maybe, yours will be featured in the next Halo Bulletin!
And with that, this week’s Bulletin comes to a close.
Until next week,
Bravo
Last week I posted a line art rendering of a Halo Assault Rifle for anyone to color in and send to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any responses. So I’ll try this once more with a different weapon. If I get no responses again, I’l drop this line of articles.
So last week was the Assault Rifle:
I did create two inked in versions myself. First to commemorate the Titanfall release just yesterday, here is my Titanfall skin for the AR, I call the skin “Atlas”.
Next, I wanted to something a bit radical. When I was done with the Titanfall one, it made me think Halloween. I didn’t want to completely repeat Orange and Black, so I added in a lot of bright green and purple. I call the one below “Hallowed”.
This week’s subject is the Battle Rifle. Feel free to download the below graphic and color it in. Then send it to me at sal@hallfanforlife.com and I’ll feature it next week.
I’ve suppressed the urge to write about the “console war” up tip now. I just find it mostly ridiculous that fans of either PS or XBOX flame each other over the respective console. I’m not going to do that here.
What I am going to look at is this supposed decline in game sales, how it has possibly affected console gaming and what that might mean for Halo.
First off, I’ll admit I’m not an expert in the goings on of sales numbers of games and consoles. This is just my observation from reading many articles on the net, as well as conversations with friends over LIVE and people in Gamestop. So you might say this is an everyman’s point of view. Or at least mine anyway…
Gaming sales are on the decline? Why is that? Well, we have gone through a long economic recession that lasted for years. For some of us (yes, I mean me), it continues to linger on. So of course people in general may not have as much money to buy games. Add to that the increase in the price of games several years ago, and you’ve got another factor. Another reason is perceived incomplete games. What do I mean by this? Simple…
Games that come out with a basic campaign and/or multiplayer, but then VERY quickly come out with DLC after are really grinding on gamers. We already are paying a high cost for the gem itself. We do NOT want to have to pay for DLC just a scant few weeks after. WE feel burned by any developer that does that. In most cases we feel that DLC should have just been included on the disc.
At the very least, developers need to understand that and hold back on DLC until several months later. This will at least give the perception that they were working on the DLC after the main release of the game. Halo 4 and Borderlands 2 did this, as examples. When you got the game, if you bought a limited/special edition, it came with a code that enabled you to download the DLC the moment it became available and at a slightly lower cost that if you bought it through the marketplace.
Even before I was laid off from my job, I didn’t purchase a ton of video games, though I certainly bought more then. Now I have to be very picky about which games I by. So I want those games to be top-notch! Knowing that DLC will be coming with those games means more cost for that one game and less chance to buy other games. Yes, it increases the longevity of a particular game, but decreases peoples funds for other games.
Games that have lots of DLC are the norm now. It’s one way developers can recoup/make more money. AND, those are things the likes of Gamestop can’t really sell. Well, maybe codes, but even that may be lost to Gamestop eventually.
In one report I read, it said gaming time has been doubled in the past few years. However, it says that additional time is not console time, but rather cell phone/tablet games. Ugh, I loathe to put those kinds of games in the same category as console games. Here’s why phone/tablet games are doing better than ever though… For one they are CHEAP. You can buy a 99 cent app for your phone/tablet and get hours of “fun” out of it. More and more of these games are becoming pay to play games, meaning you are nearly forced to buy some in-game currency to advance or have to really GRIND it out to get anywhere in the game. Knowing how many people nowadays want that instant gratification and the relative low cost of the in-game currency, people shell out those additional dollars. What has happened though is some of those games become “addicting” to the point where people are paying, in the long run, as much as if not MORE than console games. It’s easy, I’ve done that in the past myself on a Facebook game. (NO, not Farmville…rolls eyes) LOL.
