Letter to Bungie – Multiplayphobia
Dear Bungie,
My name is Deacon and I am a Halo fan. I have recently seen the latest video of your upcoming game, Halo 3. After seeing it, I was pretty excited about the things to come but I can’t help saying that my excitement centered on the multiplayer aspect of the game. That’s what you intended you say? Well, to some that is great but there are a few who prefer an engaging single player campaign story to that of multiplayer fun. I am one of those few. So I write this letter to you to plead with you not to forget about what made Halo so great. Let me tell you a story.
Back during the launch of the original Xbox, there was a game called Halo: Combat Evolved. I knew little about this game and in fact I purchased the original Xbox for NFL Fever. Halo: Combat Evolved was included in the nice little bundle I bought along with NFL Fever and Dead or Alive. I played through the games and soon found out that the gem in that bundle was Halo.
As you may remember, there was no Xbox Live at this time. Multiplayer across a huge network of friends did not exist. The game as it turns out did pretty well for itself before Xbox Live was around. Do you know what captivated the likes of people like me? Yes, that’s right. The campaign and story was that damn good. I still play Combat Evolved because the story sucked me in and spit me out like some old chewing gum and I loved it. In fact, I find myself playing Combat Evolved much more than I’ve played the sequel, Halo 2. Why is that? Keep reading.
Halo 2 came along after Xbox Live was introduced. Xbox Live became a very important aspect of development for publishers and developers alike. However, this created a phobia. A phobia is a fear of certain situations, objects etc. I like to call what happened after Xbox Live was launched, multiplayphobia; the fear that your multiplayer component might suck. Multiplayphobia spread so quickly that soon the focus of games was multiplayer, multiplayer, multiplayer. No one cared to make an engaging story anymore or so it seemed. I believe this spread to the very franchise that had once captivated me with its campaign. Enter Halo 2 to validate my claim. The multiplayer aspect of it clearly outshined the campaign and single player experience.
Not once was I at the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens in Halo 2. To be honest, I simply played it and enjoyed it. I didn’t “experience” it the way that I experienced Combat Evolved. I found myself not even itching to play it all over again. The story, as I’m sure many others agree, just didn’t captivate me. I didn’t seem involved at all. Multiplayphobia struck. The excitement about Halo 2 centers on its magnificent multiplayer experience. No one can refute that. To this day, millions of hours of Halo 2 are being logged on Xbox Live by both Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. Let’s face it, Halo 2 and its multiplayer is superb. But how many of those people have given even a thought to its story?
Call me old school but I prefer a good story in my games…hell I need a good story in my games especially this one! If this is to be the end, I can’t imagine another Halo 2 experience that leaves me only enjoying the multiplayer aspect over and over. I want to relive the story over and over as I did with Combat Evolved. Now that my trip down memory lane is over, let me get back to Halo 3. After seeing the recent video and hearing all the rage about Halo 3 and its multiplayer, I can’t help but think multiplayphobia is striking again. I haven’t touched Halo 2 much because I don’t care to repeat the story again. Halo: Combat Evolved, having been released pre-Xbox Live, didn’t suffer that same fate. Its campaign was brilliant and still one I enjoy.
What I’m challenging you guys to do is create that experience for me again. Hear me Bungie! I shall travel to thy office and layeth the smack down on you if you guys let multiplayphobia ruin Halo 3 for me! In fact, I’m willing to fly out and test the campaign story out. Can you create the Yoda of experiences with both a great story and a great multiplayer? Will you fight against the multiplayphobia that has been sweeping the industry these past few years? Finish the fight right. You’ve seen Adam Sandler movies right? Well…”You can do it!”
Thanks for reading and don’t let me down.
May 18th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
yep yep Daniel. DOWN WITH MULTIPLAYPHOBIA!
June 21st, 2007 at 10:24 am
[...] Halo 3 Achievement list here. It looks like what I feared the most may have happened. Was my Letter to Bungie too late and perhaps fell on deaf ears? There are quite a few single campaign Achievements but [...]
July 18th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Wow man nice article, perfectly put. They’ve strayed so far away from the campaign it’s horrible. This game is going to have great multi, everyone knows that. But where is my coveted single player?
And now…..no online co-op!!?!?!
July 18th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
thx Proto. i’ll be the first to trash Halo 3 if the campaign doesn’t hold up. i forgave them after Halo 2. but if it happens again to end the trilogy, i’ll definitely point it out in a review.
