350°

Why America Embraced Master Chief

There has been never been a phenomena in the United States like the Halo series, and in particular, its hero, Master Chief. While there have been crazes – the Pac-Man craze, the Pokemon craze, the Mario craze – they have never had the presence or popularity that Master Chief has had...

...The question is – why? Why has Master Chief captured the imagination? What sort of magic synergies have elevated Master Chief in America to icon level? This article shall explore why, and find that there actually is no mystery to Master Chief's success.
JonahFalcon - contributor
Published: 64 days 8 hours ago | Article | Xbox 360 | Xbox | Gaming | PC
 
 

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Cajun Chicken - 64 days 11 hours ago
1 - Is Marcus Fenix the next Master Chief?
NO WAY.
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randomwiz - 64 days 11 hours ago
1.1 -
agreed.... not many people would know who Marcus Fenix is if you asked them.

I'd say the next biggest American gaming star is Kratos
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JonahFalcon - 64 days 10 hours ago
1.2 -
Coulda been Duke :p
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Cajun Chicken - 64 days 10 hours ago
1.3 -
I think Tommy from Prey and the (Surely upcoming sequel) will be the next MC, or at least 360 mascot. I really don't believe in Marcus Fenix as a character and Alan Wake doesn't particularly sound like a franchise yet, not really even Shepard from Mass Effect because you can alter him/her.

Overall, I believe Tommy is the best candidate.
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Pandamobile - 64 days 9 hours ago
1.4 -
It should have been Duke. Master Chief has no personality whatsoever.

Whereas Duke is one of, if not THE most badass characters ever created.
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skv007 - 64 days 9 hours ago
1.5 -
duke, kratos........ (dare i say) Max payne? lol
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Blaster_Master - 64 days 8 hours ago
1.6 -
At least Marcus Phoenix had some type of personality. What is with you fanboys that act like Master Chief is some kinda awesome character?
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deadreckoning666 - 64 days 8 hours ago
1.7 - Master Chief is the most overrated character in gaming history
...but I thank him for the impact he has made in making gaming more popular.
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Pizzagaki - 64 days 8 hours ago
1.8 -
Its not about Master chief his personality, its about what he pulled off, and experiences on his adventures.
Masterchief is the ultimate freak that withstands everything.

Besides, as if the Terminator or Robocop got so much personality.
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Microsoft Xbox 360 - 64 days 8 hours ago
1.9 -
"What sort of magic synergies have elevated Master Chief in America to icon level?"

All it takes is heavy presidential campaign-like advertisements and rigged reviews. Not to mention articles like these, giving the illusion of Halo being better than what it really is.
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ThanatosDMC - 64 days 8 hours ago
1.10 -
Duke is better. Saving lots of sexy prostitutes.... errr...

Nathan Hale is much much better than MC. He actually has character.
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Shbzshar - 64 days 7 hours ago
1.11 -
chief doesnt have a bad ass character or a bad ass persona... he's not even written that way in the games

but its when you play him ... you feel it... when you take a hornet to the air and bring down some banshees and phantoms and then jump off midflight onto a scarab and beat down the pilot with a grav hammer ... blow it up and then jump down onto a ghost and clear out the brutes... it gets crazy ... after the set piece battles you cant help but think ...damn that was bad ass...
1.12 YLOD Service Rep | 64 days 7 hours ago - deleted by mod -
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Cajun Chicken - 64 days 7 hours ago
1.13 -
Marcus Fenix is about as emotional as a cardboard cutout. That's why not him.
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AnttiApina - 64 days 7 hours ago
1.14 -
Yes... Because we all know how Kratos is an USA citizen...
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hitokiri - 64 days 7 hours ago
1.15 - @Pizzagaki
"Besides, as if the Terminator or Robocop got so much personality."

Have you even seen Robocop? The first movie i mean... Murphy had a lot of personality.

