We Like to Party

Yes, Halo 3 fervor is now in full effect! We are t-minus 3 days until the infamous Halo 3 beta goes live, when gamers can finally get their frag on yet again in spartan vs. spartan action. Chances are that you've already seen a plethora of videos, game screens, and articles on what will make Halo 3 tick. But as we get closer to the inevitable hours upon hours of time that we will spend in the Halo 3 universe, I'm reminded of the amazing party system that Bungie developed for Halo 2. It will most certainly be back in Halo 3, but why can't this great and innovative way of playing PvP online cross developers and become an industry norm?
For anyone who hasn't played Halo 2, the party system would allow a group of friends to remain together while moving in and out of different games. Once a game ended, the party would be put back into their own private lobby, and the party leader could then search for a different game. Parties would be matched up against each other, so gamers could play ranked games with their friends, and Bungie didn't have to worry about cheaters who "boost" to get their ranks up. It was such a successful system, I can only scratch my head and wonder why haven't other developers implemented this system into their online modes? A game like Gears of War would have been perfect for such a system, and would have eliminated the need for that ridiculous patch that eliminated playing ranked games with your friends.
Throughout this generation, Microsoft has made it pretty clear that they will do anything it takes to keep the sanctity of ranked games from being tarnished by "boosters" and cheaters. Unfortunately, this has been a move very disliked by hardcore online gamers, who crave nothing more than to play with their clan mates in games that mean something. The Halo 2 party system was a perfect answer to this problem, in that it answered the needs of both sides. It ensured that rank boosting cannot occur, while letting gamers play with their friends or clans. Hopefully, with the release of Halo 3 in the not-so-distant future, developers will get wise and use the party system to give their game's online life some longevity. Word on the street is that Shadowrun, which is scheduled for release on May 29th, will be using a similar party system. We can only hope...