MS: 'More than two or three teams' working on Halo
by Dustin Burg 
{ Sep 16th 2008 at 2:00PM }
In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, head of Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer talked about where the Halo franchise is headed (among other topics) and confirmed that multiple development teams are indeed working on numerous Halo projects.
"There's more than one team building Halo games right now. There are more than two or three teams building Halo things right now" says Spencer, adding "some of them we will own, some of them we won't." Hmm, interesting stuff. Currently, we're aware of two Halo titles, Halo Wars and the Peter Jackson projected dubbed Halo: Chronicles. So, if there's more than three teams working on games, how many Halo titles does that equate to and when do we get to hear about them? Whore that Halo franchise MGS, whore it out good!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
john paul @ Sep 16th 2008 2:20PM
Theyre not whoring it out, they're "exploring" the possibilitites:P
Clinton RRoD sept.3 @ Sep 16th 2008 2:23PM
that's called whoring it out a synonym for exploring the possibilities
john paul @ Sep 16th 2008 2:37PM
Achievement Unlocked.
Joke over head...
john paul @ Sep 16th 2008 2:40PM
Achievement Unlocked.
Joke over head...
Doug @ Sep 16th 2008 2:44PM
I didn't see the joke... lol... just Dustin's patented hyperbole.
A little early to be using epithets for Halo extensions... haven't even seen 1 new game yet.
john paul @ Sep 16th 2008 3:30PM
It was I who was the one who created said "joke", and Clinton didn't get it... w.e it's over now
silentshadowxp @ Sep 16th 2008 2:25PM
third team is probably just the team working on things with halo 3, doubt there's anything other than the 3 of those but who knows
Sarge @ Sep 16th 2008 2:29PM
Personally I don't mind if they "whore out" the Halo franchise. As long as they are doing different things? There is tons of story that can be used in the Halo universe. I think some automatically assume its all going to be about Master Chief.
Halo Wars, Halo Chronicles, Bungies Project, and the rumored Gearbox Halo 4. All potentially different games, at different times. Works for me.
Joe Schmoe @ Sep 16th 2008 6:47PM
I think if you put 2 and 2 together, this makes sense. Bungie is working on a Halo project that Microsoft "will not own." The reason is because the Master Cheif is the protagonist in the Marathon series...and Halo 3's legendary ending leads right into the Marathon series. So it's in the Halo universe...but MS doesn't own the Marathon series. So Bungie can have their way with the Marathon remakes, whilst Microsoft has their way with Halo Wars and the Peter Jackson project.
Anyway, not confirmed, but it makes some sense. All along, Bungie has hinted that there is a tie in between Halo and marathon, based on the appearance of marathon elements in the Halo series. Something to think about.
mgsrocks1 @ Sep 17th 2008 4:53AM
@Joe
Even if it its a Marathon game, as part of the deal, Microsoft still has first looks on whatever Bungie is working one. So even if Bungie isn't part of Microsoft, they partly are.
Carbonize @ Sep 17th 2008 6:55AM
Sorry Joe but whilst there is a lot of similarities between Halo and Marathon they are not related. For a start Marathon was the sequel to Pathways Into Darkness. Also Marathon begins upon mankinds first ever ship to leave the solar system which would technically put it before Halo.
Mazrael @ Sep 16th 2008 3:32PM
Still undecided on Halo Wars.. especially after C&C3 (but then EA are good at messing things up)..
What I'd like one of the Teams to be working on.. is Halo CE & Halo 2 on the Halo 3 engine.. maybe tie in new stuff from Halo Wars into the trilogy, like brute beards, getting brutes how they were suppose to be during Halo 2 (ie not wimpy bullet spongies)..
Yeah, we played them before but why not again with it all being consistant like how the control scheme changed, and some of the level design on a certain level on H:CE was really bad..
Clinton RRoD sept.3 @ Sep 16th 2008 3:46PM
oh man i got it its just i felt like writing somethin stupid. im bored
john paul @ Sep 16th 2008 6:23PM
lol
offday @ Sep 16th 2008 3:47PM
Meh. IMO the good old days of Halo are gone. Halo 2 was the peak.
ryan @ Sep 16th 2008 3:56PM
Master Chief gang-bang? oh, lord give me strength to still appreciate this franchise...
Dragod @ Sep 16th 2008 4:46PM
Well, it looks like my favorite game series is about to die... And faster than expected.
AnthonyGalindoX @ Sep 16th 2008 4:49PM
Well there is Halo wars, Halo 3, Peter Jackson's project, Bungie's Halo game, and probably Halo 4.
Tiz @ Sep 16th 2008 5:04PM
amen
Ghostbuddy @ Sep 16th 2008 7:03PM
"More then two or three". = atleast four.
We have the Peter Jackson project.
The Bungie Halo project, that has been confirmed by both Don Mattricks and Bungie.
Then we have Halo Wars.
The "some of them we will own, some of them we won't."
Refers to Bungie, and atleast one other studio. As "some" indefinetely implies atleast 2.
This indicates to me the mysterious Gear Box shooter, is infact a Halo game.
So that means (Breath in) that there is atleast 4 Halo games in the works at this very moment.
Conclusion: Microsoft has gone and nintendoed their hottest franshise.
Thats right everyone, get ready for some Doctor Chief, super covenant dash II , Super Halo brothers: Plasma war, and everyones favorite Masterchief teaches you how to type.
Good god help us now.
Seriously though, I don't have an ounce of contempt for any of the games listed above.
The Bungie project will be worth checking out. Halo Wars looks interesting. I have been excited about the Jackson project since it was "announced" in 2006.
And lastly, the maps Gear Box designed for Halo PC were some of the best.And they have had a pretty good history with FPS's. So we'll see what they do with this game.
Ghostbuddy @ Sep 16th 2008 7:32PM
And Joe, that honestly didn't make any sense.
The guy isn't saying they won't own some of the games. He's saying they don't own all of the developers working on the games.
And Bungie (thats Bungie as in Bungie) has said Halo and Marathon take place in two different universes.
Doesn't mean there isn't throw backs for fans. Or even that the stories might be connected on some level.
Examples:
Alternate realities of one another.
After the universe collapses in the final terminal in Marathon Trinity, followed by the big bang and a new universe. That universe could be the Halo universe.