So with phone/tablet games now being considered part of the gaming market, it’s easy to see why console games by comparison have been on the decline. High initial cost of console games, plus too quickly after launch DLC eats away at one’s funds. The phone/tablet games are cheap, even the in-game money is too. Just look at the numbers “Flappy Bird” was pulling in. It’s said the guy who developed the game was making $50K a DAY….let that sink in. And he pulled the game. That I’ll never understand.
Another thing that’s becoming bigger and bigger is digital sales of games. Many of us balked at that as we want that physical disc. As well, since digital purchases mean no cost for printing of the cover art of cases, or the directions, shouldn’t we expect some reduced cost for purchasing digitally? I certainly do expect that. It’s only now being considered. But if it’s not instituted, it will be just another thing that ruffles many a gamer’s feathers as a perception of greed by the gaming industry.
Okay, so let’s move on to the consoles themselves. Regardless is you like one over the other, the fact is, they ARE expensive. PS4 is $400, XBOX One is $500. Either way, it’s a LOT of money for a console system. What makes it worse is when there are issues with these systems after launch. We gamers DO expect them to work, and darn near flawlessly. If I’m going to pay several hundreds of dollars for something it MUST work. Now, I don’t know much about Playstation anymore (haven’t had one since the PS2), the following is going to be solely regarding XBOX.
Not only is the cost high for the XBOX One, but of course we also have to pay a yearly membership for the privilege to play multiplayer. More and more games are requiring an internet connection for them to work. I take a look at Defiance as an example. When I got it, I was excited for it, since I’m a huge fan of the game. Once I put the disc in and started it up, I quickly realized that there was no offline campaign and everything was online MMORPG. I played it twice and haven’t played it since. So I got burned for the money I paid for that game. We needn’t go over the horrible PR mess with the XBOX One’s reveal, just keep it in mind. As well, we don’t need to go into detail about the additional $100 over the PS4, just keep that in mind. It made matter worse with the whole NSA thing and the XBOX One having an “always on” Kinect…keep that in mind. The XBOX One made a system that from what I read was what Sony was trying to initially do with the PS3. And we all know that the PS3 lost the previous console war to the XBOX 360. Why would Microsoft think releasing a console that has similarities to the previous PS gen console would work? They were met with much backlash and Sony just sat back and watched what unfolded.
Microsoft is being tightlipped about sales numbers of the XBOX One. Why? If their numbers were even close to Sony’s they would likely have said something. This air of secrecy with Microsoft has worn on me and many of my friends. Not just with their console, but with games done by in-house developers. This is were I look to Halo. Yes, the franchise has never fully revealed everything about it’s next game. That’s understandable. But it’s pretty evident that Halo 4’s trickle of information hurt it, not to mention the perception of being a pseudo Call of Duty clone (perks and such). Microsoft has hedged a lot of it’s bets on a new franchise in Titanfall. What does that say for it’s belief in the Halo franchise? If Titanfall sales are flat, what will that mean for the XBOX in general? Destiny is coming out in September. It’s NOT exclusive to XBOX. In fact by all accounts from what I’ve read, the PS will have MORE content than the XBOX version.
We then come back to Halo. The rumor is a “new” game in November. Is it Halo 2 Anniversary? A wholly NEW Halo game? What? yes, we gamers are impatient when it comes to news of our favorite games. However, I think it’s fairly safe to assume that 343 needs to promote the hell out of the next game and can not afford to shroud it in secrecy. If it is Halo 2 Anniversary, we already know much of what we can expect. So no biggie. In fact at this point I hope it IS Halo 2 Anniversary as I don’t think there was enough time between Halo 4 and this coming November to develop a wholly new Halo game for the XBOX One.
With the plethora of games out there, the market for games has become diluted. Even games like Call of Duty have seen a decline in sales. Last year’s Grand Theft Auto saw MASSIVE sales, the likes of which we may not see again. Why? For one, it had been 5 years since it’s previous game. Quite a long time. Not just for development, but to hype up that franchise. When it came out, people were clamoring for it. Sure, not a ton of news came out about it, but what did blew people away (figuratively…). Just enough and just the RIGHT kind of info about the game came out.
