The Halo Bulletin: 8.29.12

When good playtests go bad

In order to aggregate data from numerous types of gameplay situations, we conduct regular take-home tests, and it was during one of these domestic assessments that our current favorite catchphrase was born. Let me explain.

Many of us here at 343 love playing Halo, but if there’s one thing we love more than that, it’s winning. While our domiciliary playtest sessions exist for a multitude of reasons (one of them being to observe the effects of various real life gaming situations—such as dropped connections, latency, and nagging spouses), we play to win—while gathering the relevant data, of course.

During one such recent session, our online battles brought us to an outdoor map that features a centrally located, multi-level building. It’s a place that strategic, communicative teams want to lock down and control. (That’s what some people around here say, anyway. The rest make their opinion known through the nicknames of each floor–Jerk 1, Jerk 2, and Jerk 3.) After Red Team successfully secured the advantageous center structure, Blue Team found themselves spending more time on the respawn screen than actually playing. That led to one particularly irate person abruptly and purposely leaving the game. Afterward, that individual emailed their experience to the other playtest participants, making sure to call out their fury-filled reaction. Well, a variation of their fury-filled reaction, I should say, because there was a single, extraneous letter discreetly nestled within their message. We assumed it was extraneous but who knows, actually…maybe they really did take out their indignation by sewing bed covers. And if that’s the case, “rage quilt” was the exact right term to use.

Enough about angry crafters, though. Let’s talk about PAX, baby!

PAX Prime 2012

In less than 48 hours, the doors of the Washington State Convention Center will open and thousands of people will descend upon the previously pristine venue, anxious to experience something that can only be described as a gamer’s utopia. We were down there this morning, and the early booth inspection revealed very cool and visible signage hanging from our portion of the ceiling and several super comfy game stations, quietly waiting for the impending flood of Halo fans.

Within our booth this weekend, we’ll be featuring a few different game types (one that is already announced but will be playable for the first time at an event) and a few different maps (one that will be unveiled for the first time on Friday). Panel-wise, we also have a few things up our sleeve. If you like brand new behind-the-scenes videos, especially ones that focus on storytelling, you should go. If you like demos of not-yet-confirmed game types on beautiful, brand new maps, you should go. And if you just want to know more about Halo 4, let’s just say you should go.

PAX is going to be flagtastic. And that’s all we have to say about that.

Halo 4 Button Layouts

While we’re going to be releasing a decent amount of news at PAX, we didn’t want to leave you hanging this week. So, to satisfy that craving for Halo 4-related information, today we offer you the various button layouts that will soon be at your fingertips.

Considering the importance of players getting attached to particular layouts (such as Bumper Jumper and Recon), we’ve been very careful with the control scheme design process. Adding something like Sprint, which is equally as important as other actions, has been challenging because it’s competing with the stick-click input typically used for crouching and zooming.

We’ve tried to stay true to the classic presets you’ve become accustomed to throughout the years. For instance, an important part of Bumper Jumper is being able to jump and melee at the same time while moving and aiming, so we’ve left that intact. We initially experimented with a button swap and brought in some MLG players to test it. After observing the difficulty they had with a modified version of clawing, we had to think about what’s more important, using an Armor Ability or throwing a grenade? Ultimately we decided to leave Bumper Jumper with "Throw Grenade" on the left trigger and "Use Armor Ability" on the “X” button.

Between bringing back all the Reach button layouts and adding a new one (which is called Fishstick and will be beneficial to those coming from other FPS games), we’re confident you’ll be able to jump right in and be comfortable with the controls. In the whole scheme of things (see what I did there?), the button layout you use will depend on your play style and favorite game modes.

Halo 4 features the following button layouts:

Limited Edition Halo Exclusive Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment

On Monday, GAEMS announced the Limited Edition Halo Exclusive Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment. Officially, it’s a “self-contained portable gaming environment.” Unofficially, it’s completely and totally bad-ass. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Stephen Toulouse, GAEMS Product Manager, and grill him on anything and everything relating to this particular product. Before he was able to escape my clutches, here is what he said.

So, Mr. Stepto, how did this amazing product come about?

