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Oni: Difference between revisions
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Oni went through a short period of beta testing, starting just before September 2000,<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4556 OCF thread, "New news groups?", Aug. 28, 2000].</ref> during which leaked beta builds of the game surfaced on the Internet.<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=6634 OCF thread, "Leakage?", Nov. 27, 2000].</ref><ref>[https://groups.google.com/g/alt.games.tombraider/c/vB9G_SbOrmU/m/i6D6zJQvNngJ Usenet alt.games.tombraider thread, "ok wtf!", Nov. 5, 2000].</ref> As Bungie West reached the end of development, Oni's publisher, Take-Two Interactive, granted them an extra month to polish the game, even though it would mean missing the holiday season.<!--No official citation for this because it's in the private full interview video with Hardy, but see 33:48 in that video.--> This final period of asset development apparently spanned October 2000, during which time the training level was added.<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=5646 OCF thread, "Re: is the "new' movie really the old trailer", Oct. 30, 2000]. Also, a [[wikt:gold master|GM]] candidate produced on Oct. 30, 2000 already contained the training level. The timestamp on the Windows retail game data is Nov. 3, 2000, so all assets were done by that point.</ref> | Oni went through a short period of beta testing, starting just before September 2000,<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=4556 OCF thread, "New news groups?", Aug. 28, 2000].</ref> during which leaked beta builds of the game surfaced on the Internet.<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=6634 OCF thread, "Leakage?", Nov. 27, 2000].</ref><ref>[https://groups.google.com/g/alt.games.tombraider/c/vB9G_SbOrmU/m/i6D6zJQvNngJ Usenet alt.games.tombraider thread, "ok wtf!", Nov. 5, 2000].</ref> As Bungie West reached the end of development, Oni's publisher, Take-Two Interactive, granted them an extra month to polish the game, even though it would mean missing the holiday season.<!--No official citation for this because it's in the private full interview video with Hardy, but see 33:48 in that video.--> This final period of asset development apparently spanned October 2000, during which time the training level was added.<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=5646 OCF thread, "Re: is the "new' movie really the old trailer", Oct. 30, 2000]. Also, a [[wikt:gold master|GM]] candidate produced on Oct. 30, 2000 already contained the training level. The timestamp on the Windows retail game data is Nov. 3, 2000, so all assets were done by that point.</ref> | ||
Development of the Windows version was finished in November 2000<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=6377 OCF thread, "ONI gone GOLD", Nov. 20, 2000].</ref> and the Mac version in December.<ref name=MacGM>See [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=7653 OCF thread, "Re: It's coming... soon", Dec. 18, 2000], which showed that the Mac demo would not be ready until the Mac version of the game reached Gold Master status, and [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=8412 OCF thread, "MAC DEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Dec. 22, 2000], celebrating the release of the demo.</ref> The Windows demo, released in mid-December,<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=7479 OCF thread, "ONI DEMO!", Dec. 17, 2000].</ref> contained Chapters [[CHAPTER_01_._TRIAL_RUN|1]] and [[CHAPTER 04 . TIGER BY THE TAIL|4]]. A later demo was released with Chapters 1 and [[CHAPTER 02 . ENGINES OF EVIL|2]] instead. The Mac demo, released a few days after the original Windows demo,<ref name=MacGM /> only ever contained Chapters 1 and 4. | Development of the Windows version was finished in November 2000<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=6377 OCF thread, "ONI gone GOLD", Nov. 20, 2000].</ref> and the Mac version in December.<ref name=MacGM>See [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=7653 OCF thread, "Re: It's coming... soon", Dec. 18, 2000], which showed that the Mac demo would not be ready until the Mac version of the game reached Gold Master status, and [http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=8412 OCF thread, "MAC DEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", Dec. 22, 2000], celebrating the release of the demo. However, the official confirmation of Mac GM status didn't come [http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/jan01.html#gold until Jan. 3, 2001].</ref> The PS2 version was not GMed until January 22, 2001, one week before the release date that had been announced in November 2000.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010128150200/http://www.dailyradar.com/news/game_news_6691.html Daily Radar, "Oni Gets SCEA's Approval ", Jan. 22, 2001].</ref> The Windows demo, released in mid-December,<ref>[http://carnage.bungie.org/oniforum/oni.forum.pl?read=7479 OCF thread, "ONI DEMO!", Dec. 17, 2000].</ref> contained Chapters [[CHAPTER_01_._TRIAL_RUN|1]] and [[CHAPTER 04 . TIGER BY THE TAIL|4]]. A later demo was released with Chapters 1 and [[CHAPTER 02 . ENGINES OF EVIL|2]] instead. The Mac demo, released a few days after the original Windows demo,<ref name=MacGM /> only ever contained Chapters 1 and 4. | ||
As Oni finally neared completion, Bungie resumed their advertising, now partnered with Take-Two, who were in the process of taking over the Oni [[wp: | As Oni finally neared completion, Bungie resumed their advertising, now partnered with Take-Two, who were in the process of taking over the Oni [[wp:Intellectual property|IP]] as Bungie prepared to join Microsoft (see "Buyout" section below). Promotional artwork was produced by Lorraine Reyes as well as artists commissioned by Take-Two, and a four-issue comic book was produced under Take-Two's supervision and published by Dark Horse. Take-Two's PR efforts, however, seem to have been focused mainly on the PS2 version of the game. | ||
''Further reading:'' [[Mac beta 4|Leaked Mac beta]], [[ | ''Further reading:'' [[Mac beta 4|Leaked Mac beta]], [[Dark Horse comics|Dark Horse's ''Oni'' comic]], [[:Category:Promotional art|Promotional art]]. | ||
==Release== | ==Release== | ||