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Hello guys glad to have these back up and running. This interview features our January 2015 MoM. This one was really fun and I think you guys will have a laugh or two reading it. Here's Ledgend: DD: "Ledgend, the King of the Thunderdome, what makes something ledgendary in your opinion?" LDG: "What makes something ledgendary? That is a good question. It's something I'd like to hear other people's opinions on, but for me... You need to be robust. You need to never be serious. You need to question the cost of a predator tank. You need to include the word pls somewhere. And you need to be given an 11/10 rating on IGN. But most importantly, you need to make sure everyone is having a good time and laughing, either with you or at you. In the case of the former, great! In the case of the latter, 1v1 me irl m8. Or you could always just change your name to "Ledgend1223" or something like that. That works too." DD: "That answer was most ledgendary indeed. 11/10 on IGN pls. Ledgend how would you describe your time since joining the forums? " LDG: "Short answer: It's been a hell of a ride. Long answer: For the first few months on the forums, I dared not venture beyond the Fan-fic section. It was there where the RP's where happening and it was there I stayed put. It was good back then, there was plenty of RPs and plenty of RPers. I really enjoyed it and I still long for a return to those days of just RPing. But after a few months, it seemed the RPs had died down. So me, being brave(plot twist) decided to venture up to the shoutbox. It was fun. I came back the next day and the next day and so on. So that's what I did on the site. RPed and Shoutbox. Sometimes I even RPed in the shoutbox. It was great, I met a lot more people. I really enjoyed it, always active and always someone to chat with. It carried on like that for another few months, until finally it seemed RPing had died off completely. So I continued to just use the Shoutbox. Maybe once in a blue moon I put my man-pants on and decided to post in a random thread. But mostly Shoutbox. So that carried on, until one day a few of us started playing SS13 together. That branched a whole other story that's insane. But anyways, after that it my time got divided. I still got on the shoutbox, but it wasn't as often as before. Eventually, there was a minor incident, but I decided to take a break due to it anyways. All I remember is that Bnus was green then. So I took a few months off from the site and then I came back. When I came back, I had actually done a bit of growing up(ledgend don't lie).I tried to restart the RPing on the site, but that didn't end well. So we remain RPless...for now. I also got much more involved in the community then before and I started taking parts in playdates. I regret not doing that earlier, those were some great fun. It's one way to really get to know members. Nothing like a game of Halo to get people talking. It was good fun while it lasted, but eventually a few things came together and destroyed my ability to play online. Lack of gold (Which was somewhat defeated by the kind donations of various forum members. Thank ye kind sires.), terrible wireless internet for my Xbox and of course the 360/Xbone community split. Still, I had managed to get through the first GFW(For the Syndicate!), so that was nice. And that brings us here, where I pretty much try to turn up and poke my head in a couple of times. Of course I do find myself involved in other things. I did a podcast, though I don't think it ever saw the light of day. It was still fun. I got made MoM. I still don't know why. But yeah...it's been a hell of a ride. inb4 "'Tl;DR'" DD: "Being MoM means you set an example for members on the site by participating frequently and livening it up a little which is exactly what you did. You didn't ask for it either, that's how it works. Podcasts are always great fun. Shame to see the long hiatus of RPs though. What do you think of the idea of more ranks for members who have been here a while?" LDG: "Well you'd think I'd be all for it considering I myself have over 215 days spent online at this point. But here's the thing, how much of that was me actually participating in the forum? I just have the tab open while I'm off playing C&C or STO. So I'm against actually having rank tied to time online just for that reason. It doesn't really require any participation or communication with the community in any way. I'd also be against having it tied to "likes". I just see that leading to a whole mess of a situation where members would actually be going at each other for not liking their content, or spamming and promoting their posts in order to get others to like it. Post count seems fine to me. It at least encourages people to participate in the forums and bring forth their ideas or opinions. I feel like the number we have right now is good, although a rank for 1000 posts (comms blue pls) wouldn't be bad either. It's a number that requires effort to get, but doesn't seem impossible. Although there's still the question of shoutbox content. While there's one side of me that would like to see some sort of rank tied to shouts, the other side of me sees it as just another form of offbeat. I mean, anything goes in the SB(within raisin). People take part in the SB for the sake of it , same as offbeat. They're doing it because they want to, not because they feel the need to get a different colour. I don't think we should change that." DD: "A good answer! I know that it's been a discussion among many for a while now and I think you gave a well thought out explanation of why it shouldn't be implemented in your opinion. Ok let's get into some funny business here. Which would you rather do: be MoM again or temporarily ban RedStarRocket for 5 minutes with no consequences?" LDG: "While pink is very stronk, I don't think anything could compare to pressing the big "BAN HE" button on Red. It'd be glorious. I predict I would receive a strongly worded letter of complaint and be taken off his christmas card list." DD: "I told you there'd be no consequence for banning him but let's see what Red has to say about you saying you'd ban him . Good answer though I like it Ledgend. What do you think of your successor in the chain of MoMs, Delpen?" LDG: "I'll start off with what my immediate reaction to the announcement was: delpen pls But srsly, I thought Delpen was MoM already, which kind of says something in itself, but I don't know what. But he's my Buddy and he'll do a fine job of doing that thing the MoM is supposed to do. I look forward to reading his MoM post *HINT HINT COUGH HINT DELPEN PLS COUGH HINT COUGH WINK COUGH HINT*" DD: " You and me both! I think he forgot about the whole MoM post thing but hopefully this will remind him. Ok from MoM to USF President now, what are your thoughts on Yoshi being our Forum President for a second term? Are you a President Yoshi fan?" LDG: "Yoshi is my bro-hammer. He's already done one fine (extremely long and somewhat marred by insurrections and rebellions) term in office, he'll have another fine term this time! I'm confident he's the best, last hope for humanity and something something darkside." DD: "I agree I think Yoshi is one of the finest Presidents our forum has ever seen. Are you aiming for a spot on Congress?" LDG: "Me? Nah, I was apparently on the previous congress and we did...uh...nothing. But srsly, best of luck to the current congress. They'll need it." DD: "I was actually part of the previous Congress as well. I swear Yoshi just did a year as President it feels like! Ledgend if you could make up your own branch of 343iCF Staff what would the position be called and what would their job be?" LDG: "I actually tried to think of something serious, I swear. But the new staff department would be called the forum merheens. They fight for honour as forum merheens, as haler playehs and they fight in the name of the Twamperah. It would be their job to go and spread the love and kindness of Twam by reking face in Halo." DD: "So like missionaries of the 343iCF? Ok I can get on board with that. Tell everyone how great Twamis by taking their face haha so Ledgend where do you see yourself on the forum a year from now? " LDG: "Banned of course. Really, I don't give much thought to things like this. It's always ends up in a crazy place. I mean, a lot can happen in a year. But I suppose if I had to say something, I'm pretty sure I would be the same old grey guy hanging out in the SB. Well I hope so anyways. There's gonna be a lot happening for me this year, so who knows where I could end up." DD: "Well it's true what they say: You either leave or you stay long enough to see yourself become a villain. I think Abraham Lincoln said that about the forums back in his day. Alright Ledgend it's been good but we're gonna have to wrap it up finally. What advice would you give to newer members joining the site reading this?" LDG: "Avoid troublemakers like Ledgend1221 and Drizzy_Doge. And really, the only piece of advice I can actually give is get involved with the community. Talk to people on the shoutbox, participate in playdates and forum games, discuss things on threads and whatever else, it's all good. But the worst thing you can do is not get involved with the community. I would've wrote something longer, but to the point is better. Also, don't start every response with a bad joke and then say "but really" or "really" or "and really"." Thanks a lot Ledgend for participating, like I said I had a really great time with this one. I know the readers and the members mentioned sure will too. Thanks all for whoever read. HAIL

Hello, my name is Mike and I am opening up a new MilSim clan on Reach soon. As of now, I am developing its structure, detail by detail. This clan will have a dress code, chain of command, rank system and possibly a competitive leaderboard. 15+ Mic required (No Kinect) Must be willing to obey dress code Must have Halo: Reach (Of course) Must be willing to contribute, better yourself and the clan At this moment, recruitment is not open but I am requesting that if you are interested please message me so that I may add you to the queue to be interviewed once recruitment IS opened. This clan will be built from the BOTTOM UP, meaning that everyone has a fair shot to rise from the bottom. There will be more training than just basic training. As the clan develops, we will participate in raids. If you are interested, please message: Stay Italian Have a nice day.

We get the voice actors of our favourite Master Chief and 343 Guilty Spark to share their views on several topics including: The Cortana App, Halo Movies, Marty O'Donell being fired from Bungie, Master Chief's emotions in Halo 5, and the difference between working for 343 Industries and Bungie. Take a look for yourself: Source: http://halo4nation.com/other/dragoncon2014-interview-with-steve-downes-and-tim-dadabo/ Thanks to Self Destruct for kindly providing me with this News.

