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  • Subject: Mail Call! Answer the letters Bungie wrote to you.
Subject: Mail Call! Answer the letters Bungie wrote to you.
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Posted by: DeeJ
When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Stuff wot looks like this.


What was your 2011 game of the year?Game of Thrones, obviously.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
Flarechannel: The Fable of Catan and the Eagle. You'll shed a tear too.

Kirk or Picard? And why?Picard. Why? Because Kirk can neither quaff tea nor quoth Shakespeare.

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?Steam.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Marathon 2. Uniquely amongst bungie games it:
#Pushed boundaries
#Was finished and polished throughout
#Was consistently fun
#Had a compelling story unmatched in its time, with genuine characters and personalities

None of your other games manage to tick all those boxes.

  • 05.09.2012 12:44 PM PDT

~ Life is Killing Me. ~

~ I hate, therefore I am. ~


Posted by: DeeJ
The names of the brave developers who wrote you these letters have been withheld. All will be revealed later. You will all see each other's answers. We need to leave something to mystery.

For now, answer these questions. You don't have to answer all of them. In fact, I would recommend that you do not. Choose the queries that speak to you the most - the ones for which you have the best answers. This is not a test, although you should quote the questions that you are answering (please don't make me wonder how to match your words with ours).

You may reply to this thread once!

Let's open the Sack...



What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?

I've been re-reading "The Stand by Stephen King. I highly recommend it.



When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?

I play The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and dream about their upcoming DLC...

What was your 2011 game of the year?

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This game is the definition of open-world, immersive, create you own character RPG. When they say live another life, any way you want, they mean it.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?

It's have to be when Carter sacrificed himself taking out that Scarab Tank. For some reason that just hit me really hard.

Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?

Duriing the Reach Campaign, but just because I grew attached to Noble Team.

Why you gotta be like that?

I'm a sentimentalist... when I'm not killing things in game.

Choose one. Explain your choice.
[Image Removed]

I take the blue pill. Because I want to show you the Kung-fu.

Kirk or Picard? And why?

Picard. I'm more of an intellectual myself, so the character fit better with me.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?

It's the only hobby that occupies my mind and I don't get tired of it. Seriously, I'm on my 360 almost as much time during the week as I spend at work... The constant innovation, the artistry of it. the storytelling capabilities... how could I love any other hobby but being a Gamer?

Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?

Vampire: the Masquerade or Vampire: the Requiem by White Wolf Game Studios (now defunct). Why? Their the first game systems to really give the supernatural creatures the detail and personalities that they deserve. Not just as monsters either.

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?

Atari 8600 Pong

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?

Can I have the Mjolnir Powered Armor System as well?

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?

So far, the Xbox 360 S. The whole system is whisper quiet and quick as a whip. I love it.

Who is your best and worst villain?

Best Villain: Michael Myers. Evil incarnate has never been more cool. Or had as snappy of a theme song.

Worst Villain: Whoever the hell Sonic the Hedgehog fights. he's freaking lame...

Can you sing the theme to Sea Hunt without cheating on the Intertubes? (upload video proof - link it here)

Nope.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?

Marathon: Durandal. It was the best shooter I'd ever played. DOOM, Wolfenstein, I enjoyed none of them as much as I enjoyed the whole Marathon series. Not just because of the gameplay, there was a whole Universe of background info written into the game that just drew you into the story. I fell in love with it from the very first shot.


[Edited on 05.09.2012 12:55 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 12:48 PM PDT

Have you seen my mind anywhere? I seem to have lost it...

0x0 x0x 0x0 000 000 x0x 000
x0x 0x0 0x0 0xx 000 0x0 000
x0x x0x x00 0xx 0x0 x0x 0x0

I have seen you future

Posted by: DeeJ
What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?

The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They are a truly outstanding series of books, even better than the movies (and that's saying something). If you haven't read them yet you should, and if you have read them you should read them again.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Skyrim, and Mass Effect 3 if it qualified. Say what you want about the ending, the rest of that game was outstanding.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Either stepping out of the escape pod in Halo CE or walking onto the Citadel in the first Mass Effect. There's nothing quite like seeing a massive new world for the first time and having it take your breath away.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
Because there is nothing else that lets you run around in, explore and interact with a completely new universe.

