Although Bungie is out of the Halo picture, Microsoft is keeping things moving with its beloved Halo franchise. In fact, Frank O’Connor says a new Halo game announcement is coming later this year, although he (predictably) offered absolutely no details.
In an article on CNN.com, the earlier rumors about the original Halo, Halo: Combat Evolved, coming to the Xbox 360 in high-definition gained steam, as a news outlet of CNN’s heft always lends credibility to scuttlebutt that otherwise exists only online. According to the article (and the previous rumors), “Microsoft is planning to revive the series debut … for an Xbox 360 release around the winter holidays, adding top-of-the-line high-definition visuals and support for 3-D televisions.”
But is such an HD remake all that Microsoft’s cooking? Considering the hiring spree the publisher has been on, not to mention the qualifications of the people it’s hiring, a larger Halo project — perhaps one to be unveiled at E3 — may also be likely. The CNN article says
The 343 division in Redmond, Washington, can’t seem to hire fast enough, posting several job openings for game developers each week. It has also hired a few people from Bungie, as well as high-profile executives such as a producer for some of the “Metal Gear Solid” games.
If a Metal Gear Solid producer is on board, he or she probably isn’t there to work on an HD port.
With that said, it’s not unlikely that an HD port of the original Halo will appear on XBLA and/or via the budding Games on Demand service. The 10th anniversary for Halo is November 15…just in time for a Black Friday-timed “commemorative” remake launch.
Until then, we’ll just have to wait to see what Microsoft has cooking in Halo-land. Hopefully that wait won’t be too long (hello, E3), but whatever the new Halo game announcement may be, the end of the year sure sounds a long way off.