Bruce

Release: Sept 25 2007

We said Fall 2007, but did you expect Halo 3’s release date to be just two days into the Fall? On September 25, 2007 (just two days after the Autumnal Equinox), players will be able to finish the fight they started in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2. Halo 3 will release in Europe on September 26, 2007. Worldwide dates may vary slightly depending on local rules and conditions.

What does a release date mean to the team, aside from a concrete date when folks can go home to their wives and children? I chatted with Executive Producer Jonty Barnes, to see how announcing a release date affects Bungie.



Q: Jonty, describe what your day to day job at Bungie entails:

As Executive Producer on Halo 3, pretty much every day is different. Essentially at this point in the project all the hard-planned scheduling time is behind us and we’re no longer reevaluating or unblocking dependencies we’re moving into polish the game.

What this means is when I’m looking at the game now it’s a representative experience and working with the team to make targeted and iterative improvements.

Today’s world is more about design polish and using feedback from the Public Beta to make improvements. Plus fixing enough bugs and keeping the team sane.



Q: September 25 is the big day, does announcing the release date actually change anything internally for Bungie?

A: Nope not much for Bungie, that’s been the plan for months and months. The only thing it does however is make the end seem very, very real to people.

To be honest, the critics in the studio are those who drive and stress the team the most. External dates and announcements just bring home the excitement and expectation the public has for the game, and this makes the hard work feel worth it.

Q: Previously, making games at Bungie has been described as “trying to assemble a cathedral in a hurricane,” does this metaphor apply to Halo 3’s process? Give us your own, appropriately British and erudite metaphor to describe Halo 3’s development cycle this time?

A: Hmm… it’s more like a swarm of ants devouring a food mountain at a picnic with rain clouds heading towards us.
This time around the team is bigger and more coordinated, the goals are known but the scope is greater than we’re used to, and irrespective of being far more organized it’s not without chaotic elements looming… not least September 25th.

DaSilva

Sometimes you wish you had enough money to buy a X-box and Halo...
But You don't..

Centurion

So the 25th September is the date huh? I guess it's time to start saving up for a 360...............or wait for my tax return. I wonder if their advertising is as huge as the one for Halo2 was. Prior to the launch to the Halo2, Halo2 ads were absolutely everywhere and I mean everywhere.

Bruce

I know what you mean. I haven't got that sort of cash either

Luw: I'm sure the advertising will be insane!

Choleric

Meh, I was never a Halo fan.

Bruce

Completely understanable. I like Halo, but think it's far from the best FPS of all time.

DaSilva

One of the main reasons for me that Halo is one of the "best" games to buy, is because it's so dam social, It really is, Bring 16 of you're friends, take 4 Tv's, some machines and have a very nice weekend

I've tried it, and it's lots of fun!
Great experience..

Choleric

Yeah just in the same way Marathon was for the computer back in the 90's.

Man I really wish Bungie would remake those games with the Halo graphics that would be sweet.