The key to continuing the franchise for Microsoft Game Studios and lead developer 343, will be to ensure fans step into the shoes of Master Chief again, as they feel it might not have been the best idea for Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach to not feature the franchise poster boy.
In chatting with Official Xbox Magazine, Microsoft Games Studios corporate vice president Phil Spencer spoke about their goals with the upcoming Halo titles in appeasing long-time loyal fans and reaching new, younger audiences.
Last week, Microsoft’s Stephen McGill spoke about how Halo 4 will help the company and franchise reach the younger demographic of gamers, who weren’t around when Halo 1 hit it big on the first Xbox. So it’s a brilliant strategy in re-releasing and upgraded version of the original for a lower retail price as a lead-in to the return of Master Chief in Halo 4 the following year.
Halo 4 was revealed at E3 and in the following month, 343 Industries has opened up a little on the game and how it will differ than its predecessors, starting with Master Chief being a changed man. Are you happy to see players taking on the role of the last Spartan again in future Halo titles or are you ready for something different?
“I loved Reach as a game - as a fan of the fiction, I totally love the story in Reach, Reach is one of the best stories in the Halo universe. But it made more sense to you if you were a Halo fan… If you were new to Xbox 360, 360’s where you started playing on Xbox, you understood what Halo 3 was. ODST and Reach, maybe you weren’t as centred… The game has a history now, and it’s about bringing new customers into the fiction.”
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary releases November 15, 2011 for the Xbox 360.
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Source: OXM
