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FanFest Flashback - Part 2
Posted by Sketch at 6/10/2003 10:05 AM PDT

FanFest Flashback - Part 2

By SketchFactor
Tuesday, June 10th, 2003, 5:05 PM

FanFest Flasback - Part 2
Last week we took a look at the early beginnings of FanFest as well as some of the activities that went down in LA this year prior to the Fest. When we left off, it was late Wednesday night and the Bungie team had just finished seeing The Matrix : Reloaded with the Psyjnir posse, mnemesis and CYBRFRK.

D-Day
The Bungie Party Wagons, piloted by CYBRFRK and mnemesis dropped us off at our hotels in the wee hours of the morning. We were only a handful of hours away from the big event. The day had finally arrived. Sleep was a necessity but not a reality as there was just too much to think about and get ready for as 7:00 PM ticked closer and closer. A series of meetings followed during the day between myself and various members of the PR and Marketing teams to review this and finalize that. This year’s FanFest was a little bit different in that it was sponsored in part by some of the MS folks we work closely with. As such, a few media folks and "VIPs" were invited and not all were from the U.S. so we had a couple of small details to iron out. Thankfully, reps from the PR firm were assigned to work the event which meant that we didn’t have to worry ourselves with foreign reporters and Joe Blow from xyz.com who is irate over the fact that we won’t let him in.

Later in the day, all the guys we hung out with the prior evening showed up as did the esteemed Louis Wu of HBO fame, the one and only Miguel Chavez (complete with freshly shaven 7th Column hairdo), Shovelface and Finn. It was great to finally meet these guys face to face and to finally have a face to go with the name. It’s always strange that first moment you meet someone that you’ve only known either online or via phone. How close will your mental image match their actual appearance? After introductions were over with, the first order of business was to shuffle them in the side door for a quick Halo 2 demo showing! (pictured at right)

We parted ways as those guys came to see the show and I had more details to check up on. Later in the afternoon, we all regrouped again for a team huddle to go over the plan for the night. Even though these guys were Fans who were in attendance to have fun, they all volunteered their services to help get the event up and running. And boy would they ever come in handy. We huddled into a nearby meeting area and the room suddenly felt like we were planning some kind of Iraqi invasion or something. Picture several guys all crowded around a table, with detailed strategies and tactics being
discussed. "What do we do about people who show up but aren’t on the list?" "What if someone is confirmed but shows up at 7:45?" "Who’s going to man the front table?" All I could think was "What if our boxes don’t show up?" There was also an extra bit of concern in the air as Randall Glass, one of Bungie’s special guests and the inventor of the modern day "Warthog Jump" was M.I.A. Nobody had heard from him in quite some time and we were uncertain whether or not he would make it to the event. Perhaps his taxi driver misunderstood and took him to the Compton-Watts Convention Center? We crossed our fingers that some ill fate hadn't befallen him.

Show Time
6:15 PM finally rolled around and we had a mere 45 minutes to transform the Xbox booth into FanFest central. The first order of business – find our coveted boxes. At first it was promising; a palette was dropped by the theater with what appeared to be our supply stash. Upon further investigation, I noticed that several boxes were missing, including the box with all our badges and critical start-up supplies. I went on a frantic search for our missing gear as the Bungie team cracked open what was there and started distributing the various pieces. Teams were formed to stuff goodie bags that would later be handed out to the attendees. Our retail folks were on hand to start unpacking their boxes and set up the mobile Bungie store. Roger sprang to action and began replacing Barbie’s Horse Adventures and the like with copies of Halo.

During my box hunt around the booth, I run into Jim McQuillan, the videographer that Bungie has been working with the past few months on a "making of Halo 2" documentary piece. Jim has come out to cover the FanFest and corners me for some behind-the-scenes interviews. The spotlight, camera and microphone in my face add to the stress and I can feel the sweat starting to flow. Jim and his crew decide to wire me up for the rest of the night so EVERYTHING I say from this point on is being recorded. Great. I hope they’re ready to do a lot of "bleeping." Between my 2-way radio and now this transmitter, I'm starting to feel like some kind of low-budget Terminator robot on a mission to throw a party. Hey, in a way it was kind of like having my own ghetto Mark V armor... ok... no it wasn't.