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
Nintendo Gamecube and 007 Nightfire. I got to be James Bond, fight my friends and have bots fight on my team, the last part I still want to see in new games.

  • 05.09.2012 12:51 PM PDT

"There's daggers in men's smiles." - Donalbain, Macbeth, Act II, scene iii

What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
I've been reading Atlas Shrugged and the Dark Tower series; Atlas Shrugged has an interesting outlook on politics and human emotions, and the Dark Tower books are badass in general.

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
I'm enrolled in a Graphic Design class, which takes up most of my time. When I'm not listening to boring lectures on color theory, I'm designing games, coding webpages, and wedging time for my girlfriend somewhere in the middle of my hectic life.

Why you gotta be like that?
Tourette syndrome.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Only if I can respawn after the bomb blows me to smithereens.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Marathon was an excellent shooter. Since Doom was overplayed and never appealed to me, Marathon was a good alternative. Myth was the first Bungie game that I played, and the lore involved in the game was more intriguing than the game itself.

That being said, Oni is my favorite Bungie game to date. The combination of genres was superb, and even to this day, Oni is a gem of a game that stands apart from the rest of game-kind.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:35 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 12:51 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Exalted Legendary Member

What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend? Clive Cussler - Shockwave - I'm a massive fan of this series but I think this is the best book.

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Play Video Games either with friends or on good single player campaigns.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Gears 3, but only because ME3 was delayed.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Finding out that I was Revan in KOTOR was mind blowing because it was a genuine surprise and completley altered the meaning of the game I'd already spent 15 plus hours with.

Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
Yes, a couple of times, most recently being forced to kill Mordin in ME3.

Why you gotta be like that?
Because I am - what's your problem ;)

Choose one. Explain your choice.
Red Pill - rather know the truth than be lied to.

Kirk or Picard? And why?
Picard - was never a massive fan of the original series, except for the movie Wrath of Khan which is still awesome.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
They allow me to escape from the mind numbing minutiae of my normal life.

Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?
Never played one.

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
System would have been the NES and Mario, but games in general would have been my Commodore 64 and Space Walk.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Hell Yeah, and I would be a Ball Carrier - check out my stats!! =)

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
Tough one, I'm torn between the Dreamcast and the 360.

Who is your best and worst villain?
Best Villain - Galcian from Skies of Arcadia. Worst Villain - Tartarus (Sorry) but only because his boss fight was so anticlimatic.

Can you sing the theme to Sea Hunt without cheating on the Intertubes? (upload video proof - link it here)
Nope.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
I'm Afraid I haven't played a non-Halo Bungie game ... yet.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 12:55 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 12:53 PM PDT

Dubito ergo cogito, cogito ergo sum ©
Halo 3 Longshore playable on Team Fortress 2 vids


When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?Make games, surf the forum of the wonderful and wild Bungie.net, which each thread is like a deep safari hunting for gold in the deep heart of the Amazon forest. Just like you, DeeJ!


What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?*Spoilers*

Jorge's death. Ultimately, his sacrifice has destroyed a ship and a half was the best one I have ever witness in all games. The only regret I have is that I didn't play with him enough to know him. Either way, no one's sacrifice was better than Jorge's.

*/spoiler*


Choose one. Explain your choice.
[Image Removed]
Geeze, DeeJ, why can't I choose both of them? Twice the fun, right?


Reach deep now. Why do you play games?Playing video games now these days brings entertainment to both players and developers. I happen to find games very inspirational and ideal. Not only that, it can help me solve some problems that I may counter in the process of coding some games. If you had to play a game that I normally play, I'd definitely play Team Fortress 2, and understand how this game is still active, even if it's five-six years old.



What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?Talk about my past, my first game system or game console was either Atari 2000 or NES. Geeze... I can't recall how awesome the graphic was back then. I'm still surprised that they really grab my attention back then.



If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?Bungie Vs. Valve? I'd buy the first-class seat with a huge foamy hand that says "BUNGIE #1"!
And the back side would say, DEEJ IS A PIRATEY!


In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?Personal Computer, of course! Play games to the maximum quality, with better resolution. Mind you, I have Dell 30" WFC-HC monitor, and resolution is the only thing that separates console and pc faaaarrrr apart!

P.s. BF3 PC MASTER RACE FTW! Go Bungie IT Team!



