On the date July 7th, the 7th day of the 7th month, children across the globe flee their beds early in the morning to celebrate the wonderful "Bungie Day" in which families celebrate the generations of shooting aliens in the face and teabagging friends and loved ones. Since 2001, players have been treated to Bungie's masterclass multiplayer experiences in the Halo and Destiny universes.
Bungie quite literally invented modern online multiplayer with Halo, introducing persistent lobbies, in-game voice chat and fireteams. Halo and Destiny have headlined every single console generation since, as the dominant console shooter. For an industry, Bungie is owed the debt due a pioneer and leader. But for players, Bungie is celebrated as the pied piper that introduces us to the joys of gaming.
I first heard about Halo in Sunday School, because--as a 5 year old--it was all the kids talked about. Growing up the SF Bay Area, videogamers were a rapidly accepted form of entertainment. Xboxes flew off the shelves and into houses at a rapid pace. Halo was the game that put shooters in the casual player's hands. It's hard to imagine that a generation as young as ours would have grown up on shooter without Bungie.
DOOM, Quake and Wolfenstein weren't exactly accessible to children, due to their PC controls, complex networking requirements and graphic violence. Halo was the first game that we were able to play.
Of course, Bungie didn't stop there: They made Halo game after Halo game, each one reaching new pinnacles of quality. Most franchises tired after a sequel or two, but Bungie's consistency strained belief. By Halo Reach, we'd had FIVE Halo titles, each one a masterpiece in its own right.
And Bungie continues to deliver. To celebrate Bungie Day, they released 4 new 4K wallpapers. And they're amazing.