6:30 PM – The front door crew is setting up shop and a line is beginning to grow outside the convention hall and we don’t have our badges and supplies yet. During my sprints around the booth I’m flagged down and notified that another box is found. Eureka! We’ve got our badges. In this case, yes, we need stinkin badges. I make a sprint to the front door, camera crew in tow, to drop off the goods and handoff the various lists of who is supposed to get inside the event. Now we’re still missing a box of some retail prizes and the box of supplies for our retail store. I’m now sweating even more than before.

6:45 PM – A large crowd is amassing outside the entrance while Achronos and our Community volunteers start untangling a mess of chains and begin assembling the badges. Next time, we’ll make sure this is taken care of ahead of time. =) After much searching, we finally locate our last two missing boxes. I can’t help but laugh out loud as I’m handed a completely shredded and tattered brown mess that slightly resembles the box I sent out just one week earlier. Luckily the contents are intact but I was told it was found "under a tool box in the back." You'd be surprised at how well t-shirts and grunty thirst mugs can support a Craftsman tool case.

7:00 PM – According to the schedule, our first group should be making their way inside but in reality, our setup delays have screwed up my perfectly orchestrated timeline and everyone is working double time to get people signed up and entered. I do a few last minute checks and on the inside at least,
everything appears to be in order. All we need now are our Fans.

7:20 PM – The exact time was a bit fuzzy but I believe the first group entered the booth around 7:20 or 7:30 PM. Not at all how it was planned. We quickly adjusted and shuffled the first 60 people directly into the Halo 2 Theater. From that moment on, I knew everything was going to be alright. We were here. The Fans were seeing Halo 2. At the very least, this in itself would make the evening a hit. (and we had pizza)

For the next hour, FanFest commenced with groups of Fans being escorted back to the booth by the likes of Alta, Miguel, mnemesis and the others. Little by little the line was shrunk until finally there was nobody left outside. The verdict is still out on exactly how many people did show up but I’m estimating it was around 175 to 200 people. Since we did end up with no-shows, everyone who was on the standby list that showed up was allowed to get in.

The Halo 2 Theater maintained a steady traffic flow and a crowd began to gather around the center stage area to eat some grub and soak in some of the videos that were being shown. Halo videos from yesteryear were on the jumbo screen as well as the complete collection of Red vs Blue episodes, including the never-before-seen FanFest exclusive episode. For those seeking interactive entertainment, the 32 Halo Xbox stations were in use the entire night as were most of the other games that were left on for the event. The Bungie guys manned the Halo PC stations to facilitate ongoing multiplayer matches and award the way-cool Halo PC t-shirts to the winners. Food, fun and games continued... and the heat began to rise.

On with the show
Around 8:30, following an excerpt from the upcoming Xbox special on the Discovery Channel, a few of the Bungie guys joined me in the center arena to do some Q&A with our Fans. Armed with some questions that were gathered online prior to the event, we took center stage to subject ourselves to who-knows-what. The spotlights were shinin' and the heat was rising. Marty, Joe, Michael Evans, and Jaime were later joined by Jason Jones and Michael Wu. Naturally everyone wanted to talk about the topics and subjects that we weren’t willing to talk about but a few interesting tidbits were revealed. Come on, what Halo fan hasn't wondered whether Jason wears briefs or boxers? A full transcript of this discussion is available over at HBO.

Once the Q&A was wrapped up, the next order of business was to bring up the three finalists for the "America’s Biggest Halo Fan" competition. Paul Gelardi, Geoff Fink and Jeremy Roos all made the final three and received a free trip to FanFest. The competition was tough and the decision was hard but ultimately Geoff Fink emerged victorious for his video - the Red vs Blue public service announcement. Geoff will get his name in the Halo PC credits in addition to a free copy of the game and a giant Halo PC poster signed by the team.

