Master Chief
Latest
The making of a McFarlane Halo figure makes us feel old
Video games are great and all, but most of us at Joystiq HQ still harbor a penchant for action figures, born from youthful days and being forced to play outside now and again. As we've matured, however, so has the toy industry, and action figures these days are way more awesome than the stuff we had growing up. Kids these days don't know how good they have it, either. The above video, for instance, showcases the state-of-the-art rapid prototyping technologies used by McFarlane Toys to create their hyper-detailed Halo figures. Back in our day, action figures took months to prototype, and we were happy about it! And another thing! Back in our day, the words "3D" and "printer" would never share space in the same sentence, let alone be used in conjunction with one another to describe an actual thing. Get off our lawn!
It's a giant Master Chief and Mario made out of ... balloons
They said you were a joke. They said you'd never be a somebody. They said your love of latex and highly volatile, unstable objects would be your downfall. Yeah, well who's laughing now? You've just made a life-size balloon sculpture of Master Chief and now he's your best friend ever.
Bleszinski: Master Chief passed on a Gears of War 3 cameo
Curious as to why the Xbox 360's two biggest exclusive shooters never managed to fuse, forming some kind of chimera made of space armor and hilariously disproportionate guns? Wonder no more -- in a recent interview with Complex, Gears of War' designer Cliff Bleszinski revealed, "I actually approached Microsoft on getting Master Chief into the game, but those guys are kind of squeamish." He jokingly added, "If you had to break it down, I'd say that Gears is like Mortal Kombat and Halo is like Street Fighter." From there, things get ... a little grisly. Bleszinski said, "if we were to get Master Chief, we'd get his model, put him in a COG suit, make it blow up, and do some test animation work. We'd have to see what his head looks like being blown to smithereens or how his arm would look getting sawed off." We're not sure the ol' arm-saw technique's gonna work on MC. After all, this is the same guy who can get shot point blank by a rocket-propelled grenade without suffering any structural damage.
Xbox-exclusive Mortal Kombat fighter discussed, Boon says
With Kratos headlining the Mortal Kombat roster on PS3, it seemed only a matter of time before NetherRealm Studios would announce an Xbox-exclusive character for the ninth installment in the grizzled fighting game series -- except the game's out today. It never happened. "Unfortunately, the circumstances didn't allow us to make a 360 exclusive [character]," MK boss man Ed Boon told Eurogamer. "I'm not allowed to talk too much about it, but I can tell you we certainly wanted to do an exclusive for 360, but that's all I can say." Boon did end up saying a little more, as he hinted that Halo's Master Chief and Gears of War's Marcus Fenix came up as (obvious) choices during discussion. Of course, Chief has been known to "balk at" the invitation to join an exclusive fighting tournament. And we heard that it's in Marcus' contract that any arena he enters has to be cover-based.
Bungie on developing the character of Master Chief
Speaking to IndustryGamers, Bungie's Joseph Staten shared some insight on the studio's character choices for Halo's enigmatic Master Chief. According to Staten, it was a conscious design choice to keep players in the dark about specific details from the Chief's life. It helped immerse players in the role, said Staten, adding, "The less players knew about the Chief, we believed, the more they would feel like the Chief." Staten shared a few other details, notably that Cortana began solely as a "functional design requirement," namely a guide for the player; however, as she evolved, said Staten, she grew to highlight the Chief's humanity. Check out the full article for more on Bungie's design choices, including how the team introduced themes of loneliness and abandonment in order to help players "feel the weight of the Chief's heavy responsibilities" throughout the series.
The Daily Grind: Would you play a Halo MMO?
More than a few of us here at Massively dabble with single-player games when we're not on the clock, whether it be real-time strategy, roleplaying, first-person shooters, or some genre-bending hybrid. Every so often, a major release comes along that transcends its particular niche in the game industry and gets everyone talking. Love it or hate it, Halo: Reach is such a title. Released to much critical acclaim this week, the title is currently chewing its way up the sales charts as bazillions of gamers trade Master Chief for Noble Six and partake of Bungie's swansong in the series that put them (as well as Microsoft Games and the Xbox) on the map. The question of the day, dear readers, is twofold: Are you checking out Reach, and more appropriately, would you play a Halo MMO?
