Halo 3: ODST… 7 Years Later – An Exercise In Chaotic Development

Halo 3: ODST… 7 Years Later

First things first, if you’re just joining us now for the breakdown of Halo 3:ODST, you might want to start at the beginning of this fantastic series;

Bungie was Microsoft, owned wholesale by the mega-corporation due to mistakes made in the past. Those mistakes put Bungie in the position to modernize console shooters for Microsoft, but after three critical and commercial successes in a row, Bungie felt that it earned its independence back. Microsoft, unable to make a compelling argument not to, decided to make them an offer. Allow Bungie to go independent if they sell the Halo license to Microsoft, and make two more games in the series after Halo 3.

Bungie accepted.

Taking place in the era of Halo trying to break its way into Hollywood with Peter Jackson at the helm, the first game in Microsoft’s deal was Halo: Chronicles, an interactive experience focused on narrative rather than gameplay, but after many months of hard work, the project was to never be revealed to the public. Leaving only fourteen months until Bungie’s own Halo: Reach launched, the team had one year to get a game out the door.

That game was Halo 3: ODST.

Halo 3 ODST Top Screen