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This topic has moved here: Subject: Should the Bungie update be done away with?
  • Subject: Should the Bungie update be done away with?

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."

I fail to see how you think this site is a marketing site. The least intereting parts of this site are the "product info" pages.

I really don't care what you think this site is for - I know what it is designed for. Here is the marketing site for Halo 3: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/.

Bungie.net is not about selling Halo. It is about supporting our community. The only thing we're "selling" around here is "Bungie." While the games are important, there is very little we can do here to sell the games: if you're visiting bungie.net, you likely are already planning on getting Halo 3 because your a fan, or you're here to complain about something in Halo 2.

Now, I'm sorry we don't meet your weekly update expectations. But you are creating those expectations based off of an incorrect assumption, that being that there is a bunch we're ready to talk about regarding Halo 3. When there is (and you'll know exactly when, trust me), we'll start opening up just a crack. But the reason we don't list dates for such things is precisely because lots of things are not under our direct control. That's life. Deal with it, or don't. But we're not going to change how we think of the updates because you have a incorrect assumption.

  • 10.11.2006 2:15 PM PDT
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Posted by: Rant
Ok, MS/Bungie stated that the movie would be available 2007.

No they didn't. 2007 was what everyone else is/was guessing.

  • 10.11.2006 2:18 PM PDT

Frank O'Connor is a 12-year veteran of the videogame magazine industry and has therefore never worked an honest day in his life.

I'll just answer in line, instead of quoting

Again, that doesn't mean RIGHT NOW. 5 months? In terms of game development, that's just about right.
interesting enough 2 weeks after that halo 3 was announced. Regular fans would expect the weekly updates to go back to normal if Frankie had said soon enough and halo 3 was announced

- The "big people" called it off. What's so hard to understand? Movies take even longer than games, for the most part. What kind of info do you expect? Just wait. You're in some rush to get Halo movie info? It's only been... Oh, about 5 months again. That's not that bad, considering what we're talking about here.
[b] I am not mad about the lack of halo movie news. I am angry that xbox.com can post it. MS can state it but bungie can't mention it....isn't that weird considering it's there movie?

Nowhere did they say non-Halo 3. This is correct. However, they also never said it would be Halo 3. I see, your expectations turned out to be set too high. That's your own fault, no fault of Bungie's.
But bungie has stated many times that there only project is halo 3. So you see where people would pick that up. Not only that but KP came though and said we made it clear that it wasn't halo 3 news. no they didn't. If they did anything they hyped everyone up thinking it was halo 3 news

[Edited on 10/11/2006]

  • 10.11.2006 2:19 PM PDT
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Posted by: Noob A Manjar0
I am not mad about the lack of halo movie news. I am angry that xbox.com can post it. MS can state it but bungie can't mention it....isn't that weird considering it's there movie

It's not "Bungie's movie". It's the movie of the studio's. Or Blomkamp's film, if you will. Even though Bungie might be involved, that doesn't mean it's theirs. Just like Halo Wars isn't Bungie's game, even though they might be/are involved.

  • 10.11.2006 2:24 PM PDT

Frank O'Connor is a 12-year veteran of the videogame magazine industry and has therefore never worked an honest day in his life.

Posted by: Achronos
I fail to see how you think this site is a marketing site. The least intereting parts of this site are the "product info" pages.

I really don't care what you think this site is for - I know what it is designed for. Here is the marketing site for Halo 3: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/.

Bungie.net is not about selling Halo. It is about supporting our community. The only thing we're "selling" around here is "Bungie." While the games are important, there is very little we can do here to sell the games: if you're visiting bungie.net, you likely are already planning on getting Halo 3 because your a fan, or you're here to complain about something in Halo 2.

Now, I'm sorry we don't meet your weekly update expectations. But you are creating those expectations based off of an incorrect assumption, that being that there is a bunch we're ready to talk about regarding Halo 3. When there is (and you'll know exactly when, trust me), we'll start opening up just a crack. But the reason we don't list dates for such things is precisely because lots of things are not under our direct control. That's life. Deal with it, or don't. But we're not going to change how we think of the updates because you have a incorrect assumption.