After the contest winner was announced, we transitioned over to the annual Bungie Trivia Contest. A series of multiple choice questions were read by Jen Taylor, aka Cortana. We had about 10 fans step up to take the challenge this year and after a handful of questions we were down
to our final two. Djof came out on top with a successful answer to the "Who is Danger Boy?" question and became the trivia champ for 2003. Over at HBO, the online version was also in full swing and Thomas Langdon got the highest score, earning him the title of 2003 online trivia champion.

By now it was around 9:45 PM and the place was really hopping. Fans relentlessly fragged one another in Halo, took advantage of the Bungie Store discount and mixed and mingled with Bungie and each other. Fearless Son came in full Marine garb and was quite the conversation piece during the night. Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana, was invited as our special guest and she set up shop to sign autographs, pose for pictures and answer questions. Judging by the size of the line surrounding her, I'd reckon she was 2nd only to Halo 2 as the biggest draw of the event.

Inevitably the night had to come to a close as the heat was becoming unbearable, security was starting to circle the booth and our meter was about to expire. The last order of business was to give away a ton of free prizes to those lucky enough to be holding the winning tickets. Our friends at Del Rey were kind enough to give us tons of copies of both Halo books, which we gladly gave away as fast as we could. Naturally most true Halo fans already had a copy but hey, free stuff is free stuff. The biggest items up for grabs were probably the special colored Xbox controllers and some of the old school Bungie swag from days gone by. Most everyone who showed up also got a special treat from our friends at Joy Ride, the makers of the upcoming Halo toy line.

Drenched in sweat, dizzy from hunger and exhaustion, I said my parting words and the book was officially closed for the 2003 Bungie FanFest. Achronos and I joined a few of the guys in the Beverly Hilton bar afterwards. We reminisced about the evening over drinks while Miguel dreamt of cheesesticks and some folks tried to squeeze Halo 2 info out of us in our somewhat delirious state. Overall it was a blast and I can honestly say it was the highlight of my
Bungie tenure thus far. Having a chance to meet people from all over the world, all united by a love for Bungie, was incredible. I was also moved by the dedication and support that was given to us by all our Fans who helped make this event so great.

Word on the Streets
So you’ve heard my side of the story, what about those who were actually there? I spoke with a few folks in the Community about their favorite moments from FanFest:

"Meeting the people I’ve been bantering with for so long now made the entire trip for me. Everything about that night reminded me just how amazingly cool Bungie is, and how well their fanbase reflects upon that." – Shishka

"...asking Jen Taylor to say ‘wildcat destabilization’, the lady who was nearly mauled when she brought out more bottled water, trying to get Skeletor to press the eject button on the Xbox containing the Halo 2 demo that Jaime was using in the theater.. and the list goes on..." – deanero

"Memorable experience – I don’t think there is just one. Hmm… watching Jaime make a train wreck out of the ‘put-together-schwag-bags-for-attendees’ process.. and watching Alta show off some serious people-organizing skills to get us all back on track… watching what looked like the entire Bungie contingent playing Conker while waiting for FanFest to start… just getting to hang out and watch the crowds enjoying the festivities... and catching Jen at the end of the evening for a quick signing of my Cortana headshot where she wrote ‘I really do love you. I’m not kidding.’" – Louis Wu

"What sticks in my mind dealt with Jen Taylor... I found out some interesting tidbits like she has never met Steve Downes, the voice of Master Chief, she had never played Halo, had no idea how big Halo was, and had no idea she was naked in the game.." – CYBRFRK

"A couple of things stand out for me… poking my head out the door to see if more folks had shown up and learning there were a couple hundred lined up around the corner, seeing Jason Jones show up and subject himself to the scrutiny of the crowd, and having a goodly chunk of b.org stay over at my house.." – mnemesis

