| Session moderated by: TomeOne Bungie employees in attendance: yeroen (Max Hoberman), ProudFles (Matt Soell), ol_dirtae (Wiley, a Bungie intern) The format was simple: TomeOne would open the channel to speech by anyone (Mode change "-m") the crowd of almost 100 would fire questions for as long as the channel stayed open (usually 20 or 30 seconds, at most), then it was closed again (Mode change "+m"), and the Bungie employees could answer the questions they chose. |
5:20 PM: BillyH: I know we are not allowed to inquire as to the specific
money involved in the deal. but did it have a "7" in
it?. ?
5:20 PM: Have_Blue: What;'s Bungie's exit strategy if things turn bad?
5:21 PM: _IAN_: Will Bungie keep there HQ in chicago?
5:21 PM: MuShoo: Answer HB's
5:21 PM: Nijhazer: What the hell is Hamish Sinclair thinking?!?!
5:21 PM: Nijhazer: For Matt: Do you have what it takes to be a Sponge Master?
5:21 PM: [Q]: what is the situation with halo developement?
5:21 PM: MuShoo: and IAN's
5:21 PM: firedwarf: what is bungies response to the very skeptical fans out
there?
5:21 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:21 PM: yeroen: BillyH: You betcha it had a seven. Lots of em.
5:21 PM: yeroen: one sec...
5:22 PM: yeroen: Have_Blue: I think every individual has their own exit
strategy. Everyone is free to leave if they don't like how
things are going.
5:23 PM: yeroen: Someone asked about Chicago: We're all moving to Redmond,
including the San Jose guys after Oni is done.
5:24 PM: yeroen: Firedwarf: Our response to the very skeptical fans is
pretty detailed in the forums, especially halo.bungie.org
and rampancy.net. Take a look.
5:24 PM: yeroen: ok, let's open this sucker up.
5:24 PM: TomeOne: alright
5:24 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:24 PM: B-Sharp: Ok... Bungie says they haven't yet decided on a Mac version
of Halo. Why is that? Before all this happened it was
being developed for a simultaneous Mac/PC release, what has
changed that? And since now it's not been decided, what
are the factors of this decision? What will help decide if
the Mac/PC versions will ever be finished? And last but
not least, what's your favorite type of donut?
5:24 PM: GSI|Sonic: Did you get to have dinner with Bill at his house?!
5:24 PM: MCD: Will you have your own facility, or be part of a complex of
other developers?
5:24 PM: Nijhazer: Matt: DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A SPONGE MASTER?! ;)
5:24 PM: BillyH: yeroen, did it have three 6's how ever? ;)
5:24 PM: MuShoo: Damnit. I live in chicago. I wanted to visit some time.
5:24 PM: [Q]: HALO?!
5:24 PM: Vilinx: The Register quotes Ed Fries, your new boss, as saying
"Bungie is going to... create great games for the PC and
X-Box", this, notably, leaves the Mac out of the picture.
Is this a bias on Mr. Fries part, an ignorance of his as to
how Bungie works, or perhaps an indication of things to
come?
5:24 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:24 PM: TomeOne: ouch :)
5:24 PM: archives_: very nicely done, guys.
5:24 PM: yeroen: Hehe
5:24 PM: TomeOne: go ahead Max :)
5:25 PM: yeroen: B-Sharp: We have a new set of circumstances to deal with.
Before this deal, before any possibility of this deal, we
had dedicated our internal dev. resources to Mac and PC
versions.
5:26 PM: yeroen: There was a possibility of a PS2 version, and we had a
publisher in Take2, but we hadn't yet figured out dev.
resources for it.
5:26 PM: yeroen: Now, we have to consider reallocating our internal
resources. There's a chance we'll grow the teams, a chance
we'll work inside MS with other teams...
5:27 PM: yeroen: a chance we'll work with external teams. However, right now
we have to make platform decisions based on existing
resources...
5:27 PM: yeroen: That's one Halo dev. team, with no new management, no new
members. All that we can commit to is to look at all our
options.
5:28 PM: yeroen: Figuring out the resource issue will help clear up the
platform issue. For more detailed info read the rampancy
post, I explained it all.
5:29 PM: yeroen: I'm not sure what Ed meant about X-box and PC, but I hope
he meant we'll continue to do what's best for the game, and
what's best for our dev. teams.
5:29 PM: yeroen: Ol Dirtae doesn't like that answer :-)
5:30 PM: ophelan: yeroen: platform choice WILL remain in the hands of
Bungie developers, and not MS execs, correct?
5:30 PM: yeroen: I suppose the better answer is I don't know, but I hope he
meant well ;-)
5:30 PM: TomeOne: ok you ready Max, or?
5:30 PM: yeroen: As far as PC/Mac, that's correct. As far as console,
Microsoft has some obvious influence there. We won't be
coming out with a PS2 version, that's a given.
5:31 PM: Silvrmane: we've been awaiting the mac version with baited breath
5:31 PM: Silvrmane: obviously we are concerned.
5:31 PM: yeroen: OK, let's open it again.
5:31 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:31 PM: firedwarf: didnt bungie say that they wil syupport the macs untill teh
end of time? the shouldnt u have annoucned a mac version as
a given?
5:31 PM: Adezj -Why O Why didnt i take the blue pill and stayed in wonderland
when Halo was going to be released on PC and Mac?!
5:31 PM: DAJAitken: Are you happy helping Microsoft to dominate yet more of the
computer industry?
5:31 PM: lacrymosa: One article that I read says that you have your own little
location on the Redmond campus for all your toys. Is this
true?
5:31 PM: Jenkz: Do bungie share our worry that console communities are
unknown, in their infancy (Dreamcast online flopped), and
that the mod community (if theres one at all for xbox) wont
be as widespred with a primerily console game. Some feel
that online console communities will be hard to build, if
possible at all, and thats the area where the console is
lacking. Do you agree, and how do you plan to support
international online gaming through the xbox
5:31 PM: Bet: What's your favorite type of donut???
5:31 PM: dur1`: What's your favorite type of donut?
