Xbox Addict

Bungie Job Postings Offer Hints About Next Game

Bungie has publicly said that they aren’t starting work on their new series until they’ve finished up Halo: Reach, but it looks like they’re at least laying the groundwork.
Job postings for several new positions have cropped up on Bungie’s official site, including ones for a Writing Lead and a Player Investment Designer. Both positions may offer hints as to what the new game will be all about.

According to the posting, the Player Investment Designer will be tasked with "designing mechanics which drive in-game player reward and incentive" as well as giving them long-term goals "to invest them in the world and their character." The designer will also be responsible for ensuring that the system cannot be griefed or exploited.

The description points to a system similar to that of modern shooters like Battlefield Bad Company 2 or Modern Warfare 2, which utilize specializations, unlocks and other incentives to keep players invested in the multiplayer modes. Among the qualifications is "experience with many modes of online play."

The Writing Lead will be responsible for developing Bungie’s new universe, with experience in "branching or non-linear" narratives considered a plus. To this point, Bungie’s shooters have been fairly linear, but its reasonable to believe that they are interested in branching out a bit with their new games.

An action RPG along the lines of Mass Effect is a possibility, but so is an open-world game like Far Cry 2. In any case, it seems as if Bungie wants to get a fresh start with their new series and experiment a bit.

Activision recently announced a ten-year deal with Bungie to distribute the new game whenever it launches. The studio will be ending their decade long relationship with Microsoft after Halo Reach is released.

Reach will be out this fall. Their next game -- whatever form it eventually takes -- likely won’t be seen until at least 2012.