PAX Prime 2014: Halo and the Journey of The Master Chief

Given the fan-friendly nature of the title, it wasn’t surprising to see fans lining up for the Halo: The Master Chief Collection panel at this weekend’s PAX Prime show in Seattle. With all four (Halo CE: Anniversary, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4) games starring the series’ iconic protagonist the Master Chief, over a hundred multiplayer maps (including six classic Halo 2 maps reimagined to celebrate the game’s tenth anniversary), the all-new Halo Channel, and access to the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer beta, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has something to offer Halo fans of all stripes. And those fans turned out in force for the PAX Prime channel, packing the Seattle Symphony’s Benroya Hall for a closer look at the year’s biggest Xbox One experience.

The panel kicked off as 343 Industries’ Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor strolled out to the host’s podium to a steady stream of approving applause from the assembled fans. After thanking everyone for coming, O’Connor introduced the rest of the panelists: 343 Industries Executive Producer and Champion Hugger Dan Ayoub, Halo: Nightfall and Halo Channel Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill, Senior Audio Director Paul Lipson, and Certain Affinity President Max Hoberman. Before getting into the meat of the panel, O’Connor invited some special guests up onto the stage. The 405th, a group of Spartan cosplayers that appears at many Halo-related events, were joined onstage by a special guest. Dressed in a costume modeled after O’Connor’s famed Mister Chef, one crafty fan surprised the love of his life by proposing onstage and walking off to a standing ovation.

Once those niceties were out of the way, it was time to get down to Halo business. Dan Ayoub took the leading, breaking down just what in included in Halo: The Master Chief Collection. “What we wanted to do when we started development of this was making something for you,” he said, motion to the assembled audience. “How do we make something a little more awesome than we did the first time with Halo: Anniversary in 2011? It all came down to going bigger.” As Halo 2 was such a pivotal game to so many people, it was clear that the game deserved the same treatment. Ayoub then explained a key theme that helped drive the project. “For the first time, we had a chance to put all of the Master Chief Halo games on one console at the same.”

In addition to the games, Halo: The Master Chief Collection also includes the linear live-action series Halo: Nightfall from 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions. Kiki Wolfkill discussed how the team decided to set the show on a fragment of Alpha Halo. “Our director, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, felt really strongly that he wanted the setting to be a character in the story,” she said. “At the same time, Paul Scheuring, our writer, was thinking about how, if it’s a character, ‘What does that character do and how does it evolve and drive plot dynamics?’” After showing a ViDoc on the …read more