Main » 2009»July»21 » Microsoft names internal Halo label?
2:31 PM
Microsoft names internal Halo label?
The intermittent efforts of the proprietor of Superannutation
to sift through the slurry of often-unreliable information on the
Internet has yielded another data diamond. The blog has posted a link
to a July 17 US Patent and Trademark Office filing
by Microsoft for the term "343 Industries" for use with "computer
programs, namely, game software for use on computers and video." Other
than Microsoft's address and attorney of record, no other information
was given.
Though
the number "343" might mean nothing to many gamers, it has major
significance to fans of the Halo series. First and foremost, it is the
name of 343 Guilty Spark, one of the series' most humorous, enigmatic,
and--ultimately--lethal foes. An artificial intelligence housed inside
a diminutive-but-powerful metal shell (pictured) built by the
Forerunner race which constructed the game's titular ringworlds, 343
was worshipped as "The Oracle" by the multiracial interstellar
theocracy known as the Covenant--the game's primary antagonist race.
Unfortunately, for much of the Master Chief story arc, the machine is
focused on activating the Halo arrays and destroying all life in the
galaxy.
The name "343 Industries" also sounds less like a game
and more like a label--a label that would be perfectly apt for the
internal division of Microsoft Game Studios dedicated to the Halo
franchise. The group, which currently has no distinct title, has drawn
some notable names to its ranks, including former Kojima Productions producer Ryan Payton and Bungie alum Frank O'Connor.
The Halo series' creator, the now-independent Bungie Studios, is still
developing new installments, such as this fall's Halo 3: ODST and next
year's Halo: Reach.
The official story: "We have nothing to announce at this time." --Microsoft rep.
Bogus or not bogus?:
While thin, it's looking not bogus. Unless Microsoft is planning some
sort of Railroad Tycoon-type manufacturing simulator, 343 Industries is
almost certainly not a game. And if it's an internal studio--which many publishers give distinct identities to foster talent--the number points squarely at the Halo franchise.