Proof that Halo DS was real (and it's still dead) [update 1]
by JC Fletcher 
{ Oct 2nd 2007 at 6:40PM }
We don't know what's weirder about the ongoing Halo DS story: that somebody decided to cancel what would have been an obvious cash cow for everyone involved, or that IGN's Matt Casamassina has been sitting on screens and video, and only decided to post them when he found out that people were making fun of him on Wikipedia.
That means that keeping his promise to show us stuff "after E3" wasn't enough of a motivator, but ire from anonymous Wikipedia jerks caused him to spring into action. Whatever the reason, we're now a little sad that Halo DS is both real and dead, because it looked like fun. Seriously, it looks like a real Halo game. Kudos to the developers for almost pulling this off.
The one-level demo (Zanzibar) seemed to be pretty complete, with textures, and music, and sound effects, and everything. Unfortunately, Matt cannot reveal the reason that this game was cancelled, nor can he tell us who was working on this, because he has to not tell us something. Check after the break for another video, and hit the link for more vaporous Halo.
[Update: fixed the embedded video; the two videos are different now.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Raru @ Oct 2nd 2007 6:53PM
Why....would they ever pull the plug on this...
Its like saying.... Nah.... our company doesnt need anymore money... we're good....
yep, no more money here please, our pockets are full... we can only lit so many cigars with 100 bills at a time....
Heavy Metal @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:00PM
ok these guys are smart. This is just a goldeneye rouge agent that has been hacked.
it is fake because i recognize the sound effects of the golden eye ds game.
nice try though.
Brian @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:11PM
My favorite is how he says it '...sounds like Halo...' when Heavy Metal has already pointed out the rather pathetic similarity in audio effects to Rogue Agent.
I mock their silliness.
snkngshps @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:13PM
Possibly made by the same developer and used those sound effects as fill ins before the real ones were added? I really really doubt that they took the time to redo everything in Rogue Agent just for this 2 minute video. I hope this happens eventually.
wheatshelf @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:28PM
can we get some proof fellas? that this is in fact a hacked Rogue Agent? if so, let's see it!
dg10050 @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:38PM
Yes, this would appear to be the same engine as Golden Eye. Just keep in mind, this is unfinished. It could have very easily been done by the same studio as Golden Eye. It may just be a demo that they put together using an old engine. Just because it looks like Golden Eye doesn't automatically make it fake.
Pie Pants @ Oct 2nd 2007 7:56PM
Here's your proof.
"Halo DS" screens: http://dsmedia.ign.com/ds/image/article/657/657273/mattbloghalods_1191348742.jpg
Goldeneye Rogue Agent screens: http://au.media.ds.ign.com/media/697/697519/img_2844825.html
Note little things, like the score counter in the top right hand of the corner, and the location of the weapon indicators in the bottom corners, etc. People on the IGN blog have pointed out that things like the dying animation and sounds are also all too similar.
I highly doubt Matt has hacked Goldeneye just to prove a point, because the Halo game does look incredibly like Halo, and looks too far modified for a backyard job. I think it's more likely that the developer's licensed the engine that EA wrote for Goldeneye, or the developer was really EA itself.
Sonic_13 @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:03PM
Matt's true secret: He is developing Halo DS.
Think about it, it does make sense in a way.
1) For a long time Matt has mentioned on his blog and in mailbags that he has different ideas for games and that if given the chance he would love to make one.
2) Why mention it the first time, without showing screens or videos? Then months later he reveals full screens, videos, and an actual demo. How could he possibly not realize that people would want to know more details. Also why wait so long to first show it off, since he mentions that he first got the demo over a year ago.
3) It seems a little weird that he has such a playable game to show off, yet he can't mention the "Triple A" developer that was behind the game or the reasons why it was canceled (or basically anything else) when, as you guys put it, it would be an obvious cash cow.
4) By revealing the game slowly and in little bits, he is building up significant interest and desire in what would have already been a huge seller.