[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:00 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 12:55 PM PDT

1. What books am I reading?

Bill Hicks (R.I.P) - 'Love all the people'
Stephen King - 'The Stand'
Frederick Forsyth - 'Day of the jackal'

Because everyone should read 3 books before they die...and because Bill Hicks was actually Jesus in disguise (and with a wickedly good sense of humour).

  • 05.09.2012 12:55 PM PDT

I like shorts. They're comfy and easy to wear.

Posted by: DeeJ
Who is your best and worst villain?

My worst villain is Tycho from Marathon: Durandal. My first total carnage playthrough really made me hate him. I can't really choose a favourite villain, though Darth Vader, the Joker, and Tom Nook all come to mind.

  • 05.09.2012 12:56 PM PDT

Jack of all trades, master of none.


When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Visit the great forum that is Bungie.net, and revise for my GCSE's. (tremble)


What was your 2011 game of the year?
Forza 4. With so many aspects from driving against your friends to creating car designs, it can keep you occupiued for a good while.



What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
It's close, but it has to be on ODST, after the rookie finds the first clue. It makes ypou realise just what a feat you will need to undertake to findout what happened, and just quite how alone rooke is.


Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
No. That's right, not even a manly tear was shed.


Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
I see what you did there... Anyway, the fun of being able to experience what you wouldn't normally get to feel in your normal life. How often is it that you get to engage in a firefight battle in space with aliens, or race around a track in the latest bugatti?


What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
Gameboy. My favourite game was Pokemon Ruby. Hell, I liked it so much I still emulate it onto my computer today! The feeling of exploring a region, catching and rasing pokemon to finally beat the champion. It's a good feeling.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Whilst it would be fun to experience, the death risk would be too high for it to be worth it. I'm not that much of a thrill seeker. Didn't your mum ever teach you not to run with a hammer?

[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:01 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 12:57 PM PDT

We're concerned

Cafe|MLP: FiM|Bnet Regulars|FCAW
Got a question, comment, or concern? PM me.



When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?I usually play baseball and paintball. I like to go fishing, but I don't get to near as much as I'd like.

Oh, and I also like to watch paint dry.



What was your 2011 game of the year?
CustomRobo. (It came out in 2003, but that is my Game of the Year All Years)

Seriously though, the last notable game that came out for me was either Halo 3 or Starcraft 2... Everything else the past 5 years has sucked.


Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
Because video games are much more interesting than real life.


What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
The Playstation X, Crash Bandicoot: Warped


If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?No, because I can never pull Real Life Host



In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
Gamecube


What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Myth because I love RTSs

  • 05.09.2012 12:58 PM PDT

if(!now){when();}
Bungie Favorite Author : Iris::1
Map

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Myth:The Fallen Lords; It was my favorite because of all the gruesome explosions. There was nothing more satisfying then watching that little dwarf cause so much carnage!

  • 05.09.2012 12:58 PM PDT
  • gamertag: [none]
  • user homepage:

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.


Posted by: DeeJ
What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
Soul Music by Terry Pratchett. Set in the Discworld series, Death becomes heavily depressed when his daughter and son-in-law die in a cart crash. Leaving to wallow in his sorrows, someone new must take up his job. That someone is Susan, his granddaughter. Meanwhile, a troll, a dwarf, and a human try to make it big by inventing a new type of music: Music with Rocks in it. Very funny, and overall a good book.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Warhammer 40k Space Marine, because I am a big 40k fan. The game was a wonderful adaption.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Recruiting Garrus in Mass Effect 2 ties with the ODST intro for my favorite moment.

Why you gotta be like that?
Why can't we be like that?

Choose one. Explain your choice.
[Image Removed]
I look to xkcd for my answer.

Kirk or Picard? And why?
Picard, because Patrick Stewart is a great actor. He gives the character such life.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
For fun, mainly. A good story can make a game much more fun, though.

Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?
Miniature tabletop gamer here. Dark Heresy gets honorable mention for its critical hits table.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Absolutely. I would watch it every day.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Tough one. I'm going with Marathon.

Answers in bold.

  • 05.09.2012 1:04 PM PDT

Great stuff in here so far. I will lock this thread later this afternoon, when I start to try and make sense of it all. No matter who makes the cut, this is a great conversation.

  • 05.09.2012 1:07 PM PDT

-Quaere verum.

Got a report? Use the report tool or send a pm.
Chairleg Productions presents: 'Console Wars' and 'Games as Art?' (also on Halo Waypoint).

