Finally Bungie unlocks the big game news.

Halo 3 Expansion Pack ? or ?

by XboxOZ360:

©2008 Grant Smythe:

Well it’s a teaser trailer to a unspecified game which they have yet to announce a title. It has to be about the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. Its set in 2552 in New Mombassa. Clearly says Halo 3, so likely an expansion of sorts?

Here’s the teaser video off Bungie.net for your perusal let’s discuss it in the forums or inthe comment, but the forums would be best, head their now .

Trailer Analysis.

Discuss it here now

• Shadow Waves assessment of the teaser:

Well this game is clearly Halo, and it seems that it will be the expansion, if you remember on the net a month or so ago, there was a photo of a new main menu for Halo 3, well this probably is what its for. When  video starts playing on the screen you can see a slightly hidden Covenant Cruiser behind the buildings creeping in the city.

The camera moves to the city floor, and you can see the words “New Mombasa” on a screen on one side of the wall. So we know this is still good old halo, in our favorite city. As shown by the mass amount of drop pods that flood the sky the most common assumption is that we will be playing as ODST members, not as the Master Chief but if you remember, Master Chief has dropped down with ODST’s before.

And the new menu as I previously mentioned above, showed Master Chief in the background (if that means anything), And while this is Halo 3 – carrying the same title, there is also a greater chance that we might see Master Chief back in and kicking some ass.

After the explosion in the city, and all the hundreds of drop pods have fallen, at 47 seconds, we see ONE drop pod still coming,  just one. Its Master Chief people, believe it.

Perhaps the new achievements for 6 levels, or the Mythic Map Pack is actually a single player expansion and not multiplayer?!

But hopefully some more concrete details will emerge shortly, or at least at the next Microsoft conference

• Sutton Daggers assessment of the video:

I’m thinking maybe a squad based game, focused on the ODST.

So the countdown finally ended and within minutes the internet ran rife with speculation about what this new video entailed. Some interesting things to note in the teaser trailer titled ‘KeepItClean’, the date is 2552, set in New Mombassa and it looks like the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (O.D.S.T) will play a major role. Could it be squad based? With the clear indication of Halo 3 within the teaser, it would seem that this new title may well be an expansion on the Halo 3 campaign.

Bungies new teaser trailer is but one of the teams current projects according to Bungie net

Bungie has been teasing gamers with the prospect of a new IP since E3 when their Official Announcement” was pull by MS Head Office moments before it was supposed to become public with the explanation that the announcement was for a “dedicated event” in the future and would serve no purpose if it was announced now. hmmm….

Not everyone was happy about it, especially Bungie Community head Luke Smith who went public on their official website expressing his sadness and anger at having to let fans down so close to the time.

Which is understandable given the huge interest generated by the IP. Here’s what he had to say on the matter at the time:

“As upset and frustrated as we know folks are, we hope it’s at least a small comfort that our fans know we share their disappointment. A metric ton of man hours went into getting something ready to show and it’s disappointing to not be able to share it. But, the upside is that it’s all stuff you’ll still see further down the road.

“As much as fans wanted to believe otherwise, this is in fact, the truth and not a cruel hoax or prank. E3 is winding down and there are no plans to make a surprise announcement later this week.”

Many believe it to be a new Halo (Halo 4) some have found evidence to lead to the possibility of a new titled called Superintendent. With gamepics around the net, and T’s being sold. So what is this news we have all been waiting for?

Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft Gaming Studios (MGS) discussed the various plans around what MS were doing with several titles and new IP’s, three of which he claimed to be “working on Halo projects” in an excellent 3 part interview with GameIndustry.biz earlier this month.

He discussed at length the closure of Ensemble Studios once Halo Wars was on shelves in 2009. During the studio wind up, eveidence has been uncovered of a Halo MMO (see art and prototype effects, characters, vehicles) and during the 3 part interview he mentions future plans for the Halo Franchise.

News to hand indicates the title is related to the Halo Universe.

Then during the EDGE Interactive Innovation award, Bungie supplied a small Acceptance Video that clearly indicate, albeit in a slightly off center way, that Halo Franchise “was not over” . . .

Well the Bungie site is again on countdown and will be made public 12 midnight September 25th Aust Eastern Pacific Time. That’s the time we will be informing you all as to what the HUGE secret is all about. We’ll keep right on the ball and as soon as it is revealed, the notice will go live for all to see. So we’ll watch the clock for you, you just tune back in

©2008 Grant Smythe: