http://www.oxm.co.uk/32062/news/if-we-lose-our-way-with-halo-we-lose-our-way-with-xbox-microsoft/
> In case you’re wondering whether the Halo series is really, y’know, all that crucial to Xbox given the popularity of certain other shooters, Microsoft Games Studios vice-president Phil Spencer has made the co-dependency 'twixt platform and franchise plain.
> “I think it’s important that our AAA first party titles do help craft and shape how the platform evolves,” he told us in an interview published in issue 76, on shelves tomorrow. "Halo just by its sheer nature of size, of user base - as well as how important the FPS is in today’s gaming world - has to play that role.
> “If we lose our way with Halo, we lose our way with Xbox, because Halo and the importance of games like CoD and other shooters, that state of the art needs to continue to move forward, and our team at 343 need to move forward with that. That’s always going to be one of our success criteria.”
> Much to our relief, Spencer had nothing but good things to say about 343 and its twin projects, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 4. "The good thing about 343 is that they’ve had the time, through the dev of Reach, working on getting the map packs out, and getting to know the infrastructure and the build systems and everything about Halo.
> “They’ve also brought in their own talent and their own view so that they can put their own stamp on the franchise,” he added. All in all, 343 are “in a position to take over the franchise without missing a beat.”
> When it comes to Halo news, OXM owns your face. Check out our Halo Anniversary preview if you haven’t already, then hit up issue 76 for a massive feature, including 343’s thoughts on the fate of Cortana. Spencer says Halo 4 will “get back to what Halo is about”, which seems at present to boil down to (1) Master Chief, and (2) striking a heroic pose.