By : Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 04 Nov 2009
egruenwedel@questex.com

Warner Home Video next year will release a series of original animated shorts revolving around the venerable “Halo” video game franchise developed by Microsoft.

Titled Halo Legends, the seven-story anthology explores the origin and historical events of the “Halo” universe and its characters. The individual episodes fall within the 26th century mythology of “Halo” as the battle between humanity and aliens rages on in an attempt to protect Earth and mankind’s expansive number of space colonies.

Warner will release Halo Legends Feb. 9, 2010, as a special-edition two-disc version on DVD and Blu-ray Disc for $29.98 and $34.99, respectively, as well as single-disc DVD for $19.98. The seven chapters (10 to 17 minutes long) also will be available on demand and for digital download.

The two-disc special edition features several hours of bonus material, including: “The Making of Halo Legends,” an introduction to Legends followed by a making-of segment for each episode; “Halo: Gaming Evolved,” which explains the “Halo” phenomenon from its inception as an Xbox video game to a present day entertainment franchise; and audio commentary with franchise directors Frank O’Connor and Joseph Chou.

The Blu-ray edition includes the identical bonus material from the special edition, in addition to “Halo: The Story So Far,” an overview of the Halo universe up until the end of Halo 3.

 

Microsoft has sold more than 27 million units and generated more than $1 billion in revenue from the “Halo” franchise, including the latest edition, Halo 3:ODST.

Previews of Halo Legends will be available on Xbox Live’s Halo Waypoint, starting Nov. 7.

 

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