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Subject: I thought that the Bungie Community was for more than free advertis...
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I went out of my way to help unlock server four. Lost sleep and ect. I feel left out with no "reward".

  • 10.22.2007 11:01 AM PDT

Tom Achronos
Bungie.net Overlord
twitter: http://twitter.com/Achronos

"I have no words that would do justice to the atrocities you commit to the English language, as well as your continued assaults on the concepts of basic literacy and logical reasoning."

Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 xWe are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.

  • 10.22.2007 11:18 AM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 xWe are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.

Is there any form of communication out there (email, phone, etc.) you guys have so we can contact them?

  • 10.22.2007 11:25 AM PDT

seek knowledge always

let me begin by saying that i am very pleased with the way this halo 3 experience, the game, the meta game, the marketing, pretty much everything halo 3 has gone. perhaps this is why it comes as such a cold slap in the face to realize that Bungie, a company so dedicated to its fanbase, so idealistically maneuvered to benefit each member of its diverse commmunity, has fallen so short on such a large scale. when we as a community are left to surmise what will and will not be available in a finished game, we each have our ideal situations. many of us wanted every weapon and vehicle to be usable, to have massive online co-op in campaign mode, to have a massive and satisfying storyline, and each ideal, in turn, was met to a certain degree, but if it hadnt, we would be dissatisfied, maybe, disappointed, but not disgruntled. after all, in that situation, no one was PROMISED anything, so it is not an insult when we are denied it. HOWEVER, when we are all attempting to unlock the servers, for whatever reason we see it as a valuable and worthwhile opportunity, and we are, ALL OF US, aware that each key comes with a message, a message reading "you will be rewarded for your efforts" or something very similar, there is an inherent PROMISE of a reward, and when that reward is set, by PRECEDENT, as a package arriving at your doorstep with some halo related goodies in it, you naturally have an EXPECTATION of what the prize is and that you have done what is, BY PRECEDENT, required to get this reward, then naturally we are all very INSULTED when our expectations are VIOLATED. now note that none of this is LEGALLY binding, if it had been, we have a pretty well-placed and well-read lawyer as our installation monitor who wouldve jumped on that angle. but legal rights are not the only factors that affect the relationship between a company and its customers, there is such a thing, after all, as TRUST, and when it is injured, the relationship as a whole may crumble. so, in conclusion, when our trust is violated once by the boy that cried wolf, or in this case, the Bungie that cried packages, we are less likely to be as involved or as interested the next time around. the thing is, its not too late, provided that Bungie has the appropriate information to resend the packages that have not arrived, and surely, they can find a way of monitoring and regulating who has gotten the packages, who hasnt, who should, and who shouldnt.

  • 10.22.2007 11:33 AM PDT

RaTiOnAl AnArChY

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Thx Arby. I'm with you.

While I'm here:
Posted by: Achronos
Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 xWe are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.


I am not trying to take a shot at you Achronos. I think that you are doing a fine job of what you must have to do given your level of involvement, and what assume to be your level of power concerning this situation. Without someone unbinding your hands, or taking an action for you, you are left to simply field our complaints. I am not surprised to see so many responses of deflection. Most of us here understand the problems involved, and it may be near impossible to get M$ to do anything. If you carefully read the posts herein (which I'm sure you have) you will see that most of us just want a little recognition, and something other than lawyer speak, double negatives, and careful non-responsive responses. It couldn't possibly be that difficult to generate new XBL codes to unlock the avatar pack, and mail them to the appropriate parties. If this proves too difficult (in case you guys don't have access to the list of those who unlocked servers) then just send them to everyone with the pertinent information on their Windows Live ID (the one we all updated so meticulously in hopes of recieving a package), that obviously participated (read: CI members).

Seriously, I am applauding your technique, but your deflection, and recurring reminders that you guys can't control M$ will not satisfy us, and will not make the problem go away. I feel like a bit of a douche prodding Bungie this way (I love you guys), but I feel that it's only right, and I would feel as though I had compromised my integrity if I were to let it go with only a couple of rather empty excuses posted by yourself. Please don't get to frustrated with me Achronos, you must understand my point of view.

