Like many of you, I’ve been watching Gary Whitta’s talk show, Animal Talking. It’s a fantastic use of Animal Crossing and a great example of how games can become bigger than themselves and transcend mediums. Animal Crossing lends itself well to this sort of thing – just like Halo.
Yes, Halo. You may not think Animal Crossing and Halo have a lot in common, but did you know long before Animal Talking, there was a talk show in Halo?
“This Spartan Life” started way back in 2005 using Halo 2. Using Xbox Live and system link, its host Dameon Lacedaemon (not his real name) interviewed guests from gaming and other industries. Like Red vs. Blue, the creators use the game’s limitations to their fullest.
The show uses a mix of interviews and sketches.
Watching it is pretty nostalgic for me. I was pretty young when it came out, but I was really fascinated by it. It’s amazing to me how ahead of the curve Bungie was. Halo was more than just a game, it was a social platform. This was only furthered with Halo 3 and its Theatre and Forge modes.
Did you ever watch This Spartan Life back in the day? Have any other examples of games like Halo and Animal Crossing becoming big social platforms?