Entrevues du 27 Avril 2001
Entrevue avec John Howard et Joseph Staten par IGN Xbox

IGN Xbox: First of all, we have to ask: What's going on with Halo's multi-player aspects? Originally, they were a big part of the plan, but with delays in Xbox broadband support, it sounds like this is going to have to take a backseat...what's the deal? Are ya going to include split-screen support at all, or are you now going to focus on single-player?

John Howard: Bungie has always been about kick-ass multiplayer, and Halo isn't any exception. As of now, we're definitely supporting 4-player split-screen with multiple game-types. We've been playing 2-on-2 CTF for a few weeks now, and I'm pleased to announce that Halo’s unique take on this well-worn game-type is very, very fun. And the addition of "real-time taunt and abuse" technology (aka "reaching across the couch and smacking your opponent upside the melon") is a nice change of pace from sitting alone at your computer.

IGN Xbox: How much do you feel these accommodations affect the overall impact of the product? Will FPS fans still call HALO "daddy?"

JH: That's MR. Daddy, SIR! Without a doubt, Halo is better now than it’s ever been. The team is still the same core group of guys responsible for Marathon and Myth, plus the guys that did Oni have come aboard, plus we've got a killer hardware platform that allows us to do things we just couldn't have done on the PC.

IGN Xbox: All this aside, we're guessing the move to console caused a need for a slight shift in focus in terms of interface and control. If what we've heard about multi-player is true, the single player game will obviously need a good kick in the pants as well. Between these factors, we've got to wonder...Are you guys still on track for launch?

IGN Xbox: Speaking of the single-player game, we got a good look at HALO during Gamestock this year, and now have a feel for how it will play, but how will this aspect be structured? We know you guys have hatched an evil plot of destruction, deception, and discovery, but how will this be worked into the game itself? To be more specific, what are some comparable FPS experiences in terms of the action-to-story ratio, or does HALO set to redefine the mold in this sense?

JH: Halo's story is woven into every aspect of the single-player campaign, and you, the player, are responsible for driving the plot. I think we've all seen too many games where the story is just tacked on to a cool gameplay idea. We're using a combination of mission goals, cinematics, custom in-engine animations, dialogue and recurring characters to create a compelling story in an original, detailed world.

IGN Xbox: Now that things are finally coming together, how are the vehicle aspects of HALO working out? We got a chance to take a spin in an ATV during the Gamestock demo, but what about the rest of the garage? Tell us what its going to be like to hotwire some alien hoop-tees!

JH: In addition to the vehicles you've already seen we've got a stationary Plasma Cannon the Covenant will wheel onto the battlefield that you'll be able to climb into and use against them. There's also the human and Covenant drop ships that we'll hook up next week. There's more, but I can't talk about that just yet.

IGN Xbox: We've heard weapons balance is a key focus for the design team, and that the idea of progressive destructive technology is frowned upon there at Bungie. Can you tell us about how you guys came to this decision, and explain a bit about what can we expect from the fire-power behind HALO?

JH: In a word: personality. Every weapon has something that makes it unique and fun to use in addition to being well-balanced. The crowd favorite right now is the Covenant Plasma Pistol (pull the trigger once and it fires a single puny plasma bolt--hold it down for a second then let go and fires about a dozen bolts). My favorite weapon is the Human fragmentation grenade. I know grenades sound like pretty standard weaponry, but when you hit a target with one of ours, Halo’s physics tosses the body through the air, its arms pinwheeling like a bit-player from an episode of the "A-team." We like the frag grenades so much they have their own button so you don't have to switch weapons to back-peddle into cover while blowing exploding kisses at your friends.

IGN Xbox: Getting back to the gameplay itself, Let's talk about the Covenant. We know that there are more than just two primary types of cannon fodder await our wrath, but to date, we haven't seen too much. How many different enemy types can we expect to see in HALO, and will the emphasis here be on tactics or numbers?

JH: The exact number is something we want to keep a secret until you play the game. But because Halo focuses on tactical combat, we've tried to create different types of enemies that work well in different combinations. So the number and types of enemies should influence how you approach an encounter and choose which weapons to use.

