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The Video-game Conspiracy

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posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:27 PM
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This thread was originally a theory thread I started on bungie.net, the Halo fan forums, when news that Black Ops 2 may be cancelled. Why you may ask, well, we all know that Microsoft is essentially a monopoly, and is apart of the military-industrial complex. Well, ask yourself this...when promoting military program propaganda, is it easier to distribute this through many facets, or just one? The following prods at and explores the possibility that Microsoft, in cooperation with all other major video-game corporations, is working towards methodically destroying any competition to the up-and-coming Halo 4.

Part I: The Next Big Thing



Microsoft announced on June 19, 2000 that it had acquired Bungie Studios. Halo became an exclusive game for Microsoft's Xbox video game console, and Bungie Studios rewrote the game's engine, heavily altering its presentation and turning it into a first-person shooter. Originally a key element, the game's online multiplayer component was dropped because Xbox Live would be unfinished at the time of Halo's release. While a playable demonstration of the game at Gamestock 2001 was well-received, critics had mixed reactions to its exhibition at E3 2001. The game was released in North America simultaneously with the Xbox, on November 15, 2001; the "Combat Evolved" subtitle was an addition by marketers at Microsoft, who felt that Halo alone was not a descriptive enough title to compete with other military-themed games.

On its release Halo broke sales records; by April 8, 2002, one million units had been sold: this pace was faster than that of any previous sixth-generation console game. During the two months following Halo's release, the game sold alongside more than fifty percent of Xbox consoles. Halo's retail price remained at US$49.99 until November 30, 2003. By July 14, 2003, the game had sold three million copies worldwide,[86] and by January 28, 2004, it had reached four million copies. As of November 9, 2005, Halo has sold over five million copies worldwide.

The release of Halo 2 was preceded with numerous promotions, product tie-ins, and movie trailer-like commercials. In addition to more traditional forms of promotion, Halo 2 was also part of an elaborate Alternate Reality Game project titled "I Love Bees" which cost an estimated one million dollars. This 'game' centered around a hacked website, supposedly a site about beekeeping, where an AI from the future was residing. The project garnered significant attention from sites including Slashdot and Wired News; Wired noted that the game was drawing attention away from the 2004 Presidential Election. The game won an award for creativity at the 5th annual Game Developers Choice Awards and was nominated for a Webby award. On the morning of October 14, 2004, a leak of the French version of the game was posted on the Internet, and circulated widely.
Halo 2 was sold in both a standard and "Limited Collector's Edition".

The first official release of Halo 2 was in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States on November 9, 2004. Anticipation for the game was high; three weeks before this release, a record 1.5 million copies had already been pre-ordered. Massive lines formed at midnight releases of the game; the event garnered significant media attention. This was followed by releases on November 10, 2004 in France and other European countries, and November 11 in the UK. The game sold 2.4 million copies and earned up to US$125 million in its first 24 hours on store shelves, thus out-grossing the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest as the highest grossing release in entertainment history. The game sold 260,000 units in the United Kingdom in its first week, making it the third fastest-selling title in that territory. On June 20, 2006, Xbox.com reported that more than a half-billion games of Halo 2 have been played on Xbox Live since its debut. Halo 2 is the best-selling first-generation Xbox game with 8.46 million copies sold by November 2008. As of September 25, 2007, Halo 2 was the fifth best-selling video game in the United States with 6.3 million copies sold, according to the NPD Group. From the day of its initial release and up until mid-November 2006, Halo 2 was the most popular video game on Xbox Live, even after the release of the Xbox 360; its position was eventually surpassed in 2006 by the 360-exclusive Gears of War. Halo and Halo 2 are still some of the most played games for the Xbox console.

