Tag: halo

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Legendary Halo designer joins Netflix to create original AAA game

Joseph Staten, one of the key players behind the original Halo games, has joined Netflix to create a new IP.

The developer recently tweeted that he is now the creative director on a “brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP” at Netflix. While Staten had confirmed earlier this month that he had left Microsoft, we’re only now finding out where he ended up. No further details on the Netflix project were provided.

Staten is a major get for Netflix’s burgeoning games division, as he served as a writer and the director of cinematics on Bungie’s Halo games. After working on Destiny for Bungie, he left the company to join Microsoft proper as a senior creative director, writing the likes of ReCore and Crackdown 3. Microsoft would later bring him on to help 343 Industries ship the long-delayed Halo Infinite in 2020. However, Halo Infinite‘s post-launch support has been rocky, while 343 itself has lost a lot of staff, so it makes sense that Staten was looking elsewhere.

Netflix Games, meanwhile, is very much still in its infancy following a November 2021 launch. Currently, there are around 55 games on the platform, which offer several mobile titles to Netflix subscribers at no additional cost. Last month, Netflix also confirmed that there are nearly 100 games in development for the platform, with 16, in particular, being made in-house.

As part of those first-party efforts, the company has purchased a handful of studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School Entertainment, while also opening one in Helsinki, Finland. Netflix is also early in development on a cloud service that would bring its game to other platforms its service supports, such as smart TVs. It remains to be seen how Staten will factor into Netflix’s gaming ambitions.

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Joseph Staten

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Halo’s Master Chief had sex

I find Paramount+’s Halo TV show painful to watch.

Not only does it stray significantly from its video game-based source material, at times, it doesn’t even feel like it has anything to do with Halo at all. Pablo Shreiber, the actor who plays the chief, does an admirable job of attempting to carry the TV show on his reinforced bones, but even he can’t save it from its B-level production and schlocky sci-fi script.

Then there’s the less than stellar CGI effects, annoying characters that feel entirely out of place in Halo’s world, and now, a sex scene involving the Master Chief.

Beware, spoilers below: 

Yes, you read that correctly — John-117 literally gets it on in episode 8 of the Halo TV Show. You may assume that this act of coitus was with his one true love, Cortana, but that’s not the case, though the AI is involved on a rather creepy level.

In the episode, Master Chief and Makee (Charlie Murphy) — a human that was kidnapped by the covenant at a young age — have grown closer due to their ability to communicate with an alien artifact, resulting in them removing their shirts, touching each other’s scars and engaging in sexual intercourse, all while Cortana (Jen Taylor) watches them from within John’s brain. It’s believed that this partnership eventually results in the fall of the planet Reach.

To be clear, I haven’t actually watched the episode, so this is just a third-party account of the steamy action based on my extensive research.

Other pivotal moments from the Halo TV show include the reveal of Master Chief’s face and, of course, also his butt.

I gave up on the Halo TV show several episodes ago, but I’d be lying if this didn’t make me want to check it out again, if only for morbid curiosity’s sake. In a sense, I’m glad my green space boyfriend is finally getting some after serving humanity for so long, though part of me also wishes this TV show didn’t exist at all.

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Halo Infinite’s multiplayer reportedly could have been a hero shooter

Despite offering one of the most solid Halo multiplayer entries in years on a base gameplay level, Halo Infinite still suffers from several issues ranging from weapon balancing to an extreme lack of content.

While some of those problems will likely be solved when Halo Infinite Season 2 Lone Wolves launches on May 3rd, a new report indicates that 343 Industries’ shooter could have been a significant departure for the long-running arena shooter series.

According to a tweet from podcaster Chris Ray Gun, 343 Industries reportedly spent “a lot of the budget” for Halo infinite on an “Overwatch clone.” Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier backed up this claim in a recent Reddit post, but says that it’s unclear when the team switch to the more traditional arena format for Infinite.

“I don’t remember exactly when they switched to the current version (and the tweet linked here seems exaggerated to the point where it’s mostly false) but I can confirm that they were working on various hero-based prototypes. In fact, I think there were both PVP and PVE prototypes built,” writes Schreier in a recent Reddit post.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t see a less traditional Halo Infinite multiplayer mode appear at some point, however. Certain Affinity, a studio with offices in Austin Texas and Toronto, recently confirmed that it’s playing a greater role in the game’s ongoing development. Many believe that this announcement is tied to Infinite’s rumoured battle royale-like mode codenamed “Tanaka.”

Halo Infinite went through a notoriously rough development cycle and the game’s post-release content schedule has been far less than stellar. For example, after being delayed several times, 343 Industries recently confirmed that the game’s campaign co-op feature won’t arrive until August.

Image credit: 343 Industries  

Source: Reddit (Jason Schreier), @ChrisRGun Via: VGC

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Halo Infinite’s roadmap confirms Season 3’s November arrival

As Halo Infinite Season 2: Lone Wolves is about to kick off, 343 Industries has finally provided a roadmap for what’s to come to the game for the rest of the year.

