14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has partnered with heavyweights of the anime industry in order to produce several original short animation films designed to deliver a new perspective over the Halo universe. For the expansion of the Halo franchise in the anime medium, the software giant will collaborate with acclaimed anime creators for the creation of the “Halo Legends” Anime Project. It will be Microsoft’s 343 Industries to produce “Halo Legends,” which is scheduled for the official debut on July 23rd, at Comic-Con International in San Diego. The Redmond company indicated that Halo Legends would be distributed worldwide by Microsoft partner Warner Home Video, with plans for the release still to come.
“As a leading entertainment distributor and a company identified with premier anime content, we’re very pleased to be working with Microsoft on ‘Halo Legends’,” revealed Amit Desai, vice president, Family, Animation and Partner Brands Marketing, Warner Home Video. “The combination of the talent involved and the ‘Halo’ brand ensure the collection is something consumers are really going to enjoy.”
Microsoft’s 343 Industries has been joined by leading anime studios in Japan for the Halo Legends project. Collaborators on the anime collection will feature such names as Shinji Aramaki, director of “Appleseed” and “Appleseed EX Machina,” and Mamoru Oshii, director of “Ghost in the Shell,” as well as Joseph Chou of J-Spec Pictures. The software giant also mentioned Bones Inc., Casio Entertainment Inc., Production I.G, STUDIO4°C and Toei Animation as the studios involved in the project.
“The opportunity to work with talents such as Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii and others from some of the greatest anime studios is a very rare opportunity for Microsoft,” explained Frank O’Connor, “Halo” franchise development director and provider of story and creative direction for 343 Industries. “We’ve seen the world through Master Chief’s eyes, and we’ve experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and ‘Halo’ fans alike are in for a real treat.”
According to the company, the “Halo Legends” project anime series will be focused on different periods as well as different themes and characters from Halo. This fall, Microsoft will offer a preview of Halo Legends on Xbox LIVE via the Halo Waypoint, the upcoming destination for fans of the franchise.
“‘Halo’ and its characters are a very natural fit for anime,” said Aramaki, creative director for the “Halo Legends” project. “As a fan of the ‘Halo’ universe, it is an honor to work with Microsoft and my very talented peers from other studios to create this collection.”