This Tuesday, July 21, marks the ten year anniversary of Halo. Now that isn't the date the game first arrived on shelves for millions of Xbox purchasers to buy to prove why their system deserved to exist. Instead, it was on this day in 1999 at MacWorld that Steve Jobs, founder of Macintosh, announced this little exclusive Macintosh title that was going to put gaming back in the spotlight on the Mac. However, it was shortly thereafter that Bungie was bought out my Jobs' rival, Microsoft, and the rest is, as they say, history.
Now for those that read news around here, you're probably no stranger to how cynical I can be towards Halo. I LOVED the first game, worshipped the second, but the third kind of left me cold and really killed a lot of my interest in the franchise that I previously had. However, not even I can deny the power of seeing the original trailer for Halo from MacWorld 1999 and marvel at how far Halo, and more specifically Bungie, have come in ten years. They have turned a game specifically designed to re-establish gaming on a Mac into a world-wide cultural phenomenon. I think we can all agree that's pretty damn impressive, no matter your opinion of the game.
And while Halo would release two years after this unveiling on a completely different system (the original Xbox), it still kept a lot of the mechanics (driving and flying) and designs (vehicles and levels) originally dreamed up for the Mac. And let us not forget the memorable Halo theme music which has become as big a staple with the franchise as the game itself--something any self-respecting gamer can hum at the drop of a hat.
So everyone raise your champagne glasses. Whether you love 'um or hate 'um, Halo is here to stay and the guys and gals of Bungie deserve a big pat on the back for being one of the biggest success stories in the industry, helping usher in a new age of video game popularity.