5:31 PM: NetFusion: will inter office nerf warfare be allowed on the ms campus,
did bill get any special immunity to such attacks in the
deal
5:31 PM: BillyH: MacUser magazine claimed that the X-box was the single
biggist threat to Apple (a few months ago in the startup
column I do believe). And on some points I would have to
agree. whats your opinion?. (It might help if you find
a copy of macuser in the toilet first?.) (sorry if I'm
ratty. we just lost the footy *crrrrrrrrrrrry*)
5:31 PM: Nijhazer: How would you say the final version of Oni will be
different from what we've seen thus far in the previews?
And can you comment about what we can expect in terms of
length of the game?
5:31 PM: Isolder: What will happen to the myth/oni goods currently for
purchase at the Bungie Store after they have run out of
stock?
5:31 PM: GreenMtn: I would just like to let the Bungie staff know that i will
no longer be purchasing any of their products. I've been an
avid fan since Marathon I, but i will not support MS in any
way shape or form. It's a matter of pride, morality, and
standing up for something i believe in. Youre going to lose
alot of long time fans.
5:31 PM: DS-Zewy: Halo is the best!!! game ever don't make it to Xbox only
!!!
5:31 PM: Pizzpot: how will this affect Soffish development? ;)
5:31 PM: ophelan: i trust the bungie developers to do the right thing, silvr
5:31 PM: Cached: Have you ever read the article on MS aquistions at:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit19990826.html ?
5:31 PM: _IAN_: Now that you've moved to Redmond, how does one get a job in
bungie? Go work for Microsoft and hope to be assigned to
Bungie....or head staight to Bungie?
5:31 PM: [Po0p]: your response to the halo question was too ambiguous for
me, can you give a percent probability for release on
windows platforms (and mac)?
5:31 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:34 PM: yeroen: Po0p: I can't give a percent probability. Everyone seems to
want definites, but the honest answer is that the resource
issue is a big question mark for us right now. We haven't
had the best luck with external contractors in the past, so
we're wary of that option, and we're nervous about
overloading the team or making it too large to manage.
5:35 PM: ProudFles: Regarding the "Support Macs till the end of time"
comment....I'd want to see proof we actually used those
words or anything similar before I commented.
5:35 PM: ol_dirtae: Cached: That url was actually forwarded around the office
right when we were first deliberating over the deal.
Microsoft made it clear to us that they are buying our
business model along with our employees - they don't want
to mess up their investment, so they want to accomodate our
business model rather than forcing us into their structure
- that's why we're remaining an independant studio within
Microsoft.
5:35 PM: ProudFles: That just doesn't sound like something we'd say.
5:35 PM: TomeOne: (BTW ol_dirtae is at Bungie too)
5:36 PM: yeroen: The article ol_dirtae is referring to helped clarify a lot
of our own concerns, and helped us figure out the right
questions to ask. In the end we liked the answers.
5:36 PM: ProudFles: Obviously we love the Mac - I'm using one right now - but I
don't think we'd make a decision to stick with any one
platform regardless of the consequences.
5:36 PM: yeroen: Jenkz: There are definite problems with console
communities, but that's one of the challenges we're looking
forward to...
5:37 PM: ProudFles: As far as having our own little space on the MS campus:
yes, that's true.
5:38 PM: yeroen: We're forming an online team with the goal of making a
strong community, and we have a number of ideas. Of course,
many of them rely on tieing in a web site, which you need a
computer for. Still, we're taking it in stride and planning
on being the innovators.
5:38 PM: ProudFles: Are we happy helping Microsoft dominate more of the
industry? We don't look at it in those terms. We see it
as them helping us dominate more of the industry.
5:38 PM: yeroen: That donut questions is a tough one. We like our Friday
bagels ;-)
5:38 PM: ProudFles: Favorite donut: I like crullers. And the ones with custard
inside. Or whatever that stuff is.
5:39 PM: yeroen: Isolder: The current Myth/Oni goods in the store will go
into our online team's closet, to support fan gatherings,
tournaments, etc.
5:39 PM: ProudFles: I doubt the XBox threatens Apple in any significant way. I
just don't see it competing with Macs. Different market.
5:39 PM: ol_dirtae: maybe someday they will come out of the closet along with
the webmaster...
5:40 PM: yeroen: let's open this up again? Matt?
5:40 PM: ophelan: personally, do you fellows see Halo as being more
appropriate on the PC/Mac market or on the console market?
5:41 PM: yeroen: ophelan: The game is early enough in development it can be
tailored to fit either. I'd say it has the potential to
rock on both.
5:41 PM: ProudFles: Sure, Max.
5:41 PM: yeroen: Let's open it up then, Tome.
5:41 PM: TomeOne: opening up..
5:41 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:41 PM: firedwarf: alot of mac users are taking this like a stab in the back.
does MS decide the Desdlines?> or basically just get there
names on the box of your games?
5:41 PM: lacrymosa: Yeroen-> So is there a party planned for MWNY. You
commented something about it last night on b.net. I'd
certainly come down from MA for that.....
5:41 PM: GSI|Sonic: Now that you're owned by Satan, will he provide you with
extra employees to help speed along the development of
Halo?
5:41 PM: B-Sharp: Bagels? You've obviously been influenced by Satan. How
dare you forsake the sacred donut? You are not worthy.
5:41 PM: ekoSonic: What is your opinion regarding some of the reactions from
long time supporters of Bungie who have abandoned their
faith in the company? Did you anticipate this type of
backlash? Take the mill going down for example, truly a
resource to be missed. Did you anticipate those sort of
reactions from your fan base? And if so, how do you plan
on trying to "re-convert" some of the lost souls?
5:41 PM: Have_Blue: How would you respond to those who accuse Bungie of losing
their soul and/or old values, like totally free-wheeling
independence?
5:41 PM: tummy: You guys don't seem to realize that the majority of your
fans and the community they've guilt is geared towards
personal comupting. I'd think most of these fans aren't
going to shell out money for a console just to play Halo,
and especially not a MS console at that. So, my question..
why (or do you even) do you expect the Bungie community to
continue supporting you if you can't assure them they'll
even be able
5:41 PM: Mr_Cloud: Now that you are a part of Microsoft, will you be working
with the other game developers under MS's wing extensively?
Or will you colaborate with them on a limited basis?