But Wait... There’s More
So that’s the story of how FanFest came to be and what went down at this year’s event. Who knows what the future holds but it’s safe to assume that the show must go on and the tradition will continue. If you weren’t able to make it this year and/or this is all a blurry memory to you, fear not. Mr.Smiley and some of his crew stepped up and offered to film the "Official FanFest 2003 Documentary." They’re in the process of editing and putting together the hours of film and interviews they captured but in the meantime they sent over this little teaser of what’s to come. Check it out,(right click, 'save as') there’s a Windows Media and a Quicktime version available. Once the full video is complete we will make it available to everyone. Also, CYBRFRK has put together a comprehensive photo gallery from the event which can be found here. And lastly, the folks over at HBO have a good amount of information up in their E3 section. Thanks again to EVERYONE who made this year’s event so memorable. See you all next time!

New Beginnings 

Posted by DeeJ at 1/31/2013 11:45 AM PST

Bungie.net has evolved...

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Bungie.net Set to Read-Only Today 

Posted by DeeJ at 1/8/2013 9:07 AM PST

Pardon our dust...

On Tuesday, January 8th, Bungie.net will be set to read-only mode. During this short, preparatory maintenance window, you can browse, but you can’t post. We expect the outage to be brief.

Thank you for your patience. If we don’t make it back, tell your mother we love her. See you on the other side.

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Happy Holidays. Love, Bungie. 

Posted by DeeJ at 12/21/2012 2:22 PM PST

Peace on Earth?

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We Wish You a Merry Mail Sack 

Posted by DeeJ at 12/21/2012 2:21 PM PST

Goodwill towards mail...



It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Bungie. Our cavernous hideout, usually overrun by artists, coders, and designers, is slowly becoming a place of empty chairs and empty tables. Before our beloved partners in crime could flee the scene in favor of their respective family reunions, we gathered around the very last bundle of community interaction that will be seen this calendar year.

The past twelve months have been home to fascinating developments at Bungie. We are thankful. We’ve marched ever closer toward our fate. There is brilliant light at the end of the tunnel, dear community.

But that is a glorious conversation best saved for another time. For now, let’s look back instead of forward.

Let’s open the Sack.


Frag Ingot What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment from this year?

I made it through...

Ben Thompson, Engineer

I wrote lots of cool things for Bungie.next. Maybe DeeJ will tell you more about that soon.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

I started building a spaceship in my garage, entirely out of spare lawnmower parts.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Deadlift: 325lbs., Squat: 225lbs, Machine Squat: 360lbs. Also, wrote/recorded 13 songs and remixed 2 songs.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Professionally, I built a new back end system that (if it works correctly) will make the online experience better for a significant portion of our playerbase, without them ever knowing it is there. Personally, I went on some awesome adventures with my wife this year and didn't get us both killed, or too horribly lost.
Michael Williams, Engineer

Marriage!
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

Creating the next generation of the internal tools for Bungie.Next. They ain’t pretty, but they get the job done.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

And, the following people on the Bungie Panel for this week counted their great fortune in landing a place on the roster of Team Bungie. This delegation represents only a fraction of the parade of noobs that stormed our front door to help us bring you a new game.
Will Edgette, Engineer
Leland Dantzler, Tester
Doug Juno, Artist
Drew Smith, Producer
David Johnson, Engineer
Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer
Chris Owens, Test Engineer
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead


Hylebos How is the Pentathlon shaping up?

As someone who has been honored with an invitation to serve on the Exalted Winter Pentathlon Committee, I'm one of the few people who can tell you that it’s shaping up quite nicely. Our competitors have been partitioned into four warring schools, with Captains assigned to lead each. Events have been chosen, with lieutenants designated to lead each school’s respective charge, and commissioners in place to enforce the rules of battle. As the games draw near, we'll treat you to the usual front-row seat, though I suspect the game I'm most anxious to play this year will be zealously guarded from your eyes.