The Anunnaki is seeking a new Co-Leader I am looking for someone who has the capability of withholding such responsibility to carry out the position of being my Co-Leader. I do have a list of responsibilities that are involved holding the position of The Anunnaki Co-Leader. The ranking system has been established. The structure- established. The HQ- established, along with 8 other clan maps. The clan code- established. Schedule- established (but can be adjusted). Initiation Processes and Protocols- established. Training Program and cirriculums- established. I, the clan leader, will be interviewing everyone interested in this position via Private chat Xbox Live in a Halo 4 custom. Below is the description for the Co-Leader, if you are interested, add me as a friend and send me a message via Xbox Live. Responsibilites Requirements and Duties of the Anunnaki Co-Leader: 1. Know and practice all laws with the ability to enforce all to all clan members 2. Must be able to attend most, if not all clan meetings (Will be in charge of giving promotions for enlistment ranks). 3. Must be able to exchange info with The Leader via text or e-mail regarding clan-related plans, notes, other info such as crisis or civil matters. 4. Must obtain the capabilities of being a true assistance to the Leader in regards to discussing any or all clan material, issues, and executing solutions. 5. Must be able to be to respect the chain of command. 6. Must be a leader to obtain all clan knowledge inside and out. 7. Must be able to gather info on each player in the enlistments ranks (Private-1st Lieutenant) in order to be updated for assigning promotions each week. 8. Must be able to assist the Leader with carrying out the clan and it's purpose, setting a good example, and making sure the chain of command is followed. 9. Must understand and know how each "MOS" or job operates (responsibilities, drills, and how they function under each code). 10. Must be the upmost trustworthy, loyal, and level-headed initiate with the capability of obtaining such knowledge and operating in the chain of command, enforcing all laws and assisting in projects, training, important discussions, etc.,

GameInformer sits down with Bungie Design Lead Lars Bakken and discusses details about Destiny's competitive multiplayer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9dn3Cz1RU8&list=PLoAFmgzYW18IzU40riUzmVNY-WrWtsicd&feature=player_detailpage A few interesting points of emphasis are the talks of bringing your character that you rank up and customize in single player campaign over to multiplayer matchmaking. Lars commented that Destiny multiplayer matches are "definitely faster" than Halo multiplayer matches and "more lethal". Health and armor was also discussed which Lars stated..."As armor bleeds down you move to health and the squishy parts of the Guardian physique" and the amount of health will be class specific as well with the Titan having slightly more than other classes. Bungie is trying a different approach to voice chat by only granting chat with your fireteam but are "doing other things to let you communicate with other players". Destiny will allow up to 6-player teams and if you join a multiplayer match with less than the maximum number, the spots will be auto-filled by a random player without direct chat to them unless you invite them to a platform specific chat. Destiny is scheduled to be released September 9, 2014 with an early Beta scheduled for Summer 2014. You can check other interesting videos about Destiny from GameInformer here >>> http://www.gameinformer.com/p/destiny.aspx!! New information scheduled to be released December 23, 2014.

Game Informer visited Bungie to sit down with co-founder Jason Jones to talk about Destiny. In this interview Jason answers a lot of questions and gives a lot of insight to the game, he gives us some more on Destiny's Story, talks about solo and competitive multiplayer and tells us why they moved on from Halo to create this new universe. I will provide the first part of the interview below then will give links to the remaining parts as it is a very long interview. Before Destiny, your team had been working on Halo for a long time. What prompted the move? You already answered your own question. Did you feel like you were ready for something new? I think the situation made part of the decision for us. We’d been with this one IP for a long time and you want to try something different. You have ideas. I think the genesis of new projects for a lot of people here (certainly for me) is being out in the world and playing other games, seeing other entertainment. In the best way, being a critic and saying: “There’s an opportunity here that I want to see, that I want to play. When I experience these other games, I don’t get. That really drove Halo 1, this idea that shooters are great. I love shooters, but they’re complicated. There were all these opportunities in shooters that we wanted to see. I think that’s really the genesis of Destiny. They’re not the same opportunities, because those have been in existence for a long time, but when you look out at the shooter experiences on consoles there’s a lot of great stuff – great action experiences, but they’re only starting to scratch the surface of cooperative play, aspirational goals, player-player interaction – whatever you want to call it. Having a world that feels like a real place that you visit instead of just a way to play competitive. If your question is: Where does this project come from? I think part of it is the way all of it comes, which is this desire to participate in some experience that doesn’t exist yet. So that’s what we’re trying to build. We’re trying to build a game that we have wanted to play that doesn’t exist. Early on did you have the idea for this integrated cooperative and competitive campaign? Was that part of the genesis or did that come later? Absolutely. That was right at the beginning. There are games in which the idea that you start to play the campaign, and you’re immersed in some world and you think it’s cool and you’re investing yourself in some kind of building and some story and some character and then you want to play cooperative or you want to play competitive and it’s a whole different progression, sometimes on a different disk, sometimes a different executable. There is this tremendous opportunity there that you can see in other genres. It makes you feel like you can play competitive for two weeks and then come back to playing some cooperative experience, and you actually help yourself. Your character was better, can go more places, do more things. Right away for sure that was one of the huge opportunities that we saw. It’s frustrating in a good way, because I’m enjoying these games that I’m playing, but it’s frustrating because I’m enjoying this game and then to play with my friends I have to do what? There’s a whole new kind of progression that I’m not able to take back. I wanted it to be different. Your team was coming off of the decade of a franchise about a sci-fi character who’s got big armor and guns and shoots aliens. Is it just that you and the team really love science-fiction? What brought you back to the genre? I would say that this place we’re going it is exciting to me. It’s different. There’s more – there’s so many bad ways to say it – sci-fantasy. There are guns and tanks and spaceships and travel between other worlds, but there’s also dens of wicked creatures living under the Earth with awesome s--- you can go get, take from them, and bring out and make yourself more powerful – that’s more of a fantasy bit, and I think it was really appealing to bring that kind of mystery and adventure into the shooter. It’s a different approach from the heart of the military, which I think we have a lot of in console gaming right now. I’ve played all the shooters in the last two or three years. We thought we could bring something new to that, which is the idea: yes to the science and yes to the space ships, but there is also wonder and mystery and adventure. We could out on the frontier and see good fortune and it meant something. In the way you would in a fantasy game. That is hugely appealing to me, and to us. And another one of the opportunities that we wanted to take advantage of that would have been difficult with a previous IP. What you eventually got to was this detailed world-building idea of the Traveler, the last city, and the solar system as a setting. Where did that begin? Game stories are really unique, because you want a world that’s compelling to be in. It’s the first pillar of Destiny. The world that players want to be in – it can’t be repugnant or push you away or be some place you don’t want to return to. I think I can enjoy those worlds for a while and I think there are games that I play that have totally compelling worlds that are awesome to visit, but some place that you want to live in that you want to return to for weeks and weeks in a row. One of the things that we wanted was to build a world that was welcoming. Full of danger and mystery and horror, but to have it – you can see in the concept art – be at the same time beautiful and compelling and interesting, and draw you into that. In coming up and trying to find this story that we wanted to tell, I had a bunch of stuff just written down, archived, notebooks, ideas for stories that I think would be great for a more linear media like a book or movie or something like that. Game stories need to be so different from more linear stories. They need to support, in our case, multiple protagonists acting over a long time. They need to supply with you with an endless stream of evil to fight hand-to-hand over and over again. And there are some stories that just don’t sustain that. I said two things there. One of them is we wanted a really welcoming world even if it was very dangerous and in some cases full of horror. And the other thing was that we did on the way is push to the wayside a bunch of stories that just didn’t give us this feeling. Our very first metaphor was a candle in darkness, or Camelot in the middle of the untamed frontier. There was a place you could go that you could be safe, put your feet back, and look out over a sunset. I’m being totally metaphorical here. Interact with other players. You can trade stuff. Buy s---. I knew on all sides you were surrounded by the wicked frontier, the adventure, the mystery. We built a bunch of different stories like that, but we were trying to create something big that we can build in. A world that was going to let us live in it for a long time – that was going to let us tell a lot of different stories. A world that was actually okay with us telling stories that were great instead of turning away stories that were great – if that makes sense. There were a lot of great video game worlds that can only tell one kind of story. We wanted to get away from that. 