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Subject: Halo copied Starcraft?
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Alright, before you guys dismiss this just hear me out. Ok for starters Starcraft came out in 1998 and Halo came out in 2001 so plenty of time to copy, obviously Starcraft was a popular game at the time and a big target for copiers. Alright lets start with the races, zerg=flood, protoss=covenant, terran=UNSC. Alright this doesn't nessesarily mean that they copied, but it does serve as a basis. Next, the both the zerg and the flood have an overmind like thing, the zerg's being called the overmind and the flood's being the gravemind. Next, the both mutate and the flood have a small unit that are fast and can over run you if there are too many just like the zerglins, they also happen to look exactly the same. Also is I don't think it is a coincidence that the flood's mobile flying units looks exactly and acts exactly like mutalisks. Ok now for the protoss they both have a weird mystical religion that I don't know much about but they are exactly the same. Next the Terran and the UNSC I won't bag on much just because well they are both human and basically every game ever has humans but don't banshees and hornets look rather similar as well as helions and choppers? Coicidence? Maybe. Well the UNSC space shuttles look the same as the battlecruisers, but then the Starwars cruisers look pretty much the same too so that doesn't really count. Well, I just thought I would share this with you guys. Please post if you guys feel the same as I do or if I am just retarded.

  • 06.25.2011 1:44 AM PDT

"Only the Fallen are Heroes, while the ones who still stand are villains"

Halo didn't use Starcraft for inspiration. Most of it was from movies such as Alien,Aliens. If you look the Pelican looks alot like the Marine Dropship in Aliens. The scene in Halo CE where they first encounter the flood was taken exactly out of Aliens when the Marines go into the colony for the first time.
Sergeant Johnson is based ofF Sergeant Apone of Aliens. Halo CE's Marines (personalities and armor) are based off of Aliens as well. The Halo ring is taken from Larry Niven's Ring World Proof

The Covenant isn't based off of anything (the idea I mean, The Sangheili seems to be inspired by Samurai mixed with "The Predator" Yautja) The Covenant is the typical all powerful alien bad guys who are stronger then the protagonist humans.

If anything most of Halo's things are based off movies and other famous parts of Media. Also parts of Bungie's previous game Marathon inspire most of Halo also. Like the Forerunners to the Jjaro. The Jjaro were an advanced race of beings who millions of years before the Marathon games disappeared from the Milky way galaxy.

StarCraft was originally Blizzard's cancelled Warhammer 40k project. Thats why Terran marines look so similar to Warhammer 40k's Space marines.

So Terrans-Imperium of Man,other factions
Protoss- Eldar, Other Eldar factions
Zerg- Tyranids.

So theres that.

  • 06.25.2011 2:09 AM PDT

Per Audacia Ad Astra!


Posted by: NFBT
Alright, before you guys dismiss this just hear me out. Ok for starters Starcraft came out in 1998 and Halo came out in 2001 so plenty of time to copy, obviously Starcraft was a popular game at the time and a big target for copiers. Alright lets start with the races, zerg=flood, protoss=covenant, terran=UNSC. Alright this doesn't nessesarily mean that they copied, but it does serve as a basis. Next, the both the zerg and the flood have an overmind like thing, the zerg's being called the overmind and the flood's being the gravemind. Next, the both mutate and the flood have a small unit that are fast and can over run you if there are too many just like the zerglins, they also happen to look exactly the same. Also is I don't think it is a coincidence that the flood's mobile flying units looks exactly and acts exactly like mutalisks. Ok now for the protoss they both have a weird mystical religion that I don't know much about but they are exactly the same. Next the Terran and the UNSC I won't bag on much just because well they are both human and basically every game ever has humans but don't banshees and hornets look rather similar as well as helions and choppers? Coicidence? Maybe. Well the UNSC space shuttles look the same as the battlecruisers, but then the Starwars cruisers look pretty much the same too so that doesn't really count. Well, I just thought I would share this with you guys. Please post if you guys feel the same as I do or if I am just retarded.