5:41 PM: Bet: PC market, no doubt about it
5:41 PM: GreenMtn: How can you live with yourselves knowing that you are part
of Microsoft? You are now part of the sleaziest company to
ever disgrace the face of this earth. Do you have ANY
morals at all?
5:41 PM: Borzz: are xbox features editable?
5:41 PM: Adezj How much did ya get each for joining microsoft?! its all about
money isnt it?! u dont even need them right?!
5:41 PM: tummy: to play your game?
5:41 PM: Pizzpot: how will this affect Soffish development? ;)
5:41 PM: dur1`: Bagels? What The hell is wrong with you?
5:41 PM: mackerm: Microsoft is being split by the Courts. Are there plans in
case X-Box and Bungie are in different halves?
5:41 PM: _IAN_: Now that you've moved to Redmond, how does one get a job in
bungie? Go work for Microsoft and hope to be assigned to
Bungie....or head staight to Bungie?
5:41 PM: cae: The Xbox is still 14-18 months off... it seems like Bungie
might miss its technology window for Halo. How can you
justify this, given that it was predicted to come out next
spring? (Yes, I know I asked this before, but I didn't like
the answer.)
5:41 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:42 PM: yeroen: We don't plan to sell games based on technology cae (though
it always helps), we always consider the defining factor
the gameplay. My personal opinion is that it won't matter
as much as long as the game is a blast.
5:43 PM: Silvrmane: I only have one question... how does this affect my Bungie
for life? : )
5:43 PM: yeroen: But that's just me.
5:43 PM: ProudFles: As far as losing people goes, we knew some of that was
inevitable and irreversible.
5:44 PM: ProudFles: Frigidman made his decision and it doesn't sound like he's
gonna reverse it. We'll deal. If people are willing to
stay, we're going to support them, but we're not going to
try brainwashing anyone. We have to respect their
opinions.
5:44 PM: yeroen: Have_Blue: There's some truth to having to give up some of
our values, namely our independence. However, we were faced
with a decision about our long term future, and we decided
it best to take a good opportunity and minimize our loss,
rather than face a very real chance of losing it all.
5:45 PM: ol_dirtae: mackerm: What we understand from Microsoft about the
possibility of a split is that both the games division and
the XBox Development team will end up on the same side of
the rift.
5:45 PM: ol_dirtae: that would be the non-OS side
5:45 PM: ProudFles: I think we managed to preserve the values that really
matter though. Time will tell, obviously.
5:46 PM: TomeOne: agh
5:47 PM: yeroen: tummy: About our fans being dedicated to PC gaming: I think
that what we've always valued the most internally is the
gameplay. We had to make a decision that would allow us to
preserve complete control over this without having to worry
so much about market issues. That doesn't mean...
5:47 PM: yeroen: we don't think the PC side benefits are important, and it
doens't mean we're giving up on them, just that we were
forced to prioritize.
5:48 PM: yeroen: This is especially true for Matt and I, who's entire jobs
revolve around the community.
5:48 PM: ProudFles: We don't EXPECT anything. We're going to do the best we
can for our existing community, and if they choose to
remain, we'll be thrilled.
5:50 PM: yeroen: GreenMtn: Yes, we have morals. Our morals, however, don't
dictate who pays our bills, they dictate what we get to
create.
5:51 PM: yeroen: Borzz: Editing on the XBox is going to be tricky, but we do
have a few ideas we're toying with. Nothing I'd want to
commit to.
5:51 PM: yeroen: Let's open this up.
5:51 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:51 PM: Isolder: With Take Two having the Myth:TFL and SB games now, will
they have a say in how things are now moderated on
bungie.net or will the current BNA roster continue holding
rule as well as be the new people to contact in need of
support for the two games?
5:51 PM: firedwarf: the fans u lost were the best..no more open source..no more
mill.fm took alot of time into maintaing that site..the
best game site ive been to.no doubt.i thought bungie wanted
to make games they wanted, and world domination. you were
fine without the 50 million dollars, am i correct? how does
this come into play with world dom. and games?
5:51 PM: Adezj Is this the first time u do a Console only game?!
5:51 PM: Khral: #1) Will there be a better webcam at the Bungie Studio? #2)
Can you give us some info on what changes b.net will have
over time with current and future games?
5:51 PM: DS-Zewy: Way can't you do Halo DirectX 8.0 only ? and you will not
have the problem whit hardware?
5:51 PM: DAJAitken: Microsoft has demonstrated time and time again that they
cannot be trusted. What makes you think they'll keep their
word on this deal?
5:51 PM: Have_Blue: Will JJ's focus on the X-box's hardware and design steal
time from his work on the games themselves? What about the
same question, company-wide?
5:51 PM: cellophan: What about Big Trouble in Little China? Have any of you
seen it?
5:51 PM: Ironfist: Since there's a great deal of time between now and when
Halo launches, it would seem that your Online Staff has a
lot of work ahead of itself reaching out to the fanbase in
the meantime. Will you be ramping up that staff at all?
Will we see some new innovative BML-based widgets for
bungie.net (the portal)? Did you get my resume I sent to
you last night? =)
5:51 PM: Infin_CP: When will the current Bungie store go offline? How much
longer do we have to order the older goodies?
5:51 PM: Fyrest0rm: Come on! The X-Box is going to be on a TV! Who cares about
bump-mapping, incredible vista, and all that wonderful
detail when you can't even see it? (And don't bring up
hi-res TV's: A small % of people will have one)
5:51 PM: Nijhazer: OK Matt, one last time, you must let us know: Do you have
what it takes to be a Sponge Master? The people, Matt!
5:51 PM: Vilinx: I would appreciate it if Matt could answer this (Max
already has): The Register quotes Ed Fries, your new boss,
as saying "Bungie is going to... create great games for the
PC and X-Box", this, notably, leaves the Mac out of the
picture. Is this a bias on Mr. Fries part, an ignorance of
his as to how Bungie works, or perhaps an indication of
things to come?
5:51 PM: DeadWhore: How do you feel to let "children" such as Myth and Oni go?
Somewhere it must hurt..?
5:51 PM: Pizzpot: how will this affect Soff... oh nevermind
5:51 PM: Nijhazer: OK Matt, one last time, you must let us know: Do you have
what it takes to be a Sponge Master? The people, Matt!
