How do you view the legacy of Halo 2 today? Virtually every game that uses skill-based matchmaking today can trace their roots back to what Halo 2 introduced. Max Hoberman, the multiplayer lead on Halo 2, and the Bungie team were the epitome of outside-the-box thinking, but credit must also be given to all of the teams that designed Xbox Live – without which none of this would’ve been possible. There were plenty more nuanced improvements as well, including the way voice was integrated and bringing post-game stats outside the game to a player’s profile on, which I believe was a first for a console game. Being able to party up with friends and move seamlessly between games was a game changer. The team often referred to the vision as a “virtual couch” – emulating the same type of personal and persistent experiences with friends you used to have with Halo: Combat Evolved on a LAN, but now on Xbox Live across the globe. The social aspects of the game were also revolutionary at the time. Not only did it make getting into a game incredibly fast and simple, it also worked to put players into competitive games using skill ratings as a key criteria, which helped ensure players had close games that were thrilling and rewarding even in a loss, the team felt it was more satisfying and fun to barely lose a close battle than to blow out a lower skilled opponent. Rather than make players refresh and scroll through a server list to find a match, the game worked its magic behind the scenes and grouped similarly skilled players together and initiated a game session with a few quick button presses. One of the biggest evolutions Halo 2 introduced was the very concept of “matchmaking” itself. Prior to Halo 2 and Xbox Live, online gaming was really relegated to the PC and built on established models like a server listing you could sort by ping. Of course, at that time, the mission structure was significantly different and, as the now-infamous stories go, huge chunks of the game were cut and reworked very late in development.Ĭan you frame for gamers in 2020 just how important Halo 2 was for online gaming 16 years ago? The team was also deeply involved in the development of Xbox Live, which we knew presented an incredible opportunity to evolve beyond the CRT LAN parties and create a revolutionary online experience.Īt what point was the concept of a dual-protagonist story surfaced? What was the communication within the studio like surrounding this idea?īy the time I joined the studio, I recall the rough narrative framework already being in place, with a focus on sharing both the UNSC and a Covenant point of view. But, the team was never one to rest on its laurels – the focus immediately turned to “How do we top this?” As we witnessed Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer really take off and spawn a vibrant LAN scene, there was a real desire to double down and make multiplayer something special. I remember a sense of pride and excitement as the original game landed and resonated greater than anyone could’ve anticipated. Xbox was off and running, and Halo was taking the world by storm. With the seminal console shooter now on Steam in the form of Halo 2: Anniversary, we spoke with Brian Jarrard, who worked at Bungie during the development of Halo 2, and now works as community director at current Halo developer 343 Industries, to learn what it was like to be on the frontlines for the launch of such an important title in gaming history.Ĭoming off of Halo: Combat Evolved, what was the feeling at Bungie surrounding Halo 2 during development? What was the general sentiment of what the team needed to do?īrian Jarrard: I joined Bungie following the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved at a time when there were less than 30 or so employees occupying an office park on the outskirts of Redmond, Washington.
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