Microsoft considering Halo for different genres, mediums

Apart from Halo Wars, the Halo series has been exclusively a first-person shooter franchise. However, that could change. Speaking to CVG, Halo 4 executive producer Kiki Wolfkill explained that if a new Halo experience moved the franchise forward in a unique way, it would be considered.

"I think we'd look at what the most interesting genre, medium, delivery mechanism is to tell a certain story, and if it moves the IP forward in an interesting way, we'll do it," Wolfkill said.

She added that Microsoft and 343 Industries have always had a "big vision" for the Halo universe, and that the company looks at itself not solely as a game studio, but rather an IP studio.

"The first-person shooter is the best place to tell one kind of story but as you can see from Forward Unto Dawn and stuff like that, there are other parts of the story that are interesting to tell in different ways," she said.

Halo 4 launched worldwide today exclusively for Xbox 360. The game is a direct sequel to 2007's Halo 3 and is the first numbered entry in the series developed outside of Bungie Studios. It is the first installment in the Reclaimer Trilogy, which will span Halo 5 and Halo 6.

A recent Nielsen study found Halo 4 to be the most anticipated holiday 2012 title for Xbox 360 owners. For more on the game, check out GameSpot's review.