THE SHORT VERSION (TL;DR)
There’s a lot of words ahead, but here’s the gist of it:

• With the first season of Marathon we’ve created a strong core community.
  
• We're embarking on a multi-season journey built around growing from the seed of this >strong community.
  
• We’re looking to solve some pain points for players:
  
• Making the game less grindy, more rewarding
  
• Making improvements to things like the UI/UX, matchmaking, end game meta, playing as >solos/duos, etc.
  
• Smoothing out onboarding
  
• We’re also going to build out more of the core game:
  
• Adding new fun and mind-bending content: new and updated zones, Runner shells, new >combatants, weapons, loot, and more
  
• Building systems to make progressing more interesting
  
• We want to build more survival experiences for different moods, like if you want to full >sweat or lean back and chill.
  
• Exploring more pure PVP, PVE, and PVP-lite experiences
  
• Continue experimenting with experimental queues to learn more around these experiences

Other highlights:

• We're bringing back Duos for Season 2 with a rotating Duos queue.
  
• We're testing some experiments in Season 2 around PVE and PVP-Lite modes.
  
• We’re expanding the max size of your Vault and increasing faction progression rates in >Season 2.
  
• We’ll talk more about Season 2 content like Night Marsh, the new Cradle progression >system, and the Runner shell Sentinel, the week of May 25.

If this summary has your interest piqued, read on for more info on these topics.

Because while you could probably craft such a film to be better, it wouldn't be the same experience. The direct investigation and examination of items and the house does lead to a certain kind of intrigue that you can only have when directly controlling it. So, conceptually yes, I would say that Gone Home is in fact fine as a video game. Your choices and the fact that you are doing it makes it work.

But does MIxtape?

The discourse on this game is wild. It might be the only game I've ever seen where the trophies might actually save it. The fact that there is a trophy for jumping off a car with your skateboard or knocking down traffic cones or skipping a rock through a tire swing, on its own means that yes, this is a video game in the sense that your actions can make a difference. The physics simulation of the rolls while you toilet paper a house is actually rather satisfying, and you can TP the house in whatever way you feel like.

So the real question is: How was the experience?

This year, I want to ride a flaming stallion of delinquency

Nobody would ever say this.

The main conflict is of course in Cassandra, and I don't feel like the game really characterized or gave believability to her turn towards being so much of a Miscreant that she'd start a forest fire..

These things happen gradually. Why do we not see her first transgression and the thrill? Especially in a game about memories, why was the one we saw so unconvincing?

And the finale? Her father would never do that. I have to assume this is a memory warped because it is so beyond the bounds of believable, that if played straight it would ruin the entire thing. It has to be metaphorical and not literal, given the otherworldly depictions of events and emotions.

The biggest miss for me was the music. For a game that is explicitly about this: creating a literal soundtrack for all these moments in their lives, I just felt like none of it hit? Like, was "Love" by Smashing Pumpkins really the best you could do for a segment where you're pissed off and blowing up cars?! None of it felt right to me. None of it. Out of 20+ tracks, maybe two were kinda in the right ballpark?

Forget the discussion of whether it's a game or not. I just don't think it really did the job it was trying to do.

But hey, you can paint whatever you want on the door!

What is now $765 million dollars in impairment losses against Bungie is not something as simple as “Bungie games are $765 million in the red.” Rather, what impairment losses are doing is acknowledging that Bungie is not as valuable an asset as Sony thought it was when it bought it for $3.6 billion, so it keeps knocking that number down.

Despite this, Sony has at least publicly backed Bungie’s continued work on Marathon, saying: “Player reception to Marathon is strong, receiving a Metacritic score of 82 and more than 90% of the player reviews on Steam being positive. Engagement metrics such as retention also remain at a high level. Going forward, we aim to improve the performance of the game by working to retain highly engaged core users through the introduction of additional content, further improvements in the gameplay experience, and expansion of the user base."

Destiny 2 simply…wasn’t mentioned at all, which is disconcerting for what was Bungie’s flagship franchise and now a game that has no clear roadmap for the future.

Stopped by my parents’ place to go through some of my old stuff I left during the move, and one of the first things I found is this:

I remember winning it as part of a contest here in DBO, but can’t remember any of the details. Aside from some tiny holes in the plastic wrap, it’s still sealed. I was never one for writing, especially by hand.

Does anyone else have old-school Destiny merch they still keep around?

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but that angle sure made for a horny trailer.

I was a little disappointed that the choices matter about as much as a Teltale game, but as Yahtzee put it, you shouldn't really be playing these kinds of games twice anyways. If you only do YOUR playthrough, the choices are all yours and matter.