Tom your my favorite guy here. Because you post interesting long posts that require thinking. Where as everyone else would just make fun of anything like this.. I agree that this isn't marketing halo 3. But as you major game this should be the general site we come to for news on halo 3. If i go to valve i expect to get half life 2 news because thats what they are working on. If i go to Volition i plan on getting saints row news. And they do that. Now i understand that you are owned by a multi billion dollar company that dictates how you run. Thats fine. But the problem is that everyone confirms stuff before you. For example many sites and magazines have stated that halo 3 news will be here in November. When asked around here you guys say nothing. I could see one or 2 sites saying this but when a magazine ad claims it is going to Bungie studios to see halo 3 and it will be posted November 14 i would expect you guys to at least say something about it.

  • 10.11.2006 2:29 PM PDT

Frank O'Connor is a 12-year veteran of the videogame magazine industry and has therefore never worked an honest day in his life.

Posted by: just another fan
Posted by: Noob A Manjar0
I am not mad about the lack of halo movie news. I am angry that xbox.com can post it. MS can state it but bungie can't mention it....isn't that weird considering it's there movie

It's not "Bungie's movie". It's the movie of the studio's. Or Blomkamp's film, if you will. Even though Bungie might be involved, that doesn't mean it's theirs. Just like Halo Wars isn't Bungie's game, even though they might be/are involved.

they are directly involved with it. Frankie has made this very clear. They made sure the writer was good and fit what they needed it to fit. And Joe seems to be gone alot to work on Movie stuff. No they aren't making the movie. But they are far more involved than xbox.com(where the news was posted) in general.

  • 10.11.2006 2:32 PM PDT

It was a cold day near the southern base in Blood Gulch. Cortana and I were relaxing over a game of Go Fish, WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE 700 BANSHEES CAME FLYING IN!!! I GRABED MY SPARTAN LASER AND LET HELL REIGN DOWN UPON THEM. I HOPPED IN THE NEAREST WARTHOG AND TOLD CORTANA TO GET IN.

Posted by: Rant
Dont be mad for what youre known for now. Youre not selling Myst shirts. Youre selling Chief shirts.

Why on earth would Bungie sell Myst shirts? Or even Myth shirts, at that? They sold Myth to Take 2, and they had absolutely nothing to do with Myst. -_-

And, call me crazy, but I see Bungie as more then Halo. In fact, I see them not as Halo at all, but as a group of people. Bungie is a game studio. Halo is the game they are producing. Nothing more. They produced Marathon before this, and they will come up with something new after Halo is forgotten. I don't see any company as their product.

[Edited on 10/11/2006]

  • 10.11.2006 2:38 PM PDT
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Doesn't change a thing. Like Tom said, Bungie.net is about selling Bungie. Not the games or the movie. Halo 2 for instance, got Halo2.com, which was a site for marketing purposes. And I'm pretty sure the movie will get something like halothemovie.com or something along those lines. Bungie.net and xbox.com are two very different things. How the xbox guys want to run their site is up to them. If Bungie.net really was about selling the products, I'm pretty confident that the domain would have been Bungie.com rather than net.
Also, I wouldn't be surprised if MS did got permission to post something on their website[/i] and Bungie didn't. Contracts can be strange things.

Posted by: Noob A Manjar0
they are directly involved with it. Frankie has made this very clear. They made sure the writer was good and fit what they needed it to fit. And Joe seems to be gone alot to work on Movie stuff. No they aren't making the movie. But they are far more involved than xbox.com(where the news was posted) in general.

  • 10.11.2006 2:41 PM PDT
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Posted by: Rant
Posted by: Achronos
I fail to see how you think this site is a marketing site. The least intereting parts of this site are the "product info" pages.

I really don't care what you think this site is for - I know what it is designed for. Here is the marketing site for Halo 3: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/.

Bungie.net is not about selling Halo. It is about supporting our community. The only thing we're "selling" around here is "Bungie." While the games are important, there is very little we can do here to sell the games: if you're visiting bungie.net, you likely are already planning on getting Halo 3 because your a fan, or you're here to complain about something in Halo 2.

