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This topic has moved here: Subject: Bungie's Return to Marathon/ Project Destiny
  • Subject: Bungie's Return to Marathon/ Project Destiny
Subject: Bungie's Return to Marathon/ Project Destiny
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o hai thr

Regardless of Project Destiny or whatever secret projects Bungie has in store for the world; I would very, very much like to believe that Bungie has also scheduled to put some work into a possible new entry in the Marathon series.

Possible hope? G4TV, May 21, 2012
"The document also refers to Bungie's right to devote no more than 5% of its staff to develop an action-shooter prototype dubbed Marathon while Bungie remains under contract with Activision."

Okay, why bring back Marathon? Weren't the developers tired after taking their hands of Infinity; didn't they released the source code of all three games to the public? Why beat the dead goat even more after a decade? The thing is, I'm sure many of us young and old don't consider Marathon to be dead. It is far from it. I wasn't around to play Marathon from the Macintosh box sets, but thanks to the guys on the Aleph One dev team (amazing people who have devoted their lives to this project), I've been totally engulfed into the world of Marathon ever since I found the Marathon download link on the Universe forum. I've just recently played through Marathon 1 (after reloading countless saves) and it was worth every minute.

Halo is the juggernaut that put Bungie among the top. Marathon, however, was different. When other shooters plopped you in a killzone full of soldiers and demons, Marathon had the nerve to make the player read a novel's worth of terminals while fighting was still raging behind your back. When all the other shooters made the player feel like an overpowered badass, Marathon stripped the player of all feeling of control. (Half-Life) Not only that, instead of other human characters, Marathon focused on an eccentric - and sometimes insane - cast of artificial intelligences. (Portal) What can I say? It all worked unbelievable well.

Instead of external conflict, Marathon evolves to become a very personal story as the player character struggles with something not normally discussed in a first person shooter: the guilt of killing and destruction, and the hopelessness of being used as a tool. For this same reason, I was very interested in playing Halo: ODST. Every time the Rookie holstered his gun and wistfully examined the stuff his comrades left behind, I could connect with him.

The Security Officer

Bungie, please do not consider this as a plea to speed up development when you guys are already working your butts off trying to bring us something new. This is merely but a hopeful wish that Marathon will be revisited sometime in the future.

I'll join those planetside waiting for another epic tale of spilling guts and rampant AI's. Apparently, they're not the only ones waiting, either, right?

Hopefully, maybe we'll see each other starside once more.

[Edited on 06.08.2012 4:04 PM PDT]

  • 06.08.2012 12:43 AM PDT
Subject: Bungie's Return to Marathon
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  • Exalted Legendary Member

Sorry mate but this was reported a couple of weeks back, Marathon was confirmed but we don't know when it will be out especially as Bungie are allowed only 5% of their staff to work on it.

  • 06.08.2012 7:06 AM PDT

Roll the dice, try again.

The thing is, I'm sure many of us young and old don't consider Marathon to be dead. It is far from it.
This is absolutely true. The thing is that since very little of Bungie's team can actually work on that game, we can't really even put an estimated release date for it. Marathon's story does have significance to the world of Halo, it's just Bungie became more known for the Halo Franchise than any of their earlier games.

  • 06.08.2012 7:26 AM PDT

I am by far too young to have played Marathon in any iteration up until a few years ago when I 'discovered' it for myself; finding the Marathon Logo on the butt of the AR in Halo 3, long before I became a member on the bnet, this motivated me to find out more, and so on. I regularly fire up Aleph One and play, but only there I find myself lonely and without the motivation to further play due to the limited level design and textures.

I also have Durandal on XBLA and enjoyed that, performing far better and actually being able to complete it (as I suck bad at PC gaming, only recently have I passed the 3rd level of M1).

I very much feel there is still a ton of potential for a 3D counterpart and further development on story and gameplay, I would love for Bungie to know how much any generation can become interested in a franchise as 'old' as this one, and that it should be brought to attention and made better than the oldies.

This new Marathon you speak of in the contract, I would very, very much like to see and I'm looking forward to even the first details.

  • 06.08.2012 10:51 AM PDT
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o hai thr

Regarding Destiny:
The first "Destiny" game will be Microsoft-exclusive and will be built for the 360 as well as the next generation of Xbox, which the contract called the "Xbox 720." Later games are planned as cross-platform releases, and will be playable on the successor to the PlayStation 3 and on PC.

All the games are planned to be rated "T," and ancillary material like books and/or films (if any) will be approved by Bungie.

This is from the G4TV article I linked to earlier. Destiny being expected to receive a "T" rating somehow makes me skeptical. That being said, I consider Battlefield: Bad Company a gem and that's rated "T". It was insanely fun blowing up whatever with friends until the map looked like the surface of the moon. A "T" rated game will have no blood whatsoever, with very few exceptions.

I am intrigued as to how Bungie will pull off their main assignment from Activision. A complex and satisfying story may be expected (it is Bungie, after all). However, I believe the game mechanics will have to be drastically different or include many new elements should this game escape being overshadowed by Halo.

  • 06.08.2012 4:04 PM PDT

Glory and fame, blood is our name!
Souls full of thunder, hearts of steel!
Killers of men, a warrior's friend!
Sworn to avenge our fallen brothers!
Sons of the gods, today we shall die.
Open Valhalla's door!
Let the battle begin, with swords in the wind! Hail Gods of War!


Posted by: wcd45
Sorry mate but this was reported a couple of weeks back, Marathon was confirmed but we don't know when it will be out especially as Bungie are allowed only 5% of their staff to work on it.


I thought they split from MS to do things their way. Now they're being regulated by Activision?

  • 06.08.2012 9:01 PM PDT
Subject: Bungie's Return to Marathon/ Project Destiny
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o hai thr


Posted by: GhostLink2401

Posted by: wcd45
Sorry mate but this was reported a couple of weeks back, Marathon was confirmed but we don't know when it will be out especially as Bungie are allowed only 5% of their staff to work on it.


I thought they split from MS to do things their way. Now they're being regulated by Activision?

They do still have to partner up with a publishing house so they could acquire funds to make their game. Activision would also do most of the ad campaigning and PR, but Bungie supposedly now retains more control on making the actual game. That being said, Bungie is still bound by contract to Activision to deliver results. Not surprising. I would have expected a big company like Activision to work with contracts rather than get involved in the nitty gritty. Perhaps Bungie also prefers it this way as well.

If you ask me, Activision still has the tendency to cut corners for the sake of making money. Bungie and Rockstar make a better pair IMHO.

[Edited on 06.08.2012 11:41 PM PDT]

  • 06.08.2012 10:58 PM PDT

Rain, and Jazz.
Halo: Tactical

I'm either a fool or an inteligent man, depending on how sleepy or angry I am.

I originaly made an account on 07.27.2007 but I wanted to link my GT and made this account. Don't forget your passwords!

OP has a point, though I already knew the news that was new to him.

I personaly have not gotten around to playing the Marathon games port yet. I've been meaning to though. Is it really that good?

[Edited on 06.08.2012 11:48 PM PDT]

  • 06.08.2012 11:46 PM PDT