When I joined GAEMS earlier this summer, they were already hard at work completing the design of the new Vanguard. It had a lot of features our customers had requested over our previous Personal Gaming Environment, the G155. Vanguard has a much larger screen, better speakers, and an improved case design. It also had a great new stylized look about it that lends itself well to showing off a logo or other graphic design. John Smith, our marketing Director, was already on the lookout for the right partner that we knew our fans would get excited about. Being a Halo fanatic, when we realized it was the perfect match, I got super excited, and even more so when we brought the idea to 343 and they loved it. The more we worked with 343, the more it transformed into a UNSC-branded piece of equipment, something that can tie into any Halo game past, present, or future. It looks fantastic.


Agreed! Can you tell us a little about the creation process?

Having spent 18 years at Microsoft, it's fair to say I've been a software guy, not a hardware guy. Working at GAEMS, especially on the Halo edition Vanguard, has given me an incredible education in the design, development, and manufacture of consumer electronics hardware. It's an amazing process! Our design team is both in Redmond and Hong Kong, and works together to figure out how we deliver the things our customers ask for in addition to the ideas we already have. Then, special tooling has to be created to form the molds that the plastic and other materials will be poured into to create various parts. Then we have to think about the screen and how it's mounted and protected. [We also have to think about] how the casing all fits together to make sure that when it’s closed, there's a measure of protection for the console but when it is fully open there's plenty of room and airflow.

Samples are made and prototypes built. You have to make choices like just how much texture you want the finish of the case to have, and what that means for the tools being created. And that's before we even begin to get into the design work of the logos and their placement, and things like exactly what colors we want on the case to make it look good.


What was the biggest challenge with making it?

I think the biggest challenge was timing. We wanted to make sure we could finish the hardware design in time to get the graphic and exterior design finalized to help make sure we have the UNSC Vanguard ready for the launch of the game itself. There are a lot of processes that all have to work in parallel. In terms of the design work for the logos and graphics, 343 was a pleasure to work with. Everyone knew that we have the utmost respect for the Halo universe and wanted to create something Halo fans would be proud to own, so we were very careful to work together to make sure everything was accurate and made sense.


I think I speak for our community when I say accurate is definitely good. >.> Anyway, what was something unexpected that happened during the design process?

I made a post on my blog at Stepto.com that discusses how we had to change the handle of the case itself a few times to get it right! You just don't think about stuff like that typically when you think about designing electronics, but it's those types of things that can surprise you or set you back if you don't get it absolutely right. Another thing was that we decided to go with Amazon's Frustration Free Packaging. That's a very interesting process that results in a great customer experience. The UNSC Vanguard is an Amazon exclusive, and it’s a nice experience to get the box, open it, and there's your device. No "box with foam holding another box with foam" situations, and all the packaging is tidy and recyclable. It's a real shock and a pleasant surprise to just open the box and bam! There's your beautiful new UNSC Vanguard right there.


That’s quite convenient. After you get that sucker out of its package, what sort of place would something like this come in handy?

Personal Gaming Environments for consoles, something GAEMS created by the way, are typically thought of for their mobility. I know people like myself, Eric Neustadter, and even Frank O'Connor have all used GAEMS PGE's on trips or vacations and have tweeted or spoken about how great they are for that. But another place we're seeing them used is in the home. It's a great way for parents to reclaim their nice 50 inch TV when the kids are out of school for the summer! If the mom or dad wants to watch a movie and the children want to play a game the parents aren't interested in, GAEMS PGE's like the Vanguard are the perfect solution. Not to mention having the console in a self-contained environment that they can secure allows a parent a little more control over gaming and when it happens.


I do believe that makes parents “Reclaimers”! While I laugh about my Halo joke, go ahead and tell us the most unusual place you’ve ever used it.

I used mine looking out over the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon coast at a beach house. I was playing Minecraft while listening to the sound of the waves crashing outside! One might say I shouldn't have been playing games and just gone to the ocean, and for sure we did plenty of that. But it's nice during the night to have my favorite entertainment experiences close by to relax and unwind without having to sacrifice anything.


Add Halo to the equation and I’m sold! Oh wait, you already did that. I guess we should finish this interview then, perhaps with your favorite thing about the Limited Edition Halo Exclusive Vanguard Personal Gaming Environment...

