Microsoft raised eyebrows when it delayed Halo Infinite, its highest profile release of 2020, into next year. Could Showtime’s TV series be the blame?
Halo Infinite is a big deal for Microsoft; the company was going to use the new entry in its famous video game franchise to help launch its new console, the Xbox Series X.
Unfortunately, the game ended up getting delayed. Most of the world assumed it was due to COVID-related concerns, as the disease has slowed down the production of pretty much everything around the world. But a new report from Thurrott suggests there could be other reasons.
According to Thurrott’s insiders, the game lost time due to how much of it is being outsourced to third parties, with communication between the various groups proving difficult. But the most interesting reason has to do with the nine-episode Halo show in development over at Showtime, the one starring Orange Is The New Black star Pablo Schreiber as the always-helmeted Master Chief. Apparently, it’s been “a significant distraction,” draining the development team’s time when it could be focused on the game.
The Showtime series is a drain on the pocketbook, too, reportedly costing around $4 million an episode. Kyle Killen and Steve Kane will serve as co-showrunners on the series, which will also star Natascha McElhone as Cortana, among other actors. Apparently, developer 343 Industries wants the show to take cues from Game of Thrones “in terms of scope and scale and complexity of relationships.”
It’s clear that Microsoft wants Halo to be a big name, pouring money not only into the new video game but also a TV show, making sure the brand is everywhere. I guess it makes sense that there would be drawbacks to that. Maybe they’ve overreached a little?
There’s still no release date for the Halo TV series. There’s no official release date for Halo Infinite at the moment, either. Expect both sometime in 2021.
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h/t SyFy Wire