Now, I'm sorry we don't meet your weekly update expectations. But you are creating those expectations based off of an incorrect assumption, that being that there is a bunch we're ready to talk about regarding Halo 3. When there is (and you'll know exactly when, trust me), we'll start opening up just a crack. But the reason we don't list dates for such things is precisely because lots of things are not under our direct control. That's life. Deal with it, or don't. But we're not going to change how we think of the updates because you have a incorrect assumption.


OK first off this was a Devil's advocate question, because whether you noticed or not alot of threads sprang up complaining about the content or quality of the updates. Secondly, if anyone has an incorrect assumption about what the updates are about thats something Bungie should clarify. You cant blame the people who come to know about the game youre making. There was a post above that stated how the updates changed when a game was coming out as opposed to afterward. That makes sense. Especially if youre trying to sell the product and promote it. You can be as popular as all get out and it wont matter if people dont know when youre game is coming out or what it looks like etc.

Alright, it looks like you need some sense talked into you. Just check back in the last two years since Halo 2 was released. They didn't give any info for nearly 2 years! Now you know that Halo 3 is coming out and you think that suddenly Bungie should be pouring information out to you. That's not how it works and it never has been. Sure, some of the updates are less funny now, but they're no less informative than any of the other updates.

And then you go and say "We're not selling Halo. We're selling Bungie". Try to understand this. To the majority of people NOW there is no difference baby. Youre one in the same. You got the mega franchise every developer strives for. You reached the masses. Dont be mad for what youre known for now. Youre not selling Myst shirts. Youre selling Chief shirts. Youre satisfying people's grunty thirst right? You want to say its not a marketing site fine. Like you said you know what the site was built for. But you cant change how others view the site. Or the updates. If it wasnt meant to be a marketing site, guess what? It turned into one.
You keep on talking about the "majority of the people" as if you represent them. That's a very big assumption, and very wrong. You have to understand that Bungie.net has always catered to its fans, not its buyers. Just look at the site. Look at what you're posting. It's cool looking, it's fast and easy to use, and it hundreds of thousands of users on it. If this isn't a site built for the community, then I don't know what is.

You need two things:

1. An attitude check. Just because you have a different opinion, doesn't mean you can treat others like dirt.

2. Patience. Bungie always gives us information on this site as soon as, or even before, it comes out on other websites. They are also known for being one of the most secretive developers of all time. You think they'll give up that claim just because some kid (or adult) comes whining to them about lack of information?


You can argue all you want, but in the end, this site is not about Halo 3. There's a Forum for that topic, not a whole website.

  • 10.11.2006 2:42 PM PDT
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I think the Bungie Weekly Update should be done away with it. If it's going to suck, then don't do it at all.

Posted by: Achronos
I fail to see how you think this site is a marketing site. The least intereting parts of this site are the "product info" pages.

I really don't care what you think this site is for - I know what it is designed for. Here is the marketing site for Halo 3: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/.

Bungie.net is not about selling Halo. It is about supporting our community. The only thing we're "selling" around here is "Bungie." While the games are important, there is very little we can do here to sell the games: if you're visiting bungie.net, you likely are already planning on getting Halo 3 because your a fan, or you're here to complain about something in Halo 2.

Now, I'm sorry we don't meet your weekly update expectations. But you are creating those expectations based off of an incorrect assumption, that being that there is a bunch we're ready to talk about regarding Halo 3. When there is (and you'll know exactly when, trust me), we'll start opening up just a crack. But the reason we don't list dates for such things is precisely because lots of things are not under our direct control. That's life. Deal with it, or don't. But we're not going to change how we think of the updates because you have a incorrect assumption.


That is a lie. This site promotes Bungie games and merchandise, therefore it is about making money. The "community" is just a marketing tool. People in the community love the Bungie community, so they buy Bungie stuff.

[Edited on 10/11/2006]

  • 10.11.2006 2:49 PM PDT
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Posted by: Gargantuan
I think the Bungie Weekly Update should be done away with it. If it's going to suck, then don't do it at all.