My favorite thing about this product is that it looks like something a UNSC marine might carry on the battlefield. It's got [such] a nice rugged look to it that you could almost imagine it's a real time uplink or some type of tactical battlefield display. 343 helped us really nail the idea that, while this is a Personal Gaming Environment in our Universe, it's easy to imagine something identical to it looking like it belongs alongside a Warthog.


Oh, great. Now I want a Warthog, too. Thanks for that, Stepto.

And on that note, I do believe it’s time to wrap this sucker up. I would say until next week, but I’m hoping to see you at PAX. So until then…

<3,
bs angel

P.S.

Halo 4 at MLG Dallas

Today, Major League Gaming announced that one of the games in the tournament line up is going to be none other than Halo 4. Click here for the article. I am very happy to see this happen. How about you? sound off in the comments below!

Heck, yours truly might even get to go up to Dallas and play in the tournament!

The Halo Bulletin: 8.22.12

It’s no longer hot in herre

Frankie feeds the masses

Last week, while the mercury in the thermometer soared, we huddled up to our computers and crunched away, battling our way through both heat and producer-driven deliverables. This week the sweltering conditions may have subsided but we continue to crunch, keeping our laser-like focus on the quickly approaching finish line.

With less than 80 days until launch, the various teams across the studio find themselves at different stages of completion. Animation is wrapping things up, working only on the occasional misplaced pinkie. Localization is in a similar state as they drop in the last of their multilingual text strings. Some parts of the game are (for all intents and purposes) complete, such as audio and achievements. We’re going to touch on both today, so let’s cut the chit-chat and dive into the first of the aforementioned alliterative subject matters, shall we?

Halo 4 Original Soundtrack and Special Edition Remix Album Coming Oct.22

Halo is defined by a lot of things. It's defined by the stories of the universe, by the quality and immersion of the graphics, by the constituents of the community that play, share, compete and create in the Halo sandbox, but to me, one of the most memorably definitive aspects of the game is and always has been the music.

We've talked a lot about the transition between Marty O'Donnell's unforgettably inspiring and foundational music - and the new, radically different approach being taken by our new composer, Neil Davidge.

Both envelop and engage the player, grounding him or her in a universe and an atmosphere quite unlike any other game series. Both use large orchestras, traditional movie score elements at times – and both explore other genres and styles within those areas. But Marty’s scores lean towards cinematic, orchestral, occasionally metallic, whereas Neil’s skillset leans more towards electronica, at least in terms of instrumentation. It’s not an apple to orange comparison, but they’re different enough to feel distinct stylistically, even to someone who’s never heard either artist before.

I am certain that when the game ships in November, the comparisons and contrasts between old and new Halo music will have huge energy, passion, and opinion fueling them. But there's something else we've been working on as a creative outgrowth of the game soundtrack.

Neil Davidge is a pretty legendary figure in the electronic music scene, not just for his work with Massive Attack but also for his compositions and collaborations with other digital and traditional artists. So when Neil approached us with the idea of working with other famous electronic musicians, DJs, and composers to create a completely unique collection of remixes and directly inspired re-imaginings of some of the game's new themes, we jumped at the chance.

These remixes won't be appearing on the main soundtrack disc - we felt that the entire purpose of an Original Soundtrack is to capture the feel, the atmosphere, and the moment-to-moment feelings of the game itself, so the OST disc will remain entirely devoted to the main game themes and tracks (including some truly incredible supplemental themes from our own in-house composer Kazuma Jinnouchi).

So just to make sure it’s perfectly clear – the OST, the Original Soundtrack, will be presented just like a movie soundtrack and stand alone, on its own disc. It will be replete with soaring themes, inspirational tracks, emotionally compelling melodies and a soundscape we are genuinely excited about.

But we wanted to do something more. Something experimental and cutting edge and extraordinarily awesome.

Here in the studio, we have a seriously eclectic mix of music fans, as well as music creators and even a DJ or two. So while the focus on the remixes is largely electronic in nature, there are a couple of very different pieces to reflect that variety of taste and technique.

As part of this process I've had the personal pleasure of being introduced to new (to me) artists and new musicians through their work, partly in research for the project but increasingly for my own listening pleasure.

