Microsoft to increase frequency of Halo titles

Corporate vice president for Microsoft Game Studios Phil Spencer has told gaming website IGN that the company intends to increase the output of Halo games.

While quick to point out that Microsoft doesn't necessarily wish to "annualise" the franchise (as Activision intends with the Call of Duty franchise), Spencer contended that "one Halo game every three years - which was kind of our old cadence - is probably not frequent enough".

Spencer argues that significant gaps between core releases in the Halo franchise can be disengaging for the audience. "Next year is the 10th anniversary [of Halo: Combat Evolved]," he said. "You watch the change in gamers in 10 years. The percentage of players are playing Reach that were I'll say not old enough to play Halo 1 at the time, 10 years is a long time between launches."

Now that Bungie has released its final instalment in the franchise it created, the reigns have been handed over to 343 Industries, a Microsoft studio created with the sole purpose of overseeing the Halo franchise.

"343 Industries is thinking a lot about how to take this franchise and turn it into something that people feel like they have an ongoing relationship with and they can entertain themselves more often," said Spencer. "But it's not, 'Hey, every November 6 or whatever we have to ship a game and build a production plan around that. We want to do things that make sense as a first party."