14 DAY TRIAL // One of the biggest announcements that developer 343 Industries and publisher Microsoft have made at the official Gamescom 2014 press conference is that they will launch an entirely new interactive experience, called the Halo Channel, in November.
The new destination is more than just a renamed Halo Waypoint and is designed to allow gamers to access quite a bit of original content linked to the franchise, plenty of interactive features, and unlockable segments that will be linked to future titles in the series.
The official announcement also states, “Observant fans will note a very familiar looking map is being developed for Halo 5: Guardians in this video. Spoiler alert! It's Midship and it's being honored as the beloved home for small team, arena battles it's always been known for. Want to learn more? Watch the video!”
It’s unclear whether the new version of Midship that’s being created is designed to be closer to the original version or will be heavily reimagined to be easy to integrate with the mechanics of the new title.
The Halo Channel will be launched on the Xbox One at some point in November, probably soon after the Halo: The Master Chief Collection package is delivered on the same platform.
343 Industries adds, “The Halo Channel enables you to seamlessly transition between Halo games and other Halo experiences. Featuring full Twitch integration, broadcast your gameplay or watch feeds from the Halo community - from competitive multiplayer matches and campaign walkthroughs to speed runs.”
The Halo Channel will allow gamers to see the new live action TV style series that are being linked to the franchise, although no dates have been revealed for them .
The new service is a good way for both the development team and Microsoft to deliver all content associated with the Master Chief-powered series in one place and it might serve as a model for other franchises in the coming years.
The Xbox One is well equipped to allow gamers to quickly switch between video games and other entertainment experiences and the Halo Channel will initially be heavily focused on the coming Master Chief Collection.
Halo 5: Guardians will be launched on the Xbox One in the fall of next year and the development team at 343 Industries has promised that it will deliver a set of new mechanics while allowing players to experience the classic feeling of the franchise.