IGN Xbox: Speaking of tactics, what can you tell us about what role AI partners will play in HALO? Are they going to be more than the "gimmick" aspects we've seen from recent FPS games? We've heard you guys have plans for some large scale involvement in single-player scenarios...we needs the DIRT!

JH: Halo's AI system is complex enough so your teammates can attack, fall back, take cover, throw grenades, communicate with each other, fan out and search an area, ride shotgun in a vehicle, or guard a specific location all without you having to tell them to do it. Most important of all, your AI teammates understand their job: watch your back while you be the hero.
Oh, and the enemy AIs are smart enough to do the same things. If you think firing a burst at a group of bad guys, and ducking behind a corner while they wait for you to re-emerge will work, you're in for quite a surprise when they flank you, flush you out with Plasma Flares, and butcher you like the silly hairless ape you are.

IGN Xbox: Getting away from the game itself for a bit, let's talk about the technology. Despite the code re-write, it looks like making this bird sing its tune on the Xbox hasn't been too tricky for you guys. What sort of visual wizardry are you bringing to the table, and how are you taking advantage of the hardware?

JS: It's all about the GPU, my friend. Really, being able to off-load all our lights and textures to the nVidia hardware has been great. Halo looked sweet on the PC, but now it's just insane what we're able to render all the time: bump-maps, environment-maps, detail-maps, etc. All that without hitting the CPU. Which means more cycles for AI and physics et al. As Marty (more on him later) likes to say: "XBOX Halo is bumpy and shiny and bursting with love!"

IGN Xbox: Despite the hardware's considerable power, there is one thing that sends shivers down my spine as an FPS fan, and that is the thought of being forced to use a $%#@&$%! controller. Are you guys even considering the inclusion of mouse and keyboard support? We know Microsoft are being quite the peripheral Nazis, but please, tell me you guys will put you foot down for the greater good? For the children, man. Do it for the children! *Ahem* Sorry. Anyways, yeah, if you aren't, at least tell us what you're doing to make us not hate you in terms of optimization for console in terms of control?

JS: "Hate" is such a strong word...but, heck, I'll use it too. I hate console shooters with lame control schemes. We all do. Which is why we're working so hard to make playing Halo with a controller a really good experience. Hey, I spend considerable amounts of time playing Counter-Strike and other shooters on my PC. I know the glory that is good mouse and keyboard control. But the XBOX controller is pretty damn flexible, and we've gone a long way toward tweaking it into the ultimate Halo input device.

IGN Xbox: Ironically enough, the thing that impressed us the most during the Gamestock demo (yes, we realize we sound like a broken record, already) was the score. Is your sound guy some sort of evil genius? Will you guys consider putting the soundtrack in MP3 format so we can slap it on our Xbox HD for later grooving?

JS: We usually refer to Marty as our "Prima Donna," but he'd probably prefer a moniker with genius in it. I don't know if you've heard any of the soundtrack CDs we produced for Myth, Myth II or Oni, but we have a history of highlighting Marty's talent—-if only to stop his incessant whining about "being left out of the spotlight." Seriously though, as our public demos to date have demonstrated, Halo will have some great music. We're definitely thinking of ways to make it accessible outside the context of the game.

IGN Xbox: Because the guys at IGN PC threatened us with death if we didn't ask, what's up with the PC version? Will they see it before the Covenant invades earth?

JS: Given that it will be hundreds of years before the first Covenant recon picket stumbles across our most distant colony world--yes, absolutely! Oh man, we're all pushing so hard to get the XBOX version out on time, we really have zero time to think actively about the PC and Mac versions. But they're always in the back of our minds. You know: "hmm...how should I do 'x' so it’ll be relatively easy to implement on the PC/Mac?" Tell the IGN PC guys to keep the faith, and we'll get back to you, OK?

IGN Xbox: And yeah, technically, this is one more question than I was supposed to ask, but is there anything you wanted to say that I might have skipped?

JH: 4-player split-screen is just the beginning. But you'll get no more out of me until E3!