Halo MMO Existed, Was Cancelled

[modeps]

Xbox360Fanboy (http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/09/23/canceled-ensemble-title-was-halo-mmo/) Reporting on a Gamasutra Article (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=20153).

Gamasutra has discovered that a canceled project at Ensemble Studios -- soon to be shuttered by Microsoft -- was in fact a Halo MMO. The game was supposedly in development in 2006 and part of 2007, which would jive with rumors that were circulating at the time. Gamasutra managed to dig up some of Ensemble's concept art and mocked up screenshots of what the game would have looked like. Taking a look at the screenshot, it's clear that the game's interface would have borrowed heavily from World of Warcraft, while the concept art shows off a dual sword wielding Spartan with what appears to be an AI companion standing (floating?) behind him. The 'magic' energy of the game was apparently refered to as Psion, so perhaps the AIs would have been part of the game's magic system.

Alas, the game is kaput, though it's unclear exactly why it was canceled. It could be that a similar game was also in the works, a likely possibility given how many teams are currently working on Halo projects. Then again, maybe it was canceled when Ensemble realized it would get pretty boring if everyone picks Master Chief.http://www.gamesetwatch.com/hscreen1.jpg

You can also check out a Flickr Gallery of artwork (http://www.flickr.com/photos/30784486@N04/sets/72157607452469273/) from the vaporware Halo MMO.

[bKangy]

This would surely suck, the concept art doesn't even seem to imply gunplay, but why would Spartans not shoot etc?

[Mdot23]

I read about this earlier today. If it was canceled, as most have speculated, back in 2006 or 2007, this has nothing to do with Ensemble closing.

[Flatpicker]

If Microsoft did a Battlefield Halo game that would actually be cool.
The MMO concept would have sucked. I don't want to spend my time killing rats and paying for the privlidge.

[Wraith]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3111/2882655970_96e94c855f.jpg?v=0

[modeps]

I read about this earlier today. If it was canceled, as most have speculated, back in 2006 or 2007, this has nothing to do with Ensemble closing.

You are correct, Updated topic title.

[Disgustipated]

Wow, it looks like complete shit. It literally looks like WoW in a Halo skin. Dude in Master Chief armor with swords? COME ON!

[Phanto]

Like every MMORPG out there it would have been the same shit but with a different color & formation.

[AboveAvgCharles]

That doesn't look like Halo at all.

[Druxk]

I don't see how any of this could have possibly tied into the Halo mythos. It seems too far fetched, even for Halo.

[DeadPixel]

Another company trying to jump on the MMO train.

[Gheritt]

I don't see how any of this could have possibly tied into the Halo mythos. It seems too far fetched, even for Halo.

Really it looks like someone had the idea for a Scifi MMO and tried to dump the halo universe into it...but...Spartans dual wielding glowing swords, Human plasma rifles that look like a cross between phasers and Quake 3 guns....hard light bayonets, psychic powers ?

How much time did someone waste before that got canned ?

[Trickyicky]

What would be so wrong with a Halo MMOFPS? It would practically print money. This looks terrible. I'm glad it was cancelled, I couldn't handle the disappointment of a terrible WoW knockoff with Halo stuck to it.

Cake, good. Fast cars, good. Fast cars made of cake, BAAAD.

[Talon-]

I'm glad they realized that this was a terrible, terrible idea.

A Planetside-esque game might be cool, but it seems like GoW would make more sense for that kind of game, IMO.

A Halo MMO would hopefully be some sort of squad-based title where you could take missions out to kill rebel colonials or whatnot.

[MaiXu]

Wow, it's a good thing that game got canceled. A sci-fi MMO with Halo's, shall we say, limited aesthetic would have been so boring. You need some crazy-ass out-there shit for a sci-fi MMO to look appealing, or maybe an ultra-realistic gritiness, and Halo can't do either. Seeing a million and one people looking like Master Chief and Elite clones while fighting the same 8 enemies would have been truly, truly terrible.

[modeps]

A Halo MMO would hopefully be some sort of squad-based title where you could take missions out to kill rebel colonials or whatnot.

Nah, this (http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=26483669) is the squad based Halo. :)

[digitalErich]

Looks shoehorned and not too great, but the game would make money for a while, I'm sure.

