Halo (series)
Un article de Vev.
Halo is a science fiction video game series created by Bungie Studios. The series centers on the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced human super-soldier equipped with technologically-advanced battle armor, and his artificial intelligence (AI) companion, Cortana, as the humans of a futuristic universe battle the Covenant, a theocratic alliance of alien races. In this science fiction setting, the term "Halo" refers to the Halo megastructure, a large orbital construction, similar to those first popularized by the 1970 novel Ringworld by Larry Niven, though smaller in scale.<ref> Perry , Douglas C.
(May 17, 2006) . The Influence of Literature and Myth in Videogames (English) 6 . IGN
. Retrieved on 2007-08-12.
“[Frank O'Connor, Bungie Studios] The idea of a Ringworld, first posited in sci-fi by Larry Niven in his brilliant novel of the same name, is actually a variation of a Dyson Sphere, a fantastically impossible object described by the 20th century physicist, Freeman Dyson…Ring-shaped artificial worlds have also been used by Iain M. Banks and others because they are cool. And that's why we used one.”
</ref><ref> Grazier , Kevin R.
(May 2, 2007) . Halo Science 101 . Gamasutra . CMP Media
. Retrieved on 2007-08-12. </ref>
The video games, particularly Halo: Combat Evolved, have been praised as being among the best and most influential first-person shooters on a game console, with Halo being the Microsoft Xbox's "killer app". This has led to the term "Halo killer" being used to describe console games that aspire to be better than Halo.<ref name=amn> Sparks , Ryan
(2005-02-25) . Making a Halo Killer . Advanced Media Network
. Retrieved on September 7, 2006. </ref> Halo's sequel, Halo 2, broke sales records for a media release,<ref>Downes, Steven. Interview with "Xerxdeej" (Part 2). tiedtheleader.com . (2005-08-23).</ref> and Halo 3 sold more than US $170 million worth of copies in the first 24 hours of release, breaking the record of Halo 2.<ref> Henderson , Peter
(2007-09-26) . Microsoft: First-day 'Halo 3' sales top $170m . MSNBC
. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. </ref> As of October 4 2007, all three Halo games combined have sold more than 20 million copies.<ref name="halo3sales"> Hillis, Scott
(2007-10-04) . Microsoft says "Halo" 1st-week sales were $300 mln . Reuters
. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. </ref> The franchise has expanded to include five novels, several graphic novels, and numerous other licensed products, from action figures to Mountain Dew. The cultural impact of the Halo series has been compared to that of the Star Wars franchise by Brian Bendis,<ref> George, Richard
(2007-05-18) . IGN Exclusive Interview - Halo: Uprising . IGN
. Retrieved on 2007-06-03. </ref> with those who enjoy the series being dubbed the "Halo Nation".<ref> Staff
(2006-11-15) . New Halo 2 Maps Coming . Gamespot
. Retrieved on 2007-06-02. </ref><ref> Dawson , Brett
(2007-09-24) . Halo 3 hype is justified . The Star
. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. </ref>
Sommaire |
Story arc
According to Bungie's official backstory, the development of the "Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine" allows humans, led by the United Nations Space Command, to travel across the galaxy and colonize other worlds.<ref name="Halo timeline"> Halo Story Timeline
. halo.bungie.org
. Retrieved on 2007-10-11. </ref> Over the next 200 years humans colonize over 800 planets, which are separated into the "Inner Colonies" and "Outer Colonies". The Inner Colonies are the oldest, closer to Earth and more developed than the others; the Outer Colonies are often in rebellion, leading to the creation of the SPARTAN-II Project by the UNSC in an effort to hold the colonies together. In 2525 communication with Harvest, an Outer Colony, is lost and the ship sent to investigate is destroyed by the Covenant.<ref name="Halo timeline" /> The Covenant Hierarchs declare humanity an affront to the gods and order its destruction. By 2535, almost all of the Outer Colonies have been destroyed by the Covenant; the alien's technological advantage proves almost impossible for the UNSC to beat in space engagements. These events are referred to in the video games, but their only lengthy descriptions are found in the novels Halo: The Fall of Reach and Contact Harvest.