5:51 PM: [Po0p]: this is sad
5:51 PM: Nacho: About the 20% off Bungie Store Cupon, Bungie Points and
other promotional deals like that? Will they be redeemable
for Bungie's future products?
5:51 PM: ProudFles: Regarding morals, Green, I can only speak for myself. But
I'm comfortable with my decision to join. And there are
far sleazier companies than Microsoft. Dow Chemical
springs to mind.
5:51 PM: [Po0p]: SAD I SAY
5:51 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
5:51 PM: yeroen: Man!
5:52 PM: Silvrmane: heh
5:52 PM: TomeOne: damn it takes so long till the channel realises it's +m
5:52 PM: cae: Open source isn't going anwyhere, firedwarf. (There, that's
one less for you guys. ;) )
5:52 PM: yeroen: Nacho: We haven't yet discussed the store coupons. However,
we intend to keep Bungie Points on our games, and to
continue to support them.
5:53 PM: yeroen: That's not a promise, but it's our goal.
5:53 PM: Silvrmane: I have a bungie for life.... is it still going to be valid?
5:53 PM: ProudFles: Dwarf: we still get to make the games we want. And MS is
blissfully ignorant of how they fit into the world
domination plan. :-)
5:53 PM: yeroen: Pizzpot:We'll probably have the resources to get soffish
a life partner.
5:55 PM: ProudFles: Isolder: We'll keep running b.net ourselves. Take 2 will
end up doing the tech support for the games, but bungie.net
is all us.
5:55 PM: yeroen: DeadWhore: It hurts a lot to let go of ownership of the Oni
and Myth franchises. However, it was impossible to do this
deal without it, Take2 held a lot of power.
5:55 PM: yeroen: We like them a lot, however, and we hope they'll do a great
job supporting them.
5:56 PM: ProudFles: Obviously time Jason and the other developers spend on XBox
is time not spent on other things. But we think it will
work out.
5:57 PM: ProudFles: Nij, I was formerly ignorant of the many facets of sponge
mastery. But I have been enlightened.
5:57 PM: yeroen: IronFist: Yes, we got your resume ;-) Our goal right now is
to hire someone that's a master Perl coder and database man
to support the portal site...
5:57 PM: ol_dirtae: firedwarf: We all thought resources like the mill were
excellent, and I'd hasten to point out that Myth related
sites and Mararthon open source projects will be around as
long as gamers want them to be. However, places like the
mill didn't HAVE to close
5:58 PM: yeroen: We'll be posting a job opening soon. After that we have a
few ideas. Possibly an interface designer. Everything else
is just speculation, right now we're worrying about the
transition.
5:58 PM: ol_dirtae: - in fact, the Bungie deal has little or no bearing on
either of these projects - the fact that fm closed the mill
was a personal decision that he made, and the way he
explained it to me was that he had been tired of running it
for the last several months
5:59 PM: ProudFles: Vil, Ed obviously comes from a background where attention
is focused on the PC, but when dealing with Bungie I think
everyone should interpret PC in its more generalized form.
In other words, Windows and Mac.
6:00 PM: ProudFles: I'm not sure when the Bungie Store goes offline...Buy now!
6:00 PM: cae: Do we need to change the copyright stuff on our Myth and
Oni pages?
6:00 PM: yeroen: Should we open this up again?
6:00 PM: ProudFles: Might as well.
6:00 PM: TomeOne: answer claude first :)
6:00 PM: ProudFles: Not just yet, Claude.
6:01 PM: Silvrmane: i guess no answer to my queswtion
6:01 PM: TomeOne: whew
6:01 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:01 PM: DeadWhore: Will you have any involvement is any possible future Myth
titles? Such as advice, it occured to me the fear of Take
Two messing up the genius which is Myth is very present
amongst gamers (Myth 2 being a personal favorite)
6:01 PM: Nijhazer: Who was the third Pope?!?! Who was
6:01 PM: Panamon: If PC/Mac versions of the games aren't developed, how long
do you expect the community to last? It's already been a
year and 7 months since Bungie's last game (excluding
Chimera), and several more months until Oni. How long can
this community wait (for the answers we want/need to hear,
among other things)?
6:01 PM: |Ender|: A TV's resolution is at best, 500x500. How can you say,
"Come see and play the glory that is Halo!" when you're
controlling a blur? It seems like the X-Box is a waste of
your time.
6:01 PM: BillyH: Matt, Max. how much can you actually speak for Alex and
Jason?. as its not you who just got 7 figure stock
opitions or cash for their stocks. with microsoft :).
And more importantly. are not them. (ok some would
have that the wrong way around. but you guys are not
desperate. you didnt marry carmacks wife after all....)
6:01 PM: Khral: what about the microwave emulator and ling ling? what will
happen to them?
6:01 PM: GreenMtn: I would like to let you Bungie staff know that i will no
longer be purchasing any of their products. I've been an
avid fan since Marathon I, but i will not support MS in any
way shape or form. It's a matter of pride, morality, and
standing up for something i believe in. Youre going to lose
alot of long time fans.
6:01 PM: Mr_Cloud: Now that you are a part of Microsoft, will you be working
with the other game developers under MS's wing extensively?
Or will you colaborate with them on a limited basis?
6:01 PM: cellophan: Will Bungie continue to work with Total Audio, and do I
have to get a job with them to write music for Bungie
games?
6:01 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Why let yourself beeing bought couldnt u done all
this without M$-!!ANSWERE!!
6:01 PM: DG`: How long did the guys at Bungie (JJ, AS maybe) spend
considering the move to Microsoft? Why exactly do they
seem to not have any answers when they've already agreed
for a *sellout*? No doubt tits a pretty *BIG* deal,
selling out all those years of building a company to
Microsoft, and I would figure that Bungie would have a PLAN
already in mind, instead of diving in with eyes "wide
open." And I would expect for bungie to share that plan to
the co
6:01 PM: DS-Zewy: Hi al
6:01 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:02 PM: ProudFles: I don't think we have a right to be involved with another
Myth or Oni, but we get along with the Take 2 folks well so
maybe they would be kind enough to ask.