Kirk or Picard? And why?Picard. He's a British Frenchman, it's weird and kinda great at the same time.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games? To experience new things, to play and have fun with friends, to escape and explore worlds/ realities which differ from our own and to experience unique stories within those realities.

Why you gotta be like that?If I knew the answer to that, we'd know a lot more about the Universe than we do now.

Who is your best and worst villain?Wheatooooon!

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?Weekend Warri- oh you meant Bungie-developed games. Nevermind.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:29 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:13 PM PDT

Non facete nobis calcitrare vestrvm perinaevm.

Posted by: Achronos
You imply a level of control over Halo: Reach matchmaking that we no longer have. Or, in your vernacular, it isn't our shiznit anymore.


Active 9/1/11, Heroic 12/25/12

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?I browse the internet often; I love Reddit, Youtube, and keep up with world news. Recently I have been replaying the Halo 2 campaign and Overgrowth (click the link and watch the
combat). It's a sandbox game in the alpha stage, it has an amazing map editor and a combat system that is plain awesome. I use Steam almost every day. The low prices of high quality games are amazing, and their seasonal sales are my favorite time of the year. I discovered Steam when I was a strict console gamer and it has completely changed my way of gaming. Anyone who doesn't have Steam, I highly recommend it. Minecraft has come out on the Xbox Live Marketplace recently too, I need to go buy that asap.

What was your 2011 game of the year?Skyrim, hands down. I have been an Elder Scrolls fan since Morrowind, the beauty of their universe and the gameplay keeps me playing like a drug addict. I think the replayability is another reason I keep coming back. In most RPG games you have predetermined classes that restrict you to a certain playing style. Elder Scrolls games have the most freedom of almost any game I can think of. Create a heavy armored archer that can shock their enemies with lightening? Practical no, possible yes. Also whenever I create a new character I can complete a faction storyline and do any of the hundreds of quests in almost any order I want to. You never have the same experience twice in Skyrim.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?I can't decide on a certain story moment that I have ever played so I will pick one that I have played recently. This scene from the first level of Halo 2 really moved me the first time I saw it. In Halo 1 the elites were a gruesome, almost unstoppable force that you were against. I never felt any sympathy for a member of the Covenant before that scene. The Arbiter's lack of armor and the scream he lets out makes you think of the elites differently. This scene is perfect for introducing the player to the Arbiter, it opens up the whole other side of the story that you didn't get to experience in Halo 1.

Why you gotta be like that?Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.

The real question is why did you have to make these questions so good, I feel the need to respond to them.

Choose one. Explain your choice.Red. The reasons behind actions and experiences never ceases to amaze me. And who could turn down spending more time with Morpheus? He has to be one of the most interesting characters to come out of a movie.

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?Playstation 1. Spyro The Dragon. I always had trouble with the last world, the sound of the certain enemies on that world give a very weird sense of nostalgia. Do you remember that kid that you hated and you felt like you owned the world when you said a great comeback to him in front of everybody? Kind of like that. My brother had to help me out with certain levels on that world too, those are some good memories.

Awesome job with the reverse Mailsack developers, and DeeJ, I had a great time answering the questions.


[Edited on 05.09.2012 2:20 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:14 PM PDT

@spawn031

"So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves, so it's gratifying to have something you have done linger in people's memories." John Williams

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Jumping out of airplanes. No, seriously - I'm talking skydiving every summer. It's a blast and I highly recommend it to anyone!

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Magic 2012. Yes it's an Xbox Live arcade game, but I love to play Magic with friends on and offline. It's a winner in my book.

Why you gotta be like that?
Don't ask me, Achronos was the guy that went AFK. The timing was perfect.

Choose one. Explain your choice.
The one side effect of the blue pill is that you get a Mythic Member title. So by law, Mythic isn't just a title, it's a lifestyle.

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
Nintendo NES for me. Favorite game had to be the split Mario Brothers/Duck Hunt. Granted I was only 5 at the time, still amazing for the 90's :)

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
Gameboy. Yep, the original one.