The main story arc of the trilogy begins with 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved. In 2552, the Covenant arrive at Reach, the UNSC's last stronghold other than Earth, and glass the planet. The last SPARTAN-II thought alive, the Master Chief escapes on the Pillar of Autumn to supposedly random coordinates selected by the A.I. Cortana that she obtains from ancient Forerunner hieroglyphs. The Pillar of Autumn arrives at the mysterious Installation 04 and is engaged by the Covenant.<ref name="Halo: The Flood">Modèle:Cite book</ref> After being forced to the surface of the ring the Flood, a parasitic alien species, is released by the Covenant and 343 Guilty Spark, a Monitor of the ring, leads the Master Chief to activate Halo's defenses in an effort to destroy the Flood; in fact, the ring kills all sentient life- the Flood's food- starving the parasite. Upon discovery of Halo's true purpose, the Master Chief detonates the fusion reactors in the crashed Pillar of Autumn, destroying the ring, and escapes in a Longsword Stealth Fighter.<ref name="Halo: The Flood" />
In 2003's Halo: First Strike, The Master Chief travels back to Reach which is located in the Epsilon Eridani system and links up with the few survivors of Reach. He and a few other SPARTAN-II's proceed to attack a Covenant space station and rendezvous point, where a Covenant fleet is massing to attack Earth. The space station is destroyed, buying time for Earth to prepare a defense.<ref>Modèle:Cite book</ref> Soon after, during Halo 2, a small Covenant fleet appears at Earth. Badly beaten by the human forces, the Covenant High Prophet of Regret flees to Installation 05 taking the human ship In Amber Clad with it. At "Delta Halo", the Master Chief kills the Prophet of Regret. The successful assassination of the Prophet leads to the Brutes replacing the Elites as the preferred fighters of the Covenant, which sparks a schism in the ranks. The Covenant Elite Arbiter, with the aid of Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Johnson, prevents the firing of the Halo by the Brute Tartarus, inadvertently putting the rings on standby; all the remaining installations can be activated remotely from "The Ark".<ref>Modèle:Cite video game</ref>
The Master Chief stows away on a Forerunner vessel headed back for Earth, where the Covenant have conquered the planet and excavated a Forerunner artifact in the Kenyan desert; this sets up the action for the final video game in the trilogy, Halo 3. Despite the best efforts of the now-allied Elites and humans, the High Prophet of Truth activates the artifact, which opens a slipspace portal to the Ark. The Master Chief and the Arbiter travel through the portal onboard an Elite ship and prevent Truth from activating The Ark. They then activate a new Halo ring being built to replace Installation 04 - which Master Chief destroyed - in an effort to destroy the Flood once and for all while still sparing the rest of the galaxy. Because the ring is not completed a misfire occurs, destroying the ring and the Ark. The Arbiter escapes the explosion, but the Master Chief and Cortana are left drifting in space, trapped in the severed rear half of their ship. The Master Chief puts himself in cryo-freeze as he and Cortana wait for their rescue.
