The prevailing philosophy at Microsoft seems to be that you can never have enough Halo. The recently launched Orbital Drop Shock Trooper content was initially set to be a download-only add on, but it grew into a full fledged 60-dollar title.

Bungie was supposed to be breaking off with the software giant to pursue its own projects but now it is slated to create and release Halo: Reach in 2010. And it seems that's not even remotely the end for Halo-related content.

Frank O'Connor, who is the creative director for 343 Industries, the new entity in charge of the development of the franchise, has talked to USA Today about the long term plans, saying that “We do have a plan that goes out at least six years. Eventually it will become very apparent that there is a plan for the way the canon ties together and the way the comic books and the novels all tie together.”

The aspects known of this six-year plan (couldn't they have taken a cue from history and make it a five-year plan, like the Soviets did?) are some comic books, in the Helljumper and the Blood Line series, the already in production Halo: Legends anime series and new novels in the Evolutions line. And O'Connor apparently divulged that the Halo movie, which has long been rumored to be in development, will probably tackle the fate of series protagonist Master Chief after the events of Halo 3.

O'Connor stated, “I think that fate, Cortana's fate and the identity of that giant, dark planet at the ending are probably big mysteries that would be irritating if they were just cliffhangers.” It's interesting to note that most of the Halo-related projects that are part of this six-year plan are not related directly to videogames, which might suggest that Microsoft is not sure what developer can take up the burden of Halo after Bungie relinquishes it.