Halo2 FanFest 2004

Esto me lo he encontrado en la web de bungie, no se si merecera la pena, haber si alguien cuenta lo ke es.


In a way, E3 is kind of like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, only instead of chocolate; it's full of half-naked chicks and video games, and instead of Oompa Loompas, the behind the scenes areas are filled with surly, knuckle-cracking, ponytailed Teamsters. So in fact, it's better than Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in every conceivable way. And that's why it's the perfect venue for the annual Bungie FanFest.

So this year, 90 lucky consumers streamed into FanFest, into an eerily quiet Los Angeles Convention center. They were escorted by security – a nod to the fact that around them, were the assembled fruits of every major video company's efforts for the last few years. Plasma screens hang in the hundreds, almost all dimmed for the night. Black and empty they reflect the weird crowd as it meanders like some hideous Conga through the gloomy booths, towards the blue light emanating from the Microsoft booth – the only one still alive.

Inside the booth, we had treats waiting.

FanFest is a team effort, but it's definitely spearheaded by Brian Jarrard, our community leader and radical UFO conspiracy theorist. He, Alta (Bungie Princess) and a team of literally some, had created a FanFest event to end all FanFest events. Doom 3 kiosks had been hijacked and taken over by – gasp – Halo One. We wanted to put Halo 2 out there, but it simply wasn't possible – which is roughly what Brian told the assembled crowd.

But that was just a tease. He also announced that everyone holding a numbered ticket (almost everyone) would get the chance to play Halo 2 in the specially created Halo 2 demo room in back. Sure, many of them thought they were being taken back there to get killed and made into Tijuana Mama Sausage (since the pungent sweat of terror is what pickles them), but most were willing to take the risk.

Inside three darkened rooms, players took half hour turns blasting, driving and screaming their way through turn-based CTF rounds marveling at the customizable armor, panicking as Warthogs fell from the sky, and carefully avoiding critical Ghosts.

Outside, something of a phenomenon had arrived. It wasn't David Scully (Sgt. Johnson), or Tim Dadabo (343 Guilty Spark). No. It was the pizza. Specifically, The Worst Pizza in Christendom. We can try to tell you how appalling it was, but you won't believe us. Baked just long enough to make the dough wet and cool, the cheese hadn't so much melted as congealed, and the salami topping appeared to be cheese-imprisoned scabs that had fallen from an ailing pizza chef. When 90 husky game-freaks studiously avoid a pizza, and look instead for discarded hot dog onions on the carpet, then you know your pizza is bad.

The good news is that this was a FanFest in a very literal sense. Last year, they turned off the AC and the kids melted into pools of their own filth. This year – the AC stayed on a bit longer and the Teamsters wheeled in industrial-sized fans used by NASA to do wind-tunnel tests on space rockets. Watching Bungie fans get blasted in the face by their own flapping E3 badges was weirdly amusing.

David Scully and Tim Dadabo did make an appearance however, David making a hilarious nuisance of himself while Sketch tried to explain the evening's proceedings. Both actors answered fan Q&As and signed autographs, while Lorraine custom-sketched art for lucky raffle winners. Actually, Lorraine continued to sketch into the wee small hours, at a hotel bar, in Koreatown. Now that's dedication. Took her four hours to make two or three incredible drawings. I could have squirted out maybe, one or two hundred Mister Chiefs in the same time period. Why? Because I am a true artist, instead of one of those sloooow, snail-like ones. Still, nobody asked me for one…



Red Vs. Blue debuted a new short, to massive applause, Marty and Jay mingled, Max and Hamilton tingled, Louis Wu STOLE a sketch from Lorraine and in general, a great time was had by all. Unless they ate the pizza.

But who knows how FanFest was better than a fan? So we asked one of our biggest fans, known only as Dolbex, and one of the best players we've seen. Too good in fact. Prior events with Dolbex have frustrated players enough that they'd gang up on him and change their Halo names to mock him. Even though he totally owned Sketch and I in a later Halo One match, we're too classy for that kind of hatin'. But we did chat with Mr. 'Bex about his experience at FanFest 2004.

So, Suckbex, How was FanFest this year?

Wow, what an open ended question. "How was FanFest?" Well, I guess it was like a family reunion. I mean, every which way I looked there was a recognizable face, or someone I had met at Wu's place a few months back, or someone's voice that boomed over the in house PA that struck a very familiar cord. (i.e. Sarge - David Scully) I know a bunch of these guys because they are all webmasters of my favorite sites and feed me with the juicy morsels that I need to feed my Halo Hunger.

So, I guess other than meeting up with all my internet nerds I did get to play some new game called Halo 2. Did it rock? Yes. Was it all I thought it would be. No kidding, it was way more. Did I poo on myself? Sure did. I would be lying to myself if I said anything other than playing Halo 2 made FanFest fun, exciting, and pretty much muted the rest of the entire week. What a great experience it is that Bungie provides for its fans. To come onto the E3 floor after everyone else has gone home and meet the creators of such an amazing bunch of games. Thanks again Bungie.

Fartbex, how did you and the other guys enjoy playing the Zanzibar CTF level?

Did I already say "poo'ed my pants". It was awesome. I don’t know if anyone realizes it, but Zanzibar has actual stairs! Moving Parts! I think it was wonderful to see a new level that demonstrates some of what we get to play in November with respect to level design, new menu system, and new game types. Zanzibar, while hell on earth for the Marines, was just heaven to me.

What’s your favorite thing about Halo 2 gameplay, Arsebex?

Ohhh.. toughy. I think I really enjoyed seeing so many well balanced weapons. I wasn’t disappointed to have any of the weapons presented in Zanzibar. The needler really does kick some ass, dual SMGs owns, and the zoomed Battle Rifle reminds me of the pistol in Halo 1. Only with the SPNKR and the Energy Sword did I feel like I was really "above" the other players in power... and rightfully so, those weapons own like they should!

Turdbex, can you tell us what the highlight of this year’s FanFest was?

Other than the obvious, I think just having all the "diehard" fans and some of Bungie in the same place was great. I remember one point looking around and seeing Wu talking to Michel Bastien, and Tim Dabado (Guilty Spark) asking where the "Red vs. Blue guys were". We got pictures with everyone: Wu, Red vs. Blue, Tom, Joyride, Meheve, etc. It was just ridiculous. I hope that next year, when Bungie isn’t working their tails off we can all get together with no limitations and have a party where everyone is invited. What a great time!

Can you tell our readers about your controller modifications, Cheatbex?

LOL! Well, I would be lying if I said that I pioneered that neat invention. Basically it was discovered that the power-ups and weapons were based on a 30 second "cycle" on each board about 6 months after Halo:CE was released. The guys over at HBO (I think Skeletor, Cheerio, and myself were the most enthralled by it) took it upon themselves to map the "timing" of all the weapons of the multiplayer levels. This gave someone, (I am going to credit the TDT guys on this one.. I think they were first) the idea to bring a clock to 50k1 and actually use it to time the weapons.

Well, that started a tourney craze, and now everyone shows up with some form of a clock. Whether it be a wristband mounted to the face of their controller, like mine, or a laptop computer with a recorded voice that will chime in when the SPNKr is almost up, timers are just permanent fixtures of the tourney world. It's kind of gotten to the point of ridiculous... but I guess it just adds an element to the game.

In addition to that Large Unit, my room mate and co-conspirator, soldered in some LED's into both the controller face, and plug at the end of the cord. He's just all about the Bling.

Special thanks to Poobex for owning us at Halo and answering all of our probing questions.