Halo 2 remained the fastest-selling media product in history until the release of its sequel, Halo 3, on September 25, 2007, when Halo 3 took the title. Halo 3 in turn remained at the top until it was defeated by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. With the CoD series reigning supreme, the corporate-owned media needed a way to further engrave the message of world government and military fascism. They felt CoD wasn't doing the job, obviously. There is no 'world government' in CoD, however in Halo you have the Unified Earth Government, top secret-super-soldier programs aimed at creating the perfect superhuman (See 'Transhumanism'), where the elite believe they can become 'superior' to common man. Hell, the main character falls in line with the major tenets of the global elite doctrine - superior genetics, daily genocide (Master Chief has killed over 1,000 Covenant), and commonly refers to humans as 'inferior' to "SPARTANS" as they are called (read: Halo: Fall of Reach). So, obviously, Microsoft, in all its eugenics frenzy, felt that Halo had too much competition to be implemented to its fullest extent of a propaganda machine. Enter Halo 4...



Part II: The Hypothesis

Is it me, or does it seem like all these giant corporations are selling out to Microsoft? Think about it, first Bungie split ties and left them their Halo creation. Then EA drives the Mass Effect series to the ground with the imposed deadline on BioWare, forcing them into a rushed and suckish ending. Black Ops II was announced as a futuristic setting disappointing a lot of CoD fans, now this.

It seems almost like they're wiping the slate clean of any competition for Halo, so it can prolong Microsoft's continued monopolistic domination of the corporate videogame oligarchy. I think Halo 4 is going to outperform CODBO2 and everything else, call it intuition or a creeping feeling but it seems like Halo 4 and its sequels are just going to totally dominate the video game industry for the next 10 years.

Quite frankly, I would rather have Halo dominating than Call of Duty. That may be going for the lesser of two evils, but given the choice between Halo and Call of Duty, there is no choice. However, if Halo gets to a point where it seriously affects the creation and success a new game series of due to its own "domination," it would become a problem. So that's essentially how I feel about this news. As of this moment it is fairly good news for us that it is Halo (not to thrilled about the Microsoft oligarchs' eugnicists continued domination however) and I guess this will either be good, or bad, news for you depending on how you take it. I personally say at this point it could go either way.

(Part III and Part IV on the way)
edit on 18-5-2012 by Davian because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:32 PM
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Part III: Rise of the Halo Empire

Considering the fact EA is involved in this and is the very same company responsible for the death of Mass Effect and several other videogames. Hell, the director of EA actually came out and openly bashed Black Ops II, but he didn't say anything about the umpteenth time as playing as the same protagonist three times in a row only to return *coughcoughmasterchiefcough*

Because of EA's greed, they have effectively destroyed the Mass Effect franchise, and are methodically destroying gaming to cement their masters (Microsoft) at the top of the pedestal. (See here, here, and here)

With Black Ops II on the verge of being cancelled, what will be here to compete with Halo 4? BioWare gives us hope with the Mass Effect 3 Extended Cut due out this summer, but few fans still put faith in BioWare for not standing up to EA. And even amongst all the new videogames coming out; Aliens Colonial Marines, among others, Halo 4 is still recognized as the most anticipated game of 2012 by most mainstream media outlets.

Is it possible Microsoft is going to use a similar tactic to Halo 2's release in 2004 to influence the outcome of the Presidential Elections of 2012, to attempt to get Obama a second term like what they did with Bush? Or do you think its agenda is far more sinister than anything we could possible imagine?

Part IV: The Future of Microsoft
Microsoft is effectively a monopoly. Buying its way to the top since the 90's, at which point they had the United States and European Union threatening to liquidate its stocks. Microsoft is the modern day Standard Oil.

More Intel here, here, here,and here

From the last link. (Although it was merely a rumor, an acquisition would boost Microsoft's presence in the video game industry.) Remember this when reading this controversial information: A corporation may be an entity, but it is not like you. It does not feel pity, remorse, or compassion. It has no comprehension of morality. Its only purpose and goal and concern in life is to make money, as much money as possible even if it may be at the expense of the everyday consumer. Microsoft will continue to expand until it becomes so powerful it ends up like Standard Oil, controlling entire countries and corporations.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:41 PM
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A monopolization: YES
A Conspiracy: NO



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:50 PM
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Originally posted by mileysubet
A monopolization: YES
A Conspiracy: NO


Correct. However, the definition of conspiracy in this usage is a 'secretive deal between power-brokers to further personal or political agenda'. Not in the sense nobody knows what is going on, just in the sense nobody is 'supposed' to know what is going on. Almost all facts in this thread I have compiled myself by viewing and connecting the dots, with a little bit of common sense, as well of course.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:53 PM
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Lot to consider.
Will just go with my initial view of your two posts...but I am not sticking to my guns until I become more thoughtful about it.

