(L) Halo - The Anime (anthology)

[LoweGear]

I don't think they'll have to worry about a consistent plot, since being an anthology they can do whatever they want (Toei's story is said to be a parody afterall ) Given that I loved what they did for the Animatrix, I can't wait to see how they'll adapt Halo for animation.

[Shiroth]

Casio Entertainment, who?

[duckroll]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Casio Entertainment, who?

Well, from the press release...

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



Microsoft teams up with top anime studios in creating a collection of original short films that take the “Halo” franchise to new frontiers.



REDMOND, Wash. — July 23, 2009 — 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.

“The opportunity to work with talents such as Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii and others from some of the greatest anime studios is a very rare opportunity for Microsoft,” said Frank O’Connor, “Halo” franchise development director and provider of story and creative direction for 343 Industries. “We’ve seen the world through Master Chief’s eyes, and we’ve experienced facets of the universe through a variety of literary prisms, but now we get to watch new tales unfold in really rich, visually dynamic ways. I think anime fans and ‘Halo’ fans alike are in for a real treat.”

Set hundreds of years in the future, the “Halo” series of games and novels chronicle mankind’s struggles against an alien collective known as the Covenant. The Covenant is scouring the universe for relics it believes will lead it to a new life and is destroying civilizations and planets that stand in its way. The most prolific hero from the fiction is a super soldier or Spartan known as Master Chief, who is the main protagonist in the original trilogy of Xbox and Xbox 360 “Halo” titles. In the trilogy, Master Chief discovers that the Covenant is intent on activating a series of mysterious ring worlds known as “Halos,” which would ultimately exterminate life throughout the universe. He becomes mankind’s champion in a race against an unrelenting enemy in its most desperate hour. Through The New York Times best-selling novels, comics and additional Xbox 360 games such as “Halo Wars” and the upcoming “Halo 3: ODST,” the universe has grown and tales of other heroes have emerged.

“‘Halo’ and its characters are a very natural fit for anime,” said Aramaki, creative director for the “Halo Legends” project. “As a fan of the ‘Halo’ universe, it is an honor to work with Microsoft and my very talented peers from other studios to create this collection.”

Studios involved in the “Halo Legends” project include Bones Inc., Casio Entertainment Inc., Production I.G, STUDIO4˚C and Toei Animation.

· Bones. Founded in 1998, Bones has become one of the top animation studios in Japan in less than a decade. The studio is best known for its incredible body of work on mega-hit franchises such as “Cowboy Bebop: The Movie,” “Fullmetal Alchemist,” “Sword of the Stranger” and “Eureka Seven.”

· Casio Entertainment. Casio Entertainment was founded in 2004 and is renowned for its visual effects work on the movie “Dai Nipponjin” (“Big Man of Japan”), which was officially invited to the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for Best Visual Effects at the 2008 Asian Film Awards. Casio Entertainment is also known for its computer-generated animation support work on several top Japanese video games.

· Production I.G. Production I.G has produced a number of acclaimed feature films, original video animation, TV shows and video games. For their storytelling and quality of animation, “Ghost in the Shell,” “Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade” and “Blood: The Last Vampire” have earned critical accolades in Japan and all around the world. “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence,” directed by Mamoru Oshii in 2004, was the first Japanese animation feature ever to compete for the Palme d’Or at the Festival de Cannes.

· STUDIO4˚C. STUDIO4˚C is one of the top animation studios in Japan. Founded by the industry veteran Eiko Tanaka and acclaimed animation artist Koji Morimoto, it has become globally known for its uncanny ability to marry the spirit of high art with mainstream anime aesthetic. STUDIO4˚C is known for works including “The Animatrix,” “Tekkonkinkreet” and “Batman: Gotham Knight.”

· Toei Animation. Toei Animation, established in 1956, is the oldest animation studio in Japan. Toei has produced the largest number of global hit TV anime series for kids, such as “Dragon Ball,” “Digimon,” “Sailor Moon,” “One Piece” and many more.

The complete “Halo Legends” collection will be distributed by Microsoft partner Warner Home Video, which will have more to announce on its release and distribution plans soon.

“As a leading entertainment distributor and a company identified with premier anime content, we’re very pleased to be working with Microsoft on ‘Halo Legends,’” said Amit Desai, vice president, Family, Animation and Partner Brands Marketing, Warner Home Video. “The combination of the talent involved and the ‘Halo’ brand ensure the collection is something consumers are really going to enjoy.”

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.”

More information will be shared about “Halo Legends” today at a panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego. The “Halo” franchise panel will be hosted by O’Connor, moderated by Chou, and will feature guests Aramaki; Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, president of Production I.G; and Tanaka, president of STUDIO4˚C. The panel takes place from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. PDT in Room 6BCF of the San Diego Convention Center. “Halo Legends” panelists will sign autographs at the Microsoft Xbox 360 booth in Hall G #5225 from 6 to 7 p.m. There also will be a signing at the Warner Bros. booth Hall F #4329 on Friday, July 24, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., with O’Connor and 343 Industries’ managing editor Kevin Grace on hand to answer questions about the project. In addition, the first trailer for “Halo Legends” will debut exclusively tonight on “GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley,” airing at 12:30 a.m. ET/PT on Spike TV.