I distinctly remember the two most surprising tracks to arrive - Haven by Hundred Waters and The Beauty of Cortana by Apocalyptica. The former, because it's the first actual Halo “gots its own lyrics” song. It's a haunting, poetic piece of music, but the lyrics, in the context of some of the games events are genuinely moving. And Apolcalyptica's because it's a crazy Finnish mashup of chamber music, Halo, and very heavy metal. Those are my personal standouts – each has their own charismatic appeal, and yet they still fit the overall theme – of the Halo sounds and movements that tie this disc together.

This remix project is very strictly built from Halo 4. The majority of the tracks are straight up remixes of the game’s epic soundtrack and range in scope from chill or trance to radically rethought deconstructions of our compositions. But all of them are built directly on Halo 4 DNA, assets, instruments, and melodies.

This is a version of the soundtrack you can safely have in your car's CD player so that when you forget it's there, you don't blast your new date in the face with an especially bombastic sci-fi orchestra piece. Instead, you're playing something that could be (and in fact has already been, in most cases) slipped into a set by a cutting edge DJ.

I don’t ever want people to think we’re apologizing for video game music. We’re incredibly lucky to have Halo’s musical legacy. In some ways it’s a harder challenge to write great game music than even a movie score –it has to achieve all the same emotional resonance but also has to adapt to constantly shifting pace, cadence and play styles. It’s a technological and interactive challenge on top of the traditional artistic one.

But this remix effort – this is a push into a space where games typically don’t go. One of my favorite “game” soundtracks of all time is the epic box set of Grand Theft Auto Vice City, with its absolutely essential collection of 80s hits – but that could happily exist outside of a gaming universe – and indeed does, as it’s constantly on my main playlists. In that regard our remix project achieves a lot of that same multipurpose playability, but also embraces the specifics of our game music and reinterprets it in imaginative, inspirational, and thrilling ways. Oh, and one other thing that’s vitally important to us and to Neil and to the soul of this effort - all of the artists are actually gamers and Halo fans themselves. You can feel it in every beat.

The remix disc won't be for everyone, but I think there’s actually something really approachable about this – and it does one of my favorite things – it lets me hear nuance and detail and layers that I never caught in the original tracks the first time around. It takes you on surprising detours, teaching you about musical genres and subgenres that you maybe never thought to explore. It’s instructive, it’s informative, and it’s didactic.

A summary of the Halo 4 soundtrack offerings is as follows:

Halo 4 Original Soundtrack (available in physical CD and digital formats)

Available for standalone purchase of $13.98 (U.S. ERP), the Halo 4 Original Soundtrack features 15 themes from award-winning producer Neil Davidge, co-writer and producer of the pioneering trip hop group Massive Attack. Working in collaboration with 343 Industries, Davidge and his production team enlisted a 16-person hand-picked male tenor / bass choir plus 10 females from the London Bulgarian Choir, a full 50 piece orchestra, and a whole host of other performers to bring the music of Halo 4 to life. Those who purchase a physical copy of the Original Soundtrack will receive a free download voucher for three exclusive remix tracks and three additional Davidge tracks not included on the soundtrack but featured in the Halo 4 game. These game pieces will not be available on any other platform other than through the physical CD purchase.

Halo 4 Original Soundtrack List and Titles (CD & Digital):

1. Awakening
2. Belly Of The Beast
3. Requiem
4. Legacy
5. Faithless
6. Nemesis
7. Haven
8. Ascendancy
9. Solace
10. To Galaxy
11. Immaterial
12. 117
13. Arrival
14. Revival
15. Green And Blue


Halo 4 Special Digital Original Soundtrack

The Special Digital Original Soundtrack features the full content of the Original Soundtrack, a digital booklet, as well as six bonus remix tracks composed by renowned producer Neil Davidge and remixed as follows: To Galaxy (Sander Van Doorn & Julian Jordan Remix), Awakening (Gui Boratto Remix), Revival (DJ Skee & THX Remix), Ascendancy (Caspa Remix), Requiem (Bobby Tank Remix) and The Beauty of Cortana (Apocalyptica vs. Neil Davidge Remix).