Literary influences
A report published on IGN tried to explore the literary influences present in the franchise.<ref name="literary"> Douglass C. Perry
(2007-03-17) . The Influence of Literature and Myth in Videogames . IGN
. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. </ref> This report noted that Halo structures were influenced by The Culture and Ringworld, written by Ian M. Banks and Larry Niven respectively.<ref name="literary"/> It also explores the similarities between characters in Halo and other science fiction series, most notably Ender's Game written by Orson Scott Card. Some aspects of the SPARTAN Project and the design of the Drone species were perceived as reminiscent of the supersoldier program and Bugger species found in the novel.<ref name="literary"/> Minor aspects of the games such as Master Chief's name "John" have bee suggested as originating based on a character named Jon 6725416 in Starhammer written by Christopher Rowley.<ref name="literary"/>
On the other hand, a report written by Roger Travis and published by The Escapist compares Halo with the Latin epic the Aeneid, written by the classical Roman poet Virgil.<ref name="Aeneid"> Roger Travis
(2006-10-10) . Bungie's Epic Achievemnt: Halo and the Aeneid . The Escapist
. Retrieved on 2007-12-10. </ref> Establishing similarities between the plots of both works and comparing the characters present in them. With the Flood and Covenant taking the role performed by the Carthaginians in the Aeneid.<ref name="Aeneid"/> And comparing the Master Chief's role in the series to that of Aeneas and the playing as the Arbiter to Aeneas aboning part of his Roman virtue.<ref name="Aeneid"/>
Games
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved is a science fiction first person shooter that takes place on a mysterious terraformed construct referred to as 'Halo'. It was the first Halo video game and was released as an exclusive Xbox title on November 15 2001.<ref name=meta> Halo on Metacritic
. metacritic.com
. Retrieved on 2007-06-11. </ref>
The game tells the story of the Pillar of Autumn, one of the few surviving human ships carrying one of the last known SPARTAN-II supersoldiers - the "Master Chief", as the crew discovers a strange ringworld orbiting a gas giant- which the Covenant call "Halo". The player assumes the role of the Master Chief and descends to the ring's surface to fight the Covenant and discover Halo's secrets. Halo received critical acclaim upon its release, including being ranked the fourteenth best game ever by IGN.<ref name=top100> Staff
(2006)
. IGN Reader's Choice 2006
. IGN
. Retrieved on 2007-06-13. </ref>
A PC port was developed by Gearbox Software and released on September 30, 2003.<ref> Halo: Combat Evolved PC version on Metacritic
. Metacritic
. Retrieved on August 22, 2006. </ref> A Mac OS X version was released on December 11, 2003.<ref> Halo: Combat Evolved Mac version at GameSpot
. Gamespot
. Retrieved on August 22, 2006. </ref> A stand-alone expansion, entitled Halo: Custom Edition, was released solely for the PC and allowed players to create custom content for the game.
Halo 2
Halo 2 is the sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, released for the Xbox on November 9, 2004 in two different editions. The standard Halo 2 edition has traditional Xbox packaging and a single disc with the single-player and multi-player components, and the Collector's Edition has a specially designed aluminium case, along with an additional bonus DVD, extra booklet and slightly different user manual (written from the perspective of the Covenant military as opposed to the standard edition which was from humanity's perspective). The game's sales generated US$125 million on its première day, making it the fastest selling United States media product in history.<ref> Thorsen , Tor
(2004-11-10) . Microsoft raises estimated first-day Halo 2 sales to $125 million-plus . GameSpot
. Retrieved on 2006-03-15. </ref><ref>Modèle:Cite journal</ref> As of May 9 2006, 8 million units of the game have been sold worldwide.<ref> Chris Morris
(2006-05-09) . Grand Theft Auto, Halo 3 headed to Xbox 360 . CNN
. Retrieved on 2007-10-29. </ref><ref> Asher Moses
(2007-08-30) . Prepare for all-out war . The Sydney Morning Herald
. Retrieved on 2007-08-31. </ref>
The story introduces new characters, weapons, vehicles,<ref name="halomanual">Modèle:Cite book</ref> and improved artificial intelligence, as well as new game mechanics like dual wielding and the ability to hijack vehicles. The game has a reworked, more advanced graphics engine than the original, utilizing normal mapping and bloom effects. The game also features the Havok physics engine which extends its physics capabilities. Unlike its predecessor, the game fully supports online multi-player via Xbox Live and held the top spot for the most played game on Xbox Live for two years until the release of Gears of War.<ref name=gearsofwaroustshalo2> Gibson , Ellie
(2006-11-20) . Gears of War ousts Halo . Gamesindustry.biz
. Retrieved on 2006-12-22. </ref> It also still holds the record for the longest streak as the #1 game on Xbox Live. It also has extensive Bungie.net integration including rankings and stat-tracking of every online match. Halo 2 supports the same local area network and split-screen multi-player components found in Halo: Combat Evolved.