  • 10.22.2007 11:51 AM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

Posted by: Achronos
Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 x
We are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.
Ha, you should've been a lawyer :-)

Does saying that it's "not necessarily a valid assumption" mean that you HAVE tried? If you have, then why not just say so? It might help if you just tell us, "We called 'em awhile ago, and they're useless.... they won't get back to us and we can't really do much else." I think that a lot of people who received nothing would be somewhat appeased by that.

Instead, it feels like rather than backing and supporting its Community, Bungie is backing and supporting Microsoft by protecting some lazy guy in Microsoft marketing who dropped the ball (probably numerous times) during Iris. I would feel a lot better about this if Bungie was saying "guys, we tried to get in touch with them and got no answer" or "here's the email address of Microsoft marketing, if you want to give it a shot," rather than saying "not us, sorry."

I hope you understand, Achronos and Bungie folks reading this, that I, at least (without speaking for other community members), am just expressing how it kind of feels like we were used and discarded. As most of us (including myself) have already said previously in this thread, we love Bungie and love Halo and had a great time during Iris. Achronos, I really appreciate you jumping in this thread to try to provide us with at least some consolation. But the silence and seeming indifference from everyone except Achronos (who, by all rights, shouldn't even have to deal with these questions) remains a big blotch on an otherwise clean record of Community involvement and interaction by Bungie.

  • 10.22.2007 11:53 AM PDT

RaTiOnAl AnArChY

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Posted by: x Foman123 x
Posted by: Achronos
Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 x
We are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.
Ha, you should've been a lawyer :-)

Does saying that it's "not necessarily a valid assumption" mean that you HAVE tried? If you have, then why not just say so? It might help if you just tell us, "We called 'em awhile ago, and they're useless.... they won't get back to us and we can't really do much else." I think that a lot of people who received nothing would be somewhat appeased by that.

Instead, it feels like rather than backing and supporting its Community, Bungie is backing and supporting Microsoft by protecting some lazy guy in Microsoft marketing who dropped the ball (probably numerous times) during Iris. I would feel a lot better about this if Bungie was saying "guys, we tried to get in touch with them and got no answer" or "here's the email address of Microsoft marketing, if you want to give it a shot," rather than saying "not us, sorry."


My frustration at this point, is that Achronos seems to be the only one either concerned with this, or entertained enough to respond. After a few days on the board, this thread has only gotten his attention. At least that is what we are left to assume, considering the fact that he is the only person that could possibly be involved in anyway that has posted. What's more, with only two simple posts (not that I know what else he could say) I am left to assume that the process by which we have recieved these responses is as follows:

Achronos's mind: "Oh, crap, they're -blam!-in about the packages, guess I'll post."
a day later "Jeez, this is still alive? Poor bastards, I wish somebody would help them"
another day later "Crap, Foman, It's not like I can call Bill Gates!"
now "Seriously, am I gonna have to call someone? I really wish I could just lock this"

So, is Achronos the only one who has read this? If so, either he can't do squat (big surprise), or he doesn't want to convey what he has been told, because it is an even bigger slap in the face than these mild responses.

  • 10.22.2007 12:04 PM PDT

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In all honesty, I don't even want the stuff anymore (although I wouldn't send it back if it came to me). I would just like a good solid reason why so much went wrong with IRIS, and why no one in the position to make a difference cares. I agree, with Gepetto that it would only help Bungie for them to give the community something, if it were possible. But I'm starting to think this is a lost cause, because with MS not caring, and Bungie not able to make them care, how could anything happen?

