Master Chief Not Appearing In Halo Wars Wasn't Bungie's Fault, Says Developer

Summary

• The relationship between Bungie and Ensemble may not have been as tense as Ensemble's founder suggested.
• Bungie was cooperative with Ensemble in matters relating to series lore.
• Master Chief's non-inclusion was a decision made by Ensemble, not Bungie.

The legacy of Halo Wars is an interesting one to analyse and discuss. Both Halo Wars (Ensemble Studios) and Halo Wars 2 (Creative Assembly) are brilliant examples of well-executed console RTS games. It's not a platform that lends itself well to the genre, but Ensemble navigated these challenges as well as any studio could have. Unfortunately, Halo Wars wound up being the final game released by the legendary studio, as parent company Microsoft shuttered them shortly after due to executive mismanagement and a lack of focus.

The relationship between Bungie and Ensemble was supposedly a strained one, with Ensemble's founder Tony Goodman saying Bungie believed the project represented a "whoring out" of Halo. A recent interview with Halo Wars lead designer Dave Pottinger from the VideoGamer Podcast suggests the relationship may not have been as tumultuous as Goodman's comments suggest.

Master Chief Is Too Strong

"I think it's an easy story to believe," said Pottinger. "I can't speak for everyone at Bungie, but the ones we worked with were all fantastic. And, to be honest, it was a fantastic business decision." Pottinger went on to say that Bungie provided Ensemble with fantastic access to the series' lore, and he understands that seeing someone else using your IP isn't "the best thing ever."

Halo Wars is set before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, a decision that allowed Ensemble to craft its own story without interfering with Bungie's story. Although people have speculated that this was done to sideline the narrative of Halo Wars, Pottinger reveals the decision to not use recognisable Halo characters as one the studio made without external pressure.

"We didn't want to use Master Chief," he revealed. "We were telling [the player] that you needed to care about everybody else. We thought as soon as Master Chief shows up, that's all anybody's going to [care about]."

He followed up by saying that in an RTS, there needs to be reasons to build every unit. One of the challenges that Ensemble faced was including spartans without having them be superior to every other unit.

Halo Wars remains one of the only spin-offs of Halo, a series that has been popular for over two decades.

Halo Wars

WHERE TO PLAY

Halo Wars is a strategy game based on the legendary Halo® universe. Command armies of UNSC units, both familiar and new, in their initial encounter against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. Experience an early period of the storied Halo universe, in a time leading up to the first Halo game.

With the guidance of Serina, a spirited A.I. persona, direct legions of UNSC soldiers, Warthogs and Scorpions against Covenant Grunts, Elites, Ghosts and Scarabs, each group having its own strengths and uses in battle. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious.

• New take on a legendary world: Experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, in a time predating Halo: Combat Evolved. Join the crew aboard the Spirit of Fire, a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use, and guided by the A.I. persona Serina. Discover an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant. And then get ready for the wars.

• Strategic command of armies in large-scale combat: Gamers are in command of the battlefield, playing as either of two unique civilizations: UNSC or Covenant. Counter and crush your opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Choose among leaders possessing elite skills that can turn the tide of battle. Use various combinations of leaders and units, and create countless strategies tailored to your preferred playing styles.

• Groundbreaking Xbox 360 strategy game: Since inception, Halo Wars was explicitly designed to bring a typical PC genre to console gamers. Commanding armies is easy, controlling troops and units effortless and epic battles are smoothly handled using an intuitive user interface. Halo Wars represents the true next-generation experience, combining a masterful control scheme with the award-winning strategic gameplay only Ensemble Studios can provide.