6:04 PM: ProudFles: Green, that's your decision, and you're entitled to it.
All I can say is that we too felt we were making the best
decision for the company and the people who work here.
6:04 PM: yeroen: DG: An opportunity like the XBox doesn't come along every
day, we couldn't have planned entirely for it. In the past
offers to buy us have been alike: lots of money, but not a
company we wanted to be a part of, or a situation we wanted
to be in. This deal came out of left field.
6:05 PM: ProudFles: Cloud, I'm not quite sure what you mean by collaboration
with other game developers...We're going to focus on our
own games.
6:05 PM: ol_dirtae: GreenMtn: And I hope your not going to buy anything from
Apple either, because if you did, you would be increasing
the value of Microsofts $150 Million investment in them.
6:05 PM: yeroen: We're going to collaborate with them in the cafeteria.
6:05 PM: ProudFles: Yes, we keep working with Total Audio. Which I personally
am very happy about.
6:06 PM: cae: Marty said he's moving to Seattle soon... but taht Mike is
staying in Chicago.
6:06 PM: yeroen: BillyH: We can't speak for anyone but ourselves. All we
can do is relay our own opinions of Alex and Jason's
motives, which is what we're doing. However, these opinions
are based on years of personal friendship and a lot of
mutual trust.
6:07 PM: yeroen: Quiet, Wiley.
6:08 PM: ProudFles: Billy: I've talked with Alex extensively about this (Jason
less so - he's too busy to talk) but I think I understand
their stance pretty well. I wouldn't claim to represent
their innermost thoughts, but I have a good idea of where
they're coming from.
6:08 PM: yeroen: Panamon: The only way to make the community last is to
continue to make it better. In its current form I don't
think it will last very well.
6:08 PM: yeroen: I do, however, have a ton of ideas how to make it better.
You should be seeing some of these as soon as we hire that
programmer!
6:08 PM: ProudFles: This is true, Claude.
6:08 PM: Silvrmane: so who would be best to contact about the "Bungie for Life"
to get an answer?
6:09 PM: ProudFles: Silvermane: Email me privately; I'll sort it out.
6:09 PM: ProudFles: Might take a little while as my inbox is currently at 666
messages. (Har de har har.)
6:09 PM: Silvrmane: cool
6:09 PM: Silvrmane: heh
6:09 PM: ProudFles: But I'll get to it.
6:09 PM: Silvrmane: no doubt
6:09 PM: yeroen: Should we open it again?
6:09 PM: Silvrmane: no rush
6:09 PM: ProudFles: Sure.
6:10 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:10 PM: Isolder: Are we going to see commercials for Bungie games on tv?
6:10 PM: DeadWhore: Did you all ever wonder my M$ chose you amongst the 10's of
great gaming companies? You...the prime of the mac
community...I know we all dislike M$ but I must not be the
only one to feel this way. I mean they have a choice of FAR
more popular companies... (not being demeaning to Bungie in
any way)
6:10 PM: Have_Blue: Bungie is known for never setting deadlines and ending up
with very... "mobile" release dates anyway; how will this
change if Bungie's products are intertwined with the X-box
and MS's priorities?
6:10 PM: NetFuse: The best current online multiplayer enviroments leverage
the linux communities abundant bandwidth and geographic
diveresity these servers represent, will Halo server model
support this internet tradition aswell?
6:10 PM: Silvrmane: till oni is out : )
6:10 PM: cellophan: Jack Burton.
6:10 PM: |Ender|: It seems like the X-Box is a waste of your time.
6:10 PM: yeroen: Blam.
6:10 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:10 PM: TomeOne: hah!
6:10 PM: ProudFles: Isolder: I sure hope so.
6:11 PM: yeroen: The only thing I wondered, DeadWhore, is how much
confidence they had that we can create a killer console
game, coming from the PC side and all. But we like being
given a shot at it.
6:11 PM: yeroen: Isolder: Actually, I'm almost positive you will.
6:11 PM: ProudFles: DeadWhore: If you're referring to the conspiracy theory
that MS bought us as some sort of attack on Apple...I think
that's just a conspiracy theory.
6:12 PM: ProudFles: I don't think the Halo server model is totally figured out
yet, Netfuse.
6:13 PM: yeroen: NetFuse: Most of Halo multiplayer still has to be sorted
out. However, we follow that tradition at Bungie with Linux
for mail, web server, portal site, and b.net servers.
6:13 PM: yeroen: Hmmm... let er rip TomeOne!
6:13 PM: TomeOne: kay
6:13 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:13 PM: Khral: Did Apple ever offer to buy Bungie, or did Bungie ever
offer to sell out to Apple? This sorta ties in with Halo
being presented in MW Expo the first time.
6:13 PM: firedwarf: yeron wrote: The only thing I wondered, DeadWhore, is how
much confidence they had that we can create a killer
console game, coming from the PC side and all. But we like
being given a shot at it...(PC SIDE? bungie is the heart of
the mac community! what are you saying?!)
6:13 PM: B-Sharp: ok... so I got to thinking... what is your favorite flavor
icecream (or any frozen desert type thing)? Personally,
I'm partial to orange sherbet. It's just got this
wonderful feeling as it melts in my mouth.... Mmmm...
orange sherbet...
6:13 PM: ThaMan: How can bungie EVEN THINK of not supporting the Mac, the
mac community made you great, if it wasn't for us, there'd
by no bungie!
6:13 PM: Vilinx: Have you seen
http://www.macledge.com/features/accessemployee/accessemployee.shtml;
this is testimony of a (former) employee of Access
Software, which was acquired by MS and promised a similar
independency. He details as how Access was slowly
abosorbed into MS as a whole.
6:14 PM: qfrog: Will there be a movie version of HALO?
6:14 PM: Dalan: I read in one of the interviews that TakeTwo has been given
rights to two Halo-engine games... is this true, and if so,
what could we expect to come of this? (Is afraid of
low-quality Halo knockoffs) *shivers*
6:14 PM: ekoSonic: Now that you are part of Microsoft, will the technology
behind the games be shifted to DirectX, or will it remain
OpenGL? Microsoft is making a hard push for DirectX (take
the decision of Epic regarding supporting DirectX over
other API's), will this influence the availability of games
for the Mac, or will you take that into consideration when
developing, to ease compatibility for mac games?