By in large, the Halo Infinite roadmap covers what Lone Wolves provides. 343 Industries has confirmed that Season 2 runs for a total of six months. The season begins on May 3rd and concludes a week prior to the one-year anniversary of the multiplayer’s release on November 7th.

It’s already been reported that Halo Infinite’s Season 2 offers a brand new Battle Pass, featuring 100 tiers. The Catalyst and Breaker maps also debut this season. Additionally, 343 Industries is rolling out three new modes including King of the Hill, Land Grab, and Last Spartan Standing. Though, there are a few new tidbits to cover in the Halo Infinite roadmap.

Two narrative events are scheduled this season. ‘Interference’ runs on May 3rd and wraps up on May 16th. The second, dubbed ‘Alpha Pack,’ runs from July 19 to August 1st. The first week of Season 2’s Fracture: Entrenched event runs from May 24th to May 30th.

On top of that, the Halo Infinite roadmap promises to deliver some long-awaited updates to the core game. 343 Industries states that the online co-op for the campaign mode has a “late August target.” Additionally, campaign mission replay is also targeting a similar late August window. An open beta for Halo Infinite’s Forge mode is scheduled for September as well.

343 Industries has briefly outlined what Season 3 will offer. Starting on November 8th, Season 3 brings the now-standard element of new maps, modes, narrative events, and a Fracture event. Aside from what’s expected the Forge open beta will continue during Season 3. Local split-screen co-op is also said to arrive. Though the timing is still to be determined.

The Halo Infinite roadmap has understandably left the community divided on the length of Season 2 as well as the amount of content awaiting the game. We know we need to deliver more content and more features more quickly, Halo Infinite’s head of creative Joseph Staten says in a Halo Waypoint blog post. “Staying true to priority zero means that sometimes we need to slow down in order to stay healthy and move faster later. But we’re also aggressively looking at ways to accelerate.”

343 Industries is hosting a livestream on April 27th at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT. The team is showcasing the narrative events and new content on Twitch and YouTube.

Image credit: 343 Industries

Source: 343 Industries

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Massive Master Chief holograms appear around the world to promote Halo TV show

Have you ever wondered what Halo’s Master Chief would look like as an 18m (60ft) hologram? Well, now is your chance.

Paramount+ launched the uniquely towering ad in several cities, including Toronto, on Sunday, April 17th.

Each hologram display weighs 24 tons (roughly 21,772kg/48,000lbs) and features 126m of hologram gauze to display the image.

While it’s likely that the hologram was only visible from specific angles for a very short period, the shot of Master Chief standing beside Toronto’s iconic skyline is undeniably pretty cool.

Other cities where this rather tall Master Chief is available include Mexico City, Mexico, Sao Paulo, Brazil and Sydney, Australia.

Though it’s great to see the Halo series finally translated to the small screen, I find Paramount+’s take on the franchise difficult to watch because, as a long-time fan of the series, it just doesn’t feel like Halo. It’s more like a low-budget, Sci-Fi channel TV show closely tied to the iconic video game series.

Paramount+ costs $5.99/month in Canada and offers a seven-day free trial. It’s also worth noting that those subscribed to Microsoft’s $16.99/month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service can get 30 days of Paramount+ for free.

Image credit: Paramount+

Categories
Mobile Syrup

343 Industries shares first look at Halo Infinite Season 2 Catalyst and Breaker maps

Ahead of its May 3rd debut, Halo Infinite developers 343 Industries share a look at the Season 2 maps. Dubbed Catalyst and Breaker, the two maps join the roster alongside the preexisting 10 maps.

In a short video lapsing under three minutes, 343 Industries shows us Catalyst, an abandoned Forerunner map. The studio describes it as a “symmetrical arena map nested high up inside of an expansive, tunnel-like Forerunner structure.” We see some of its verticality in its different levels.  Catalyst features a light bridge running down the middle portion. While there are visible exterior potions, Catalyst is an interior map.

The second map that Halo Infinite Season 2 introduces is Breaker. As opposed to Catalyst, Breaker is practically all exterior. Its location is a Banished ship-breaking facility. 343 Industries states Breaker is a “pseudo symmetric BTB map set in a Banished scrapyard where each team’s base is a huge chunk of ship debris.” There are multiple dynamic aspects at play as shown in the preview. Hop-ups and ledges raise and lower. The middle of the map is split by a deadly moving plasma beam.

On the Halo Waypoint blog, the team discusses that Catalyst is meant to expand the game’s Capture the Flag suite. Though, its design and internal popularity made the team shift ideas. Upon Season 2, Catalyst will host many different modes including the new Land Grab mode.

343 Industries claims Breaker is one of the team’s “most ambitious BTB maps ever.” Once again, many design elements revolve around its use as a Capture the Flag map. “The central feature of this map is the middle, which divides the spaces with ramps over a death pit which has given way to some pretty memorable vehicle runs.”

