Lego Halo was an April fool's joke from Electronic Gaming Monthly (Issue 227: April 2008) as it appeared in the April edition of the magazine. The gameplay photo in the magazine makes it look similar to the Lego Star Wars games, but EGM stated that while LEGO platforming gameplay would remain a core feature, there would also be some FPS sections for Halo players. EGM stated in their May issues' "questions and answer section" that the article was not a joke and that the joke was getting everyone to believe they were lying. ↑ *A link to 1Up's page on the game. Electronic Gaming Monthly 227 (April 2008)Halo finally shook off that ‘Mature’ rating with Halo 5: Guardians. But would 343 Industries ever approach a Halo game from a more kid-friendly perspective? Fast Company sat down with 343 Head Bonnie Ross to discuss the Halo franchise’s reach to the non-gaming side of things. The topic of a more kid-friendly Halo game was discussed. “Whether or not we do a game, I think we need to be really deliberate on the right game, because we can’t alienate our core audience,” Ross says.
“I would say that when we first started the franchise, the thought of doing, like, a LEGO Halo game was not something that our core fans thought was interesting, whereas now we’re getting requests for that.”Fans who grew up playing Halo: Combat Evolved have families now and want to play their favorite games with their kids. And we’ve seen Halo’s reach spread to more kid friendly games. Take Minecraft for instance. Publishers often underestimate how receptive their core fanbase is to more kid-friendly games. My nephew loves PvZ: Garden Warfare 2. It helps it’s also a damn good shooter. So not only is he having fun, I’m having a blast too. Hell, I would play a Halo game in the same vein as Garden Warfare. Games just need to be fun. It doesn’t matter what core age group you are targeting with the aesthetic. If the gameplay loop is compelling, gamers of all ages will play. Minecraft proved that more than 100 million times. Ross reiterated her stance about balancing the hardcore fan playing Halo for 15 years while pulling in new fans.
“The critical piece there is to never alienate the torch bearer. And the torch bearer, if you look at Marvel or whatever, is the kid that was so into that comic book character before that comic book character ever came to the masses,” she says. “How do you give a nod to him or her as you broaden the franchise? You have to be really careful, because if you alienate the torch bearer, you lose what the DNA is of your franchise.” 343 Industries can do whatever they want with spin-off games. Just make sure I’m playing as Master Chief more often than not when Halo 6 lands. That’s the DNA of your franchise. Are you letting your kids play Halo already? Or, would you like 343 to tackle Lego Halo or some other kid friendly iteration? Check out the rest of the Fast Company piece for more including how much the non-gaming side pulls in for the Halo franchise and more about 343’s approach to expanding the audience. This post may contain affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you make a purchase using one of the affiliated links.
Could We Get A LEGO Halo Game? Here's What 343 Says The head of the Halo brand, Bonnie Ross, recently talked about all the crazy ideas 343 is working on and ruminating about, and one of the things that Microsoft and 343 are considering is a LEGO game based on Halo. In an article by Fast Company, Bonnie Ross explained in the interview that they're looking to expand beyond just first-person shooters, action figures, web series and television shows (one of which is reportedly being developed for Showtime by Steven Spielberg), saying that a Halo property set within the LEGO universe could be possible... I would say that when we first started the franchise, the thought of doing, like, a LEGO Halo game was not something that our core fans thought was interesting, whereas now we're getting requests for that. Ross repeatedly mentions throughout the interview that they're looking at Star Wars and other large brands in which to try to build success for Halo as a consumer product and not just a successful video game series.
This even includes having 343 Industries redesign weapons and vehicles so that they can be marketed easier as kids toys or possibly LEGO pieces. Any core fan of the series is probably cringing really hard right now, and I can't blame you. Very few franchises have been able to make the crossover from one market sector to the next. In fact, in the interview with Fast Company, they talked to the head of the toy consulting firm, Klosters Trading Corporation, who mentioned that no video game comes up on their radar when it comes to toy merchandising. The toys just don't make that much money. I'm curious where Activision's Skylanders fits into all of this because it's another billion dollar franchise like Call of Duty, but that's beside the point. Ross, however, really wants to grow Halo beyond just games. Instead of trying to mirror successful large brands like Star Wars or Harry Potter, they might want to first look at getting the Halo games back on track by looking at long-running, successful video game franchises like Super Mario Bros., Battlefield, Call of Duty, Resident Evil and The Legend of Zelda before trying to pursue toys, TV shows and a potential LEGO spinoff.
Microsoft has become way too bogged down in trying to make Halo relevant again instead of trying to make Halo fun again. Ross even admits that the more recent Halo games have become lost in their own lore, and the focus on fun gameplay has been put on the back burner to tell stories that people just aren't all that interested in when they pick up the game. In the early days Bungie wrapped the Halo lore around compelling and innovative gameplay; these days 343 is trying to wrap mediocre gameplay around a story too big for them to tell in a comprehensive manner. After the poor opening sales of Halo 5, they'll really need to get back on track with making sure they don't lose their gaming audience while chasing casuals, kids, and collectors. But who knows, maybe a LEGO game based on Halo could be the shot in the arm they need to reinvigorate the franchise. Press A to shoot, Z to throw gernade and use the arow keys to move. Also press P to pause the game. The full version will include Halo 1 with all 8 levels halo 2 with all 8 levels, halo 3 with all 8 levels.