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Real-Life Halo Armor Creators Quizzed

Thanks to Bungie.net for their interview with the creators of a painstakingly-crafted real-life reproduction of Master Chief's Mjolnir armor, as originally seen in Bungie's noted FPS Halo. The interview comes with exclusive pictures, and the official Nightmare Armor site also has pictures from their previous armor reproduction project, the Deepeyes armor from Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. The armor creators discuss the "good amount of time and devotion [it takes] to complete an entire armor costume", but the guys at Bungie conclude the article with a bang: "After seeing the kind of passion and dedication that the guys at Nightmare Armor had put into the Halo armor project, we were too embarrassed to tell them that in Halo 2, Master Chief's costume will be made of dyed mink fur."

54 comments

  1. Lets see the whole thing by bigman2003 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I don't know if they have the whole thing done yet, but what they have so far looks like it took an insane amount of time.

    They have a page saying that there will be real-life videos in the future- I hope they can keep up the quality, and move a step or two beyond Power Rangers.

    How is it that they find time to do this stuff, and it seems like all I can do is come home, and make dinner? Oh yeah...I play video games..

    --
    No reason to lie.
  2. Halo's a good game and all... by Bagels · · Score: 5, Insightful

    but really, come on, calling it "the biggest milestone in videogame history" is going a bit far, don't you think? There were *tons* of other first person shooters before it, and most (if not all) of the gameplay elements in Halo had been done before. It was very much an evolutionary game (as evidenced by its subtitle - "Combat Evolved") rather than a revolutionary game. That's not a bad thing, but there are games out there much more worthy of being called "milestones."

    --
    --- Bwah?
    1. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Tom7 · · Score: 1

      Fuck, no kidding. I finally played it since it came out for PC--it had some good parts, and even some really good parts, but it was awfully repetitious and hardly very revolutionary. I nominate, say, "Quake" for that award.

    2. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by antin · · Score: 1, Interesting

      It wasn't what it did, but how it did it. Every piece in the game just fit. The entire game is great fun from start to finish, and has more replay than any other FPS I have played. Sure nothing in the game was revolutionary - but why is it that people seem to think that a game needs to be revolutionary to be good?

      Mario Brothers 3 is better than 2 is better than 1, and yet it was merely an evolution of the game. Should we say that Mario 1 was the better game because it was original? Give credit where credit is due - the guys at Bungie have put together the best FPS game ever, and the mere fact that other people have done FPS games before them doesn't detract from that.

      The great things Halo did:
      - Recharging shields (it changes the way you play the game)
      - Limited to two weapons (makes playing on a console much easier, as well as forcing you to think)
      - Button solely for grenade (why has nobody ever done this before?)
      - Great AI, both enemy and human assist
      - Seamless integration of foot combat, vehicles, gun turrets etc...
      - Best control scheme on a console, ever (it plays nearly as well on a console, as it does on a PC - better perhaps - and every FPS since has copied its control scheme)
      - Melee attack (so satisfying)
      - Co-op (double the fun)

      Anyway, Halo does mark a huge milestone in console gaming, even if it is not as big a one in PC gaming. Prior to Halo I think there were a lot of people that didn't think you could have a proper FPS game on a console - but Halo changed all that (Goldeneye was fun and all, but nobody can claim it was as playable as a PC FPS).

    3. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah sure, Halo is good and all... but that doesn't make it a milestone. Besides, the boring and repetitive indoor levels made me lose interest.

    4. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 2, Informative

      Team Fortress had grenade keys years ago.

      Tim

      --
      Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
    5. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by hibiki_r · · Score: 3, Funny

      Don't forget Bungie's innovations on level design: no other game to date has reused corridors and rooms to the same degree as HALO. Even Penny Arcade made a strip out of it.

      All in all it's not a bad game, but the huge amount of praise the game has gotten from most media seems completely unjustified IMO.

    6. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Lightwarrior · · Score: 2, Insightful

      > ...calling it "the biggest milestone in videogame history" is going a bit far, don't you think?

      It might have been, was it released FOUR YEARS AGO ON THE PC like it was supposed to be. I don't even think it was evolutionary, and I can't figure out why it got such amazing reviews.

      Can somebody explain this to me? What I played was an average FPS with mediocre graphics (*from a PC gamer's POV on the Xbox version). The two things remotely interesting about it was Co-op (a big plus, but they removed it in the PC version - WTF?) and the ability to pilot vehicles. I fail to see how this warrants a near-perfect score, as neither of these are innovations.

