If there’s one franchise that remains a huge system seller for Microsoft, it’s Halo. The series first left its mark on the original Xbox in 2000, before becoming a continuous success with its following sequels. However, for the Xbox One, there’s no sign of Master Chief to be found.
In an attempt to validate the hero’s absence, corporate vice president Phil Spencer provided an explanation. “A couple of years ago, we had the discussion of: Should we do Halo at launch and not do Halo 4 last year ”
He continued, “But I was committed to getting Halo 4 done last year, and there was no way we were going to turn around with 343 Studios a full Halo game in a year. So that was the plan we set on. I feel good about that.”
“Unlike some franchises that manage through 1,000 people, Halo is 343 and that team obviously has tight control. They are our Halo team,” said Spencer
“A discussion around having a Halo game at launch, a true Halo at launch, meaning like a Halo 4 or 5-size game, would have been something we’d have had to start two or three years ago. We had the discussion, and we thought having Halo 4 come out when it came out from 343 and having them really land their first full version of Halo that they developed internally would be great for the 360 customers, great for 343 in shipping something.”
Not to worry, fans. Halo 5 will eventually be introduced next year, as teased at E3 earlier this year. In the meantime, Halo: Spartan Assault, a modified version of Microsoft’s Windows mobile release, will make its way to Xbox One and Xbox 360 in December.
Source: Polygon
