HALO WARPS TO SONY

Xbox's prized sci-fi franchise is heading to PlayStation

- ZACHARY SMALL

(PHOTO COURTESY OF HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED)

Remaking a classic video game with modern technology to reach both nostalgic and new audiences has become commonplace in an industry facing financial challenges.

So it was not a huge surprise when Microsoft announced Friday that it would release an updated version of Halo: Combat Evolved next year, the influential game's 25th anniversary.

One detail, though, was astounding. The sci-fi franchise that has helped the company sell four generations of Xbox consoles and generate billions of dollars is coming to the Sony PlayStation, Microsoft's direct competitor, for the first time. It is the equivalent of Disney letting Mickey Mouse roam Universal Studios.

"We are all seeking to meet people where they are," Matt Booty, the president of Xbox game content and studios, said in an interview about Microsoft's strategic shift.

The supersoldier Master Chief, who must protect humanity from alien threats in the first-person shooter franchise Halo, is joining other Microsoft properties that are exclusive no longer. The third-person shooter Gears Of War and the Forza racing series made their Sony debuts this year, and Microsoft Flight Simulator will do so in December.

Video game companies have long enticed players to buy consoles with games featuring their mascots. Nintendo developed a family-friendly lineup of characters in the 1980s, and Donkey Kong, Mario and Zelda remain moneymakers. Sony's exclusive franchises include the cinematic adventures Uncharted, God Of War and The Last Of Us.

Microsoft has decided to move in another direction.

It is an effort to reach more gamers and to maximise revenue after the company opened its wallet to acquire major studios. Microsoft spent US$69 billion on Activision Blizzard, which makes Call Of Duty and Candy Crush