[MaiXu]

Cake, good. Fast cars, good. Fast cars made of cake, BAAAD.

Unless you got hit by a fast car made of cake, which would be delicious.

[LongStepMantis]

It took his armor for me to realize I wasn't looking at a WoW screenshot.

Nothing says facepalm like dual-wielding, dual-bladed laser swords...of duality. ;)

[LongStepMantis]

Wait...I didn't notice the smaller front blade under the main one...so It actually has 3-blades?

So is that small one just in case the giant one above it...can't uhh...LASER SWORDS!
Does he also carry a rocket launcher that shoots laser swords that fragment into smaller, but also 12-bladed, laser swords? :p

[Primus]

I loves my Haloz but Jesus this looks stupid. Here's to it continuing to never see the light of day!

[Mdot23]

The concept of Huxley would be a decent basis for a Halo MMOFPS, imo.

[ÜberJumper]

Man, whoever wrote that gamasutra article clearly didn't look at the screenshots.

That's not an AI standing/floating behind the character in the shot.

[CrysDark]

So what is this, 6 MMO's that microsoft has started and canceled? Why do they even try?

RIP True Fantasy Live *sniff*

[protocol_image]

over-used emote.....

/teabag

[Wyrm]

Huh. Weird.

It seems weird that they would want to compete so badly in the MMO market that they would start all these MMOs, then just can them.

You'd think they would have gotten at least one viable option out of all the ones they've canceled so far.

[Talon-]

Oh my God. Don't take a look at the concept art for this game. It looks like Phantasy Halo designed by the Korean guy that draws Ragnarok.

Let's just say that MJOLNIR armor with cleavage is involved, and it only gets stupider. In fact, it's so stupid that I still think it's a hoax.

[Wyrm]

Oh my God. Don't take a look at the concept art for this game. It looks like Phantasy Halo designed by the Korean guy that draws Ragnarok.

Let's just say that MJOLNIR armor with cleavage is involved, and it only gets stupider. In fact, it's so stupid that I still think it's a hoax.

To me, it just looks like some very early concept work done on a Halo MMO.

I mean, did you see World of Warcraft in its alpha form? It looked like a completely different game.

[Talon-]

To me, it just looks like some very early concept work done on a Halo MMO.

I mean, did you see World of Warcraft in its alpha form? It looked like a completely different game.

Spartans with cleavage for no apparent reason. The concept boggles the mind within a non-Tecmo/Namco property.

[Jimmay]

To me, it just looks like some very early concept work done on a Halo MMO.

I mean, did you see World of Warcraft in its alpha form? It looked like a completely different game.

yeah, I agree...

[Variable Gear]

I can see the potential here, but I'm still happy that this project was canceled.

[Deadend]

I think a Halo MMO could work... but it would have to be built around different concepts than standard MMOs... and probably take place looooong after Halo 3. Which going by the screenshots, it does. But it looks standard MMO.

To me Halo MMO would have your role in battle defined by what weapon you are using, not by your stats. Maybe a bit by armor, as if you got armor made for getting close, or heavier armor... well, armor weight should matter.

I got no clue what kind of active skills there would be for it, but it should not play like an MMO.. in fact, it should end up playing like Halo with an XP bar at the bottom of the screen and with multiple directions to venture in, as it's nonlinear.

[Evil Avatar]

I like the art. I admit that it does seem a little Blizzard-ized, but I guess that is why I liked it.

I'm not sure I see the issue with the power swords in a game that already had power swords. IMHO, I would have said that this is a good example of where MS is short-sighted. Good art, great developer and an ultra-popular IP -- it could have been a license to print money.

[Xerxes]

Nah, this (http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=26483669) is the squad based Halo. :)

Turn this...
http://www.shopatashton.com/kote/odst1.jpg
http://www.shopatashton.com/kote/odst2.jpg
http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/halo/images/thumb/7/77/ODST_in_Patrol.jpg/600px-ODST_in_Patrol.jpg
http://www.bungie.net/images/Games/Halo2/Gallery/Renders/ODST.jpg
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q119/Xerionus/ODSTposter.jpg

In to this...
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/Star_Wars_-_Republic_Commando_Coverart.png

Throw some good squad single player as well as functional 4 player co-op, and print money.

[the Jack]

Looked pretty tight to me.

The AI's ass, I mean.