Image courtesy of Doug Zartman. Click the image to enlarge.
"TBWSAF"
Below in chronolgical order are the submissions to the Story page concerning the acronyms on Bungie's boxes.
| May 16, 1997 |
Matt Soell <matt@bungie.com> (Bungie Software) writes:
Here's a poser for you: ever look at the bottom of any Marathon box and wonder what the letters after the product number stand for? You can probably figure out the acronyms on the Marathon and Marathon 2 boxes; I don't think anyone outside Bungie could guess the meaning of the letters on the Infinity and Trilogy Boxes. Well, maybe one person....
What's on the bottom of the Trilogy Box? Well we'll just have to wait and see. But in the mean time grab those other boxes and check out the acronyms. More Marathon mysteries. Nice one Matt. ;-)
| May 19, 1997 |
Forrest Cameranesi <Pfhorrest@aol.com> writes concerning Matt Soell's little acronym puzzle for Marathon diehards:
he's right, the last two are hard (at least the Infinity one is. I haven't gotten my Trilogy Box yet)DMUKYA = Don't Make Us Kick Your Ass (M1 box)
MBIBTYB = My Bob Is Bigger Than Your Bob (M2 box)
TBWSAF = ??????? (Infinity box)
??????? = ??????? (Trilogy box)
Yes it seems that TBWSAF has everyone stumped.
| May 20, 1997 |
Chris Camacho <christo@flash.net> writes concerning the acronym TBWSAF on the bottom of the Marathon Infinity box:
Too Bad We Stopped After FourRefers to Marathon Saga
1 Pathways Into Darkness
2 Marathon
3 Marathon 2 Durandal
4 Marathon Infinity
Forrest Cameranesi <Pfhorrest@aol.com> also writes concerning the acronym TBWSAF
TBWSAF = The Box Was Such A F***** (that silver stuff they had trouble with)
| May 22, 1997 |
Interesting... the acronym on the Trilogy Box is the same as the Infinity box - TBWSAF.
| June 13, 1997 |
John Bousfield <bousfields@cityscape.co.uk> writes:
If you look carefully at page 12 of the Marathon (1) manual, you will notice, that on the 'The Marathon Interface' title image it says "DMUKYA" (Don't Make Us Kick Your Ass). Another little message left to us by Bungie.
Yup... as Matt Soell (Bungie Software) said:
Hide little messages in all sorts of unusual places? Who, us?
| June 19, 1997 |
Matthew Payne <sfeira@pacbell.net> writes:
On page 12 of the Marathon Manual, there is a secret message, yes? There is a secret message no. Well there may be, But the DMUKYA thing just isn't there. It says DMUYKA. Don't make us your kick ass? Ok...
DOH!... could this be another screw up on the Story page or has Durandal been at it again. ;-)
| Apr 1, 1998 |
Interesting Marathon related post from Matt Soell (Bungie Software) on alt.games.myth. Yes they discuss Marathon there too sometimes. Better keep up to date folks. :-) Anyway this tidbit is about the acronym "TBWSAF" on the bottom of the Infinity and Trilogy boxes. This was discussed way back in May 20, 1997 both Chris Camacho and Forrest Cameranesi made some good suggestions one of which was posted to alt.games.myth without crediting the original source. Tut tut! Matt replied:
In article <6fkpjn$r40$1@joe.rice.edu>, Lindley Doran <doran@rice.edu> wrote:> "TBWSAF" Means: "To Bad We Stopped At Four".
Nice try, but no cigarillo. :-)
-Matt
--
Matthew Soell
Director of Customer Support
Bungie Software
matt@bungie.com
| Apr 2, 1998 |
Here's a follow-up to that "TBWSAF" acronym post on alt.games.myth. It seems that some people want to know... ALL. Matt Soell replied:
In article <6ft72a$ace@newsops.execpc.com>, corbeau@execpc.com (Dennis Taylor) wrote:> Matt! You're alive! :-D
In a manner of speaking.
> So... what _does_ it stand for?
Some things man was not meant to know.
-MDS
--
Matthew Soell
Director of Customer Support
Bungie Software
matt@bungie.com
Verily it doeth speak the tru7h. :-)
| May 8, 1998 |
I apologize if the following offends anyone.
Alex Rosenberg <alexr@goonsquad.spies.com>, formerly of Bungie Software, reveals the tru7h behind the "TBWSAF" acronym on the bottom of the Infinity and Trilogy boxes:
When we were doing M2 for Win95, we started getting some really angry hate mail. One letter suggested that we "come out of the closet" (which explains the use of that phrase in some places). But our favorite nickname by far was "Trick B**** W**** S*** A** F******."
