The Halo Bulletin

Yesterday’s a dream

Throughout
my ten-year love affair with the franchise, I have attended numerous
Halo-related events. On more than one occasion, I hopped on a
plane—every single one of which was devoid of maternal-appreciating
legless reptiles—and landed in Salt Lake City, where I soaked in the
scenery, threw Frisbees off the side of a mountain, and played Halo 2
long into the night. I marked the release of Halo 3 by dyeing my hair
blue, paying tribute to my favorite holographic AI while braving my way
through the witching hour, just to secure a box that was so large I had
to forcibly cram it into the backseat of my car. And one year, while
attending PAX, I took a break from bomb-arming and flag-stealing to do
the only other thing that was acceptable at the time—serenading Frankie
with Barry Manilow’s “Mandy,” substituting his similar enough name in
place of the one heard repeatedly in the chorus. Why, you ask? Because
he came and he gave without taking. But I sent him away, oh Frankie...
Actually, to be quite honest, he walked away on his own. Or ran, if you
want to be precise. But who wants to argue semantics? We have more
important things to discuss. Like Halo Fest.

For
the record, the first time I typed that, it read “Halo Fast.” Probably a
Freudian slip on my part because of how quickly the festivities are
approaching. What started off as months away is now mere days from
happening. We just wrapped up our PAX Prime Badge Giveaway,
so you’ll see pictures of the winners scattered amongst the words in
this Bulletin. But whether you’ll be at Halo Fest in person or just in
spirit, there will be plenty of coverage, both by Halo Waypoint (insert
obligatory "Follow us on Twitter!" here) and our official media partner, IGN. So let’s get down to business, shall we?


I’m standing on the edge of time

Halo
Fest, the largest and most expansive live Halo experience ever, is
taking place alongside PAX Prime August 26th-28th. It will be spread out
across the entire third floor of the Washington State Convention Center
Annex, transforming 30,000 previously bare square feet into a huge
celebration commemorating ten incredible years of Halo. The entrance
will be on the street level, and a simple escalator ride will magically
transport you directly into this wonderful (ring)world we call Halo.




Happy people pass my way

One
of the things I’m most excited about is what you’ll probably see first:
my face! Don’t worry, I’m just kidding. I would never wish that upon
anybody. To assuage your fears, you should know I was actually talking
about the Warthog. Built by Weta,
this real-life anti-infantry vehicle is currently making its way from
New Zealand to Seattle. And if you’ve looked at a map recently, you know
there’s only one way it can get here: by water. That’s right
another-word-for-female-dogs-that-I-can’t-use-because-I-like-my-job,
that sucker’s on a boat. It’s a good thing, too, because I heard the
fully functional variant is quite difficult to drive. While I, and
everybody else for that matter, have been banned from getting behind the
wheel, I’m holding out hope I can at least hop on the turret. People
around these parts seem to think I’m too short for that job, but I’ll
show them! As soon as I find a stepstool, that is.




While the non-street legal Warthog is floating its way across
the world, plenty of things are already here. Take the entirety of the
history wall, for instance. In this nostalgia-inducing section, every
Halo title to date will have its own area, complete with box art,
detailed information such as release dates and logos, relevant newspaper
articles and artifacts, and even a station where you can relive your
title-specific memories in all of their original glory. I plan on
reenacting my most memorable Halo 2 moment, which involved stealthily
crouch-walking from the back of my base all the way to the top of the
center structure on Waterworks, just to assassinate an enemy sniper.
Feel free to watch if you’re looking for a several-minute-long,
action-packed experience!




Speaking of action-packed, there will be numerous hands-on
opportunities available to you during the three-day event. Five Halo:
Anniversary maps will be awaiting your presence across dozens of
stations. That’s right, FIVE Halo: Anniversary maps. Count them with me:
one Anniversary map, ah ah ah ah ah! Two Anniversary maps, ah ah ah ah
ah! I’d continue, but I’d have to cut and paste that three more times,
and I’m entirely too lazy for that. So, moving on.

The upcoming
Halo: Reach Title Update will also be playable, should you want to test
the altered waters. What won’t be playable, however, is the
behind-closed-doors viewing of a not-yet-decided-upon Halo: Anniversary
Campaign level. Only a limited number of people will be able to get
their eyes on it, and we’ll have more details about what exactly you’ll
need to do to be one of those people at the event itself. Hint: it
involves saying very nice things about me to my superiors. Just thought
you may want to start planning what you’re going to say in advance.

There
will also be both skill and fun-based tournaments, should you crave
something a little more organized or competitive. From straight up
Slayer to recreational racing, there will definitely be something that
floats your Spartan’s boat. Prizes for these particular events include
everything from Halo: Reach consoles and custom-made helmets to a super
old school, not to mention awesome, Duke controller retrofitted to work
with the Xbox 360. IGN has the complete tournament line-up, so head over
to their Halo Fest hub for the specifics.




