12 August 2010 Link to this update Original B.net link Return to main page

<<

17 June 2011 10 June 2011 3 June 2011 27 May 2011 6 May 2011 29 April 2011 22 April 2011 15 April 2011 8 April 2011 1 April 2011 25 March 2011 18 March 2011 11 March 2011 4 March 2011 25 February 2011 18 February 2011 11 February 2011 4 February 2011 28 January 2011 21 January 2011 14 January 2011 7 January 2011 17 December 2010 10 December 2010 3 December 2010 19 November 2010 12 November 2010 5 November 2010 29 October 2010 22 October 2010 15 October 2010 8 October 2010 1 October 2010 24 September 2010 17 September 2010 10 September 2010 3 September 2010 27 August 2010 20 August 2010 12 August 2010 6 August 2010 30 July 2010 23 July 2010 16 July 2010 9 July 2010 2 July 2010 25 June 2010 18 June 2010 11 June 2010 4 June 2010 28 May 2010 21 May 2010 14 May 2010 7 May 2010 30 April 2010 23 April 2010 16 April 2010 9 April 2010 2 April 2010 26 March 2010 19 March 2010 12 March 2010 5 March 2010 26 February 2010 19 February 2010 12 February 2010 5 February 2010 29 January 2010 22 January 2010 15 January 2010 8 January 2010 18 December 2009 11 December 2009 4 December 2009 20 November 2009 13 November 2009 6 November 2009 30 October 2009 23 October 2009 16 October 2009 9 October 2009 2 October 2009 25 September 2009 18 September 2009 11 September 2009 4 September 2009 28 August 2009 21 August 2009 14 August 2009 7 August 2009 31 July 2009 24 July 2009 17 July 2009 10 July 2009 3 July 2009 26 June 2009 19 June 2009 12 June 2009 5 June 2009 29 May 2009 22 May 2009 15 May 2009 8 May 2009 1 May 2009 24 April 2009 17 April 2009 10 April 2009 3 April 2009 27 March 2009 20 March 2009 13 March 2009 6 March 2009 27 February 2009 20 February 2009 13 February 2009 6 February 2009 30 January 2009 23 January 2009 16 January 2009 9 January 2009 2 January 2009 26 December 2008 19 December 2008 12 December 2008 21 November 2008 14 November 2008 7 November 2008 31 October 2008 24 October 2008 17 October 2008 10 October 2008 3 October 2008 26 September 2008 18 September 2008 12 September 2008 5 September 2008 29 August 2008 22 August 2008 15 August 2008 8 August 2008 1 August 2008 25 July 2008 18 July 2008 11 July 2008 3 July 2008 27 June 2008 20 June 2008 13 June 2008 6 June 2008 30 May 2008 23 May 2008 16 May 2008 9 May 2008 2 May 2008 25 April 2008 18 April 2008 11 April 2008 4 April 2008 28 March 2008 21 March 2008 14 March 2008 7 March 2008 29 February 2008 22 February 2008 15 February 2008 8 February 2008 1 February 2008 18 January 2008 11 January 2008 4 January 2008 21 December 2007 14 December 2007 7 December 2007 30 November 2007 16 November 2007 9 November 2007 2 November 2007 26 October 2007 19 October 2007 12 October 2007 5 October 2007 28 September 2007 21 September 2007 14 September 2007 7 September 2007 31 August 2007 24 August 2007 17 August 2007 10 August 2007 3 August 2007 27 July 2007 20 July 2007 13 July 2007 6 July 2007 29 June 2007 22 June 2007 15 June 2007 8 June 2007 1 June 2007 25 May 2007 18 May 2007 11 May 2007 4 May 2007 27 April 2007 20 April 2007 13 April 2007 6 April 2007 30 March 2007 23 March 2007 16 March 2007 9 March 2007 2 March 2007 23 February 2007 16 February 2007 9 February 2007 2 February 2007 26 January 2007 19 January 2007 12 January 2007 5 January 2007 29 December 2006 22 December 2006 15 December 2006 8 December 2006 1 December 2006 17 November 2006 10 November 2006 3 November 2006 27 October 2006 20 October 2006 13 October 2006 8 October 2006 29 September 2006 22 September 2006 15 September 2006 8 September 2006 1 September 2006 25 August 2006 18 August 2006 11 August 2006 4 August 2006 28 July 2006 21 July 2006 14 July 2006 7 July 2006 30 June 2006 23 June 2006 16 June 2006 9 June 2006 2 June 2006 26 May 2006 19 May 2006 12 May 2006 5 May 2006 28 April 2006 21 April 2006 14 April 2006 7 April 2006 2 April 2006 31 March 2006 24 March 2006 17 March 2006 10 March 2006 3 March 2006 24 February 2006 17 February 2006 10 February 2006 3 February 2006 27 January 2006 13 January 2006 6 January 2006 16 December 2005 9 December 2005 2 December 2005 18 November 2005 11 November 2005 4 November 2005 28 October 2005 21 October 2005 14 October 2005 7 October 2005 30 September 2005 23 September 2005 16 September 2005 9 September 2005 2 September 2005 26 August 2005 19 August 2005 12 August 2005 5 August 2005 29 July 2005 22 July 2005 15 July 2005 8 July 2005 1 July 2005 17 June 2005 10 June 2005 3 June 2005 27 May 2005 20 May 2005 13 May 2005 6 May 2005 29 April 2005 22 April 2005 15 April 2005 8 April 2005 1 April 2005 25 March 2005 18 March 2005 11 March 2005 4 March 2005 25 February 2005 18 February 2005 11 February 2005 4 February 2005 28 January 2005 23 January 2005 14 January 2005 7 January 2005 30 December 2004 17 December 2004 10 December 2004 3 December 2004 19 November 2004 12 November 2004