About “Halo”

The “Halo” franchise is an award-winning collection of properties that have grown into a global entertainment phenomenon. Beginning with the original “Halo: Combat Evolved” for Xbox in 2001, the rich fiction of the franchise has since inspired a series of blockbuster Xbox and Xbox 360 video games, The New York Times best-selling novels, comic books, action figures, apparel and more.

Published by Microsoft Game Studios, the “Halo” franchise of games is exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the games are optimized for the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. More than 27 million copies of “Halo” games have been sold worldwide, driving more than 2 billion hours of gameplay by people connected to Xbox LIVE. In February 2009, the “Halo” franchise expanded into the real-time strategy genre with “Halo Wars,” which went on to become the best-selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console. On Sept. 22, 2009, Microsoft will release “Halo 3: ODST,” the next chapter for “Halo” and prequel to the events that transpire in “Halo 3.”

[MrTerrorist]

Halo anime aye?

Two words: Your On!

[Bonta Kun]

Well this comes as a big surprise but one I will welcome with a great big bear hug!

If I get to see my favorite AI in slick animated form then its all good here

p.s along witht he 1st comment on kotaku, would be awesome to see a Red vs Blue anime

[Roger Rambo]

Found this image on Kotaku. It seems like a more heavily armed variant of the Mojolnir. Note the rotary cannon on the right shoulder.


Anyone reminded of those suits in the Starship Troopers anime?

[synaesthetic]

Hey, the Starship Troopers anime was awesome, horrible 80s soundtrack notwithstanding.

This whole thing is just one gigantic commercial to sell 360s in Japan, a market where Microsoft has been routinely ass-kicked by both Sony and Nintendo. I don't think it'll succeed, but the animated shorts might have a large fanbase on this side of things (where Halo is popular).

[Leo_Otaku]

uuughh really halo anime?

[LoweGear]

Halo Legends exclusive debut trailer

[duckroll]

Youtube HD link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUjKVA6Qx8I&fmt=22

Inside Xbox footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsGPVFZmNnY

[Bonta Kun]

looks awesome!

but I sense melo-drama to befall that lad with blonde hair which is something I don't want to see coming from the Halo-verse.

To be honest I'm mostly after big explosions, fancy action and The Master Chief and his chump marines chewing bubble gum and kicking ass

[harmonious]

I am definitely looking forward to this.

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Found this image on Kotaku. It seems like a more heavily armed variant of the Mojolnir. Note the rotary cannon on the right shoulder.
[/IMG]

That just looks like the Halo rocket launcher.

[Highman]

Originally Posted by Bonta Kun

looks awesome!

but I sense melo-drama to befall that lad with blonde hair which is something I don't want to see coming from the Halo-verse.

To be honest I'm mostly after big explosions, fancy action and The Master Chief and his chump marines chewing bubble gum and kicking ass

We need those kinds of people, I'm sensing were going to Valhalla, since I saw the trailer.

[GuidoHunter_Toki]

While my interest in Halo died halfway through the Halo 2 campaign, I'll still check this out because I've always been a huge fan of the books and the first Halo game. It looks decent enough and I'm sure there is at least 2 or more of the shorts I'm bound to like.

[MightySpirit]

Well this is news to me, and good news at that.
Seeing one of my favorite game series turned into an anime is awesome, imo.
I just hope all goes well with the production. I have high expectations for this xD

[Ota-kun]

Toei Animation.

They did pretty bad with Kanon 2002 imho...I wonder how good they'll do with Halo....since it is a pretty big name out there..

[Woland]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news...f-halo-legends

[MrTerrorist]

I just watch the trailer & it was good. I'm interested with the one with the female red spartan & the epic 3d space battle between the Spartans & the Covenant.

[Roger Rambo]

Studio 4c:seemed pretty good, didn't see much of it though.

Pruduction I.G.: seemed decent...then we got blond Bishoujou Spartan...who looks deceptively unlike someone who's been pumped up with a million different types of human growth hormone...so yeah.

Bones:Heavy weapons Mjolnir. I approve.

Toei:Action didn't look particularly impressive (the animation seemed ok though), but it is supposed to be somewhat comedic and the trailer was trying to stay somber. I'll give it a pass. (Lool 1337).

Casio Entertainment:...I'm seeing allot of influences from the Appleseed movies that I don't really like. To much guys in personal craft having a dog fight. Plus, seems wasteful to get your super soldiers (who can commit acts of mass xenocide when they're on the ground) into a space battle using rather...under sized craft when Humans have to rely on zerg rushing to win in space.

[Gin]

Originally Posted by GuidoHunter_Toki

While my interest in Halo died halfway through the Halo 2 campaign

As soon as it left Earth, or as soon as the Flood appeared?