While a few of our tournaments are charity-related—which makes sense considering Kari Toyama, founder of the annual Fight Like A Girl Tournament,
is the matchmaking mastermind behind all of them—it’s also worth noting
the Rooster Teeth Achievement community has created an exclusive Halo
Fest achievement challenge. Donate a mere $3 to Child’s Play
at the Halo Fest commissary, and try to beat the designated time.
Everybody accomplishing that feat will receive a one-year subscription
to Rooster Teeth’s premium website and, more importantly, a lifetime’s worth of bragging rights. Zach Wigal, founder and Executive Director of Gamers Outreach,
will also be there, trading Gamers Outreach wristbands for game and
console donations that support their “Fun for Our Troops” initiative.
That’s a whole lot of doin’ good for just one weekend. I’m thinking the
karma, if you decide to participate in any of them, will be well worth
the meager investment.

We do recognize that you can’t play every
second you’re there (primarily because I plan on hogging the majority of
the stations), so I do hope you’ll check out some, if not all, of our
panel offerings. Our three main panels, which you probably already know
about, are Halo: Anniversary, Halo Universe, and Halo 4. But when I
heard we’d be hosting other panels as well, I immediately started
pitching all my—what I consider to be anyway—brilliant ideas. What I was
most excited about was a proposed hour-long block of time where I was
going to ditch the spoken word and instead communicate solely through
screenshots. Unfortunately it got shot down quicker than my teammates
(hey, it’s not my fault they constantly walk into my line of fire), so
I’ll just present it now as it appears this is my only window of
opportunity.




I must say, it seems like we’ve gotten really good at the whole
talking through pictures thing. But alas, my chance to do it in front of
an audience has been forever lost. Check out our real panel schedule,
should you have an interest in something beyond my hidden-meaning
imagery.


Friday, August 26th

Halo: Anniversary
Pegasus Theatre (Sheraton)
10:00am–11:00am

The
team responsible for the 2011 reimagining of the classic Xbox title
pull back the curtain on the process behind bringing Halo: Anniversary
to gamers. Panelists include Executive Producer Dan Ayoub, Producer
Dennis Ries, Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor, Franchise
Manager Kevin Grace, and more!

Halo Community: Fragging, Forge, and Flowers
Halo Fest
12:00pm–1:00pm

Kick
your PAX weekend off right by hanging out with some of Halo’s most
dedicated Community leaders. Panelists include Louis Wu of
halo.bungie.org, Adam Grumbo of 405th, Goose Checka of GrifballHub, HC
Redemption of Halo Challenges, CMNeir of Halo: Reach Tricks, and Dust
Storm of Podtacular. There is a Community meet-up immediately following
in the Waypoint Lounge.

What’s Next for Waypoint
Halo Fest
2:00pm–3:00pm

Community Manager bs angel gets the scoop on the future of Waypoint from the team behind it.

Halo Universe
Pegasus Theatre (Sheraton)
4:00pm–5:00pm

Come
be a part of the 10th anniversary celebration as we welcome some of the
people who helped bring the universe to life. Panelists include
Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor, legendary composer Marty
O’Donnell, Franchise Manager Kevin Grace, Pete Stacker (Captain Jacob
Keyes), Tim Dadabo (343 Guilty Spark), and Steve Downes (Master Chief).

Saturday, August 27th

Bungie: Hatching the Cosmic Halo Egg
Halo Fest
12:00pm-1:00pm

At
this year's PAX, Halo Fest is enormous! But ten years ago, it only took
a small core of ambitious Bungie developers to fill the Halo universe
with life. In this panel, the birth mother and father of Halo–Joseph
Staten and Marty O'Donnell–along with a handful of Bungie alumni discuss
the origins and development of the Halo franchise, and field your
questions from the Community.

Halo: Building a Universe of Toys and Collectibles
Halo Fest
2:00pm-3:00pm

Meet
some of the biggest names in the toy and collectible industry and get
an exclusive first look at upcoming Halo products! Get the scoop from
fan favorites McFarlane Toys, MEGA Bloks, and NKOK.

Halo Universe Fiction
Halo Fest
3:30pm-4:30pm

Join
Frank O’Connor and Kevin Grace as well as special Halo guests Greg Bear
and Karen Traviss for a discussion of the first 10 years of Halo and
what’s coming next!

Halo Anniversary Campaign Discussion
Halo Fest
5:00pm-6:00pm

Can’t
get enough Silent Cartographer? Does Assault on the Control Room make
you weak in the knees? If so, this panel discussing the reimagining of
the classic single player Campaign is a can’t-miss!

Sunday, August 28th

Halo 4
Main Theater (Paramount)
10:00am–11:00am

Here
is your first chance to see and hear from the 343 Industries team that
is creating the exciting next chapter in Master Chief’s heroic story. Be
there as we kick off the next 10 years of Halo! Panelists include
Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor, Creative Director Josh
Holmes, Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill, Senior Art Director Kenneth
Scott, and Audio Director Sotaro Tojima.