Elem3nt 117 What is your New Year's Resolution?

I resolve to be a little bit more open and transparent with you. If that has you excited, please note that my track record for keeping these annual promises is less than impressive. Let’s see if my co-developers are more or less disciplined. What do you have planned for yourselves in 2013, Bungie Panel?

Decimate the competition in the Pentathlon or die trying.
Drew Smith, Producer

Draw more.
Doug Juno, Artist

Finish building that spaceship in my garage! Or, give up the ridiculous idea already and waste my free time more wisely.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

To get up earlier!
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Deadlift: 495lbs., Squat: 405lbs, Bench 250lbs.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Write a book, plant a tree. I can already imagine blank pages and a bare yard.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Don’t get suckered into anymore of those crazy “End of the world” doomsday prophesies.
Ben Thompson, Engineer

Create more, consume less.
Michael Williams, Engineer

To finally fulfill my resolutions from the last 8 years.
Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer

I resolve to be better, stronger, faster.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

To not make any more New Year’s Resolutions.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Be less tempted by Bungie’s free snacks. Who am I kidding?
Leland Dantzler, Tester


Ninja Blue Wolf Does Marty do lessons?

You mean music lessons? No. Marty does teach us a lesson from time to time, but they are more in the vein of knowing when to hold ‘em – and when to fold ‘em. If you don’t get the reference, that’s an old song about Poker, written by a gambling purveyor of Fried Chicken.


WestCoastRonin If you could remake any Christmas movie and give it a sci-fi setting, which movie would you choose and what would it be like?

I’m pitching a starside reboot of A Christmas Story. My hero, Ralphie_9.6, is an astroclone incepted on an off-world colony who dreams of owning a Red Ryder x-ray cannon. As part of his coming of age, he learns to face off against the Academy’s most dreaded bully. Comic relief ensues when he tricks his best friend into sticking his tongue to the cooling towers of the main reactor. For the grand finale, a hoard of feral tusk-wolves make off with the sandtrout that was prepared for the solstice feast of the seventh moon.

The joy of editing this feature is the chance to hoard the best and most obvious answer for one’s self. However, in the event that Hollywood rejects my screenplay, here are some alternatives from the Bungie Panel…

If you ask me, Rocky 4 is begging for a sci-fi remake. It’s got it all: Good versus evil; hi-tech versus old-school; national pride versus personal determination. Everything is on the line, and it all comes to a head on Christmas Day. Simply set it in an interstellar society, with humans versus aliens and… Ba-da-bing ba-da-boom! Instant, updated holiday classic.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a cyborg sent back through time to Santa’s workshop (circa 1995) to protect Santa Claus. Sam the Snowborg is on a mission to kill him and alter the future so that Snowborgs rule over all mankind – and Christmas is permanently destroyed. To save the day, Santa and Rudolph must go to the Isle of Misfit Toys Asylum to rescue Mrs. Claus, who was arrested after encountering Rudolph in the prequel.
David Johnson, Engineer

It’s a Wonderful Star Trek Life. I know they kind of already did it in TNG. I guess I just want Star Trek for Christmas.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

As Life Day approaches on Tatooine, Emmet Otter and his Ma decide to compete in the Cantina's talent contest. Watch as they face corrupt Hutt judges, and challenge the Empire's most deadly musicians, "The Boba Fett Sarlacc Band". In the end they will learn the true meaning of Life Day, and the true power of the Force.
Michael Williams, Engineer

Mine is more based on a TV show than a movie. Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Doctor Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator - and vanished. He awoke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that looked a lot like Santa, and driven by an unknown force to change Christmas for the better. His only guide on this journey is ELF, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so, Doctor Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to replace bad presents with amazing presents and hoping each time that his next leap… will be the leap home.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

I have a visual of people opening their Christmas presents to find face hugger aliens inside.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

