14 DAY TRIAL // The Halo franchise is an extremely popular one, as it has single handedly shaped how people play and are attracted to console shooters. While the first two games really helped Microsoft with its first ever gaming console, the Xbox, when Halo 3 appeared, for the next generation Xbox 360, people were already hooked on Bungie's creation and would buy anything even remotely related to it.
That is what prompted Microsoft to buy the rights to the IP (Intellectual Property) from Bungie, and delegate other internal studios to think of new ways the franchise could be developed. One of its more seasoned groups, Ensemble Studios, came up with the idea to take the franchise from its First Person Shooter roots and transform it in a strategy game. As such, Halo Wars was created, but sadly, it was the last project of the company, as it was closed down by Microsoft after the completion of the game.
But this doesn't mean that Halo Wars won't be supported by its developers and that other things related to it won't appear in the future, as a lot of former employees have been given the chance to continue working for Microsoft in a new studio. That is why the company is still very excited about the future of Halo Wars, says Jason Pace, lead producer for Halo Wars and Microsoft Games Studios overseer of the Halo franchise.
“I would not be able to comment on that now, but I can tell you from the perspective of the franchise that we're very excited about all of the potential that it has,” said Pace when asked about a sequel. “Halo Wars is a triple-A title for the Halo franchise. The way we conceive it is absolutely on par with one of the first-person shooter games. And so we're very much interested in how, and in what ways, we carry the entire franchise forward - including Halo Wars as a title. So definitely we're thinking a lot about that.”
Well, at least Halo fans know that they will be in for a great and pretty long lasting experience with Halo Wars, as you can be sure that new features or content will be added by Microsoft and this new studio, formed of former Ensemble staff.