Well there you have it... or don't as the case may be. I was of two minds about putting this up. The string of profanities in the "TBWSAF" acronym would put even Adam "I'm comin' outta the booth!" Sandler to shame. Thus I have taken the liberty of blanking out some of the letters. Back in May 16, 1997 Matt Soell (Bungie Software) wrote:
Here's a poser for you: ever look at the bottom of any Marathon box and wonder what the letters after the product number stand for? You can probably figure out the acronyms on the Marathon and Marathon 2 boxes; I don't think anyone outside Bungie could guess the meaning of the letters on the Infinity and Trilogy Boxes. Well, maybe one person....
Hmmm... who could that one person have been?
More recently (Apr 2, 1998) Matt said:
Some things man was not meant to know.
| May 9, 1998 |
Matt Soell <matt@bungie.com>, Director of Customer Support at Bungie Software, writes concerning the "TBWSAF" acronym bombshell below:
The letter in question actually made it onto an early edition of our Letters To The Webmaster page. It was the one with all the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] tags.
| Nov 20, 1997 |
Forrest Cameranesi <forrest@west.net> writes concerning the acronym WACCSMD on the bottom of the Myth box:
SMD ususally means "Suck My..." when used in acronyms (I used to know someone with the AOL screenname "Win95 SMD"), and WACC could be "Warcraft and Command & Conquer". So "WACC, SMD".
HEY! This is a FAMILY PAGE! Bungie wouldn't write that kinda thing on their boxes... would they?
BUNGIE SAY IT ISN'T TRUE! ;-)
| Nov 27, 1999 |
James Gurnee <harness@access1.net> points out that on the bottom of the Myth: The Total Codex is the acronym SPMLOAS. But what does it mean?
Bungie have for some time put acronyms on the bottom of their boxes. They began with Marathon. Here's a list:
| Acronym | Game |
| DMUKYA | Marathon |
| MBIBTYB | Marathon 2: Durandal |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Infinity |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Trilogy Box Set |
| WACCSMD | Myth: The Fallen Lords |
| TATRTSTS | Myth II: Soulblighter |
| Mac Action Sack | |
| SPMLOAS | Myth: The Total Codex |
There doesn't appear to be an acronym on the recent Mac Action Sack. If you have the Weekend Warrior or Abuse boxes you might like to check these for acronyms. Thanks.
| Nov 28, 1999 |
Tim Milke <tmilke1@rochester.rr.com> and David Retchless <tretchless@home.net> both point out that the letters on the bottom of the Abuse box are MOMDINKBLAM. This doesn't appear to be an acronym but rather a combination of some of Bungie's favorite expressions.
David also writes:
My version of Weekend Warrior came with the original Xclaim VR card, so it didn't have a box.
Weekend Warrior was Pangea Software's first commercial 3D game on the Mac. It was published by Bungie.
It originally went on sale back in Dec 17, 1996 bundled with ATI's Xclaim VR 3D card. Made it extremely
expensive at the time. In June 8, 1999 Pangea Software
began distributing Weekend Warrior as freeware.
So the full list of Bungie box acronym's (ignoring ABUSE) so far is:
| Acronym | Game |
| DMUKYA | Marathon |
| MBIBTYB | Marathon 2: Durandal |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Infinity |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Trilogy Box Set |
| WACCSMD | Myth: The Fallen Lords |
| TATRTSTS | Myth II: Soulblighter |
| Mac Action Sack | |
| SPMLOAS | Myth: The Total Codex |
For those who have asked about the meaning of some of these modesty prevents me from printing them out full.
You will find them on the Story page though. Here are the relevant entry dates:
DMUKYA and MBIBTYB on May 16, 1997 and May 19, 1997
TBWSAF on May 8, 1998 and May 9, 1998
WACCSMD on Nov 19, 1997 and Nov 20, 1997
TATRTSTS has never been discussed on the Story page
but one guess is that it stands for "To All The Real-Time Strategists Tough S***".
As yet no real good guesses for SPMLOAS.
| Nov 29, 1999 |
Max Hoberman <max@bungie.com> of Bungie Software writes:
Hey, that product code lineup is short a few players, you've forgotten the soundtracks!
Yes indeed. Check those soundtrack CD jewel cases.
