Posted on 11/09/2004 8:11:27 AM PST by ArcLight
Excerpt:
Die-hard fans will notice that the core gameplay in Halo 2 remains largely unchanged. The most impressive new feature is the ability to wield two weapons at once. But the biggest step forward is that Staten's story about an invasion of Earth is now told from the perspective of both the humans and the Covenant aliens. Since Master Chief was already well established, Staten and his father, a professor of theology, developed a set of religious beliefs that could explain the Covenant's actions in the sequel. They zeroed in on the idea of the Halos — 10,000-kilometer-wide ring worlds — as utopias, safe havens in a universe filled with terror.
Clearly, there are political and religious dimensions to Halo 2 that were absent from the first game. (''You could look at [the story] as a damning condemnation of the Bush administration's adventure in the Middle East,'' admits Staten.) Such provocative themes were bound to come under the scrutiny of Microsoft's legal team. Even as the game was getting its final polish, lawyers forced Staten to change the name of an alien antagonist, arguing that it carried Muslim overtones. Staten objected. Nonetheless, some of the voice actors (who include Michelle Rodriguez, Ron Perlman, and Miguel Ferrer) were called back to rerecord dialogue only weeks before the final version was delivered.
(Excerpt) Read more at ew.com ...
Halo 2 will be the greatest video game ever. Overtaking the previous greatest game ever, Halo.
If Halo 2 is an opportunity to be killing some Muslim terrorists (even if virtually), I'm all for it!
It's a game.
Lighten up.
;-)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1274651/posts?q=1&&page=137#137
"Hey guys,
Let me be really clear about this: there is no intentional political message in Halo2, anti-Bush or otherwise.
While I tried to be mindful of folks' sensitivities as I wrote its story, I knew that the game was going to scrutinized by a large, diverse audience, and would, therefore, be interpreted (or mis-interpreted, as the case may be) any number of different ways.
The EW journalist chose to include one of my examples of possible misinterpretation in the article, but not all of them. Most importantly, the journalist left out my closing statement: "Look, you can read anything into the story that you like - call a damning condemnation of the Bush Admnistration's adventure in the Middle-East, for example. But you'd be wrong."
In retrospect, It would have been best to give no example at all, but hindsight is 20-20.
Long story short: while we didn't water-down Halo2's story in an impossible effort to make it inoffensive to everyone, we were nonetheless careful not to do anything that would be patently offensive regardless of someone's perspective (e.g. reward people for injuring or killing the game's female characters, something most folks would agree is offensive, full-stop).
Halo2's story is non-partisan. Any meaning you ascribe to it is yours alone.
And remember, at the end of the day, whatever some journalist says I said really doesn't matter. The proof is in the pudding. Play the game, and I think you'll see it's just that: a fun game with a good story.
Thanks,
Joseph Staten
Director of Cinematics
Bungie Studios"
lighten up? Lighten up over what? I love Halo!
Did you find this from a blog? I seem to remember reading about it already.
How is Halo"?
I'm thinking of getting it for my husband for Christmas...
I always thought MS Pac-Man was a damning condemnation of the Carter Administration.
This is a wonderful indication of how there is a conspiracy theory behind every rock these days. You can take almost anything and spin it into a pro-Bush or anti-Bush statement. I doubt that Microsft would be so stupid as to alienate half the US public.
Halo, as I stated above is the greatest video game ever. I would get him Halo and Halo 2, but not allow him to play Halo 2 until he defeats Halo.
I have a 8 person game waiting for me as soon as work is over today. Let's just say that work is not really getting done today. Dual wield. Assult Rifle with scope. Oh baby, I can't wait.
It rocks. I'm up to "The Library" and have no idea how much further I have to go.
The Scorpions were the best, so far.
If what the guy says about how he was misquoted is correct, it's pretty damned obnoxious of Entertainment Weekly to completely change the meaning of his quote like that.
Oh shoot.
Just looked.
Says Halo is only for the X-Box, and we have a PS2.
You hear any rumours of a port?
(There's a show on right now all about Halo... he's in there drooling at it...)
Well, "High Noon" was supposed to be a critique of Hollywood execs who wouldn't stand up for blacklisted writers and actors, and "Aliens" was written as an anti-Vietnam film...
They're still great movies. If the criticism is as subtle as it is in these films, I won't find it objectionable.
I am a PS2 owner, but Halo looks like an awesome game.
why must the dems try to coop anything popular and twist its meaning...sheesh
let ppl play a game in peace!!
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