General Discussion

Gamasutra is reporting that the previously unannounced MMO title that was in the works at Ensemble Studios was an MMO based on Halo.  Unfortunately, the game has been canceled, as Ensemble Studios is set to close down.

Following the recent announcement that Microsoft-owned Age Of Empires creator Ensemble Studios would close after the completion of Halo Wars, Gamasutra has discovered that a now-canceled Halo MMO was in development at the studio, unearthing prototype UI and level screenshots of the Ensemble-developed project.

The prototype art, which was at one point made available on an Ensemble-linked online artist portfolio website, further confirms previous rumors that the studio was working on an MMO based on the Bungie-created sci-fi franchise.

Read more here.

When the original Halo was in development, I watched it closely, I was waitinfg for the release hoping to have a well done sc-fi adventure to play, and then when Microsoft aquired Bungi then decided to  completely rewrite the game, turn it intio an FPS and release it for XBox only I was extremely pissed off. My PC was more powerful than a console, better video, more ram, better controller options (and I didn't have to sit in front of a TV (aka idiot box))

Sure I bought the XBox, and bought Halo, but I couldn't enjoy it (sore thumbs from button mashing, having to deal with a tiny controller, awkward setup), So I ended up giving the system and the game to my nephew, he was 14 and the game seemed more geared towards his age group

I know they eventually released it for the PC, but after the XBox fiasco I had a bad taste in my mouth about Halo, and I wouldn't touch the damn game, I had other games to play for FPS, I was pissed at MS for it, sure, Halo was a big hit as well as H2 and H3, but Microsoft basterdized the original and forked it up for me.

I don't play console games, I can afford a real gaming system (the last console I had (before Xbox) was an Atari 2600).

Sorry if I offended you, but I get crosswise when I hear "Halo" .

BTW the "HALO" (the world) was based on the "Ringworld" from Larry Niven's books, damn thieves.

I'm glad it was canned, Halo was nothing but unreal tournament reskinned and given a different story. Hello Kitty Online would be a better game than that.

Originally posted by Koddo

"Hello Kitty Online would be a better game than that."

And, theres something wrong with Hello kitty? Hmhm, hater!

I think the Halo fans would be glad to hear that some twisted MMO didn't wreck its franchise.

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Originally posted by HBlite
I think the Halo fans would be glad to hear that some twisted MMO didn't wreck its franchise.

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It looks quite interesting; though some of the UI concepts look like it was stolen from other games (one is exactly like WoW and one features a top bar similar to titan panel). I'm surprised they're closing the team down, they're going to release a game that will be at least a bit successful and could have introduced microsoft to the MMO genre.

Originally posted by HBlite

I think the Halo fans would be glad to hear that some twisted MMO didn't wreck its franchise.

and i'm glad some twisted Halo MMO did not ruin our genre...

Don't they already have a Halo MMO... called Tabula Rasa?

Besides, what would they do for an MMO, have a hundred thousand Master Chiefs running amok?

Originally posted by Midnitte

 

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Originally posted by HBlite
I think the Halo fans would be glad to hear that some twisted MMO didn't wreck its franchise.

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It looks quite interesting; though some of the UI concepts look like it was stolen from other games (one is exactly like WoW and one features a top bar similar to titan panel). I'm surprised they're closing the team down, they're going to release a game that will be at least a bit successful and could have introduced microsoft to the MMO genre.

Mircrosoft wants to join the MMo genre as a publisher more then a developer, atleast that is what it seems from the outside looking in.

Any time Microsoft even thinks MMO bad things happen, honestly how many Canned MMO's does this make for them now? But devlopers keep beliving that theirs will be different.