Thanks to Michael Carrillo <krac_009614@hotmail.com> for sending in the letters on the Myth: Total Soundtrack CD case. Here's an updated acronym list:
| Acronym | Game |
| DMUKYA | Marathon |
| MBIBTYB | Marathon 2: Durandal |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Infinity |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Trilogy Box Set |
| WACCSMD | Myth: The Fallen Lords |
| MRTEFCFY | Myth: The Fallen Lords Soundtrack CD |
| TATRTSTS | Myth II: Soulblighter |
| WUBNMH | Myth II: Soulblighter Soundtrack CD |
| Mac Action Sack | |
| SPMLOAS | Myth: The Total Codex |
| YYMMDBATC | Myth: Total Soundtrack CD |
More puzzles to keep you occupied while waiting for #2!
Eric Budd <bullseye_1@yahoo.com> takes a shot at the Myth: The Total Codex acronym
SPMLOAS
Here's what I've determined so far:
Chimera's a single-player expansion...Single Player Myth (first three letters)
Hmm... after that, I'm not sure where to turn.
Well at least it's a clean one... some of the suggestions I've been getting are unprintable! ;-)
| Mar 13, 2000 (Monday) |
Added a new section to collate all the submissions to the page regarding the Box Acronyms. These date back to 1997.
| Mar 14, 2000 (Tuesday) |
Oh the profanity! Lots of responses to the new Box Acronyms section. However please note that sending in a string of profane words for a box acronym simply because they fit the sequence of letters doesn't cut it I'm afraid.
While the TBWSAF acronym was a series of profane words there was actually a reason behind it. As Matt Soell pointed out it was a tongue-in-cheek response to a rather profane letter sent in to the Bungie Webmaster. The letter was naturally censored and posted on the Bungie letters page. Thus the acronym has a traceable origin.
There also appears to be a tendency to simply string together a couple of words without the whole sentence making any sense. Not very Bungie-like I'm afraid. You'll note that the two earlier Marathon acronyms (DMUKYA and MBIBTYB) were Bungie/Marathon slogons and the two Myth ones (WACCSMD and TATRTSTS) appear to be derogatory comments concerning other games. In each case the complete sentence makes sense. I would imagine that the others do too. So thinking caps on folks if you're up for this type of thing.
Forrest Cameranesi <forrest@bungie.org> writes:
... Dan Rudolph suggested that, in Myth II's "TATRTSTS", the second "T" stands for "Traditional" instead of "the", as in "To all traditional real-time strategists: tough shit."
Yup makes more sense.
| Mar 15, 2000 (Wednesday) |
Matt Soell (Bungie Software) offers this clue to the acronym YYMMDBATC found on the Myth: Total Soundtrack CD box:
From: Matt Soell <matt@bungie.com>
Newsgroups: alt.games.marathon,alt.games.myth
Subject: Re: Bungie Acronyms
Message-ID: <140320001102437439%matt@bungie.com>
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 17:02:42 GMTIn article <forrest-07B35C.13560113032000@news.west.net>, Forrest
Cameranesi <forrest@SPAMLESS-bungie.org> wrote:> YYMMDBATC
I'll give you a hint on this one. It's a poem.
-Matt
Shouldn't be too difficult to work out now... right? ;-)
Forrest Cameranesi <forrest@bungie.org> writes concerning the acronym SPMLOAS
found on the Myth: The Total Codex:
I think I've figured out the rest of the Codex acronym, using Eric Budd's start: "Single Player Myth, Lots..." (or Loads) "...Of Additional Stuff" (or Sh*t). The first interpretation is cleaner, but the latter would fit Bungie's recent tendancy toward profanity better.
| Mar 16, 2000 (Thursday) |
Forrest Cameranesi <forrest@bungie.org> writes concerning the acronym TATRTSTS found on the Myth II: Soulblighter box:
Tsao <tsao@paxnimbus.com> from The Asylum suggests that Myth II's TATRTSTS may mean "Total Annihilation: The Real-Time Strategy That Sucks", as that fits in with Bungie's insult to Warcraft and Command & Conquer in TFL's WACCSMD.
Even better! :-)
| June 2, 2002 (Sunday) |
So you think you know the Bungie box acronyms? Well here's the full list starting from Marathon. (Hmmm... did PID have an acronym?)
| Acronym | Game |
| DMUKYA | Marathon |
| MBIBTYB | Marathon 2: Durandal |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Infinity |
| TBWSAF | Marathon Trilogy Box Set |
| WACCSMD | Myth: The Fallen Lords |
| MRTEFCFY | Myth: The Fallen Lords Soundtrack CD |
| TATRTSTS | Myth II: Soulblighter |
| WUBNMH | Myth II: Soulblighter Soundtrack CD |
| Mac Action Sack | |
| SPMLOAS | Myth: The Total Codex |
| YYMMDBATC | Myth: Total Soundtrack CD |
| Oni | |
| Halo | |
| ABTFIPASO5 | Halo (Game of the Year edition only) |
| SABABWL | Halo Soundtrack CD |
So far only five (DMUKYA, MBIBTYB, TBWSAF, WACCSMD, and TATRTSTS) have been solved with any satisfaction.
