Support NeoGAF

[Aika'svyse]

Do you think Halo has reached the same status as Mario and Sonic? Is Halo a part of pop culture, will it live on like the greats or fade just as quick as it appeared?

Abstract Cheif in the hizzouse :lol

 

[Mrbob]

The Chief is here to stay.

He is the badass mascot to lead the new generation of gamers.

 

[Luscious LeftFoot]

Not even close...

Halo's a popular game this gen, but no where near the status of Mario or Sonic.

 

[LowTecky]

Halo? Yes
Master Chief? No

 

[FoneBone]

Not quite, probably because Halo will never be as friendly to mass-market merchandising (toys, cartoons, etc) as Mario and Sonic were at their peak. Master Chief is almost certainly the most iconic new character this generation, though.

 

[CajoleJuice]

Yea, I think he has. Just the other day I was visiting my friend at his college. One of their dorm neighbors walked in as we were playing Halo 2. He just went off on how awesome it is and how much the Master Chief kicks ass. He pointed to the game case and was like, "Come on! Just look him! He's just fucking badass holding those two guns. They're not even the biggest guns or anything, but he just looks fucking badass man!"

 

[Socreges]

Really, not even close. Consider how well known Mario and Sonic were.

And GTA is more 'mainstream'. Not necessarily in terms of popularity, but for what we'd define mainstream as.

 

[Kon Tiki]

I do not think people will idolize him once the draft starts.

 

[Aika'svyse]

I can't remember the last time I've walked outside and just heard so many random people discussing a game, maybe final fantasy 7.

The Halo movie will probably be the next huge step in its evolution though.

 

[_Angelus_]

Did anyone hear the Jim Rome show yesterday? One of its callers was speaking about the controversial NFL commercial that aired ealier this week when he then mentioned that kids have enough to deal with in GTA and Halo games.

Yeah,I think Halo is pretty much a household name now. Duh.

 

[kumanoki]

I think in order for that to happen, Halo would have to be pushed aggressively in a market resembling a vacuum (i.e. Mario). We'd have to see Halo everywhere; games, tv, videos, clothes, cereals, trinkets, books, guides...everywhere. Even moreso than what we're seeing now.

Halo is well-known and extremely popular, but with just two games under the title, and very little marketing in terms of time and spending by comparison to N i n t e n d o or S e g a, I would have to say no. I would also argue that Halo, as good as it is, isn't iconic enough. There are too many similarities to other games in the genre as of right now.

I say give it a few more years and we'll see where it goes.

 

[GFord]

Depend's on how many (Good) sequel's and generation's of hardware it last.

 

[Mike Works]

The Halo franchise is one of, if not the most popular one this generation (save for GTA, Madden, and others, but none that were created this gen), but there's no way "Halo" is as synonomous with videogames as "Nintendo" was, and to even greater extent, "Master Chief" and "Mario". Not even close.

 

[The Faceless Master]

man, when i was in the corner bodega last night, they had on a spanish music station, and after whatever song they were playing finished, they started talking and mentioned halo 2.. dunno what they said since i dont speak spanish, but the tone of voice sounded positive...

 

[DopeyFish]

Halo is more popular, but the thing Master Chief is not a mascot in a general sense. What I mean by that is you won't see him outside Halo games for the most part. You might see him as a hidden character in another game (might!), but you won't see him in an abundance of games like mario or sonic, nor will you find him in games that for the most part appeal towards the younger end of the age spectrum.

Eventually, Halo and Master Chief will be as popular as Earthworm Jim and people will eventually ask themselves why they even liked the dude in the first place.

 

[CrimsonSkies]

The Halo franchise would make a killer animated series / movie.

 

[FoneBone]

Halo is more popular, but the thing Master Chief is not a mascot in a general sense. What I mean by that is you won't see him outside Halo games for the most part. You might see him as a hidden character in another game (might!), but you won't see him in an abundance of games like mario or sonic, nor will you find him in games that for the most part appeal towards the younger end of the age spectrum.

Eventually, Halo and Master Chief will be as popular as Earthworm Jim and people will eventually ask themselves why they even liked the dude in the first place.

Earthworm Jim was cool.

 

[DopeyFish]

Earthworm Jim was cool.

my point exactly...

 

[Mike Works]

my point exactly...

But why would they ask themselves why they liked him?

 

[firex]

You guys are making me think of Halo 2 happy meals and I could see Bungie not making toys, but just random little scraps of paper with the same kind of weird shit from ilovebees on them.

 

[DopeyFish]

But why would they ask themselves why they liked him?

you know... sort of how you watch or play something 5 or 10 years later and ask yourself what in the world did you find likeable about (object in question) in the first place? =p

 

[Do The Mario]

Who is sonic?

