Timeline of development: Difference between revisions
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|event3text=Bungie West gets their content authoring pipeline working{{ref|note=[http://web.archive.org/web/20010302193919/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni2.shtml Inside Mac Games: "Sneak Preview: Oni"]}} | |event3text=Bungie West gets their content authoring pipeline working{{ref|note=[http://web.archive.org/web/20010302193919/http://www.insidemacgames.com/previews/99/oni/oni2.shtml Inside Mac Games: "Sneak Preview: Oni"]}} | ||
|event4date=May 28, 1998 | |event4date=May 28, 1998 | ||
|event4text=Oni is announced{{ref|note=[https://marathon.bungie.org/story/blastfromthepast.html Marathon Story Page: Blasts from the Past]. Note that [https://web.archive.org/web/20000422020741/http://pc.ign.com/news/5839.html this official press release] was months late.}} | |event4text=Oni is announced along with Myth II at E3{{ref|note=[https://marathon.bungie.org/story/blastfromthepast.html Marathon Story Page: Blasts from the Past]. Note that [https://web.archive.org/web/20000422020741/http://pc.ign.com/news/5839.html this official press release] was months late.}}{{ref|name="monsters"|note=[https://chicagoreader.com/news/monsters-in-a-box/ Chicago Reader: "Monsters in a Box"]}} | ||
|event5date=Dec. 28, 1998 | |event5date=Dec. 28, 1998 | ||
|event5text=Myth II uninstaller bug is discovered, costs Bungie about $800,000{{ref| | |event5text=Myth II uninstaller bug is discovered, costs Bungie about $800,000{{ref|name="monsters"}} | ||
|event6date=May 14, 1999 | |event6date=May 14, 1999 | ||
|event6text=Oni appears at E3 with hands-on demo running in multiplayer mode{{ref|name="mp"|note=See [[Multiplayer]] for video evidence.}}<br>Release date is estimated as early 2000{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000817003431/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/e3report/e3-2.shtml IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report - Page 2"]}}<br>"Blam" project is shown three days later to a select group behind closed doors{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000815110548/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/e3report/e3.shtml IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report"]}} | |event6text=Oni appears at E3 with hands-on demo running in multiplayer mode{{ref|name="mp"|note=See [[Multiplayer]] for video evidence.}}<br>Release date is estimated as early 2000{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000817003431/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/e3report/e3-2.shtml IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report - Page 2"]}}<br>"Blam" project is shown three days later to a select group behind closed doors{{ref|note=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000815110548/http://www.insidemacgames.com/features/99/e3report/e3.shtml IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report"]}} | ||
Revision as of 15:01, 20 March 2026
- For the full story of Oni's development, see Oni. For detailed information on the continued updates for Mac after release, see History of Mac Oni.
The Oni project started development in April of 1997 and ran for approximately 3 years, 9 months, ending in January of 2001. Through this time, the Bungie West team ran into unexpected technical and design hurdles, resulting in a much longer development period than planned. The initial internal deadline for the game was October 1999, and this was gradually pushed back quarter by quarter until the game was finished in the time period from November 2000 to January 2001, depending on the platform.
The development of the game was accompanied by unexpected events such as a financial blow to Bungie from the Myth II uninstaller bug, a partial buyout by Take-Two Interactive, turnover on the staff and a change of project lead, and then a complete buyout by Microsoft. Only a sustained crunch period at the end of development, pushing Bungie West to their limits, allowed the game to be finished to a degree where it was ready to ship, and cuts to the game were still required such as the removal of multiplayer mode.
