Halo 2 HD not happening - Report
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Developer 343 Industries reportedly shoots down speculation that studio is updating 2004 first-person shooter, saying "We are kind of busy."
Gamers excited about the possibility of Microsoft and its new Halo house 343 Industries developing a high-definition version of Halo 2 may want to temper their enthusiasm. The Halo Council posted the results of a Microsoft ExpertZone Q&A session with 343 Industries, which dispels a rumor from earlier this week suggesting the company would follow up November's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary with an HD remake of the 2004 shooter.
"We are not working on that at this time. We are kind of busy," the developer supposedly wrote.
343 Industries is currently nearing completion on Halo 4, which is due out November 6. A direct sequel to 2007's Bungie Studios-developed Halo 3, the game puts players back into the boots of Master Chief, adds a new Spartan Ops mode and an updated Forge toolset, and sees the return of the franchise's iconic battle rifle.
For more on Halo 4, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
By
Eddie Makuch, News Editor
Eddie Makuch (Mack-ooh) is a News Editor at GameSpot. He works out of the company's Boston office in Somerville, Mass., and loves extra chunky peanut butter.
123 comments
There is no reason they couldn't be working on it. If you have 500 staff working on a game, they are not all working on it at once. By the time they are coding the game, there is nothing to do for artist, story writers and a tonne of other staff that could already be working on the next game,
1 Like "We are not working on that at this time" does not mean "We aren't going to do one." There's still a 2.25 years until the 10th anniversary.
If PS2 games get HD treatments I guess Xbox games should get the same or better. I wonder if the Wii U will have Gamecube games remade/remastered?
If they remade Halo 2, they would apply the new engine on it and ruin the game. Ever since they change in physics and everything from Halo 2 to Halo 3, the multiplayer just hasn't felt that good to me.
I'd totally be for a Halo 2 remake, great times with that game. But I'm fine with them focusing on 4. All eyes are on them for this moment and I bet tensions are high.
1 Like I'm ok with this, 343 needs to focus on the Reclaimer Trilogy and worry about remakes second. As much as i'd love a Halo 2 remake i'd rather have Halo 4, 5, and 6 be truely amazing. But definitly someday bring on Halo 2 all over again!
@slicedbread117At the same time I'd like them to remake it sooner rather than later, so it can match the CE remake as closely as possible, it would just be nice to have 1, 2, and 3 in closely matching graphics.
1 Like Well, it would be cool to have an HD remake BUT I would rather them keep focused on their main projects if side projects like HD re-releases would hamper Halo 4-6's quality. At least they know their limits.
That's a damn shame, I was preparing to celebrate for it aaww...
I'm still counting on it in the future nonetheless!
I was actually hoping they would do a remake of H2 as I missed the games the first time around and just completed the anniversary. Now I want to play the games in order before H4 comes out
5 Like there are still several games left to milk... i mean make... so theyre plenty busy.
@leviathanwing Agreed... even though I love Halo. Then again, the guys at 343 seem like they really care about what they're making. Still, they gotta get a paycheck.
1 Like @leviathanwing Why so many ignorant PS3 fanboys on xbox articles?? I don't like how Gamespot is full of these morons..
2 Like @leviathanwing Yep, Halo released 4 games in one decade. That's really milking it. I mean thats up there with Mario Party, CoD and its EA clone, sports games, The Sims, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Sonic because, you know, Halo is just as bad as those. Ya......
@vault-boy It's 6 games within 10 years: Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo ODST, Halo Reach, now Halo 4... not to mention the HD remake of Halo and the other Halo Spin offs.
@Gamod Yeah I see your point and while I probably didn't explain it properly, I do agree that Mario as a character is probably the epitome of "milked".
hahaha "Mario Prime" and "Halo Kart" would be great!
;-)
I think if anything the next Halo game should have at least been left for the next Gen as the new tech may give them some new options, but it makes good business sense to make all they can from the current gen. But hey, they're making it so I'll no doubt end up buying it and (hopefully) enjoying it. The only Halo game I've been disappointed with was ODST, but even that wasn't "bad" as such, just not as good as the rest.
