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What's in a Name: Bungie Aerospace
Bernard Yee is the Aerospace Portfolio Manager for Bungie, tasked with helping the newly independent studio expand into digitally distributed frontiers. He's previously worked on everything from EverQuest at Sony Online Entertainment to Rock Band at Harmonix. The name came about a couple ways: There are a bunch of real space industry fans at Bungie; like when the shuttle launch happened, a bunch of people from the studio went down to Florida to watch it. So there's a bunch of aerospace engineering fans at the studio and I think the name came about partially from that. There's an expression in Latin, and I forget what it is in Latin, but it's "to boldly go into the stars" [Ed: "per audacia ad astra"] and I think that saying sort of personified Bungie's feeling of being independent again. We could be cross-platform, we weren't tied to any specific console device anymore, we're getting to do something new with a big IP. And as specifically applied to Bungie Aerospace, the idea that there were a whole host of platforms like iOS and Android and PC/Steam and to a similar degree XBLA and PSN; that there were different game experiences being developed there. It's almost like the mammals underfoot the dinosaurs, something interesting was happening. Bungie is a very technically capable studio and we clearly see the trajectory of these hardware devices. We understand the things that make Bungie a great game studio on console were going to be increasingly relevant in this space, with iOS devices. But it wasn't 100% transferable, right? The lessons we learned on console will be useful on the mobile platform but they're going to be different game experiences. Maybe the game sessions are 20 minutes instead of two hours. I think I remember reading that Torchlight's average game session was about 20 or 30 minutes. I would guess that Halo or Call of Duty's average is much longer. The idea is that we want to understand this platform because it's relevant to us as game creators and there's a lot to learn. We wanted to do this as a way to grow Bungie's expertise and reach into other areas. That's where the Aerospace name came from. Bungie Aerospace recently released its first title, Crimson: Steam Pirates, from developer Harebrained Schemes. It's available for iPad from the iOS App Store. Like this feature? Be sure to check out the What's in a Name Archives.
Crimson: Steam Pirates was made in 12 weeks
Believe it or not, Bungie's latest didn't take that long to develop -- oh, you read the headline? Well, aren't you perceptive! Yes, Crimson: Steam Pirates (not to be confused with The Crimson Permanent Assurance) only took 12 weeks to create, believe it or not. It's the subject of a Gamasutra postmortem by developer Harebrained Schemes' Aljernon Bolden, who worked in the trenches over those dozen weeks to create what is one of the top free iPad apps. His diatribe recounts the last month (it launched on September 1, remember?) and how a team of seven people was able to meet deadline. Did you know the game uses animations originally created as flipbook animations in Flash? Just one of the many interesting tidbits to be discovered! Do yourself a favor and give it a read. It's not only a great read to learn how a first-time developer was able to come up with high-impact, low-cost solutions to achieve its goal, it's also fascinating stuff for budding developers -- and in this App store world we're living in, that should be at least 75 percent of you. %Gallery-131494%
PSA: Bungie Aerospace's Crimson: Steam Pirates now available (for free)
This is just a quick reminder that Bungie Aerospace's first project, Crimson: Steam Pirates, is now available on iPad for the excellent sum of no dollars. We had assumed that the Hairbrained Schemes title was about a band of buccaneers out to steal your wine-stained dry cleaning. It turns out, however, that it's actually an action RTS game in a Steampunk 1800s setting. You'll follow the high-seas adventures of General Thomas Blood as he conducts ship battles against opposing fleets. You can find out more about the top-down action in the video above. Or, you know, you could just download the game, what with it being free and all. %Gallery-131494%
First Bungie Aerospace project detailed, Crimson: Steam Pirates hits iPad next week
The very first project setting sail under the Bungie Aerospace flag is Harebrained Schemes' Crimson: Steam Pirates and it's leaving port on September 1, with its compasses pointed towards the free-to-play frontiers of the iPad. Promising turn-based gameplay coupled with a "mystery" that, as mysteries are wont to do, needs uncovering, Crimson: Steam Pirates certainly has presentation in the bag. But what else will your $0.00 buy you? The site details eight "voyages that begin the tale of Thomas Blood's adventures in the Caribbean," two "'Pass-and-Play' multiplayer scenarios," oodles of ships, subs, airships, and unique crew members, and of course, Bungie.net stats, Leaderboards, and the unavoidable Facebook integration. If you're wondering how anyone makes money off this would-be treasure hunt, it's simple: while the first eight missions are free-to-play, "Chapter 2, 'Tales of Captain Blood' will feature another eight missions for $1.99." That's what we call buried treasure. %Gallery-131494%
Bungie Aerospace a partner program with social, mobile devs
If you were hoping that Bungie Aerospace would be a new action-packed game from the venerable Halo developer, well ... we don't think we could disappoint you more than we're about to right now. Bungie Aerospace (the trademark for which first popped up in early 2010) is a partner program in which the AAA powerhouse will team with social and mobile devs, giving them "creative freedom and the resources they need, like access to the Bungie.net platform and an audience with the incredible Bungie community." The release stops short of calling Bungie the publisher of these products, but it certainly reads that way. The first dev getting the Bungie bump is Seattle's Harebrained Schemes, a studio run by Jordan Weisman, of I Love Bees/FASA Interactive/Wizkids fame. It's an intriguing partnership, but we won't get our hands on the results until this summer when a game codenamed "Crimson" (which Aerospace trademarked in May) hits iOS and Android. You know, we're excited by the news, but we can tell this isn't what some of you were hoping for. ... Hmm. Well, what if we told you "Crimson" has Master Chief in it? It doesn't, but what if it did? (It doesn't.)
