[5:27 PM]
Bungie Recalls Myth II: Installer Error
Bungie has recalled Myth II: Soulblighter before it even hit the shelves due to an error found under certain circumstances on the PC installer. Myth II was released as a hybrid CD, so even Mac users will not be able to get their hands on what is likely to be the hottest game of 1999. the press release from Bungie:

"Before Myth II: Soulblighter hit the shelves, Bungie discovered a problem which warrants a recall of the title. Though the problem is likely to affect only a small number of Windows users, it nevertheless could be serious for them. Recalling a product is a difficult decision to make, but Bungie believes strongly it is the right thing to do.

In certain unusual cases, using the Uninstaller can cause problems. If a user chooses an installation directory other than the default directory, they should NOT use the Uninstaller but should manually drag the Myth II folder into the Recycle bin and delete it.

Anyone who has the game but has not yet installed it is asked to wait for a new version of the Installer which we will release shortly. If you have already installed the game, there is no harm in playing it, but players should be careful not to use the Uninstall executable. If you have already Uninstalled and not experienced obvious problems, there is nothing to worry about.

This is only the case with version 1.0 of the game. We are now replicating a new CD, which will be clearly labeled "version 1.1" and will have it on the shelves in a couple of weeks. Bungie deeply regrets the inconvenience to our customers.

Note: This is not a problem with Myth II, only with the Windows version of the installer. Although rare, the problem also affects the demo, so if you installed the demo in a directory other than your default directory be sure that if you uninstall it you do so manually."

Bungie was apparently able to recall the game before it hit any store shelves as every retailer we checked did not have it. None of them were aware of the recall either. A CompUSA employee we spoke to seemed surprised that the product was in inventory records as it usually does not appear until one day after it is received (according to her). Bungie's Empire once again has proven its efficiency at controlling the Channel. :-)

The Mac Observer Spin: Bungie has proven once again that it is not an ordinary game company. While it is common practice these days to release a product that is known to be effective while working on a "patch" to fix it while the game is being manufactured, Bungie stand above the crowd. Not even Christmas moved the company to release Myth II before it was ready, and then at an expense of what is likely hundreds of thousands of dollars, recalled the product before it hit store shelves. On top of this, it is indeed a rare situation that would cause the glitch that sparked Bungie to recall the product. The easy thing would have been to let the game hit store shelves and prepare tech support for the onslaught of complaints they would get. Instead, Bungie did the right thing and recalled it to ensure that their customers did not have the problems associated with the glitch.

The Mac Observer salutes Bungie!