  • 10.22.2007 12:50 PM PDT
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I had completely forgoten about this until i saw this thread. Let me just say that i dont care what Acronos says that this has nothing to do with them because this thing started out in these forums. The fact that it was advertised here makes you guys somewhat responsible. You guys advertising some halfassed arg, and then point the fingers at someone else is pretty much bs. We all know that in reality you guys dont even care because the game is already out, I just didnt expect bungie to be like this.
After this arg and the way the game leveling system works i noticed bungie doesnt give a crap about their hardcore fans and gamers, but they only care about the casual gamer that brings in about 90% of their profit. Bungie pretty much turned into a money w h o r e company after all their success.

  • 10.22.2007 1:27 PM PDT

Strange evolution how people have come to believe
That we are it's greatest achievement
We're barely, we're just a collection of cells
Overrating themselves

Posted by: Tito
I had completely forgoten about this until i saw this thread. Let me just say that i dont care what Acronos says that this has nothing to do with them because this thing started out in these forums. The fact that it was advertised here makes you guys somewhat responsible. You guys advertising some halfassed arg, and then point the fingers at someone else is pretty much bs. We all know that in reality you guys dont even care because the game is already out, I just didnt expect bungie to be like this.

I saw a Victorias Secret advert in my Hotmail account the other day. Do you think I can get MS to pay for my gonorrhea treatments since the prostitute I got it from was wearing Victoria's Secret lingerie?

After this arg and the way the game leveling system works i noticed bungie doesnt give a crap about their hardcore fans and gamers, but they only care about the casual gamer that brings in about 90% of their profit. Bungie pretty much turned into a money w h o r e company after all their success.
I'm glad ignorant claims still have a place here at Bungie.net. Hmmm, according to your logic, Bungie should cater to 10% of the people who buy the game, which leaves 90% of the people alienated? You are working under the false assumption that your opinion matters more than anyone elses.
Newsflash: It doesn't.

  • 10.22.2007 2:00 PM PDT

RaTiOnAl AnArChY

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TwinkieMaker, I still don't like your comparisons, but you did happen to step in at a cool time. If this thread was only 2 posts long (these last 2) I might be on your side.

  • 10.22.2007 2:35 PM PDT

I am a Floodian

To Twinkie Master:

To the first point, if Microsoft was paying the chick with the gonorrhea, yes you could.

To the second points... I agree with you, but your were a bit of an ass in the way you phrased it.

[Edited on 10.22.2007 2:38 PM PDT]

  • 10.22.2007 2:35 PM PDT
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Posted by: twinkiemaker
Newsflash: It doesn't because you're Tito.

Fixed that for you :p

  • 10.22.2007 2:38 PM PDT

Strange evolution how people have come to believe
That we are it's greatest achievement
We're barely, we're just a collection of cells
Overrating themselves

Posted by: SpeedySurfer
Posted by: twinkiemaker
Newsflash: It doesn't because you're Tito.

Fixed that for you :p

Not just directed at him, just everyone who thinks that theyre opinion matters any more than anyone else's. That includes mine as well.

Posted by: WFGeppetto
TwinkieMaker, I still don't like your comparisons, but you did happen to step in at a cool time. If this thread was only 2 posts long (these last 2) I might be on your side.
They arent the greatesst comparison's but they still make sense in my mind=) At least you presented a lucid argument, his post amounted to "OMG BUNGIE WTF????".

Posted by: squirrel dude
To the second points... I agree with you, but your were a bit of an ass in the way you phrased it.
I am an ass. Even more so when someone suggests that me running through a level with dual smgs blazing in random directions isnt a valid tactic.

[Edited on 10.22.2007 2:50 PM PDT]

  • 10.22.2007 2:44 PM PDT
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Posted by: twinkiemaker

I'm glad ignorant claims still have a place here at Bungie.net. Hmmm, according to your logic, Bungie should cater to 10% of the people who buy the game, which leaves 90% of the people alienated? You are working under the false assumption that your opinion matters more than anyone elses.
Newsflash: It doesn't.


lol my second paragraph was more of a statement, and i wasnt saying bungie "should cater to 10% of the people who buy the game" . I was just saying something i noticed, which is why I put it on another paragraph.

Lol, seems like bungie members dont forgive or forget.