Bungie celebrates 20 years with promise of Bungie Aerospace reveal, free iOS app
It's hard to believe that the house that built Halo has been around for nearly 20 years, and only kicked off the past decade of Halo games halfway through its lifespan, but that's the case. The now-independent developer is celebrating the big two zero this year, and in typical Bungie fashion the studio will be offering a variety of special items to its fans, starting with an already released (and free) iOS app. For those of you who without an iOS device, a whole mess of other things will be going down between June 23 and July 7 -- "Bungie Day" -- such as special additions to the Bungie store. And more importantly to us, the still mysterious "Bungie Aerospace" will be explained "in explicit detail. You can also win some totally serious actual steaks if you beat the Bungie dudes in Halo: Reach "by 20 kills or more" on July 7 -- a difficult feat for sure, but one worthy of earning the title "Steaktacular." The team will be in Reach multiplayer for all 24 hours of that day. [Thanks, Tyler C]
Bungie Aerospace Corporation trademarks 'Crimson,' mystery continues
Bungie's trademark frenzy continues with the discovery of a trademark filing for "Crimson" within the past several days. GameSpot UK spotted the listing on the US Patent and Trademark Office website, which denotes "Crimson" as being "Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices." Presumably, whatever "Crimson" is won't be all three of those things. Interestingly, the filing applies to newly incorporated Bungie Aerospace (rather than Bungie Studios proper), while Bungie's previous trademark applications were all filed by a proxy corporation (as to hide their origins). As with previous reports, we've contacted Bungie for a comment, but don't expect to hear much back. Nor do we expect to hear anything at E3, as the studio has specifically said it won't be attending this year's show.
'Bungie Aerospace' incorporates, according to filings
The halo of fog surrounding Bungie's mysterious "Bungie Aerospace" logo/trademark grows murkier with the recent discovery of filings in both Washington and Delaware for "Bungie Aerospace Corporation." HBO.org unearthed the Washington state filing, dated April 27 of this year, which notes the company's initial incorporation in business-friendly Delaware state just one week earlier on April 20. Unlike the Delaware filing, the Washington one lists Bungie president Harold Ryan and head of strategy and corporate development Ondraus Jenkins as "governing persons" of the new for profit business. Rather than mirroring their current roles at Bungie, though, it appears that Ryan will be acting as "director" of Bungie Aerospace Corporation while Jenkins will be acting "president." Also listed is secretary director Allan Parsons, which is either a joke reference to The Alan Parsons Project, or an alternative name for executive producer Pete Parsons, or an outside hire with no Google-logged experience in the game industry (believe us, we tried). Bungie Studios is currently working with Activision to develop a multiplatform title. Copyright filings and web domain registrations for several names from the summer of 2010 were also discovered earlier this year, though the studio has provided no clues as to what any of the filings mean. Bungie is also planning some form of private beta for a game (or games) that has yet to be announced.
Bungie registers Marathon and 'Bungie Aerospace' trademarks
Between the recent filing to trademark ... something regarding Bungie's first FPS Marathon, and a filing for the name "Bungie Aerospace," we're not exactly sure what to make of whatever it is that's going on over at the house that birthed Master Chief. Both filings, spotted by Superannuation, represent still unknown plans for the studio. And aside from the logo you see above, we know very, very little about either. As for the Marathon trademark, it could very well just be an update to an existing filing. The inclusion of references to several past Bungie logos in the Bungie Aerospace filing, however, suggests a possible rebranding of the studio -- something we wouldn't be particularly surprised with considering the break with Microsoft way back in 2007, not to mention the fact that this fall's Halo: Reach marks the last Halo game from the studio before Microsoft's 343 Studios fully absorbs the IP. Oh, and no, Bungie won't be joining the Richard Garriotts and John Carmacks of the world in heading into outer space, as both trademark filings fall under the usual USPTO video game classification. A Bungie representative told Joystiq "No comment" when asked about the listings, but for now you're free to speculate along with us to your heart's content. Source 1 - USPTO Source 2 - USPTO [Via Superannuation]