Video game characters need business cards too
Getting in touch with heroes can be difficult. Typically, they only bother to roll out of bed and show up when something goes really wrong.
Master Chief wants to take you to the space bar
We've seen Master Chief do some bizarre stuff over the years. He's fallen in love with a Storm Trooper and even taken time off to pursue an acting career. Now he's trying to break into the burgeoning German music scene under the stage name of Michael Wendler, with his first single, "Piloten wie Wir." Somewhere right now, David Hasselhoff is probably crying into a cheeseburger. But we digress. All of this exposition means nothing until you've actually watched Master Chief take you to the space bar, space bar, space bar. So head past the break and do that. Do that right now. [Thanks, Nathan]
Master Chief Sings: a 19-disc set of John 117's best
With all of that space travel going on, there's got to be plenty of downtime for the last Spartan in existence. Sure, Master Chief can just hop into a cryo-chamber and saw some wood between Halo games -- but every now and then, when nobody's around, MC likes to exercise the old pipes. You would not believe how dynamic his range is, clearly exhibited in the video past the break from IGN. Oh, and before you watch the video (and inevitably call that number to order your own set), know that we think we've finally figured out John 117's identity: Michael McDonald. [Via LazyGamer]
Master Chief crash lands onto Super Smash Bros. Brawl
The modders at Kitty Corp: Meow Mix, the group behind the remarkably awesome Cloud Strife appearance in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, have worked their inexplicable magic once more, bringing a decidedly non-Nintendo character into the frantic fighting game. This time around, it's the Halo universe's quintessential badass, Master Chief -- or rather, a re-skinned version of Captain Falcon, who is fully decked out in Master Chief's armor. (We really hope he asked permission before trying it on.) You can check out a video of Master Chief's moves in a playful sparring match against Cloud just past the jump. Enjoy that video, because it might be the closest to a 3D version of Mushroom Kingdom Fusion that we'll ever get. [Thanks, Ike!]
April Fools: Halo film finishes the fight for love
Of all the April Fools jokes created for today, IGN may have just unleashed the best. It's the missing trailer for the once-was-gonna-happen Halo film. We don't want to ruin it for you, but let's just say that Master Chief is uniquely able to straddle the line between being a fighter and a lover. Where else did you think all of that Spartan research money went? Anyway, hit up the Man Cannon and fly past the break to finally see the face of Master Chief!
A step towards peace: Master Mario Chief tattoo
The Console Wars™ have been raging since before some of us were even born. For a majority of gamers, this is all they know, but thankfully one man is stepping up to try and bring an end to this eternal conflict. In combining Halo's Master Chief and Nintendo's iconic mascot, Mario, he's created one super tattoo and blueprint for the future prosperity of all gaming peoples. This Master Mario Chief is able to squash Goombas at alarming speed and save not only the Mushroom Kingdom from despair, but all of humanity in the year 2553 -- he's a figure every console owner can love. Frankly, we applaud this man's courage and dedication to acknowledge that there are good things on all consoles via this permanent tattoo. Instead of blindly trashing the opposition as inferior, he celebrates each console's merits. Except for anything on Sony platforms, though, because Sony totally sucks. [Via Hawty McBloggy]
17 Spartans bust a move at the Philly Mummers Parade
[Image: Kotaku] Flash mobs are all the rage now, but the above image actually comes from the Philadelphia Mummers Parade this year. Kotaku reader Justin managed to snag video of the choreographed event which, if it were real cyborg human heroes and not a bunch of faux-Spartans, would probably end up costing taxpayers about $814 gajillion -- and that's in today's dollars, not even accounting for 500 years of inflation. To check out video of the dance routine, head on over to Kotaku.