I hear often that EA is a destructive force in the gaming industry..and with some well deserved criticisms, but EA also is responsible for bringing much of gaming to the forefront of entertainment...so its a double edged sword...hate their corporate methology, but recognise that they have contributed a lot to getting the whole gaming industry as inflated as it is...pin a medal to their chest honoring them, but make sure the needle sticks them really good as you do it.

Mass Effect: You bring this up often..clearly you have strong feelings for this in particular. But, did the ending suck? Was it bad? This is debatable.
But consider what mass effect 3 did to begin with..with EA's help.
They ran fantastic commercials, real eye catchers to people whom otherwise were disinterested in the franchise.
When ME3 came out, my friend played it. She wanted to discuss the ending with me as I am a fairly avid gamer...but never played the mass effect franchise (didn't get drawn much into its narration much). Well, I did end up getting ME3 just to stop her from begging me to play it...figured I would blow through it real quick just to have the convo..and to be honest, the commercials did look pretty damn awesome, so meh, what harm can it do
After ME3, and the discussion, I personally thought the whole game (lets remove the last 15 minutes) was absolutely excellent...but grim (starting a quick character gives some pretty bad history...Wreve instead of Wrex, dead Eve, etc etc etc)...but the universe was very intriguing..so went and got ME2 for reference...after 3 playthroughs, followed by ME3 again, I got ME1 out of now pure addiction.
Thing is, she has asked me to get other games before...of which I didn't..but this one was marketed just so that I did want to get it..which is EA's doing (boost marketing).
So, can EA be fully condemned?

As far as a monopoly...Halo doesn't target my age bracket or audience very much. seems a bit kiddish, always has, and am not bothered by it. Putting Bethesda games next to it and you don't know who they are. Yes, corporations always try to make the big bucks and beat the others...but the playing field is too diverse to dismiss others. Its like American Idol trying to take over the success of Game Of Thrones..two different markets, won't happen no matter how much money you toss at AI, or if you try to fill GOT with total suckage...even if you get the series cancelled, you won't default get the audience.

MGFWL has really bad press right now and many developers are attempting to run away from it due to its image..and for good reason. So, Will Micro consume the gaming industry? I don't see that happening anytime soon....EA however does need to restructure their priorities.
I also have faith in Bioware to do right...
I am currently having congnetive dissidence about the ending of mass effect 3. today I think it may be the most brilliant ending ever made, tomorrow I will think it sucks, the next day, back to brilliance...

Which makes me think that bioware has done a brilliant job either way, as I don't remember a game before that made people talk soo much about it...and if it wasn't for the ending, my friend wouldn't have been quite as passionate as she was to discuss it with me, which allowed them to make 3 sales they otherwise wouldn't have made...



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:55 PM
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There will be no Halo 4 from the original creators of the Halo franchise. They have already said this. Believe me, I checked.

Any future Halo games from them will be spin-offs from the original series, and not direct continuations. Furthermore, any direct continuations will have to come from another company...and as far as I know, they haven't sold the rights to anyone.