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On April 4th an article was published at Eurogamer.net that reported on an interview with Joseph Staten and Chris Barrett, our panelists of interest at GDC. Here is the full article. There are plenty of brand new juicy tidbits but I'm not going to single out any in particular, you'll have to find them for yourselves. Here is the Q&A section for your viewing pleasure. I've got a funny feeling fans will bug you about Tiger Man for a long time, and you may have shot yourselves in the foot by even mentioning him. Joe Staten: Then Tiger Man has served his purpose. He has become the bullet shield. That's his role. He is brave and noble and strong and wise. Chris Barrett: I guess Blizzard did it with the panda, right? That turned out to be a whole expansion. Oh dear... Joe Staten: No! I've already seen #TeamTigerMan on the internet. So, well done! Joe Staten: Thanks. Whoops. You mention mythic sci-fi and idealised reality as guides for what Destiny is, and you've created some stunning concept art. But building an actual video game that lives up to the promise of that concept art must be a particularly difficult challenge. Chris Barrett: Switching gears for the whole team and coming up with this new world was certainly tough. We had a lot of people who were used to making Halo games for a long time, so trying to communicate that new vision and get them on board, we had to do a lot of concept art to show people what we were thinking about and what mixtures of sci-fi versus fantasy worked and what we were going for. The other thing though, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When you start making characters who fit into that world, or stories players are playing, or bring some of it into the gameplay, it all starts to form that feel. Joe Staten: I remember playing a build maybe a month ago, and for some reason the build just wasn't rendering cloth. I play as a hunter character with the big cape and cloak and hood. That part fell away, and all of a sudden there was something missing from that mythic sci-fi, because nobody had cloth on, and it looked much more like a straight up sci-fi game. It's that texture that the art is bringing to the world, and the colour palette and the screen effects. It is this combination of things that make it happen. I'd also say - and I never thought this would happen - but it's crazy that so many of the pieces of concept art we made long ago are actually present in the game. You can look at that postcard and go into the game and as you're playing you'll say, 'Oh my god, that's The Buried City.' The challenge is communicating the vision and the theme clearly enough to the people who need to make it, answering their questions, being open to their push back, but all having a very clear vision of what you're going for. And if you define that well and you define it right, you can achieve a lot of these things we thought early on would be really hard if not impossible to do. And that's been really great to see. You talk a lot about players creating their own legend and their own stories in Destiny, but from a writing perspective, you also want to create a story. It must present an interesting design challenge to combine a story Bungie wants to tell with players who are creating their own stories - at the same time. Joe Staten: Without getting into too much detail, if you think of Halo, you had two sort of experiences in general. I'm going to play the story, or I'm going to play competitive multiplayer. In the story I'm playing the story. And in competitive multiplayer I'm just fighting against people, and there's not really a story there except that awesome story of the moment to moment combat experience I'm having and the post-game, 'Oh, wasn't that awesome when you drove the Warthog that way?!' That story was really important to PvP. But there was this cinematic story that lived in a sort of silo over here. The simple answer is, we still believe in a great narrative cinematic story. We want your character, whatever character you are, a female robot warlock or a male human titan, whoever you are, you're going to be the star of that cinematic story. But there are many many other activities that cross the divide between story and multiplayer in this world of Destiny, and your character is going to go through all of them. So, whatever character you are in story is the same character you are in all these other activities, including competitive multiplayer. And so, our hope is that it will feel like a consistent experience. Your legend will take you through all these different activities. Some are more narrative driven. Some aren't. Some are just more emergent. But you're a consistent character across all of those. That's the key. That's where that consistent experience comes from. In your GDC session you talked about character creation. The impression I get is you want it to be an immediate experience, almost like you pick based on a gut reaction to the options. What is the overriding philosophy behind what you're trying to do there? Chris Barrett: When we were talking about how that process would work and the choices the players would have, we knew if we gave somebody a choice and then betrayed that choice later down the road, that would be bad. We wanted players to just go on gut. What do they like the look of? What sounds cool to them? And not betray that in any way. We don't want to make something where a character plays very differently, or isn't what they thought what they were getting. That tied in to that process. We want to give people whatever they want to play in that world and not have any negative side effects. Joe Staten: Making it up front and quick and largely emotional, and nothing that's going to, later down the line, make you feel like you made the wrong choice. You're going to make this gut emotional choice: 'I'm going to look at that robot and I'm going to look at that more exotic space elf and I'm going to look at that human and I like... robot.' It's like, bam. I'm going to be a robot. And there's nothing about being a robot that's going to play any different from the other two. We want to make it immediate and quick and gut, for sure when it comes to race, and then make sure we don't screw you down the line. Chris Barrett: We didn't want to give a plus eight bonus or whatever it is, that people are going to be like, 'Oh, I made the wrong choice! I've got to start over.' That always sucks. With Halo you were locked in to working on a single main character with Master Chief. Now you're working on multiple main character types. That must have been quite the change, being able to say, actually, I can create whatever I want now. Chris Barrett: Absolutely. Some of the early brainstorms on the enemies for example were just lining up, what are awesome things we want to do? Like, 'Oh, let's make ancient robots! We need those!' Or, 'Let's make dimensional beings!' Whatever it is we thought could fit in the world we could do because we had all those more options. We wanted space zombies and robots and we could do that in this world, which was super cool. So it was liberating. It was a lot of fun doing all that stuff instead of trying to cram it all into one character design. It was freeing. With Master Chief you had to consider just one central character's backstory. Now you have to deal with multiple stories for multiple characters. Joe Staten: As long as you as a writer remain flexible and don't try to put too many rules on the process up front, your really fun job is to make everything possible. So if Chris comes to me with an image of the Traveller, or if he comes to me with an image of a guy with a soul ripping out of his head, or space zombies or robots, it's been a real pleasure just to assimilate all of those ideas loosely and try to create a world where it's less about the constraints and the rules and more about, what's possible? Like, give me the big brackets. Give me fantasy and sci-fi. There's a lot that can fit in between those two big brackets. And then it's just a matter of, well, where do space zombies go? Do they go on the moon? Do they go on Mars? What's cool? Artistically, what looks better? What's a richer combination of palettes? So much of our fiction conversation is just about creating this pleasing world, this inviting world, this world that looks good, that's beautiful, that draws you deeper. It's less about writing about a bunch of backstory. We certainly do some of that, but it's more about sort of colour blocking. Like, big, thematic blocking we do. Let's talk about Mars. Okay, let's look at it thematically. Who belongs in Mars? Is it big Kabal? Is it space zombies? Really, much of the work has been just moving around these different elements until we get a pleasing whole big picture. Then we have to tighten the screws. If I were writing a Halo game, what I would do is, typically, I would sit down and write a linear script that looked a lot like a film. I would just bang it out. Here's what the story is going to be. Here's what the characters are. We'd make a story. We'd talk about backstory. In this world, we spent a lot more time just doing what I think people would do in a television show, which is, we've got this plot card, and that is, like, space zombies invade the moon, or whatever it is, and that's an awesome idea. Let's just put that there. And then let's come up with other ones. And then let's start moving them around and stay flexible and then f***ing play the game so we know it's going to be fun, and then, let's finally tighten the screws and shoot it. That's been a really rewarding, different process than we've gone through before. Some of the art shows Earth reclaimed by nature or in some abandoned sci-fi style. Will we be able to visit these places on Earth in the game as well as go out into the solar system? Chris Barrett: We're doing both. It's exciting to explore what was humanity. What happened to humanity? And be able to explore those spaces on Earth. Those are real places we want to explore. And then also what's also cool is seeing how humanity spread into the stars and what happened on those other planets. Both are super exciting in the same way. Joe Staten: We sometimes toss around loosely terms like galaxies and universes and solar systems, but we're really excited about telling, at least during the beginning of the story, the story of a human civilisation in our solar system. So we're talking about the moon and Mars and Venus and the moons of Saturn. You can Google Enceladus or the Moon. But we want to take that familiar understanding of what these places are and tweak them into this world of strangeness and mystery. And that's true for Earth as well. You can type in Chicago but you're not going to get a picture of flooded streets.

