It’s very unclear if Bungie will be returning to develop another entry into the Halo series, other then next year’s Halo: Reach. However, Microsoft is hellbent on continuing the franchise. So much, in fact, that they’re planning on continuing the Halo series well into the next decade with, or without, Bungie’s help.

“We do have a plan that goes out at least six years [2015],” 343 Industries’ Frank O’Connor reveals when speaking to USA Today. SPOILER! Specially, with Halo 3’s legendary ending, he thinks that, that will be a great point of continuation. “I think that [the Master Chief's] fate, Cortana’s fate and the identity of that giant, dark planet at the ending are probably big mysteries that would be irritating if they were just cliffhangers,” he continued.

[Thanks to GameSpot]

Just in time. Today, Microsoft revealed the “Epic” list of games that it will be showcasing during the Tokyo Game Show, which takes place in no place other then Japan. Thelist mostly consistencies of titles that are currently in playable form for the Japanese public to enjoy. Better yet, Microsoft will also be showcasing some of the top games for 2010 in video-only form – however, we’re not sure if the videos are new.  Here’s the list:

• Forza Motorsport 3 (Demo, Trailer)
• Alan Wake (Trailer)
• Fable III (Trailer)
• Halo 3: ODST (Demo, Trailer)
• Halo Legends (Trailer)
• Halo: Reach (Trailer)
• Crackdown 2 (Trailer)
• Borderlands (Trailer)
• Samurai Shodown Sen (Demo, Trailer)
• FIFA 10 (Demo, Trailer)
• Lost Planet 2 (Demo, Trailer)
• MUSHIHIME SAMA Futari Ver1.5 (Demo, Trailer)
• Shin Sangoku MULTI RAID Special (Demo, Trailer)
• Castlevania ~Lords of Shadow~ (Trailer)
• NINETY-NINE NIGHTS II (Demo, Trailer)
• Pro Evo 2010 (Demo, Trailer)
• FRONT MISSION EVOLVED (Demo, Trailer)
• Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Trailer)
• NeiR Gestalt (Demo, Trailer)
• BAYONETTA (Demo, Trailer)
• Resonance of Fate (Demo, Trailer)
• Assassin’s Creed II (Demo, Trailer)
• Splinter Cell Conviction (Trailer)
• Infernal (Demo, Trailer)
• Dragon Ball Rising Burst (Demo, Trailer)
• Tekken 6 (Demo, Trailer)
• STEINS;GATE (Demo, Trailer)

[Thanks to Kotaku]

And… the news about Halo: Reach just keeps coming, and coming. Probably one of the most noted things about Halo 3: ODST is its survival-like mode, Firefight. When speaking to Eurogamer, community lead Brian Jarrard revealed that Firefight isn’t set in stone for ODST, and it could make a reappearing in a future Halo title.

“I can’t talk too much about Reach specifics, but hopefully the game mode’s going to be received as well we think it will be, and people are going to enjoy it. I don’t think we’ve ever been known to really take things away from each successive release, so I think it’s safe to say that if Firefight gets a lot of traction and people love it, it probably has a good future home in our next title as well,” said Jarrard at PAX.

Announced back at E3, you would think that Bungie would be willing to reveal some new information having to do with Halo: Reach, other then its genre. However, on Thursday, they gave an explanation as to why they haven’t been flashing any new information about Halo: Reach. Stating that they’re in no rush to start talking about the game with Halo 3: ODST yet to release.

“Obviously right now what we’re excited about is the impending launch of ODST, so we don’t want to totally start talking about next year’s model before this one’s even off the assembly line,” community lead Brian Jarrard explained in answer to a fan’s question about Reach gameplay footage during the Penny Arcade Expo ODST panel. “But there is a beta that’s coming next year, so all you’ve got to do is sit tight. If you want to be part of Reach from the very beginning then you want to make sure you keep an ODST disc handy.”

[Bungie not ready to talk about Reach via Eurogamer]

With its release back in 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved marked the franchise’s debut on the original Xbox. Basically, changing first person shooters. However, for more then 7 years, Bungie, its developers, have been working on building the franchise – releasing the second and third installments of the game . But, now, it seems that the developer is ready to move on.

“After Reach that’s it for us,” Bungie’s Lars Bakken told IGN. “We’re already working on a new IP that we can’t talk about yet, I don’t know when we’ll be talking about it – when we’re ready I suppose.”

Bakken was cryptic as to the nature of Bungie’s next game stating to IGN that, “If you look at Bungie’s past we’ve done a lot of different styles – first person to third person to RTS – so it could be anything.”

As you may already know, Halo 3: ODST, the next Halo title to release, is due out this September, while Halo: Reach – which goes back to the origins of the Halo story – is expected next autumn. Future Halo games will be overseen by the recently revealed 343 Industries, which is headed up by former Bungie employee Frank O’Connor.

Lock and load! When Halo 3: ODST drops this September, it will deliver a completely new campaign, a new cooperative multiplayer entitled Firefight, the complete Halo 3 multiplayer experience on a standalone disc, and new competitive multiplayer maps for Halo 3 you won’t find anywhere else. That’s why Microsoft and Bungie today revealed the remaining three multiplayer maps which are sure to get fans around the world excited.

• Heretic returns players to familiar ground as the Halo 2 arena Midship makes its long-rumored debut in Halo 3. The stark interior of the Pious Inquisitor might appear austere on first glance, but Heretic’s symmetrical spaces require players to execute complex strategies in order to outplay their opponents.
• Citadel may be a long abandoned Forerunner stronghold, but its small, symmetrical confines are far from secure. Two opposing bases offer little safety for players looking for solace. Instead, Citadel forces small squads to stay in constant communication, keep their heads on a swivel, and be prepared to adjust combat tactics in close quarters.
• Longshore lacks the commercial ships that once made it a lucrative port for Old Mombasa, but it still bustles with activity. Designed for large scale combat and well suited for smaller affairs, Longshore’s multitude of industrial buildings, elevated walks, and open inlets conspire to create a complex battleground tailored for multiple combat scenarios.

[Show as slideshow]

If you were under the impression that Bungie’s upcoming shooter Halo 3: ODST would be a straight-forward linear shooter, you’re very mistaken, said Bungie to The Seattle Times in a recent interview.

“We’re doing a lot of pretty neat things in terms of mixing it up, introducing some non-linearity, some free exploration,” said Joseph Staten, writer and creative director of ODST.

“This is also a mystery story so there’s a lot more clue-finding and mystery-solving than you would normally find in a game of this kind – nothing that strays too far from the fun ‘Halo‘ experience, but we definitely decided to take a little bit of risk and have some fun with this one,” he continued.

Along with that, Bungie also got a early look at Project Natal, a motion-sensing controller that Microsoft is developing for the Xbox 360. Bungie Studio President Harold Ryan said, when speaking on Project Natal, that ” he absolutely think[s that] ‘Reach‘ could be enabled with it.”

They have finally said it. When speaking to EuroGamer, Bungie revealed that they currently have ‘no plans’ to continuing the Bungie Halo sage after ODST.

“We’ll never say never, but currently Bungie has no plans to make new Halo 3 content beyond the release of ODST,” Bungie told Eurogamer. “We will, however, continue to support the Halo 3 online experience with regular updates to matchmaking playlists and wield the Banhammer as needed.

“With Forge and the Mythic map Sandbox we’re already seeing the community stepping up to create some great new maps and gametypes that will offer more variety and longevity to the game down the road.”

However, games producer Allen Murray said that the studio would work on Halo 3 for “probably” two more years before given it up.