A PC port for the Windows Vista operating system is also available, developed by an internal team composed of both Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios called "Hired Gun". Two entirely new multi-player maps are included with the Halo 2 "Vista" that are not available for the Xbox version, as well as all the original, and later "map-pack" maps that are available for Xbox. Like Halo PC, Halo 2 features support for custom created multi-player content and includes an updated version of the Halo Editing Kit from Halo Custom Edition.
Halo 3
The third game in the Halo series ends the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued with Halo 2.<ref name="h3announcement"> Achronos
; Bungie
(2006-05-09) . Halo 3 Announced (HTML) . Inside Bungie . Bungie.net
. Retrieved on 2007-08-06. </ref> The game was released on September 25, 2007 in North America and Oceania,<ref name="h3releasedate"> Luke Smith (Lukems)
(2007-05-15) . Finish the Fight on September 25, 2007 (HTML) . Bungie Software
. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.
“On September 25, 2007, players will be able to finish the fight they started in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2. Halo 3 will release in Europe on September 26, 2007”
</ref> September 26, 2007 in Europe;<ref name="h3releasedate" /> and September 27, 2007 in Japan.<ref> Microsoft Games Studio
(2007)
. Halo 3 Page Xbox Japan
(HTML)
(Japanese)
. Xbox.com/ja-JP/
. Retrieved on 2007-06-15.
“発売日: 2007/09/27”
</ref> GameSpot reported that 4.2 million units of Halo 3 were in retail outlets on September 24, 2007, a day before official release,<ref> Brendan Sinclair
. Analyst: 4.2M Halo 3s already at retail . GameSpot
. Retrieved on 2007-09-24. </ref> a world record volume release. Halo 3 also holds the record for the highest grossing opening day in entertainment history, making US$170 million in its first twenty-four hours.<ref name="170 million"> Blake Snow
. Analyst: Halo 3 shatters retail record; sells $170M in 24 hrs . GamePro
. Retrieved on 2007-09-26. </ref> Worldwide more than US$300 million worth were sold in the first week, helping to more than double the sales of the Xbox 360 when compared with the weekly average before the Halo 3 launch.<ref name="halo3sales"/>
Halo Wars
Halo Wars is a real time strategy game being developed by Ensemble Studios for the Xbox 360 that takes place before Halo: Combat Evolved in the year 2531.<ref name="wars interview" /> Ensemble Studios stated that Halo Wars has been "created for the Xbox 360 from the ground up".<ref name="halo wars faq">Modèle:Web cite</ref> Ensemble claim that particular effort has been put into a control scheme that is simple and does not have the control issues many other titles had when porting real time strategies from PC to consoles.<ref name="halo wars faq" /><ref name="wars interview">Modèle:Web cite</ref><ref> Interview: Ensemble talks up the console RTS
. Computer and Video Games (2007-06-21)
. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. </ref> The game was announced at X06, where a pre-rendered trailer was shown. At E³ 2007, a montage of gameplay clips featuring many aspects of Halo Wars was revealed followed up by a demonstration video on the official site.
Halo: Chronicles
Halo: Chronicles, originally announced on September 27, 2006 at X06 as an untitled project, will be a 'new trilogy' of Halo games. These titles are to be co-written, co-designed and co-produced by Peter Jackson, with his recently-formed Wingnut Interactive. The series has been confirmed to be episodic.