Shortly after their hour long panel at the recent GDC, Joe Staten and Chris Barrett sat down with Eddie Makuch of Gamestop for a little more "in-depth" information regarding Bungie's upcoming game "Destiny". A very insightful look into a game that looks to have enough depth in both the Campaign storyline and Multiplayer to hold a player's interest for years. Be Brave. Read on. Content and image courtesy of GameSpot.com On inspirations for Destiny Barrett - Some of the things that I like, or our team really liked, from that kind of mixture of genres--you could go anywhere from Thundarr the Barbarian; that was something I loved as a kid and actually has some of those similar elements. Obviously the big ones like Star Wars or Dune or any of those things that we liked as kids. As far as the art, the art style definitely looked towards painters and images that had those big ideas in them…sort of timeless. Like I said in the talk, John Harris had that kind of feel. Seventies sci-fi art had this big world-building kind of feel and idea; stuff that would span galaxies and solar systems. And all that stuff really was inspiration for me, for sure. Staten - So in terms of other inspirations, I would just pile on there certainly we read a ton of genre fiction. Absolutely sci-fi and fantasy. We eat it up. But the thing we really looked at…I think typically, for the Halo games, we looked at movies. But really for this game, we looked at serial television; great dramas like Lost or The Wire; Battlestar Galactica. When you're building a world and you want to evolve it over time, it really helps to have an understanding of how you build this longer-form narrative. So for us, that was a really interesting new thing we did. I think we probably spent more time watching television these days than we do movies and that's definitely influenced the way we think about building our story. On the difficulties of creative collaboration with a 400-person team Staten - For me, I think [Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien], having just read through the books with my ten-year-old son, is an incredible talent. I think [Lord of the Rings] is this creation of a single person, though, and we're in a totally different world. We're creating a game that's the creation of 400 people. And you have to be really careful in that world not to get too precious; to go too deep down your own rabbit hole. And then come out with a whole bunch of rules and strictures; 'this is possible in our world,' 'this is totally off-limits.' It's not good collaboration. And ultimately, I don't think results in creative ideas. On whether or not Destiny needs consistency Staten - We absolutely do. And we have pages of words that define things in great detail. But there's nothing worse than having words that go stale. Writing reams and reams of words and then nobody ever reads them or nobody updates them and they go out of date. So this has been really, really hard; we don't do it perfectly. But we spend a lot of time just trying to boil down things to a simple sentence like 'This is what this place is all about' and 'If you remember nothing else, remember these simple words.' And that's been hugely effective. And so we try really, really hard not to create a story bible; we'll create a style guide to talk to people about art, but we're trying really, really hard not to build a bible. Barrett - The other thing is, when we started talking about what this world could be, we always said to ourselves we want to make some place where almost anything is possible, so even now, as we're building the world, we have those defined, but we're always evolving. Over the next ten years we're going to be making up new stuff to put in there and we want to build as big a net as possible so those crazy ideas can fit. On whether or not games have a responsibility to show seedy sides of humans Staten - I think if you want to tell a credible story, yes, absolutely. In terms of the player choice, which is what we were talking about, we want players to be a hero. And if you're a hero, then that means you're largely on the side of good. And you might make a racial choice to be an Exo, which is artistically and thematically a little more sinister and dark. You might choose to be a Hunter class, who is just a little bit more in the bounty hunter, roguish vein. But at the end of the day, when you're a player in this world, you're a guardian of the last safe city on Earth. And it's really important that you are this heroic, hopeful figure in the world. That said, you're absolutely going to run into other humans and other Exos and other Awoken who, some are, bad people. They have bad plans. There aren't all good people in the world that you run into. So you will see that breadth across all the characters in our game, but if you're the player, you're the hero. On how the idea of hope factors into Destiny Staten - The kinds of experiences that I want to play, and that we as a studio I think want to put into the world--I think about my own kids or people who are going to play this game. How do we want them to interact with this world? What experience do I want them to have? Post-apocalyptic worlds are fun. Worlds with skulls and blood and hellfire are awesome, but if I want to spend time in a world, if I want to be an agent of change, I want to be an agent of good. I want it to be a hopeful outcome. We go back and forth about the name Destiny and we joked about it for a while about whether it was the right name, but I think we think about Destiny and what kind of Destiny do you want to have? Do you want to have one that ends in annihilation and reprehensible things? Or do you want to end in a hopeful, heroic place? For us, that's really important. That legacy that we want to build is a hopeful one. On the mystery of Destiny's world Staten - One of the choices we made early on, like [barrett] said, was where to set this game. And when. Do we want it to be a galaxy far, far away? Do we want it to be a planet-of-the-week like Star Trek? What really clicked in my mind when we started mixing sci-fi and fantasy is with fantasy you get this strong sense of history; you get myths and legends and ancient gods; different dream realms and stuff that's steeped in time and legend. And we wanted to create that same feeling in this mythic sci-fi world. Bungie hopes players will want to explore the red dunes of Mars. So one of the things we did early on was decide we wanted to center it on Earth, but we want to build a history. We want to build a block of time that occupies from the here to the now to the distant future. But we want players to go back and explore this lost human history. And so for us, that was the source of a lot of the mystery in our world was this [period] of time where something happened, but you don't know what. And we're hundreds of years in the future now exploring back through these ruins of human civilization. Barrett - We talked about a lot in our concept art; if you look at a painting and you don't want to know more, if there isn't a mystery there, you're going to get bored looking at it. So every shot we try to create, especially the key images, we want somebody to ask a question about it. 'Why is that there?' 'What's behind that little door off in the distance?' or 'What's that character doing in the distance?' That's absolutely a key part of making evocative concept art. Staten - You show up on Mars, now in the game we're playing, and you see this city buried in sand and it's a mystery that draws you deeper; it's not one that's repellent or dark and grim. It's a beautiful place that is steeped in mystery and wonder so that's really what we want the world to do; just keep dragging you deeper and deeper and deeper. On whether or not science-fiction can avoid thematic repetition Staten - I hadn't really thought about it in that way, but I think it's the big reason why we wanted to inject fantasy into this world. With the world of mythic science fiction, anything is possible. And when you round a corner and see up high a combatant; for example something that looks much more like a wizard-space-zombie. That's not an experience you get when you're playing most straight-up action-shooters or sci-fi shooters. That was really a critical part to making that experience unique and fresh--was injecting these more fantastical and exotic elements. Barrett - I think it's always something you think about is creating this completely new idea that no one has ever seen before. And we definitely have some of those in the game, but also we do that like…players aren't bringing anything to it; it's not familiar; in some way, you want them to see things that they recognize in some way so they feel emotional when they see it again. So we try to strike that nice balance between those two elements. Destiny is currently in development for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. The game is described as the very first "shared-world shooter." It is an online-focused title, though it is not a massively multiplayer online game and will not carry a subscription fee. Activision is not planning to ship Destiny until 2014.

For those of you who have been wondering why you haven't seen an interview in a while it's because I was waiting. I was waiting and waiting for the judging to end so I can interview the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. I thought I'd be talking to someone who didn't really have much of a care to give his thoughts out to the community (no offense Redemption) but this individual turned out to be the exact opposite and then some. He's one of the unspoken voices in the Halo Community that needs to be heard. Please read my interview with the grand winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest: Redemption1272. DD: "Hey Redemption 1272, how long have you been Forging in Halo?" RED: "3 years, about 500 plus map concepts that have never been truly finished. So much testing I cannot even fathom how many test lobbies I have had with all those maps, I was lucky because of being in a clan at the time. I was never able to publish anything because I didn't have a harddrive, but when I got one I must have published around 30-40 maps. In other words, I have forged so much I have lost track of how much I have done. Wasn't a big forger in halo 3 because I had to sell my Xbox at the time. When I first started forging, I was honestly a terrible forger. But after countless maps you really start to realize what the community likes." DD: "That's an insane amount of Forge time and absolute HUGE dedication and that's what we love to see in the community along with how well your maps are put together. Edifice, the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. How long has Edifice been in the works?" RED: "4 months and still ongoing. I am still taking in feedback as I hope to see the map in the throwdown playlist. Ghostayame has already shown interest, so I am excited to see what the future holds." DD: "Again, extreme dedication shown there. For people who don't know, Ghostayame is a former MLG pro in Halo (before Halo was dropped from the Pro Circuit) but is still considered one of the top players and has been since Halo 2. So Redemption how do you feel about your map being picked out of 103 to be the winner of a major Forge contest and gaining all the prize and praise? How does it feel to have your hard work pay off and finally be rewarded on a scale as big as this?" RED: "Odd... maybe I am still interpreting all the mixed feelings. Being recgonized like this is a huge step for me as a forger, and it has shown not just in the contest but the FFA and all the youtube channels. I feel unsatisfied in my creative mind oddly enough. Plan to build more, as I love to step into that new realm everytime I develop a map. That in a way is where I feel amazing, doing better than I did before. So the best thing I can say is, I am not done yet. You ain't seen nothing yet." DD: "Awesome! Love it Redemption! And that's a big deal with Forgers and Forging you know like you're never really done when you're passionate about it and you and all the other participants of the Meet Your Maker Contest embody what it means to be passionate about Forging. What inspired Edifice?" RED: "Competitive Asymetric Arena design. Not a lot of maps like that and maps that can be compared to hyper competitive maps like lockout or guardian. Even those maps had their flaws, I wanted to make a flawless Asymmetry design that can be on par with maps like the Pit or