Microsoft hints at 'HaloCon' event

By Johnny Minkley Published 25 July, 2008

Who needs E3 anyway?

Microsoft's very own Mr Halo has told Eurogamer that Bungie's series could soon be getting its own dedicated event to rival the likes of BlizzCon and QuakeCon.

Speaking to us immediately after the Halo Wars and the Halo Universe panel yesterday at Comic Con 2008 in San Diego, O'Connor, who earlier this year quit his post as Bungie community manager to oversee Halo at Microsoft Games Studios, insisted the franchise was "big enough at this point that it can stand on its own".

"You can do a HaloCon. Nothing on [the scale of Comic Con], but you could bring a few hundred people just to see a Halo thing. We're really not worried about Halo's ability to stand out and shine in the future. There's plenty of stuff coming."

While making it clear that no formal planning had yet been undertaken, he explained that the "passionate and loyal community" had made the prospect of a standalone Halo showcase attractive. "We do things for [the communtiy] all the time. Bungie has done fanfests at E3 and it would be lovely to see something bigger, something more ambitious in the future."

O'Connor also moved to play down the furore over Microsoft's decision to pull a new Halo reveal from its E3 conference, stating: "It's E3, it's complicated. You saw the Microsoft press conference - there was a ton of stuff. And someone, somewhere decided strategically that another time is better, and it will be, and there's going to be an announcement and it's going to be awesome.

"Halo gets plenty of attention, and Halo will get plenty of attention if there's any new stuff to announce."

He refused to be drawn on the timing of the announcement, quipping: "I wouldn't know anything about that! Halo can stand out at E3 or stand out at another time." And after a lacklustre E3 earlier this month, which has drawn sharp criticism from across the industry, O'Connor said it was time that consumers were involved.

"E3 is what it is now, but I still think there's space for a really big consumer videogames show. If you look around Comic Con, people are doing business here, people are unveiling things, they're revealing stuff. But the people who are enjoying it are the people we're making the games for, and it's a really unique experience and one the industry could get tremendous value from.

"At E3, the fans are there, they're just using the Internet. Why not charge them an entrance fee and make the thing a profit centre rather than a loss leader?"

Picture of Johnny.

About Johnny Minkley

Eurogamer TV's Johnny Minkley is a veteran journalist with a lifelong passion for games and the games industry. He uses Twitter more than most people use air.

Read more articles from Johnny by visiting the Johnny Minkley archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Redeye #1 4 years ago

    Is it me being cynical, or did anyone else read that as "yeah, we screwed up...sorry Bungie, have your own expo, please don't run off to someone else..."?

    EDIT: Heh, just re-read that last bit...should turn back the clock and make it like the barmy UK shows of the Eighties, like the PCW. And bring back the crumpet while they're about it.
    Edited by 2 at 25/07/08 @ 18:24

  • agparrot #2 4 years ago

    It has certainly been the least conventional announcement of a new game that I've witnessed for a while.

  • subtlesnake #3 4 years ago

    I read his comments as "I worked Bungie, but now I'm at Microsoft, so I can see things from both sides". Either way though Frankie is just a story writer, so isn't really responsible.

  • des #4 4 years ago

    HaloCon?I like that idea

  • doragor #5 4 years ago

    @ Wonga

    Consider the prep for this and the fact that Bungie had a timer and masses of speculation on their site before this was pulled. Expressing their disappointment is toy-pram throwing? Get a grip.

  • Xerx3s #6 4 years ago

    "Is it me being cynical, or did anyone else read that as "yeah, we screwed up...sorry Bungie, have your own expo, please don't run off to someone else..."? "

    Somehow I really doubt that they are afraid of that. And if they are, they are the biggest idiots in the world for letting bungie go and do business with the competition.

  • seasidebaz #7 4 years ago

    In other news: The sun will rise tomorrow.

    No surprise that Microsoft want more exposure for their cashcow.

    Coming soon:

    Halo-oke!

    Scene It! Lights, Camera, Halo!

    Viva Pinhalo!

    Halo Ware: Covenant Game Mayhem!

    And other such games based on the Halo "franchise" that will appeal to "the non-core gamer".

  • Connobi #8 4 years ago

    Is it just me, or is anyone else a bit..."Another Halo Game? Meh." It doesn't seem like 5 minutes ago we had H3. Now they're dangling another one, which lets face it, going off Bungies super fast delivery service, won't be with us for at least another year. At least! More than likely 2 or 3. All those Halo fans thinking this'll be a quick turnaround like GOW to GOW2 had better get ready to do some serious waiting again.

