Halo TV Series Won't Be Filler, Will Get More People into the Franchise

Microsoft has talked a bit more about the upcoming Halo TV series from noted filmmaker Steven Spielberg, confirming that the story of the new property won't be a filler and that it will actually attract way more people to the brand than just any other game.

The Halo franchise has seen the release of many games over the years but also comic book or even novels, not to mention the special live action mini-series Halo: Forward Unto Dawn, which paved the way for 2012's Halo 4 game.

The series is set to see the release of a new Halo game for the Xbox One this year, but also a TV series made in partnership with Steven Spielberg.

According to Microsoft's Phil Spencer, who talked with OXM, the new show will be a proper Halo experience, not just something designed to fill the gap between games.

"I think there’s a story in the Halo games that’s noteworthy, and that we can introduce more people to the IP by putting the franchise, stories, and characters in more accessible mediums than a first person shooter. That’s a good thing for Halo, a good thing for the platform, and a good thing for the IP owners."

"I definitely don’t think of it as filler. Halo, you could argue, is the most important entertainment IP that Microsoft owns. I can’t use the word filler anywhere near Halo, it just won’t work. If we’re going to do a television series with Halo, we’re going to do it the right way, and we’re going to do it because we think it really matters."

Spencer then compared Microsoft's efforts with the Halo series with The Walking Dead franchise, which first started off as comic books but then evolved into a TV show and got a successful video game adaptation.

"I’m a big Walking Dead fan," Spencer admitted. "I’ve read the comics and graphic novels; the IP has grown and became more accessible as it hit TV, then went to videogames where it did incredibly well, and I think that strategy of growing and deepening what the franchise and IP is about is a good strategy for an IP holder."

As of yet, it's unclear when the new Halo TV series will debut.