he first time I heard the name "Halo" was in November of 2001 when the game was released alongside Microsoft's rookie offering into the console market. In fact, I had the pleasure of attending the release party thrown by a local game store in my area with 5 or 6 friends accompanying me.
I can vividly remember excitement bubbling throughout the crowd that, even with more than six hours remaining until launch, was wrapping around the store, zigzagging through the back parking lot, and stretching hundreds of feet down an adjoining sidewalk. The funniest thing about it all wasn't the enormous size of the crowd or even the puzzled looks on the faces of those who passed by wondering what the heck all these kids were doing lined up along a street on a late afternoon. No, the most amusing part of it all was that nearly every person there was exponentially more excited about Halo: Combat Evolved than they were about the brand new Xbox system on which they'd be playing the game.
Sales, yes; fanfare, no.Rightfully so I would say. I mean, Halo was a game that redefined the first-person shooter genre, not only with its gripping single-player campaign but also with its groundbreaking multiplayer offering . It is seen by many as the sole reason for the success of the original Xbox. I would agree, given the game's astounding attachment rate to the console of more than 55%. Halo was king, and the king would reign for another three years until, in one of the most anticipated launches in the history of video games, Halo 2 ascended to the throne.
Again, I attended the launch party. It was bigger for Halo 2. Much bigger. The event was covered one of the local news channels and even Red Bull sent one of those little Red-Bull-can-looking trucks to give out free drinks to the thirsty. Everyone there seemed absolutely happy; giddy, even, in the fact that they were about to satisfy their voracious Halo appetites. That event was nuts. Just nuts. For the next couple of years, Halo 2 took up much of my and many other's time. School, work, Halo, sleep. Does that sound familiar?
That was then though and this is now. Halo 3 was released on the Xbox 360 and for all intents and purposes was a phenomenal success. It set sales records, as had its predecessors — but something felt different with Halo 3.
The few, the proud . . . the few.The release party I attended in late 2007 was certainly a widely anticipated event, but the people who attended just weren't as excited as they had been before. It was more of a "Well, everyone else is getting it, so I'm getting it too"-type atmosphere. Perhaps Halo had become too big for its own good. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before Halo was dethroned by other, more deserving titles.
That would end up being the case as Gears of War and Call of Duty 4 arrived and diverted the fan base enough for a changing of the guard. These games offered an alternative to the Halo world. Bungie's most recent Halo entry, ODST, has released with considerably less fanfare.
I attended the release "party" earlier this week and I was surprised at how few souls were there. I arrived on the scene at about 11 PM and I was all alone. No line, no costumes, no Red Bull trucks. No one was freaking there. Something had to be wrong. Did I miss something? I hadn't missed a thing. The hard truth was evident: the Halo ship has sailed, hardcore fans left at the dock.
The sales for Halo 3: ODST have been pretty good. I've read it's like the 12th best selling game, but the 'need' to have it like Halo 3 is somewhat different.
Since it is only an expansion that doesn't have Master Chief may have played a role for sure. If Halo: Reach is a complete upgrade, I could see that fanfair grow back to the number we've seen for CoD and Halo 2 and 3.
It's an anecdotal observation, I'd say, not an analysis. The series' reception has changed, and I sympathize. I attended a midnight launch for Halo 2, stood in a line and ate free pizza. When Halo 3 released, I could hardly wait until my boss authorized my half-day.
ODST may be an expansion, but it received comparable marketing and has produced first-week sales rivaling those from two years ago. But Halo fever isn't going around. As for the ship sailing, Bungie's and Microsoft's opportunities for extending the brand may narrow.
Midnight events aren't passe, Alexandr — less than a year ago, Wrath of the Lich King marshaled fans in costumes, no less.
I'd also say it's a tad premature to declare the midnight launch dead, mostly because I can't place my finger on what may have dealt the killing blow. I've been purchasing games online almost exclusively since 2000, and I doubt I'm alone. Yet even though online sales have picked up considerably over the past decade, the overall core demographic hasn't changed -- we're still a rabidly dedicated bunch (i.e. the WotLK launch) and many of us still use traditional retail chains to secure a copy of the latest games.
Bungie isn't the same company it was nine years ago -- while everyone's tastes are different, few could argue that ODST is a superior product to Halo 2. Bungie also isn't alone anymore. Companies like Infinity Ward, DICE and Epic have chewed off their own pieces of the "shooter pie" with products that are both polished and innovative.
My point? Bungie still makes great games by industry standards, but this is a rapidly changing industry -- here's hoping that Halo Reach is just as revolutionary a product as the first two Halo games. For their own sake, Bungie needs to keep pushing the bar if they wish to retain their crown.
Two million units in the first 24 hours after launch. Yeah, that ship sure did sail...in a sea of cash. Using the same logic behind this article, I could claim that Halo launches are bigger than ever. People waited in line for upwards of five hours during the ODST tour, and another four hours for the midnight launch. End result: you've said precisely nothing here.
I'm going to echo Ubaldi and state that midnight launches aren't passe. I'd be more than happy to keep awake, standing in line for hours for a game I actually care about. Halo: ODST is most definitely not one of them.
Sure it may have made a lot of cash, but that's probably all that Bungie really, honestly cares about. They could take a rock, slap the Halo name on it and I'm sure it would sell like hotcakes.