6:14 PM: Have_Blue: when are you guys gonna update LETTERS TO THE
WEBMASTER?!?!?! 8)
6:14 PM: BillyH: Max, Matt. fairy nuff. couldnt ask for more.
but do you have the same taste in women?
6:14 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Why let yourself beeing bought couldnt u done all
this without M$-!!ANSWERE!!
6:14 PM: Panamon: The Bungie community as it is now consists of many
people...the most dedicated individuals have often become
b.net admins, beta testers, or even employees of Bungie.
will that pattern continue now that Bungie is part of
Microsoft?
6:14 PM: Pizzpot: Has Microsoft given all bungie employees a raise from what
ya'll used to make?
6:14 PM: B-Sharp: ok... so I got to thinking... what is your favorite flavor
icecream (or any frozen desert type thing)? Personally,
I'm partial to orange sherbet. It's just got this
wonderful feeling as it melts in my mouth.... Mmmm...
orange sherbet...
6:14 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:14 PM: ProudFles: Ender: All I can say is the development teams are really
excited by it. If it makes them happy, it can't be too
much of a waste.
6:14 PM: ProudFles: Apple never offered to buy us. I don't think that would
have made much sense for them.
6:14 PM: yeroen: Adezj: Could we have survived in our current form: Maybe.
Could we have had a shot at becoming a premier developer
for XBox: I don't think so.
6:16 PM: yeroen: I think that pattern, Panamon, has led to involvement by
some of the very best people we have, both as employees and
fan contributors. I'll do everything I can to keep that
tradition alive.
6:16 PM: yeroen: BillyH: Ask your mom.
6:17 PM: yeroen: :-)
6:17 PM: Silvrmane: hehe
6:17 PM: ProudFles: Dalan: You'll have to wait and see, just like us. I have
no idea what they plan to do with that license.
6:18 PM: ol_dirtae: Dalan: I'm hoping that the Halo engine's full potential as
a fully immersive tic-tac-toe game can finally be realized
6:19 PM: yeroen: ekoSonic: I believe the technology will be whatever is best
for the platform in question.
6:19 PM: yeroen: Vilinx: No, I haven't seen it. I'll take a look.
6:20 PM: ProudFles: Regarding the Access story...I don't think it's nearly as
similar to our situation as it's made out to be.
6:20 PM: yeroen: firedwarf: By PC I mean personal computer, Mac and Windows
6:21 PM: ProudFles: Qfrog, I don't know if there will ever be a movie. I think
it would be cool, but who knows? Hollywood is fickle.
6:21 PM: ProudFles: eko, I honestly don't think any technology decisions have
been made yet.
6:22 PM: yeroen: True Matt, though I'm quoting Chucky here: Whatever is best
for the platform in question.
6:23 PM: yeroen: Alright, again TomeOne?
6:23 PM: TomeOne: sure
6:23 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:23 PM: Khral: So basically it will be neither Mac or PC only if it's
decided to be on a "PC"? If it's decided to be "PC" will it
definitely be BOTH?
6:23 PM: Yrro: how long had the Microsoft deal been in the works before it
was announced? And why is working on the xbox so important
to bungie all of the sudden?
6:23 PM: Bachus: So is this whole M$ deal going to kill Marathon Racer? I
thought that game really had a change of eclipsing Halo.
6:23 PM: Vilinx: Has this buy-out had any effect on the super-secret third
secret of Bungie which has never been "announced"?
6:23 PM: NetFuse: now you have been assimilated will you be developing the
'b.org' brand name further?
6:23 PM: Have_Blue: when are you guys gonna update LETTERS TO THE
WEBMASTER?!?!?! 8)
6:23 PM: Ironfist: All this talk of Halo and X-Box aside -- which Operating
Systems look good to you guys? Windows 2000 over Windows
Millenium? OS X? Thinking as a deployment platform, not
necessarily a development one, of course.
6:23 PM: Infin_CP: From Ramses #CP#: Who makes the decision wiether Halo will
come first to Xbox? BS or MS?
6:23 PM: Nijhazer: Is it true you'll be making a SimCity "Dirty Sock" mod for
Unreal Tournament featuring kitchen weaponry and bad
grammar?! I MUST KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo..... *boom*
6:23 PM: cellophan: Orange Sherbert isn't ice cream...
6:23 PM: Hippieman: All I want to know is "What do you have to say to the older
guys, the ones who were with you back in 94 (and earlier),
who stuck it out, when NOBODY knew who you were? What do
you have to say to those who have spent thousands of
dollars to promote their shrine to bungie?"
6:23 PM: [Graffix]: I just want to say that I recently bought Myth: The Total
Codex (I'm a Myth newbie), and it's a kickass game set.
Thanks guys. I hope you're able to make many more kickass
games in the years to come. Hopefully the Mac market will
see some of them :)
6:23 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: Why is X-box that importent, do u think
there will be more x-box players than PC and MAC
players?!?!and which side do u think your fans are
at?-!!ANSWERE!!
6:23 PM: firedwarf: i said it before and ill say it again.. the mac community
made u who u are today. you cant possibly be serious on not
sure about the mac halo. are u fucking kidding me?
seriously! marathon=mac marathon2=mac.pc marathoninf=mac
mintour=mac pathways=mac then the killer MYTH=mac/pc (more
mac) myth2 )mac/PC) more mac...
6:23 PM: Nijhazer: Is it true you'll be making a SimCity "Dirty Sock" mod for
Unreal Tournament featuring kitchen weaponry and bad
grammar?! I MUST KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo..... *boom*
6:23 PM: BillyH: yeroen. so you like the british accents and teeth?
I should have known....
6:23 PM: Budwin: Do you think HALO will be the killer app for the X-Box?
Futhermore... how many people quit?
6:23 PM: GreenMtn: You guys are starting to sound like a MS propaganda machine
already. Lame indecisive jargon, vague answers, sad
attempts to defend a company that everyone KNOWS is shady
to say the least.
6:23 PM: Infin_CP From Conner #CP#: Who makes the decision of how long Myth
b.net is supported? Take 2? BS? MS? And is there a contract
as to how long?
