14 DAY TRIAL // Bungie has already said that it only plans to offer public details related to the project it is working on for Activision at some point in 2011 but this has not stopped fans of the developer to look through its public information output in order to get some clues. A closer look at the positions Bungie is advertising as open on its official website offer some small details.
The most interesting one is that of Player Investment Designer, who must deliver the player reasons “to invest them in the world and their character,” while also “designing mechanics which drive in-game player reward and incentive.” The Player Investment Designer needs to make sure that the mechanics they create cannot be abused by players in order to gain unfair advantages in the next Bungie project.
Meanwhile, the Writing Lead will bear the responsibility of actually putting together the game world for the new franchise. One significant requirement for them is having experience with “branching or non-linear” stories. All the Halo videogames have been pretty linear and the requirement probably means that Bungie is interested in putting together an experience gamers will need to replay in order to see all the possible paths. Something similar to Mass Effect 2 is a possibility as it is a traditional shooter with a light role playing game element.
The deal Bungie has signed with Activision covers the videogames they will launch in the next 10 years. This means there will be plenty of time for the series to try out different mechanics and see how they play out with gamers. The studio has already said that it is focusing most of its resources towards Halo: Reach at the moment, aiming to make it the biggest launch of 2010, resources shifting to the new project afterwards.