The first two Die Hard movies could be convincingly set on an inter-planetary colony and a spaceport, respectively. The plot of the second movie even becomes more much plausible in a spaceport.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

White Christmas. It’s the year 2196, and Lt. Commander Wallace is performing a holiday space symphony for our troops fighting against the mysterious arachnid alien species that has invaded our solar system. He finds himself caught in a web, and about to be eaten by said aliens, before Ensign Davis runs over in the nick of time and saves his life. Their friendship comes to a head years later when their old Fleet Admiral is discovered running a failed tourist vessel orbiting Jupiter. They decide to bring their interstellar cast and crew to revive his chances of success. The plot really doesn’t have to change much at all! I suppose one of their love interests could get vaporized by a stray phaser blast as they defend the tourist ship from space raiders.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Yeah, Alex. Because nothing gets people in the Christmas spirit faster than vaporizing love interests.


irishfreak Why won't you return my calls?

Mostly because, for the first time in the years (and years) since I left college and joined The Work Force, I don’t have a phone on my desk. That took some getting used to. I remember asking about this on my first day at Bungie. Urk answered my question with a question of his own. “Who would you call?” That stopped me in my tracks. Hello, Internet? It’s me, DeeJ.


EZcompany2ndsqd If Santa came down your chimney and you were awake what would you do?

I’d handcuff him to the gas starter, light a candle, and have a long chat about all those years I got ugly sweaters instead of the video games that had been released that season. Perhaps the Bungie Panel will be more forgiving than I…

See if he wanted to play some Farcry 3 coop.
Drew Smith, Producer

I would thank him for giving me a brand new fireplace.
David Johnson, Engineer

Offer him a drink.
Doug Juno, Artist

Release the Krampus!
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

Demand gifts as payment for intrusion.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

We would then engage in mortal combat - Bungie wood n00b sword vs. Santa Sack. Spoiler: Christmas would lose.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Borrow his ride!
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Ask if he had a couple hours to babysit.
Ben Thompson, Engineer

Wager my soul against a golden fiddle in a Settler's of Catan match. Santa does that right?
Michael Williams, Engineer

Scream like a little girl and run around in circles until the bad man left. Sadly, that’s how I deal with most situations.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Offer the man some milk and cookies for installing a chimney in my apartment.
Will Edgette, Engineer

Probably offer him a beer. Cookies and milk probably get old.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer


DarthCarrick If you could give the Community a present, what would it be?

An exciting new place to call home. Since such things cannot be wrapped, that gift will have to serve another occasion.


Xd00999 You can now un-cancel one television show. What do you choose?

When I do make it to my television, I’m more than likely using it to battle the Internet though the construct of my favorite game. Thus, I am transferring my vote to the Bungie Panel. Have at it, people. What do you wish was still on the idiot box?

I used to work in TV, so that’s like asking me to resurrect only one of my deceased friends. Too cruel. Instead, I’ll bring to life a baby that was never born: a pilot I wrote called “The War.” Imagine the grittiness of “The Wire,” set on the coke-frenzied Sunset Strip of the 1980s. It was an intense roller-coaster ride of sex & drugs & rock-n-roll… or at least it would have been, had it ever seen the light of day. Oh well…
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

I’d pick one of the following:

Ben Thompson, Engineer

Bring back Firefly!
David Johnson, Engineer

Firefly, Duh. (Says the Star Trek fan… I know.. I know..)
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Firefly.
Will Edgette, Engineer

Can I choose two? 1) Firefly 2) Farscape.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

Firefly.
Michael Williams, Engineer

I’m sure this is the first time someone mentioned this show, but Firefly.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

Answers other than Firefly are wrong.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

Wonderfalls!
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Better Off Ted.
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Carnivale on HBO.
Doug Juno, Artist

Arrested Development.
Drew Smith, Producer

Deadwood, so I can open a can of peaches.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist


A Pimpin Lady Why will you not answer my question? I want to know where Bungie hires their non-gaming personnel. Last time I asked this question, you sent me to the job listings page on B.Net. In all my years here, I have never seen non-gaming related listings. I know you guys have to have accountants, HR, health educators, etc. Will you please tell me where the job listings for these people are found?

