Halo Director Discusses Extra Year of Development, the Bungie Days, and More! - IGN Unfiltered #62

[@TheMartyODonnell]

Fenris my old friend. Turning 50? Say it ain’t so, Joe! Nice job guys.

[@carsonlutz6995]

A legend commenting on another legend's interview. Thank you both for everything!

[@FoeJred]

When's your interview Marty? We miss you!

[@yellowhoodie5299]

Who the hell is Fenris?

[@matchington1148]

love all your work Marty

[@connorrowlings2408]

Marty! You the man. Ohhhhhhhhhh ooooooohhhh oo ooooooooooo oooo oo

[@ryanmcmahon7087]

Respect Ryan for starting off personable instead of just jumping straight to Halo.

[@NikHem343]

It really was the perfect balance of getting to know the person better and talking about the obvious

[@ChrisRayGun]

Joe is such a pleasant person.

[@boie5419]

CHRISTOPHERRRR

[@TerraWare]

He's a renaissance man.

[@adroharv9213]

yeah super nice and the sort of person you'd like to see and talk to down at the pub.. Great interview

[@mrdma6262]

Marty didnt like him 😂

[@Bytrl]

@@mrdma6262 Marty didn't get bullied in high school.

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

"When you feel pressure, you're probably making it a lot more about you than you should." That's an incredible bit of wisdom. I'm going to use that moving forward.

[@NeoShameMan]

Crunch is bad

[@luisfernandoca3794]

@@NeoShameMan he’s not refering to that, he’s refering to positions of power in development (being “the guy who’s saving Halo” might be a huge pressure)

[@harshwinters]

That one really resonated with me actually lol

[@DEVILTAZ35]

The bottom line really is that they had years to make this game amazing and had the wrong people in charge of the project until recently. They should just admit that and move on.

[@samgroesch3489]

This hits hard during finals week

[@LateNightHalo]

The story about the management shakeup following the Ascension demo was interesting. I’m really happy Joe is back to being a major part of the Halo ecosystem.

[@youngwindmillgang3239]

luv u

[@ultraglender6131]

Animations review for Halo 2 please😁

[@MaxIronsThird]

He'll probably leave in 6 months or so, he was brought in the fix the game.

[@bdlotus3504]

yee. and if anyone will be listened to about toning down the exploitative monetization of the game, it's him. Joe and the team put so much heart into this game. It's such a shame to see their efforts sullied by the greedy choices of the marketing/monetization leadership.

[@featherinescat]

@@MaxIronsThird he has been working for microsoft since 2014.

[@SergeantKillGore]

Excellent interview, you could tell Joe was pleasantly surprised from the start that the interview wasn’t just going to be about Halo and instead took interest in him as a person.

[@theray8892]

What an incredibly talented, personable and professional man Mr. Staten. I'm so glad he's now in the Halo franchise, and I'm sure we'll be getting epic stories again. Please don't ever leave Halo again

[@andrewjazdzyk1215]

Ryan is great at doing interviews. This is his thing.

[@DANEMAN5]

Honestly the only person at IGN I’d take seriously in this regard haha.

[@dannypassion]

Indeed, he's a great host 👍

[@ivankulola5847]

He's single-handedly carrying ign

[@automata.]

The thing that bothers me is he takes too long to finish the question. It's okay to let the interviewee answer a slightly more open question

[@heroicsquirrel3195]

@@automata. yeah exactly and he barely reacts to a lot of the guys interesting answers, maybe it’s time constraints or whatever but it felt like he was drilling the guy a bit

[@eric.waffles]

The possibility of Joe working on his own Halo campaign after stepping in at the 7th inning for Infinite’s is so exciting to think about.

[@alexlyster3459]

Yeah, if he does another ODST style spin off I'll be insanely happy

[@Maggai]

Yes, the future is really bright with Joe on board!!

[@MattttMan]

@@alexlyster3459 bro imagine a pseudo prequel based on his books like harvest or somethng

[@KonohaRamenNoodles]

Joe coming back to save Halo is a compelling story in itself.

[@JUPITER13n]

-rn

[@NazmusLabs]

Halo Infinite campaign was already complete when Joe Stepped in. Alhamdullillah, Halo was already “saved”. It needed polishing.

[@poopymcsnoopy]

@@NazmusLabs actually no, he changed quite a lot halo infinite's campaign was about to be a 'Tom Clancy's Wildlands' type of game but he hated that because it did not feel like halo at all

[@AdityaSathya]

@@poopymcsnoopy yes but the narrative must have largely been the same. He probably helped restructure a few things but that's it

[@chrissonofpear1384]

@@poopymcsnoopy Well, err, proof? Also, do not forget post launch content, audio logs, etc.

