New Content Plans Are Uncommon Sense
The latest Narc's Retort is Bordering On Common Sense, about Bungie's downloadable content plans.
Death by intelligence.
Bordering On Common Sense
It's rather difficult for me to get a handle on exactly how I feel about the recently announced plans for new Halo 2 maps. Part of that is because of my own personal situation-- having been without decent DSL since before Halo 2's release, I'm only just now getting the hang of the multiplayer maps that shipped with the game; and even then, my higher-than-average ping and utter lack of skill or practice is still getting me massacred daily on maps I barely know and already paid for, to say nothing of maps that are yet to come.
H2 mp turf
H2 mp sanctuary
H2 mp containment
H2 mp warlock
Bungie Studios Moving Into New Digs
Over at Bungie Sightings, mnemesis points out a King County Journal story that says that Bungie Studios will be moving out of the Microsoft Millennium Campus in Redmond and into the Kirkland Hardware Store, previously home to the longest-running retail business in the area, open from 1890 to 2000. The move is apparently designed to alleviate space concerns and "maintain camaraderie".
News Roundup For A Slow Monday
Marginally Improved Graphics, Indeed
Penny Arcade's side of the Humpday Challenge debacle is up now; responses come in both verbal and visual forms. Tycho thought that Bungie's triumphant victory would make up for their initial review of Halo 1..
The Way They Wished Stuff Worked
Robert Valdes has written a Halo 3 Wish List for the Games section of Stuffo, a part of the HowStuffWorks website.
A Brute Force Approach to Common Sense
Louis Wu, courtesy of Dan Chosich's tipoff, points us to Gamasutra's freely-availably printer-friendly version of Handling Complexity in the Halo 2 AI, the GDC 2005 presentation by Bungie's Damian Isla. Lots of interesting diagrams.
He's Not Afraid Of Virginia Woolf
The newest community Spotlight over at The Junkyard is on Richard "Sep7imus" Heppner, Jr. It's worth reading for bits like this:
You know how Anne Heche wasn't really a lesbian, she just liked Ellen Degeneres? That's me: not really a hardcore gamer, but in love with Halo.
Frankie Gives An Update On The Update
This week's What's What Update is a one-note songbird: where's the downloadable content? Frankie says the date will be known soon. In addition, he disavows any knowledge of the recently-discovered Maji skull.
In other news:
Indians Win This One
Bungie took on Pioneer Electronics in the last Humpday Challenge and won all three games-- and quite handily, too, by the look of it, despite Frankie's show of self-deprecation.
Bungie Wins Best Audio Award At GDC
Slashdot is reporting that Bungie's audio team of C Paul Johnson, Marty O'Donnell, and Jay Weinland won the Best Audio award at GDC 2005 for Halo 2. In most other categories, though, Half-Life 2 stole the show. Thanks Louis Wu.