Halo 4 To Stay True To Its Roots

While Halo fans may consider 343 Industries' forthcoming shooter, Halo 4, a reboot of Microsoft's massive Xbox franchise, its developer thinks otherwise.

"Unlike Batman, we're not resetting the state of the universe, we're not starting the story over. This is not the origin story of Master Chief. This is a very deliberate continuation of a story that's already in motion," stated Josh Holmes, creative director of Microsoft's internal Halo development studio 343 Industries, to QMI Agency.

The publication were also told that the developers, who have a 250-strong team, are speeding up the shooter's action in order to pave the way for the expansion of the character's emotional range.

343 Industries' franchise development director, Frank O'Connor, added that Halo can last an additional 20 years beginning with Halo 4's launch.

"The technology will change, people's habits will change, we will kill off characters and resurrect others, and it won't be the exact vision that we have now. Our intent is to grow and nurture the franchise for as long as it makes sense," said O'Connor.

The shooter, which is the start of a new trilogy in the long-running series, continues the story of protagonist Master Chief and his A.I. companion Cortana. The game is being headed by Microsoft subsidiary 343 Industries, with series creator Bungie officially handing over the franchise to its former employers last month.

Halo 4 is currently scheduled for a worldwide release on November 6th, 2012. The game's latest batch of screenshots and art were recently leaked.