For details see the Box Acronyms section.
However according to Max "Yeroen" Hoberman SPMLOAS and MRTEFCFY are both slanderous, and require intimate knowledge of
Bungie history and especially of the Bungie timeline.
As for YYMMDBATC David "candyman" Candland reveals:
Here is the formula:
Repeat the first two words
repeat the third and fourth words
last word rhymes with 3&4
So the word beginning with C rhymes with the words beginning with M. Not to be outdone Matt Soell reveals:
Now I don't even have to mention that the last two words are prominently displayed on the back of a common breakfast cereal box.
Shouldn't be too hard now. After all how many words beginning with TC are prominently displayed on the back of a common breakfast cereal box? Then again I could be wrong.
| June 7, 2002 (Friday) |
James "Ghôlsbane" Wheare <james.wheare@lycos.com> points out that Matt Soell dropped another hint to the YYMMDBATC acronym in a Story forum post. Matt clarified the following about the first four letters:
Another hint: It's not Year Year Month Month, or any number.
From previous hints we know that the first two words are the same word repeated
and the third and fourth words are another word repeated.
The C word rhymes with the M words and the last two words (TC) are prominently displayed on
the back of a common breakfast cereal box. And the whole thing is a supposedly a poem or
rather follows the standard bungie poem formula (whatever that is).
| June 12, 2002 (Wednesday) |
James "Ghôlsbane" Wheare <james.wheare@lycos.com> points out that Matt Soell dropped another hint to the YYMMDBATC acronym this time in a HBO forum post indicating that someone on the Story forum came close to the solution. Matt wrote:
Someone came disturbingly close to one of the acronyms the other day. Not on this forum though. We were astonished.
James rightly asks:
But which one was he talking about? My suggestion or the Yummy Yummy one...? Progress at least.
In case you've forgotten James suggested in this post:
This seems similar to the A.A. Milne poem which starts:James James Morrisson Morrisson Wetherby George Dupree
and Callie21V suggested in this post:
Yummy Yummy Munchy Munchy (something something something) Crunchy?
It has also been suggested that the last two letters TC stand for "Totally Crunchy" since these do appear on the back of
breakfast cereal boxes.
Does your brain hurt yet? ;-)
| June 14, 2002 (Friday) |
Samuel Fletcher (aka Agent Cletus) <deagol@mac.com> writes concerning the YYMMDBATC acronym:
I'm sure this is it. It fits all the criterion, plus, it was on the Myth: Total Soundtrack, which makes it fit the context.Yum Yum Munchy Munchy Dwarf Bones Are Totally Crunchy
I has had my say. The ghol has apparently had its meal.
Samuel actually posted this to the Story forum earlier today. Could this be the answer?
| June 26, 2002 (Wednesday) |
Marc Lachance <Marc.Lachance@gdl-marketing.de> writes concerning the Bungie acronym WUBNMH:
As to the WUBNMH acronym on the Myth II: Soulblighter Soundtrack CDTo me, it looks like "What's up, Bungie? No Message Here?"
| June 27, 2002 (Thursday) |
It seems that while I was away the Bungie box acronym YYMMBATC was solved with a little help from Max "Yeroen" Hoberman. Max made the following post on the Story forum:
Got It!
Posted By: Yeroen <max@bungie.com>
Date: 6/18/02 9:19 p.m.In Response To: Re: YYMMBATC -- OOPS!!! (Mumbles)
Yummy Yummy Munchy Munchy Dwarven Bones Are Tasty Crunchy.
Nice detective work! Catchy, isn't it? Say it ten times fast. For some odd reason I couldn't get this out of my head while I was working on the packaging, and so since there was no one to disparage at the time it stuck. I never thought it would see the light of day. Now if any of the remaining ones are cracked that will be a real feat!
-Yeroen
So another Bungie box acronym bites the dust. How many more to go?
| July 30, 2003 |
Quoted from this Story forum post:
Acronyms
Posted By: Devin O'Reilly <pseudodevin@yahoo.com>
Date: 7/30/03 3:36 p.m.
