FILMOASIS CREATES
HALO 2 LIMITED COLLECTOR'S EDITION BONUS DVD
With opening day sales in excess of $125 million, Halo 2 is already breaking industry records. It beat out even Pixar's "The Incredibles" first day revenues of $71 million, and Halo 2 promises to surpass even the sales of its predecessor, Halo: Combat Evolved. But this time, the game is only half the story. Halo 2 comes complete with a Limited Collector's Edition DVD - a combined effort of Bungie, Microsoft, and FilmOasis. This ultimate companion DVD - the story behind the game - marks the first time a bonus DVD of this kind has ever been attempted in the games industry. Taking its cue from other limited editions, such as "Lord of the Rings," this compilation is just one more example of how Hollywood and the game industry are converging.
FilmOasis created the concept and design of the Limited Collector's Edition companion DVD. The company approached Microsoft's Bungie Studios with the idea, and the studio ran with it. Nearly 36 months in the making, the Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition DVD offers gamers a rare glimpse inside one of America's most exciting game developers. This DVD produced for worldwide release in 8 languages takes viewers behind the scenes with never-before-seen footage of Bungie Studios during the creation of Halo 2. Featuring more than 100 minutes of brand-new, exclusive material, this DVD includes a "making of" documentary, developer commentaries, game design featurettes, art gallery, gameographies and much more.
FilmOasis cameras follow the notoriously secretive team as they scramble through the development phases-from character sketches and animation to the cinematic splendor of the announcement trailer. FilmOasis was there for the tension and the excitement as they crammed every last ounce of energy for E3 2003. They were there for the creative battles as each phase of the game (levels, missions and story) took shape. They were there for the all-nighters and technical struggles that lasted right up to the last minute. Fans will be especially intrigued to see the characters and the weapons that never made it into the final game - entire levels that got left behind, missions no one would ever see - until now...
In addition to the bonus DVD, FilmOasis was responsible for several Halo 2-related assets; the Attract movie (an in-game trailer that plays if the game is left idle for a certain amount of time, showing a variety of gameplay modes), the in-game end credits for the entire team, and B-roll footage (packages created for entertainment outlets to promote the game).
FilmOasis created a eight-minute piece called 'Inside Halo 2' for the X03 gaming industry event in Paris, September 2003. It was a behind-the-scenes look at Halo 2, showcasing material first displayed at E3 2003, but looking at the overall development process. It was released as part of a Best Buy promotion (a DVD version was bundled with a controller), and then released on the web to the Halo fan community in December, 2003. It contains the beginnings of what would eventually become the Making of Halo 2 documentary released with the Limited Edition version of the game.
