Apparently there has been a slight name change to the upcoming stand-alone extension to Halo 3 expected to release in Fall 2009. As of today the project formerly known as Halo 3: Recon has been officially renamed Halo 3: ODST. Bungie offered an explanation that the “new title is a more straightforward account of the experience that awaits and the role you will assume as you explore the streets of New Mombasa” but I think it’s safe to assume at this point that a name change was forced upon them by the same people that canceled their highly hyped E3 announcement (which would also be the same people that made the Mythic Map Pack release dependent upon when Halo Wars hits the shelves). While the name is changing, the ability to attain the highly coveted Recon armor permutation will still be available through unlocking the complete series of Vidmaster achievements. Halo 3: ODST? I suppose I can get used to it.
Source [Bungie.net]
Posted by Sorel on November 25, 2008 at 10:42 am
So maybe this is what would have happened if they had tried to give Halo 2 and 3 titles…
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 25, 2008 at 10:49 am
ODST just doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as recon. Stupid Microsoft has to ruin everything…….
Posted by AT-AT on November 25, 2008 at 10:54 am
Why does Microsoft have to be so lame? They may own Halo, but Bungie knows what they’re doing. Why mess with them?
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 25, 2008 at 10:55 am
I actually like ODST better. It actually has something to do with our main character(s). To me it felt like RECON was only there because of the armor.
Posted by Grumpy Jedi on November 25, 2008 at 10:59 am
Not knowing the entire plot, it’s hard to say that Recon didn’t make sense. However, we do know that this is all about ODST dudes, so the new title, while not as attractive, does seem to make more sense. It still has “Halo 3″ at the beginning, so it’ll sell.
Posted by PsycheDiver on November 25, 2008 at 10:59 am
I would have gotten rid of the “3″ in the title as well, but that’s just me.
REALLY looking forward to this. Hopefully if it does well they’ll do the same thing with the Arbiter after he leaves Earth.
At the VERY LEAST I wanted a novel but it doesn’t look like I’m getting it.
Posted by Crazyeye0 on November 25, 2008 at 11:00 am
I don’t care in the slightest about the name change, people on Bnet are getting angry, but that’s the kind of behaviour you can expect from most of them anyway…
Posted by bs angel on November 25, 2008 at 11:12 am
I always thought the “Recon” was meant more as “reconnaissance” with the play being on the armor.
Posted by AT-AT on November 25, 2008 at 11:14 am
I, too, thought Recon was meant more as the scouting operation rather than the armor. It also flows better (I will get rather annoyed if I keep having to say the 4 syllable ODST to refer to the game rather than Recon).
Posted by CrazedOne1988 on November 25, 2008 at 11:16 am
@ angel
Yea thats what I thought.
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 25, 2008 at 11:16 am
I don’t care in the slightest about the name change, people on Bnet are getting angry, but that’s the kind of behaviour you can expect from most of them anyway…
That made me laugh…
Bungie could say that they are giving away every single map pack for free and people on the B.net forum would STILL be upset for one reason or another.
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 25, 2008 at 11:19 am
I was hoping that H3R had something to do with this:
ONI Recon 111 (COM): “Commander. This is ONI Recon one-eleven. The cruisers above…(static). They found…(static).
Miranda Keyes (COM): “Say again Recon? You’re breaking up.”
ONI Recon 111 (COM): “There’s something in the crater, Ma’am. Something beneath the storm.”
Maybe it still is…but either way a name change doesnt mean anything to me…unless its coming out sooner. ;)
Posted by Qix on November 25, 2008 at 11:19 am
Yea, they would be upset because they bought them before hand. They would want a refund.
Posted by Jedi Guy on November 25, 2008 at 11:39 am
Should be called “Halo 3: Helljumper” to use the easier-to-say and way cooler term for the ODSTs.
Posted by Rift on November 25, 2008 at 11:57 am
I’m still going to call it Halo 3 Recon…
Posted by SonofMacPhisto on November 25, 2008 at 12:15 pm
The best part about Bnet forums is also the backbone of the joke…
NO ONE CARES! :D
I’m neutral as far as the name of the game goes. When it’s released, no one will care what the name is. I’ll still be standing in line ready to go!
Posted by Captain Spark on November 25, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Personally, I like H3O…rhymes with HBO :) Besides, how does a person say ODST anyway?
Posted by mendicantbias00 on November 25, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Oh-Dee-Ess-Tee!
I like H3O too Spark!
