Halo as RTS? That’s IMPOSSIBLE!!!

One of my favorite columns on the web is Gamespot’s Rumor Control. As the administrator of the Fiorina 161 penal colony says, “This is Rumor Control. Here are the facts.” Unfortunately, Gamespot sometimes gets it wrong. Not often, though.

They said:

Source: Various conspiracy theorists in the gaming industry who read a Halo 2 survey dispatched by Microsoft.

The official story: Say it with me: “Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation.”–official Microsoft spokesperson.

What we heard: Microsoft recently posted a survey asking questions about Halo 2 and its multiplayer map pack. Nothing special here, right? Well, not exactly. A few clues prompted some to see this as simply more than market research. Case in point, Question #17: “Do you regularly or occasionally play Simulation games on a console or PC?” Why would Microsoft ask Halo players such a thing? Next clue: an e-mail informing gamers of the survey says “Commanding the battlefield takes strategic thinking.” Anyone who has played Halo 2 knows that the only thing one commands in the game is the direction bullets fly. These clues spawned one eagle-eyed GameSpot editor to be rich with curiosity, and he/she promptly galloped to the conclusion that a Halo-themed strategy game may be in the works. Logic says that if Solid Snake can be featured in a card-based strategy game, then Master Chief could meet the same fate, right? However, given developer Bungie’s track record with its popular franchises (Marathon was always a FPS, Myth was always an RTS), it seems unlikely that you’ll be reading the text “M Chief needles Covenant Elite for 20 points of damage.”

Bogus or not bogus?: We have to say Bogus on this one. If only because the thought of the Chief moving across a hexagonal board is creepy.

Gamespot must have forgotten that Halo originally started out as a RTS. It was after getting bought by MS that Bungie switched gears and made Halo the FPS that we know now.

So, a Halo RTS doesn’t sound so far-fetched, now, does it?