In One and One, Game|Life asks a member of the gaming industry two questions: one about gaming, and one about something completely random.
As Writing Lead for Bungie, Frank O'Connor heads the crew responsible for writing all things Halo, including game scripts, dialog, and books.
As gamers have become increasingly net-savvy, the demand for information about works in progress has increased. In turn, publishers and developers have regularly doled out information about games that are still years away from release, creating extended interest for their titles. Is there such a thing as too much information? Is there ever a benefit to simply keeping quiet?
__O'Connor: __Bungie has always been in the business of eking out tiny parcels of information as it sees fit. This isn't some form of cruelty, a tease or a marketing scheme – it's a precise reflection of the solidity of the development process. We build something, it's cool, it's innovative, but we haven't tested it yet. Should we tell our players about it immediately, or wait until it's been tested correctly and solidified into our schedule?
The latter is the safer path and it's one we tread with care and trepidation. A woman might be a hellish thing to scorn, but it's nothing compared to an irate teenager with anonymous internet access.
The flipside is a wall of silence. As a company, we've always been appreciative and grateful to the community that made us what we are.
Silence just isn't good enough for what we’ve come to think of as an extended family. So we communicate frequently and as openly as we can.
What's the secret to throwing a great party?
O'Connor: One -– a good theme cocktail, let's say Mojito or Margarita for example and two, a professional grade portable Karaoke machine rental, with a good selection of eighties tunes and at least three Journey songs.
