The most awkward moment of today's X06 press briefing may also have been the most profound. We are of course talking about the moment that Peter Jackson took the stage to massive applause. While PJ -- we call him PJ -- looked a little nervous talking in front of so many people, what he announced could turn out to be one of the biggest announcements for the video game industry this year.
Peter Jackson, along with creative partner Fran Walsh, is opening a new studio specifically for game development. Dubbed Wingnut Interactive, it is tasked with creating new kinds of interactive entertainment. Jackson himself was hesitant to call them games. While we've heard this kind of marketing babble before (Shenmue, amiright?), Jackson's promise of story driven games is intriguing. Many would argue that story telling is the one aspect of games that prevent them from being accepted as a valid form of art. The majority of game players may not give two flightless kiwis about whether or not games are considered art, but for the industry as a whole, it's a critical step in its growth. It looks like Jackson is set to do that.
The first project of Wingnut Interactive will be a collaborative effort with Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie. You guessed it, the game will be set in the Halo universe, though Jackson was quick to point out that it will not be Halo 3 and it won't be Halo 4. All we know now is that it takes place in the Halo universe. The next Wingnut game promises to be a wholly original IP.
The other Halo news out of X06 is Halo Wars, an RTS (that's Real Time Strategy) game set inside the Halo universe. Developed by Ensemble Studios -- the team behind Age of Empires -- Halo Wars will give players a whole new look at the universe. Ever wanted to see what an entire squad of Spartans could do? Here's your chance. Bungie has this to say about the project:
"Ensemble brought their prototype to Bungie quite a while back, to show the guys that an RTS could not only work on the 360, but kick ass too. Frankly, Ensemble is one of very few folks on Earth that we would trust with our baby, and that trust is doubled thanks to the excellence of the Age of Empires franchise."
Speaking of which, Halo Wars is not set to hit the PC. It's 360 only. Looks like someone aims to knock BFMEII out of its uncontested throne. Hit up HaloWars.com for more info and the trailer. You can also check out Bungie.net for their official announcement. Is anybody else shaking with excitement yet? X06 just freaking started for crying out loud, and we're getting this kind of news. It's good to own a 360 this week. We're gonna go play some DOOM.
