:Halo.Bungie.Org

Claude Errera and several friends created bungie.org for developer Bungie's other video games, namely Marathon, in 1998. Before bungie.org, Errera had been involved in other Bungie-related sites.{{cite web|author=Big-Ern|date=2007-07-08|url=http://planethalo.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=44|title=Interview with Louis Wu|publisher=GameSpy|access-date=2008-04-15}} Halo.bungie.org began as "blam.bungie.org" on May 22, 1999, after information about what was to become Halo was leaked soon after the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 1999.

While Errera had used his real name for previous Bungie sites, his cofounder wanted to remain anonymous. At the time, little was known about the new project other than that it was set on a ringworld—a massive ring-shaped habitat. As such, the site founders took aliases from Larry Niven's novel Ringworld; Errera assumed the name "Louis Wu", after the novel's protagonist.{{cite web|url=http://nikon.bungie.org/about.html|title=About this site|publisher=Halo.Bungie.Org|access-date=2009-03-01}} Though the universe's Halo megastructures turned out to have more in common with Iain Banks' Orbitals, the aliases stuck and it was too late to change them. The first Halo trailer was unveiled in July 1999, and the site was renamed. Errera and the other founders searched the web for information and provided a place on Halo.bungie.org for fans to discuss and contribute.{{cite web|author=Staff|date=2009-11-02|url=http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/transmissions/article/2009-11-02-Waypoint-Spotlight-on-Louis-Wu|title=Waypoint: Spotlight on Louis Wu|work=halo.xbox.com|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=2009-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091111070723/http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/transmissions/article/2009-11-02-Waypoint-Spotlight-on-Louis-Wu |archive-date=2009-11-11}}

Over time one member of staff dropped out followed by another shortly after Bungie's acquisition by Microsoft, leaving Errera the sole webmaster and the main force on the site. Errera says that the only reason he has become known as the "Godfather" of Halo is due his long-term presence in the community. Halo.Bungie.Org is unusual among large non-commercial sites in having no paid advertisements of any kind on any portion of the pages.{{cite web|author=Barron, Noah|date=2007-09-27|url=http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/070926barron/|title=Lord of the Ringworld|work=The Knight Digital Media Center|publisher=University of Southern California|access-date=2008-04-02}}

Halo.bungie.org received about 600,000 page views a day in 2007. The site covers game news and rumors, strategy, fan-made machinima, stories and art, contests and forums. In the site's early years, it received only a small amount of fan-submitted material, which ballooned and made constant site maintenance a challenge. Errera attributed the site's longevity to the fact that it provided fans with not just Halo news but a place to share their love of the franchise. At a time when there was no easy video sharing via YouTube, Halo.bungie.org posted and categorized Halo films that fans submitted.

Each day, Errera read through the Halo.Bungie.Org forums, looking for interesting items to put on the news page and monitoring comments. He then checked other Halo and gaming-related sites for more news. He also approves fan movies or artwork and updates batches of new submitted content. Errera credits the site's success to its longevity; "When you’re there from the beginning, and you add new content every day, folks tend to come back," he said.

Bungie has a strong relationship with bungie.org and called the page the ultimate Halo fansite. Halo.bungie.org is listed as a source on Bungie's project pages;{{cite web|author=Bungie|url=http://www.bungie.net/projects/default.aspx|title=Bungie: Projects|publisher=Bungie|access-date=2008-04-13|archive-date=November 23, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123073332/http://www.bungie.net/Projects/default.aspx|url-status=dead}} Bungie employees frequent the Halo.bungie.org forums, often to point out a new Bungie update or answer questions from fans.{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=February 2007|title=2007: The Best Year Ever; Fall|magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly|volume=1|issue=212}} Halo.bungie.org often receives promotional items from Bungie to give away in various contests.{{cite web|author=Jarrard, Brian|date=2007-05-25|url=http://halo.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12503|title=Win a Halo Zune!|publisher=Bungie|access-date=2008-07-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231135316/http://halo.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12503|archive-date=December 31, 2013|url-status=dead}} Halo Franchise development lead and former Bungie staffer Frank O'Connor noted that when he started at Bungie, HBO was included in the company's orientation.{{cite web|author=O'Connor, Frank|date=May 22, 2019|url=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/happy-birthday-hbo|title=Happy Birthday HBO|work=Halo Waypoint|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=August 20, 2019|archive-date=May 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531130302/https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/happy-birthday-hbo|url-status=dead}} Its administrators and members have been repeatedly quoted in mainstream publications.{{cite news|author=Snider, Mike|date=2007-09-27|title='Halo' takes industry to new heights; early sales slash gaming records|work=USA Today|page=D1}}{{cite news|author=Wylie, David|date=2007-09-24|title=No tomorrow without Halo 3; Fans of immensely popular video game series expect the most from third installment|work=The Gazette|page=D6}}

Errera has been interviewed numerous times by gaming sites such as Microsoft's Xbox.com{{cite web|author=Gettys, Jim|year=2004|url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo2/spotlight3.htm|title=A Labor of Love: halo.bungie.org Webmaster Claude Errera|work=Xbox.com|publisher=Microsoft|access-date=2008-04-20 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080308204014/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo2/spotlight3.htm |archive-date = March 8, 2008}} and mainstream media organizations such as CBS and the BBC.{{cite web|author1=Chamberlain, Chad |author2=Vitka, William |date=2005-03-09|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gamespeak-claude-errera/|title=GameSpeak: Claude Errera|publisher=CBS|access-date=2008-04-21}}{{cite news|author=Staff|date=2006-10-03|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5400496.stm|title=Halo universe expands as fans wait|work=BBC|access-date=2009-07-16}} The site was nominated for IGN's "best fansite" award in 2005.{{cite web|author=Howarth, Robert|date=2005-12-05|url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/7314/Best-Fansite-2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223024930/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/7314/Best-Fansite-2005|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 23, 2009|title= Best Fansite 2005? - Voodoo Extreme|publisher=IGN|access-date=2008-06-05}}

Halo.bungie.org has used its notability to conduct several fundraisers for various causes, including raising money for Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. The site's members took part in a massive effort by the Halo community to raise money, primarily through selling collectible items through eBay auctions.[http://nikon.bungie.org/bma/ Blow Me Away charity auction] These auctions raised just under $11,000 for the relief effort. Members of the community also chipped in through personal means; one member held a charity Xbox live night and raised $139.{{cite web|author=Davies, Dave|date=2005-09-09|url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/diversions/stories/MYSA090905.3P.davies.53b978a.html |title=Gamers get into the action of helping Katrina victims|work=San Antonio Express-News|archive-date=2006-03-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060323074613/http://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/diversions/stories/MYSA090905.3P.davies.53b978a.html}} In 2003, following news that community member Brian Morden's cancer had returned, the community decided to set up a donation fund to support him. Although Brian died later that year, the fund became the Brian Morden Memorial Fund.{{cite web|url=http://nikon.bungie.org/misc/mordenupdate.html|title= Brian Morden update page|publisher=Halo.Bungie.Org|access-date=2009-05-19}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://halo.bungie.org/ Halo.Bungie.Org]
• [http://www.bungie.org Bungie.org homepage]

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{{Halo}}

Category:Video game fansites

Category:Halo (franchise)

Category:Internet properties established in 1999