      -lw

      --
      Mods: Disagreeing with me != my post Offtopic / Flamebait.
      World without hate or war, invaded. Tragic?
    7. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by bugbread · · Score: 1

      First, you probably misspoke, but it was evolutionary; it just wasn't revolutionary. It took things that already existed, and refined them. The graphics were nice (*from a PC gamer with a medium priced rig POV on the XBox version), though I'm sure better graphics could be found if you spend the price of an XBox on a graphics card alone. The controls worked well. The game flowed well. The multiplayer worked well. It was a lot of fun. It didn't reinvent the wheel, but it made an excellent wheel nonetheless.

      I suspect that this isn't what you want to hear, and that you'd rather I say "Yeah, what's up with that?! Halo sucked!", but those are the answers I generally hear from people who like Halo to your questions.

      I personally found the controls very exact, though I understand people used to WASD and mice might not be very good outside of their element. I found the corridor repetition to be insanely annoying, though. All in all, I found Halo to be a mediocre 1 player game, and an insanely good multiplayer game.

    8. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Lightwarrior · · Score: 1

      > you probably misspoke, but it was evolutionary
      I found it difficult to call Halo "Combat Evolved", though I'm sure it will have its place in the evolution of the FPS genre. I suppose it's semantics, as whatever role it played, it is still part of the history of the FPS genre.

      > those are the answers I generally hear from people who like Halo to your questions.
      That's fine; it's exactly what I wanted to hear, why people liked Halo. Since I disagree with some of it (I found the controls awkward) and wasn't exposed to other portions (multiplayer), it's pretty clear why I wouldn't think it a 90-100% game.

      > ...people used to WASD and mice might not be very good outside of their element.
      Yeah, I feel that looking + rotating via stick is too slow to be useful... but I play PC FPSes on a trackball with the sensativity turned way up.

      > ...an insanely good multiplayer game.
      Sounds like what I really missed was the MP. Lacking friends with Xboxes (or an HDTV; I find playing split screen @480i to be limiting to the point of worthlessness), and having no real reason to purchase Live (does it support Live?), I pretty much played it all the way through once, by myself, and haven't brought it back out since.

      On the other hand, maybe I can find some place near D.C. that has ~16 player Halo games going on. I guess it's not too late to give it another chance.

      -lw

      --
      Mods: Disagreeing with me != my post Offtopic / Flamebait.
      World without hate or war, invaded. Tragic?
    9. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by bugbread · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "I found it difficult to call Halo "Combat Evolved""

      Hehe, me too. Luckily, they dropped that part of the name for the Japanese market, so here it was just "Halo".

      "Since I disagree with some of it (I found the controls awkward) and wasn't exposed to other portions (multiplayer), it's pretty clear why I wouldn't think it a 90-100% game."

      Pardon my English, but "aw, hell yeah". If I hadn't played any multiplayer on it I probably would've hated it. It had some nice parts, but once the Flood appears it's just a horrible grindfest.

      "Yeah, I feel that looking + rotating via stick is too slow to be useful"

      This one's just a matter of personal taste, but I actually prefer the Halo approach to the impossible speed of other FPSs. Really good, fast players on other FPSs may have avatars that look like people, but their movements are insane. That may be your deal (after all, I prefer crazy snowboard games like SSX to realistic ones like Amped, so I know the feeling). If so, Halo is too slow, but keep in mind it's a stylistic difference, perhaps caused by the console, but not a flaw per se. For some players (don't know if it's a few or a lot) it may be seen as an advantage.

      "Sounds like what I really missed was the MP"

      Probably. Multiplayer on one TV screen is pretty boring (you can see your enemy position, see folks in hiding, etc.), but on multiple TV screens it's wonderful. I used to go with my friends to an internet cafe near my house that had 8 TVs and 8 XBoxes wired together, and we'd play teams against eachother. Admittedly, in that kind of situation, pretty much any game is fun, but Halo's polish in control and functionality (and good, steady frame rate) really shone out.

      "does it support Live?"

      No, and that's one of the big sticklers. It came out long before Live was even announced, and they decided not to release a Live version, but to go straight to Live support on Halo 2. In case you're wondering why people make such a big deal about Halo 2, that's your answer. Some folks have made tunneling software that allows you to play Halo (1) over the internet, but from what I understand it's pretty laggy, as the product was never intended for that kind of use.

    10. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Console gamers live a pathetically sheltered life, you must understand. To them, the idea of a FPS is new and frightening! What's next? An X-Box RTS being hailed as "extraordinarily original"?

