“Halo” Universe Goes Anime

London, UK

Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with some of the most respected anime creators, announced a new project meant to expand the Halo universe, called “Halo Legends.” The project, similar to previous blockbuster efforts like “The Animatrix,” will feature multiple anime shorts from several different studios, some of which are set to debut at the company’s Comic-Con panel today. Interested gamers will get their first take of the animated chronicles this fall on Xbox Live, when a new and yet unexplained “experience” called “Halo: Waypoint” will be released for the digital distribution platform.

The effort is being coordinated by Microsoft’s 343 industries, and features the likes of Shinji Aramaki (“Appleseed”) Mamoru Oshii (“Ghost in the Shell”), and key personnel behind such legendary anime as “Cowboy Beebop,” “Dragon Ball,” and “Full Metal Alchemist,” with additional features being offered to Joseph Chu and J-Spec Pictures. The collected features will be released by Warner Home Video, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.

“The opportunity to work with talents such as Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii and others from some of the greatest anime studios is a very rare opportunity for Microsoft,” said Frank O’Connor, “Halo” franchise development director and provider of story and creative direction for 343 Industries. “We’ve seen the world through Master Chief’s eyes, and we’ve experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and ‘Halo’ fans alike are in for a real treat.”

“‘Halo’ and its characters are a very natural fit for anime,” said Aramaki, creative director for the “Halo Legends” project. “As a fan of the ‘Halo’ universe, it is an honor to work with Microsoft and my very talented peers from other studios to create this collection.”

“As a leading entertainment distributor and a company identified with premier anime content, we’re very pleased to be working with Microsoft on ‘Halo Legends,’” said Amit Desai, vice president, Family, Animation and Partner Brands Marketing, Warner Home Video. “The combination of the talent involved and the ‘Halo’ brand ensure the collection is something consumers are really going to enjoy.”