Nintendo DS version
In January 2007, IGN editor-in-chief Matt Casamassina claimed that he had played a version of Halo for the Nintendo DS.<ref name="DS"> Casamassina, Matt
(2007-01-01) . Matt Casamassina claims playing Halo DS
. Retrieved on 2007-10-02. </ref> Due to speculation, on October 2, 2007 he demonstrated on-camera, and in-game footage of an early-development style version of Halo DS.<ref> Casamassina, Matt
(2007-10-02) . Matt Casamassina demonstrates 'Halo DS' . IGN
. Retrieved on 2007-10-02. </ref> The then work-in-progress game includes a DS version of the Halo 2 map Zanzibar, with dual-wielding.<ref name="DS" /> On October 5, 2007, Bungie employee Brian Jarrard explained that the Halo DS demo was in fact an unsolicited pitch that was never taken on.<ref name="Kotaku"> Crecente , Brian
(2007-10-05) . Bungie Owns Bungie: The Q&A . Kotaku
. Retrieved on 2007-10-05.
“Brian Jarrard: This rumor has been circulating for a while and as you know we even saw some real life screens and assets this week. Ultimately it’s up to Microsoft to decide if and when they take Halo to a different platform. That particular demo was in fact created and I believe it was an unsolicited pitch a long time ago but nothing ever came of it.”
</ref>
Adaptations
Film adaptation
The script for a film adaptation was written by Alex Garland in 2005,<ref name=filmforce> Linder , Brian
(February 3, 2005) . Halo Goes Hollywood . IGN
. Retrieved on September 9, 2006. </ref> which D.B. Weiss and Josh Olson rewrote during 2006,<ref>"
GameSetInterview: Halo Screenwriter DB Weiss " , GameSetWatch.com , 2006-07-13 . Retrieved on 2006-10-01 . </ref><ref> Fritz, Ben
(2006-10-31) . No home for 'Halo' pic . Variety
. Retrieved on 2007-10-20. </ref> for a 2009 release. The movie was to be developed and released by Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox, under the creative oversight of Microsoft, but there have been complications with the distributors, and it is subject to change.<ref name=xbox.com6> Peter Jackson to Executive Produce Halo Movie
. Retrieved on September 9, 2006.
</ref> Peter Jackson will be the executive producer.<ref name=hollywood> Staten , Joseph
. The Great Hollywood Journey, Part II
. Retrieved on September 9, 2006. </ref> while Neill Blomkamp was signed on as director. The film has continually resumed and stopped preproduction;<ref> Thorsen , Tor
(October 31, 2006) . Halo movie indefinitely postponed . GameSpot
. Retrieved on March 13, 2007. </ref> while Blomkamp has declared the project "dead"<ref> Halo Movie is officially dead</ref>, Jackson says the film will still be made.<ref name="no, but wait!"> Robinson, Andy
(2007-10-29) . Q&A: MS "already in talks" to continue Halo film . Computer and Video Games
. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. </ref>
Novelizations
The Halo universe has five times been adapted into novel form, with two more in the works. Larry Niven (author of Ringworld) was originally approached to write the novelization, but declined due to unfamiliarity with the universe.<ref> The Halo Author that Wasn't
. Bungie Sightings (2003-03-05)
. Retrieved on 2007-10-04. </ref> The first adaptation was Halo: The Fall of Reach—a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, written by Eric Nylund and published during October 2001.<ref name=xbox.com2> Longdale , Holly
. Game Worlds in Written Words
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006. </ref> The novel was reportedly finished in seven weeks,<ref name="xbox.com2" /> eventually becoming a Publishers Weekly bestseller with nearly two hundred thousand copies sold.<ref name=xbox.com3> Greene , Marty
. First Strike Author Eric Nylund Q&A
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006. </ref> The second novel, entitled Halo: The Flood, served as an adaptation of Halo: Combat Evolved. Written by William C. Dietz, this novel also attained the Publishers Weekly bestsellers list during May 2003.<ref name=gamingage> Klepek , Patrick
(May 5, 2003) . Halo novel cracks bestseller
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006. </ref>
Eric Nylund returned to write the third novel, Halo: First Strike, a sequel to Halo: Combat Evolved, or, more accurately, a prequel to Halo 2. It was published in December 2003,<ref name=randomhouse> Halo: First Strike by Eric Nylund
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
</ref> after being written in a period of sixteen weeks.<ref name="xbox.com3" /> A fourth novel, entitled Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, written again by Eric Nylund was published on October 31, 2006.<ref name=bungiestory> The Next Halo Novel: Ghosts of Onyx
(August 29, 2006)
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006. </ref> making The New York Times bestsellers list. Bungie has also announced at least two more Halo books on the way both to be published by TOR, one of which may be about "Grey Team", who were sent on a mission far outside the confines of UNSC space, and have been missing for over a year as of 2552, which was told in Ghost Of Onyx. Eric Nylund has admitted he is interested in telling their story. Bungie employee Joseph Staten wrote the fifth book, Halo: Contact Harvest, a prequel to the events of The Fall of Reach. The book was released on October 30, 2007.
