You might have heard that Bungie is dark. It’s true. We’re darker than midnight around here. Fortunately, if armed with a flashlight, there are a lot of fun things that one can do in the dark. You can play a game of tag. You can hunt for nocturnal prey. You can even host an underground celebration.
Here are the party animals that showed up this week to illuminate the disco ball.
Chris Butcher, Engineering Lead
Andrea Fonger, Engineer
Zeke Garcia, Artist
Pat Jandro, Cinematic Designer
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer
Kurt Nellis, Technical Cinematic Lead
Chris Owens, Test Engineer
Travis Pijut, Test Engineer
Matt Richenburg, Producer
John Shaffstall, Engineer
Tom Slattery, Localization Content Manager
Michael Strein, Engineer
John Stvan, Graphic Designer
Jay Thaler, Engineer
Grab your torches, fellow ravers. Let’s open the Sack.
obbsesedwithhalo I feel so sad at the lack of any indication of when you'll not be dark anymore. Can you put my mind at ease?
We’ve been as clear as we can about when we’ll relight our engines. If you were a little more obbsesed with Bungie.net, you’d likely be a lot less sad. You’ll have reason to cheer up Soon™. In the meantime, can I buy you off with an easy compliment? You sure do look handsome today.
SG Tumnus123 Who's your favorite Starship Captain and what one quality most makes them your favorite?
When you say “Starship Captain,” the first thing that rockets into my mind is an image of William Shatner, looking svelte and young in his burgundy dress-uniform (circa,
Wrath of Khan). It’s an elemental, knee-jerk of Pavlovian proportions. Let’s see what jerks the knees of our Panel…
Admiral Piett. He intensified the forward fire power.
John Stvan
Admiral William Adama,
The Old Man. I don’t want to spoil it, but go watch Battlestar Galactica, Season 3, Episode 4. You will understand why.
John Shaffstall
Malcolm Reynolds. Loved that deadpan wit.
Travis Pijut
Picard. His leadership brings out the best in his crew – he is not a one-man show.
Michael Strein
Captain Will Riker, (and yes, he is a captain now) because of his totally boss beard.
Chris Owens
WestCoastRonin How do Bungie employees get their nicknames? Do you select your own or is it selected for you by others at Bungie?
I was just about to launch a rant about how no one gets to pick their own nickname.
Not ever! Then it occurred to me. Everyone at Bungie is a gamer, and gamers are very unique in that they create their own identities. You all picked your own nicknames on Bungie.net or Xbox LIVE. We’re no different. Evil Otto, Abe Froman (Sausage King), Mantis, Lukems, Urk, DeeJ. Even Marty dubbed himself The Elder. When you think about it, the person we become when we can be whoever we want to be says a lot about us. Noodle on that the next time you witness someone bullying a noob in Matchmaking.
Hylebos This is a question to the Magic the Gathering players at Bungie: Now that the Return to Ravnica expansion has been fully revealed, what new cards catch your eye?
Calling all nerds. Would all nerds please pick up a nerd courtesy phone…
I haven’t glanced at the list too closely yet. That kind of ruins the surprise when you are opening packs. But the token populate mechanic is pretty interesting, any of those cards have my eye for a potential deck.
Travis Pijut
Shock lands,
Armada Wurm,
Ash Zealot,
Judge’s Familiar,
Grove of the Guardian. I’m really looking forward to abusing
Populate.
John Shaffstall
Hint: It starts with a “C” and ends with “hromatic Lantern.”
Tom Slattery
As an
Ink-Treader Nephilim fan, I can’t resist the combination of total Nephilim spell copying control and buffing that will come with the
Nivmagus Elemental.
Alex Loret de Mola
EAGLES5 Does Bungie studios own any watercraft?
We most certainly do. Our
flagship is an enormous source of pride.
DJ Yella What does Bungie think of Rockstar Games and their works?
We liked Red Dead Redemption so much that we hired
Danny Bulla to come here and help us fill your next sandbox. He’s doing some amazing work and, so far, he hasn’t tried to lash any of us to a pair of railroad tracks.
Kr1egerdude Any animal on earth can be domesticated on your command, what would you do with this power?
I would domesticate the trolls, and exploit them to staff a virtual information desk where they would be forced to answer questions asked by forum newcomers. Since a troll is just an imaginary creature, I need to come to grips with the fact that this will never happen. Instead, I’ll task our Panel to answer your question…
Is this power exclusive just to me? I feel my answer would change drastically if not.
Pat Jandro
Lemurs. Lemur power.
John Stvan
I would make random animals ride around on the backs of other animals, because apparently that’s hilarious.
Jay Thaler
I’d domesticate all animals simultaneously.
Chris Owens
I’d definitely get a pet rhino. Well, I wouldn’t, but it’s nice to think about.
Alex Loret de Mola
Enjoy a really nice steak every week. Oh, also probably conquer the world with my animal army and set myself up as the “Benevolent” Overlord or something. But mostly steak!
Travis Pijut
Acquire lion, name him Aslan, and ride him around commanding him to roar at people majestically.
Andrea Fonger
Bear Cavalry!
John Shaffstall
Zafric When it comes to applying for a job at Bungie, do you have any tips or suggestions that would help an aspiring Bungie fan get his/her foot in the door?
Start a blog about games and stuff. Or, follow in any of these footsteps…
Step 1. Have foot. Step 2. Find door. Step 3. Do the math.
John Stvan
Don’t literally try and get your foot in the door and sneak your way in expecting to put your resume on someone’s desk. We have the ability to make people disappear.
Pat Jandro
Create cool things and show them to people.
John Shaffstall
Choose an aspect of video games that you think you’d enjoy working on. Become really good at doing that. Send us your resume when you know you’re good enough to do it here.
