why do I get the feeling that MS is running the Halo name into the ground?

Anything Peter Jackson touches is gold

Sounds cool to me actually. I know everyone likes to name the Halo series as mindless shooters for idiot space marines, but Bungie did a great job cooking up a world for the games to take place in. Someone with a real passion for narrative could do wonders by building on the existing lore, like Peter Jackson.

@Grimmjow Jeagerjaques:

Because its Microsoft?

halo zero

@Grimmjow Jeagerjaques:
Rare's Halo Kart will be sweet!

@Snuffbox:
Um, no.

King Kong might be a gold turd if that's what you mean.

@Grimmjow Jeagerjaques: I thought halo was already on the ground... Zing!

But seriously, I dont get the Halo/Peter Jackson connection other than the fact Peter was all "zomg lets make a movie".

So is Halo going to end up being like Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Game?

Well, Bungie did say they wanted to work on something else, right? And, if you have to give it to someone, Peter Jackson is, at least for right now, pretty trustworthy when it comes to licenses. It sounds like a smart move by MS.

@Derigor: That was done by Michel Ancel ... it was very much his vision for the King Kong game.

@Grimmjow Jeagerjaques: It seems to me that they're taking pretty good care of the IP. If they had sold out on it, there would've been five Halos by now.

its already updated on ms site, stating that its for a new halo game

I'm always up for more space marines. Ooah!

@Eville1:

True, I wasn't a huge fan of KK. It sure did look purty though ;)

What he did with LotR will leave me forever in his debt though.

@jayntampa: Michel Ancel, thats someone I haven't heard abut in a while. Wonder what he's up to.

I'm not a Halo guy so I dunno but um from just playing the games... Is there even any lore for Peter to work with on this one? I just though it was indiscriminant aliens fight humans + cyborg and oh noes theres other aliens that are even worse!!!

Does Halo have any kind of backstore/lore like say Warcraft did? (yea yea I know two different games but you get the idea.)

Halo all star tennis!!

@Derigor: Actually, there is quite a bit to work with, I think. Especially if it takes place after Halo 3 -- you have an organization of many alien races that were joined together in religious fervor only to realize they'd been had -- so, you have a sort of civil war going on there ... plus, Earth is in shambles, and the government had been doing some shady stuff ... so, there's plenty of both political and military intrigue to play with. Plus, there were tons of battles never actually seen in a game.

@Derigor: Actually, yeah. The novels alone feature plenty of opportunities for new games, particularly Ghost of Onyx and Contact: Harvest, which don't involve master chief at all.

Not to mention the still-only mentioned history of the human UNSC and the development of the Covenant. There's potential here, and like everything else, it'll get richer in the telling.

@Derigor: The Halo universe is actually fairly deep. There are five novels, a graphic novel, and a comic series that really flesh out the backstory. Ironically enough, the games portray the story in a rather mediocre way.

@Derigor: I haven't really read anything, but as far as I've understood there is quite some backstory... and a few Halo books have been released too.

[halo.wikia.com]

ah ok so story/lore is in the novels and such.
Yea I wondered cause the game really didnt touch on well anything. I was just sitting on my couch saying hrm so why am I slaughtering these bad ass looking covenant guys, why Cant I be their friends cause damnit they are bad ass. Atleast in Halo 3 I could be the damned Arbitor but my freaking Wife always stole that controller.

They should give the IP to Kojima so I can actually get some plot out of the damned game without having to result to asking questions on here or various other research on the net. Course then I'd be googling wtf just happened like I did with MGS2... yea 2 days after beating that game it was one of those "wait wah?" instance.

We beat Halo, and my wife turns to me and asks "why are we killing the cute tiny aliens that shout out things and are generally terrified of MC nd the Arbitor" I just responded with "cause they are coming right for us"

@Derigor: You mean:

Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie :-D

@Derigor:

Peter Jackson Presents: Halo: The Official Movie of the Official Game by Bungie Studios

@TOWER_JUNKIE:

Well games always betray storylines, a game cannot match a book or even a movies storytelling ability YET.

And no, Bioshock does not rival proper stories...

How can anyone possibly think that HALO is being "run into the ground"? That is clearly the dumbest thing i've read. The franchise has 3 games out, how many other Video Game series went past 3 parts and people don't think it's too much.

Metal Gear?
Final Fantasy?
Resident Evil?
Super Mario?
Legend of Zelda?

What would make one of the best selling video game franchises stop at only 3 releases? Just because you don't like the series or style of gameplay doesn't mean they should just pack it up.

@Derigor: There's also a lot of possible back story that couls explain humanity's connection with the original halo builders.