I always see some similarities with both universe, and i'm sure Bungie was influenced by the Star Craft universe we can't deny Protoss-Convenant (or Shangheili precisently look the same physically and spiritualy) but there's some other references for Halo like :The Ring world by Larry Niven or Starship Troopers, Aliens and many more... The thing is Bungie built this universe in their own way and now Halo can stand beside Sci-Fi universe Veteran without problems.

  • 06.25.2011 3:26 AM PDT

In memory of those fallen in the defense of Earth and her colonies.

March 3, 2553

Developers have been using other developers ideas for like.... ages. Its common in the industry, you can't have a 100% unique game in every aspect.

  • 06.25.2011 6:11 AM PDT
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Do not waste your tears, I was not born to watch the world grow dim. Life is not measured in years, but by the deeds of men.

Posted by: goldhawk
We should know better, because we are better.

Like Halochief said, Starcraft is very heavily based off of 40k. Quite a lot of sci fi will start looking similar the longer the genre exists.
As for Bungie's inspiration for Halo, they have a page listing their references and inspiration. I will try to dig it up.

And, I'm back with a list of Bungie's favorite Sci-Fi.

[Edited on 06.25.2011 6:17 AM PDT]

  • 06.25.2011 6:13 AM PDT

I DO have time to bleed...i just dont want to.

halo copied nothing it is its own universe. end of thread

  • 06.25.2011 6:58 AM PDT

Assault Rifle - Satrship Troopers
John Spartan - Demolition Man

  • 06.25.2011 7:27 AM PDT

You lost me OP when you started saying the the two sides' own units looked the same. Zerg have more angular and sharper edgges and have recognizable anatomy and physiology and look cooler; Flood look more like an abomination of nature, seemingly composed of millions of tumors.

In fact, since WH40K's Space Marine game started coming out, I've been doing research on the WH40K universe a lot lately and its actually hilarious how much Blizzard's Zerg look like Game Workshop's Tyranids.

But as others have already told you, all Sci-Fi work off of each other. First it was simply stuff like hand held lazer beams, and later it was entire races. Though I think we all owe Star Trek; they kind of were the very first big space adventure with a plethora of races and ideas.


Posted by: CanineThewolvie

Posted by: NFBT
Alright, before you guys dismiss this just hear me out. Ok for starters Starcraft came out in 1998 and Halo came out in 2001 so plenty of time to copy, obviously Starcraft was a popular game at the time and a big target for copiers. Alright lets start with the races, zerg=flood, protoss=covenant, terran=UNSC. Alright this doesn't nessesarily mean that they copied, but it does serve as a basis. Next, the both the zerg and the flood have an overmind like thing, the zerg's being called the overmind and the flood's being the gravemind. Next, the both mutate and the flood have a small unit that are fast and can over run you if there are too many just like the zerglins, they also happen to look exactly the same. Also is I don't think it is a coincidence that the flood's mobile flying units looks exactly and acts exactly like mutalisks. Ok now for the protoss they both have a weird mystical religion that I don't know much about but they are exactly the same. Next the Terran and the UNSC I won't bag on much just because well they are both human and basically every game ever has humans but don't banshees and hornets look rather similar as well as helions and choppers? Coicidence? Maybe. Well the UNSC space shuttles look the same as the battlecruisers, but then the Starwars cruisers look pretty much the same too so that doesn't really count. Well, I just thought I would share this with you guys. Please post if you guys feel the same as I do or if I am just retarded.



I always see some similarities with both universe, and i'm sure Bungie was influenced by the Star Craft universe we can't deny Protoss-Convenant (or Shangheili precisently look the same physically and spiritualy) but there's some other references for Halo like :The Ring world by Larry Niven or Starship Troopers, Aliens and many more... The thing is Bungie built this universe in their own way and now Halo can stand beside Sci-Fi universe Veteran without problems.