Halo 4 Special Edition 2-Disc Box Set

Available for preorder today for $75 (U.S. ERP), the Halo 4 Special Edition 2-Disc Box Set includes the following: Halo 4 Original Soundtrack, Halo 4 14-track remix album, Exclusive “Making of Halo 4 Music” DVD containing over 70 minutes of unique behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and recording sessions from Abbey Road, Exclusive hardcover book on the “Making of Halo 4 Music” featuring production and composition notes from Neil Davidge plus exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and exclusive artwork images, Exclusive 12” Neil Davidge signed art print, Exclusive 180g heavy weight 12” Vinyl Full color Picture Disk of Master Chief and Cortana in a uniquely designed Sleeve bag, Exclusive Avatar T-Shirt download (Male & Female). The first 5000 orders will all be individually numbered in a limited series and personalized by Neil Davidge.

Halo 4 Remix Album Track List and Titles:

1. Awakening – Gui Boratto Remix
2. Green And Blue – KOAN Sound Remix
3. Requiem – Bobby Tank Remix
4. Ascendancy – Caspa Remix
5. To Galaxy – Sander Van Doorn & Julian Jordan Remix
6. Haven – Hundred Waters Remix
7. Revival – DJ Skee & THX Remix
8. Ascendancy – Matt Lange Remix
9. Nemesis – Alvin Risk Remix
10. Solace – Maor Levi Remix
11. Arrival – Norin & Rad Remix
12. Green And Blue – Andrew Bayer Remix
13. Foreshadow – James Iha Remix
14. The Beauty Of Cortana – Apocalyptica vs. Neil Davidge Remix

Halo 4 Achievements

Gamerscore, and collecting the breadcrumb-like achievements that augment that magical number, has evolved into an integral part of gaming. Developing and designing these game-specific challenges might seem simple but is quite a bit more complex once you begin digging into the psychology of a gamer.

Our primary goal when creating Halo 4’s achievements was to reward milestones and increase replay value while balancing both difficulty and the breadth of game modes. Our secondary goal was to live up to Halo tradition with weird ass names for some of them (hello, The Dongblainer!). While you will only be able to speculate on the exact nature of some of these achievements, here’s a peek at their very basic in-game descriptions.

WARNING: Players looking to avoid spoilers should not read the following list of achievements. Players that didn’t bat an eye when ----- killed ---------- (Ed: Naughty!) should proceed.