“Ma’am! I answered your question! I answered the darn... I’m cooperating here!” -Jerry Lundegaard, Executive Sales Manager, Gustafson Motors

It’s almost as if our whole team is devoted to the singular cause of making a game. We do have a few people at Bungie who mind the shop while we make the toys. In all your years here, none of them have quit. They really like their jobs. We see to that, personally. If we end up needing more of them, the curious onlookers who pay attention to our Careers page will be the first to know.


Marcellos007 What was the funniest present you´ve got for Christmas?

My father and my sister succumbed to the allure of a home shopping offering on television. One toll-free conversation later, our entire family received the gift of decorative swords. Mine was so decorative, the blade folded under the weight of its own haft when I sank it into the soil of the back yard in a dramatic reenactment of the ending to my favorite Scottish revolution film. Care to recall your own comedic lumps of coal, Bungie Panel?

My dad used to rewrap the board game Balderdash every year and give it to a random member of the family. That was always funny. Plus, it’s a good game.
Drew Smith, Producer

Many years ago, a boss of mine gave me the menu for an adult-entertainment venue called The Chicken Ranch. I never visited the establishment, but I got a lot of laughs out of reading the names of their various “Dishes.”
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

One year, my friends thought it would be a good idea to all get me Hello Kitty themed gifts, including bubble bath that came packaged with warnings about urinary tract infections. Also included was a lantern that had a warning to “not look directly at.” So, all of the Hello Kitty gifts where deadly in one way or another. But really, isn’t anything to do with Hello Kitty?
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

Our family has had a habit of wrapping gifts in bizarre ways. I've seen bizarre polyhedral shapes, boxes nested in boxes, and gifts wrapped in twine that has been spliced so there was no end to untie.
Michael Williams, Engineer

A 20 pound wheel of cheese (I used to be a much larger man who loved his cheese).
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

A Rubik’s Cube shaped like Homer Simpson.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

My dad gave me Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders. I was 8 and my mom was furious. Dad and I played the heck out of it, though.
Leland Dantzler, Tester


Halo biggest fan For all the artists at Bungie: Do any of you frequently go to figure drawing sessions to stay sharp on your traditional drawing skills?

Is this really a question about art? Or, is it more a question about naked people in our studio?


CoRaMo Where is the strangest place you have ever played a video game?

Like so many of you, I was waiting anxiously on the sidelines while Halo: ODST was preparing to drop. Through some magic wielded by the Hand of Urk, I vaulted to the front of a very long line and was the first kid in my zip code to play Firefight in the belly of a military transport vehicle. Moral to the story: Always be nice to your Community Manager. Beat that, Bungie Panel!

The Experience Music Project in Seattle during the Halo 2 launch party. The science fiction museum had only recently gone into the building, and the whole experience was pretty surreal and awesome.
Michael Williams, Engineer

At the Podiatrist, while I was having an ingrown toenail removed. I needed a distraction.
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

You mean like the backseat of a Volkswagen?
Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer

Backseat of a Volkswagen.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

I played Inception – The App while I was in Erfoud, Morocco just to unlock the Africa chapter. My wife rolled her eyes, but the camels didn’t seem to mind.
Forrest Soderlind, Technical Artist

On the set of a movie.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

In a van heading across the country to get to PAX – part of a caravan called the Cross Country Super Trip. We wired it up to a TV that was fixed into the ceiling, and played it on our two day long trek.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I played Pokemon Silver in an unmarked van, in Ireland, stuck at a sheep crossing while thousands of fluffy things crossed the road for more than 15 minutes (true story).
Leland Dantzler, Tester

Do iPhone games on the porcelain throne count?
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

To most of you, playing in an arcade is probably pretty strange. More people play video games on the toilet via their phones than play in arcades now.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

With gaming on cell phones, it doesn’t get much more strange than gaming in a public restroom. I’m... not the only one that does that, right?
David Johnson, Engineer

Some of you are sick. Suddenly, that line that forms outside the Bungie men’s room is much less a mystery. Pull your pants up and get back to work. You can launch birds out of slingshots on your own time.


coolmike699 Does Bungie do a secret Santa? Has anyone gotten anything really weird?