  • 05.09.2012 1:14 PM PDT

Xbox LIVE gamertag: Dat3lessNutella
Steam username: TopWargamer
To look up my Halo stats...search for the gamertag TopWargamer.
SAVED THREAD PAGES: 283
One does not simply get rid of TopWargamer so easily.
You know this to be true.
ALL HAIL GABEN

What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
Ben-Hur
Robinson Crusoe

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Play other games.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Skyrim

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
I've played a ton of awesome games over the years, and the one that I am about to say is not my favorite, but it did have the most impact on me.

You know how in some games (mainly RPGs) you make decisions and then you can go back on them and screw over a person? Ya...well, in Fable III I had to do just that. It was the only game that I have played that actually made me feel bad about not being able to keep the promises to my friends in the game.

Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
Cry? No
Feel some emotions? Yes

Why you gotta be like that?
An awesome Bnet member? Comes naturally.

Choose one. Explain your choice.
Red because I like it when people tell me the truth....no matter how harsh it is. My favorite color is blue though.

Kirk or Picard? And why?
Kirk
Why? Here's why:
He's the original Enterprise captain.
He does awesome commercials.
That hair....

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
I enjoy playing across every genre to see what is out there, and the differences between games. Also for the story and gameplay.

Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?
Risk

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
My first game system ever was a Game Boy Advanced. My first ever video was Super Mario Bros. 3 (which was obviously for that Game Boy Advanced).

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Yes, but if the bomb blows up, blame Stosh.

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
Nintendo 64

Who is your best and worst villain?
Best: Any villain (in this case boss) from Wolfenstein
Worst: Anything from the Terminator Salvation game

Can you sing the theme to Sea Hunt without cheating on the Intertubes? (upload video proof - link it here)
That would be a big "Ah hell no!"

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
There's way to many.....

[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:26 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:24 PM PDT

Posted by:ScubaToaster
Posted by: HipiO7
This man, this man right here put it so eloquently that I actually cancelled my own 2000+ word long post.
/slow clap for respect


:)
The person who said participating is important, not winning, obviously never won anything.

What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
In The Name Of God by G.H. Guarch. Fantastic historical novel about how the radicalization of islam took place.

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
I bodyboard. Which makes me special because I'm the only person who bodyboards here on B.net.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
This no doubt

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Me and a friend on Citadel in Halo 3 took on a 2 vs 6 match and one. Two of the opposing team members quit during the match because we were winning. That or clean dodging a spartan laser with a Banshee by rolling.

Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
No. But the most emotional would be the mid cutscene of Cortana in Halo 3 where Chief got to Cortana. Also the ending of Bioshock 2. Loved it. The music was amazing in both scenes.

Why you gotta be like that?
Because I'm a hardass and I'm not afraid of nothing.

Choose one. Explain your choice.
Blue.
Because Stosh.

Kirk or Picard? And why?
Columbus because he made his crew eat the ships ropes before discovering america.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games?
Because some of them are better than most movies, and have better music than most artists. They allow you to lose yourself in worlds that could never exist. They bring out that child part in us that we lose with time.

Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?
wat

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
That I can remember, the SNES (which I still have and play). I'd have to say... Super Mario World.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?
Not until you guys fix the grav hammer and make it fair.

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
I'd probably go with the Gamecube or the Gameboy Color.

Who is your best and worst villain?
I'm 12 and what is this

Can you sing the theme to Sea Hunt without cheating on the Intertubes? (upload video proof - link it here)
Lolno

[quote]What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?[/url]
Warthog Launch.

Does that count as non Halo?

  • 05.09.2012 1:27 PM PDT

Key


Posted by: DeeJ
What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
The Harry Potter novels. They're vastly underrated by the majority of adults but it really is an amazing story to go through from beginning to end without reading other books in between. Especially on a second, third, fourth, fifth read-through you can see all these plot devices that J.K. Rowling clearly had set up from the beginning and all these subtle clues as to the fates of certain characters, plot points, etc. that seem to be nothing more than a detail in the story at first glance.



When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?*obligatory joke about how I have intercourse with Foman's mother in my free time*



What was your 2011 game of the year?Portal 2. It's better than the original in every sense of the phrase except perhaps because it has not spawned any widely used internet memes other than maybe the "Space!"-core.



What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?Probably the final battle in Kingdom Hearts (the original). Not for any particular reason in relation to the atmosphere of it all, the gameplay, etc. but it was a game I used to play with my dad on a regular basis before he moved away. It's nice to be able to reflect back on it.

Warning, I'm about to go off on a bit of a tangent but it all relates back to WHY this is my most memorable moment in a video game.

Strictly gameplay-wise though (so you can get that valuable market research you want out of this question :P), I would probably have to go with winning my first Civilization game. I had been playing for about a year (as a 12 year old) and had never been able to win. Being able to fine-tune my "battle strategy" (or anything else, really) bit by bit and visibly be able to see my progress as over time I was going from finish 10th overall to finishing 6th, 5th, 4th, and so on.

Being able to have a really satisfying (and consistently satisfying) pay-off for hard work, and customizing to the point of having a "thing" that's literally all your own is one of the most gratifying things in any video game. But at the same time, if you feel as if your hard work is making the game easy, this isn't good.

The point of getting better at the game is not to get to the point where it becomes laughably easy and you have to impose "House Rules" on yourself to make it fun after a while (E.G. beating a whole game with only handguns, or only melee attacks). A good game never gets too dreadfully easy. A great game is always fun to play no matter how good you are at it. The perfect game scales itself or has a complex scale for the player (see Civilization) so that they can make the game harder and harder as they see themselves getting better and better so that it virtually never loses any playability due to its apparent ease-of-completion.


Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?I can't say it has. It's not that I'm unable to shed a tear at visual media (TV, Movies, Video Games), it's just that I've never been invested in a character or franchise from the beginning to the end. I've always either come in halfway through (Halo) or not seen the series to its conclusion or the point that it's at today or skipped games in between (Assassin's Creed; Final Fantasy). I'd need to play every game in a row (without other games in the middle, that is) so that I don't forget characters or stop caring. To give it the effect of being movie-like where I'm getting all the information and background all at once.



Choose one. Explain your choice. The one on the right. It's the side of my dominant hand and if reaching for the pill is a clever rouse to get me to lower my defenses and subsequently be attacked, I will have my dominant and stronger arm out ready to parry any incoming attack.


Reach deep now. Why do you play games? Several reason. Not the least of which is for a release. A chance to get away from my everyday life. I don't mean this in an escapist, "Second Life" sort of way. I don't have a terrible life or anything like that that I necessarily need to escape from, nor do I feel any need to plunge myself into a virtual world and substitute any part of it for bits of my real life. All I mean is that video games are a bit of a detachment from dealing with the real world in the same way that TV was in the 90s, radio was in the 40s, books were in the 19th century, and sex was before that.

Another reason is the gratification of success. Why do NFL players do a jig in the endzone after scoring a touchdown? Why do Swedish soccer players pretend they're Real Big fish (that's "Real", not "Reel") and celebrate in extravagant ways after scoring a goal? Why are we happy when we do well on a test concerning a topic we couldn't care less about (apart from it meaning your grade is now higher)? Because we as humans constantly seek pleasure. No, not like that. Well, I guess like that but that's not what I meant. Succeeding at something brings about a reasonable amount of cerebral pleasure. In other words: people get happy when they win.

The same is true for video games. Consider franchises like Madden or FIFA or any other sports game. You can constantly succeed in those games even if it isn't necessarily getting a point towards your overall goal of winning that game. You can make the perfect through-pass. You can make a perfect run play. You can slide tackle someone who was on a break away. The list goes on.

The same is true for shooters and any other game where you kill people. While the point of a game of Team Slayer might be to get more points overall than your opponent to win the game, you get little "wins" and successes along the way. Out-BR-ing someone in Halo. Sniping someone in Call of Duty. Getting a critical hit in Pokemon. These are all little successes that can be distributed rapidly over short periods of time to get someone to keep playing a game. The more successful they are, the happier they get. The happier they get, the more they'll want to keep being happy. To do so, they'll keep playing the game and coming back for more.

Supply and demand at its most basic.



Favorite Pen & Paper RPG, and why?The Game of Life because nobody but me knows that it is one. Shhh! It's a secret!



What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?Game Boy Color. Pokemon Blue. I loved the hell out of that game as a 4-5 year old. I remember being so proud beating the Elite Four with nothing but Blastoise the first time through. I was the proverbial -blam!-.
f

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?Welp.. there goes my essay on Pokemon. (Misread question.)

Best SYSTEM? So far? The PS2. It had the widest variety of games, the best exclusives, and was the most widely used. Xbox took a small corner of the market-pie, Gamecube a slightly bigger corner, and the PS2 just stole the rest away.