  • 10.22.2007 2:48 PM PDT

RaTiOnAl AnArChY

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I can forgive, but I don't often forget. That applies to you as much as it does Bungie. I have more or less forgiven them already, but I will not forget that it happened, and if there is never any kind of resolution, then I will not be as trusting, or enthusiastic with future Bungie endeavors.

  • 10.22.2007 2:53 PM PDT

Strange evolution how people have come to believe
That we are it's greatest achievement
We're barely, we're just a collection of cells
Overrating themselves

Posted by: Tito
Lol, seems like bungie members dont forgive or forget.

Forget what?

Just knowing your down with Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael makes it so easy to forgive you.

  • 10.22.2007 2:55 PM PDT
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Posted by: DEATHPIMP72
Anyone but Foman. He smells like cheese.

nvm, question answered via PM

[Edited on 10.23.2007 5:14 AM PDT]

  • 10.22.2007 3:04 PM PDT

seek knowledge always

ahh, the infamous tito, it would be so easy to blame my lack of a key in the entire server quest on him, but then again, im not going to resort to those cheap and probably inaccurate tactics, i will say this however, it does seem a bit ironic that someone who wasnt playing by the (unspoken) rules of the arg is now jumping in on a debate started by people who were following those rules, and won, but have no prize to claim. its like having a country win the gold medal in the olympics in every event, then being denied those medals due to some processing error in the scoring system. tito would be akin to the player whose been using steroids the entire time, gets found out, and ideally should have his medal stripped from him, but instead goes on to join the ever growing crowd, hoping to ally himself with them and their RIGHTFUL struggle for what they were promised. honestly tito, i would be far more contrite if i were in your position, not because i am above such tactics, not because i am above human greed an selfishness, but rather because i am all too familiar with them, and i understand how they can RUIN a person's reputation among his peers. do not mistake our battle for your own, the two are quite separate. you are fighting to prove that you are just as good potentially as any other member of this discussion, you are fighting to win back your peers respect, and that in and of itself is a struggle, but success is not morally assured. however, our struggle, for recognition we DESERVE by our continued expenditure of time and sleep and thought on this arg, while it may be realistically unfruitful, carries with it our moral right to succeed.

  • 10.22.2007 6:28 PM PDT

RaTiOnAl AnArChY

Check out the Woodshop!

Thanks Bruce.

[Edited on 10.23.2007 12:11 AM PDT]

  • 10.22.2007 6:56 PM PDT

--] GT: thebruce ( @thebruce0 )
--] http://Halo.Wikibruce.com
--] http://4DFiction.com

Chiming back in - and re-iterating what I stated before - if we want this thread to be taken seriously, please take the flaming and debating and personal attacks elsewhere; avoid discussion unless it furthers and adds to the initial topic; be mature and respectable - otherwise this will turn into any other discussion forum thread that will get ignored by anyone with significant influence.
New posters, share your thoughts even if they've been shared before; post again if there's more to say on a certain point; whether positive or negative about the situation - but don't attack each other, or make baseless accusations, about companies or individuals.

Just trying to help

  • 10.22.2007 8:58 PM PDT
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And the Shadow fell upon the Land, and the World was riven stone from stone. The oceans fled, and the mountains were swallowed up, and the nations were scattered to the eight corners of the World. The moon was blood, and the sun was as ashes. The seas boiled, and the living envied the dead. All was shattered, and all but memory lost, and one memory above all others, of him who brought the Shadow and the Breaking of the World. And him they named Dragon.

This stuff keeps me up at night..
But seriously, it is actually quite aggrevating to not recieve any kind of "reward" when we were given the same promises as those who opened Server 1 and 2. Just a quick note would be fine, some recognition for participating, for doing an effort. I'm not saying I did, or anyone else did something amazing by entering that darn code to open the servers, but when they said we would be rewarded, we really should be.

