The official Marathon Pfhor Rumours 2 thread, System Requirements: Quicktime & Mind-Interface-Keyboard Options

[Bernie]

I hate to do this while the Battle Cat is [ url=http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=20536]away[/ url] (he is a big fan of Marathon and I don't want to leave him out), but this is too juicy not to mention. Bungie wants to do Marathon VI... but Mac only. Microsoft doesn't like it and is considering dissolving Bungie. I don't think it would be wise to publicly reveal the source at this point; but, if you [ url=http://www.insidemacgames.com/forum/index.php?act=Msg&CODE=04&MID=7047]PM me[/ url], I might be able to reveal some clues.

Update
the Battle Cat has gone mad... or will go mad... or did go mad... anyway, he's messing with timeline(s) and has cloned Eric5h5. If you see anything that looks like a gerbil but is carrying a Marathon weapon, RUN!

[Space_Pirate_Kil...]

Its using the Halo 2 engine, so heres a screenshot:

[Dr. Geebs]

[Space_Pirate_Kil...]

Excited?

[Frigidman]

I'd like to note, although the Cat is away, the Uber Bastid Evil Tyrant is here for a stay.

**KEEERACK**

So keep it in line you ... you ... SLAVES!

Oh, M4, yes... due to my standing, I am unable to comment on that at this time.

[Dark uk]

OK, I need more info on this!

[Quacker]

yeah I want to read the spawing point of this rumor because it is quite juicy

[Quicksilver]

Oh, M4, yes... due to my standing, I am unable to comment on that at this time.

I think you just confirmed it's existence.

[Dark uk]

Yeah its inexistence allright I hope bungie continue to go through with it even know M$ is pissed at the idea.

[CorT]

That'd rock so hard!

[Bernie]

So I'm not the only one! For a while I thought that someone was pulling a fast one on me. I kept asking myself, "Why me?" Maybe I was chosen because someone knew that I would open my mouth. The way the whole thing is going down has a Bungie feel about it... at least to me.

I have some questions for the other chosen ones:
- Didn't some of the sketches look like they we're copied straight out of the Marathon Scrapbook that came with the Trilogy many years ago?
- If the Halo 2 engine is being used, what is the deal with the "Aleph Two" reference?
- My password expired; did anyone else's password expire?

[Bernie]

I just remembered Bungie's tendency to put secret stuff on CDs. So, if there is anyone out there that recently purchased Halo, PLEASE see if there is anything that could be related to Marathon IV hidden on the CD. Thanks.

[Space_Pirate_Kil...]

I'd like to note, although the Cat is away, the Uber Bastid Evil Tyrant is here for a stay.

**KEEERACK**

So keep it in line you ... you ... SLAVES!

Oh, M4, yes... due to my standing, I am unable to comment on that at this time.

Yes master. Would you like your hot cocoa now?

[Quicksilver]

The Halo CD doesn't have anything interesting on it.

[Tesseract]

Yeah, Bungie put little Easter eggs on their packaging and discs back when they designed it themselves, but since Mac Halo is a MacSoft release it would have been designed by them, not Bungie.

These Marathon 4 rumours are quite believable though -- Bungie staff have said in interviews that they are essentially allowed to decide what they will work on for themselves, free of Microsoft interference. Jason Jones has also said in an interview that Bungie would love to do another Marathon game. Of course, he also said that it wouldn't be "Marathon 4", but the rumours could just be mentioning the working title.

I'd take Jones's comment to mean that it won't be a straight sequel (pretty much impossible after the end of Infinity), but will be set in the same universe with a similar style of gameplay. Maybe you get to play as one of the other Mjolnir Mk IV military cyborgs which were on board the Marathon, cleaning up the mess that Durandal left at Tau Ceti?

It doesn't really make sense to me that they'd do it Mac only though -- I mean there was a Win95 version of Marathon 2. Not having an XBox version would upset MS enough on its own. What would make sense is developing it on the Mac, and using technologies like OpenGL which are well-supported on Mac while still leaving the ability to easily make a Windows port.

Anyway, long post, but I'm excited about this! Maybe one of the rumour sites will overcome their sources' fear of trade secret lawsuits and give us some real juicy info soon.

[teflon]

I think that they said that the main reason for bungie selling was to be able to work on a fixed platform like the xbox. This would be seen as them returning to their original platform. Maybe they werent to happy with the pressure that was put on them by M$ for Halo2, which meant they had to rush the single player, and left it feeling unfinished. Perhaps they dont like having to play second fiddle to Rare for the next console?
Bungie could release one of the few major games for mac only, perhaps as a sorry for Halo. And it might give apple the marketshare grabber that they need for the intel macs. Also, think how many peopple on this forum would get a new computer just to play this game? I know I would....
I just hope they get the same atmosphere and story delivery as before.
I should really get round to completing the trilogy then...
heres hoping for marathon 4.

[Tesseract]

I think that they said that the main reason for bungie selling was to be able to work on a fixed platform like the xbox.

The main reason was that up until then, the financial situation was such that every game they produced had to be at least a moderate success. If any one of their games bombed, Bungie was finished. They were tired of having that hanging over their heads, and the Microsoft buyout gave them a lot more security in that respect. They did also like the idea of developing for the XBox.

Maybe they werent to happy with the pressure that was put on them by M$ for Halo2, which meant they had to rush the single player, and left it feeling unfinished.

The first Halo had the same problems, only worse. Microsoft told them about six months before the XBox launch that Halo had to be ready in time for the launch. At that point, I believe they had only really finished the single player levels up to and including Silent Cartographer, which is why everything after that is so copy and pasted. Assault on the Control Room is largely the same level as Two Betrayals (and there are many identical rooms and corridors within them), 343 Guilty Spark and the Library are the same room over and over, Keyes is just like Truth and Reconciliation, and The Maw reuses large chunks of Pillar of Autumn. They also had to cut several missions they had wanted to do (including getting to see the Marine command post).

I just hope they get the same atmosphere and story delivery as before.
I should really get round to completing the trilogy then...
heres hoping for marathon 4.

You know, I would pay money for a remake of the Marathon trilogy using some variant of the Halo engine...

[tdiemer]

Maybe I'm really out of the loop, but it seems that these rumors have surfaced recently out of thin air? It seems really hard to fathom Bungie would make a Mac only game right now. What kinds of evidence are people getting to believe? Like Fox Mulder, I want to believe...

[Dr. Geebs]

So we're assuming they haven't got enough on their hands making Halo 3 competitive with Gears of War and getting it finished by next year?

[Pooga]

The Second Coming! Ok, like the Fourth.

I wonder if they be able to do justice? Marathon had the perfect ingredients that made it so…zesty! If it's the original peeps, then I have no doubt. Those guys rock my socks!