Kurt Nellis
Do not wear a meat dress. It’s been done.
Jay Thaler
Don’t come dressed as Master Chief. Seriously.
Chris Owens
Never give up. Never surrender.
Michael Strein
Jondis What's the dress code for an interview at Bungie?
Suit and tie! Actually, that would get you dismissed before the first question landed on your jaw like the opening jab of a boxing match that lasts all day long. As a recent rescue from the double-pleated corporate wilderness, I was instructed very carefully on this point before I climbed into the ring myself.
Dangerouswelsh1 Maybe this question has already been asked or answered but, what would you say is the best way to get into the game industry from a writing perspective?
First of all, I couldn’t help but notice that this question was your first post under this login. If you’ve just joined us, welcome to Bungie.net! If you created that account to side-step an old ban, try and keep your nose clean this time. I won’t tell a soul. As for your question, I would recommend reading up on
this guy or
this guy. They’re both rather strange, but they’ve survived the trek that you’re contemplating.
QuirkyNate What is your favorite heist movie?
Michael Strein
Kurt Nellis
John Stvan
Jay Thaler
Chris Owens
Matt Richenberg
Alex Loret de Mola
Andrea Fonger
Geegs30 Does the studio go through any noticeable changes during the Fall?
This place becomes home to more hoodies than the Jedi Academy. Eh, Panel?
It gains about 10 pounds.
Pat Jandro
It gets dark around 2:30 and the whole studio feels like a cave.
Kurt Nellis
More flannel.
John Stvan
Luke Timmins stops shaving, presumably to help keep his face warm.
Jay Thaler
We all talk about how the sun is gone and start drinking even more coffee as we break out our collection of polar fleece and plaid.
Andrea Fonger
IslocStarkiller Any Bungie employees gonna see how their baby is doing?
In video game years, our ringed friend is really more like a young adult that has left home to make its way in the world. Just like you, we have images from simpler times burned into our minds, we can remember the finer moments from its upbringing, and we expect to continue to see great things from it in the future.
Los Lotus What are you doing on November 6th?
Voting and stomping grunts. Make sure you do get around to doing both as well. In both cases, you’ll be wielding some of the most awesome power ever imagined in the universe.
KUZOKU85 What advice do you have for a man with a broken heart?
It would be indelicate for me to dismiss this obvious cry for help with a gruff challenge that you “Man Up!” This is a question for the Panel…
Go get a tattoo that reminds you of him/her/it. Wait…no.
Pat Jandro
Duct Tape. That stuff fixes everything.
Travis Pijut
Time heals all wounds.
Zeke Garcia
Stay busy. If you don’t stay busy your heart hurts. Workout, read books, play video games. Word on the street is that Bungie has made a couple that are pretty fun!
Michael Strein
Just give
it a few turns.
Tom Slattery
The Return to Ravnica prerelease is going on this weekend: get out there and play! You’re bound to have a good time, and who knows? Maybe you’ll meet a nice geeky gal!
Alex Loret de Mola
burritosenior Some developers go to other sites to give information. Even after the next game comes out, will you hold true to giving those of us that have stuck around here information first?
We have grand and ambitious plans for the Seventh Column faithful. In many cases, we fully intend for our most loyal fans to get information first. In other scenarios, we’d rather make an experience deeper, more engaging, and more meaningful after an initial hit of news and information intended for a broader audience. This party can only get better if we add more people to the dance floor. We think about this to an obsessive degree of detail, and we think you’re going to like what we have in the works. Only time will tell.
BlackHeaven Is the video game industry where you originally planned to work? If not, what were your original plans?
Well, I might have had some surreal dreams when I was a wee-child but this is definitely where I wanted to end up once I started thinking about “a career” in high school.
Pat Jandro
Space, the final frontier.
John Shaffstall
When I was like 6, yes. Then I was going to go into Physics, and then briefly 3D Graphics. Then I realized my 6 year old self had it right.
Travis Pijut
Nope. I started out in SFX in film.
Kurt Nellis
I was gonna be a cowboy. There’s still time.
John Stvan
Bungie is where I wanted to work since my freshman year of college. Mission accomplished.
Michael Strein
It’s where I always wanted to work, but I never had much of a plan. I studied computer science in school thinking I would become a game programmer, but it ended up being writing skills and ability in a second language that got me into the industry - on the localization side of things.
Tom Slattery
Well, it wasn’t where I originally planned to work: but there was a long time when I was younger where I wanted to, and I let that dream slip for a while… but somehow it came around and found me in a way. That is to say, I found it right when I think I needed it and was finally ready for it.
Alex Loret de Mola
I wanted to become a theoretical physicist and develop a Grand Unified Theory of Everything. But then I realized that would be hard and that I enjoyed playing video games instead.
Chris Butcher
spawn031 Blue flames please.
LIGTHNING ROUND!
ScooterDad72 How awesome it would be to live the good life?
Pretty awesome.
pureXownage How many mail sacks have there been?
At least two that I can remember.
Valiant Outcast What is the closest you have come to accidentally revealing details about Bungie's new game?
Nice try.
wrcfan Do you agree that poutine is food of the gods?
No. What’s that?
magicmagininja Am I your favorite?
It’s selfish to ask.
Flaming Skullz Can your new game have Godzilla?
Toho would have a fit.
EAGLES5 Has a movie ever made you cry?
Not even once.
Mythical Wolf If I were to leave and never come back, would you miss me?
No. I mean, Yes!
That final sprint has me feeling spent. You have reached the bottom of this Sack. To repeat this process – we do so enjoy the weekly ritual, you must know – please report to the mail room on Monday. Until then, keep the party raging. There will be a bright light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.