July 31st, 2007 at 4:20 pm
[...] I’m still concerned about the obvious Multiplayphobia that is finding its way towards Halo 3, I will admit this news is good news. Bungie released [...]
August 29th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
[...] the world. Thanks for the tip GreenLantern4. You are now on the clock Bungie to give me the story that I’ve been waiting [...]
September 18th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Your right, I’ve always liked Halo 1 far more then Halo 2, which is down to the single player.
Just think of how much sooner we could of had the single player game if all the time and money that’s gone into multi player had been spent on single player and how much better it could be.
We will find out in a week.
December 24th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
And what about people who can’t get Xbox LIVE? Like me. A game called Star Wars Battlefront has an AI skirmish mode. Why couldn’t they put that in Halo 3? Choose as the UNSC or Covenant and fight a battle with up to 16 AI players. But no. XBOX LIVE XBOX LIVE XBOX LIVE!!! I can’t beleive these Bungie jackoffs.
February 12th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Dear Bungie
I loved halo,halo2,and halo3 congrates for bringing the AR back =P.
i`m a big fan of halo all togehter been playing since i can remember and live just makes it better.Anyway Iwas wondering if one of you could send the favored Recon armor to chambers Cr3w on live,i would forever graetful.Please give it some thought and look foward for Halo Wars and haol ODST.Keep up the good work and great job on gears of war and if you want I have some graet ideas for games hope to hear from you soon ^-^.P.S dispite the e-mail adress im a guy.
March 22nd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Dear Bungie,
dont get me wrong, but my friend and i would like to see a futeristic halo game that you can battle in space like star wars battlefront II. also you could choose whatever troops you want or you can even be on the bad side. this will still be like halo1 halo2 and halo3 but just SOME in space. oh yea and you can be in any suit you want like ODST or EVA. this will be the greatest Halo Video game ever. thanks!! you guys rock!!!!!!!!!!!
June 8th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
dear Bungie,
i have to ask you a question about halo 3 ODST. will there be a forge on halo 3 ODST. also i need to know r we alowd to change armor and helmits.
July 11th, 2009 at 2:15 am
DEAR,BUNGIE
Great games youve made. Um i luv halo 1 but halo 3 iz alot moor reelistick. Etheir way the games are FANTASTIC. Anyhow um my internet is realy horrible. I live in TN and live in the worst part uv it. I battle people that are 3times as old as me and play it everyday.Yet i beet them.I was jst wundering if you would give me RECON.Because im not meening 2 brag but um i deserve it. I wish i could proove it 2 u but my internet is horrible.But if u would email me back please please i would reely apresiate it. O YEA YOU GUYS ROCK I HOPE 2 BE IN THE CLAN. LOLOLOLOL
July 11th, 2009 at 2:20 am
DEAR,BUNGIE
Hi again ummmm i waz wondering? 2 When you guys come out with ODST will we get 2 change our armour? i sure hope we dooooo but thnx 4 evrythin n keep goin
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
dear bungie my gamertag is halofreak148 i want to know if you guys want to have a halo 3 match with my friends
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:08 pm
hold up do you want to have a match with me and my friends
December 21st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Dear Bungie i’m a huge fan of halo i have ben playing for a long time i have a bunch of halo stuff in my room i have my walls painted with Masterchief and the Arbiter back to back so i only 1 more vidmaster and it is indur and i can not get it so can you pleas send it to me my gamer tag is MacDaD740 PLEAS REPLY.
December 21st, 2009 at 8:19 pm
Dear Bungie i’m a huge fan of halo i have ben playing for a long time i have a bunch of halo stuff in my room i have my walls painted with Masterchief and the Arbiter back to back so i only 1 more vidmaster and it is indur and i can not get it so can you pleas send RECON to me my gamer tag is MacDaD740 PLEAS REPLY.
January 16th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
[...] another sequel/branch off in ODST. It’s not unlike most relationships I guess. Remember my letter to Bungie? So right now I’m in a good state of love for Halo but will that change with the [...]
February 7th, 2010 at 5:55 am
Dear Bungie
It seams that I have 1000 Gamerscore on halo 3 but it also seems that I do not have Katana or Security head (Marathon head) either. I checked over and over for them but there was no sign of them. I think this is a glitch or technical problem so but no signs of technical problems or glitches.
Please take me seriosly and give me my Katana and Security Head. Please i am such a HUGE fan of bungies Work. If i could ill worship you guys. Please i’m not asking for recon. I am asking a favor.(Only them please). Thank you.
February 7th, 2010 at 5:56 am
Dear bungie
I had forgot my gamertag ZW331