At first I thought the dispatching was a bit weak, but as time went on it became more engaging, as well as providing a bit of storytelling on its own depending on who you send to what call and pair up.

9/10 so happy the game was a huge success.

tl;dw

Game is in an 8th timeline.
Durandal never liberated the S'pht from the Pfhor
The S'pht have aligned with the W'rkncacnter
"Escape' doesn't refer to escaping the closure of the universe, but escaping the Marathon ship

First up is the sound design team:

And the other is an interview with Joseph Cross:

I also apologize for the incredibly specific nature of this message.

https://trilogyrelease.bungie.org/

At the bottom of the Trilogy Release page, there is a note that reads as follows:

Important Note:
This disc is included in .ISO format. It is beyond the scope of this page to walk you through using this format - Google is your friend. (Please don't write about this - we probably won't even answer.) For folks who don't have tools for mounting .ISOs, I found this page, with a link to a tiny, free, unsupported app available from Microsoft that comes with pretty simple instructions (though no auto-setup). I downloaded it, followed the directions to install it, and tested it - it works nicely. That's the limit of our tech support. If the day comes when the linked web page disappears, let us know and we'll try and put up a local copy of the tiny app.

The day has come. The linked web page has disappeared.

You’re welcome.

Nate Walpole (a.k.a. BentLlama), an animator on Halo 2, 3, ODST and 4, has died unexpectedly.

Support for Heather, Nolan & Alex

We are heartbroken to share the unexpected passing of Nate Walpole, a beloved husband and father. He leaves behind his wife, Heather, and their two children, Nolan and Alex, who are now facing an unimaginable loss. This family has always been built on love, hard work, and dedication. Heather works tirelessly to provide for her children, and in this moment of grief, she is doing her best to stay strong for them. However, the sudden loss has brought not only emotional pain but also significant financial challenges.

We are asking for support to help ease this burden during such a difficult time. Donations will go toward funeral expenses, daily household bills, and future educational needs—helping Alex pursue college and Nolan attend technical school. Your generosity will give Heather, Nolan, and Alex the space and time they need to grieve, heal, and begin to rebuild without the immediate stress of financial strain. No contribution is too small, and every act of kindness is deeply appreciated.

Thank you for supporting Heather, Nolan, and Alex during this incredibly difficult time. The family is deeply grateful for your care and support. As they begin to process this loss, they kindly ask for privacy and understanding, and that people be mindful about reaching out directly. Your respect for their time and space means a great deal, and your support in any form is truly appreciated.

Looks like a Destiny raid, but with PvP enabled. Sounds like the stakes will be extremely high since you can spend half an hour solving a puzzle only to get shotgunned in the back as you walk through the final door.

Also: It's weekend-only?

Are you having fun? Are you getting phat loots? Dying too much?

Do you see yourself sticking with it in the near-term?

I've just been watching people play it on twitch. It's fun to see people who are way more skilled that you, in the same way it was fun to watch those people play Trials of Osiris... but it's not making me want to pick it up, it looks very stressful (again, much like Trials).

Yes, I bought this specifically for this joke.

THE YEAR IS 2026.
HUMANITY IS AT WAR WITH THE GREATER GAMING ZEITGEIST, AN ALLIANCE KNOWN AS 'MODERN GAMING'.

WE ARE LOSING.

MODERN GAMING HAS BURNED OUR DISCS, CUTTING FEATURE AFTER FEATURE IN THEIR CAMPAIGN TO HAVE US OWN NOTHING.
HALO IS OUR LAST BASTION - A SILENTLY REVERED CLASSIC STILL PLAYABLE IN SPLIT-SCREEN.

BUT NOT ANYMORE.

MEGACORPORATIONS MOVE TO BREACH HALO'S DEFENSES AND ATTACK OUR CHILDHOODS.
NOW IS THE TIME WE MUST PREPARE OUR RESPONSE...

A TEAM OF MODERATELY-SKILLED 'BOOMERS' ARE READY TO LAUNCH A GAMING EVENT COUNTER-MEASURE - A LAN TO REMIND US WHY WE NEED HALO, WHY WE NEED HEROES.

THIS IS A NEAR-SUICIDAL MISSION.

BUT THESE BOOMERS ARE THE BEST OF THE BEST.
AND SAVING HALO COULD BE THE MOST IMPORTANT MISSION OF THEIR CAREERS.
WE CAN NEVER GO BACK, BUT WE CAN VISIT THE --

. . .

