Bungie Leaves Halo to Microsoft July 10, 2011

After twelve years and five games over two console generations, Bungie has started the transition process to leave the Halo franchise that they created behind to focus on new projects.  This is a major changing of the guard, as all of the major Halo online stat servers have been hosted on Bungie’s official website for the past seven years.  Those servers are going to be moving to Microsoft, where they will be maintained by a separate team.

As a PC user, I think a lot of people’s first exposure to Halo came when this video came out, back when Halo was expected to launch on the PC.

This video is likely what made Microsoft decide to buy the company and have Bungie retool the game to run on their then unannounced first gaming console, the Xbox.

Make no mistake about it, the launch of Halo defined the Xbox and made a new console by a new manufacturer hold its own against the power of Sony better than Nintendo could in the last console generation.

When Xbox Live launched, Halo 2 defined online play for that platform and was widely successful.  In fact, I still remember Halo 2’s launch quite fondly.

And for those of you who might be interested, I consider Halo 2’s Limited Collector’s Edition the definition of a REQUIRED CE purchase.

But Bungie wouldn’t be staying as a part of Microsoft’s main studios forever.  After finishing Halo 2, while working on their first unannounced Xbox 360 exclusive game, Bungie got a whole new building to develop in.

I just want to know where all those belts came from.  Of course that game they couldn’t show us in that video of course turned out to be the highly rated Halo 3.

With the release of Halo 3 many felt the Halo series had come to a wrap.  It ended on a cliffhanger but the main story was complete.  Having made them millions upon millions of dollars, Microsoft gave Bungie back their independence and the ability to develop whatever they’d like, but they would be keeping Halo.  It could’ve easily ended there, but Bungie had some more surprises up their sleeves and Halo 3 ODST was coming.

But this wouldn’t be their final Halo game.  As announced in E3 2009 right after the stage demo of Halo 3 ODST, Bungie’s final Halo game would bring the series full circle back to the beginning, set back before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, their final Halo game would be Halo Reach.

Bungie hasn’t posted up their final ViDoc yet, but for Bungie Day two years ago, they released this video showing the evolution of Halo over the years, and since they are wrapping up Halo, I thought it was quite fitting to show here.

Take care, Bungie, and good luck in all your future endeavors.