Well, never say never again. At E3, Bungie came out swinging with a one-two punch. Their first salvo could be seen from afar, as we’ve known for some time now, that they had worked the Halo 3 engine to present a stand-alone side story, depicting the battle against those Covenant bastards from an Earth bound locale. Yesterday, Bungie showed off some game play footage, making it clear that Halo: ODST takes a more squad-based approach to further coloring this canvas. As with the recently released strategy title, Halo Wars, this displays an intelligent use of the property staying true to its roots but taking the universe in new directions while feeding that insatiable urge to eat up every little morsel out there. Bungie’s involvement with this title is clear. They built Halo 3, and with this game using that engine, they really are the best architects for this new experience. While true, I think there’s also a more compelling reason for their participation which I’ll get to in a moment.

Closing the show, Microsoft offered one final, teasing image. In fall 2010, Microsoft will release Halo: Reach. Now, it’s not called Halo 4 and probably for good reason as this appears to bring us back to the beginning “depicting The Fall of the Reach” a famed battle that serves as a prologue to the adventures we’ve already played through. Again, this shows Bungie’s commitment to exploring their expanded universe and transforming their game into a property pregnant with potential. The fervor for these titles ought to echo loud and clear at least a few blocks down from the LA Convention Center where if those Universal honchos are listening, they’ll realize that Bungie is just aching to serve them the next Star Wars. Handled properly, this franchise could stretch decades and truly become the household entertainment that every producer covets.

While, I have no doubt that Bungie is hard at work on new intellectual properties, I think that the reason behind their continued involvement is simple. They can’t bear to see someone else raise their child and I think Microsoft has been very smart in how they’ve handled Bungie. They’ve granted them emancipation and autonomy and have been respectful of Bungie’s wishes. Rather than push them away and play hardball by inserting Developer X to drive the franchise into the ground, Microsoft knows that every offspring performs best under their parents’ watchful gaze. So they give Bungie the freedom they desire while keeping the bankroll open knowing this partnership will pay dividends at the cash registers but also through furthering games as a legitimate art form. And make no mistake, Halo may have begun as a first person shooter but it has transcended its humble origins and grown into something more complex and engaging.

Halo and Bungie will be tethered for a very long time and we’re all the better for it.

To be continued…