Sancturary. Fast-paced, aggresive yet enjoyable gameplay is something Halo 4 lacks in most maps. This experience is sorely needed on top of clean, aesthetic and ORIGINAL forging. Something the community truly desires, and thats what forgers forget. I forge for the community, not myself. So to answer your question, Edifice was inspired by a combination of everything I have done so far." DD: "That's very admirable of you and I gotta say when I played Edifice in the Community Forge FFA Playlist, it definitely lived up to that. Such a fun map, I kept thinking though that I'd love to play Team Slayer instead of FFA on it. Now, Meet Your Maker Play Date held by 343industries.org. Are you gonna be there? There's no date and time yet just know it'll probably be a Saturday and probably and all day event." RED: "Disappoint my new fans? heck no, damn straight I am gonna be there. I am still taking feedback mind you. All day is a tough cookie but I will show up one way or another. Plus spades would kick my A** if I didn't show up." DD: "You don't have to stay all day but we'd sure love to see you there at some point and I'm glad you're going to show up! So how big a fan of TheHaloForgeEpidemic and Ducain23 would you say you are? Were you a fan of any of the judges in the contest by any chance?" RED: "Honestly, I wasn't a big youtube watcher until my map Imago got featured back in reach. Ducain's channel only came to my eyes through the annoncement of the new Cartographers. Plus, Psychoduck was and has been a phenominal BTB forger and someone I respect a lot for his skill and determination, and I only watched THFE whenever he got featured by them. I feel a bit disrespectful on that regard, as THFE has done so much work over the years. My bad, I do feel I should be more interactive with the channels. They are both dedicated to halo and all it's aspects, that I can respect. Their work leads towards a better halo, nuff said . Saltykoalabear, Warholic, Alzahran, are all really respectable forgers. They are all so humble, specially Salty. Bro hug!" DD: "There's no rule that says you should be following them and all their videos haha you're a Forger and that's what you do. You respect the judges and their work in Forging and the Halo Community in general and that's enough and probably all they ask for you know, someone who participated that appreciates the work they put into judging over 100 maps for this contest. So why is Redemption1272 the name you stick with? What's the story behind that GamerTag?" RED: "Do you remember the halo 2 lan parties?. I do, too well. There is where my passion all began for halo. Some of the best friends in the world back when I was 16, who just played halo for the heck of it after school, during exam week, birthday parties and just whenever occasion suited us. That was the nickname I went with at the time, just random really but that was my tag. That time was the best time of my life, I will never forget it. Only one of those friends will actually get to read this, and he knows of what I speak of. Thats a part of why I forge, because I want people to experience that we only live once. Those friends that you may never see again, will always have some place in your heart. That friend is who introduced me to Halo, and to this day he is still the best friend I could ever have. My passion and strength comes from them and all those who appreciate good halo. So in a sense it's an attachment of old but fond memories, that is why I still believe Halo will never die." DD: "Incredible Redemption. You have quite the way with words and what you wrote was truly special. It was also a very wise thing to say because the truth of it is that Halo won't die. As long as you have the memories and a friend, you can recreate those memories to the best of your ability in the newer Halo and gain some new friends. So, is this friend well known in the community? Can we know the name, maybe give a shoutout to this friend of yours who you've spoken a bit about already?" RED: "He isn't someone known in the community. While I cannot say his name, I do hope to see him in the future of Halo as his passion is very much similar to mine. Maybe one day you will get to know his name after this, but not today. To my friend, I hope you get an xbox soon so we can have a hell of a time testing maps." DD: "That's a great shoutout and I hope he reads this at some point, he sounds like someone you're very close to and someone who could do good in the Halo Community and Forge Community of Halo like you do. What are your plans now, directly after the contest? Do you have other projects in the works or are you just chilling and playing the game mainly focusing on updating Edifice?" RED: "Updates on Edfice will continue but my main focus will be School then my next big project. The greatest of all the maps I have made. Such I feat will not be easily met but with the new forge Island, I think something will come along. Minor changes and adjustments are all waht Edifice needs at this point and will only come with feedback. At this point I am chilling out this week, taking my time and just listening. I hope to continue helping the community grow and I will continue to do so." DD: "And that's all nothing short of fantastic I can't wait to play on Edifice in the Meet Your Maker Play Date and see your future creations which I hope you post on here for everyone to enjoy and praise. So Redemption I gotta ask you, do you have any advice for up and coming Forgers?" RED: "Never just forge for yourself or self gain, always be open and always be different. We don't grow as designers by closing our doors to opinions, so be open to even the negativity. Make bridges with people, be honest but respectful, never say never and lastly but not least remember why you play and to always improve your skill not just as a forger but as a player. A better understanding of the game will lead to greater designs. As a friend has said, keep your head small and keep on forging." That's all folks! If you didn't like that interview I hate you... Just kidding but what's not to like!? This man is incredible! Gifted with the ability to understand Halo not only on a Forge level where you create cool and competitive maps but on a community level saying not to build for yourself, accept any feedback, improve, and repeat! I truly enjoyed this and I hope you did too. HAIL This post has been promoted to an article

For those of you who have been wondering why you haven't seen an interview in a while it's because I was waiting. I was waiting and waiting for the judging to end so I can interview the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. I thought I'd be talking to someone who didn't really have much of a care to give his thoughts out to the community (no offense Redemption) but this individual turned out to be the exact opposite and then some. He's one of the unspoken voices in the Halo Community that needs to be heard. Please read my interview with the grand winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest: Redemption1272. DD: "Hey Redemption 1272, how long have you been Forging in Halo?" RED: "3 years, about 500 plus map concepts that have never been truly finished. So much testing I cannot even fathom how many test lobbies I have had with all those maps, I was lucky because of being in a clan at the time. I was never able to publish anything because I didn't have a harddrive, but when I got one I must have published around 30-40 maps. In other words, I have forged so much I have lost track of how much I have done. Wasn't a big forger in halo 3 because I had to sell my Xbox at the time. When I first started forging, I was honestly a terrible forger. But after countless maps you really start to realize what the community likes." DD: "That's an insane amount of Forge time and absolute HUGE dedication and that's what we love to see in the community along with how well your maps are put together. Edifice, the winner of the Meet Your Maker Forge Contest. How long has Edifice been in the works?" RED: "4 months and still ongoing. I am still taking in feedback as I hope to see the map in the throwdown playlist. Ghostayame has already shown interest, so I am excited to see what the future holds." DD: "Again, extreme dedication shown there. For people who don't know, Ghostayame is a former MLG pro in Halo (before Halo was dropped from the Pro Circuit) but is still considered one of the top players and has been since Halo 2. So Redemption how do you feel about your map being picked out of 103 to be the winner of a major Forge contest and gaining all the prize and praise? How does it feel to have your hard work pay off and finally be rewarded on a scale as big as this?" RED: "Odd... maybe I am still interpreting all the mixed feelings. Being recgonized like this is a huge step for me as a forger, and it has shown not just in the contest but the FFA and all the youtube channels. I feel unsatisfied in my creative mind oddly enough. Plan to build more, as I love to step into that new realm everytime I develop a map. That in a way is where I feel amazing, doing better than I did before. So the best thing I can say is, I am not done yet. You ain't seen nothing yet." DD: "Awesome! Love it Redemption! And that's a big deal with Forgers and Forging you know like you're never really done when you're passionate about it and you and all the other participants of the Meet Your Maker Contest embody what it means to be passionate about Forging. What inspired Edifice?" RED: "Competitive Asymetric Arena design. Not a lot of maps like that and maps that can be compared to hyper competitive maps like lockout or guardian. Even those maps had their flaws, I wanted to make a flawless Asymmetry design that can be on par with maps like the Pit or Sancturary. Fast-paced, aggresive yet enjoyable gameplay is something Halo 4 lacks in most maps. This experience is sorely needed on top of clean, aesthetic and ORIGINAL forging. Something the community truly desires, and thats what forgers forget. I forge for the community, not myself. So to answer your question, Edifice was inspired by a combination of everything I have done so far." DD: "That's very admirable of you and I gotta say when I played Edifice in the Community Forge FFA Playlist, it definitely lived up to that. Such a fun map, I kept thinking though that I'd love to play Team Slayer instead of FFA on it. Now, Meet Your Maker Play Date held by 343industries.org. Are you gonna be there? There's no date and time yet just know it'll probably be a Saturday and probably and all day event." RED: "Disappoint my new fans? heck no, damn straight I am gonna be there. I am still taking feedback mind you. All day is a tough cookie but I will show up one way or another. Plus spades would kick my A** if I didn't show up." DD: "You don't have to stay all day but we'd sure love to see you there at some point and I'm glad you're going to show up! So how big a fan of TheHaloForgeEpidemic and Ducain23 would you say you are? Were you a fan of any of the judges in the contest by any chance?" RED: "Honestly, I wasn't a big youtube watcher until my map Imago got featured back in reach. Ducain's channel only came to my eyes through the annoncement of the new Cartographers. Plus, Psychoduck was and has been a phenominal BTB forger and someone I respect a lot for his skill and determination, and I only watched THFE whenever he got featured by them. I feel a bit disrespectful on that regard, as THFE has done so much work over the years. My bad, I do feel I should be more interactive with the channels. They are both dedicated to halo and all it's aspects, that I can respect. Their work leads towards a better halo, nuff said . Saltykoalabear, Warholic, Alzahran, are all really respectable forgers. They are all so humble, specially Salty. Bro hug!" DD: "There's no rule that says you should be following them and all their videos haha you're a Forger and that's what you do. You respect the judges and their work in Forging and the Halo Community in general and that's enough and probably all they ask for you know, someone who participated that appreciates the work they put into judging over 100 maps for this contest. So why is Redemption1272 the name you stick with? What's the story behind that GamerTag?" RED: "Do you remember the halo 2 lan parties?. I do, too well. There is where my passion all began for halo. Some of the best friends in the world back when I was 16, who just played halo for the heck of it after school, during exam week, birthday parties and