Bungie, how we'll miss you. I remember a company whose employees wore tags to Macworld proclaiming that they'd just designed the box, so that people wouldn't blame them for Marathon being delayed. I remember a company that had more continuity across five games than most game companies put in one title. Minotaur, Pathways Into Darkness, and all three Marathons all shared mythological references, and Pathways shared some storyline with the Marathon trilogy. I remember a company that put more creativity and imagination into every single game than any other company in the industry. From Minotaur to the Marathons, to Myth and beyond, Bungie was the best game company out there. What's more, even once it entered the Windows market (with Myth; ignoring the ill-fated Marathon 2 Windows release) it released all titles simultaneously for Mac OS and Windows, with no shitty-port-9-months-later crap like Blizzard's releases.

Now, the Bungie that we knew and loved is no more. A legacy of some classic, beloved games will live on. Microsoft's new acquisition claims it has full control over what platforms Halo will be released for, but I doubt anyone seriously believes that. I can easily see Microsoft management 'strongly suggesting' that Bungie release only Windows and X-Box versions of Halo - or perhaps only X-Box versions, as few Windows gamers will buy an X-Box if they can just buy the game for their PCs instead. While it's possible that, given the large amount of Mac Halo codebase already complete, Halo will be released for the Mac, it's unlikely that future titles will. Furthermore, it'll be a Microsoft title.

I, for one, will not buy a Microsoft title, and I expect many of Bungie's most hardcore fans won't either. I do hope that if Microsoft releases a Mac version of Halo, and it flops, they realize that it's not because the Mac game market isn't worthwhile, but rather that it's because Mac gamers hate Microsoft. Many Mac users use Office because they have to, because they feel there is no choice; nobody has to buy a game.

What really mystifies me is that Bungie (rather, Microsoft) has retained the rights to Marathon. The Marathon fan base is almost exclusively Mac users; in the competitive game industry, Bungie might have relied on that loyalty to sell future Marathon releases. But by snubbing every Mac gamer out there, Bungie has lost that loyalty. Perhaps Microsoft can salvage this with quality Halo (and future game) releases, but that is doubtful.

Bungie must have realized that the X-Box is not a sure success (it's expensive for a game console, it's entering a competitive market, and Microsoft doesn't have experience in the true consumer appliance market - just look at WebTV) and thus, arguments about reaching a wider audience and participating in the future of gaming hold little water. Bungie sold out for money, period. Don't believe anything else you read. And you know what makes me sick more than anything else? The fact that Microsoft, having bought one of the few truly innovative game companies out there, is going to release Halo and proclaim that it's another example of Microsoft's "innovation."

I noticed that Bungie has no Macworld booth this summer. However, Microsoft has a booth. I propose that every individual reading this who has any Bungie merchandise - game disks, t-shirts, etc. - save them. If you're going to Macworld, bring your Bungie stuff, and hand it in to Microsoft. If you're not going to Macworld, mail it back to Bungie.

Bungie, we'll remember you and mourn you. Microsoft, you'll get yours yet. And if someone reading this wants to start writing cool, imaginative games for Mac OS X, I'm happy to try to help. Just don't ever sell out to Microsoft.

Noah Daniels has been a professional system administrator and software developer, and amateur rant writer. He is studying computer science at Tufts University.

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