@Harteex: "...but as far as I've understood there is quite some backstory..."
That's an understatement if I ever saw one.

@Grimmjow Jeagerjaques:

They run it into the ground no more than Sony does God of War or Nintendo Mario.

@Rebel Without Applause: @Grimmjow Jeagerjaques: ---------> @Rebel Without Applause:

I guess it's more of a fan thing. To someone who isnt a rabid fan and just picks it up to spin the disc and play it appears there is almost no story or lore to the game. I mean I read the little mission computers that were hidden all over Halo 3, but damn they friggin hid those terminals from people when that stuff should have been out in the open so people has a general idea on wtf this "flood" crap is.
I just hope Peter Jackson can turn a Halo game into an actual narrative in game form.
aint expecting book quality but you know, something.

@Sarcastic_Communist_Gamer who uses sarcasm. Remember that.: I would say games already can more than match a movie's story telling ability. Much harder to tell a story in a Movie when you get what? Less than two hours for your story now?

@beem: ...... There's THREE Halo games out so far. Microsoft's hyping may make it seem there running it into the ground, but there's still a lot of life left in this franchise.

I liked Peter Jackson when he was fatter and made movies like "Heavenly Creatures" and "Dead Alive". Once he lost the weight, he lost his abilities... sorta like a fatass version of Samson.

Anyhow, I'm sure Microsoft will milk the Halo udder until it's as dry as Steven Wright.

I'm still waiting for Halo Olympic Games.

@TOWER_JUNKIE: Ugh, I used the wrong form of "there." I hate myself whenever I do that.

Sure would be nice to have some concrete info on this episodic project. It sounded like quite the project when announced and then
everything got EXTREMELY quiet.

It was supposed to release this year. This story makes it seem more like it is a LONG way off ...

@Communist_Gamer: I think it can, but maybe it hasn't, and even then I don't think I could agree with you there. Maybe not books, but certainly movies.

Plus, why bother comparing? There seems to be a general evolution as far as the progress of narrative is concerned: theater > epics > poetry > novels > movies > video games. It's an interesting debate, but I don't think you can make that claim that video games are not as evolved in narrative as movies are.

Anyway, back on topic: leave me out of anything Halo that doesn't involve Bungie in some way.

I really hope these "two new interactive entertainment experiences." DO NOT turn out to be some crappy live interactive amusement park ride at Great America.

@Derigor: I dunno, I think if you play through all the games and actually watch the cutscenes you get a pretty good idea that there is a lot going on in this world that we still haven't seen yet. So much forerunner stuff spread around the universe and we still know very little about them. Was kinda hoping they'd actually play a bigger role in Halo 3 since they seemed to be building something with that, but I guess they wanted to keep this trilogy the story of the Chief and Cortana. Gotta have something to use for later games.

Call me a Halo fanboy (cuz I am) but I will gladly line up to purchase this. And I'll be getting Halo Wars too. I realize the actual storyline of the games got a little murky, but I love the look and feel and just the "stuff" in the universe and will gladly immerse myself further.

I really don't think a grand total of 3 games over 7 years or whatever is "running a franchise into the ground". Compared to most enormously successful IP in the videogame industry, that's a leisurely release schedule.

Now if they follow up Halo Wars, this P. Jack thing and Lego: Halo with the brilliantly coined "Halo Kart" from above and Super Halo Bros., then yes, we have a problem.

But it's all been quality product so far. And word on Halo Wars is good, and the Lego games have been pretty much universally solid so far. If you don't count the merchandising (I'm looking at YOU, Mountain Dew and 7-Eleven!!) and focus on actual gaming content, I see no cheapening of the IP....yet.

I'm really not sure how people can look at Halo and things its milked. There are only three games actually out. Then there is an RTS (as originally intended) and Peter Jackson is interested in doing something with the story. That's really not all that much.

Nintendo has a Mario Baseball. Mario. F*ckn. Baseball.

Hell, even Solid Snake has been milked into SSBB... although that's actually on par with the Spartan in DoA4.

@lionkitten: While I am very interested in news of a spin-off series in Halo because, yes, whether people know it or not Halo has some pretty interesting lore surrounding it...

Getting to Halo Wars, is anyone else a little disappointed that it's by Ensemble hence a distinct "Age of" feel? I've seen the trailers and it makes me hunger for a Myth-style Halo RTS. I even wonder if that's how Bungie first intended it.

@Xiedo:
The very first Halo build actually WAS a version of Myth! It was shown briefly on the DVD that came with Halo 2 LE.

@Snuffbox:

jackson, YES. MS, NOT SO MUCH!!!!!