And, yes, I know that Bungie has nothing to do what-so-ever with this IRIS ARG, but at least they can try to help their most addictive fans out a bit. We're what drives this community forward, or is 300 of your fans just not worth the effort?


Sorry if I just repeated everyone else posting in this thread, but I didn't bother to read through all the replies.

  • 10.23.2007 1:25 AM PDT
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Posted by: Achronos
Assuming we haven't tried is not necessarily a valid assumption. But I don't think you understand just how disconnected we are Microsoft marketing, and now, we're even a different legal entity. Saying "it should be easy for us to poke them" does not make it true.

Posted by: x Foman123 xWe are asking Bungie for some help in finding out what happened, since pointing the electronic finger at "Microsoft's marketing guys" is hardly helpful information.


Before I begin, I suppose it's worth pointing out that I received a Server package (like Foman), and am not attempting to obtain more "treats" for myself by posting in this thread.

Assuming the interview on Eurogamer with some unknown Microsoft employee was true, Iris was supposedly headed by Frankie. Already pointed out in this topic, Bungie.net was used to progress Iris. I refuse to believe that a random Microsoft marketing employee was posting under AdjutantReflex. Considering the connections with Iris and the Terminals in-game, it's pretty clear that Bungie's writing team was involved (in some way, shape, or form) with what AdjutantReflex would say, as well as what the Server videos would contain (to some extent).

I believe theBruce pointed out earlier in this topic that the Iris community was requesting answers to the "package problem" well before Iris ended. I completely understand that Bungie was in one SERIOUS crunch during that particular time, but by the time the game went gold (and while, obviously, Bungie was still a part of Microsoft), no one from Bungie could have contacted the proper people about a marketing campaign supposedly headed/developed/whatever by Frankie? On September 13, 2007 (Bungie still quite obviously a company under Microsoft at this point, too), AdjutantReflex posted again. Iris was supposedly over by this point, which would allude to someone from Bungie posting under AdjutantReflex (not that I have any proof of this).

Achronos, I've read countless posts of yours at HBO and here at B.net. I deeply respect you and the work you put in for all of us in the Bungie community. I completely understand that you are in no way, shape, or form obligated to provide us with answers. I'm also aware that you were possibly not even involved with Iris when it was running. The point I'm trying to make is that somewhere, somehow, there was some kind of disconnect from Bungie in regards to the Iris community in handling the ARG that was allegedly thought-up by and written by Bungie employees, as well as progressed under the alias of AdjutantReflex by Bungie.

All we ask is that someone from Bungie who was involved with Iris (ideally Frankie, assuming it's true that he was the creator of the concept and a lot of the writing) explain to us just who we can contact at Microsoft, or the very least what Bungie tried to do to obtain "answers" for the Iris community (since you state that making an assumption that Bungie didn't try may be invalid). And yes, I am entirely aware that you, as well as Bungie as a whole, do not owe us any explanation, and thus I thank you for the time you have taken to respond to the posts in this topic.

[Edited on 10.23.2007 2:55 AM PDT]

  • 10.23.2007 2:23 AM PDT
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The first server packages were a surprise, the second wasn't, and after that it was assumed something would be coming in the mail. Now i don't think we blame Bungie, but a lot of people were playing for the promise of a tshirt. I never got into a server, well I was there for the false unlocking of server 2, which I guess was annoying. Still the voices of the few should be heard. This is where the ARG went down, this is where this solution needs to be resolved. Though a large problem might be with who unlocked the servers, lost data. It might be impossible now to actually give the right people their swag. Don't know, just a thought.

  • 10.23.2007 6:47 AM PDT
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I now feel really bad that only the first 200 people (both server 1 & 2) were only able to get a prize. I was lucky enough to get in during the first server, but now I feel bad, maybe even guilty seeing others who worked on the AR plot puzzle and recive nothing.
Though I guess since Bungie and Microsoft are both no longer working as one entitiy, as they where when the event occured, that there is very little possibility that any packages may be sent.
Of course I could be wrong :P.

  • 10.23.2007 6:51 AM PDT