So where does this all leave Halo? Well, I’ve said it before. The next fully new Halo game needs to knock it out of the atmosphere, not just the park. Any public speaking of the game by 343/Microsoft needs to be darn near flawless. Any controversy stemming from leaked info needs to be addressed and QUICKLY. If not, it leaves us to wonder and worry about the next game. If we’re to pay the $60 (or more) for the next Halo game, it MUST include all of the classic stuff that it’s predecessors have. Theater for Campaign for one. Ranked and Social Playlists another (and WELL managed to boot). Personally I’d love to see Firefight come back. I’d also want Spartan Ops, but with 343’s killing that one after just one season when we expected more to follow, well, it’s probably best to let that part die (unfortunately).
Regarding DLC for the next NEW Halo game, PLEASE for the love of gawd, do NOT have it come out soon after. Rather include a LOT of stuff on the disc at launch, then maybe 5-6 months after release the first DLC and every 5-6 months again there after. However, if this happens, DLC MUST have it’s own playlist ALWAYS included in the active playlists.
I have hopes that 343 has learned from it’s mistakes with Halo 4. But with sales of the XBOX One already hurting, more and more games coming out, not just for consoles, but cheaply for phones/tablet, they’ve got one heck of a huge hill to climb. This is why I keep saying the next new Halo game MUST be the absolute best of them all. The franchise can not afford even a perceived lackluster game. I think we all know that perception greatly influences our realities. A lot is riding on the next Halo game, especially if Titanfall doesn’t pick up sales for the XBOX One.
At this point, I’m cautiously optimistic.
Finally, one thing I really do NOT want to see anymore are developers (ANY OF THEM) having parties, often with lavish spreads of food. Often with them drinking gawd knows what, but alcohol to be sure. To the all developers I say this, regardless that that money is but a very small portion of production costs, it does give the perception of arrogance and thriving off of your consumers. I personally don’t want to see that. When I do, it pisses me off even more that I’m forced to pay $60 for a game, continued costs for DLC, and often for games that aren’t fully done. Knock that crap off. There are some things that you SHOULD keep secret. THIS is one of those things. If you’re holding these parties, then the game comes out and it’s flat, unfinished, etc., that makes we gamers wonder why you weren’t harder at work finishing the game, rather than partying it up. Yes, you deserve a party for the game being certified and released, just don’t make it public. There are some of us (again I mean me), that struggle for every dollar. I don’t want to see your boisterous parties.
So how do you feel about all of this? Do you buy lots of games? Do you play console/cell phone/tablet games? Are you disgusted with the cost of games and/or consoles? How have these things affected your buying power and your choices of what you buy? Has or will this affect your thoughts and future plans to buy further in the Halo franchise?
I know this was a long article, but I felt the need to write it.
Okay, this set isn’t new per say, as it’s been out at retail for some time. However, it is the first time I’ve purchased the set, so it’s new to me from that perspective. Mega Bloks Brute Prowler Attack: Set #97004
Technical Specifications: Build Time: 20 minutes including sorting time. Set Piece Count: 205 Minifigs: 3X Brutes (Brick Red), Spartan Mk V (Black/Grey), 2X Marine – full mask, (Black/Grey) Weapons: Assault Rifle, Battle Rifle, 2 Magnums, Plasma Rifle (Brute Red), Brute Mauler, Brute Spiker, Frag Grenade Accessories: 2x Grey Backpacks Price: $33-36 Wal*Mart Exclusive Special Features: Rotating Gunner pod
And on with the pics! (Click pics to make BIGGER)
Again, this is an older set, that I hadn’t yet picked up. That’s why it has the older packaging look to it. Still, it’s very nice. The box window shows the figures off very nicely, as does the back of the box.
Above shows the contents of the box.
Here are the pieces sorted out.
Now we’ll move on to the build of the Prowler. The body in it’s initial first 10 or so steps. I like those translucent purple pieces. Then again, you folks already know I probably would.