5) He mentions (possibly hints) that now because Halo 3 is now out, there seems like an opportunity to release a Halo DS game.
Only time (or rather Matt) will tell...
Orville the Unfathomable Time Walrus @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:52PM
If it ever was real, I'm glad that it's not currently in the works for DS. We don't need an extra one or two million more consoles sold if they're only going to have an attach rate of one--a whole lot of people would buy the game and system not realizing that Halo is about as unrepresentative of the average DS game as any game could be. Bluntly, the DS is almost completely devoid of console-style shooters, and I'm not in the mood for a group of people already disposed to hating Nintendo taking to the interwebs in mass as devoted anti-fanboys.
Furthermore, the altered attach rate statistics (more DSes:less games) has the power to scare off those who cater to niche audiences. If it looks like their demographic is getting smaller (whereas in reality it would just be not expanding), they just won't risk the development money anymore.
Disclaimers that I really don't want to have to type out but still need to: No, I'm not insulting Halo fans. There's a big difference between everyone who likes Halo and the average Halo junkie. Yes, I realize that such scenarios would be extremely unlikely in the hypothetical event that Halo DS was released. Yes, I know that attach rates aren't necessarily as important as I'm making them out to be. Yes, I know there are other shooters for the DS: MP: Hunters, Touch the Dead, Brothers in Arms, et cetera. No, I'm not afraid of anti-fanboys, just annoyed by them. Yes, I shouldn't have made these disclaimers in the first place.
snkngshps @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:55PM
Here's some more criticism of the video as posted by an IGN member on his blog:
7:39pm, tavo31 posted:
ppl, ppl, ppl... how can't u notice... it can't be real, its a fake.
Proof A: the movement in the game isn't responding to the movement of the stylus. Why do they make a close-up to the top screen after a few seconds? because matt could only memorize the beginning of the video (that's what it is)
Proof B: the scores never went up
Proof C: the time never did change
Proof D: THE DEFINITE PROOF
There are NO LOADING TIMES, not even when they are starting the multiplayer session
Reply Mark as Offensive
7:44pm, tavo31 posted:
Oh, and... BS, btw
Dave A. @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:41PM
I have to agree with snkngshps. Most of the time, pre-release versions of games will have stand-in SFX, sometimes graphics and, to a lesser extent, music before it gets the final polish.
Yes, sound and pretty graphics are great, but the first thing that needs to be done is to get the major parts of the code that handle the controls and physics. That normally takes the longest to get right.
After all, not all of the sounds and music in the Sonic 2 Beta ROM were the same in the final version.
Kattleox @ Oct 3rd 2007 8:23AM
Why does Bozon keep going in multiplayer when Matt has stopped the match? Why does he say "Not by a Garage Developer" so often? Why was there no lobby of any kind? I've never been fond of Matt; very few people have. If this is just a little PR work on his part, then he needs to quit reading Wikipedia, because this wont help.
Afterlifer82 @ Oct 3rd 2007 10:03AM
Would it really be that hard to take Halo on PC and turn all of the graphics way down so it looks like crap. Then record a video of it and play it on a DS?
bleaktomorrow @ Nov 11th 2007 2:24PM
BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS BS BS BS BS SB BS
this is so fing not coming out... so maybye they just screwed together a quick demo i DONYT Fing CARE... THE WHOLE IDEA OF HALO ON DS IS Fing AMAZIN... I WOULD SO PREORDER THIS IN A FREAKIN HART BEAT
Orion1189 @ Dec 30th 2007 4:19AM
Ok guys, this demo is in fact legit. Matt did not make it up. Bungie themselves have confirmed it as a demo that was created for an "unsolicited pitch." This probably meant that someone at Bungie hacked the Golden Eye: RA engine to make the demo, and then decided not to pursue it. This issue can officially be laid to rest. Here is the link to the actual story:
http://kotaku.com/gaming/rumor-smash/halo-ds-was-an-unsolicited-pitch-307822.php