At midnight tonight we celebrate a landmark in the history of gaming. With the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Bungie marks 10 years to the day since they changed the landscape of gaming. Launched on the same day as the Xbox, Halo’s birthday is now forever tied to the advent of a gaming revolution.
In 2001 Microsoft acquired developer Bungie and secured exclusivity of one of the biggest gaming franchises on the planet. The shooter was going through a period of reinvention post-Half Life and Microsoft and Bungie would give the shooter a new lease on life in a console format.
10 years on and Halo is one of the most recognisable brands in gaming, with Master Chief having built a cult following of loyal Spartans. The series has paved the way for the multitude of console shooters which are now
played by millions wordwide. Having predated Xbox live, multiplayer was limited to local play and system linking, but by Halo 2, people were cutting each other down (literally and verbally) from halfway across the world.
Halo’s legacy is far reaching. Without it we probably wouldn’t have seen such a spike in the shooter’s popularity outside PC gamers, which created demand for games such as Call of Duty and Medal of Honor. Who wants to live in a world where nobody’s stickying noobs, shredding people with energy swords or teabagging each other? Not I, sir. Not I.
So, Halo and Xbox, Pop Culture Monster salutes you! Long live Master Chief!
Check out the Halo Living Monument where you can upload you favourite Halo moments from the last 10 years.