At one point in my life, I did care about the Halo franchise. All I did was play that game...but that pretty much ended right after Halo 3. I was getting tired of it and I wanted something new and refreshing. To be honest, I haven't really paid much attention to ODST, despite the sales and the numerious people playing it on my friends list. There are others that feel the same way including the dude who originally got me to pick up an Xbox controller (He was a HARDCORE Halo fan). You also have to think, how many young kids (moms) got Halo: ODST just for the sake of purchasing something with "Halo" in the title. I see OSDT as more of just a fun time on Xbox Live than something that people care about for it's actual substance. No one is talking about the story. At least, I haven't heard anyone. Would I call ODST unsuccessful? By all means, no. It just doesn't feel the same.
Look, it certainly isn't easy for devoted fans of Bungie's behemoth franchise to come to terms with the recent decrease in significance of Halo, me being a prime example. However, it would be incorrect to say that Halo-fever is as prominent as it once was. Furthermore, I wouldn't be so naive as to say that because the fan-fare was luke-warm compared to previous halo titles, the game must then be comparitively sub-par. ODST is great game in fact....well-made with many hours of fun to be had. Unfortunately, its a great game that less people are interested in than before.
I completely anticipated some backlash to this write-up....And I am certainly appreciative of everyones opinions.
I think Moe nailed it — this is a gut-level thing. Certainly, none of us are Halo-haters. Quite the opposite! That game made possible many of our acquaintances.
ODST just hasn't felt the same, and, now, its release and adoption by the Xbox user base don't look the same.
I still vividly remember my first weekend with Halo 2 -- that nary uninterrupted 14-hour-long multiplayer session still leaves me with a numbness in my left hand ;)
Two million copies of ODST sold, yet over the course of its post-release weekend, I could only count 4 or 5 of my nearly 100 Live friends playing the game. Compare this to the Halo 3 release, where 70 or 80 people would all simultaneously be in matchmaking.
I don't doubt that ODST is selling, but the core gamer is apparently spending their time elsewhere...
It seems some of you are concerned with how Halo 3 1/2 is making you "feel" outside of playing the game. But I don't see a relevant point.
When Studio Ghibli released Ponyo, I didn't know a single soul that was excited. Does that mean Miyazaki fans have ejected? No, it just means I don't have anyone in my vicinity to share enthusiasm with.
And if that's your experience with Halo 3 1/2, then cool. I'm not paying attention to the out-of-the-gate fervor when so many factors are involved. That's for marketing to sort out.
And a WOW midnight launch is hardly the same thing as a Halo one. The former is a game where continuity of character is involved. But, no, midnight launches aren't antiquated. I just don't know anyone that goes to them anymore -- see how that works?
Nice discussion.
I don't think there's much debate over whether Halo: ODST generated as much buzz as an of the games prior -- it didn't.
Certainly, brand equity has played a role in the opening numbers that have been released. Bungie has already come and out and said that this was more or less a side project, and I think the launch reflects that. Is the Halo franchise going to die? Of course not.
I took this article as a simple observation. It shouldn't be surprising that people weren't lining up like they were before, there wasn't nearly as much being offered this time.
Some people want that out-of-the-gate fervor, because that's what Halo has always been. Some people were hoping (expecting?) that ODST would create that too, so it makes sense to see this division of those who feel let down and those who see no problem.
Nicely Done, Jeremy. You make the smarmy nature of my last post seem childish.
And both you and Ubaldi (as to not get the two Michaels mixed up) calling this article an observation is spot on. It's just that the article's last line threw me for a loop: "The hard truth was evident: the Halo ship has sailed, hardcore fans left at the dock." To say "hard truth" is a complete fallacy.
But props to Belanger for stirring us up like he did. This process is all about emotional triggers.
That's fair. I agree, I don't think Halo's ship has sailed, but I can see how Belanger might have been triggered to state such based on his apparent strong emotional ties to previous releases.
And I agree, great discussion and I'm really digging the comments feature!
I think there are three reasons why ODST was never going to be as big as Halo 3:
1) Billed as a side story without Master Chief and friends, with the same gameplay
2) Yes there's been advertising, but its no Halo 3 marketing blitz. Remember Halo 3 Mountain Dew?
3) Perhaps too soon after Halo 3, especially since the multiplayer is still going strong
I think next year will really tell if the ship has finally sailed. I'm looking forward to seeing more of Halo: Reach. I have ODST, but was no where near as excited for it, as I was for the previous titles. Maybe Reach will change that...maybe not.
I guess we'll have to wait and see what they do with the franchise.
I'm curious to see what new Bungie has in store for Reach. Halo Wars did a good job demonstrating to me how more than one Spartan could exist on a battlefield. All told: I'm looking forward to kicking some Covenant butt ;)
Bungie seems to be putting a lot of their effort into expanding the cooperative play options in their recent games, and there will certainly be opportunities for cooperation with a storyline like Reach's. No, I'm sure Bungie's got a few big surprises for long-time fans.
Really? That's your analysis? I believe midnight launches themselves are antiquated, and not Halo.
I say we see how well the game sells and how many it draws online before announcing that the hardcore has flew the coop.