- SPARTAN 034 BEN
- |
- Exalted Member
"It just sort of fell in there!"
"Thats what He said."
My Dearest Frank,
It is truly a distraught soul that now comprehends the meaning of your departure from Bungie's life, and seemingly mine. Point 4 score and minus one years ago, I was a young, bright eyed, naive little man, doing what young and naive little men are prone to do (stalk their neighbor friends unceasingly for that chance opportunity to play their Xbox), when I was casually introduced to that beautiful minx, Halo.
A full year or more after Humanity first embraced this philanthropic gift from the Bungie lords, I too received my first taste of the Halo campaign. It was love at first frag. I spent many hours lovingly replaying every mission of the game. Those hours were wiled wandering about like the new born babe I was to the Halo universe, doing all of the things everyone‘s inner self felt wont to do; Launching warthogs to extreme heights and new places, cramming all the vehicles on Blood Gulch into one base, and forcing all of my fellow soldiers to survive every mission they started, whether they wanted to or not. After oh so many nights of bliss, my thirst for more things halo guided me as I stumbled through the dark, narrow tubes of the internets to find Bungie.net.
I instantly resumed my role as the bright eyed young man, eager to learn anything and everything about Halo and her creators. Like one dying of thirst runs to the well, I stumbled upon the very beginnings of the Bungie weekly update. It is through your (semi) regular words that I recieved my nourishment on all things Halo. In the beginning I learned of Halo 2, later and now Halo 3. I have read, and sometimes re-read, every single weekly update ever penned, typed, or colored by a bungie employee, starting with you.
Through the long years, an involuntary and unprecedented emotion of kinship has grown within me toward you, scarcely noticed by myself until the very moment it was plucked away. To phrase it in an (admittedly bad) metaphor, I was an eager grunt, relishing the wealth of knowledge, art, and witty humour that flowed so willingly from the food nipple that was your pen.
I have never been all that vocal in the forums, or excellent at the games. I couldn’t always afford all the great story-related goodies you energetically made available to us, but I always found some way to keep up (such as renting all the books). I was never an incredibly necessary or, for that matter, very present, member of the Bungie community we all love, but I have always been informed, and therefore in my own way involved, thanks to you.
In a way, I guess I'm trying to say that maybe I saw Bungie through you; you were always hand in hand in my mind.. To hear of your departure saddens me, but in writing this I've come to realize that I also see you as a representation of Halo, and I think of you as also hand in hand with Halo. My heart is with you, as it is with the Halo universe, and it is very fitting in my mind that as Halo departs from Bungie's radiant doors, you would depart with it.
As you leave Bungie, your generous home of so long now, just remember you will not be alone. The hearts and passions and loyalties of myself and thousands, maybe millions of others will still follow Halo, and still follow you, wherever time may take you. Lead On, good Sir!