just whenever occasion suited us. That was the nickname I went with at the time, just random really but that was my tag. That time was the best time of my life, I will never forget it. Only one of those friends will actually get to read this, and he knows of what I speak of. Thats a part of why I forge, because I want people to experience that we only live once. Those friends that you may never see again, will always have some place in your heart. That friend is who introduced me to Halo, and to this day he is still the best friend I could ever have. My passion and strength comes from them and all those who appreciate good halo. So in a sense it's an attachment of old but fond memories, that is why I still believe Halo will never die." DD: "Incredible Redemption. You have quite the way with words and what you wrote was truly special. It was also a very wise thing to say because the truth of it is that Halo won't die. As long as you have the memories and a friend, you can recreate those memories to the best of your ability in the newer Halo and gain some new friends. So, is this friend well known in the community? Can we know the name, maybe give a shoutout to this friend of yours who you've spoken a bit about already?" RED: "He isn't someone known in the community. While I cannot say his name, I do hope to see him in the future of Halo as his passion is very much similar to mine. Maybe one day you will get to know his name after this, but not today. To my friend, I hope you get an xbox soon so we can have a hell of a time testing maps." DD: "That's a great shoutout and I hope he reads this at some point, he sounds like someone you're very close to and someone who could do good in the Halo Community and Forge Community of Halo like you do. What are your plans now, directly after the contest? Do you have other projects in the works or are you just chilling and playing the game mainly focusing on updating Edifice?" RED: "Updates on Edfice will continue but my main focus will be School then my next big project. The greatest of all the maps I have made. Such I feat will not be easily met but with the new forge Island, I think something will come along. Minor changes and adjustments are all waht Edifice needs at this point and will only come with feedback. At this point I am chilling out this week, taking my time and just listening. I hope to continue helping the community grow and I will continue to do so." DD: "And that's all nothing short of fantastic I can't wait to play on Edifice in the Meet Your Maker Play Date and see your future creations which I hope you post on here for everyone to enjoy and praise. So Redemption I gotta ask you, do you have any advice for up and coming Forgers?" RED: "Never just forge for yourself or self gain, always be open and always be different. We don't grow as designers by closing our doors to opinions, so be open to even the negativity. Make bridges with people, be honest but respectful, never say never and lastly but not least remember why you play and to always improve your skill not just as a forger but as a player. A better understanding of the game will lead to greater designs. As a friend has said, keep your head small and keep on forging." That's all folks! If you didn't like that interview I hate you... Just kidding but what's not to like!? This man is incredible! Gifted with the ability to understand Halo not only on a Forge level where you create cool and competitive maps but on a community level saying not to build for yourself, accept any feedback, improve, and repeat! I truly enjoyed this and I hope you did too. HAIL View full article

Reporters caught up with Bungie's COO Pete Parson to talk about life after Halo and their next game destiny. This is no doubt the biggest challenge Bungie has come up against, Pete explains to us how the idea of destiny came about, how much of an impact their project will be on them, the technical side of destiny and more. Credits to Lil Dog for finding these. Articles and interviews conducted by VetureBeat and TechHive VentureBeat Interview Parsons left his job at Microsoft to become the COO at Bungie after Halo launched. In 2007, he left Microsoft to start Meteor Solutions, a viral-marketing startup, and worked double duty for a time. As Bungie prepared to leave the Microsoft fold and move on to a new franchise, Parsons came back. He returned to the studio in 2010. Parsons is now fully focused on getting Destiny out the door and managing the culture and talent inside Bungie’s 80,000-square-foot headquarters in Bellevue, Wash. After a few years of secrecy, Bungie finally revealed concept art from its new game universe while announcing that Destiny would debut on the PlayStation 4 (and likely other platforms). We visited Parsons at Bungie HQ last week, and here’s an edited transcript of our conversation. GamesBeat: You must feel good right now. Pete Parsons: [Laughs] Well, I think it feels good to be Bungie right now. We’re always about doing great things and ambitious things. That’s because we have such a great team, because we can do that. It’s a great time to be at Bungie. It’s an energy that many people haven’t felt since some of the earliest days of Halo. That’s exciting. We still have a lot of the old guard around, but we’ve been able to bring on a massive amount of new talent. GamesBeat: Did somebody in particular sell you on the idea of Destiny? I think you came in after it started, right? Parsons: No, we’ve all been working from the very beginning. Well, it depends on how you look at it. Destiny has been an idea bouncing around since even before the technology to make it existed. Destiny is very much a product of everybody at Bungie, but its inception comes from Jason [Jones, co-founder of Bungie]. This is very much a vision that Jason has. Then, he gathers a small group of really talented people who have been here a long time, and they begin hammering on it. It’s had multiple incarnations until it finally landed into what it is today. That’s fun to watch. Not just on technology, but art and story. GamesBeat: It sounds like you did have options, though. Was there a point where you bought into Destiny and said, “I want to do this too?” For 10 years or whatever it will be. Parsons: As naïve as this may sound, if Jason believes in something and he’s ready to go for it, I’m in. No joke, I still walk in the door every day and think, “Who gets to do this? This is awesome, to be a part of this thing.” Even when I’m having a ****ty day, I feel that way. There are so many other things I could do that, for me, wouldn’t be as satisfying or as interesting. They might be enriching. They might satisfy some level of my curiosity. They might be exciting. But there’s something about these people and this place. GamesBeat: Did you feel any tug when Halo went off in another direction, with Microsoft’s 343 Industries, and then Bungie went its separate way with Destiny? Parsons: Personally, I did not. I love the Halo universe. I think it’s great. It inspires me. It inspires my children. They’ve never played, but they know the universe. One, though, I’ve spent a lot of time with Halo. Two, the mythic science fiction of Destiny immediately attracted me. It was that first image … It’s a simple image, but it took weeks of back-and-forth to put together. There were a few images already, maybe three or four, but they didn’t speak to what it was. The moment that image was done, it was like, “That’s it.” That’s the game. That’s the idea. That’s a place that I want to be. GamesBeat: Is that published now? Which image is that? Parsons: I don’t know if it’s ever been published. It was just this very striking image that had that feeling of — this is not purely a science fiction universe. It’s not just about two big military-industrial complexes smashing into each other. It’s a place with myths and lore. There’s a guy with sci-fi armor on, and yet he’s got a rifle that looks like it’s from an ancient desert somewhere. It was super cool. That certainly spoke to me. I didn’t look back. At the time, we were working on both Halo: ODST and Halo:Reach. I still love the Halo universe. It’s an interesting place. But I think what we’ve been able to do is create an incredibly deep fiction and a place that you’re going to want to be in. GamesBeat: You had a leak. You had some interesting reactions. What was it like, looking at the reaction from the inside? Parsons: You’re never really excited when you first learn that a leak happens. Then you get to see the reaction. We had this really quick thing. We said, “There’s a leak happening. We can either say nothing, or we can say, ‘Yeah.’” Instead of looking at images that we didn’t want you to see, let’s give you one that we want you to see. So, we released the picture of the Fallen. When our community, who we love, reacts so positively to an image — “Oh my God. That’s so great. That’s a place I want to be in. I can’t wait to learn more about that” — we go from, “Oh, man” to “Sweet!” Within less than half an hour, we were like, “This is the course of action. Let’s go. TechHive Interview Game On: Where did the idea for Destiny come from? Parsons: After Halo, we asked ourselves some tough questions. What was worth doing? What comes next? How do we turn a genre on its head? We have a studio filled with incredibly talented and passionate people, and we could have pointed them at anything, but we wanted to do something ambitious. That ambition was Destiny—a universe filled with mystery and adventure set within our own solar system. What were your goals heading into this new project? We took all of our combined talent and experience and set out to make a game that would entirely redefine how people play action games. It’s a Bungie action game set in a bold new universe. Players create their own unique characters that grow and change over time. From the ground up, Destiny is built to be a social and cooperative game, but it’s also filled with a broad range of activities, from solo to group, casual to intense and cooperative to competitive. What was it like starting anew after being immersed in the same universe for so long? Creating this world is the most ambitious challenge we've ever taken on. It’s a new intellectual property with greater breadth of scope than anything we've done before. Huge worlds, larger than any we've ever built. And these are living, open worlds, with evolving stories, changing time of day, and plenty of players. That’s a bold vision, but it creates a lot of challenges, because Destiny is unlike any other action game. How did this impact the creativity of your team for Destiny? It’s an exciting time to be at Bungie and it started the moment we made the decision to commit the entire team to this single vision. That energy grows with each and every milestone. Every day I walk in the door I am inspired by the insane amount of talent that work and play within our walls. What are the challenges that exist today in launching a new IP like Destiny? We have a bold vision that requires a scary amount of art, design, technology, and creative focus to pull off. It’s a huge challenge. For example, our technology has to take this great action game, fuse it with a richly simulated world that we fill with unique player characters, each with their own history and unique abilities and characteristics. Our technology has to create a seamless social world where those players can meet up and experience their own shared stories, and it has to do it all invisibly. How do you hope Destiny pushes the shooter genre forward? We want players to tell their own stories. We’re going to give them the ability to customize their character, and their experience. Then they’re going to go on epic adventures with their friends. You can play Destiny solo, but we believe that everything fun to do in Destiny is more fun when you’re playing with friends. It’s that unpredictable human element that will create the most important moments in Destiny. Can you talk about the technology engine, Grognok, behind this game and what you feel it opened up for your development? We had to rebuild our engine and tools to support Destiny’s enormous size, scope and vision. Our graphics engine, world builder, lighting engine, and more were all custom-built to support the team’s vision. But all the tech doesn’t mean anything by itself. What matters is how it creates player stories. It’s been a huge challenge, but we’ve already begun to see huge rewards for all the hard work. How have you utilized performance capture or new technology to work with the actors in this story? Bungie has our own full-featured performance and motion capture studio on site, lovingly dubbed “Spandex Palace.” We’re not ready to crack the lid on the story, or our talented actors yet, but it’s something we’re looking forward to talking about in the future. What are you most excited about gamers being able to experience with Destiny? I hope gamers will put Destiny on the same shelf of great memories as they put amazing entertainment experiences like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark or Lord of the Rings. I believe the efforts and talent of our team is creating a universe that will ultimately have deep meaning for the people who come and visit our world. Halo has become a fixture in eSports. Have you thought of eSports (something Treyarch focused on with Call of Duty: Black Ops II) when designing the multiplayer of Destiny? We’re not talking specifics about any of Destiny’s core activities at this time. We’re too busy playing. View full article