Therefore, no Halo 4. If there ever was a conspiracy, it goes no further with the Halo franchise.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:55 PM
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anyone that knows halo already knows its all about 2012, in a different timeline, you gotta catch up if your just figuring this conspiracy # out now


""This all feels so farmilar, i just can't point it out"



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:57 PM
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pfft, you guys want some real consipracy though, gotta check out call of duty, none of you are artistic enough to realise what it hides though, i've tried informing you sheep many times, but your brainwashed walls get in the way.


but hey dont get mad, thats what makes you all sheep and other people wolves, we cant all be the same



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 01:58 PM
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reply to post by Davian
 
BTW< black ops 2 will never be can'd, they'll talk about it only to give it more hype

you guys need to start learning and quick, most of this site is very far behind
edit on 18-5-2012 by WanderingThe3rd because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:06 PM
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L4D has arguably equal amounts of substance as COD in regards to message about society and conspiracys.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:08 PM
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Originally posted by Starchild23
There will be no Halo 4 from the original creators of the Halo franchise. They have already said this. Believe me, I checked.

Any future Halo games from them will be spin-offs from the original series, and not direct continuations. Furthermore, any direct continuations will have to come from another company...and as far as I know, they haven't sold the rights to anyone.

Therefore, no Halo 4. If there ever was a conspiracy, it goes no further with the Halo franchise.


Yes, however, 343industries, the project working on Halo 4, is simply another branch of Microsoft.

Source



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:11 PM
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Originally posted by SaturnFX


As far as a monopoly...Halo doesn't target my age bracket or audience very much. seems a bit kiddish, always has, and am not bothered by it.


Its apart of the brainwashing and propaganda machine. They're targeting younger and younger audiences so that they are more immune to the thought of looking down the barrel of a gun and shooting someone. That's all Halo and CoD have been about, dehumanization. The elite want an army of indoctrinated soldiers, what better way to do so then targeting little kids with these weapons of indoctrination who don't know any better?



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:15 PM
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I see what your saying OP. It looks more like a typical monopoly that a conspiracy to me. EA is just doing what is good for their business by attempting to dominate the market. Hey if you were running EA you'd be doing the same thing.

Don't see why they would cancel black ops 2. that makes no sense. even if it's in compettition with other games of EA it doesn't matter. EA paid for the production of it and they will need to attempt to recoup their costs for game production. It will go on the shelves don't worry. They aren't going to eat the nut they spent making the game.

Mass Effect 3. Mass effect 3 proved one thing to me. Gamers need to get a life. The mass effect franchise is brilliant/ the games are most excellent. To be complaining, to develop a "movement" to whine about the ending of the game is really just pathetic. It shows what lack of a life a lot of gamers truly have. I mean I just don't get it. Mass Effect 3 has like 50 hours of really excellent game play and you wanna get mad at them because 15 minutes out of those 50 hours wasn't to your liking. Lame.

I bought ME3 and have thoroughly enjoyed it.

People should get pissed at what a rip off modern warfare 3 was. Thanks for not trying folks who put together MW3. OR should I say the guys who put out the expansion pack for MW2, which is really all MW3 was. where the outrage there. At least BF3 had a sweet, sweet gaming engine (Frostbite2) and realistic play.

One of the post above mine pointed out what an excellent job EA did on marketing their games. I must tell you I was surprised to see commercials on the TV for ME3 and was tickled to see it. I think that says they will go the distance for their games and products. Nobody was doing press for ME2 or ME1. Glad to see EA stepped up on that one.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:18 PM
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Originally posted by Davian

Originally posted by SaturnFX


As far as a monopoly...Halo doesn't target my age bracket or audience very much. seems a bit kiddish, always has, and am not bothered by it.


Its apart of the brainwashing and propaganda machine. They're targeting younger and younger audiences so that they are more immune to the thought of looking down the barrel of a gun and shooting someone. That's all Halo and CoD have been about, dehumanization. The elite want an army of indoctrinated soldiers, what better way to do so then targeting little kids with these weapons of indoctrination who don't know any better?


Thats stretching it
"playing" war has been a constant in our society. Kids used to play with sticks saying they were swords and they were fighting in the great army against those dirty ___
then it went to toy pop guns, little green army men, GI-Joe, etc,
War entertainment has always been part of every cultures youth for as long as...forever really. This is not much of a conspiracy in and of itself..more of a sociological manifestation of the actual world we live in and how kids introduce this reality into their psyche. The medium has changed, but the corporations are not trying to push some indoctrination in that wasn't there to begin with...they are simply banking off of our human traits.