Graphic novels
The Halo universe was adapted into the graphic novel format in the Halo Graphic Novel, a collection of four short stories, released during July 2006.<ref name=igncomic> Halo Graphic Novel at IGN
. Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
</ref> It was written and illustrated by well-known graphic novelists Lee Hammock, Jay Faerber, Tsutomu Nihei, Brett Lewis, Simon Bisley, Ed Lee and Jean Giraud. Bungie Studios considers the Halo novels as canon.<ref name=joestaten> Joe Staten Interview
(October 2004)
. Retrieved on August 6, 2006. </ref>
At the New York Comic-Con 2007, Marvel Comics announced they will be working on "Halo ongoing series" with Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev.<ref> New York Comic Con: Halo
. Marvel Comics (February 26, 2007)
.</ref> The first part of the series, titled Halo: Uprising, bridges the gap between the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3.
Toys and games
Numerous action figures and vehicles based on Halo have been produced by Joyride Studios and include, among others, the Master Chief. Another line of action figures, made by McFarlane, was also produced for Halo 3. Bungie also teamed up with WizKids to make a game called Halo ActionClix. The tabletop game features detailed sculpts of game characters with dials that track a unit's health and statistics.<ref> ActionClix
. Halo Wizkids . haloactionclix.com
. Retrieved on 2007-08-15. </ref>
Alternate reality games
I Love Bees (aka The Haunted Apiary, in some circles) was an alternate reality game used to promote the release of Halo 2. The game was centered on a website created by 4orty2wo Entertainment, commissioned by Microsoft and endorsed by Bungie. Over the course of the game, audio clips were released that eventually formed a complete five-hour story set on Earth between Halo and Halo 2. Similarly, the ARG Iris was used as a viral marketing campaign for the upcoming release of Halo 3.
Halo machinima
As a highly popular video game with a large and active fan base, the Halo games have been host to a wide array of video productions. These include many videos from the emerging entertainment medium of machinima. Virtually all footage is taken from Halo and Halo 2 game play. Most are set outside Halo canon, though some are based on Fan Fiction closely relating to the official Canon.
The most notable of these is the comedy series Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles, created by Rooster Teeth Productions, a series that parodies the Halo universe. It has achieved an unparalleled level of success in Halo machinima in specific, and machinima in general; it is largely credited with bringing attention to the genre.<ref> Thompson , Clive
(August 7, 2005) . The Xbox Auteurs . The New York Times
. Retrieved on 2006-01-08. </ref> The series ended on June 28, 2007, after 100 regular episodes and numerous promotional videos.<ref> Burns , Burnie
(April 1, 2007) . Thank You . Red vs. Blue
. Retrieved on 2006-04-02. </ref> Other machinima series—ranging from Fire Team Charlie, another comedy, to The Codex, a space opera more closely tied to Halo canon, as well as the in-game interview show This Spartan Life—have also been created.
Music
Throughout the franchise, the music and audio, composed by Martin O'Donnell, has received enthusiastic response.<ref name=ignreview> Boulding , Aaron
(2001-11-09) . Halo: Combat Evolved review at IGN . IGN
. Retrieved on August 31, 2006. </ref><ref name=gi> McNamara , Andy
. Halo 2 review at Game Informer . Game Informer
. Retrieved on 2007-02-09. </ref> Three soundtracks, all composed by Martin O'Donnell, have been released based on the Halo game series.