WU's suckage is entirely up to you. If you go their looking for information, it will suck. If you go there understanding the people behind it and the fact that they write these updates for our enjoyment, you may find more humor in them than you thought. I personally loved the last update, merely for the fact that it was two guys bantering back and forth pointlessly. That may not be your bowl of soup, but hey, if you want more, look at IGN or Gametrailers and wait until they have some info. on Halo 3. Just don't try and force Bungie to stop making weekly updates that many people enjoy. You do know that you don't have to read them right?

[Edited on 10/11/2006]

  • 10.11.2006 2:52 PM PDT

Just wondering, Rant, do you consider yourself part of this community? I'll overlook the huge coincidence of your username and pasttime being the same.

Note that an argument is not simple contradiction. Once a point has been disproven by authoritative information, you can't use it anymore. It becomes invalid. Repeating invalid points just causes ill will toward yourself. Stop saying the same things like it's new or valid, because it's neither at this point.

All points worth arguing in this thread have been addressed and we reached a solution to this problem long ago. Stop reading the updates and they no longer exist to you.

Why must you insist that your will be arbitrarily forced onto others in someone else's territory? Why do you even feel the need to push the issue when it's obviously not going to go your way or even be influenced by what you think?

And in closing, I know you are but what am I?

  • 10.11.2006 3:16 PM PDT
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Or better yet, if you don't like the WU then *gasp!* don't read it... Bungie isn't forcing you to read about Marty's incredibly awesome work-day.... Some of us find it funny and amusing...

  • 10.11.2006 3:19 PM PDT

It was a cold day near the southern base in Blood Gulch. Cortana and I were relaxing over a game of Go Fish, WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE 700 BANSHEES CAME FLYING IN!!! I GRABED MY SPARTAN LASER AND LET HELL REIGN DOWN UPON THEM. I HOPPED IN THE NEAREST WARTHOG AND TOLD CORTANA TO GET IN.

I don't follow. First off, they arne't attacking your character because of your quesiton, but because of how you argue your point. Big difference. Second, I see nothing wrong with "If you don't like it, don't read it." Bungie produces a newsletter of what's new in their office. Your thread is very different. You're asking Bungie to change something, with a little "your thoughts" at the end. That's the kicker. You're doing this hoping for critisism. They're doing updates because they feel like it['s something they should do for the community.

  • 10.11.2006 3:57 PM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

I'm still trying to figure out how this thread got to 4 pages.

Let me put it this way: When a BWU meets your expectations, which seem to be a WU loaded with Halo 3 info, you'll know. News of it will spread around the Internet like wildfire. Until then, don't read them.

Yes, the BWU is for the community, but it's not written by the community, nor do they have creative control of it. If they did, we'd know everything about Halo 3 already.

Sure, I'd like to see some more Halo 3 info, but I can think of one good reason why there isn't any. That is, the content that is fit to be shown might not make it into the final game, therefore repeating Bungie's past woes of "broken promises" and such. Sure, Bungie can say that none of it is final, but the majority of Halo fans aren't very bright, and they'll start menstruating if something doesn't make the final cut.

That being said, I can live without it. I waited for damn near two years for a piece of info on Halo 2, so I'm used to it.

On the subject of this being a "marketing site"....Bungie is owned by Microsoft. Using this way of thinking, that the BWU was used to promote the Zune(if there was a Mister Chief wallpaper on an iPod, it probably would have been there), you might as well say that Halo 3 is being made only to promote the Xbox 360. It's using the same logic. Or like Recon's example, that Halo 2 Vista is only to promote Vista. I'll bet the people who think like this are the same people that use stupid terms like "M$" and "Micro$oft".

Honestly, Bungie doesn't need to use this site for marketing. They're one of the most, if not the most, heavily scrutinized game developers in the world. Same with Microsoft. You think they need to really promote a new Windows OS? If they did, they wouldn't have to use Halo to do it, as Windows is the most widely used OS.

[Edited on 10/11/2006]

  • 10.11.2006 4:29 PM PDT
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My friend, you would not tell with ſuch high zeſt
To children ardent for ſome deſperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum eſt
Pro patria mori.

I'm sorry, but having read this thread I've now got the strangest sense of déjà vu.

  • 10.11.2006 4:32 PM PDT