PSA: Halo Legends delivers third free episode, titled 'The Package'
Another Saturday has arrived, and with it another free episode of Halo Legends on the Xbox Live Marketplace. For 24 hours only (of course it won't be on the internet afterward!), you can catch an anime'd up Master Chief delivering "The Package" with four "specially selected Spartans." Today's episode is the first half of a two-parter (concluding on December 12), so be sure to catch it or be left lonely and confused when next week arrives. Or you could always just wait until the whole shebang arrives on Blu-ray this February 9.
Marc Ecko Master Chief hoodie almost wearable
We have to admit that, upon first glance, the Marc Ecko Master Chief hoodie is not one of the ugliest things ever created. In fact it even appears somewhat sensible. It looks like something one could wear in public without feeling like a complete tool. The color scheme isn't garish, the UNSC branding on the left sleeve is subtle enough that it doesn't scream out "NERD!" and ... oh wait, what's this? On the right arm ... is that the UNSC logo ... ? Or ... is it ... oh dear God ....
Safeguard your virginity with this limited edition Master Chief bust
Get ready to lie, cheat and steal because ONE2ONE Collectibles has revealed an insanely detailed Master Chief bust for the low, low price of $249. This "strictly limited," 1:2 scale bust of Halo's most popular playable character -- unless that gets topped somehow -- stands at 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide, and is set to be released during Q4 2009. If the Chief isn't your character of choice, ONE2ONE also revealed that busts of a Brute Chieftain and ODST Marine are on the way. Get those pocketbooks ready, ladies and gentlemen. This could be an expensive fourth quarter, after all.[Via TeamXbox]
Xbox Live Top 10: Halo, can anyone hear me?
Xbox Live sure can, Master Chief, as your game Halo 3 was once again the most played title on Xbox Live. For the week ending June 29, many gamers took to the floating rings in space for some first-person combat, knocking down the duo of Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 4 to second and third place, respectively. The rest of the list posted by Major Nelson is pretty run-of-the-mill, save for what came in last place: Rock Band 2. We can't remember the last time Rock Band 2 populated this list. So, good for you, little game-that-could! On the XBLA side, it's all about the Worms 2. Explosive sheep were quite the draw, as the sequel to Team17's fragfest managed to beat out another popular XBLA title, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalker. We guess Magic: The Gathering is all tapped out. Get it? Hello? Where are you going?
Master Chief gets civilian-ized
It's never a slow news day when you can find a picture of Master Chief in a letterman Jacket. PWN or Die features a hilarious gallery of images starring Halo's marquee super-soldier, Master Chief. Usually we recognize the Master Chief from his aggressive "Earth saving" escapades, but these "Senior Yearbook images" show us the UNSC powerhouse has a softer side too. If you've dreamt of Sears Family Portrait style images of the Chief, your prayers have been answered. Or your worst nightmares have come true ... either way, check it out.
Bungie: Don't expect to see Master Chief in ODST
Given that Halo 3: ODST takes place directly after the Prophet of Regret bugs out of New Mombasa, it's not too surprising to learn that Master Chief won't be appearing in the game. See, everyone knows that the UNSC In Amber Clad -- carrying Master Chief -- jumped into the same slipspace rupture used by Regret. Duh.Still, if you were sternly hoping that John 117 might make some kind of cameo, those hopes have now been officially quashed by Bungie's Brian Jarrard. Speaking to Multiplayer, Jarrard stated the totally obvious, "Master Chief, at the time this game takes place, is actually off on other parts of the galaxy." Jarrard elaborated, "In this game, it's all about you playing the role of an ODST," adding, "The way the timelines work in this game, Master Chief is off doing something else."So there you have it, the only place to find Master Chief while playing ODST is where he can always be found: Our hearts.
Seen@E3: Spartans can drum too
Dragging our sleep deprived selves through the convention center, today, we came across a Halo'riffic surprise. An unidentified red Spartan - one that sorta resembled the hue of Red vs. Blue's Sarge - was seen drumming his lil' Spartan heart out at the Lego Rock Band booth. He was thumping to the beat of "The Final Countdown", four starred the tune and we're pleased to report that no drum set victory tea-bagging was performed. It's all about self control, kids.
