It’s certainly intriguing to see Bungie cutting the cord with Microsoft, but I think it’s mainly down to the fact they aren’t producing anything outside of Halo, and the cycle of that particular product will probably be on the wane, unless someone like Bungie can go off, experiment, and come back with a new direction, outside of the constant need for updates.

It’s a sign Microsoft are still willing to experiment in a relatively new space for them, in he same way as hiring industry veteran Jeff Minter to create a game, or the Xbox Live Arcade concept in general.

If Microsoft is retaining the Halo IP, it probably recognises it can’t rely on the same yearly updates the sports market (Mainly Electronic Arts) thrives on, and needs to look at other ways to build the brand.

After all, didn’t Microsoft’s J Allard suggest about 1 or 2 years ago that he envisioned a world in which Halo could be played on mobile/console/PC in different ways, but all contributing to the same game?

I’d rather believe the hard thing. And if its true, then that makes many other hard things possible.