The dates below are sometimes approximate but are mostly supported by hard evidence, as seen in the citations.
| Apr. 2, 1997 |
Engine quietly begins development under Brent Pease per dates in source code |
| July 1997 |
Bungie West announces they are hiring[1] |
| Dec. 31, 1997 |
Bungie West gets their content authoring pipeline working[2] |
| May 28, 1998 |
Oni is announced along with Myth II at E3[3][4] |
| Dec. 28, 1998 |
Myth II uninstaller bug is discovered, costs Bungie about $800,000[4] |
| May 14, 1999 |
Oni appears at E3 with hands-on demo running in multiplayer mode[5] Release date is estimated as early 2000[6] "Blam" project is shown three days later to a select group behind closed doors[7] |
| Jul. 21, 1999 |
Oni appears at Macworld NY running in multiplayer mode[5] Halo is announced[8] |
| Aug. 12, 1999 |
Take-Two Interactive announces that it will purchase 19.9% stake in Bungie, becoming the distributor for Oni and Halo;[9] purchase occurs in November[10] Oni's stated release date is "before Christmas" 1999[9] |
| Dec. 20, 1999 |
Brent Pease leaves the Oni team[11] |
| Jan. 5, 2000 |
Oni appears at Macworld SF; on BungieTV, the game is demonstrated in multiplayer mode by Bungie staffers[5] |
| Feb. 20, 2000 |
Oni's release date is listed as "summer 2000" by Take-Two[12] |
| May 13, 2000 |
The announcement is made that multiplayer mode has been canceled[13] |
| Jun. 19, 2000 |
Microsoft purchases 100% stake in Bungie and Take-Two gains full IP rights over Oni and Myth[14][15] |
| Aug. 28, 2000 |
Oni enters beta phase of development[16] |
| Nov. 4, 2000 |
Creation date on game data files in the Windows retail release |
| Nov. 17, 2000 |
Oni is gold mastered for Windows[17] |
| Nov. 20, 2000 |
Creation date on game data files in the Windows demo and Mac retail release (in .sep format) |
| Dec. 15, 2000 |
Bungie West officially moves to Microsoft's headquarters at Redmond[18] |
| Dec. 17, 2000 |
Windows demo released[19] |
| Dec. 20, 2000 |
Oni is possibly gold mastered for Mac, based on the date on the retail application and the release of the Mac demo[20][21] |
| Dec. 21, 2000 |
Mac demo released[22] |
| Jan. 2, 2001 |
Second possible date of Mac gold master[23] |
| Jan. 22, 2001 |
Oni is gold mastered for PlayStation 2[24] |
| Jan. 29, 2001 |
Official release date for Oni in North America on Mac, Windows and PS2[25][26][27] |
References
- ↑ Marathon Story Page: Blasts from the Past. Note that this copy of the Bungie West job ad is stated to have the wrong date at the bottom of the page.
- ↑ Inside Mac Games: "Sneak Preview: Oni"
- ↑ Marathon Story Page: Blasts from the Past. Note that this official press release was months late.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Chicago Reader: "Monsters in a Box"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 See Multiplayer for video evidence.
- ↑ IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report - Page 2"
- ↑ IMG: "Feature: The E3 Report"
- ↑ Bungie: "Halo Brings Action Gamers a World Without End"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 IGN: "Take-Two Take Bungie"
- ↑ SEC 10-K filing for Take-Two Interactive
- ↑ Oni Central Forum: "Brent Pease leaves Bungie?"
- ↑ Oni Central: News for February 2000
- ↑ Oni Central Forum: "Rant here... I think its a good rant ;)"
- ↑ IGN: "Microsoft Buys Bungie, Take Two Buys Oni, PS2 Situation Unchanged"
- ↑ SEC 10-K filing for Take-Two Interactive
- ↑ Oni Central Forum: "New news groups?"
- ↑ Oni Central: News for November 2000
- ↑ HaloPlayers.com: "Matt's Halo Update - December 15, 2000"
- ↑ Oni Central Forum: "ONI DEMO!"
- ↑ Oni Info window
- ↑ Oni Central Forum: Mac Demo News
- ↑ Inside Mac Games News: "Oni Demo Released"
- ↑ Oni Central: News for January 2001
- ↑ Daily Radar: "Oni Gets SCEA's Approval ", Jan. 22, 2001
- ↑ Oni Central: News for January 2001
- ↑ Godgames.com: "Gathering of Developers Ships Oni Nationwide for the PC and Macintosh"
- ↑ GameSpot: "Oni Receives Final Approval"