Along with new maps, Halo Infinite Season 2, dubbed Lone Wolves, also introduces a brand new Battle Pass for players to purchase. New modes include Land Grab and Last Spartan Standing. Additionally, Season 2 sees weapons updated and balanced.

Note that Halo Infinite’s co-op will arrive during Season 2. Though, it won’t be available at launch. No specific date is known at this point, however.

Source: 343 Industries

Image credit: 343 Industries

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get 30 days of Paramount+ for free

Despite receiving lacklustre reviews, I’m still looking forward to the upcoming Halo TV series.

That said, until now, I assumed that I’d likely need to shell out some extra cash to subscribe to Paramount+, a streaming service that pales in comparison to its counterpart in the U.S, given the Halo TV show is exclusive to the platform.

According to a recent tweet from Halo series senior community manager John Junyszek, that won’t be the case — at least for the first few episodes. Just in time for the Halo TV show’s first episode on March 24th, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can get 30 days of Paramount+ for free. This offer launches on March 23rd.

Along with the Halo TV series, Paramount+ features Survivor, NCIS: Los Angeles, Seal Team and more.

After the 30-day trial, Paramount+ costs $5.99 in Canada. On the other hand, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $16.99/month and is required for cloud game streaming. The service also includes Xbox Live Gold and EA Play.

Image credit: Xbox 

Source: Xbox, @Unyshek

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Halo TV series to begin streaming on Paramount+ Canada on March 24

The long-awaited Halo TV series will premiere in Canada exclusively on Paramount+ on March 24th, Paramount has confirmed.

This is the same date that the show drops on Paramount+ in the U.S. For some time, it was unclear whether the series would come to Paramount+ in Canada, given that the service has a far thinner catalogue than its U.S. counterpart.

It’s been a long time coming for the show, which has been in development hell for several years. Amblin Entertainment, Steven Spielberg’s production company, is co-producing the series, with Xbox-owned Halo developer 343 Industries consulting.

The series isn’t intended to be canon or a direct adaptation of the iconic sci-fi shooter games, 343 has said.

Halo stars Ymir, B.C.’s Pablo Schreiber as Master Chief, Natasha McElhone as Dr. Catharine Halsey, Charlie Murphy as Makee, Shabana Azmi as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066 and Jennifer Taylor as the voice of Cortana (reprising her role from the games).

In related news, Paramount has revealed that the show has already been renewed for a second season.

-Thanks, Sachin

Categories
Mobile Syrup

PlayStation to acquire ‘Destiny’ developer Bungie for $3.6 billion

Sony has announced plans to acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion USD (about $4.6 billion CAD).

Bungie is the studio best known for Xbox’s original Halo games and, in recent years, the Destiny series.

In a press release, Sony confirmed that Bungie will remain “an independent subsidiary” of the company. Current Bungie CEO and chairman Pete Parsons will continue to lead the developer alongside the rest of the studio’s management team. Further, Sony says Bungie will have the option “to self-publish and reach players wherever they choose to play.”

Adding to that, Parsons said the following of the acquisiton:

“We remain in charge of our destiny. We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games,” he said. “We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play.​”

As it stands, Bungie is continuing to support Destiny 2 as well as other Destiny-related projects and new, yet-to-be-revealed IP. While it seems safe to assume that Destiny will remain multiplatform (at least to some capacity), it remains to be seen whether future Bungie titles might become PlayStation exclusive.

The Bungie deal is the latest in a string of high-profile gaming acquisitions. Earlier this month, Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive announced plans to purchase Farmville maker Zynga for $12.7 billion USD (about $16.1 billion CAD). At the time, that was believed to be the biggest-ever acquisition of a gaming studio, but that didn’t last long. One week later, Microsoft revealed that it will purchase Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard for a staggering $68.7 billion USD (about $82.7 billion CAD).

Image credit: Bungie

Source: PlayStation

Categories
Mobile Syrup

Former Microsoft CEO reportedly wanted Cortana to be named ‘Bingo’

Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer had wanted the company’s AI to be called “Bingo,” according to former Microsoft product manager Sandeep Paruchuri.

Speaking to WhatsApp’s Alice Newton Rex for Big Bets, Parachuri said Ballmer, who served as Microsoft CEO from 2000 to 2014, had intended for the AI to be called Bingo so it would be more in line with the branding for Microsoft’s “Bing” search engine.

“Ballmer had poor product taste,” Parachuri told Big Bets. However, Ballmer’s successor, Satya Nadella, ultimately agreed with Parachuri’s team that “Cortana” was a more appropriate name.

Of course, the AI would eventually be called “Cortana,” based on the eponymous blue AI from Microsoft’s iconic Halo video game franchise. Given that Halo is continuing to go strong 20 years after its debut, while Bing is not many people’s go-to search engine, the decision to name the AI after the former arguably seems to have panned out better.

Overall, Parachuri’s interview with Big Bets is quite an interesting read, going behind-the-scenes on the making of Microsoft’s AI. You can read it in full here.

Image credit: Xbox

Source: Big Bets