The HALO series, arguably the savior of the original Xbox, had an exciting, though unusual, cinematic trailer at this year’s E3. Much more muted than previous HALO announcements, it presented a cloaked Master Chief, standing up to a colossal forerunner in a windy desert setting. Labelled by most as HALO 5, the second game in the 343 saga, it wasn’t necessarily footage of the next HALO game. But if it wasn’t about the next game, then what was it about?
With the Xbox One being touted as an entertainment machine, rather than a mere gaming console, and the recent signing of Steven Spielberg to create a live action TV show, this trailer is most likely part of the Microsoft Xbox Entertainment Studios’ push towards a more refined interactive experience for both observers and video game players. Similar to Defiance’s symbiotic relationship with the TV show and video game, Microsoft is paving the way for the HALO franchise to be more than just a video game and to become a giant, behemoth-like franchise across the entertainment spectrum.