>>

Bungie Weekly Update: 08.13.10

Posted by urk at 8/12/2010 2:26 PM PDT

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know it's not really the 13th yet, but can you blame me for not wanting to pen the update on such a superstitious date? Besides, a good slice of the equipment I need to make these here words appear right before your very eyes, all magically and whatnot, is about to be uprooted for transport tomorrow and our IT Ninjas say they won't have me back up to full speed until late Monday morning. Our studio move isn't over quite yet, people. It's now or never.

Today, we'll be going with the old "show, don't tell" approach, but don't think you can sleep at the mouse wheel. While I won't be regaling you with tens of thousands of carefully crafted words, I did snap a pile of pictures to keep you company over the rest of the weekend. Because I love you. So much.

First Up, Forge World

More specifically, the palette of objects you'll be able to fiddle with inside the vastness of this totally Forge-worthy space. This isn't the complete list, mind you, but I've made sure nearly all of the major objects and gadgets are present and accounted for. From the images below, you should be able to extrapolate exactly how many of each particular object you can place on the map at any one given time, and how much the sweet map you're already envisioning may ultimately cost you in overall budget. You have ten thousand bucks to spend.

Note: Typically, when you see a large number associated with a single object, it's a group tally. For example, you can't use 100 of each and every block simultaneously. When you place a 1x1, the tally for all objects in that category will decrement by one.

Next Stop, Space!

A few curious forum-goers requested that we show off a custom version of Noble Six in a campaign cinematic. Almost as if they didn't believe we'd really swap out the default character model with a hot, custom Armory injection. Well, how 'bout now?

Aren't you a little short for a...never mind.


Crotch Cam!

Not too sure about all the Spartan up-skirt action in that last shot, but that should seal the deal if you didn't believe our cinematics team would really make it happen. Plus, it gave me an excuse to spend some more time flying around in space. Win, win.

Came From Behind

Nobody asked to see this, but I did notice some oohs and awes over some recently released game footage that shows off a couple of the new assassinations that our amazing animators worked into Reach. You got a taste of some of these kick ass coups de grace in the multiplayer beta back in May, but that was but a mere sampling of the final carnage count. According to animation producer Matt Richenburg, all told there are over forty custom assassinations packed into the shipping product, most multiplayer, some specific to campaign.

Many of them are contextually based upon you and your opponent's position (an aerial assassination is very different than a ground and pound), and a few even depend on whether or not you have some ceremonial plasma in your hot little hands. Like so:

Came From Behind!

Space Race

I keep telling Derek I want to show off all of his hard work with an honest to goodness Race-travaganza multimedia blowout. He thinks I'm yanking his crank. I'm not. I know full well that as soon as we show off some rip roaring, high velocity, all terrain action our pre-order metrics are gonna rocket upwards like so much dirt rooster-tailing from the spinning rear wheels of my brand new M274 ULATV.

But even though Derek still doesn't believe me and I've yet to secure stage time at a major press event or any airtime on network television, I do have access to a build of Halo: Reach.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Racy!

Those who played copious amounts of Halo: CE over LAN are likely already familiar with both Race and Rally. Bam! What's old is new again, and both gametypes are built right in to Reach.

Spire is BIG.