Granted, Microsoft and Nintendo learned from Sony and both ended up making better, more versatile consoles than Sony in the next generation, but the PS2 takes the cake... er, pie.



Who is your best and worst villain?
Best Villain: This is going to be a cheap one, but I find the best villains are the ones you don't know are villains. The best villains are ones who seem to be your best friend but are actually revealed to be the villain. However, this cannot be through some contrived plot point. Like I said earlier about the plot points in Harry Potter, I should be able to go back in hindsight, look at everything that character has done with their ulterior motive in mind, and understand why they did what they did while at the same time not suspecting anything malicious at the time that they initially did it.

Worst Villain: As a stark contrast to the one above, blatantly obvious and obnoxious villains are incredibly annoying and are the bane of many a great series. Even obnoxious villains can be okay, but it's when a villain is SUPPOSED to be obscure or we're SUPPOSED to not know they're a villain and it's painfully obvious.

I don't mind dramatic irony when an audience member or gamer knows they're a villain, but the visual media (show, movie, game) doesn't have to spell it out for us (close ups of people, unnecessary shifty eyes, blatant tells, etc.). Let us figure it out ourselves and if we should already know, don't make the other characters idiots by making them not realize the blatantly obvious.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 2:11 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:27 PM PDT
  •  | 
  • Fabled Mythic Member

R.I.P. DeathPimp. Never Ending Respect.

"Posted by: Kickimanjaro
I'm trying to become an '04, but it's not working too well."


Posted by: DeeJ
When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Drink, Eat, Work. *not in that order.

I currently work at a cool place called REI (Recreational Equipment Incorporated). This job has honestly changed my life almost as much as Halo did back when i was 13. I've met so many awesome people and learned how to do tons of things just to get a greater understanding of the products we sell. My most recent endeavor was to Joshua Tree, where i learned how to Boulder and Rock Climb. It was an absolute blast! It's one thing to spend 20 hours infront of a TV mashing on buttons, but to actually test finger strength on the tiniest fragment of graphite while climbing on an overhang? Absolutely exhilarating.

  • 05.09.2012 1:28 PM PDT

- Dragon Ball/Z/GT and it's merchandise are awesome.
- All "abriged" parodies are hilarious.
- Humanity, as a whole, is stupid.
- I have asperger's syndrome
- This is the best used 20 seconds of your life
- Official helper to the Halo: Reach - The Armor You'll Be Wearing This Fall! Thread

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?
Thinking, dissucussing, and dissecting (about) halo and the universe you concoted for it, mainly. I really hate to answer the question like that, but that's the truth. Other things include:

-Reading
-Playing other video games (BF3 currently) 
-Arguing with people on the internet
- Making things in 3DS Max, PS, GIMP, Invenor, and Sculptris
- Trying to use the above 3d/2d assets to make a video game. I say trying because I'm really the only person working on it right now. In other words, no code.

What was your 2011 game of the year?
Minecraft.
There really isn't any other cannidate; In my opnion, the GOTY has to be so entirely great that it must outshine every other game in every genre, it must be so far reaching it becomes a part of gaming culture itself. 

It may not objectivly or subjectivly the best game of 2011, but it was without question the most notable.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?
Do you mean a story about something that we did or that happened in a game, or the most memeorable event in a game's story? If it's the latter see my answer to the next question; but here's the former

Anyways, my friend was praticing for a MLG match in MW2 on Rust with his teamates. I, being bored, wanting to play, said that i'd win with 0 deaths using only the throwing knife. My friend hands me the controller and smirks, unaware of the impending carnage that would take place. I see a guy run right at me. I throw the knife, and the game lags, causing him to teleport 5 feet to the left... 

With the knife sticking out of his face. Sure enough, I go 30 and 7 with only the throwing knife, handed him back the controller, got up and walked away from the ensuing explosion of pure awesome in slow motion.

An honorable mention: Halo 2 customs was without a doubt the most fun experiernce i've ever had, There's no single moment or game I can think of that sticks out. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, and most importantly...


Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry?
Though The legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask did not make me cry, it has impacted me far more than any other person, thing or event in my life. Even my intense passion and encylopoepic knowledge of Halo and it's canon, pales in comparsion to how I feel about Majoras Mask.