You guys might know them as LiQuid BioniX, SykoWolf, Sarge, and Minuette but they all address each other by Caleb, Matt, Jake, and Mackenzie. Those names are listed respectfully. That means in order. Well in my first collective interview, ladies and gentlemen: The Podcast Crew. DD: "Hello guys, so I've gotta ask you guys just as I've asked the rest of my interviewees: Where do your names originate from?" S: "My name came from Red vs Blue, which I've watched since I was just a wee-lad. Let the record show I am not Matt Hullum (Sarge) please stop messaging me if you can be on the show xD" M: "My name originated from a background character of one of my favorite shows, named Minuette. I also picked it because it was French and it sounded really beautiful and unique to me." LB: "I play semi-professional paintball for a team called Team LiQuid, so I tend to put that prefix in front of all of my names. BioniX just came from nothing ;)" SW: "I created the name after I decided to stop using Razor Sharp, my original user name before i joined the site. My current username originated from the fact that im usually a lone wolf whenever i play Halo and other similar games.The Syko part came from the fact that when im angry i tend to become rather 'psycho" in my play style. It also kinda plays into my outside life, I prefer to work on my own, so that if anything goes wrong I know that It's something that I have done wrong, that being said I can work effectively in teams." DD: "So who came up with the idea of the 343i Podcast originally? I remember when the talks started and I remember I thought it was a good idea but how'd it all come together is what I'm really asking I guess." LB: "I'm gonna have to take credit for starting it I listen to a lot of podcasts, some are comedy but most are about gaming, and I thought that this site could use a little one. I know that I personally love listening to them, so I assumed many people would enjoy one, especially if it was focused on gaming AND this website. Basically, I just posted a topic in the General Discussion about starting a podcast, and the idea really took off. People were (and still are) really excited about it! It's also a blast to do, and all the positive responses we get keep us going with it!" DD: "I love them as I said earlier and I'm guessing this is the crew that supported it most. Do any of you have previous Podcast or VoiceOver experience besides listening?" LB: "I'm gonna let Mackenzie take this one ;)" M: "Aww how nice. I haven't been in previous podcasts but I've done some voice acting for projects before. Most of them were my projects since I don't really audition but I'm starting too, for a short answer. Yes" SW: "I've done a little bit of voice work, mostly on machinimas and such, but no podcasts. I hope to extend out and do some more voice work.I currently help Mackenzie in some of his work and plan on helping him long into the future so long as he continues lol" DD: "That's very cool, machinimas I'm assuming? I'm not entirely sure if you mean those or actual tv shows or a web series haha but still it sounds fun. I think it's a great idea to have members on the Podcast as guests, how do you guys choose your guests?" S: "Well for our choosing process we capture all of our could-be guests. Then, we bring them to a secret room within the depths of the earth. After they all enter the room we line them against a wall. The spiritual aura in the room will take over their bodies causing them to chant words from ancient Skyrim texts and fight to the death. The Podcast Crew examines all of their skills from behind a holographic image of Twam ( .) In the case the two or three contenders are unable to fight each other for the seat with the champions Burnie decides if they are worthy. In the case he deems one of the contenders unworthy he asks them one simple question as he stares deeply in his soul: http://www.youtube.c...?v=A732Cuuo2tI� That is how the official choosing occurs. You might ask yourself, hey that doesn't make sense they (or I) would remember that! My answer to that comment is simply do you really think we wouldn't erase your memory after all of that hmm?" DD: "So then this could mean that I could've been chosen to be a guest and fought other members to the death without realizing? That could explain a lot of missing members.. And black names could indicate that they're dead. So to all of you: What do you like to do most on the site? Besides the Podcast of course." M: "Browse around until I find an appropriate topic to respond too, and the conversations in the shoutbox." LB: "Besides the podcast, I tend to just lurk in the ShoutBox and post on the forums. I used to get all hot-headed when it came to Halo 4, but the forums have really made me slow down and I try to help other, newer members do the same. Every opinion is welcome (it IS a Forum, after all), but cool heads are recommended as well." S: "Browse around until I find an appropriate topic to respond too, and the conversations in the shoutbox. - Couldn't of said it better myself." SW: "I love the site, it's always been one of my favourite places to hang out since I was in school, and im sure I'll be here long into the future. My favourite thing about the site has changed twice. Originally it was the wealth of information and idea's provided by our many members. And currently, it's the members themselves. I love meeting new people and talking to the older members who I met when i first arrived here. This site has produced 3 very important people to me, that most of you know, so I owe alot to our wonderful community :)" DD: "Pretty solid, I think that's what most members do actually. So did you guys partake in the Majestic Map Pack Challenge? If so, what did you think?" S: "I actually do participate in the challenge and I think it's great! The only problem with it is I think I've only found one. :unknw:" LB: "I WANT to participate, but I'm currently in college and without an Xbox. I will soon have it back and will absolutely do other playdates and challenges then, but I don't have the option to currently. I have, however, participated in previous playdates and whatnot." SW: "I originally wasn't going to enter the Majestic Map Pack competition, but I decided I wanted to give it a try. To my surprise I pretty much had it decoded and answered within 2 hours. I believe I was one of the first 2 or 3 people to send in the PM, and while It was a bummer to not win anything I extend many congratulations to those who won,participated and ran the competition, it was a spectacular idea for a competition and I cant wait for the next one..this time though..make it hard ;)" DD: "So the artist behind the logo of your Community Podcast Sig: who is it and where did the idea come from?" LB: "That would be the one and only Insignia I PM'd him one day after the podcast really started to take off and asked him if he could make a little surprise for the crew. The image is there because, well, it's a good image (and minimalist). Insignia did a fantastic job and I love seeing it down there! I know that other people throw those types of things in their signatures (not just on this forum, but on others as well), and I thought it'd be really nice have the crew tag because the guys deserve the credit. Researching, doing, and putting the podcast together takes some time and we are all doing this because we love the forums and love games, and this is a special thing to show it off!" DD: "I shouldn't have expected anyone else. The beautiful artwork is a clear sign of Insignia's work . Now the Podcasts come out to be almost an hour if not more. How many minutes of raw sound clips do you think you have after recording before all the editing and posting occurs?" S: "Burnie might be able to answer it better, but hell I gave it a shot. Before all the editing occurs we usually have about 20 minutes extra material on each podcast which which Liquid or Minuette cut out. They cut this out in order to make it run smoother and family friendly." LB: "Sarge hit the nail right on the head. Sometimes some, say, inappropriate stuff gets said and we need to cut it out because this isn't an explicit podcast. Also, as we near episode number ten, I am going to do a little "behind the scenes" action, just to give people an idea about how WE go about recording and editing the podcast." SW: "Trust me, alot is said behind scene that would make people laugh, but some people tend to swear *cough* Jake *cough* Luckily, whenever we slip up in the actual recording, someone is always there to edit it out." S: "Hey! I only swear when needed, a great example is that Grifball episode I bet y'all had loads of fun editing out half of it because of your foolish remarks and my reactions about everybody's favorite gametype!" M: "I kept something special for the people who watch the whole way through in which I shouldn't have done but I said I would do it." DD: "That's pretty awesome! I hope we hear some of the stuff that got cut out, that could be really funny . You certainly make it sound interesting haha. You guys record the Podcast every Friday, does that ever become inconvient?" SW: "Not usually to be honest. Although sometimes my internet connection can become a little annoying, as you may have noticed lol, but other then that It's alot of fun being involved with the podcast and I dont see myself ever stopping my attendance, until I have to go away for Basic Training for 3 or 4 months." DD: "Ok guys the collective interview has been a fantastic success so I just have one last question for each of you to answer: What's your advice to members who maybe want to make a name for themselves like you guys?" LB: "Always keep talking! You want the podcast to try and flow a little bit or it becomes annoying and awkward. Also, make sure that you prepare ahead of time. The guys were making fun of me for taking notes during the PS4 announcement, but honestly, if you want to have good (and accurate) information, you need to take those notes and have ideas as to what you want to talk about. Also as I've said before, I'm going to do a little "behind the scenes" video that goes over some of the logistics/software that we use to record the podcast so that anyone interested in doing one can do so (for free). Basically, your podcast could have three listeners, but if you treat it and act like it's the best podcast in the world, then those listeners (and you) will be happy with it, and what more could you ask for?" SW: "It's not really that hard. All you need to do is be yourself. Be welcoming and helpful to newer members and just generally do what you can to keep the standards asked for all of our members. If your talented in ANY field, try to lend those talents to the site and the members if possible, Like Insignia has done in the art department, and Azaxx in his little "Protector of the Shoutbox" job lol" S: "My only piece of advice as Sykowolf said just be yourself don't try to be something that your not. That's the worst mistake you can make. Also, be friendly to everyone unless in some bizarre case they deserve your wrath. *looks over at sykowolf*" M: "I wouldn't really have any advice to make it like us, just be yourself and if you see a good opportunity take it, that's possibly all I can say/give you." Ok and that's all folks! I had a great time with the Podcast Crew, everyone please make sure to subscribe and follow all their work. Here's a link to their latest Podcast: Podcast 7. Thank you Caleb, Mackenzie, Jake, and Matt, and thank you 343industries.org.

