343 Industries already working on next Halo game

After the release of Halo 4, what's next for 343 Industries, you might ask? Well, Frank O'Connor, the Franchise Development Director for Halo, told CVG that the company is already reallocating its teams to work on the next Halo project.

Connor said, "A lot of people at 343 are already prototyping ideas and software and art for future Halo products. I can't say more than that, but work on the game started actually before we launched Halo 4 and continues apace as we cycle staff through the team's vacation breaks. We're excited about the next game."

Though there's been no confirmation if this will be Halo 5, Microsoft has already stated that the new Halo games developed by 343 are going to be part of a new trilogy. 343, on the other hand, are working on the DLC and Spartan Ops episodes.

Already working on the next game

The release dates for Halo 4's DLC were leaked last month. According to the leak, the Crimson Pack is going to be released on December 10, the Majestic Pack on February 25, and the Castle Pack on April 1.

Microsoft confirmed that while the months are accurate, the exact dates may be changed. "Halo 4 War Games Map Packs will become available in December, February and April. The exact release dates are pending the production schedule for each map pack, but we look forward to sharing more details in due time."

The War Games Map Pass was revealed in October. The Map Pass costs $25 (approximately Rs 1,341) and will include nine maps that will be released between December 2012 and April 2013. The map packs are set to cost $10 (approximately Rs 536) each. An added bonus for those who purchase the Map Pass is the inclusion of two in-game helmets called the Scanner and the Strider, and an in-game emblem – the Falcon. The Map Pass will be included in the limited edition of Halo 4.

The first map pack for Halo 4, called Crimson, will be released this month and will include the maps Wreckage, Harvest, and Shatter. The second map pack, titled the Majestic map pack, will be released in February next year and will include the maps Landfall, Monolith, and Skyline. The last map pack included in the Map Pass will be the Castle map pack in April 2013, which will include the maps Daybreak, Outcast, and Perdition.

Halo 4 came to store shelves early last month. The Halo 4 Standard Edition is available for Rs 3,299 and the Limited Edition costs Rs 4,599. Speaking at the launch of Halo 4, Anshu Mor, Business Group Lead, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft Corporation India, said, “We are delighted to launch the next edition of Halo - a game that has shaped entertainment history and defined a generation of gamers. There has been much anticipation around the return of Master Chief and gamers will revel in the storyline and gameplay in Halo 4. Let the Halo fever begin!”

Halo 4 also introduces the game's downloadable Spartan Ops mode. In this mode, as many as four gamers can simultaneously play through episodes around the Spartan Soldiers on board UNSC Infinity and their fight with the Prometheans. These episodes, divided into chapters, will be available for free download every week.