[@stealthswim223]

Bringing joe back might have been the best thing Microsoft has done since putting Phil spencer at the top.

[@xsneakatokex8783]

Well people could thank Bonnie Ross for that. Lady deserves more credit than she gets.

[@10awkwardpenguins]

@@xsneakatokex8783 Bonnie Ross is OG.

[@alexlyster3459]

@@xsneakatokex8783 Yeah I've always thought this. They might have stumbled on Halo 5, but both her and 343 are clearly super passionate about Halo, and now they've gone back to it's roots, they clearly understand it deeply as well. Joe coming back is amazing, but most of the design choices had already been made by that point. He just helped polished the game to a sparkle!

[@anthonycarlisle6184]

Always keeping to the original crew is best

[@yourgrandmasjzexboyfriend]

@@alexlyster3459they dont understand is deeply 😂

[@jacobgale4792]

The man who wrote Halo 2’s story, what an absolute Chad, he and Marty O’Donnell (Composer for Halo in the Bungie era) are honestly gods.

[@Freaky1347]

That pfp is quite the throwback

[@Lematth88]

O'Donnell was against transmedia and the Arbiter ...

[@TipppedScales1015]

@@Lematth88 Transmedia who gives af, the arbiter? Heresy.

[@imswanronson3558]

@@Lematth88 that’s a really dumb reason to not like someone you don’t know

[@Th3_HP]

Don't forget about Micheal Salvatori

[@_Quint_]

It's great see IGN and other channels conducting interviews in the same room as the guests again, and not over webcam. Makes a warm world of difference.

[@xxgeorgiakidxx673]

These interviews are legitimately some of the best things IGN is doing right now. Keep em coming!

[@excaliber5403]

If they fix customization this game is literally gonna be flawless and even if they don’t I am absolutely gonna be playing it

[@hz_rd]

Don't tell them that!

[@matthewmoran5297]

Honestly, I'm more interested with how Master Chief's story ends. 😢 Now...will _Infinite_ be the final game in the main canon, or...is it going to be the final game in the franchise overall? 🤨

[@LazyFaux5656]

So if you're going to play it regardless, why would they care? lol

[@timothyweakly2496]

Same

[@NewkirkChris]

Amen, that says a lot about how incredible the gameplay truly is.

[@drewcifer9701]

As a diehard fan and lover of all things both Halo AND Destiny I’ve always been a big Staten fan. Contact Harvest is one of my all time fav Halo books and Joe’s passion and vision at the GDC reveal of Destiny is a great memory for me. I’m so glad he’s learned on his journey and brought that experience and his leadership to 343 for Infinite. Hope he sticks around a bit and influences the team.

[@PTron96]

Such an interesting and seemingly genuine person. People would be lucky to have him in their life. Thanks for coming back to work on Halo, Joe. Really means the world to a lot of us. 💙

[@francescodociak3347]

Can we please get a podcast of Joe just talking about ODST and it’s development? Could listen to that for hours

[@rave-eazy]

watch the vidocs

[@brockenglish7602]

In the last episode he finally explains what the deal was with all those glyphs.

[@NazmusLabs]

343i already did something like this. ODST Commentary.

[@jurassicarkjordanisgreat1778]

@@NazmusLabs Do they talk about elites?

[@njm2699]

@@brockenglish7602 yo fr? Can u send me a link?

[@garthdude911]

What a gem this was. Joe’s vision of Halo has always been my favorite (H2, H3, ODST) and this has me even more excited for the future of Infinite. December 8th can’t come soon enough!

[@mannymelo949]

Ryan really did a fantastic job guiding Joe around questions and letting him explain himself Definitely my favorite so far

[@Yerlockk]

PLaying Halo in 2001 was such a dream, it was like a life changing experience as a kid.

[@dariofromthefuture3075]

If you know the history of Halo and Joe’s witty personality - you can feel his influence on the franchise. So happy he’s a part of Infinite for the long run

[@jordanstamey]

Jospeh really represents hope that the franchise needed

[@Puppy_Puppington]

The gospel of “Jospeh “

[@HenryMyth]

This comment didn't age well.

[@TheRevenger117]

This man is a legend. The joy it brought me that he came back to halo for infinite, is immeasurable

[@stormbreaker7373]

Thank you for coming back Joe I’m sad to see you leave again but really thankful you got to put your mark on Infinite it really is one of my favorite Halo games

[@trickfinger1177]

Wow what a great surprise Ryan, looking forward to this one!