	Dawn	Complete Mission 1 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Requiem	Complete Mission 2 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Forerunner	Complete Mission 3 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Infinity	Complete Mission 4 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Reclaimer	Complete Mission 5 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Shutdown	Complete Mission 6 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Composer	Complete Mission 7 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Midnight	Complete Mission 8 on any difficulty.	10 points
	Wake up John	Complete the Campaign on Normal or harder.	20 points
	I Need a Hero	Complete the Campaign on Heroic or harder.	40 points
	The Legend of 117	Complete the Campaign on Legendary difficulty.	70 points
	Lone Wolf Legend	Complete the Campaign solo on Legendary difficulty.	90 points
	Skullduggery	Complete any Campaign mission with 3 or more Skulls on Heroic or harder.	15 points
	Bropocalypse	Complete any Campaign mission co-operatively on Heroic or harder.	10 points
	Bromageddon	Complete the Campaign co-operatively on Heroic or harder.	40 points
	Contact the Domain	Find a Terminal in the Campaign.	10 points
	Terminus	Find all of the Terminals in the Campaign.	50 points
	Digging up the Past	In Mission 1, find and access Chief's record.	20 points
	Midnight Launch	In Mission 2, get significant air in the Warthog at midnight.	20 points
	This is my Rifle, this is my Gun	In Mission 3, carry a UNSC weapon all the way through on Heroic or harder.	20 points
	Bros to the Close	Make it through Mission 4 without one preventable Marine death on Heroic or harder.	20 points
	Mortardom	In Mission 5, hijack a Wraith and use it to kill at least four enemy Wraiths on Heroic or harder.	20 points
	Explore the Floor	In Mission 6, trick or force a Hunter to fall to his demise.	20 points
	Give Him the Stick	In Mission 7 in solo Campaign, take out both Hunters using only the Sticky Detonator.	20 points
	Chief, Smash!	In Mission 8, kill 3 Crawlers in one hit with the Gravity Hammer.	20 points
	Not Some Recruit Anymore	Rank up your Spartan-IV to SR-5.	15 points
	Movin' on Up	Rank up your Spartan-IV to SR-20.	30 points
	I <3 Red vs Blue	Win 5 War Games matchmaking matches.	10 points
	The Dongblainer	Win 20 War Games matchmaking matches.	30 points
	Operation Completion	Complete a Spartan Ops Mission on any difficulty.	15 points
	A Legendary Episode	Complete all chapters in Spartan Ops Episode 1 on Legendary difficulty.	40 points
	Dedicated to Crimson	Complete all chapters in the first 5 episodes of Spartan Ops on any difficulty.	80 points
	Crimson Alone	Complete a Spartan Ops chapter solo on Legendary.	20 points
	Roses vs Violets	Find one of the RvB Easter Eggs in Spartan Ops.	20 points
	Rescue Ranger	Save at least one Marine in Chapter 3 of Episode 2 of Spartan Ops on Heroic or harder.	20 points
	Knight in White Assassination	Assassinate a Knight in any Spartan Ops mission.	20 points
	What Power Outage?	Complete Chapter 4, Episode 5 of Spartan Ops without losing a generator on Heroic or harder.	20 points
	No Easy Way Out	In Ch 1, Ep 5 of Spartan Ops survive all enemy waves during the defense on Normal or harder.	20 points
	The Challenged	Complete a Challenge.	10 points
	The Challenger	Complete 25 Challenges.	20 points
	Armorer	Change your Spartan's armor in the Spartan Armor card.	5 points
	Badge	Change your Emblem in the Spartan ID card.	5 points
	PWND	Change your Service Tag in the Spartan ID card.	5 points
	What a Poser!	Change your Spartan's pose in the Spartan ID card.	5 points
	The Cartographer	Create and save a Custom Map in Forge.	5 points
	Game Changer	Create and save a Custom Game type in War Games.	5 points
	Snapshot!	Save a Screenshot from the Theater.	5 points
	The Director	Save a Film Clip from the Theater.	5 points
	Sharing is Caring	Upload a File to your File Share.	5 points

PAX Prime 2012

According to their website, PAX Prime is a little over eight days away. That means those of us tasked with preparing the relevant Halo 4 builds and assets have approximately one week to put the finishing touches on any videos, a new map, and an already-announced-but-not-yet-played-but-will-be-playable game type that may or may not be making an appearance at this event.

While the previous paragraph may have been lacking in specifics, I have one thing to make up for that, and that’s information about our panel.


Saturday, September 1, 5:30pm – 6:30pm

Halo Reborn
Pegasus Theater

With just a few weeks before Halo 4 launches, and the long awaited return of iconic hero, the Master Chief, 343 Industries will present a look at the evolution of a beloved franchise and the challenges and opportunities in rebuilding a familiar and beloved world. Join the storytellers, artists, and designers of Halo 4 as they show off some of that evolution and reveal even more secrets and features of the weapons, vehicles, gameplay, and characters that you’ll see when the Master Chief returns.


Our bodies are ready. Is yours?

Custom Challenge of the Week

Skulls are difficulty-multipliers that affect gameplay in unique ways. Should you enjoy adding such excitement to your Halo: Reach Campaign experience, this week’s Custom Challenge is for you. To participate, set up a Custom Challenge with your favorite skulls selected under Constraints. Then, upon successful completion of the challenge, the usual credit-based reward will be multiplied based on how many skulls you turned on. This challenge will be active from now until next Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

Super Jackpot Weekend

If Campaign is not your thing but competitive Multiplayer is, fret not because this weekend’s Super Jackpot festivities will scratch that itch. For your chance at winning the jackpot, hop into The Arena Friday, Saturday, or Sunday when every game you complete in that particular playlist will give you a chance to win a 39,000-credit bonus.


And with that, another Bulletin comes to a close. Thank you, as always, for spending a small part of your day with me. I appreciate it…more than you know.

Until next week.

<3,
bs angel