While managing a brand is part of any long-term plan for a popular game franchise, gameplay quality and presentation need to keep up as well. The last ever Halo from developer Bungie is out and doing fabulously well, but how will Microsoft handle the future of their heralded franchise
“I am concerned. Not only does there seem to be pressure for more but you don’t have the original development team and MS has made lots of changes in internal development. Add on that the franchise will be 10 years old next year . . . the original core may have arthritis by now. It is obviously a great franchise but my perception is it may have peaked,” said DFC Intelligence’s David Cole.
“Bungie is an exceedingly high caliber studio, with top industry talent; yet it was clear their passion for future Halo games had diminished. We do not believe Microsoft would compromise the franchise with excessive iteration pacing. Good or bad, with a new studio developing future Halo games the franchise will never be the same,” added Mike Hickey of Janco Partners.
Source: IndustryGamers