The Halo Original Soundtrack contains most of the music found in the game. Due to the nature of gameplay, the music present was designed to use the game's dynamic audio playback engine. The engine allows for the mood, theme, and duration of music played to change according to changes in the gameplay.<ref name=music4gamers> Marks , Aaron
(December 2, 2002) . The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in Halo: Game Music Evolved . Music 4 Games
. Retrieved on September 6, 2006. </ref> In order to afford a more enjoyable listening experience, O'Donnell rearranged some of the music of Halo into standalone suites, which follow the narrative course of the game.<ref name=linerhalo>O'Donnell, Martin. Halo: Original Soundtrack Liner notes. (2002)</ref> The soundtrack also contains some music that was never in the game, including a variation on the Halo theme that was first played at Halo's debut at Macworld 1999.<ref name=linerhalo />
For Halo 2's soundtrack, producer Nile Rodgers and O’Donnell decided to split the music into two separate volumes. The first, Volume One, was released on November 9, 2004 and contained all the themes as well as the “inspired-by” music present in the game (featuring Incubus, Hoobastank, and Breaking Benjamin). The second release, Volume 2, contained the rest of the music, much of which was incomplete, as the first soundtrack was shipped before the game was released;<ref>Halo 2: Original Soundtrack Volume 2 liner notes; introduction by Martin O'Donnell</ref> it was released on April 25, 2006. Halo 2, unlike its predecessor, was mixed to take full advantage of Dolby 5.1 Digital Surround Sound.<ref>Halo 2: Original Soundtrack Volume 1 liner notes; supplemental by Martin O'Donnell</ref>
The soundtrack for Halo 3 was released on November 20, 2007.<ref>Halo 3 / Game O.S.T.</ref>
Cultural impact
In an issue of The Escapist, author Roger Travis compared HaloModèle:'s story to Virgil's Aeneid, saying that the religious and political struggle described in the games relates to the modern epic tradition.<ref> Travis, Roger
(2006-10-10) . Bungie's Epic Achievment . escapistmagazine.com
. Retrieved on 2007-11-14. </ref> The game, particularly its protagonist, have been declared iconic, and a symbol of today's videogames; a wax replica of the Master Chief was made by Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas,<ref name=wax>Modèle:Web cite</ref> where Pete Wentz declared that the franchise and its characters were "as much of a hero today as characters like Spider-Man, Frodo, and Luke Skywalker were for previous generations."<ref name=wax/>
GameDaily noted that "[Halo 2's] launch is easily comparable to the biggest in other sectors of the entertainment industry.", marking the first time that a videogame launch has become a major cultural event in America.<ref> Brightman, James
(2004-11-17) . Halo 2's Success A Part of Pop Culture . GameDaily
. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. </ref> Time magazine included the game franchise in the "2005 Time 100", highlighting that in the first ten weeks after the release of Halo 2 players spent 91 million combined hours playing the game online, indicating that the game's power was "clearly very real".<ref name="TIME"> Grossman, Lev
. The Halo Trinity: Making Games That Matter . Time
. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. </ref> A report published by The New York Times noted that the success of Halo 3 was critical for Microsoft, persuading consumers to buy the Xbox 360 console which was experiencing waning sales compared to the Nintendo Wii, as well as helping restore the console's image.<ref name="NYT"> Schiesel, Seth
(2007-09-26) . Halo 3 Arrives, Rewarding Gamers, and Microsodt . The New York Times
. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. </ref> On September 25, 2007, the day before the release of Halo 3, Microsoft's shares rose 1.7 % based on sales expectations for the game.<ref name="NYT"/> Halo has been described as a series that "has reinvented a genre that didn't know it needed to be reinvented", with aspects of the games being duplicated in other FPS games multiple times.<ref> Beatty, D'Marcus
. Halo Influence on the Gaming Industry . cheatcc.com
. Retrieved on 2007-11-13. </ref>
References
External links
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