    11. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by BizDiz · · Score: 1

      Point missed. A very-well done, controllable, etc. RTS game for a console WOULD be extraordinarily original. I know that there were good FPS experiences on console prior to Halo (I was a goldeneye addict), but nothing on console prior to Halo came close to what it offered.

    12. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by Hott+of+the+World · · Score: 1

      It also had sentry guns, nail grenades, spamming (mmm..) and detpacks..

      runs of to play Mega-Tf

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      | - | - |
    13. Re:Halo's a good game and all... by F34nor · · Score: 1

      In addition the level design was repetitive as hell. What they should really do is re-release Marathon on the Halo engine. It also might be a nice FU from the Macintosh core at Bungie to their new M$ Masters. I always loved the mad AI humor of Marathon.

      I was also disappointed that they didn't offer dual pistols in Halo, they coppied all the other weapons form Marathon didn't they?

  3. I want to hire these guys... by Khamura · · Score: 3, Funny

    ... so they can make a fullblown Varia suit for my girlfriend!

    --
    Graduate of the LeRoy Funkified Badass School of Soul.
  4. Nightmare Webdesign by MalachiConstant · · Score: 3, Insightful
    The armor looks great, I love the deepeyes set, but for the love of god someone buy these boys a decent digital camera and some web design skills.

    No offense to those guys, but that weak website looks like someone on geocities made it. Hire a studio photographer to get some good shots of someone wearing the armor, how much could it cost?

    1. Re:Nightmare Webdesign by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      Probably about $125 for the portrait sitting. Web-sized images for internet distribution, probably about another $75. Print prices vary widely depending on the studio, but if you went through all that work to make the armor, spring for ~$200 for a 16x20 or something, and another $100 for a decent frame and mat.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
  5. Hey, I bet you could market it as snowboard gear.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I'd buy it. Hell, I'd board with it.

  6. Something like this... by jakoz · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...is a perfect example of why people need to get laid more (troll not intended).

  7. Why? Oh god, why?!! by torpor · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Anyone else notice that he didn't really answer the questions, just kept it at "well, we're inspired, quality artists who love Halo2, so we just did it".

    I mean, okay, thats a good enough reason, but ... eh ... I forget what I was trying to say. It just seems like the dude waffles on about art instead of really getting into 'WHY' make a non-functioning suit of body armor based on designs from a video game.

    Now, if it was -really- functioning body armor, that'd be interesting, but I'm gonna just put these guys in the same camp as those freaky Japanese girl-mask guys ... fat fanboix with too many credit cards and no real job.

    Sheesh. Some people have too much time on their hands. Including me. Why am I even thinking about this crap? Think I'll go out back and shoot meself ...

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
  8. Are you sure? by Tom7 · · Score: 1

    Are you sure? I thought Samus was a dude for the first year I owned "Metroid". ;)

    1. Re:Are you sure? by Khamura · · Score: 1

      Everyone did, not least due to the fact that they used 'he' in the manual.

      --
      Graduate of the LeRoy Funkified Badass School of Soul.
  9. Control Scheme best EVAR? by Ian_Bailey · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Best control scheme on a console, ever

    Now, I've never played Halo, but I wasn't aware that Halo has a radically different control scheme.

    In fact, according to this FAQ, it appears to have the exact same layout that was originally pioneered by Rare in GoldenEye: Left stick for movement (forwards/backwards and strafing), right stick for direction (turning and up/down), and index finger(s) for firing.

    This is the same control scheme used in just about any console FPS released these days, from Bond games, to Timesplitters, to Brute Force.

    In fact, the only game to break from this 6 year standard that I can recall is Metroid:Prime. Many people were confused the way Metroid no longer used the right thumbpad compared to the standard typically used today, but others have found it to be a welcome change of pace.

    1. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by antin · · Score: 1

      Well considering that the Nintendo 64 only had one stick, I find it hard to see how Rare used two sticks for control...

      The Bond games have all had you move forward and back with the left stick, and look left and right with the left stick; while looking up and down with the right stick, and strafing left and right with the right stick.

      Timesplitters does the same, and Brute Force came after Halo (and even borrowed code).

      I am not sure what FPS games came out for the PS2 prior to Halo's release, but as far as I know, Halo is one of the first games to have used dual-sticks for control, and the first I know of to put all the movement on the left stick, and all the view control on the right.

    2. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by fredrikj · · Score: 1

      Well considering that the Nintendo 64 only had one stick, I find it hard to see how Rare used two sticks for control...

