News
Ensemble Studios Worked On Halo MMO
But Will We Ever See It?
Almost two weeks ago, Microsoft announced that Ensemble Studios, developers of the upcoming RTS, Halo Wars, was being disbanded. They’ll still be finishing Halo Wars, but after that, it’s curtains. It makes you wonder what else this dev team might have been able to accomplish, if given the time. Well, Gamasutra has uncovered one project the team worked on that was cancelled well before they were disbanded, and it’s a doozy. Apparently, during 2006 and 2007, Ensemble was hard at work on a massively multiplayer online game based around the Halo universe. Rumors of a Halo MMO were rampant a few years ago, and now it seems they had some basis in reality. Sadly, it seems the project was cancelled some time in 2007, and will never see the light of day, at least in its original form. Gamasutra also uncovered some screenshots of the game in development.
The interface looks a whole hell of a lot like the one found in WoW, so we know the team was at least inspired by a proven, successful MMO. There’s some decent art design displayed here, but it’s definitely from an early build. If there was any doubt about that, check out the location listed under the map in the first pic; I sincerely doubt they were going to name an in-game planet “Space Planet.” So does this mean that the Halo MMO is dead? Not necessarily. Microsoft has stated that there are several teams working on various projects, so it’s entirely possible that the game is still being made. We may never know why the project was taken out of Ensemble’s hands, nor why the group is being disbanded, but at least there is some hope for wannabe Spartans.
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Comments
glad it never came too, sounds stupid.
Totally fake. This is a shop. I can tell because of the pixels, and because I have seen many shops in my time.
Seriously though, who the hell would want to play a Halo MMO? Isn't the draw of Halo kicking ass as Master Chief and teabagging your opponents? Halo in MMO form would be boring.
Alright, quit lying, that looks freaking awesome.
i hope your joking coop
Halo in console form is barely playable, MMO would just be arduous.
"Halo in console form is barely playable"
Wow. That's....ridiculous.
93% Metacritic average and 8.2 million copies sold.
Let me restate: compared to other titles, Halo is hardly playable.
Also, I am ridiculous.
i dont think you can point to sales veggie.. Hell the 50 cent game sold a crap load of copies and just look at it. Granted the first Halo was solid but since then it has been crap.
Halo 1 was really something new and fresh, since then other games have surpased the Halo franchise because nothing has changed with the halo games, they seem to be stuck in neutral. And while that has happened other games have passed them by and so I agree with Sean, they are barely playable compared to other shooters.
Definitely on the fence about this one.
All of the Halo mutiplayer was incredible. There is no denying that. If you didn't experience Halo MP, then you missed out on some of the best online gaming EVER. And I'm a PC gamer who's been playing online for over a decade.
Single player was passable, but nothing special.
I agree, Voyou, that sales aren't an accurate gauge for how good a title is, but when the sales are not just high, but nearing 10 million, AND the game gets almost all glowing reviews (71 out of 96 were 9.0 or more, and only two gave it less than an 8.0), it's tough to argue that it's a good game. It may not be your favorite, it may have even been a disappointment, but to call it "bad" or "unplayable" is pure haterism.
hey wait wait i liked the first one, it was just great great fun, but after Halo 1.3 i am tired of the halo world, its ALL the same, nothing CHANGES!! nothing evolves.
But compared to the other Shooters out on the market, the game is bad and unplayable to me because it has become stale.
Adoption by a large number of people translates into quality product? Does that same theory apply for, say, Wayans Brothers movies? There's a phrase for that, and it's called "mob mentality".
Also, if I may ask: what's the difference between my personal opinion leaning towards "not liking this" and "haterism"?
Regardless: a Halo MMO is a bad idea.
sean's a hater! tell everyone!
"Adoption by a large number of people translates into quality product?"
No. Of course not. That would make the Spice Girls one of the greatest musical acts ever. But universal critical praise usually does. Add in the sals, and it's tough to argue it.
A Halo MMO is a horrible idea because it pushes the game into a market that is completely different from it's current demographic. Frat boys aren't going to sit down to 24-hour-caffeine-laden gaming binges.
Moving Halo into an RTS field is a slightly logical choice - MMO, not so much
And sure, the Halo universe is a bit shallow for MMO purposes, but an MMo would be a good place for the fictional reality to expand. Almost any property, if treated right, could make a decent MMO. Ancient Greece, Dr. Who, Muppet Babies, McDonaldland, you name it, they COULD make a decent MMO out of it. That doesn't mean they will, just that they could.
Besides, I want to explore "SPACE PLANET!"
Count me in. Imagine Grimace with a Brute Shot....Terrifying.