1 Like @Hodge996 COD its the sports game for fpshooting :P It gives them millions every year... there's always people buying it and I guess always will....the $ targets which game will be released by the end of the year... lets hope companies will always have room for other titles and for innovation and creativity :)
@Hodge996 Yeah, but that was also a big problem for the wii, with mario titles all overover again, even if different genres, they all look and feel like "Mario" - Mario Bros, Paper Mario, Mario galaxy 1 &2, Mario Kart, Mario Mix, Mario Party 7 8 9, Mario Striker, Mario Tenis... now imagine if we would get instead of a zelda, a "Mario Fantasy or Wind Waker"? or a Mario Prime... I think all the nintento titles could be released as Mario, because its really crazy what they're doing with the Mario games... Now imagine if he would get 2 or 3 halos each year like the Wii - Halo Kart, Halo Galaxy, Halo Space Tenis, Halo Soccer... I am ok with them releasing another Halo, I think the right move would be a New Halo for a next gen console, or a reboot... but ok, it will be nice one last Halo for this current gen, lets hope a good one like all the others... :) I think it will be
@Gamod Yeah but all the Mario games are different genres featuring the same character and different games on different systems etc
Totally agree with the other stuff you mention - sport and lego games etc. but just because they're guilty of it as well, it doesn't mean Halo isn't. In fairness the Halo games are usually excellent, I just think they should have left it at Reach, I just can't see what they can really add now and I would hate for the series to end up tainted like COD etc. but I'll deffo keep an open mind
@Hodge996 Its a good game, 6 in 10 years are ok :) There's games that are released every year... and if you sum all the Mario games released this year... I am sure you would have 10? 12? ... and the sport games? And what about the Lego games?
4 Like @leviathanwing You think Halo is being milked? My friend, have you ever played a game called Call of Duty?
1 Like "We are not working on that at this time. We are kind of busy,"
Where does it say "not happening"? It just says, "at this time". There's definitely a possiblity after Halo 4 ships for this to happen. Especially since Halo CE Anniversary did well.
1 Like Although this would be cool, i can still play Halo 2 on my 360 so what it may not be graphically as nice as todays games im cool with it. I would rather them focus on Halo 4 and making it solid than taking on so much and slacking on the fourth installment!
Blu-point Games anyone? Since when did HD-ification get done by the A-team? This kind of project is usually mercenary work. Now Anniversary is done the tech and process must be streamlined to the point where another team could do it reasonably successfully.
8 Like @Gelugon_baat You cannot call what Microsoft and 343 did with Halo:CE Anniversary a "recycled game". 343 set a standard for what remakes should be. They committed time and resource into making it better. They sold it retail at $39.99. Don't call it "refurbished" or "recycled" call it the right way to produce a fan service product. Go look at the Silent Hill HD Collection and Splinter Cell HD Collection issues and then compare those to Halo:CE Anniversary. Right vs not-so-right. You doubt that Microsoft wouldn't miss? Your comment is a double negative. So you think Microsoft would opt out of a remake? I would like to just focus on Halo 4. Oh and the Forward Unto Dawn live action web series.
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1 Like @Gelugon_baat Wait, so a game that's rebuilt on a new engine is "refurbished"? Nope, a Metal Gear Solid "HD" collection is refurbished. Halo Anniversary was a new game visually/audio/multiplayer, the whole 9 yards. This isn't up for debate..
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Wasn't a big fan of Halo 2. A big part was the level design, which was too flat in my opinion.
1 Like Not Happening (at this time). Eddie, please stop going back and forth. Sure their not working on it at this time, but your head line is too absolute. Not confirmed. Leave it at that. Soon, some journalist is going to ask 343 the same question about a Halo 2 remake, and they will comment that "it would be stupid not to" and there it starts again.
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