Our Secret Santas give presents to the people who need them the most. This year, our tree was decorated with dreams passed along to us from our friends at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. We love making dreams come true at Bungie – the weirder the better.




Duardo What was the best gift ever given to you?

I have everything I want in life: a gaming console, a patient wife who lets me spend a lot of time with it, and a clan of willing killers to carry me to victory. Bungie Panel, can you do a better job of celebrating the spirit of giving?

Not to get all sappy, but a couple years back, my wife gave me a pretty non-traditional Christmas present: a pregnancy test that read positive. Now, a few years earlier I would’ve freaked out; but timing is everything, and instead I was super excited to know we were expecting a little gamer of our own.
Dave Mongan, Senior Writer

The generosity of my friends. I can be demanding and a bit eccentric/neurotic, but they are all super accommodating.
Drew Smith, Producer

My life, by my mom and dad. (I know, suck up...)
Andy Howell, Matchmaking Test Lead

My first thought was to say “my daughters.” Then, I realized they’re more like Trojans taking over my world: making me work harder to get them the best life I can, eating away at my idle time with child’s play and E rated games, pushing me to better myself and… Yeah, my daughters.
Christian Diefenbach, Engineering Lead

My family once commissioned a custom art piece from one of my favorite artists based on a fictional character of mine. The effort and subtlety needed to gather the information for the commission was as precious as the artwork itself.
Michael Williams, Engineer


Mike Shannon, Senior IT Engineer

The gift of laughter! Yeah, right! That’d be my original 8-bit NES with the Gold Zelda Cart.
Chris Owens, Test Engineer

My wife built me a cabinet with a mini-fridge, snack drawer, and movie theater style popcorn popper for my home theater room was pretty damned impressive last year.
Tom Gioconda, Engineer

The gift of life! Hahaha, no. In all seriousness, the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was the beginning of what got me here today.
Robert Kehoe, BVT Tester

Being able to work at Bungie.
Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

Dethklok: Dethalbum II on vinyl.
Forrest Soderlind: Technical Artist


Will Edgette, Engineer

Hope.
Leland Dantzler, Tester


spartain ken 15 Do you guys ever think you would sell some Bungie-themed Christmas cards?

If you refresh the front page of our website, you can have one for free. There ain’t any cash in it, but it’s still a sincere expression of our love and devotion. Of all the gifts that we’re to receive in the coming days, very few will make us as happy as your unshakable friendship.

And, thus, the Sack is empty. With its closure, we bring to an end another year of community love. This next year promises to be a more exciting one. Between now and then, do take care of yourselves. May your travels by safe, and your holiday loot plentiful.

To all a good night.

Tags: Community

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Friendship of Mythic Proportions 

Posted by DeeJ at 12/20/2012 4:21 PM PST

Lean on me...

The Bungie Community is constantly astounding us with their creativity, and their solidarity. Recently, some ancients (who were playing Bungie games before some of their contemporaries were born) banded together to produce a piece of art that would steady a friend in need as he took steps toward a new challenge. Behold the intersection between passion for games and compassion for one's fellow gamer.

Miguel writes: Folks, here's a link to the whole Soulblighter Sword Cane saga, how it came to be, why we did it, etc. It all started back at the tail end of August (right before PAX Prime!) and is finally done now. The man has his uber-cane! Thanks of course to all of you for creating a wonderful environment for us to form such lasting friendships. Man, are we getting old.



 Cheers to the big hearts at Bungie.org.  

Tags: Community

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