I remember reading somewhere that Bungie didn't make a conscious effort to take the Ringworld idea from Niven, but rather wanted an artificial world that looked both cool and would also work. A ring just happened to fit that criteria.

halo copied nothing it is its own universe. end of thread

Please tell me that was sarcasm. Any self-respecting Halo fan knows Aliens was a huge source of inspiration.


[Edited on 06.25.2011 7:44 AM PDT]

  • 06.25.2011 7:43 AM PDT

All secrets must be told in time.

I agree with cameo_cream.
Halo's a great game but everything nowdays ranging from art to education is either inspired from or taken from.
StarCraft, Aliens and Halo have lots in common but they're unique in their own way. And that's the reasons why each have their own fandom of fans.

  • 06.25.2011 7:54 AM PDT

I already asked you to stop being annoying, neglecting to comply will prove to be rather...annoying. Do you see a trend here?

Born Jan / 7 / 1994
If you had a 5th grade education you'd know that means I'm not too young to play M rated games.

I believe that Mass Effect copied Halo. If you break it down to simple portions. SciFi, Ancient powerful race, Alien parasite/zombies/devestating race, Earth in danger, Fighting majorly ON Earth by the third game, Colaboration of alien races creating a community/network/councel, Main character supposed to be SUPER badass (Frankly I think Sheperds a... I'll say wimp... compared to the ideal character for a scifi.

But this is my opinion.

[Edited on 06.25.2011 8:02 AM PDT]

  • 06.25.2011 8:01 AM PDT

Ah, but the original marathon came out years before Starcraft, so Bungie clearly don't copy people for their games. Some might say they copied the idea of doom, but they are so different, I highly doubt it.

  • 06.25.2011 9:47 AM PDT

Yes, there are starcraft influences in halo, though not quite as much as you are saying. One clear influence in the starcraft zealot, which zealot elites were obviously based and named after.

  • 06.25.2011 9:54 AM PDT

"Copied" carries such negative connotations. More like they incorporated some ideas and things from a lot of things. (Aliens, Ring World, Starcraft, etc etc) Developers and Directors have been doing this for years. Nothing to get all riled up about. I personally think it's good, within reason. ^_^

  • 06.25.2011 9:55 AM PDT
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Boomer.
Best. Ship. Ever!

There was actually a book a long, long time ago that talked about a ring world similar to the Halo's. It was scientific and it was explaining the type of things humanity would have to build if we wanted to live in space. It's funny because many ideas of how the rings worked and their placements are similar to Halo's.

If I ever find the book I'll post it here.

  • 06.25.2011 10:03 AM PDT

I'm LITERALLY better than Tim Tebow
Posted by: XxLordo4Xx
Better than Tebow.


San Francisco 49ers
XVI - XIX - XXIII - XXIV - XXIX

Halo 'copied' many things.

  • 06.25.2011 10:03 AM PDT
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Almost all of Sci-fi will take Ideas and spin into something else.

Even the venerated HG Wells took a recent trend in literature in his time and put a very unique spin on it.

The Trend was fiction about one country invading another.

I'm pretty sure you can figure out which of his stories is his twist on the trend

  • 06.25.2011 10:09 AM PDT

well could see similarities but I think Starcraft is much darker than Halo for one, Terran Marines are convicts, the whole game is dominated by betrayal and political corruption. dare I say I think Starcraft might potentially be a better universe than Halo, but its hard to tell sometimes.

an example being Jim Raynor is a better protagonist than John, he has heaps more personality and has a heart, the whole 'bred for war...' thing gets a bit tedious sometimes. also Starcraft took some inspiration from Alien movies as well, though it is still a great universe.