This interview was extremely fun I just want to say before hand. Choot 'em is an excellent member and if you weren't stricken with excitement when you saw the title you're brain is uncooked scrambled eggs in a bowl. Beaten and ready to fry on the pan but just sitting in the bowl as a yellow thick gloppy liquid. Ok but back on topic this is how the interview went down. Enjoy: DD: "What does your name mean Choot 'em? And how'd you come up with it?" C'E: "Always with the name, lol. It is the saying 'Shoot him' with a strong Louisiana accent. The name Choot 'em was chosen as a username because of my roots in Louisiana. It's a saying that the great alligator hunter, Troy Landry, has become famous for." DD: "It's a necessary question! Myself and other people I'm sure are glad to know this now! Your member title is 'Retired Staff.' What position on staff did you have exactly?" C'E: "When promoted to Staff, I was Community Events Coordinator (the position you currently hold, lmao) and also a part of the News Group. My main priorities were scheduling and hosting playdates, giveaways, and challenges for the community to participate in." DD: "Events Co-Ordinator and News Group that was a lot on your plate! So why did you decide to retire? Do you enjoy the forum life of a member better?" C'E: "Unfortunately I had to retire because of personal family matters that needed attending to and could not give the full devotion I was once able to. I took the position and title, along with all responsibilities that came with it, very seriously. To answer your second question, I was ALWAYS just a member, even with the title of Staff. It's no different. Always a member first! (AD taught me that)" DD: "Very well said Choot 'em and I think that's a great way to think of membership on the site. When you were able to come back to the forums, did you think about getting your position back?" C'E: "I think about it everyday Drizzy. It was a great honor to be a part of the few that were there and I was very proud to know that the Administration, Mods, and Staff recognised the energy I could bring to the site." DD: "And the energy that you continue to bring to the site. Every time I see a post from you it's a must view . Your thread about Memorial Day was very nice by the way, it was a great thing to do. So Choot 'em you're a parent and husband so I know for a fact you're a busy man. How do you blow off steam and relax when you have time off?" C'E: "Time off?? Seriously, lmao! I hardly ever get a break. My children are always involved in some kind of activity and if they are involved then I am involved. Relaxing time for me is spending valuable quality time with my wife." DD: "And that's just awesome. I'm glad I caught you at this rare time when you're available haha. What is your favorite thing here on the forum?" C'E: "I enjoy reading the community views and opinions on different aspects of the entire Halo universe. It really is quite a diverse group here. It is an honor to be a part of it." DD: "It truly is an honor to be apart of this and you are one of the most honorable members on this site. What is one of your best memories on here?" C'E: "I don't consider myself to be among the most honorable, lol. Best memories....hmm....(may take a while, i'm old, lmao). The best memories I have are the times spent on XBL with members of the site battling it out in Halo 3 / Reach MM. Absolute Dog joking around and consantly betraying me, imakequilts getting her revenge for the 31 day challenge, AgentLoFi always having my back, and Vitamin Pwn inserting a grenade magnet in the back pocket of my Mark VI. The hilarious incidences of name-changing in the shoutbox are also a timeless classic, lol." DD: "Trust that you are Choot. Vitamin mentioned that when I interviewed him, it sounded like quite a time! What makes a member stand out to you when you see them on the forums? And who is a member that does stand out to you?" C'E: "The way a person presents his or herself in their posts and in the shoutbox and their sincere desire to want to do more for the site. As for the last question....I think I will let that one remain unanswered as there are many unique personalities here, all of which I enjoy the company of." DD: "You're also quite the graphic artist, I don't know if people realize it but what program do you use and how long did it take to learn to do the things you do?" C'E: "Me a graphic artist? Not hardly, lol. I use Gimp 2.6. I began using it to create my own sigs for the forums here because I found it interesting and just began to test out different functions that the program had to offer. I guess you could say I 'self-learnt' myself, lol. Trial by error. I have only been using it for approximately 6 months with very little actual time invested in it." DD: "Yea and your signature and profile picture look great to me. And your ability to recreate symbols using it is awesome like how you recreated the Forerunners letters you use for your signature. Choot 'em, you may not be aware but you are and will always be an immensely respected member here. And for those reading that do not know Choot 'em, get to know him. Choot, what would you like to say to newer members who want to follow in your footsteps in contributing to this forum?" C'E: "The same message I have always said.... 'Contribute to contribute, not for reward nor recognition. For the members.....by a member.' :thumbsup:" I had a great time with the always cheerful Choot 'em and he ended on a great note with his signature thumbsup smiley. Thank you Choot for agreeing to be interviewed and not making me beg and thank you for just being you on here: someone that the other members respect and look up to. Interviews are back to TUESDAY! See ya next week!

Bravo interviewing Kevin Franklin; Lead multiplayer designer for Halo 4 at 343 Industries. They Talk about Infinity Slayer, Slayer Pro, Team SWAT and more. Source: http://www.youtube.com/user/BravoMLG http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNGxCbvgoSQ&feature=g-all-u (Quoting Bravo) "I sit down with Kevin Franklin and ask about him 4v4 slayer pro, "join in progress," custom game options, DMR vs BR, launch playlists, team ball, capture the flag, swat, and more! Thanks for checking out this video and please share it by clicking "share" and posting the link to twitter and FB!" "Please like, subscribe, and favorite! These make me happy and help me out. More videos coming from New York Comic-Con all weekend!" "Check out some of my other Halo 4 videos!" Halo 4 - Promethean Weapons Breakdown - http://youtu.be/PU8n0EashooHalo 4 - Solace Gameplay - Halo 4 - Helmets, Shoulder Armor, & more! - Halo 4 - Grifball - Halo 4 - Forge Mode - http://www.twitter.com/BravoMLG http://www.facebook.com/AndyDudynsky Check out the H4 Fans page! https://www.facebook.com/Halo4Fans View full article

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&hl=en&client=mv-google&v=5dkfh4T6tF8&feature=youtu.be&nomobile=1 View full article

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Frank O'Connor was interviewed at PAX over the weekend of Aug 31-Sept 2, but a new interview has come out with more details. Johnathan Toyad from Gamespot.com covered a whole new set of questions not included in the PAX interview. For the full article Click Here How much will players have to change in order to get use to Halo 4 multiplayer? No doubt every player that picks up a new Halo game will have an immediate feel for the controls. We've been getting some good feedback from pro gamers so far. We are working closely with MLG especially on multiplayer strategy guides. What are the most requested maps? The Pit, Valhalla, Beaver Creek, which these maps may not come back because sprint is now a default command. This may make some maps too cramped. We have one remake but we can't reveal that yet. Campaign News You've had animes and graphic novels made of halo, what other venues are you exploring? Currently our biggest exploration is in digital TV space. We are creating the series forward unto dawn which starts on October 5th. It's suppose to help tap into the human side of the UNSC and it takes place 20 years before Halo 4. As for how it got started? it was all an internal preproduction discussion. We knew we were going to have new players join into the mix, so we wanted something to serve as an introduction. When we looked back to other TV commercials we've done we discovered that they made people excited about it, but were disappointed that there was no story to follow. Thus, Forward Unto Dawn was a good way to kill two birds with one stone. I know this is a lot of info to take in, but some of this info is very interesting. That's it for this post, but leave your comments and ideas below. Make sure to let me know if you like by hitting the like button because this took a lot of time and effort. Thanks.