 

[lexi]

The average person doesn't know who Master Chief is. They might think you mean Master Chef.

The average person, however, does know Mario and Sonic, and maybe even Crash.

 

[Do The Mario]

The average person doesn't know who Master Chief is. They might think you mean Master Chef.

The average person, however, does know Mario and Sonic, and maybe even Crash.

I don’t think the average 9 year old would know who sonic is

 

[impirius]

I don’t think the average 9 year old would know who sonic is

Sure they do, ask them and they'll tell you he's that guy on the Sonic GBA Video carts

 

[radioheadrule83]

Yea, I think he has. Just the other day I was visiting my friend at his college. One of their dorm neighbors walked in as we were playing Halo 2. He just went off on how awesome it is and how much the Master Chief kicks ass. He pointed to the game case and was like, "Come on! Just look him! He's just fucking badass holding those two guns. They're not even the biggest guns or anything, but he just looks fucking badass man!"

And this is the modern day educated man.
I think I'm gonna go kill myself.

 

[TheGreenGiant]

After HALo2... MC is the new power ranger (Green).

 

[swoon]

MC isn't very iconic at all.

 

[DSN2K]

if people are still playing Halo in 10-15 years then we can have this discussion.

 

[CajoleJuice]

And this is the modern day educated man.
I think I'm gonna go kill myself.

Well, he's only a freshman. :lol

 

[Ghost]

Well i think to find the characters status the question is will people buy a game just because it has them in it (All the mario spin offs owe at least part of their sales to the fact that mario is actually in them) And i think the answer for Master Chief is no, people are buying Halo (the whole package), not the chief.

I guess we'll know for sure when Halo Kart comes out for Xenon.




Halo as a series though has definitely reached the popculture threshold, i dont really think Mario or Sonic are even in that bracket anymore (Just because people know who they are doesnt mean they are excited by them).

 

[shpankey]

not yet, but i think if the series continues next gen and maintains this level of awesomeness, then i think it will then.

 

[Forsete]

MC is probably one of the worst characters this generation.
Motocross gear as armour? Hello?

 

[TeTr1C]

The only problem is MC doesn't talk that much.

"We'll be okay," and "I need a weapon," aren't going to cut it anymore.

 

[DarienA]

Personally I think in it's time period Tomb Raider >>>>>>>>> Halo.

Tomb Raider has art books, discussion books, etc devoted to it... that's not to mention comics and regular fiction books(I know Halo has a fiction series as well).

 

[Tritroid]

Does Master Chief have his own cereal?

I rest my case.

 

[Escape Goat]

Halo is a flash in the pan icon compared to Mario and to a lesser degree, Sonic. It all comes down to marketing/merchandising and consumers are more apt to buy soft, snuggly and primary colored Mario than gun toting soldier.

 

[funcojoe]

What a bunch of fucking fanboys in this thread.

 

[mumu]

No, not even close.

 

[funcojoe]

It's funny the people who are saying shit like no way, not close, blah blah blah are ntards.

 

[mumu]

Go ahead and show why i'm a ntard.

 

[lordmrw]

It's funny the people who are saying shit like no way, not close, blah blah blah are ntards.

not that i'm an ntard, but plain and simple, Halo isn't even close to the status Mario and to a lesser extent are. I can see why some people might think that, as everyone is talking about Halo 2 since its just been released, but in a few months no one will care anymore.

 

[funcojoe]

Times are a changing, within the next 10 years I see alot of dissapointed fanboys.

 

[mumu]

Who was talking about the next 10 years?

 

[Tritroid]

Sounds like someone hit a nerve...

 

[DarienA]

Times are a changing, within the next 10 years I see alot of dissapointed fanboys.

Reaching...reaching...

 

[funcojoe]

U have a Yamauchi icon. lol

Reaching lol, come on now, seriously, the gaming industry is goin to change overnight with the next gen, watch what happens to Japan and it's influence over the industry, it won't have one by the time the next gen is over.

 

[mumu]

If i change that into a Master Chief icon now does that make me an Xbot then? I really don't wanna wake up some Xbots from their dream world, because the truth hurts, but if you want to i will

 

[Meier]

As mentioned, not even close. Show a picture of Master Chief to 100 people and maybe 15 get it right. Show a picture of Mario to 100 people and probably 60 of them (as a bare minimum too, number would likely be considerably higher) get it right. Halo is becoming a part of popular culture, but "Master Chief" is more or less just an unknown.

 

[Ghost]

not that i'm an ntard, but plain and simple, Halo isn't even close to the status Mario and to a lesser extent are. I can see why some people might think that, as everyone is talking about Halo 2 since its just been released, but in a few months no one will care anymore.

Kinda like no one cares about Mario now....

Sorry but its true.