X360A - In a month's time, literally, 343 Industries' debut Halo outing hits the Xbox 360... and by debut, we mean proper debut. HD remakes don't count. Really.
We caught up with 343's Franchise Development Director, Frank O'Connor, when he was in London recently to talk all things Halo, including the passing of the torch - or the Halo bible, as it's known - the future of triple-A titles, how 343 are keeping the franchise fresh, Spartan Ops and we even touch upon the new bad guy, very briefly. That's not it of course, if we were to sit here and name every talking point, by the time we finish a real-life Halo would probably exist.
O'Connor has been with the Halo franchise since it was with Bungie, and it appears that his time with the series--and Microsoft--is done.
Yet another nail in the Halo franchise coffin. Even Microsoft themselves moved on from the IP after replacing it with Starfield on console boxes.
This is actually a good thing halo fans have wanted Frank and Bonnie gone from 343 so hopefully things get better with them gone.
Nah, Frank was OG, from back in the days when Halo was good, before 343i came along. What the franchise needs is: 1. a substantial rest, 2. a reboot and 3. a decent pool of the original team that made the magic in the early days.
Only then will they have a chance at having anyone give a crap again. Frank leaving is not a good start on that journey.
@God
Yeah Frank was but from my understanding that was it for him. Fix that sh!t show and move on
Microsoft has COD now. They no longer need Halo. 343 Is going through a complete reboot and getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. The Halo franchise is getting a complete reboot to appeal to a new generation of fans. I expect to see a new game by the end of the next gen Xbox.
Doesn't your end statement counter your first? You expect to see a new Halo game by the end of the next gen Xbox that as you say MS doesn't need? I wouldn't expect to ever see another Halo game again if its not needed.
What I meant to say is that there is no longer any urgency. MS used to release a Halo mainline or spinoff every year or two. They used to make sure there was Halo at the start of every console launch. I no longer see them doing that. Now, they are not going to abandon it because the series still has a lot of value. I expect a new Mainline title by the mid or end of the next Xbox.
@Mika, Why not both? Managing you most important ip thus far would only be bolstered by add cod to your portfolio.
Because Halo isn't carrying Xbox to a new gen like they always have in the past like you said. That, Forza and Gears games. The Forza Creative Director left to make a new studio The Coalition took a hiatus to learn Unreal Engine 5 and will return to Gears at some point (rumor is they did return to Gears but still years away from release)
MS Trifecta is getting old and tired I mean that from a studio point of view of the only studios carrying the Xbox every gen. Once MS employed new studios to help develop games for the console, old studio heads and leads are all going there sesperate ways.
It's what happens when you have the same 4 or 5 studios for years on end. Burn out.
CoD is remaining multiplatform. Besides, you don’t abandon a high profile property just because of an impending acquisition. That’s…. not how business works. At all.
Halo just needs a new shot in the arm to get it going again.
Its actually a nail removed from Halo's Coffin.
If you know who this person is you would agree that he should have left the studio after Halo 5
Fallout of a failed game. Your TGA player's choice goty 87 meta lol. Idgaf. Dreams was great yet it failed and the director left. That's what happens. Halo was average from the jump yet showered with praise. Now many hate the game. Funny.
The gameplay, mechanics, and feel of Halo Infinite are top notch. That's why everyone praised it initially. It was with the expectation that 343 would keep a steady stream of content and updates coming to keep the game alive, which 343 failed miserably at.
In Halo 4, 5, and Infinite, Master Chief became a more nuanced, human character.
In spite of the Halo series’ struggles, 343 deserves praise for adding nuance and characterisation to the ever-beating heart of Halo - The Master Chief. Playing through Infinite, it's abundantly clear that the events of the current and previous trilogies have irrevocably changed the iconic hero. He’s no longer the ‘blank slate’ that was previously presented by Bungie. He’s a fatigued, damaged and fallible protagonist, and one who is meandering through currents of grief, while reveling in his newfound agency. Giving the Chief a compelling and meaningful voice was no small feat, and 343 should be proud of that victory.
This article completely misses part of the appeal of the original iteration of character in the original game trilogy. It was the Chief and Cortana vs an entire alien collective. The blank slate Bungie displayed in their games was genius, he was an mysterious hero a wide audience could identify with because he wasn't as clearly defined as most characters.
The books added a lot of lore and backstory but most Halo players just want a fun game with exposition that doesn't get in the way of gameplay, it's why the Cortana level in Halo 3 was derided.
Not every character has to be a damaged soyboy, a soldier has to suck it up and do his duty.
A lot of people give the 343 version of Master Chief a lot of slack.
But Fundamentally he is still the same character, he just has a couple more dialogues. He has not changed in terms of attitude.
"Not every character has to be a damaged soyboy, a soldier has to suck it up and do his duty."
And that's what he has done at the end of the day, he did his duty. Watch his partner die, and was ready to destroy the weapon in Halo infinite....he is still the same soilder that everyone remembers
Halo Infintes one was a nice balance between both.
The 343i Master Chief has is based on the books. However, in Halo 4-Infinite, the Master Chief overtime become. gradually becomes more willing to show some emotion.
"However, in Halo 4-Infinite, the Master Chief overtime become. gradually becomes more willing to show some emotion."
Which is awesome! I love how Master Chief become more John and less soldier.
It’s a law of nature that eventually, every long-running game franchise will have a particular entry that gets dinged for straying too far from what made it so fun in the first place. Your Super Mario Sunshine, your Dragon Age II, Assassin’s Creed III, and so on. Whether or not that opinion changes more favorably over time, the initial specter of negativity will forever hover it. Microsoft’s Halo is no exception, except that negative specter hasn’t hovered over one particular game, but one whole studio.
More AAA exclusive titles from MS in the future then? I think so.
Halo 4 Nov 6 eagerly waiting for epicness.
This game is going to be the greatest of all Halo games.
Finally some positive talk when it comes to the future of games and gaming.
Frank is a class act and I'm sure Halo 4 will be the most ambitious Halo game to date. I'm so excited for it, hard to believe were only 4 weeks away from the biggest and best exclusive game launch of the year!
Nice! Good interview, Frank O'Connor is a really cool guy he knows his Halo stuff. I can't wait for Halo 4 i want it sooo bad! lol