Warner’s Next Animation Compilation: Halo Legends

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November 5, 2009

I find it fascinating that there’s this video game property, Halo, that I’ve never seen and don’t know anything about. Yet it has all kinds of spinoffs, including books and comics. (Maybe I should check out the Halo Encyclopedia to learn more.) The latest tie-in comes from Warner Home Video, which is releasing the animation compilation Halo Legends on February 9.

Halo Legends

Like The Animatrix and Batman: Gotham Knight, Halo Legends is an anthology, containing cartoons done in both CG and anime styles. Like most Warner original-to-DVD animation releases, there will be a two-disc Special Edition ($29.98), a single-disc version ($19.98), and Blu-Ray ($34.99). Here’s the description from the press release:

Halo Legends is a seven-story anthology –- told across eight spectacular episodes -– that explores the origin and historical events of the Halo universe and its intriguing characters. … each individual episode imagined by a cutting-edge, renowned Japanese anime director/animator, including Shinji Aramaki, Mamoru Oshii, Hideki Futamura, Tomoki Kyoda and Yasushi Muraki…. The individual episodes fall within Halo’s 26th Century mythology as the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies. The dramatic, action-packed stories feature characters and locales familiar to Halo fans, and episodes range in length between 10 and 17 minutes -– resulting in nearly two hours of animated adventures.

Bonus Features include:

The Making of Halo Legends -– An introduction to Halo Legends followed by a making-of segment for each episode.
Halo: Gaming Evolved –- Explaining the Halo phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise.
Audio Commentary with directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou

The Blu-Ray version has, in addition, “Halo: The Story so Far”, a Halo universe overview.

4 Responses

Kirby writes:

November 5, 2009 at 10:09 am

Halo is about as mainstream as it gets in video games. Top selling console FPS of all time, the #1 spot for both XBox and XBox 360 of all time:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_video_games

(Also, I had _no idea_ that Wii Fit was the #2 console game of all time, by sales.)

Johanna writes:

November 5, 2009 at 10:42 am

I only really know about the games that “real” gamers despise, like Beatles Rock Band and Wii Fit. :) FPS means first-person shooter, yes? That would be why it’s been below my interest level. And it’s Xbox only? Neat list, though, thanks!

Reeve writes:

November 5, 2009 at 11:02 am

I’m a “real” gamer and I like Wii Fit (yes, we do exist!). Playing Wii Fit Plus at the moment; it’s a great upgrade.

And yep, FPS is short for “first-person shooter”. The first Halo was also ported to PC, but I don’t think its sequels were.

Johanna writes:

November 5, 2009 at 12:28 pm

Oh, I was wondering if I should get the Fit Plus. I love the idea, but like anything related to exercise, the Fit has become something I don’t do and feel guilty about. I’m glad you’re more open to alternate types of videogames than some I’ve run into. (I shouldn’t stereotype that way, though. A few hardcore types who want to exclude those not like them shouldn’t color how I think about all gamers.)

So now that I’m a little more educated about Halo, my question is how do you tell stories about a game where the point seems to be “shoot whatever you see”?