      They used the digital C cross. Not the same as a stick, but same layout.

    3. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by antin · · Score: 1

      And by default the C buttons were used for strafing and looking up and down. Until Halo I think most/all games combined looking left and right and moving forward and back on the same stick. Since Halo everyone seems to be adopting Bungie's control scheme (so even if they didn't invent it, they made it popular).

      Anyway, look I could be wrong in saying that Halo is the first FPS to use that control scheme, (but I cannot think of another that used it first) but in any case it was the first FPS game on a console where the controls felt comfortable.

      The controls feel natural, you don't feel constrained by the controller, and you don't yearn for a mouse. Perhaps you have had better luck with other console FPS games, but until Halo I never found one that controlled right - and most people I have talked to agree.

    4. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 1
      "but in any case it was the first FPS game on a console where the controls felt comfortable."
      That statement doesn't help your argument because it's so subjective. People raved about how they enjoyed Goldeneye's controls but I found them to be quite unenjoyable. You see, one man's comfortable control settings are another man's uncomfortable control settings. You see, it seems like you're trying to push two lines - one is that Halo is the best FPS ever [which is again, a subjective opinion and for you, Halo might be the best FPS ever, and it's really a fine statement to make since it is obviously a personal opinion and one can never say that a single game is the best for everyone who plays games], the other is that Halo is a revolutionary game that has done more to advance FPS gaming on consoles than any other. That's less of an opinion and more grounded in fact. I would say choose the second and back it up with facts, not opinions on the comfort of the control scheme.

      "and most people I have talked to agree."
      We're proving points using statistics gathered from our peers now? Well, those are meaningful numbers...

      note sarcasm

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    5. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by strech · · Score: 1

      I think Turok pioneered that (Halo) control scheme, actually (I.E. C-Buttons/2nd Analog for forward/back/strafe, stick for aiming).

      If not that, then something earlier. In any case, I'm pretty sure I've used that control scheme in 'Perfect Dark' and I'm certain I've used it in 'Fur Fighters' (DC) and 'MDK 2' (DC), so regardless if it was Turok or not it's not Halo's innovation. The difference between using a full analog and face buttons/d-pad for the movement/strafe is pretty much non-existant.

    6. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, Goldeneye had two 2-controller setups, where you could use the control stick of two different controllers.

    7. Re:Control Scheme best EVAR? by Uncle+Ira · · Score: 1
      Well considering that the Nintendo 64 only had one stick, I find it hard to see how Rare used two sticks for control...

      Ahh- I see you never tried using the 2.x control styles available in Goldeneye: 2 controllers per player = 2 analog sticks for control.

  10. Re:Hey, I bet you could market it as snowboard gea by JonnyRo88 · · Score: 1

    If I saw someone boarding with this I would probably be so shocked I would ski right into the side of the mountian.

    I totally agree with you though, the helmet manufacturers need to make this for boarders. It is just that freaking cool. Talk about making a helmet that people will wear.

    --
    The Ro Factor - Jeep/Linux Weblog
  11. OMG!! OMG!!! M45ter Ch31f is teh C0ssdr3sser!!!! by PeeweeJD · · Score: 1
    Master Chief's costume will be made of dyed mink fur and that in scene one, we remove his helmet forever so you can see his long golden hair. And his lipstick.
  12. Re:Control Scheme best Ever? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wrong and wrong.

    Almost every single console FPS released since goldeneye has used a dual-stick (or stick and pad) configuration though it may not have been the default. See, there is this thing called an "options" screen where you can, get this, configure many aspects of the game, control configuration included. Any true gamer hits the options screen before they even play the game though if you are only a casual gamer you may not do this.

    And the word is EVER not EVAR. This isn't Nam or counterstrike, there are rules.

  13. Timesplitters by Ian_Bailey · · Score: 1

    Most FPS seemed to have the default setting that you mentioned here, but every single one at least had the option to change it to 'Halo's' scheme. Everyone I knew used this scheme.

    I know that Timesplitters 1 had the same default scheme as Halo, and was released a month or two earlier. The controls can be found in this FAQ. Unfortunately, I can't find any games that had that default earlier, though.

    And someone already pointed out that the C-buttons were used instead of a stick in GoldenEye.

    1. Re:Timesplitters by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you are correct, except that time splitters 1 was out over a year before Halo

  14. Now I know why I hated halo by Stray7Xi · · Score: 1

    It was aiming for the X-Box audience with their target market...

    in Halo 2, Master Chief's costume will be made of dyed mink fur and that in scene one, we remove his helmet forever so you can see his long golden hair. And his lipstick.