  • 06.25.2011 10:42 AM PDT

I started up the heated debate on whether the SPARTAN-II in the cryo tube near the end of Reach is really Linda.
I created the Moa XING avatar pic.
Also I earned the All Star nameplate with this submission to Week 14 All Stars http://www.bungie.net/images/News/Inline11/bwu_0415/art/likea boss.jpg

Halo was being made as far back as 1997. This can be backed up as in The Art of Halo (for 1 and 2) a picture of the Flood dated back to 1997.
You're argument is now completely invalid.

  • 06.25.2011 11:02 AM PDT

well starcraft began its development back in 1995 so the counter-argument is invalid.

  • 06.25.2011 11:14 AM PDT


Posted by: PLUT0NIUM 235
well could see similarities but I think Starcraft is much darker than Halo for one, Terran Marines are convicts, the whole game is dominated by betrayal and political corruption. dare I say I think Starcraft might potentially be a better universe than Halo, but its hard to tell sometimes.

an example being Jim Raynor is a better protagonist than John, he has heaps more personality and has a heart, the whole 'bred for war...' thing gets a bit tedious sometimes. also Starcraft took some inspiration from Alien movies as well, though it is still a great universe.


I personally find the SC universe to be boring. Its filled with too many cliches. While Halo has its cliches, it uses them as a foundation for deeper personalities and concepts. After playing all the way through SC2 and watching a significant chunk of SC1's campaign, these cliches don't seem to go much deeper then "tough as nails, cigar chomping 'come get some' space Marines with a western accent", "respected leader running from the law whilst pining for a love who is associated with the enemy," "honorable warrior who is haunted by their dark past," and of course "space zombies and space plague".

But of course, Halo has those above characters. Sergeant Johnson fits the bill for his badass space marine role, but if you look into him, he wasn't always like that; his present-day badassery and funny lines comes from Healy, who I suppose you could say taught him how to live again during Contact Harvest. With Tychus I just don't see any of that. He is just a badass convict.

And Zeretful. I like Arbiter better even though they both fit the "honorable warrior" stereotype; its because he is a representation of his people's worries and the political and spirtual turmoil they're all feeling. Zeretful's just a guy who fights the Zerg and gives cryptic messages to Jim Raynor. I suppose its a lack of character development; I just don't see it in SC.

SC is too small and just lacks any promises for expansion into deeper territory. Now normally I would understand its smaller scale if it was a new universe, but its been around for more then a decade and already Halo has flown past it in scale and depth.

Some might find it interesting, but I don't.

  • 06.25.2011 11:42 AM PDT

and starcraft copied warhammer 40k. Herp Derp!!

  • 06.27.2011 7:20 PM PDT
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I am not going to say that Halo wasn't influenced by other existing stories (and possibly video games), but StarCraft had nothing to do with it. While Halo as we know it didn't begin production until later on, the main concepts had already been developed in 1997. I'm pretty sure at the very beginning it was going to be a RTS game where you gain control of the colonies and then are encountered by the Covenant half-way through the game. But even the Flood were originally designed in 1997. I didn't read everything you wrote, but I know that you sort of just made up a load of -blam- just because you like Starcraft.

[Edited on 06.28.2011 6:26 PM PDT]

  • 06.27.2011 7:22 PM PDT

I don't see any sign of Halo being like Starcraft. Bungie didn't use Starcraft to inspiration. If Bungie did copy Starcraft, Halo would of been a RTS unlike Halo Wars, which was created by a different company other than Bungie. That's it.

  • 06.27.2011 9:04 PM PDT
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SC = Supreme Commander/Supreme Canadian.

De Facto leader of the military of the APE (Allied Planets Empire).

Coup = Admiral Asskicker, ZPM hive ship

UNSC > Terran Dominion.
Covenant > Protoss.

Flood <> Zerg. Just depends what era of Flood you use. Contemporary gets absorbed into the Swarm, Forerunner-era puts up one heck of a fight, but is absorbed in the end, Forerunner-era Flood with Forerunner tech kills teh Zerg dead.

Forerunners stomp the Xel-Naga so bad it isn't even funny.

  • 06.27.2011 10:00 PM PDT

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