MISSION BRIEF
UNSC NAVCOM has authorized the proceeding training exercise (Codename: LAST EXIT) as a response to the growing Covenant threat. ONI Intelligence reports indicate exactly what the brass have feared; troop morale over the last decade has suffered extensively due to recent engagements and losses in Sector X-B0-X , resulting in record-low recruitment numbers in the Inner Colonies. The goal of this event will be to gather vidmasters from across the systems to compete in virtual-fire exercises, recounting battles and victories of old -- and reminding all of humanity what unites us and why we need to stand together. To accomplish this, the ONI spooks believe immersing our guests in the fictional world and lore of the civilian entertainment series H4L0 will boost tactical drill assimilation by one-hundred-seventeen percent. The eggheads were apparently inspired by some similar symposium back on Harvest near the beginning of the war (see addendum A) and will be working hard to recreate the atmosphere of "stepping into that world" with in-universe props and staging.

< // add. A - H4L0: Outpost Discovery // >

COMMAND STRUCTURE
Taskmasters Admiral [REDACTED] (Codename: BONES) and Vice-Admiral [REDACTED] (Codename: REVENANT) will be spear-heading this operation and coordinating all logistical requisitions.

LAUNCH TIME-FRAME
Operation: LAST EXIT will run between Friday, May 22nd and remain in effect until Sunday, May 24th, with primary virtual-fire exercises occurring on Saturday, May 23rd. NAVSPECWEP 'Tier-1' assets will be operational in the area prior to official go-live orders (as well as after) to assist with deployment.

OPERATIONAL THEATRE
Localized System: Sol
Planet: Earth
Province: West Atlantic Protectorate
City: New Indianapolis (formerly Indianapolis)
Geo-coordinates: [REDACTED]
< // AI.SKULLY - More information available upon request // >

LOGISTICS
UNSC NAVCOM will be coordinating primary fleet deployments and providing for the following line items --

• Vidmaster lodging and quartering costs (three-days, two nights)
  
• Vidmaster mess hall meal costs (three days, two nights)
  
• Vidmaster supplemental commissary costs (including snacks, drinks, and spirits)
  
• Vidmaster basic operational equipment and devices (including screens, monitors, consoles, controllers, and networking supplies)
  
• Vidmaster pre-operation prep gear (including in-universe assorted goodies)

Vidmasters will be politely asked to arrange personal travel and cover related expenses, as this is outside NAVSPECWEP's operational budget, but shouldn't need any other additional gear to participate. Additionally, should the Vidmasters require their own specialized or individual equipment for participating in the virtual-fire exercises, NAVCOM will be able to incorporate those devices into the event but will be unable to coordinate the additional travel logistics.

RECREATION
Operation: Last Exit will focus on more classically-oriented virtual-fire exercises meant to foster teamwork and implement tactical planning in objective-based scenarios, including the following simulations below. Additionally, UNSC NAVCOM has identified ruck march trails in the operational vicinity, should vidmasters or any other UNSC personnel feel the need for additional PT exercise while on-station.

H4L0: MCC (primary sub-routine)

• H4L0: CE
  
• H4L0 2
  
• H4L0 3
  
• H4L0 3: 0DST
  
• H4L0 RE4CH

H4L0 1NF1N1TE (secondary sub-routine)

ENLISTMENT & COMMS
UNSC NAVCOM has approved spending for limited additional headcount to troop deployment totals, but this operation is volunteer-for-selection only. Any civilian vidmasters or UNSC personnel wishing to participate will need to submit electronic notice to the below comm channel prior to the go-live date. As naval assets are spun-up, these submissions will be reviewed and finalized by operation Taskmasters on a first-come-first-serve basis.

GMAIL - Civilian Inter-System Mailing App:
Codename: BONES - maawilhelm@gmail.com

Please include the following information in any communique --

• Subject: HLE LAN
  
• Body: ExtraNet Forum Handle // Vidmaster Gamertag // CivID Full Name // UNSC Service Number (if applicable)
  
• Sub-Body: A short, three-paragraph description of your combat service record and reason for submission of vidmaster
  
• < // AI.SKULLY - Or perhaps just your favorite H4L0-related memory *wink* // >

< // END TRANSMISSION // >

https://pollunit.com/polls/w7avgoygij1lzq3bllffaa

Pick your favorite of the two presented choices.

Repeat x50.

We check back in a little while to see which exotic is DBO's favorite.

I'm definitely not getting it at launch, BUT

If,

1. They pulled off a miracle and made the game actually fun with lots of surprises
2. The story isn't bullshit
3. There are people here whom I could play with

… I MIGHT be tempted. That's a big if though.

If you're picking it up, post in this thread.