Microsoft Game Studios this morning provided details on a new division called 343 Industries that will serve as publisher of the Halo video-game series and oversee the broader Halo franchise -- "including novels, comics, licensed collectibles, apparel and more."
343 Industries' projects include a new anime series called "Halo Legends," short anime videos to be produced by well-known Japanese studios. The series will be distributed by Warner Home Video, and it will be previewed on a new Xbox Live section called "Halo Wayport," the company says in a news release. The LA Times has more details in a story on video-game companies getting into the film business.
The new division appears aimed at consolidating the operations of the blockbuster Halo franchise inside the company. Halo's original creator, Bungie, announced plans to go independent in 2007, but Microsoft retained rights to the intellectual property.
The boilerplate description on this morning's news release says 343 Industries "is home to world-class developers working on future 'Halo' projects, including 'Halo Legends' and Halo Waypoint, as well as partnering with renowned developers such as Bungie LLC and Robot Entertainment to produce “Halo” games for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE."
Among other things, it will be worth watching to see if the division can revive plans for a "Halo" feature film.
Microsoft first hinted at plans for a new Halo division in its job listings last year and in a trademark filing more recently. Halopedia describes the Halo character 343 Guilty Spark -- an artificial intelligence construct also known as the Monitor -- as "quirky and very well humored, although at the same time detached and analytical."
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