Anyways... i agree with everyone that says its could have been Duke but oh well, sh@t happens.
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ReservoirDog316 - 64 days 4 hours ago
1.16 - @ Pizzagaki
Yeah and the Terminator had a personality, in part 2 at least. That's why it was sad when he died in the end.

Have you even seen Terminator or Robocop? Make it a priority, they're good.
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calis - 64 days 2 hours ago
1.17 -
Seeing the ridiculously over hyped first paragraph I was wondering who wrote this dribble and of course it was Jonah, a 360 fanboy.

Halo isn't even close to the biggest phenomena in the United States, get real.
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Real Gambler - 64 days 11 hours ago
2 - Very long article....
Shorter version:

BECAUSE HE HAS A BIG GUN!
2.1 SCThor | 64 days 8 hours ago - deleted by mod -
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Pizzagaki - 64 days 8 hours ago
3 -
The next Masterchief will be a different Spartan :)
And its not only the USA that embraced Halo.
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Godmars290 - 64 days 8 hours ago
3.1 -
Its going to be a different faceless guy with a gruff ragged voice who's only known by his rank, which will also be Master Chief?

Do tell.
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UNCyrus - 64 days 8 hours ago
3.2 -
Hahahahah! Where else embraced Halo?

Halo 3 sold 3x more in the USA than it did in every other country in the world combined!
(source) http://www.vgchartz.com/gam...
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Pizzagaki - 64 days 8 hours ago
3.3 -
Well, its better to compare the USa to continents, and not country's
The usa got like 350 million people living in it, thats more then all the country's in west europe combined.
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Godmars290 - 64 days 8 hours ago
3.4 - "The usa got like 350 million people living in it"
Yes, and yet somehow 8 million Halo 3 owners, out of less than 30 million 360 owners worldwide, equates to the whole of the country being mad for the game.

Pokemon is and probably will be more popular for som time to come. If not forever.
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Arnon - 64 days 2 hours ago
3.5 - @Godmars290
Halo 3 has sold 10.13 million copies. That's 1/3rd of all 360 owners. Yes, Master Chief is one of the gaming idols. It's a household name. It's a game that is played by all ages.
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ChanDangle - 64 days 8 hours ago
4 -
Because Americans loves green power rangers.
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Pizzagaki - 64 days 8 hours ago
4.1 -
*looks at avatar*

Actually, Masterchief looks more like a badass F1/Indycar driver.
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ChanDangle - 64 days 8 hours ago
4.2 -
The stig is a legend on his own.
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ThanatosDMC - 64 days 8 hours ago
4.3 -
Hey the green power ranger was my favorite in the original with his godzilla mech.
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Shbzshar - 64 days 8 hours ago
4.4 - ^
yeah... but then he then later returned as the white ranger and turned all depressed and boring...
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ThanatosDMC - 64 days 7 hours ago
4.5 -
So true. Kimberly used to be hot back then... but damn, the years werent good to her.
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MK24ever - 64 days 8 hours ago
5 - War is the lack of intelligence, that's why.
Sci-fi, war, shooting, guns, generals, troops, lack of respect for others (in this case aliens), Microsoft Hype-machine, media support from pro-American made products, do I really need to continue explaining why is Master Chief so popular?

He isn't popular, he was made popular.
I respect american ppl, american gamers, but the media, politics in general and some over-ignorant factions of your society is truly truly sad, so much that it can create a shadow over the many decent and normal US citizens.
Maybe Obama will fix what become wrong in the last 150 years in US.
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Godmars290 - 64 days 8 hours ago
5.1 - Agreed.
You can't look at MS only ever growing ad budgets around a Halo game, the $2K promo bundles that went out to reviewers, and say that its popularity is genuine.
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kaveti6616 - 64 days 5 hours ago
5.2 -
I didn't think it was possible to infer political ideology from a video game... but you made an effort. From the plot of Halo, it was the Covenant that were hostile first. The UNSC did not start the war, they only defended themselves. The Covenant are nothing like the terrorists from the Middle-East. The Covenant are meant to be interpreted as a faceless, nameless threat in the first game. In fact, in the first book, Halo The Fall of Reach, the Covenant's side of the story is never told, not once. The humans did nothing to provoke the wrath of the Covenant. The Covenant was just going around, assimilating other species and going on some religious mission set forth by the leaders, the Prophets.