In Response To: Re: STFA! (Vid Boi): Well we did solve the abominable YYMMDBATC, so these should be easy =)
Haha, yeah, just think of of it-- SABABWL is a good 2 letters shorter than Dwarven
Bones!Not many clues to go on, though. I searched and found a bunch of speculation on
H.B.O. months and months ago, but the only hint they ever got was that, at one point,
somebody got two of the words right. Out of dozens of guesses, that's not much help.
| Aug 12, 2003 |
In a follow Story forum post post mnemesis <mnemesis@bungie.org> wrote:
Re: Acronyms
Posted By: mnemesis <mnemesis@bungie.org>
Date: 8/12/03 12:30 p.m.In Response To: Re: Acronyms (Hamish Sinclair)
: Remember what the right words were?
As Devin pointed out, which two words were correct was never specified. This thread has
a lot of info in it. ;-)As far as WUBNMH is concerned, the guess, "What Up, Bitch? Nuthin' Much, Homie."
once garnered the following reply from Matt:"...disturbingly close on WUBNMH. Only two words incorrect - and one of those is only
half-wrong."-mnemesis
| June 4, 2004 |
The mysterious Enkidu <enkidu@bungie.org> writes concerning the acronym on the Halo PC box in this Story forum post:
Is this the appropriate time to mention that HaloPC has a box acronym of its own? (Just reviewed that section of the story page, didn't see it mentioned... and didn't think to look until your post.)ILWNL
Your guess is as good as mine!
| July 7, 2004 |
Winston Churchill <agent_c1874@yahoo.com> writes concerning the acronym "IWLML" that appears on the Halo PC box:
IWLNL on the Halo PC box could be I Like Winning Not Losing. In the Halo novels the authors keep bringing up the fact that the Master Chief always wins.
| Aug 13, 2011 |
mnemesis <mnemesis@bungie.org> in a Story forum post writes:
I got to have a chat with Max Hoberman at E3 this year, and he had some interesting things to say about a couple of the old, unsolved acronyms.For instance, SPMLOAS: The conventional wisdom is that "Single-Player Myth, Loads (or Lots) Of Additional Shit (or Stuff)" is the answer. Every part of that guess is completely wrong. The correct solution has a name in it, and that name pertains to a failed business venture back in Bungie's history.
Failed business venture? Never one to let a challenge pass by, poenadare <mstorysclm@mlcsmith.com>, replied:
Hmmm. SPMLOAS - Myth Total Codex - Late 90s I believe. Failed venture hmmm back in Bungie's history hmmm I'll assume it happened 1997 - 1998 hmmmm clickity clickAh - The Bungie Smellovision Device.
Some People Must Love Our Ass Smell
No no no
Super Pippin Marathon L-something O-something Apple's Shit
Hmmm?
It would seem he wasn't too far off. Mnemesis wrote:
Wow, two words correct and in the right place, and one more very close to correct and ALSO in the right place. Whatever you're smoking pd, it's working for you.
Mnemesis offered another clue to another unsolved acronym:
MRTEFCFY: This one has another name in it, the initials of a reviewer who panned Myth (from Gamespot, I believe).
Again, poenadare offered this suggestion:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/myththefallenlords/review.htmlMichael E. Ryan
Michael Ryan Teaches Elephants For Coppers - Fook You.
Again it would seem he wasn't too far off. Mnemesis replied:
Got the name correct. You're right, it doesn't seem like a pan at all, unless he had an earlier article before the patch he mentions.
And one more from Mnemesis:
It seems the first Halo acronym never got solved. How can that be?ABTFIPAS05
And yes, an oft-rumored game is indeed part of that. To qoute Matt, "We were such optimists."
| Sept 1, 2011 |
Matt Soell provides the following insights into the MRTEFCFY acronym:
Gamespot's initial Myth review was harsh - unfairly so, thought Bungie. Entreaties were made (and, I believe, a beta version of a patch addressing some of their concerns was sent) and Gamespot revised their review and the numeric score upwards.Amusing trivia factoid: Michael Ryan now works for Wideload Games.
-Matt
| Mar 31, 2023 |
A number of people have pointed out that you can read part of the [EXPLETIVE DELETED] letter to the Bungie Webmaster in uncensored form in the Chicago Reader's "Monsters in a Box" article published in March 2000. You can see the full article in the Blasts from the Past section here. Parental discretion required!
The article was actually the cover story for that issue of the Chicago Reader.
It has been pointed out (numerous times) that the article's uncensored text does not exactly match the
original box acronym TBWSAF from 1996. But you will get the general gist of it nonetheless.
There is some discussion about the article in this Story forum post. Some familiar names in there.
Paul Russel had this to say about the group shot on the front page.
"I remember the article being about the Myth team, but the editor used the blam! team photo because we were "more photogenic". "
Here's a pic of the actual Myth II team.
