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[OG_Original Gamer]

There hasn't been any other dev that has put as much energy into online multiplayer development as Bungie. We would be playing Halo2 right now if Bungie wasn't commited to delivering a unmatched online multiplayer. Would it be safe to assume Bungie spent two years on the single player section and a year on the multiplayer.

Could this have an affect on the industry and how they approach online gaming, pushing other devs to atleast try an match Bungies commitment?

And can publishers afford this commitment?

 

[Blazing Sword]

Yes.

 

[Mrbob]

For consoles yes.

 

[Bluemercury]

There hasn't been any other dev that has put as much energy into online multiplayer development as Bungie. We would be playing Halo2 right now if Bungie wasn't commited to delivering a unmatched online multiplayer. Would it be safe to assume Bungie spent two years on the single player section and a year on the multiplayer.

Could this have an affect on the industry and how they approach online gaming, pushing other devs to atleast try an match Bungies commitment?

And can publishers afford this commitment?

Half-life and probably Half-life2..........

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

Half-life and probably Half-life2..........

Sorry about that I should of said console gaming.

 

[ItalianStallion]

Of course it will raise the standards as far as console games... it's going to be one helluva online game.

But PC games surpassed it long ago..

 

[GhaleonEB]

Actually, Bungie will have spent about three years on multiplayer and single player each; the team has a multiplayer team and single player team, working along side each other.

Most of the Halo 2 multiplayer features have not been announced yet, but from what we've seen it will at the least set a standard for gameplay alone. When you consider that the game modes, number of players, vehicles and weapons remain largely a mysery the picture has plenty of room to improve from it's already gorgous appearance.

 

[DSN2K]

certainly there has not been anything of this standard on consoles before, its going to really raise the bar.

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

Would other devs/publishers be able to afford to spend the money to meet this standard, having a great single player and online multiplayer?

 

[DopeyFish]

if they start realising higher production values can help sell their games.

 

[Deleted member 1235]

I wanna see what edge scores halo 2.

 

[Daxter Too]

Halo 1 was ported from a 3rd person tech demo and created(every single level) in 9 months. That is a fact


Bungie has spent about 3 years working on it's sequel. I am excited.

 

[FightyF]

It's funny, since the original Xbox Halo seemed like an afterthought.

It was awesome, I'm not saying that it isn't, it's just that there weren't many modes, levels, and no such thing as changing characters or very different skins for them. Funny how it still turned out to be one of the best multiplayer console games.

I'll admit, I used to play a lot of Halo over LAN with friends, and we kinda got sick of it about a year ago. Halo 2, which looks to have 20 times the features, seems like it's going to last us forever.

 

[arter_2]

i can see halo becoming the console version of counter-strike.

 

[Sai]

It's funny, since the original Xbox Halo seemed like an afterthought.

It kind of was. Bungie was very surprised with the attention and praise that HALO's multiplayer recieved.

 

[Prine]

Heh, well Bungie sorted out hosts ruining games when dropping out, just one of the many improvments i expect from Halo 2.

Yeah, i guess so, should set a new standard for console FPS. The whole focus on clans sounds crazy, with each subscriber having their own memory dedicated to clan logo's, leader boards, rankings etc. But thats in conjuntion with XBL.

XBL 3.0 + Halo 2 = new standard

 

[dorio]

I hope so but no other console fps has matched halo's controls after all this time.

 

[Littleberu]

There hasn't been any other dev that has put as much energy into online multiplayer development as Bungie.

Zippers Interactive? Rare? Hell, even Sega!!

 

[Sai]

Lots of people think that because of the focus on multiplayer screenshots that Bungie's been putting most of their efforts into that aspect of the game... They're most definitely taking it much more seriously than the first game's multiplayer, but I still think Single Player campaign is where the majority of their energy is spent.

And yes, I agree that HALO 2 will set a new online multiplayer standard for console games. It will be the definitive LIVE game.

 

[DDayton]

What would be weirdly amusing would be if Halo 2 failed miserably, after all this hype....

 

[Kiriku]

Have they revealed exactly what they have been working on concerning the online part? Co-op online? Very optimized and organized online section? Lots of players simultaneously? Or something totally new and different?

 

[Kiriku]

What would be weirdly amusing would be if Halo 2 failed miserably, after all this hype....

I don't think a failure is possible, when you consider how many people would buy it and eat it up and look past all the faults (using excuses like "it's part of the gameplay design") since they've been hyping it for so long, and well, since it's Halo 2.

The only failure is a delay.

 

[DDayton]

I don't think a failure is possible, when you consider how many people would buy it and eat it up and look past all the faults (using excuses like "it's part of the gameplay design") since they've been hyping it for so long, and well, since it's Halo 2.

The only failure is a delay.

Well, between the growing rumors that MS will pull out all stops to get their "next system" out within a year of Halo 2 being released, and the glut of great titles for competing systems arriving at the end of the year, I do think Halo 2 will have a slightly more muted release than some think...

Of course, I'm the guy that would buy "Mario Teaches Basic Plumbing".

 

[Sai]

What would be weirdly amusing would be if Halo 2 failed miserably, after all this hype....

Amusing, yes. But ultimately impossible.

Have they revealed exactly what they have been working on concerning the online part? Co-op online? Very optimized and organized online section? Lots of players simultaneously? Or something totally new and different?

It's nothing really new and different, unless you want to take HALO's gameplay into consideration(which isn't really innovative in the first place, just a polished conglomerate of gameplay elements from other First Person Shooters). I think HALO 2's online multiplayer will shine because of the additional LIVE features that will be promised. The way Bungie's setting out to make HALO 2's online multiplayer no different from playing a 16 player LAN game with your friends.

By the way, I believe Bungie said in that Game Informer article that online co-op was very likely... It should be in, since online co-op will be in the Xbox port of Doom 3.

 

[teepo]

socom2 never gets love

 

[Sai]

Sure it does, there was like a million page sticky on Soco--...

* Sai looks at the stickies.

...

* Sai scratches brow.

Nevermind...

 

[Uno Ill Nino]

Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six 3, and Full Spectrum already have set the new standards. Halo 2 will be great I'm sure, but there will be no room for organization and strategy in a 16-24 player game. It will simply be too chaotic. Anyone who has the PC version will agree with me. I can tell you right now that its really fucking hard to get a small organized assault or defense crew going. Imagine how tough its going to be when every one of those bastards has a microphone and is screaming in your ear which direction they want to go. Ugh.

I think Halo 2 will be best played with smaller groups, or with people you already play with on a regular basis. Otherwise there won't be any strategy to it other than being a better player than everyone else and being in the right place at the right time.

 

[Sai]

Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six 3, and Full Spectrum already have set the new standards. Halo 2 will be great I'm sure, but there will be no room for organization and strategy in a 16-24 player game. It will simply be too chaotic. Anyone who has the PC version will agree with me. I can tell you right now that its really fucking hard to get a small organized assault or defense crew going. Imagine how tough its going to be when every one of those bastards has a microphone and is screaming in your ear which direction they want to go. Ugh.

That's where friends/clans come in.