Halo is about killing aliens who are trying to kill you. Hardly anyone I know who plays the game has ever interpreted the plot of the game to be referencing any real life conflict. The reason why Americans love the Master Chief is because he is the nameless, faceless hero that we need in times of hardship. He is the Chuck Norris of the video game world. He does not die, he does not quit, and he is never afraid of anything or anyone. He does his mission with honor, with dignity. American ideology has become rooted in patriotism. Master Chief represents a true patriot. His cause is never questioned.

More than anything, it is a mindless shooting game. The characters have no depth in the games themselves. In the novels there are more details.
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zagibu - 64 days 3 hours ago
5.3 -
Not that I completely agree with OP, but your arguments actually work in favor of it. Of course the Covenant attacked first. America is always attacked first as well. At least that's what history tells us.
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Obama - 64 days 1 hour ago
5.4 -
You are absolutely correct. We should teach our children to look down on Master Chief.
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kaveti6616 - 64 days ago
5.5 -
I don't think, historically, that America has been attacked first. America is a capitalist nation and thus it has interests in other regions which can support its infrastructure. The Middle-East is said to have an abundance of oil reserves. The United States has shown a lot of interest in it, and in years passed different government administrations of the United States have made deals with administrations of the Middle East to get oil. The attacks that America has fallen victim to are in response to perceived attacks inflicted upon the Middle East. The terrorist groups didn't choose to attack America for no reason at all, although you have your right to question whether their reasons were valid and enough to justify the killing of American civilians.

History is but a fable agreed upon. There is no real Truth.
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jleack - 64 days 8 hours ago
6 -
I really can't stand how he looks... why couldn't they have done a better job with the suit?
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Morbid Bulldozer - 64 days 8 hours ago
6.1 -
You should consider a closed helmet yourself. :>
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kaveti6616 - 64 days 5 hours ago
6.2 -
Ouch. In Jleacks defense, if that avatar is a pic of him, he's really not ugly. And I am straight.
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lamigol - 64 days 8 hours ago
7 -
Master Chief looks stupid. He is not a good look for a world saving hero. He is however a good look for a man at an Elton John party
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Pizzagaki - 64 days 8 hours ago
7.1 -
Says the man with star wars troopers in his avatar.
They did a whole lot better job on Spartans then they did on those troopers.
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clintagious650 - 64 days 8 hours ago
8 - I'll take marcus fenix over masterchief...
When I think of masterchief I get a picture of him using wiifit lol. I think because hes not a gaming icon that blew me away like solid snake, mario, zelda. He reminds me of wiifit because halo sells millions but never wins GOTY. The series has really fallen off since the first & is such an overrated series now. Fun online game but thats about it. Story from 2 & 3 are generic at best & in order to really understand the halo world u need to buy books lol. Masterchief is like the guy on the kfc bucket. Sells alot but will only be known because of the large fanbase who enjoys halo but to gamers like myself he will always be just an overrated icon on a chicken box.
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zootang - 64 days 8 hours ago
9 -
Treasure hunting Drake? He is one cool cat
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Ceekay - 64 days 6 hours ago
9.1 -
Drake is just badass.
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The BS Police - 64 days 8 hours ago
10 - .
At the age of 14 the Master Chief killed four ODST soldiers in hand to hand combat in seconds without the aid of any sort of armor. How many other game characters can attest to that?
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Shbzshar - 64 days 7 hours ago
10.1 -
haha i remember that ... "fall of reach" right ... after the genetic experiments...
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zootang - 64 days 7 hours ago
11 - The BS police
Sounds like Tyson
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Ko_Uraki - 64 days 7 hours ago
12 - It's simple
Because Master Chief is Captain America in a different universe.
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