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Bungie: Another Halo Game “Doesn’t Fit With Our Plans”

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by Bryan Vore on April 29, 2010 at 04:00 PM
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The Activision deal doesn’t eliminate the option, but Bungie says it’s interested in moving on. Bungie is obviously best known for its Halo series, which Microsoft retained control over when the companies split in October 2007. Brian Jarrard, community director at Bungie, said the new deal technically doesn’t preclude Bungie and Microsoft from working together again in the future, but fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.

“I guess theoretically we could entertain that notion, but I can tell you that we have such crazy ambitious plans for what this universe is going to entail for a decade that it’s only going to be possible for the full might of our team and all of our best and brightest people aligned with this one singular vision,” he said. “I think Bungie has come to learn that we all do our best work when we’re focused together. I don’t think you’re going to see us spinning off a variety of side projects or doing a Halo game on the side. It just doesn’t fit within our plans.”

The question then becomes how well is Bungie, a company known for stellar post-release support, going to service the Halo: Reach community once the majority of its staff transitions to the new project? Bungie obviously wouldn’t cop to abandoning the game after its release if that was its intention, but the developers stressed that they want to leave the Halo series on a high note. “We definitely have a plan in place to have a portion of our team that will still be focused on supporting Reach and our community and keeping the Xbox Live experience going,” Jarrard said. “Eventually there will be some discussions about what the end of that period looks like and when and how does that all fit together, but that’s not something that we’re prepared to talk about yet.”

To keep the Halo series moving forward as a console defining experience, the responsibility now shifts to Microsoft. Will the publisher build an internal team to handle the next game in the series, or will it pony up the cash to woo a developer with a stellar track record to take over as the tenants of its chief breadwinner? Time will tell. As for Bungie, the future is now.

A Microsoft spokesman has this appropriately on-message response to the Activision/Bungie deal: "Our partnership with Bungie as a first-party developer for Xbox 360 remains unchanged, and right now we're deeply engaged with them on the development of 'Halo: Reach,' which is poised to be the biggest game of 2010."

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  • by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:06 PM

    If their not gonna make another Halo game, they can at least make another shooter similar to Halo on the PS3.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:06 PM

    A new universe with a decade plan?

    I'm interested.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:10 PM

    @ DarnellB.

    no. especially not a Halo-type game for the PS3. you want halo buy a 360.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:12 PM

    Wow this is like Bungie got a divorce from Microsoft and just got re-married and is trying to let the kids know how it will all work.  

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:17 PM

    I think its time to put Halo to rest, Its just had so many games and so many ups and downs in such a short period of time.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:17 PM

    I'm very interested to find out just what exactly they have planned for this "decade".

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:21 PM

    343 Industries are the ones that are gonna make more Halo games in the future.Microsoft created this studio to continue the Halo franchise.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:22 PM

    Can't wait to see what comes from them now.  Obviously they're experienced in shooters... but it would be interesting to see if they go to another type of game...

    Or they COULD stick to shooters and make it a survival shooter... but maybe that just cus I like those... =P

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:22 PM

    I say good riddance. Halo was a good launching point for Bungie as we know them today, but a studio doesn't become legendary until they break from their flagship franchise and produce something else just a successful. I am personally wondering what they will come up with, because they have been doing nothing but recycle the Halo stuff for a LONG time.

    And the PS3 doesn't need a Halo esque game. Halo and it's style defines XBox. The PS3 doesn't need to look like a glory hog, they've already got two years straight of game of the year locked up with Uncharted 2 last year and presumably the very VERY hard to top God of War 3. Who wants a watered down Halo just because Bungie can publish for PS3 now? If you are asking that then you would be extremely disappointed with what they turned out. It wouldn't be anything like you are hoping it would be. I hope they go in a completely different direction.

    As for Activision, they can suck it, because I know what they were looking at when they went to acquire publishing rights for Bungie and because I think there is a fairly good chance that they try to screw over Bungie in the end. They thought they were going to get a studio that pumps out good games at least every other year. With Bungie shifting away from Halo I think it will be at least three years before we see anything major dropping from Bungie after the release of Reach.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:25 PM

    Aw man, up until now the legendary-difficulty ending of Halo 3 had my hopes up that Bungie might continue Master Chief's legacy....

    Anyway, I can't wait to see what's in store for the next decade!

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:26 PM

    Marathon. I'm telling you.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:27 PM

    I don't know what I'll buy in the future of halo games. I'll have to see what they pull off. As with Bungie I am excited to see what is next from them.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:28 PM

    I second the marathon game.  

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:28 PM

    Can't wait to see what their new project is. Hope it's as good as Halo.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:30 PM

    On another note. Hmmm... biggest game of 2010 seems like a stretch. Especially considering that it is a new step for that franchise, untested waters so to speak, and they are competing with God of War 3 and Mass Effect 2. I doubt that it will beat out either of those games.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:32 PM

    OK I'm sick of people saying there have been too may Halo games. There has ben a grand total of...wait for it....FOUR!! A friggin trilogy and one expansion! My God, if you dont like Halo, that's fine, but don't blame it on too many games.  Ill use Call of Duty as a comparison. At least 6, not counting expansions. Halo is getting its fifth. And thats since 2001. Its hasnt been one every year.

  • by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:44 PM

    I hate Bungie if they dont make anymore Halo games.The number of people that are members of Bungie.net will hit rock-bottom.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:48 PM

    Something radically different, I'm hoping.

  •
    by Thursday, April 29, 2010 at 04:52 PM

    @ meatwadisprez

    Wait..isn't there another one...? Halo Wars or something like that? And at least Call of Duty attempted to change things up with their setting when they came out with Modern warfare 1 and 2...I'm not being a fan boy...that's just a fact lol.

    No seriously..I don't even remember what I did with my MW games...

    *pops in Bioshock* :D

    I have my reasons..

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