Do you remember those awesome live action trailers Microsoft created for the Halo ad campaign a few years ago? It turns out their making more of those for the impending fall release of Halo 4, but the videos are being turned into a full Web series this time.
Variety is reporting that Microsoft is creating a Halo Web series called “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.” The series will premier exclusively on Machinima and Halo Waypoint. The series is apparently the most expensive live action venture yet for Microsoft.
Unfortunately, the details behind the Web series are being kept under wraps. Microsoft is saving all the details for July’s San Diego Comic-Con. It’s there that we’ll find out the director, the cast and the other details involved in the creation of the Web series.
What we do know now is the basic outline of the story. Over the course of the five weeks leading up to the release of Halo 4, there will be five 15-minute shorts that tell the story of Master Chief and a young UNSC cadet that was inspired by the Spartan warrior. Microsoft also says that the cadet introduced in the Web series will tie into Halo 4 proper as well as the beginning of the Halo franchise that began with Reach.
In what may be good news, current Halo franchise boss Frank O’Connor says that the Web series isn’t going to just be a glorified advertisement. The team at 343 Studios wants to go “way beyond that and transform this live-action exploration from advertising into a full standalone product that people will enjoy.”
If the previous live-action ads are any indication, I don’t think O’Connor will have any problems. Those ads always felt like little shorts that gave Halo fans more of an insight into the Halo universe. If the Web series takes off, it could also reignite talks for a potential Halo film according to Variety.
If you never saw the Halo live-action ads or just forgot about them, check out our favorites below. At the very least, we can expect the Web series to look like these ads. If that’s the case, I think fans will be happy.
[h/t: Kotaku]