[@ajxx9987]

Man we need more people like him in the industry... he's a legend

[@conorsmith9424]

Joe Staten seems like such a genuine, sensitive, and talented guy. Interview could have been double the length and I'd still be listening.

[@stewsc9]

Such a smart creative person. When he was talking about how pressure and expectations are related to your own self doubt, that really hit me. So glad he found himself with Halo again

[@jesuscmd4050]

Love the excitement from Joe talking about things to come to halo, hopefully we will stay around and help continue this momentum, feels great to be near this Halo relaunch of sorts, love it! cant wait to play Infinite's campaing!

[@jeffd5999]

The fact that ryan said “you’ve had such an interesting journey” and missed the perfect opportunity to say you’ve had such a great journey” is going to keep me awake at night.

[@spicydaddy2526]

What an absolute legend. It sounds cheesy when most people say they just want to serve and do what's right by the fans but Joe Staten walks the walk.

[@federicomeneghini6947]

This was a great interview. It felt real, transparent and very very interesting. This man is one of those guys who made Halo.

[@Squicx]

Kids now will NEVER understand why we're crying tears of joy over Infinite and Josephs return...

[@RobbieB2606]

What a great interview. Love Joe, and I'm so glad he came back to champion his baby.

[@sambainbridge301]

Joe nailed the question about pressure, well spoken

[@ayans22]

What an amazing interview. Thank you so much for this Ryan.

[@TomTom-ym2bh]

Joe Staten at the head of Halo is one of the best thing that happened to the series.

[@FNESSE]

Joe Staten is a gem. What a great guy

[@Rosecain27]

My opinion. Infinite isn’t on the level of CE-Reach, but it has that old halo spirit again, which is really really great.

[@Canady182]

Thanks Ryan, and thanks Joe. You are amazing. The original Halo trilogy stands among the greatest in science fiction storytelling, and Halo 2 especially is one of the greatest stories and experiences I've ever had.

[@maximus9401]

How can you not freaking love Joe. This is the guy to save Halo. His passion and sincerity shine through his words. What a hero

[@ghostb18]

Thank you so much for this Ryan ❤️

[@freiteez]

The superintendent!

[@KonohaRamenNoodles]

And grunts!

[@MaxMonsterGaming]

Amazing interview, Ryan. Joe's career sounds like a great journey. I'm so glad he's back leading Halo.

[@steviejeets6479]

Almost broke my phone screen tapping on this let’s gooooo

[@SerahBay]

great interview, Ryan is a considerate yet dynamic interviewer. definitely smiled a bit at 49:54 watching him carefully avoiding insulting Halo 5, while also implying what we all hoped - that Joe's return meant a positive overhaul of Infinite's story - funny but showed how kind he is. i've been wanting an interview like this for Joe, he seems like such a fun sweet guy and it was nice to learn about him as a person and how he developed his skills over time. ❤️

[@MadDadLad]

This path, where does it lead? Take my hand, walk with me Into the light, forever free Take my hand, walk with me. That's from his fantastic short story, Shadow of Intent, and for some reason it has really stuck with me. Joe's an absolute gent and one of my favorite people in general for his work with Halo and his passion for the universe. So happy to see him back with the universe he helped to create.

[@Archvile1]

im so happy Joe Staten is back working on Halo

[@aritea111]

Honestly a 10/10 interview, It makes you feel like a spectator watching an stellar interview.

[@aritea111]

All seriousness though, very well done.

[@asteelopaparazzi1300]

Every single one of Statens interests combined to make halos 1-3 masterpiece I'm very interested in his playwriting interests because that's why the story of Halo is so captivating.

[@corvinbrown9074]

I’m so glad he’s making this game. What an amazing man!

[@bork750]

This is a really great interview. Joseph seems like a genuine guy.

[@7331warrior]

What a great interview, loved it!

[@Soccercrazyigboman]

If only Marty O'Donnell was here for one last ride with Staten to give us a legendary soundtrack

[@thetrouserpress4494]

Seems like such an important interview in the context of the state in which games are being released these days

[@Speedhaak]

Joe Staten, one of the old guard. Love this guy, always enjoyed his outlook over the years!

[@thecomicsarereal]

Wow what a wonderful person. The fact that such an intellectual is providing creative vision for a game totally reflects what an art video games have become.