Now

Consider again Mass Effect 3.
What are they teaching? Think about the krogan V turian/salarian...what does that teach (go paragon here..most do).
What does the geth V quarians teach? (again, paragon).
Seems the overarching theme of this is that indeed war is not necessary..that unity is far more productive than warfare...you can say it is an theme of a united world, a NWO, etc...sure..but the alternative is what? death and more death? (never understood why people oppose the concept of a united world anyhow).
Is it indoctrination or mental evolution that we are going through?



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:18 PM
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Personally I'm still pissed at bethseda for putting out Rogue Warrior. what a piece of crap that game was. I hope Marcinko hunts those diplo dunks down and makes them pay for ruining his good name with such a crappy game.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:21 PM
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I thought the whole point of the Paragon/ Renegade choices in ME3 was to allow you to develop the character to best represent your vision of what you think humanity should be about. do you want the humans getting the rep of being savage, self interested, or do you want humans to get the rep of being benign and mature. It's sorta important since Shepard is repping what remains of the human species for future aliens.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:27 PM
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Originally posted by BASSPLYR
I thought the whole point of the Paragon/ Renegade choices in ME3 was to allow you to develop the character to best represent your vision of what you think humanity should be about. do you want the humans getting the rep of being savage, self interested, or do you want humans to get the rep of being benign and mature. It's sorta important since Shepard is repping what remains of the human species for future aliens.


Actually, the game overall rewards both side..the true downfall comes with being a bit neutral and not having conviction either way...
So, when all things are the same, might as well not be a jerk about it. Indecision is punished.

Nothing will beat the krogan in regards to violent tendencies, nothing will beat the asari in regards to loving care, The Hanar cornered the eloquent diplomacy market, the salarians are 10 times the scientists anyone else is, etc.
humans ultimately aren't going to show off how they are superior in any of the markets...so, really the only way to play the game is with conviction verses superiority.
(just my thoughts on it)
edit on 18-5-2012 by SaturnFX because: (no reason given)



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:41 PM
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Corporations are all about making money. They don't great products out of their good heart and kindness. They don't give a damn about you, they just want money. Halo and COD series do well at indoctrinating kids. But I do not think that it is TPTB planning all this stuff. Corporations are making what attracts the consumers the most and they are making TPTB's work easier in the process.

reply to post by BASSPLYR
 


And I do not agree with your statement about EA. There wasn't much promotion for ME 1 and ME 2 but they excellent games made by excellent guys at BioWare. Then EA came in and wanted to milk this cash cow as much as they can. ME3 had so much of promotion not for being good but for EA to make maximum amount of money with it. Setting a deadline for a game is just pathetic. They no more respect games for what they are and its just another source of cash to them.

Certainly, it was an excellent game and lived upto the expectation. But the ending? Even the developers know that they fked up and look pretty disappointed with it (see ME 3 conference at PAX East video on youtube). I put the blame on EA for this. And yes, the last 15 minutes matter to the whole 150 hours of content of the entire franchise. Imagine the whole planet Pandora being mysteriously nuked in the end of Avatar and everyone dead. Wouldn't make sense and would spoil all the fun. Same with ME3.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:50 PM
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I figured humans were vertuosic than all the other aliens in the galaxy. ie the most balanced and with the deepest innate talent. We are overall average, but if we try really hard we can do anything they can do better. Nah nah nah boo boo stick your head in doo doo you stupid asari, anything you can do humans can do better.



posted on May, 18 2012 @ 02:53 PM
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I too found the ending frustrating and lacking, but I wasn't about to go on a march and protest a Video Game ending. Thats just pathetic. Yeah they could have done better. but then look at the ending of the starwars franchise. not much better. but I still love starwars.

Would be awesome if EA made it up to the ME fans by creating a spin off of the series so that people could explore that universe more. It was a great universe they came up with in that game.




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