MS: 'Halo just another benchmark to exceed'

June 13th, 2008, 22:26 Posted By: Shrygue

via Computer and Video Games


Newly-promoted Microsoft bods Shane Kim and Phil Spencer have shared their daring predictions for Xbox 360 in 2008, going as far as stating that it could top last year's spectacular Halo 3-BioShock-Call of Duty triple hit.

"I think the platform is just as strong, if not stronger [than last year]" said Shane Kim, now corporate VP of strategy and business development, told CVG's suit and tie-wearing cousin Next-Gen.biz.

"That's hard to say, because we had incredible titles last year with BioShock, Halo 3, Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4. ... Especially when you look at Halo 3, which was a phenomenal industry event, it's easy to look back and go 'you can't possibly be as strong.'

"But if you look at the initial success of Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360," Kim continued, "that's been super, and we have exclusive [DLC] content coming too. Gears of War 2 is going to be huge, Fable 2 is going to be huge.

"So I don't know. I believe that we're going to have just as big of a year in terms of content on Xbox 360. Maybe we don't have a particular exclusive that's as big as Halo 3, but I do think that Gears 2 and Fable 2 will be really big hits."

But of course like the man says, after the mammoth entertainment launch that was Halo 3, many of us will scoff at the thought of MS rolling in and topping that in 2008. When asked how the chances were of MGS ever creating a franchise as big as (or bigger than) Halo, Kim replied:

"Really good. And I'll tell you why. We've got the talent, we've got people who are always on the lookout for new ideas and talent, and most importantly we have the commitment and the will to create those hits. Those are not easy tasks. There would've been lots of people in the past that would've not stuck with various projects that have turned out to be very successful for us.

"In no way would I say that Halo, or what we know of Halo today, is the peak of what's possible. Far from it. It's another benchmark, another milestone to exceed in the future."

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