Thursday, July 23, 2009

'Halo Legends' Anime Project Announced

w:Master Chief (Halo) at w:Dragon Con 2005Image via Wikipedia

Halo Universe Breaks New Ground With Unveiling of Halo Legends Anime Project

"REDMOND, Wash., July 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A renowned set of storytellers from some of the world's leading anime studios in Japan are about to take one of the most iconic franchises in science fiction and video games to a new level. Microsoft Corp., in collaboration with some of the most acclaimed anime creators, today unveiled a new project called Halo Legends, which will bring the Halo franchise and its sweeping sci-fi saga to an entirely new medium, in the form of several original anime short films.

"Halo Legends, which will officially debut at a panel presentation today at Comic-Con International in San Diego, is being produced by Microsoft's 343 Industries and features creative direction from anime pioneer Shinji Aramaki, director of the critically acclaimed Appleseed and Appleseed EX Machina anime features, and Mamoru Oshii, director of the landmark Ghost in the Shell movies, with additional production from Joseph Chou of J-Spec Pictures. The compilation will include a series of short stories that explore different times, themes and characters from the "Halo" universe and will be distributed globally by Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. company. Influential studios that are part of the project include the creators behind some of the most popular and celebrated anime to come from Japan, such as The Animatrix, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist, Ghost in the Shell, Dragon Ball and more.

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"A preview of select Halo Legends episodes will first debut on Xbox LIVE, the largest gaming and entertainment network in the world, starting this fall through a new experience called Halo Waypoint. Launching in fall, Halo Waypoint will be a new destination for Halo fans on Xbox LIVE around the world. It will inform fans of the latest Halo news and activities, and grant access to content ranging from podcasts, trailers and screenshots, to exclusive video footage you won't find anywhere else. It also will provide a new challenge for Halo gamers with a career system and player rankings tied to both in-game and out-of-game accomplishments related to Halo. In addition to the limited, early episode premieres, Halo Waypoint will debut several behind-the-scenes videos that chronicle the making of Halo Legends."
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