  • FunkyRenegade #9 4 years ago

    Sounds like probably the worst idea ever
    Not a chance in hell it'd rival QuakeCon and BlizzCon
    Both of which are based around multiple series that have seriously influenced a generation, and video games in general.
    What has Halo done besides be another mediocre alien-shoot-fest?
    Granted the first in the series had a good storyline, but that all went to shit with 2 and 3.
    Are there really enough 'hardcore' Halo fans to warrant a BlizzCon-esque event in its name?

  • ilmaestro #10 4 years ago

    Good of you to mention "O'Connor"'s first name at any stage of the article. ;)

  • paketep #11 4 years ago

    So, empty words to try to cover the E3 fuckup, plus they want to make more money from the fans.

    Very good, Bungie, very good [pats Mr. Halo's head]

  • subtlesnake #12 4 years ago

    Frank O'Conner doesn't work at Bungie and had nothing to do with the decision to shelve the announcement. As an individual he's entitled to give his opinion isn't he?

  • Vin #13 4 years ago

    Christ, you're a bunch of cynical fuckers.

  • loop7 #14 4 years ago

    Don Mattrick is a lemon

  • Xerx3s #15 4 years ago

    "Sounds like probably the worst idea ever
    Not a chance in hell it'd rival QuakeCon and BlizzCon
    Both of which are based around multiple series that have seriously influenced a generation, and video games in general.
    What has Halo done besides be another mediocre alien-shoot-fest?
    Granted the first in the series had a good storyline, but that all went to shit with 2 and 3.
    Are there really enough 'hardcore' Halo fans to warrant a BlizzCon-esque event in its name? "

    Spot the clueless fuck.

  • CreepinJesus #16 4 years ago

    Sad.

  • MattyB2007 #17 4 years ago

    Why is there always a couple of grade 'A' twats in the comments with any news piece regarding Halo. People like it, get over it you idiots!! Your not cool, smart, or funny for doing so either!

  • Dizzy #18 4 years ago

    "Are there really enough 'hardcore' Halo fans to warrant a BlizzCon-esque event in its name? "

    There seem to be enough for collectible card games, miniatures, books, video games, t-shirts, ...

  • Xerx3s #19 4 years ago

    "Take your own advice mate. It's a shit game. Popular games do not equal good games necessarily. Unless you think that The Sims is the best game of all time of course."

    Amuse me, why is it a shit game? The opposite is also true with what you say.

    Oh and it's not a shit game. You may not like it or think it's cool to hate something popular (it just makes you look like a twit) but it most definitely isn't a shit game.

  • subtlesnake #20 4 years ago

    "Yes it is. Derivative, tired and boring. It's pants mate and if you like it you have shit taste. "

    Yes, because obviously if someone has fun with something and you don't they're "wrong", and should immediately realise that deriving enjoyment out of something that you can't makes them inferior individuals, who should immediately conform to your tastes.

    And obviously you're the sole judge of whether a particular game works or not: if you didn't have fun, then it's unconceivable that others might have fun, because that would entail that people are *gasp* different, and that the value of a product might lie in our minds not actually in the product itself.

    So if people did for some reason have fun then they must be deluded in some fundamental way, or be otherwise of low intelligence.

    Yes, wouldn't the world be a wonderful place if everyone thought like you do.

  • Xerx3s #21 4 years ago

    "Yes it is. Derivative, tired and boring. It's pants mate and if you like it you have shit taste."

    Oke, so we can safely say now that you are an clueless fuck that doesn't know what he is talking about.

    Good going.

  • Genji #22 4 years ago

    Heh. Compare this with the news article just below this one.

    :-)

    Oh, and Halo is fucking awesome. Not "awesome for a console FPS", but awesome for an FPS. You're entitled to think otherwise, but you'd be wrong.

  • miiiguel #23 4 years ago

    @ seaside, and more:
    very, very unfair comments. The most successful IP of the XXI century had 3 games in 8 years, and you talk about like they were doing a NFS thing or something.
    I think you *want* that to happen, but it isn't, at least yet.

  • sneetch #24 4 years ago

    Meh, I don't think the industry needs a HaloCon. A "convention" for one or two games isn't a good idea. An Xbox Convention would be a better place to show it, I think. Mind you that'd probably be restricted to 1st and 2nd party titles so it might still be a bit too quiet.

    Mind you, with the spin-offs like novels and card games they could really fill it out and with some sort of Halo-3-athon, multi-player championship then it really could work. And Bungie and other 1st/2nd party devs could use it to show off their new products (see I've corrected myself before I'm shouted at :) )

    If they do, I hope they offer live streams of the event.

  • louyfitz #25 4 years ago

    gd idea, at least then MS couldn't use Ninty and Sonys shit E3 showcases as an excuse not to show us what we'll all be throwing our money at next year.

    I still think Bungie was right ;)