The standard rules for Race are simple. Drive towards and through the personal checkpoints highlighted in your HUD, and keep driving until you win. The customized Race HUD will track gate information, lap times, speed (the future is kilometers), time remaining, and what position you're in (if you ain't first, you're last).

In the pipe!

Another interesting wrinkle our good man Derek laid down to make Race all the more interesting: landmines.

Landmines: an Interlude

What's a landmine? Should be obvious, right? A small, metal platter with a flashing red bulb perched on top like a violent, blood-soaked maraschino cherry on a death-dealing sundae. You'd have to be some kind of moran not to instantly know you need to steer clear.

Get a brain! Anyway, you can place landmines in Forge if you want to add some hazardous happenstance to your multiplayer experience, but in Race, they're an integral and multifaceted part of the overall experience.

Space Race, Cont'd

If you're into tomfoolery, you can elect to plow into them headfirst, as I am often wont to do.



(Which, by the way, might make for some sweet screenshots if that's your thing.)



Or you can expertly buzz the landmine and fly right by.

If you get close enough without making direct contact, you'll prime the landmine for an imminent explosion. If another racer is in hot pursuit, it might just blow up right in their face as you put the hammer down and head off into the sunset. It's kinda like a green turtle shell, only there's way less animal cruelty and absolutely no psychotropic drugs involved (oversized, wild mushrooms are bad, m'kay).

Derek informs me that we can also customize some other aspects of Race to make it an even better experience overall. For example, if you do meet your maker, or spend too much time out of bounds, the game will respawn you on the back of your Mongoose, facing in the right direction.

Oh, and yup, you do get some Credits for playing Race. Even if you were playing alone. (I has a sad, but soon, I will have even more awesome armor effectz!)

Spend that money, playa!

Mass FX

This week, Derek also told me that my segueing skills sucked big time. Which totally hurt my feelings. But the careful reader will note that mere seconds ago I was writing about Armor Effects and now I'm writing about Forge FX and everything is married up seamlessly. You probably didn't even realize I had already changed the subject. It's called being awesome, Derek. Try it sometime.

Where was I? Oh, yeah. Forge FX.

Here's the list of all available options aspiring filmmakers, community cartographers, or overzealous people who just want me to vomit out my eyeballs will now have at their disposal. As you can see, some of our tried and true effects are returning from the Halo 3 darkroom, and some are brand spankin' new. Let's break 'em all down.

Oops, missed one.

There we go.



Colorblind. You know the deal. Grayscale gives your map a more artful feel. It's also well suited for mimes and canines.



Green. This one's new. What you can't tell from the still is that there's a subtly animated distortion effect layered in that'll pair up nicely with some brains for some sweet, succulent Zombie action.



Juicy. Coincidentally, Derek has that painted on the back of his sweatpants. Which he subsequently rolls at the waist.



Next Gen is back and better than ever. Not only is it still dark and gritty, but now it comes with a grain filter that makes for an even more filmic experience. It's totally bleak. Just like we hear real war is.



Whoa. Hey, Nova. Be right back. Gotta get some aspirin. If you have your television's picture unfortunately set to "Vivid" or "Dynamic," you can probably catch a tan from this effect.



Back in my day, the Olde Timey effect was all static, but this new and improved version adds some post processing degradation that simulates the visual imperfections found in well aged 35mm celluloid.



Orange. Subtle, yet soothing. Think twilight, without all the glittering, oversexed vampires.



Pen and Ink. It's like a Rorschach Test. Pretty sure I see Pizza the Hut on the left hand side of this shot.



Purple is dark and moody with that under cover of night vibe. We can't blot out the sun, but if you pretend it's merely a really bright moon, the effect is nearly perfect.

Within Your Reach

Halo: Reach hits all stores everywhere in just 32 days, so if you've yet to reserve your copy, you best be getting to it. To aid you in your quest, and offer you a little bit of extra incentive, the good folks at Gamestop have launched their Halofest Reach landing page. Along with a ton of pre-order options and fancy multimedia, they're also offering you a chance to win this:

If a life-sized Spartan statue sounds like something you'd like to display in your foyer or den, this is your only opportunity to spruce up your decor with some Noble style.

Gamestop Halo: Reach Statue Giveaway

Blame Stosh

Might take a little while to develop, but the kid's got a natural arm.

That's it for this week. Next stop, Gamescom. Bring a change of pants, people. You're gonna need 'em.

(And yeah, I know that dogs aren't really colorblind, but it rhymed and just felt right.)