6:23 PM: BillyH: Apple definatly should have sold their Akamai stock.
brought bungie. reunited Tamte and made it an Apple
exclusive. then we could have had cute iMac coloured
marines.
6:23 PM: jackieboy: Who cares if you have "a shot at becoming a premier
developer for XBox"?
6:23 PM: Pizzpot: Has Microsoft given all bungie employees a raise from what
ya'll used to make?
6:23 PM: Stevo: What if Xbox sucks in a PS2-dominated console market (ala
WindowsCE and Palm)? I have this cool 3DO machine I'd like
to talk to you about too.
6:23 PM: dur1`: Whats your favourite flavor of ice cream? I like chocolate
chip cookie dough.Whats your favourite flavor of ice cream?
I like chocolate chip cookie dough.
6:23 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: Why is X-box that importent, do u think
there will be more x-box players than PC and MAC
players?!?!and which side do u think your fans are
at?-!!ANSWERE!!
6:23 PM: Nijhazer: Is it true you'll be making a SimCity "Dirty Sock" mod for
Unreal Tournament featuring kitchen weaponry and bad
grammar?! I MUST KNOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo..... *boom*
6:23 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: Why is X-box that importent, do u think
there will be more x-box players than PC and MAC
players?!?!and which side do u think your fans are
at?-!!ANSWERE!!
6:23 PM: dur1`: ...
6:23 PM: Moridin_: Who decides for how long bungie.net(for myth) is supported,
Take Two, Bungie, or MS?. Also, do you have a set contract
or is it open ended?
6:23 PM: Borzz: are macs allowed in the ms compound?
6:23 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: Why is X-box that importent, do u think
there will be more x-box players than PC and MAC
players?!?!and which side do u think your fans are
at?-!!ANSWERE!!
6:23 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:23 PM: TomeOne: dammit!
6:23 PM: yeroen: Hehe
6:23 PM: cae: good lord.
6:23 PM: ophelan: whoa there, pardner! :)
6:23 PM: ProudFles: Vilinx: Not at all.
6:24 PM: yeroen: Moridin: We decide how long b.net is supported, as we're
supporting it. And I believe we have a contract with Take2
to allow Myth and Myth II play on b.net indefinitely.
6:26 PM: yeroen: Adezj: The market trend indicates there will far more XBox
players than Mac/PC players, though I'd have to say that
100% of our fans currently fall on the Mac/PC side ;-)
6:26 PM: yeroen: Yrro: Feels good, don't it?
6:28 PM: ol_dirtae: Nijhazer: The only "dirty sock" that I've ever seen at
Bungie is the one in yeoren's desk, and if you think anyone
on the dev teams touching THAT with a ten foot pole, don't
hold your breath.
6:28 PM: yeroen: Pizzpot: Microsoft has been very good to us, giving each
an extra spoonful of rice each day and, as someone stated
in the forums, semi-regular showers.
6:29 PM: ol_dirtae: I wish you would take them up on the offer of the showers
yeoren
6:29 PM: ol_dirtae: and wash that sock while you're in there
6:29 PM: yeroen: I've been meaning to give that sock back to your mom,
Dirtae, filled with pennies.
6:29 PM: ProudFles: HippieMan:This is where those efforts brought us, and we're
very grateful.
6:30 PM: yeroen: jackieboy: We'd like to be a premier developer for Xbox. We
care. We would enjoy recognition for all of our hard work.
Everyone would.
6:32 PM: ProudFles: Budwin: We think we could be the killer app for Xbox, if we
work hard. As for how many people quit: just one. The
token Linux evangelist. :-)
6:32 PM: yeroen: GreenMtn: This is actually tough for us, it's not Bungie
policy to spill our guts. Cut us some slack.
6:33 PM: ProudFles: IronFIst: I haven't played around with either enough to
comment.
6:33 PM: ProudFles: I'm kinda looking forward to OS X on my Pismo though, I
must admit. :-)
6:34 PM: yeroen: NetFuse: I'm not sure what you mean by the "b.org brand
name"
6:34 PM: yeroen: How about we take one more shot at this then call it a
night? Sorry all, we're exhausted.
6:35 PM: TomeOne: okay
6:35 PM: ProudFles: How long had the deal been in the works? Not very long at
all, actually. Started shortly before E3, I think.
6:35 PM: TomeOne: one last round and that's it
6:35 PM: TomeOne: let me know when
6:35 PM: ProudFles: Go ahead.
6:35 PM: yeroen: Go for it.
6:35 PM: *** Mode change "-m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:35 PM: StormHQ: My only question is this. Has there been any change in
status on the issue of PC/Mac development of Halo? I might
have just missed the answer earlier if this is a repeat.
6:35 PM: MCD: Does the X-Box have a mouse? And do you personally prefer
hot irons, the rack, or electric clamps?
6:35 PM: Ironfist: thanx guys - cya
6:35 PM: Dalan: Thanks, Bungie! I really feel better. See ya! Can't wait
for Halo.
6:35 PM: Have_Blue: Any advice for a fan who constantly dreams of working at
Bungie? ;)
6:35 PM: Infin_CP: Comment: "Market Trends" would dictate that Myth would be
overrun with PC users, by web stats at Myth sites (TH/Mill)
Mac is the dominant platform. So this means that the
Mac/Bungie following is quite large, and matters (or at
least did) more than the stats.
6:35 PM: Nijhazer: YOU'RE ALL FIRED!!!
6:35 PM: cellophan: Will this mean that my Microsoft friends will be able to
get me Bungie stuff for insanely cheap!?
6:35 PM: Bachus: You're dodging the important Marathon Racer questions.
6:35 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: So u turn the back on 100% of your fans
that's nice.. cuz i dont think anyone except you guys are
happy with the M$ choice, who do u think make use of who? i
think M$ X-box wouldnt make it without HALO... and X-box is
for the younger gameing generation... and everyone here
have been floowing your prodjects here... -!!ANSWERE!!
6:35 PM: AnkhStarr: How likely is it that Halo will come out for Macintosh?