From there the body’s shell is added. Already it’s looking like a Prowler.
Here we see both skids. To the left in their first few steps and to the right they are completed. I actually built these at the same time. Knowing the skids were mirror images of one another, it was very easy to assemble from the directions, but in mirrored fashion for the second one.
The skids are added to the body. Far right shows the addition of the plasma turret and drivers seat. Of note, that drivers seats is easily removable as it plugs in via a cylinder on the seat that is inserted to a hole at the back of the body. At this point the ship is done.
Let’s take a look at the minifies that come with the set.Here we see the three UNSC minifigs. The Black Mark V spartan is flanked by two Black/Grey Marines. I REALLY like this color scheme. The marines look like ONI troopers and Spartans in the black armor color just look totally cool!
Hi, I’m Larry, this is my brother Daryl and my other brother Daryl… It’s okay if you don’t get that reference. It was from a comedy show on TV some years ago. Anyway… Here are the three brutes that also come with the set. They’re all the same, so this makes for some great army building!
A look at the three different figure styles in orthogonal views. (Click pic to make bigger)
This set come with a nice assortment of weapons and a couple of accessories. It’s nice to see that MEGA paid attention to detail here and gave us a Brute version of the Plasma Rifle, as indicated by it’s color.
There are plenty of pieces left over.
So of course I made a mini prowler out of them. Well, as close as I could come to one with the left over pieces provided.
One last shot of the whole set. Will those Marines get shot down and/or splattered? By the looks of the Spartan aggressively boarding the Prowler, I think the Marines will be quite fine, but those Brutes though….LOL
Summary: This is a quick build. I think it’s the same build as the previous Prowler set that came out before it. Though I could be wrong. The brick red highlights while not accurate for the multiplayer version of the Prowler are actually a nice accent to the ship. It makes it pop out more due to the added color.
Overall Rating:I give this set 9.5 out for 10 medals. The ever slow slight .5 taken off is only because I would have preferred one of the brutes to be different. That’s not a knock on the set though, just my personal preference.
I definitely recommend the set. Since this is an older set and a Wal*Mart exclusive as well, if you want to get one, I’d suggest checking them out soon as they are out of production. In stores these cost about $36, while on Wal*Mart’s website they cost $33. I got mine in store and had them price match the website. Normally they don’t do that, but made an exception in my case.
[Addendum] I meant to break down the price during this review. While $36 might seems big for a set that consists of 205 pieces, consider that it has 6 mini figures. When you take into account each mini figure being about $3 each, that’s $18 of the price there. That means the vehicle is between $15-18. That’s pretty reasonable, IMO. [/Addendum]
Thanks for reading and let me know what you think of the review. If you have this set yourself, please give me your thoughts on it too!
PensHalo, a friend of mine and one of the longer term readers here has enrolled a team for the Ricochet Hub tournament starting this week. He asked fellow HFFL forum users if they wanted to participate and several of us jump in on it.
Besides Pens, I’m one of the other team members, along with HFFL Big Cheese, TheHal0Array, and Dijabouti. The fact that all five of us are also in the HFFL gaming group is pretty cool, but not so necessarily coincidental.
I came up with the name of NRG. It stands for National Ricochet Gamers. However, if you say the letters “N’ “R” “G” together quickly, it sounds like Energy. That’s what I was going for.
I’ll keep you all posted on our standings in the tournament. Our first game is on Saturday night. In this league you play a best of three each tournament night you game. We’ll earn one point for a win, none for a loss.
Ricochet is a 4v4 game type, so one of us will be an alternate. This will shift to each of us so everyone has a chance to play in the tournament.
As I write this the stream is still going one with Rukari hosting BS Angel and Bravo. However, the exhibition match portion of the stream is over and HFFL brings you those results!
The first game went to the 343 pro team which showed some great team work. They held a big lead for much of the game with the Community Pro team started mounting a comeback. Ultimately though, 343 won with a final score in a match that ended close.
