Halo: Contact Harvest

"On a creative level and as a director who likes science fiction, I would personally love to visit the world of 'Halo.' I'd love to work on that for two years. If ['Halo' video game developer] Bungie said, 'Here's a bunch of money and we want Peter and you to make a film,' I would do it in a second," he says. "With the way the politics went down, there are other films out there that aren't going to be connected to giant movie studios who will treat me like that again."

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"Halo," an armored supersoldier called Master Chief blasts his way along fixed routes, battling aliens and uncovering a Wagnerian story about giant rings with awesome powers. "ODST" picks up the story of the supporting cast - orbital drop shock troopers, the "regular" soldiers who fought alongside Master Chief. For "the kind of story we want to tell - which is a little bit more human story - they seemed like a really great candidate for a hero in the 'Halo' universe," explained Joseph Staten, writer and creative director. Staten, who studied theater at Northwestern University and military history and political science at the University of Chicago, said the game has more drama and mystery than before. "As far as the dialogue goes, we were trying to get a bit of hard-boiled, thriller, femme fatale and square-jawed gumshoe - a little touch of that,"

Read more: Developers at Bungie ready to spring new heroes in the 'Halo' universe | In this article: Bungie, Halo, Microsoft, Joseph Staten, Xbox, Master Chief, Multiplayer, University of Chicago, and Northwestern University

"RESIDENT EVIL 5," slated to launch on Xbox 360 in March 2009. Finally, Schappert thrilled the capacity crowd by announcing that fighting franchise "TEKKEN 6" would be launching on Xbox 360 for the first time, releasing worldwide in 2009. "Xbox 360 continues to be the destination of choice for the best and broadest games from the world's biggest and best developers," Schappert said. "With the latest incarnations of the 'Halo' universe, as well as global hits like 'TEKKEN 6,' we continue to deliver on our commitment to provide the caliber of entertainment and games that capture the imagination of people across the globe."

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"It goes without saying that Joseph has great, intimate knowledge of the Halo universe, so who better to tell the harrowing tale of humanity's first contact with the Covenant?" says Tor Editor Eric Raab. "In the novel, Joseph not only reveals exciting nuances of known events and characters such as Sgt. Johnson. But he also breaks new ground-takes readers on an action-packed journey to a little-known but vital part of the Halo universe: the far-flung, ill-fated word of Harvest."

Read more: Tor Books Launches Halo(R): Contact Harvest Today | In this article: Joseph Staten, Halo, Covenant, Tor Books, Halo 3, Halo 2, Bungie Studios, and Xbox 360

"Halo" intellectual property and other future properties developed by Bungie. Fortune's Oliver Ryan sits down with Spreadshirt.com CEO, Jana Eggers to discuss the future of do-it-yourself fashion. "While we are supporting Bungie's desire to return to its independent roots, we will continue to invest in our 'Halo' entertainment property with Bungie and other partners," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, in a statement. Bungie Studios will remain in its current location in Kirkland, Wash. Microsoft released "Halo 3"

Read more: Bungie Studios to break away from Microsoft | In this article: Bungie, Microsoft Corp., Halo, Microsoft Game Studios, Washington, All rights reserved, Halo, Nasdaq, and Xbox 360