  15. Awesome... by herrvinny · · Score: 1

    That is excellent. I wouldn't mind trying that armor out. However, I've always wanted a cool wargreymon armor suit.

  16. Re:Control Scheme best Ever? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (+1 Big Lebowski)

  17. Now i want to see the weapons by Rhinobird · · Score: 1

    I want to see someone do one of the asault rifles now

    --
    If Mr. Edison had thought smarter he wouldn't sweat as much. --Nikola Tesla
    1. Re:Now i want to see the weapons by imitier · · Score: 1

      There are a few pages (including this one) showing how people have created airsoft or paintball version of the assault rifles from Aliens (complete with working digital counter for ammo!). I'm sure these guys could pretty easily come up with some weapons to go along with that suit. Of course, you'd only get to carry two at once, so choose carefully.

    2. Re:Now i want to see the weapons by Recoil_42 · · Score: 1

      *ahem*

      a couple others have been done too, iirc, the SPNKr, Pistol, and Sniper Rifle...

      this one is the best, imo.. but the SPNKr is almost as good though..

      --


      Newsie, Moderator, www.tauniverse.com
  18. Re:c0n7r0l 5ch3m3 b357 3v3r????/// by Deraj+DeZine · · Score: 0

    I don't know how people can stand to play FPSs on consoles. No mouse means that if a guy drops in behind you, you're helpless until your character finally (in ever-so-tiny increments) turns 180 degrees. I enjoyed Goldeneye on the N64 for a while, but the mouse is just so much more responsive and accurate (in my case) I'm never gonna buy a console FPS again.

    You may have other opinions, but until I see a console controller that allows me to whip around and target an enemy as fast as a mouse, my opinion will remain the same.

    --
    True story.
  19. please don't bother responding, it's rhetorical by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are you trying to get some "-1 troll" flags or are you just not that bright?

  20. Re:g00d g4m3 4nd 4ll... by Deraj+DeZine · · Score: 0

    Whoever modded this a troll, would you like to explain what was wrong with my comment? As I recall there weren't any very good, Xbox-only titles available when Halo was released.

    Trolls are trying to incite flamewars, right? I'm just looking for another opinion and possibly an answer....

    As an aside: just because I have bad karma doesn't mean that every controversial thing I say is a troll.

    --
    True story.
  21. Agreement. by Rallion · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't play that many console FPS games. I like them, but neither I nor my friends put too much money into them. In fact, there are only three traditional console FPS games from this latest generation that I've played much of: Halo (XBox), Turok Evolution (GameCube) and Timesplitters 2 (GameCube). Now. I think Halo is good. But I still thought it was least fun of those three--both in single and multiplayer. Part of my opinion is based on my hatred of the XBox controller, I think, but I'll ignore that.

    It was a surprise to me that Turok was more fun. I mean, sure, it's a step up from the last couple installments, but that;s not saying much. But at least the game gave you a little bit of variety. I don't have too much else to say about that. Halo is so repetative that I'd rather play Turok. It's that simple. Yet on GameRankings, Halo has a 95% while Turok has a 69%. That huge difference in opinion between me and the masses, however, bothers me little.

    TimeSplitters 2. Different story. How that game, that beauiful masterpiece of multiplayer FPS, can recieve a lower average rating than Halo is beyon the realm of my understanding. I can't think of a single area in which Halo comes out over TS2. I wrote some angry (possibly too angry) stuff about that in my journal, and I don't really feel like thinking through all of it again. But I have to ask any people that claim Halo is some ultimate multiplayer experience, what does it have that Timesplitters 2 lacks? I've heard Ts2 has some control issues on XBox. Is that it? I can't think of anything else. Have you just not played TS2? Then what gives you the authority to claim that Halo is so much better than all the rest?

    No, really, I want answers. My head can't take it anymore.

  22. Wolfenstein Armor by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    I want to see the armor worn by the axis in return to castle wolfenstein.

    Oh wait, that's just the nazi uniform.

  23. Re:Hey, I bet you could market it as snowboard gea by devilsadvoc8 · · Score: 1

    You can also get starwars replica armor at: http://fractalcow.com/propsdealr/main.htm

    --
    B O R I N G
  24. bah halo is just mararhon 4 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Halo = Marathon 4 nothing new same old marathon just not on mac

  25. But What's it made out of? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why shouldn't it be fully functioning? Kevlar is not that expensive these days...