Xbox talks 10 years of Halo
Halo Fest
11:30am-12:15pm

How
does a new multiplayer service prepare for the Halo juggernaut? Just
how wrong were the projections for concurrent players? Which panelist
thought that an FPS on the console could not possibly be any fun? Join
founding members of the Xbox team, Doug Hebenthal and Jerry Hook, as
well as Eric Neustadter (“e”), Larry Hryb, Xbox Live’s Major Nelson, and
Stephen “Stepto” Toulouse to discuss how Halo helped shape Xbox Live.

Halo Anniversary Multiplayer
Halo Fest
12:45pm-1:30pm

Want
to get all the nitty-gritty on Halo Anniversary’s Multiplayer? Do you
have questions about the Reach Title Update? If so, this is the panel
for you!

Red Vs. Blue Table Read
Halo Fest
3:15pm-4:00pm

Join
Burnie Burns, Gus Sorola, Matt Hullum, Joel Heyman, and Jason Saldana,
the voices of The Galaxy's Dumbest Recruits™, as they attempt to learn
their scripts to record an episode of Red vs. Blue.

In the Halo Community panel description, you may have noticed a
mention of the Waypoint Community Lounge—that will be the place to get
general Halo Fest information, take part in giveaways, and meet fellow
fans. Basically, it’s going to be where all the cool kids hang out. And
I’m not just saying that because that’s where I’ll be the bulk of the
weekend. Ok, I am, but still. It’s a valid point regardless.

The night goes into morning

Another
place the cool kids will be hanging out is the Halo Fest VIP Party.
Taking place Friday night from 8pm-11pm, those with an invite will get
to party like it’s 1999. Or 2011. Or 2552. Take your pick. Included in
the festivities will be music, contests, film shorts, trivia, prizes,
and other things that are awesome and fun in nature. Manning the music
side of things will be someone I know as Maggie, but you may recognize
as DJ Zealot. A Senior Technical Artist at 343 Industries, this lighting
and shading Drop Pod Lead will spend that particular evening doubling
as a disc jockey. Having had the only electronica radio show in the
Boston market for almost four years, that experience, along with dj-ing
live sets at Ryles, tunnel raves at MIT, and clubs in Boston and San
Francisco, make her the perfect maestro for the evening.

At this
point, you may find yourself wondering how exactly to secure an invite
to, what will undoubtedly be, a rockin’ good time. We’ll be handing them
out in a variety of ways, one of them being to people wearing
Halo-themed cosplay. Here are just a few fans I have a feeling we’ll be
seeing that evening!




Whether you end up with an invite in your hands or not, you have
a pretty good chance of walking away from Halo Fest with some serious
swag. The first 5,000 people to come through the door will get a
surprise from Mega Bloks, a limited edition poster, and other such
goodies. There will also be a store where you can buy as many adorable
Grunt plushies you can carry, plus a selection of hats, shirts, hoodies,
license plate frames, key chains, books, and more, all for your viewing
and purchasing pleasure. I’d give you a complete list of everything but
seriously, my fingers are starting to hurt at this point. Plus, I’m
thirsty. And a little whiny. That last part isn’t related to the large
chunk of time I’ve spent typing, though. That’s actually just a basic
part of my personality. Should you attend Halo Fest, you’ll get to
experience it in person. I know, how very not exciting.

Before I
call this chaotic cluster of words complete, I’d like to answer a few of
your questions. Hey, I’m not all whiny. A teeny tiny portion of me is
nice, too. Teeny tiny being the key words, of course.



Do you really read most of the topics on the Waypoint
forums? And do you pass on community things to the 343/dev teams?
–VorteXLP

During a good week, I read 99.9% of the
posts. During a busy week, that tends to drop to 99.8%. Seriously
though, I’m on the forums almost all the time, and not just because I’m
constantly gathering feedback and delivering it to the appropriate
teams. I really just enjoy the shenanigan-filled interactions.
(Shout-out to the Reclaimers! I mean the Sparks. I mean… did we ever decide?) In case you were curious, the thread I keep the closest eye on is the Official Halo Feedback Thread,
but I also scan everything else, simply to keep my finger on the pulse
of the community. And to post cat pictures. But mainly to post cat
pictures. I mean… yeah.




Are there plans to develop Waypoint for mobile platforms? And when will the Hamburglar be brought to justice?! -don carnage1

If
you’re going to be at Halo Fest, you should stop by the “What’s Next
for Waypoint” panel. We’ll be discussing the future of Halo Waypoint as
it pertains to all of our screens: web, console, and the one that you’re
asking about. And I don’t know this Hamburglar person, but look, a
screenshot of a cat!




Can we have a hint at the CEA Firefight map? Please, please with cats on top! -Eco Maiden

You had me at cats.

PS: Find me at Halo Fest. I’ll give you the inside scoop.


And with that, I’m officially out. Until next week, anyway…

<3,
bs angel

PS: Here’s your Friday Caption Fun wallpaper for the week. Embiggen, save as desktop background, and keep the hilarity going here. Also, congratulations to the rest of badge winners. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks!