Giveaway: Win an Xbox 360 Slim and Halo: Reach

I think Rockstar, which would help Halo’s issues of brevity with the single player games in the franchise. This might also help Rockstar’s dearth of mutli-player pizzaz. Finally, the cross-over possibilities are hilarious- Master Chief playing Table Tennis; or dropping the ghost into NYC!?!

Im going with Bioware. I really like what theyve been doing lately with Mass effect and Dragonsgate. Admittedly though, their expertise lies a little towards the RPG side of the standard FPS, but they do a good job with storytelling around a big environment with numerous races, societies, etc., and have developed their own instant classic weaponry.

Runner up goes to Epic Games for Gears of War for many of the same reasons. Epic also has the advantage(?) of already working solely with Microsoft. Only downside is that Gears has been their only major success recently

I don’t want Halo to go to Bioware as much as I like Mass Effect because I don’t want Halo to become another Action/RPG hybrid. Halo is an awesome FPS Action game and I want it that way. I’d give it to Activision/Blizzard hands down, but since they have lost half their team, I don’t want to give it to them either. The only studio that seems to be promising to give Halo its due credit now is Epic Games. They have shown their mettle with Gears of War series and they can take over development of Halo and keep the Halo series reigning and alive.

Bioware or MGS

I’ve recently been very impressed with the wealth of good games coming out of Bioware, but I also don’t want Halo to become an action RPG like codexone said. I like it as the premier FPS that it is. I honestly wish Bungie could keep the license as I don’t think anyone can do it better. I might be proven wrong, and I won’t be upset if that’s the case.

I would say Activision as well, despite a lack of staff. Wouldn’t the chance to work on the next Halo bring in the best and brightest? Plus, new talent coming on can continue innovation across the spectrum of games developed.

I’d have to say Infinity Ward. The Call of Duty games are awesome, and I think Infinity Ward could make an awesome addition to the Halo franchise.

While I’m tempted to say Infinity Ward for their massive set pieces in COD games, I’d go with Epic Games. They made the gritty Gears of War series, and I’d like it if they could give the same darker feel to the Halo franchise too. They’re certainly no stranger to making top-tier FPS games, but they should ditch UE3 and develop a new engine for a new Halo. Now that would result in awesomeness!

I wouldn’t go with Bioware though, wouldn’t want any RPG bias affecting Halo, which is best served in an FPS form.

Hmmm…Rockstar games and Epic Games are REALLY good companies. But personally, I wouldn’t want any other company creating Halo games than Bungie. I hate seeing perfectly good movies and games going to waste when there are too many sequels directed by different directors(Karate Kid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Step up, Left for dead 2, etc.)
But maybe a different company is good for Halo. Seeing that Batman became a hit (again) as soon as Christopher Nolan directed Batman Begins, maybe a new perspective is required to bring out the full potential of the game.

I would go with gearbox. Not only have they shown they can make good first-person games like Borderlands, they also are the ones who ported Halo 1 to PC, so they’ve had some limited experience with Halo already. My only concern would be to make sure that firefight doesn’t end up as tedious as the Mad Moxxi levels.

I would like to see the franchise go to Bethesda, not so much for the outsize RPG skills, but for the sheer scale of their world building. I have this vision of the next game being a huge, open-ended war zone with small RPG elements (ala Borderlands) combined with squad-based tactics (ala Rainbow Six). A game where you are fighting a war all the way through, with no convenient cut-scene transitions or linear levels. I think Bethesda is the only company who could handle something quite so epic yet be confident and thorough enough to relinquish the reins of the game’s direction to the player.

It’s hard to imagine someone other than Bungie in charge of Halo, but if it must be done, I would go with Activision. I would have them make the single/co-op campaign because they always do a fantastic job. Where as, I would have Treyarch do the multi-player. Together, I think the two developers would make a great Halo game. Cheers!

I would like to see what Team Ninja would do with Halo. They managed to combine faithfulness to the original with new, creative, fun gameplay in the Ninja Gaiden reboot, and the new Metroid looks to be similarly reinvigorated. I’d love to see what they’d do with a Halo game. Also, now that Master Chief is out of the series, it almost seems like the gameplay should shift in some new directions to reflect that. I mean, not everyone can be the run and gun galaxy savior like MC was.

If Halo isnt done by Bungie, it wont be Halo, plain and simple. Bungie is the essence of Halo, no other developer could take something like that and make it their own. Halo’s destiny walks hand in hand with the destiny of Bungie, and if they want to branch out into other things, I’m fine with that. I have almost zero doubt that Bungie will make another Halo game, and even though it might not be for quite some time, I’m more than willing to wait until they’re ready to do it again.

They may not have a lot of games to their credit yet, but the studio I’d love to see take on the massive responsibility of the Halo franchise would be Rocksteady games.

Rocksteady has already proven they can deliver an outstanding FPS game that plays outside of genre conventions with their underrated PS2 debut, Urban Chaos. That game was unlike any other shooter on the market and I believe the next Halo developer needs to bring their own style to the series, not just emulate Bungie’s masterpiece.

Rocksteady has also proven they can handle the pressure of working on a major franchise. As popular as Halo is, Batman is an even bigger property, and Rocksteady made the perfect Batman game with Batman: Arkham Asylum. They created a game that was fun to play, and it respected the existing fan base and all of the Batman work that had come before, while still integrating everything that made the Batman comics, movies, and cartoons so enjoyable.

Halo is a rapidly growing IP, and I would trust Rocksteady to give it the same respect as a franchise that they gave to Batman in Arkham Asylum, and the upcoming Arkham City, which already looks amazing, while also delivering the fun, atmospheric, and unique shooter environment they built for Urban Chaos.

I think a lot of the already stated developers are really good ideas: BioWare for their masterful story telling, Epic for their gritty action, and Gearbox because come on, Boarderlands kicked a$$. While I think each one of these companies could churn out a great Halo game and make good money, I would go in a different direction.

In my opinion Valve would be your best bet. Valve has shown that they are a competent developer when dealing with both single player (Half-Life) and multiplayer (Team Fortress) first person shooters. I think Valve knows what they are doing in telling a compelling story via first-person perspective, and on a more selfish note I think a class-based system (ala TF2) would add variety as the story continues to focus less on Master Chief and more on the Spartans and humanity in general.

Additionally I feel that by utilizing STEAM Valve could easily distribute and update a new Halo game as well as capitalize on the recent media attention on PC gaming.

My second pick would be Konami, cause I think a stealth (Metal Gear) Halo would be sick.

My vote has to go to Bioware. The Halo universe has an expansive mythos behind it that requires masterful story-telling that has to suck the player in. It is for this reason that Bioware would be the best fit. Whether it is Baldur’s Gate, ……KoToR, or Mass Effect, Bioware has a Midas-touch when it comes to immersive gameplay, exposition, and story-telling. First-person shooters are still terra-incognito for Bioware, but with how adroitly a Third Person shooter like Mass Effect was handled, I have no doubts that a First-Person shooter could also be tackled with ease.

i agree with captainman , we havent see halo with out bungie but i would have to choose ubisoft is everyone forgetting Splinter Cell Convition and Assasins Creed , if they can mix the realism of the splinter cell and the beautifull landscapes of assasins creed … adding a profoundity to halo´s story line we will have an unstopable game..

How about EA? They have the size and they have the means. Medal of Honor, Battlefield, Army if Two, Burnout, Need for Speed, the Sims, and Madden all came out of EA. The variety of games it produces displays the versatility it can bring to Halo. Medal of Honor has your FPS and multiplayer, and Madden has multiplayer. Can you imagine a warthog in Burnout or Need for Speed? I think EA would also bring its own style to Halo and not just copy what has come before, while still staying true to the fans. EA’s past working with different companies like Bioware and Maxis would also ensure the best people working on it and using those people to craft the best experience possible, and would ensure a unique take on the series.

Blizzard. I would buy World of Halo.

No one has mentioned Valve yet so i will! i think valve would be a great choice, they have had amazing success with the half life series… great story in campaign which shows they could take the reigns up on halo and possibly not ruin it.^^

Valve would absolutely treat the Halo franchise right AND would bring Halo back to PC gaming. Who will Microsoft choose? Probably Epic.

To give the franchise a big shift in focus, I would give it to Irrational. It would obviously be a huge change in Halo, but the series is ready for it. Master Chief landing on a new planet could be ripe with mystery, and Irrational has clearly shown their ability to handle FPS games with a twist.

I believe Volition should take over Halo. We all know how awesome Red Faction Guerilla was so imagine what would happen if the destructiveness and open world gameplay of RFG was combined with the world of Halo. That would make for one of the best games ever!

Retro studios. I believe that they have done a GREAT job on the metroid prime franchise. Their work on the gamecube and the wii has been some of the best graphics and details I have ever seen on these systems. I believe with their area of expertise in the sci-fi realm and their amazing work on lengthy and intriguing campaigns would help them make a great halo game. They would move the franchise in a new direction while still being able to keep the halo feel we all know and love.

Crytek. Crytek has made amazing games such as Crysis, Far Cry and most likely, Crysis 2. The game engine they made for Crysis 2 would make Halo look amazing! Also, every game they have made has recieved positive reviews. If you look at gameplay footage from Crysis or Crysis 2 then you’ll see what I mean. To sum everything up, The Halo franchise would be in good hands if Crytek took the reigns.

I’d like to see what kind of FPS id Software could turn Halo into. Sure, there might be much of a story line, but I’m sure it would still be a sight to see graphically.

I’d say Blizzard should get it. Yes they’re a cliche, but they’ve shown they can handle massive success in World of Warcraft and the Starcraft franchises and also that they can create upon that success with wildly popular expansion packs for WoW and sequels like Starcraft II, sure Blizzard is computer based, but with what they’ve done for gaming why should cross platform be any different? It seems to me that Blizzard is not only the best option for the halo franchise because it has shown it can keep popular games fresh and new whilst still maintaining the core fan base of the game, but that it has done it on multiple occasions. Blizzard seems like such a logical choice because of it’s experience and it’s demonstrated creativity and spectrum of games, so that they could maintain the same halo, but also add upon it with new and unexpected flare.

I say Wolfire Games. Not exactly a large or terribly advanced studio at this point, but they respect their customers and make neat games.

Realistically, I’d say Bioware. I wouldn’t mind an RPG iteration of Halo.

EA, with DICE on multiplayer and Bioware on singleplayer.

I say give it to Respawn Entertainment, the company formed by the former Infinity Ward dudes that made Modern Warfare 2. Based on what they did with that game and other titles I honestly believe they could develop some additional strong and compelling stories and some insanely fun gameplay to the Halo franchise. Having them take it on would likely lead to a fresh experience.

Blizzard and Valve should create a team to take over Halo. Their backgrounds and experiences should do both the FPS and strategy segments justice, allowing both game plays to be easily customized and proper multi-player play/support.

Although, each could probably do this on their own, I think combining their experiences and talents would take FPS/strategy gaming to a new levels. Maybe find a way to combine console gaming with PC gaming?

This team could probably open up the Halo to the Covenant’s perspective, allowing us to engage in the invasion of Earth or the creation of the Covenant.

Rockstar! Everything they touch turns to gold. I’m sure they could take the game to the next level. Bam!!

i would want 2k marin to take over halo. that way halo would stay a fps and have a strong storyline. bioshock is such a good balance of action and story. i want halo to stay that way. bioshock infinite looks well researched too and they incorporate so much history with the game. but still, nothing could compete with bungie still making more games.

i think Microsoft is doing great but only if they made halo 3 for pc they would be the best. i think it should be them because they made halo first and no one can do better rock on Microsoft

3D Realms… oh wait!

Definitely BioWare! I think that BioWare would totally be able to flesh out the Halo universe like no other and could truly make the campaign and story epic.

Most likely Naughty Dog but that is probably not feasible since its a PS3 associate. Otherwise it depends on the direction it wants to go, if it wants to expand to single player RPG or whatever, I think the guys who made Oblvion would be a good match.

Definitely Bioware! Allow your mind to wander for a moment: Master Chief. Blowing away aliens with BR’s and needlers blazing, grunts and jackals fleeing in terror. Nothing out of the ordinary for any Halo game..

Now add RPG elements. Upgradable scopes and ammunition on guns, different parts for your own custom-built ghosts and banshees.. Hell, we already have names for a ton of armor, such as the Mark IV armor. Add a trusty sidekick that’s another Spartan II/III, maybe a rogue Elite and a tank of a Hunter?

Looks like a mighty fine First person shooter RPG to me. All the elements are there thanks for Bungie’s fantastic storyline, all that is needed is a fantastic push towards the RPG genre and you’ve got yourself a great game.

I have not read all the entries, and I am tempted to say its Bungie or bust, but…

I would go with Square Enix. Yeah, I’d have to be bending the rules because they would most likely outsource some of the work, but Square was responsible for the best games of all time: Legend, and Secret, of Mana, Crono Trigger, and heaven forbid Final Fantasy! Granted, some of the FF games suck, bit the stories and the graphics are always light years ahead of other, usually slacking off, game makers. (Pretty much anyone who tries to adapt a movie into a game, UGH)

I am a bit bias, I’ll admit, because although I love Halo multiplayer, what I enjoy the most about the games is the story line, the created world, and the music that goes with it. Square is the person who does all of that right! And not only right, but in a way that doesn’t follow the fold, something Bungie was good at balancing with what their community wanted.

Anyone who can create the worlds that Square has is ready for a shot at a Halo game.

I’d love to see what Valve would do. They’re not the obvious choice for the Halo franchise, because they’ve built such an incredible franchise in Half-Life (and Team Fortress). But seriously, who wouldn’t be curious what they’d come up with?

Adding their mix of tech, storytelling and gameplay design to Halo would be something to behold. Seriously, try wrapping your head around Halo + Valve. Your head wants to explode just considering the potential awesomeness.

Besides the tech, level design, and all the fixins, there’s an element of mystery and intrigue that Valve would bring to Halo that’s been missing (or in short supply) thus far. What fiction they could add to The Forerunners. (And they’ve already covered what is quite similar to The Flood, so no need to revisit them here.)

Second choice on my list, though they’ve been light on story for most games, is id Software. I’d love to see what John Carmack would come up with for underlying tech and incorporate more story and drama. But no question, first choice would be Valve.

Gotta go with Epic games and their commitment to excellence starting with the Gears of War franchise. They have shown the ability to be diverse with the development of Shadow Complex as well as the engine that is being constently tweaked and reworked – which is by some the standard to base your games on which is also powering Borderlands – Mass Effect and Batman Arkham Asylum.

To incorporate a Halo Story and theme into a development studio that has been working with the GOW franchise has to be a no brainer. To see Halo morphed into something that they would create is definitely a must play, hands down. Along with their “street cred” their ability to mass market games and the allegiance that they command is also worth noting. Cliffy B is good at selling games as well.

No Bout a Doubt it.

Lots of studios could take the Halo series and make them good. The question is which studio can make it great. Is it possible to make Halo better. I think if Bioware takes the reigns of Halo than it will go to the next level. Bioware has TONS of experience in the Sci-Fi games to name a few success games are: Star Wars: Republic Commando was like Halo ,and was an amazing FPS game with enough weapons ,and great multiplayer for its time. One of the great qualities of Bioware is they make stunning Sci-Fi graphics. If you don’t believe me on that than you should take a look at the Star Wars: The Old Republic screenshots which is coming soon. Another great thing is that Bioware is amazing at bringing new things to games that have never been done before that just bring it over the top. An example is that Star Wars: the Old Republic which is an RPG they revolutionized the combat system by bringing fighting from the cover of something in the Turn Based Battle. Just think about the graphics of the guns and landscape Bioware would bring. They have talent at making different ,and exotic backgrounds to bring in the player. I don’t even need to touch gun graphics because they freakin awesome. To some it up they would bbring fresh style, stunning graphics,and the missing thing to the Halo series.

It’d be a stretch but I would hand Halo to Kylotonn. To me, Bungie’s strengths have been mechanics and enveloping stories going all the way back to the Marathon series. Going back to Kylotonn’s Iron Storm I find a very similar gaming experience where managing the environment (flooding, poison gas, artillery barrage) is every bit as important as getting off the first shot.

And Kylotonn can really insert you into that ‘broken world on the edge of the abyss’ feel of Halo. They’d need help, especially with quality control, but all the intangibles are there in spades.

Blizzard. I think of all the great companies listed so far, Blizzard would be able to do the most justice for the Halo series. I think that Blizzard would be very successful in creating a game similar to the “Halo Wars.” Personally, I think “Halo Wars” was a flop due to inadequate marketing and game design. The game was to shallow. Blizzard would be able to tell an amazing story, similar to the Starcraft series, with missions in between. I feel as though Halo should NOT be reproduced as a FPS as no one will get the feel and excitement quite like Bungie did for Master Chief. I think that Blizzard should pick up immediately where Halo: Reach leaves off. I don’t know the ending of Reach yet, but I’m sure like every other Halo game there is the potential for a sequel. I think that Blizzard would truly be able to do the Halo series justice by not trying to reproduce what Bungie has already created but by reimagining how the Halo Universe story is told.

I would love to see a great start-up company with new and fresh ideas. This would bring the entire franchise to a new level.

I too have to go with Infinity Ward. They have a great history with FPS and would continue to take Halo in the direction they are heading with Halo:Reach.

I think it should be a team effort for the software companies under the Zenimax banner. To me Halo was revolutionary for consoles due to the quality of the FPS action and the expansive scope of the universe.

ID tech5, the engine behind Rage, seems the best way to take that sense of space and size of the universe to the next level. idtech5 is being designed with consoles in mind, and who knows FPS action better than id?

To compensate for the relative storytelling weakness that id seems to have, leave the story development to Bethesda, who have shown the ability to create richly textured worlds.

This would work because of the common corporate parent for the two studios. id and Bethesda would do Bungie justice with future Halo works.

What about Crytek ? I mean come on, Crysis was kind of a great game right ?!! :)

I would have to go with a mix of Respawn Studios and somebody like team ico. Respawn for their solid performance and decent graphics Team Ico for story telling abilities.

I’m going to go out on a limb and pick relative newcomers Uber Entertainment. What they’ve been able to produce with Monday Night Combat has been spectacular.

They understand how to create a truly engaging multiplayer experience and a younger studio that is full of bacon and bullets is perfect to take over the reigns. What they might lack in experience they have in fire and heart and the willingness to experiment and try new things while still keeping the game experience familiar and comfortable.

An older studio might not have that willingness to take chances following down well-traveled roads, while inexperience could actually lead you down unexpected paths which could explode into fresh innovations. I’d fully trust the Halo Franchise in these young, but seemingly capable hands.

Insomniac Games. Time to introduce some whimsy into the Halo Universe. Seriously though they can do funny, they can do serious, maybe even twisted. Give them a crack and breath some life into this world.

Crytek, and here is why.

If halo is going to be passed off to a new studio I think one thing most players will be worried about is wether or not the core elements of the game will remain the same. I see suggestions for Epic and while a great developer their style of shooter wouldnt feel like a great halo game. Microsofts biggest hurdle will be keeping the fans trust in the franchise now that bungie is no longer behind the wheel.

For me halo has always felt like one of the most engaging fps games for consoles, I bought my first xbox because of the game. I remember how amazed I was when first stepping out of that escape pod and panning the distant and epic landscape. There were many hours spent in that first game just admiring the backdrops. The battles that took place there just seemed to flow so well, you were sucked in not just by the enemies but by the terrain you were swerving around in the seat of a warthog.

While halo sort of opened my eyes to the depth that could be achieved past enemies and weapon choice it stuck with me when I first played farcry. That moment you first emerged from the bunker just hit me as a throwback to the escape pod in halo. You just get that feeling that this game is truly opening up, and this is a place you will be deeply immersed in. The tank battle in the canyon in crysis is another example, it almost felt like halo driving armor straight into the opposition while a war rages around you.

I feel that this sense of epic settings is key to keeping that halo feel, and when I look over every developer I can only think of one whose games have had that similar tone. And that is why crytek has to be the next developer of halo.

On a side note, I think the only possible way to keep the multiplayer the same is to kidnap the bungie multiplayer team and keep them developing it. This is a task I feel crytek is also capable of.

Ubisoft has a great history of making franchises huge and with Halo already being colossal, they should have no problem with treating the series with respect. Of course, knowing Microsoft, they will probably put a studio on the project who will let Microsoft oversee it. I only hope the studio who takes it over will have as much as a passion as the staff at Bungie did. So my final decision would have to be to just give the series BACK TO BUNGIE!!!!!!!!!!!

I think Activision would be a pretty good choice, it would be pretty hard to top bungie. But Activision makes some great games and they’re usually pretty good at bringing updates to their games. And not to mention they have made some pretty awesome games.

I would go with Infinity Ward or Rockstar. It depends on who would work on it and give it the attention it deserves more.

I would go for Crytek. Halo has superb gameplay, and combined with a company who made Crysis a graphical beast, Halo would become the perfected FPS it should be. People argue Gameplay doesn’t equal graphics, I agree, but having both excellent gameplay and overwhelming graphics, you can’t lose. I also think that Crysis would find a way to overall make Halo appeal to those who “hate” Halo.

First and foremost I would like to say that if it isn’t made by Halo then it isn’t really a Halo. However, I would say that Epic Games should take over. The only reason is because I would like to see how gory they could make Halo while staying true to the gameplay and story.

I believe Valve should do it. They’re fantastic at narrative and can make one hell of a clean looking game. Also, you have to admit, Valve is fantastic at FPS games. They’re still pumping out impressive games with an engine they developed over 6 years ago. To solidify an impressive developer, it doesn’t hurt that they’re the guys behind Steam, either.

Well Bioware should definitely win. We have seen with similar games made by Bioware, such as Mass Effect, that the games are done extremely well. Halo could maintain its eliteness with Bioware at the wheel. Bioware could also benefit with a popular FPS like Halo.

I would really support infinity ward taking Over Halo reach. I really like their vision. Also I think that COD has marked them and they need to spread their wings. Now that they are done with cod I think that would be great for them

Its hard thinking of a new company taking over an already perfect game. Who knows if they’ll keep its true essence or completely change the look and feel. But if I have to decide who should take over the Halo, I would have to go with either Epic Games or Gearbox as both made great games that people still play and mention all the time.

I really think that Rare should develop the Halo games from now on. The were and still are some of the best game developers out there (GoldenEye, Perfect Dark, Banjo-Kazooie, Jet Force Gemini, ect.)

My knee-jerk reaction was to say Ensemble Studios (now Robot Entertainment) just because they did Halo Wars and already have a good grasp of Halo fluff. And then I actually started to think long and hard. While Ensemble does good RTS games, and they may not necessarily come out with a good FPS game.

What makes Halo such a great game anyway? Because it has that balance of tension and action couched in a gripping plot and immersive environment which makes you lose hours of your life without noticing them gone.

Ubisoft Montreal would be a good candidate. With their Farcry 2 and Assassin’s Creed credentials, they’ve shown that they can do emulate expansive environments that give good flavor to running gun battles — and that you can you can shoot to hell and blow up just like Installation no. 4.

Bioware gets a nod too. We know they can tell an epic sci-fi story just like Mass Effect, and build a massive mythos for an entire galaxy and multiple alien races.

And then it hit me — what was the most immersive game did I ever play, the one that made me stop at 1 in the morning and kick down my bathroom door because I could have sworn that someone flushed the toilet (Splicer!) when I was home alone? Bioshock.

I think Irrational Games would be the prime choice — good storytelling and an attention to fluff and little details that borders on obsessive compulsion. From what we can tell from Bioshock Infinite spoilers, it seems that they would do a very good job with the Halo franchise. I will concede, however, that they may need to take a cue from the likes of Infinity Ward when it comes to multiplayer dynamics.

i think valve should make it. Valve has shown that they can make some of the best fps’ of all time, including Left 4 dead and Half Life and Half Life 2. They have an amazing game engine that could power many explosions and people running around. Valve has made great guns like the portal gun and the gravity gun and could definately keep Halo fresh when it comes to guns and vehicles. Valve is a one of the best candidates for taking the reigns of this great and historic game.

Many developers have the ability to create this game, but we need a developer to come up with fresh new ideas for FPSs. I suggest that Bioware be the next and final developer for the Halo Series. I have many reasons and here are some of the reasons. My biggest reason is that Bioware isn’t a small little game experience i there games. They could make the Halo Series into the Halo Universe. They would bring new and numerous planets to the Halo games. It would revolutionize the FPS world. Look what they have done to Mass Effect, Star Wars the Old Republic, and other Sci-Fi games. They might bring some RPGness to the game, but all FPS games have a little. The ability to upgrade guns and armor type that most games such as COD have is a fine example. So, why not bring that to the Halo Universe that Bioware will design. My second reason is the graphics. Bioware makes the best graphics for Sci-Fi games. The alien worlds that they build are vast, detailed, and they make it look so dang cool. The weapons that Bioware makes are extremely detailed down to the finest little thing. Bioware weapons have a distinct touch to them. What they do is they turn sweet Sci-Fi guns add sweet details, and features, and finally some of them they turn them into classic weapons such as a laser 6-shooter or a pump shotgun. This distinct style is what makes Bioware one of the best developers for Sci-Fi games, and even games. Another huge reason Bioware should take over the control center for the Halo Series is that they change the way that the genre they are developing is played. In RPGs Bioware unique creativity resulted in a 4th element to the RPG world and that is that they have brought the idea of cover, and completely avoiding the fire in the first place. This alone convinced me to buy some more of Barware’s games. I think my brain is about to explode thinking about the Halo Series + Bioware = Bestselling game, and explosion of brains of all who play the game. Bioware! The final point I want to bring to the picture is the game engine, and the speed of the game. I know all of you out there hate a game that has huge loading times, crashes, and especially games that saves and settings that swamp the hard drive to a slow. Bioware has a talent at keeping save files down, but really packing it in ,and not corrupting the file. My favorite thing about Bioware is that the loading times are tiny. They load through stuff fast and furiously. Also, even for time it is loading there are tons of different tips that Bioware puts on the loading screen. So, Halo fans start asking Bioware ,and get Halo to be taken over by Bioware ,and you will get a great game that has stellar graphics, an entire universe to it, and weapons so unique that you won’t even know what to expect when you pull the trigger.

A lot of great developers have been mentioned in the previous comments – Bioware, Infinity Ward, and Crytek to name a few; but only one can take the reins and stay true to the spirit of Halo – Epic Games. While Halo would do well in the capable hands of the aforementioned developers, only Epic has the specific experience and mentality to head up the much lauded franchise and make it GREAT.

Halo is a story driven, on-rails FPS with a rich mythology and robust multiplayer. It’s praised for its tight controls, arching narrative and addictive online “just one more match” gameplay. Parallels can be drawn to other games, but none as close as Gears of War. Both games focus on that indescribable “fun” factor that we crave. Both boasted a variety of unique weapons, memorable characters and a fully realized universe where the odds are stacked heavily in the bad guy’s favor. Sure their approaches were different, Halo being more run and gun and Gears more cover and smother – but more importantly, both appealed to the wannabe badass in all of us.

I’m sure other developers can/would offer a good experience if given the chance but I doubt they could do it as skillfully as Epic. Bioware is primarily a RPG developer, and while their work speaks for itself, their expertise is not in FPS’s which could hamper the finely tuned gameplay. Infinity Ward’s niche is fast-paced frenetic combat with an emphasis on realism, not the smooth Bruckheimer-esque action which is the hallmark of Halo franchise; and even though Crytek is praised for its ability to make a computer cry (literally) with its photorealistic graphics, they are not particularly known for their multiplayer or storytelling aspects.

In short, I think Epic has the expertise, both technically and creatively to take up the Spartan banner and lead us in the fight against the Covenant once again.

I think I will have to go with DICE. DICE has made some pretty nice FPS games throughout their years, but I think the best thing about their games is that they’re built on strategy, most notably the Battlefield series. Unlike most FPS games where you could go into the middle of the map, guns blazing, and rack up a lot of kills, Battlefield brings teammates together to win the game. If strategy and strong teamwork was brought into a new Halo game, while keeping the hilarious outcomes and the world-famous Forge mode, the new Halo series will definitely keep hardcore gamers and Halo fans wanting more. I mean, with all those new bad-ass weapons debuting in every new Halo game, I don’t think you’d want to use them without a little thought.

BioWare, Rockstar, Blizzard Entertainment, Valve, good choices. But you’re missing out on the real deal: Team17! Worms Halo, anyone? Yes!

I actually like the idea of 343 Studios inheriting the reigns of the Halo franchise. The studio’s founder help to create Halo and some of the people that worked on previous Halo franchises now work at the studio. This will allow the franhise to remain familiar with the fan base so that old fans won’t be alienated. Sometimes a new studio will takeover a franchise and make so many changes that the new games are completely different from what fans are used to playing. For example, look at the Call of Duty franchise, two different studios created two different experiences for the same title. (I personally preferred the games by Infinity Ward) 343 will able to bring in new elements to refresh the franchise while retaining the core elements that attracted people to Halo in the beginning.

It’s got to be Epic Games. They have a fantastic relationship with Microsoft, a proven franchise in Gears of War and as a North Carolina resident they are the home team. If Epic Games were to win the Halo franchise, it would be monumental for the gaming community and my local community.

If I had to choose, it would be Bioware.

Hey Techland, Conkerkid11 here with my entry towards winning your amazing prize. The Halo franchise has got to be the best franchise out there next to Grand Theft Auto, Half Life, Call of Duty, Doom, and of course Duke Nukem. The Halo Universe is such an amazing and expansive Universe. No dev team that I am currently aware of has built such an amazing story around their games. The Halo franchise can only be handled by one dev team, and one dev team only; 343 Industries. But of course we already know that they will take the reigns of the Halo franchise pretty soon here, so I won’t pick 343 Industries as my industry. I choose Valve.

Valve is the dev team who’s brilliant minds crafted such games as the amazingly innovative Portal, and the franchises of the Half Life series, the Team Fortress series, and the thrilling Left 4 Dead series. They’ve proved their worth plenty of times in first-person-shooters, puzzle games, and third-person class-based shooters. Imagine what Valve could do with the Halo franchise if they’ve managed to hop between story-driven FPS games straight to puzzle games. They offer free DLC just about every week towards PC gamers on Steam. Valve is the only dev team who I could see taking the reigns that are the Halo Franchise, well, Valve and 343 Industries.

Thanks so much for giving us this opportunity Techland! May the best comment win!

Infinity Ward got mad skillz.

If not Bungie then I would have to go with EA. It just dosn’t seem right not having Bungie doing it though.

I absolutely agree with captainman. Only Bungie can live up to the Halo legend. Their style of game creation is unmatched, which honestly, is disappointing. Sure, Activision, Blizzard, Treyarch, Infinity Ward, and DICE are great game developers, but the essence of HALO is missing. I remembered, when I was a lot younger, games like Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, etc, but halo was the one elusive game that I had never played. It started with Halo demo, then Halo: Combat Evolved. From then, bungie has just made the franchise evolve exponentially.

Plus, they actually adhere to the community’s complaints, unlike Infinity Ward.

How about Retro Studios? Haha… now that would be a hilarious mix, wouldn’t it? Metroid Prime and Halo were always being directly compared, despite each game playing out very differently. But in all seriousness, I think it might work… no? To me, the FPS genre isn’t exactly the most fun to play… and especially not one I want to replay if I happen to beat it. Metroid Prime on the other hand really had some fresh new ideas for the genre. Perhaps mixing both together would bring in a much needed facelift?

Id Software, A couple of reason 1.) The Rage engine it would be nice to see Halo pushed in the graphic department. 2.) I would like to see Halo grow and add more gore or and or adult content. All around it would just be great to see what the guys at Id can do with Halo

The Behemoth. Halo clearly suffers from a surplus of dimensions (depth? seriously?). And a lack of cel-shadedness. I’m afraid that only The Behemoth can do it justice.

Blizzard Entertainment. Just imagine Halo going massively multiplayer. This is the only way to keep Halo fresh and maintain the amazing gameplay. Allowing users to interactively recreate their own experience it would never get stale. The best moments of Halo can come about when just exploring the beautifully designed maps but what if this experience could be re-created on a massive, non-linear scale? With Blizzards experience they are the ones to take Halo through its next evolution.

To be honest I belive that getting other game companies than Bungie to deal with Halo is sort of.. not respecting the Halo franchise. Bungie is such an essential part of Halo that no other developer could take something like that and make it their own. Halo walks hand in hand with Bungie, and if Bungie decides to let go, we better do that too.
Nevertheless, I do believe, that if another developer should take on the Halo franchise it should be either Valve or Epic Games. Valve, because of their excellent way of creating a universe and an exciting plotline, besides from their beautiful graphics (I’m mostly thinking of Half Life). And Epic Games, because of their unique way of developing and interpreting a science-fictional and futuristic environment.
I love the Halo franchise so much, that I wouldn’t like to see it turn into something that it’s not – just to make some good money out of it for the game company that would take over the franchise.

I’m going to go with Crytek UK (formerly known as Free Radical Design). I always loved their Timesplitters series, lightning fast FPS with excellent map-making capabilities. The only thing they really lacked was a strong story – something that the Halo universe already has in spades. It seems like the perfect combination.

I will have to go with Bethesda, add some RPG into the game. Make the campaign LONG so that those of us who are terrible at the online portion of the game will still want to play it for a longer period of time.

Personally I would pick Bethesda. I have been a fan on Fallout for awhile and love what they have done with it. I don’t see how anyone would not like/love Fallout 3, it is an amazing game and the expansions to it were nothing to take for granted. I would enjoy their twist on the Halo franchise.

Initially, I would say to go with Gearbox Software. Borderlands is one of the most entertaining games I have played (and am still playing) in recent memory.

The fact that they are working on Duke Nukem Forever shows that they are more than capable of taking on one of the biggest names in the gaming industry. Their past successes have proved that they are more than confident the upcoming release will be a smash hit.

However, after thinking for a bit, I decided to go with TimeGate Studios. I have not had much experience with them aside from playing Fear: Extraction Point (excellent game although I have yet to finish due to issues I had with my PC) and a demo of Section 8. While Section 8 isn’t really my cup of tea, I did like the potential it had. If they take on the Halo franchise, I would be really excited to see how far TimeGate can take it. Sometimes it’s much more exciting to see a lesser known game development studio take on a huge commitment.

It doesn’t hurt that they are practically down the street from where I work. I would not mind having the opportunity to see whether I can get in and have a hand on helping move along one of the greatest franchise of all time.

Irrational Studios. I think their penchant for immersion and attention to detail could greatly compliment such a well developed universe like Halo.

I’d have to say id would be good since they know how to make a good team, sci-fi game.
But, I’ve gotta hand it to Treyarch, cause look at how much they added to Black Ops compared to any other Call of Duty game. They’d put in the variety that Halo’s all about!

D.I.C.E, let me start by explaining that the halo franchise on a whole has been missing since day one, scale and destructible environments. Now before you say what?! scale?! let me explain what i mean. the games campaign is epic, huge battles between two rival species and a feeling of a world to world battle going on. now you jump into multiplayer and what happens? small maps with limited environmental destruction. i think dice has the tech know how to pull off putting the halo franchise into a future perspective by doing what they did with the battlefield series, most notably battlefield bad company 2. some may disagree with me here but i always felt as if halo could use a bigger scale on the multiplayer front. i also think dice has the best track record for vehicle combat. Halo 3 seemed to be walking towards the bigger stage with some of its large scale maps but they never felt grand enough. dice gets my vote :)

Thanks all for entering. Sorry @brashen but you entered a day too late. We’ll have a winner later today (9/13).

did you guys ever decide on a winner for this contest?

We did, sir: http://techland.com/2010/09/13/and-the-winner-of-the-xbox-360-slim-halo-reach-bundle-is/

Ruffian. I believe that this team has big time potential to turn this Halo franchise big. They definitely have the man power to turn out a great follow-up game to Halo: Reach, and would give it an outstanding storyline and improve graphics and game play. The creators of Crackdown 2 and Fable 2, they have the experience and have worked with games along the same line and genre as Halo for years. They would definitely take this franchise to the next level.

I believe that Bioware would be a great step for the halo franchise. They have turned out many great games, with awesome graphics and story lines. To me the story line is the core to the game, then followed by graphics and multiplayer. With games such as Mass Effect(2) and Star Wars, I believe that Bioware would take halo down a different path of gaming, and open up it’s universe!

I think Activision, which would help Halo’s issues of brevity with the single player games in the franchise. This might also help Activision’s death of mutli-player players. Finally, the cross-over possibilities are hilarious- Master Chief playing pool; or dropping the ghost into California.!?!

Read more: http://techland.com/2010/08/31/giveaway-win-an-xbox-360-slim-and-halo-reach/#ixzz15fMgbLyE