Joe Staten, the writer behind the original Halo trilogy as well as the upcoming Bungie title, Destiny, has joined forces with Microsoft after parting ways with Bungie in September.
Xbox studio manager, Mike Ybarra made the exciting announcement on Twitter, saying that they're "thrilled to welcome back Joe Staten to the Microsoft Studios family."
It's worth noting that Microsoft has yet to confirm what projects he will be working on, but one would imagine he'll play a rather large role in the future of Halo. At least, I hope that is the case. Apparently he "is not working directly on the next Halo title." That, however, doesn't mean he won't help out on Halo 6, or whatever the next game is following the nebulous Halo for Xbox One.
Microsoft provided the following statement to IGN regarding Staten's new role at the company:
As a senior creative director, Joseph will help create the world’s best entertainment on Xbox, as well as help shape our franchise strategy for some Microsoft Studios titles. He’ll also be one of our leading ambassadors to the game development community, building on his many years of experience and relationships with developers and fans. We’re excited to share more about Joseph’s role in the future.
This is a huge win for Microsoft and Xbox One owners alike. Here's to hoping some quality first-party content is on the way.