Posted by BerserkerBarage on November 25, 2008 at 12:57 pm
What??? Bungie is giving away every map pack for free?!?!?
Not if I have anything to say about it! Damn cheap hippie-bastards devaluing everything I buy. Pisses me off.
I have no doubt that this is a MS thing. But I agree, if they wanted the title to focus more on the ODST’s they should have called it Helljumper. That sounds way more bad ass than ODST.
~B.B.
Posted by Kato on November 25, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Honestly, I never quite got why is was called “Halo 3: Recon” in the first place. I mean, I get that it’s “reconaissance” but with the word “Recon” meaning something specific in the Halo universe, I thought it was a strange choice. “ODST” is more accurate, but not a great choice for a title (someone in the comments here noted it doesn’t really roll off the tongue).
I would have thought “Halo 3: New Mombosa” would have been good, or perhaps “Halo 3: Dropship” or “Halo 3: Chiefless” or I dunno something good.
Posted by Deepcee on November 25, 2008 at 1:45 pm
A Rose By Any Other Name….
Posted by AT-AT on November 25, 2008 at 1:47 pm
For future reference. Most Acronyms are pronounced letter for letter. Phoneticizing acronyms is actually rare (when you think about how many widely used acronyms exist).
Posted by Desert Rat on November 25, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I agree that Recon went better than ODST. Microsoft needs to stop putting their hand in Bungie’s work, if Bungie is independant, let their work be independant too for God’s sake!
What I would have called it…..
HALO 3: Ghost Town
Posted by TheChrisD on November 25, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I really don’t get why they changed it. Recon made sense – it rolled off the tongue better, and the ODST’s can be considered more to be reconnisannce (sp?) personnel.
Posted by rowboat 000 on November 25, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Business as usual, I guess.
HALO 3: “ohdst” does have a certain ring to it.
Posted by aperture s on November 25, 2008 at 3:05 pm
meh, Make sense changing it.
Posted by Bryan Ojeda on November 25, 2008 at 3:33 pm
aughh, who agrees to always state Halo 3: ODST as “Halo 3: Recon”?
microsoft, let’s pretend this never happened. Don’t blame Bungie because your upset.
Posted by bs angel on November 25, 2008 at 4:35 pm
:: sounds it out ::
I think I could go for that!
Posted by Havoc 101 on November 25, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Ah this kind of sucks. I can live with it, but Halo 3 and ODST don’t sound right together as a title. At least not as much as Recon did.
Guess we can forget about the catch-phrase, now.
Posted by SonofMacPhisto on November 25, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I prefer H3O, personally. Mainly because it rhymes with HBO. :D
Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if THAT’S why they changed it… as a nod to the fans. Personally, I feel like this game will be full of those things.
We’ll find out eventually!
Posted by halcylon on November 25, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Can’t wait for the flood of:
ZOMG I CAN HAZ ODST?!?!!!??
OH WAIT…. nevermind
Posted by Handmade Hero on November 25, 2008 at 7:02 pm
when I heard about this news from a friend, I honestly thought that they were joking. Theres no significant reason for this to happen at all and I am officially in a pissy mood right now >:(
Posted by SonofMacPhisto on November 25, 2008 at 9:04 pm
@ Handmade
hugz nao plz?
Posted by Handmade Hero on November 25, 2008 at 9:35 pm
( >”)> <(“< )
Posted by Mike on November 26, 2008 at 10:05 am
ugh… now im going to have to fix the picture i had made making fun of the odst being called recon… how do i turn this picture around now?
http://www.halolz.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/recon-youhazit.jpg
looks like i have a project for the thanksgiving holiday :-D
Posted by Desert Rat on November 26, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I swear, if M$ is behind this, Im taking the Assault bomb, walking up to M$ game studios, planting it in the CEO’s room, set it to a 45 second timer, and casually walk out as the whole place goes up in digitallt rendered fire.
Im serious, I had this in a dream last night. Not Joking
Posted by DethPwn on November 27, 2008 at 1:38 pm
My response to this is the same as my response to the news of Wii instead of “Revolution”: WOW!!! DO YOU THINK YOU’RE FUCKING COOL OR SOMETHING?!?! YOU JUST LOST LIKE, 5000 POTENTIAL BUYERS!!! Of corse, ODST makes more sense, but that would be like saying Gears of War: COG Soldier. Hell, even Halo: Reloaded would be better than that. (I think the Helljumpers name was kewl, but then all the bitchy Mrs. Brofloski’s of the world would be like omfg no swearing)