Another interface prototype.

"Ensemble has been wanting to make an MMO for a long time. That was in production for a long time. The Halo IP was a great IP to launch an MMO with. Microsoft... hasn't had the best track record with those.

And we worked on it for a long time--we had staffed up an almost-40 person team. And then there was some reorganization at Microsoft, and the new bosses thought it wasn't the best idea anymore. It had actually been green-lit, and then it got cancelled after that." — Dave Pottinger[1]

Titan was the codename for a canceled Halo massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Ensemble Studios between 2004 and 2007.[2] Following the project's cancellation in 2007, Ensemble Studios focused all of its resources into developing Halo Wars.

Overview [ edit ]

Titan was a prototype game developed to compete against Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft. The project was internally cancelled in mid-to-late 2007 with no formal announcement of its development by Microsoft.[3] The game was to have been set in the Forerunner-era.[4]

Around 40 staff in three teams worked on Titan while other Ensemble's staff focused on developing Halo Wars, though one team remained on the project for six months.[1][3] During the early stages of Titan's development, Ensemble took inspiration from World of Warcraft's general structure and gameplay.[5] The project was said to be radically different in the later stages, exploring then-novel concepts and gameplay additions such as "heroic stylized artform" and cover system (later used in Star Wars: The Old Republic), and public quests (later used in Warhammer: Online).[6] Instead of mana points as used in World of Warcraft, a character's special ability energy was referred to as psion.[7]

By the time of the project's cancellation in 2007, Ensemble had a server infrastructure for the game, a World of Warcraft-scale gameplay zone and many of the vehicle and gunplay mechanics in a playable state.[8]

Concept art [ edit ]

During the game's development, a number of concepts were produced by Ensemble Studios. The full concept art gallery can be viewed here.

Screenshots [ edit ]

In 2008, user "goneisgone" uploaded an album of images of the Titan prototype to a Flickr gallery. These images are archived below, and can also be found here. Ensemble Studios employee Shannon Dees additionally uploaded several images to her Tumblr blog here[9] and her personal portfolio website here.[10]

World [ edit ]

Alien Desert

Alien Desert

Alien Desert

Alien Jungle

Alien Jungle

Alien Jungle

Alien Jungle

Alien Jungle

Alien Jungle

An alien jungle overlooking a Forerunner structure. [9] [10]

An alien jungle overlooking a Forerunner structure. [10]

The alien plant in the jungle. [10]

Blue Base

Blue Base

Blue Base

Blue Base

Canyon

Canyon

Canyon

Sci-Fi City

Sci-Fi City

Sci-Fi City

A planet. [9]

A holographic star map. [10]

A holographic star map. [10]

A structure resembling a light bridge. [10]

A structure resembling a light bridge. [10]

A structure resembling a light bridge. [10]

A Forerunner interior. [9] [10]

A Forerunner interior.[9]

World objects [ edit ]

A plant for the jungle environment. [9] [10]

An unknown, possibly human base structure. [9] [10]

An unknown, possibly human base structure. [9] [10]

An unknown, possibly human base structure. [9] [10]

An unknown, possibly human base structure. [9] [10]

An asset resembling a cryo pod. [10]

Unknown machinery.[10]

Weapons [ edit ]

Brute Shots

Carbines

Plasma Rifles

Plasma Rifles

Hardlight Staffs

Vehicles [ edit ]

Aardvark

Aardvark

Aardvark

Aardvark

Aardvark

Armor [ edit ]

Marine Armor Test

Marine Armor Test

Marine Armor Test

Marine Armor Test

Power Armor

Power Armor

Green Sci Fi Armor

Green Sci Fi Armor

Characters [ edit ]

Psion Female

Psion Female

Rogue

Rogue

Rogue

Visual effects [ edit ]

Prototype effects

Prototype effects

Prototype effects

Prototype effects

Prototype effects

Prototype effects

Prototype effects