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UPDATE: Is This Our First Look At Halo 5? Not So Much
UPDATE: Just as I theorized in the story below, it turns out this logo was created specifically as part of the tech demo and not because Microsoft is actually currently working on Halo 5. Here's the official quote from a Microsoft spokesperson:
"The logos in question were created for a tech demo in a futuristic home, and are not an accurate representation of our plans for our games franchises."
ORIGINAL STORY: Ever since Halo Reach, Bungie's last shot at the franchise, came out last year, gamers have been eager to learn what's next for the beloved sci-fi universe. So did Microsoft just accidentally reveal it on a U.K. news report?
Channel 4 recently visited Microsoft's headquarters to look at some prototype technology, including a "house of the future" that projects a Kinect-esque motion-controlled menu onto the walls of your bedroom. When Microsoft's Jonathan Cluts showcased the impressive technology, one of the menu options stood out to eagle-eyed viewers. See it for yourself below:
If this is, in fact, a slip-up on Microsoft's part in revealing that they're working on Halo 5, you may be wondering where exactly Halo 4 is. Some sites and forums are speculating that Microsoft could be counting Halo Reach as the fourth game in the main series.
More likely, in my opinion, is that the Halo 5 image is just an amusing placeholder to represent the fact that consumers can pull up games on this prototype technology. Microsoft's designers may have reasoned that by the time this technology goes public, Halo 5 would likely be in development or out. The placeholder theory also makes sense with one of the other menu options: Project Gotham Racing, a series that's been quiet for a while now.
Or, hey, maybe we just found out about two of Microsoft's big E3 announcements! Whatever the case, I've reached out to Microsoft for an official comment and will update this story if I hear back.
[via Xbox 360 Achievements, thanks to Jeni for the tip]
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