6:35 PM: BillyH: 100%? what about the two pipin owners. Scully and
Amileo
6:35 PM: iGawyn: What is your personal opinion, or Bungie's in general,
about how many webmasters of fan sites have quit (example:
Frigidman), because of the buyout?
6:35 PM: Nijhazer: YOU'RE ALL FIRED!!!
6:35 PM: firedwarf: guysno ones gunna sue u, be HONEST! :)
6:35 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: So u turn the back on 100% of your fans
that's nice.. cuz i dont think anyone except you guys are
happy with the M$ choice, who do u think make use of who? i
think M$ X-box wouldnt make it without HALO... and X-box is
for the younger gameing generation... and everyone here
have been floowing your prodjects here... -!!ANSWERE!!
6:35 PM: mackerm: ol_dirtae: It the Courts are consistant, they will put
X-Box in the OS half of Microsoft, and Bungie in the
Applications half. That would give Bungie an INCENTIVE to
write for Playstation, SEGA, Nintendo, (and Macintosh).
Wouldn't you really perfer that??
6:35 PM: blackhoIe: How long is it until you make a platform decision for Halo?
I assume that an xbox version is coming out.
6:35 PM: Nijhazer: YOU'RE ALL FIRED!!!
6:35 PM: Adezj !!ANSWERE!!-Yeroen: So u turn the back on 100% of your fans
that's nice.. cuz i dont think anyone except you guys are
happy with the M$ choice, who do u think make use of who? i
think M$ X-box wouldnt make it without HALO... and X-box is
for the younger gameing generation... and everyone here
have been floowing your prodjects here... -!!ANSWERE!!
6:35 PM: BillyH: netfusion ment b.net
6:35 PM: *** Mode change "+m" on #bungie by TomeOne
6:38 PM: ProudFles: Storm: Not yet. When we have a final answer, we'll
announce it, but I don't think that will happen for a
while.
6:38 PM: yeroen: Adezj: First of all, we haven't turned our back on our
fans, we've simply told you the truth: We're still figuring
things out, here are the two extremes. As for the XBox
being for younger gamers... Bungie games appeal to older
gamers. That's something that will stay the same,
regardless of platform.
6:39 PM: yeroen: blackhole: That's something we've been putting a lot of
pressure on Jones for. However, we can't even begin to
address it until after we get settled in in Redmond.
6:39 PM: ProudFles: Bachus, Marathon Racer was scrapped in favor of Marathon
Party.
6:39 PM: ol_dirtae: iGawyn: Obviously we would rather that people kept playing
our games and ran cool websites on to infinity. We
understand and respect the decisions of individuals who
feel like they have to move on, we will miss them as much
as you do. Speaking personally as a webmaster who gave up
his site (MythFiles) a long time ago, I understand where FM
was coming from. It takes a lot of time and energy.
6:39 PM: yeroen: I'd say at least a month before any serious work gets done
on making a decision.
6:40 PM: ProudFles: I don't think you can judge the entire community by web
stats. Hundreds of thousands of people bought the Myth
games and never even signed up for bungie.net.
6:41 PM: ProudFles: Not everyone who buys Bungie games has a net connection.
6:41 PM: ophelan: marathon 1 single player, all the way baby! ;-)
6:42 PM: ProudFles: iGawyn: We wish they'd stay, obviously, but we have to
respect their decisions.
6:42 PM: yeroen: Ankstarr: I don't think I can give you an estimate of how
likely Halo is to come out on Mac that would have any real
meaning. It's not something that's quantifiable, there are
too many unknowns.
6:43 PM: ol_dirtae: Just as a general comment on the deal for you guys, I'm not
a regular Bungie Employee, I'm an intern. I saw the whole
deal from the inside. I'm not under NDA and I never signed
anything, when I leave in a couple days from now, I'll say
the same thing then as I say now: Yeoren and Proudflesh
(Max 'n' Matt) are being completely truthful with you. So
many things at this point are completely undecided with
regards to platforms and a myriad of other decisio
6:43 PM: ol_dirtae: give decisive answers.
6:44 PM: ol_dirtae: that's tomorrow
6:44 PM: yeroen: I'd say that about covers it. If it seems like there's a
need for another chat we'll do it. Watch the www.bungie.net
page for more info.
6:44 PM: Silvrmane: i'd like to take this opportunity to say that TomeOne has
done a great job keeping this under control, and thanks a
heap to the Bungie guys for coming to talk to us.
6:44 PM: TomeOne: Guys, I want to ask you one question: what kind of Bungie
activity can we maybe expect at MacWorld New York this
July?
6:45 PM: ProudFles: Yeah, Thanks, TomeOne. You Rock.
6:45 PM: yeroen: Thanks for attending, everyone. We appreciate that you're
willing to listen to us.
6:45 PM: TomeOne: please please please answer my MWNY question :)
6:45 PM: yeroen: Alright Tome...
6:45 PM: TomeOne: Hey, your welcome. Thanks for coming!
6:45 PM: MCD: Thank you for the opportunity to grill you. :)
6:45 PM: ProudFles: There's gonna be some kind of fan gathering, we know that
much.
6:45 PM: ophelan: thanks a lot for your your participation, guys...best of
luck to the future of bungie!
6:45 PM: TomeOne: fan gathering, cool :)
6:45 PM: yeroen: The most likely scenario is that we'll support this fan
gathering in a big way, with Matt, Seropian and I
attending.
6:46 PM: ProudFles: Alex is coming? Cool.
6:46 PM: MCD: Excellent!
6:46 PM: yeroen: Oni will be shown by Gathering of Developers, but as today
wears on the chance of us showing on the floor diminishes.
6:46 PM: TomeOne: cool
6:46 PM: TomeOne: Alrighty then, thanks for your time guys, I wish you all
the best for these coming weeks, hope to see ya at MWNY :)
6:46 PM: ProudFles: But I'm sure we'll do something that makes the fan fest
worth attending.
6:47 PM: Silvrmane: take care guys
6:47 PM: yeroen: Alright, thanks everyone. Thanks TomeOne.
6:47 PM: yeroen: Later.
6:47 PM: TomeOne: leave at the back door with the limo
6:47 PM: TomeOne: :)
6:47 PM: ProudFles: Thanks everyone.
6:47 PM: MCD: Take it easy. See you at MWNY.