[@lewisb1584]

Very nice and respectful interview

[@doctorlobsteroctopus]

What a classy, professional, well rounded and awesome human being. Glad he came around to do Halo again!

[@Smokedship]

Unfiltered is amazing. Ryan's one of the more experienced, educated voices left at IGN.

[@zgSH4DOW]

The Behind The Scenes documentary for Halo 2 never fails to make me cry Also, why is his tie so long

[@sagewaterdragon]

This is the best interview that I've seen on IGN, thank you.

[@geraltofbolivia9428]

One of the biggest legends in the gaming industry

[@MinorMotionPicture]

Started watching at 1am, figured I’d watch 15min or so, head to sleep, and finish it off the next day… ended up watching the whole thing.

[@adron7748]

What a fantastic interview Ryan. Definitely showed more of who Joe is and most of our curiosities about him!

[@vinced7618]

Loved the paintball analogy 😂 made me laugh out loud and it sums up the Halo community beautifully

[@inigomontoya619]

Thanks Ryan and Joe. Awesome vid.

[@MaeBearheart]

This was such a pleasant and fun interview. Much love to both of you.

[@Just_Gaming4Fun89]

amazing interview Ryan. this video was an absolute treat to listen to while playing the Halo Infinite Campaign.

[@silentobserver888]

All hail Halo’s return to glory!

[@esmedientes]

what an incredible interview.

[@ZxRiGxZ]

This man is awesome!

[@rededd0196]

ODST is my favorite Halo game to this point. The ODST soundtrack is excellent.

[@Nik-spartan]

Halo infinite is gonna be 343's ultimate payoff to the franchise

[@wifine1951]

If they just fix progression. Multiplayer and gameplay is amazing. Let’s see what the campaign does

[@RumCaptain]

I'm impressed with this interview. We get to know a little about Staten and not just Halo Staten. This was really cool.

[@pronobb8104]

> "Only ship experiences when they're ready" Every developer should follow this mantra

[@SynphamyMusic]

What a cool guy! Super likable, great attitude to life. Just loves what he does and wants his work to put smiles on faces.

[@SteveOh_]

Crackdown 3 was my favorite exclusive from Xbox One, so I'm really happy they touch upon it in this video

[@sachinreddy2836]

Honestly inspiring person

[@swissbliss24]

Such nice positive comments when skimming through the comments section. Very nice to see. Obviously there is nothing bad to say here. Can't wait to play Infinite, and hope to see his influence on future Halo projects. It's obvious this guy's influence is appreciated and most likely needed.

[@TorQueMoD]

This was great guys, thanks for the chat!

[@kirkden71]

Fantastic interview! Ryan’s journalism school really shows…more than a lot of his peers in the industry. Well done!

[@trueblueyahoo6185]

Dear Director ❤️💙

[@sneir6539]

WE LOVE YOU JOSEPH, THANK YOU!

[@Matanumi]

Joseph is the man for sure

[@LiamKOP]

Does he mention how long the campaign is? Thanks!

[@w77eed]

well put it this way. the pervious halo games par time was 3 hours. Halo Infinites par time is 8 hours.

[@alexlyster3459]

@@w77eed Pretty sure the par time for previous Halos was a bit longer than 3 hours wasn't it! Maybe on easy

[@w77eed]

@@alexlyster3459 the par time is set for all difficulty and is about 3hours. People always just do it on easy.

[@jackflew3997]

Excellent interview!

[@djayjp]

He's the reason Infinite feels like og Halo. Thank you!

[@commandingsteel]

hopefully Joe remains in the spot light after release... he's so interesting and fun to listen to

[@slicedbread117]

If Infinite’s campaign meets or exceeds its expectations, we’ll look back years from now on how the decision to bring Joe back saved the franchise. Great interview!

[@ryuryu3579]

50:00 they start talking about infinite briefly here

[@mitchell16]

Great interview, props to both Ryan and Joe

[@chrispankratz9386]

Thanks for this great interview.

[@DaProdigyNyc]

This is such a great interview

[@justin8865]

Wow loved this interview, Jon was wesome but kudos to the interviewer for asking some hard ballsy questions

[@zemo32]

Wow, great interview and great questions! Really interesting guy…looking forward to more of these.

[@ag-bf3ty]

Ryan's interviews are always fantastic.

[@steinhardt2012]

Awesome interview!! amazing being able to hear all these old stories about how everything evolved over the years 😁

[@juggalochef2399]

An IN PERSON Unfiltered with freaking Mr. Staten talking all things HALO! Joy indeed!

[@Twigglebitz]

What a fantastic interview!