Halo (franchise)

Halo is a <a href="/facts/Military_science_fiction/jTT1mCBD">military science fiction</a> <a href="/facts/Video_game_series/GRrKSSo1">video game series</a> and <a href="/facts/Media_franchise/IBzGhQjA">media franchise</a>, originally developed by <a href="/facts/Bungie/ppzNKfID">Bungie</a> and currently managed and developed by <a href="/facts/Halo_Studios/oWgafT2T">Halo Studios</a> (previously 343 Industries), part of <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a>'s <a href="/facts/Xbox_Game_Studios/yI9wM1bs">Xbox Game Studios</a>. The series launched in November 2001 with the <a href="/facts/First-person_shooter/LQQX6yAw">first-person shooter</a> video game <a href="/facts/Halo%3a_Combat_Evolved/9T3Jt75K">Halo: Combat Evolved</a> and its tie-in novel, <a href="/facts/Halo%3a_The_Fall_of_Reach/Nhe3YvEm">The Fall of Reach</a>. The latest major installment, <a href="/facts/Halo_Infinite/ug7xyJ9A">Halo Infinite</a>, was released in 2021. Spinoffs include <a href="/facts/Real-time_strategy/0xmCAUgz">real-time strategy</a> and <a href="/facts/Twin-stick_shooter/dyAgF51H">twin-stick shooter</a> games.
Bungie began as a developer of computer games for the Macintosh platform. After the company was acquired by Microsoft in 2000, their in-progress game, which started life as a <a href="/facts/Real-time_strategy_game/0xmCAUgz">real-time strategy game</a>, became Halo: Combat Evolved, a <a href="/facts/First-person_shooter/LQQX6yAw">first-person shooter</a> exclusive to Microsoft's <a href="/facts/Xbox_(console)/2FuQrJeX">Xbox</a> video game console. Following the success of Halo, Bungie developed additional Halo sequels before and after regaining its independence from Microsoft in 2007. Microsoft established 343 Industries to oversee Halo going forward, producing games itself and in partnership with other studios.
Halo: Combat Evolved was the Xbox's flagship "<a href="/facts/Killer_app/fq6sMeHI">killer app</a>" and cemented Microsoft as a major competitor in the video game console space, and its sequels pioneered online matchmaking, social features, and video game marketing. The games have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide. With more than $6 billion in franchise sales, Halo is one of the <a href="/facts/List_of_highest-grossing_media_franchises/1NfBbxte">highest-grossing media franchises of all time</a>, spanning novels, graphic novels, comic books, short films, animated films, feature films, fan-made short <a href="/facts/Machinima/h4ylswuu">machinima</a> animations and <a href="/facts/List_of_Halo_media/uS3mFQvC">other licensed products</a>.

Halo (franchise) open-in-new

Halo (franchise)