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Developer 343 admits it is under pressure to get the return of Halo 4 right.
The studio has taken over Halo development duties from series creators Bungie. It was responsible for last year’s remake of Halo: Anniversary Edition and the online service, Waypoint.
Yet this year’s Halo 4 is the biggie. Microsoft believes the game will fire Xbox 360 this year, and 343 is desperate not to disappoint fans.
"There is a lot of pressure. And from a lot of different directions,: says producer Kiki Wolfkill.
"There’s the strong community out there and not wanting to disappoint the Halo fans. The pressure in terms of the expectation because we are a new studio building Halo. And certainly the pressure we put on ourselves to create a great Halo is probably the biggest pressure. But it is also really exciting. It is a huge creative challenge and you don’t get the opportunity to take on something like this very often.
"Ultimately the proof is in the pudding. We need to be able to deliver and that is what we are committed to. But that said, we have a huge amount of love and respect for the IP and the community itself. And I hope over the last few years where we have started to build up 343, and with the release of Anniversary and getting Waypoint out there, that the fans are able to see the respect and passion we have for the IP, and trust that we want to shepherd it forward."
Microsoft’s European VP Chris Lewis added: "It’s no secret that Halo is hugely important for us. It is a very big bet. And driving up the cultural relevance, and giving it the relevant support, marketing, PR and otherwise, it is a huge piece of entertainment."