The game masters the use the atomphere: The entire game, from the name of the setting (Termina), to the music, to the time of it's intended release all oozed a sense of impending doom and felt like a surreal dream. You litterally had a constant reminder of doom looming over your head, inching closer and closer every second. Every (in game) 12 hours the game greets you to the welcoming message of how much of the 72 hour time limit you had left. Every day and the last few hours and minutes cause a change of music and the mood of the npcs from cheery, to gloomy and worrysome, to a rushed panic and eerie tone, To a somber, but creepy and eerie mood with bells and otherworldly noises, and finally turning into full out horror, filled with anguish, and chaotic insanity.

As I implied, the npcs also react and move about the town and have different schedules depending on the day and time. This means that, no matter how much you try, you can NEVER save everyone in the game: somone always suffers at the sadistic hand of the game's villian, which makes Ganon look like a priest. 

Here's something written by someone else which manages to cover it in less than a page far better than I can. 

People argue about if games are art, but for me, Majora's Mask is not merely the prime example of games as an art form, but as art, in any medium, period. It cannot be expressed, explained, measured, or objectified properly, it is entirely subjective: THAT is art.

  • 05.09.2012 1:32 PM PDT

When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun?Simple! Bungie.net.

Why you gotta be like that?Wat.

Choose one. Explain your choice.Neither. There isare no spoon. I mean no red or blue pills.

Kirk or Picard? And why?Neither. Sheldon, is better.

Reach deep now. Why do you play games? It's something I really enjoy doing. And a challenge. Challenges are good for teh soul.

If we built the stadium, would you enter a real world Grifball tournament?Depends on if I am wearing enough pillows.

In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?XBOX360. End of story. :)

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?Hmmmm. I would have to say Advent Rising. I don't why but I've always like it.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 2:08 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:39 PM PDT

For Carnage Apply Within

They think that they have pacified Ireland. They think that they have purchased half of us and intimidated the other half. They think that they have foreseen everything, think that they have provided against everything; but the fools, the fools, the fools! — they have left us our Fenian dead, and while Ireland holds these graves, Ireland unfree shall never be at peace
-Pádraig Anraí Mac Piarais

What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend?
I'm currently reading The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?.
I would suggest them both.


What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?
The original Gameboy,and Super Mario World. Every level found, Bowser beaten, over 300 lives, and working towards getting every Yoshi coin. U jelly. I feel it.

What was your favorite non-Halo Bungie game, and why?
Myth II: Soulblighter is my favorite Bungie game, period. Because it has an amazing storyline, and gameplay. Nothing else to it; it rocks.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:46 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:46 PM PDT

KOTOR Click on the link or else!

Mechwarrior Online




What good books (besides the Halo novels) have you been reading lately that you would recommend? LOTR



When you aren't playing Halo or dreaming about what we're concocting, what do you do for fun? Read.

What was your 2011 game of the year? Skyrim




Has playing a game narrative (story, characters, etc.) ever caused you to cry? No.



Why you gotta be like that?
I wish I knew





Kirk or Picard? And why?
Spock.



In your opinion, what's the best video game system of all time?
PC


Who is your best and worst villain?
Best: Thrawn
Worst: Loki








[Edited on 05.09.2012 1:51 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:51 PM PDT

"Except we, we're the zebras. All fenced in...and ready for the slaughter!"

||S-fen Knee-cheh
||19th Shock Troops Battalion

What good books have you been reading lately that you would recommend?

I haven't had the time recently to read a novel, my focus has been on my calculus textbook. I highly recommend taking the course and reading the assigned textbook. The applications of calculus are incredibly far reaching and profound. To anyone who is interested in mathematics, I also recommend you visit this site. It contains detailed notes from Algebra all the way to Differential Equations.

The last series of novels I read was the "Enders Quartet" by Orson Scott Card. I highly recommend the series to science fiction fans. His portrayal of sentient beings and resultant question "what is life?" is quite amazing. Additionally, the coming of age of Ender is quite amazing. My only complaint is that there are a few chapters in the third installment that are very underwhelming.

What's your most memorable story moment from any game you've played, ever, and why?

"I will have my revenge. On a Prophet, not a plague!"

What was your first game system, and what was your favorite game on that system?

PC - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 3D.

[Edited on 05.09.2012 2:12 PM PDT]

  • 05.09.2012 1:51 PM PDT