E308: Theories mount on possible Bungie announcement

by Xav de Matos { Jul 15th 2008 at 11:15AM }

Update: Corrected the date and time in this post.

With no information released during the Microsoft Press Conference yesterday many assumed Bungie's hints at an announcement were teased to the community with no real purpose. However, as we reported earlier, Bungie.Net has been taken over by the mascot dubbed the Superintendent promising to clean up the server. A counter also appeared on the splash page that expires at roughly 7:07AM PT (10 AM EST) on Wednesday, July 16.

More teases at an announcement have been discovered since then. The image in Halo 3's Bungie Favorites has been updated with a corrupt file that displays a sadder looking Superintendent and the numbers 12:05:37:14 and a group of lights on the world map on Bungie.net seem to be shaped like the Superintendent logo near the district of Mombasa, Kenya -- a city with ties to the Halo universe.

For theories and speculation on the countdown, jump in!

The community has yet to crack the numerical code found in the Favorites image but some speculation is kicking around about Bungie's plans. The first, and most boring, is the speculation that the countdown could simply be a Bungie.net redesign (which actually looks quite different if you log in now) and the most intriguing new rumor is Bungie could reveal and release a new Xbox Live Arcade title. Considering the date in which the countdown expires and industry rumors that the Superintendent is a platforming game of some kind it is possible.

This theory is supported by a few things, if taken out of context and bend in the right way. Currently the only XBLA title releasing this week is Coffeetime Crosswords, which we find suspicious considering this is the most important industry event right now. Also, the Shred Nebula dev team announced that a July 17 slot was open for release and its game would hit XBLA this Wednesday, but then apologized and retracted the statement. See, bend it the right way and a circle can fit through a square-peg. These new theories join others we've mentioned in the past.

Regardless, whatever Bungie announces this Wednesday we'll be watching. We just hope all the hype isn't about a few new maps. Also, most of the team will be playing Gears of War 2 -- just thought we'd pour some salt on your jealousy wounds. Sorry, you know we love you.

[Thanks, 7th Columnst for the header. Thanks, GeoNeo for the map find.]

Tags: bungie, e3-08, e3-2008, e308, halo, superintendent

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

StLouisRibs7734 @ Jul 15th 2008 11:20AM

Other Theory: Blue Team was Master Chief team in The Fall Of Reach, maybe a squad based shooter about Blue team... (Halo Blue)

StLouisRibs7734 @ Jul 15th 2008 11:21AM

And, the countdown end 7:07:07 Pacific, 10 Eastern

Mr.U2 @ Jul 15th 2008 11:52AM

That could of course refer to bungie day last year which happened on July 7, 2007 (7/07/07)

Dragod @ Jul 15th 2008 2:57PM

I say you're correct. Bungie's obsession and importance in 7 make it logical.

Parappa92 @ Jul 15th 2008 11:24AM

I still think its a count down to the end of the world.

elmersglue @ Jul 15th 2008 7:43PM

I LOL'd, that was funny

chiefdartz @ Jul 15th 2008 11:29AM

"A counter also appeared on the splash page that expires at roughly 10 AM PT on Wednesday, July 17."

Wednesday is the 16th bro

Colton @ Jul 15th 2008 11:30AM

You guys do realize that Wednesday is the 16th, not the 17th right?
Ok, just making sure.

msusig @ Jul 15th 2008 11:30AM

Or maybe they are making a Halo game set in Africa..just like RE5 and FC2...I kid, I kid..i'm am super axious though!!

Neuromancer @ Jul 15th 2008 11:53AM

They already did, it was called Halo 3

msusig @ Jul 15th 2008 11:35AM

opps sorry spelt anxious wrong :S

Demolition Elmo @ Jul 15th 2008 12:08PM

I thought I should add my theory into the mix.

Bungie loves putting in biblical references into its games, especially the halo games. If you haven't spotted any then you must have skipped all the cutscenes and played the games on mute. I don't remember much from the days when I went/was forced to go to church but I do remember the story of Noah.

God wanted to start afresh (like what bungie want to do now they are an independent company) so he sent a flood (halo enemies) to clean up the world. Once the flood was over, Noah (along with 2 of every animal) went about rebuilding the planet.

Now because i'm British and superintendent isn't exactly a well used term over here, I had to wikipedia it and I found that a Building superintendent is a sort of janitor.

What I think it all means is that this isn't halo related and that it is indeed a XBLA game or a completely new IP. Now the flood (and halo) has gone it's time to get rid of what happened in the past and try something new. So Bungie is in janitor mode right now, cleaning up after itself. It doesn't want to start a new mess with a new halo game when it's just cleaned up the last one. This hasn't really been a theory, more like a story to develop theories.

Could this mean we'll have an XBLA game where we have to collect 2 of every animal? i don't know. What I DO know is that my religious nerd moment is over. Phew.

kdubbb @ Jul 15th 2008 1:03PM

Cool theory man, thanks for sharing.

john paul @ Jul 15th 2008 1:37PM

Flock by Capcom

adamkovic @ Jul 15th 2008 12:19PM

Wednesday the 17th huh? Come on, use a calendar.

Xav de Matos @ Jul 15th 2008 2:47PM

Chill out sunshine.

surftacular @ Jul 15th 2008 12:35PM

Anyone remember the legendary ending of Halo 3? The planet Master Chief is floating towards is most likely Onyx, the Forerunner shield world from the halos. The halos that "clean" the universe...like a superintendent/janitor...anyone...Halo 4? Or forerunner based prequel?

Last level of halo 3, just before the escape portion, Guilty Spark tells Master Chief..."You are the child of my makers. Inheritor of all they left behind. You are Forerunner."

TimmyT @ Jul 15th 2008 12:52PM

++ I like the prequel idea...

Matt @ Jul 15th 2008 12:58PM

there is no way that it is a master chief game otherwise it would have been included in MS's presser.

Dragod @ Jul 15th 2008 3:07PM

Why? Bungie is an independent developer now. I don't remember seeing Madden at Microsoft's keynote because EA has its own press conference. Bungie can do things the way it wants to now.

The Superintendent is probably a metaphor for something. I doubt we'll see a game based on a square dude with a broom.

Tony @ Jul 15th 2008 4:56PM

Probably because MS still controls the Halo franchise, despite what Bungie wants to do independently.

Matt @ Jul 15th 2008 4:58PM

It would also amount to a mega large announcement that MS would want to have in their presser. Look at Gears of War 2, it was included in MS's PC.

kdubbb @ Jul 15th 2008 1:08PM

Some people on Bungie.net seem to think it's a melding of the Halo and Marathon universes.

The whole thing where the planet at the end of Halo 3's (legendary) ending is similar to Mars, the planet (ship?) of Marathon, how Master Chief is in a different dimension (?) now, and how previous Bungie head claimed Master Chief and the Marathon guy are the same person (which current Bungie later denied).

Brian @ Jul 15th 2008 1:37PM

wednesday isn't the 17th

Demolition Elmo @ Jul 15th 2008 2:42PM

gulp! bungie has been spotted at the sony keynote... please don't let it come to anything...

http://playstation.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/ps3-fanboy-live-from-sonys-e308-press-conference/

Dragod @ Jul 15th 2008 3:01PM

If Bungie does announce a game for PS3, I'm going to shoot myself.

Demolition Elmo @ Jul 15th 2008 3:10PM

If they do, it might just trump the OMFGMEGATON moment from yesterday after the FF XIII announcement. I've spent the whole of the day shoving the details of yesterdays keynote in the faces of my PS3 fanboy friends. I may have to eat my words :-(

Charlie @ Jul 15th 2008 3:13PM

ugh if they do I would hate to be the forum ninjas having to deal with that.

Sayonara @ Jul 15th 2008 3:49PM

Why would someone shoot themselves for bungie releasing something on ps3? I mean, it's not to bad IMO. I think that it's good, it would mean more players and such. I'm not a fanboy, but i prefer the 360, yes. You know, if they did release something on PS3, they would NEVER make it ps3 exclusive.

777 @ Jul 15th 2008 3:58PM

The developer has remained rather quiet regarding its future projects, online affirming that its future titles will be exclusive to the Xbox 360. The studio is known to have a non-Halo property and "other Halo games" in the works.

http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/53641

777 @ Jul 15th 2008 3:58PM

Well all we can say Bungie has something prepared in their magic box of wonders to expand the halo universe

Demolition Elmo @ Jul 15th 2008 4:11PM

panic over. no exclusive ps3 game...yet

Larry @ Jul 15th 2008 4:37PM

This could be the "other shoe" every one is waiting to drop after the FF13 announcement. It will be interesting to see if they can steal any positive buzz Sony has at the moment.

AnthonyGalindoX @ Jul 15th 2008 4:41PM

I'm still saying more single-player missions.

CHR15 @ Jul 15th 2008 4:51PM

CHECK THIS OUT!!!!!!!
http://www.bungie.net/Account/Profile.aspx?memberID=4712051

http://www.bungie.net/Search/default.aspx?q=IIIIlll&g=5

guidedbyvoip @ Jul 15th 2008 7:02PM

Superintendent alludes to Super Nintendo.

He's a plumb- er, I mean "janitor".

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/07/miyamoto-interview-i-could-make-halo/

Answer:
Its a XBLA platformer.

http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=22957905&viewreplies=true#end

guidedbyvoip @ Jul 15th 2008 7:04PM

Oh yeah and from Slashdot.org (remember themz?):

Frankie says:

"Yeah, well. I just want to go on the record and say that Bungie is hard at work on a side-scrolling platform game featuring some plumbers -- I'm not going to say what their ethnicity is, it's none of anyone's business -- but we took that as a gauntlet, a sort of glove slap, and we're going to respond in 2D scrolling style. That's all I'm saying."

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/14/1616214&from=rss