Microsoft and Xbox have made billions on Halo, but a huge $1.8b chunk of that hasn't even come from the games

[Windows Central]

Xbox's Halo series stands as one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world, but nearly $2 billion of its revenue hasn't actually come from game sales or in-game microtransactions.

Microsoft and Xbox have made billions on Halo, but a huge $1.8b chunk of that hasn't even come from the games : Read more

 

[fjtorres5591]

Three problems with the Halo Series;
1- It's not canon but it tries to be. There's no middle ground that works.
2- The lead should have been a voice only actor. Master chief's mystique comes from being faceless.
3- They put it on the worst-run streaming service.

The CGI and action set pieces were decent but too much soap opera got in the way. A movie might've worked better.

It's too early for a follow up but next time it needs to be canon, animated or star an ego-less actor who doesn't mind not showing his face. and, above all, put it somewhere that reaches the whole planet not just the US and EU.

The reported GEARS project needs to consider this as well as learn from FALLOUT, which got it right on all counts. There is lots of room in the Gears mythology for a Movie or series involving different characters and situations. starting with how did humans arrive on a high-gravity planet and adapt to it and how hostile was it to start with.

Another franchise to look at is OUTER PLANETS, preferably as a comedy series.

There's possibilities but as they say, it takes care to get it right.
(just look at BORDERLANDS.)

 

[ScarletStar]

There is nothing surprising here, but gratulations on finally having this revelation on business 101 that's common to pretty much all pop culture franchises.

You think Mario makes most of their money on game sales? Or is it the merch, the movies, the tie ins with other businesses such as Lego, food products, theme parks etc etc.

Even smaller indie games make a good chunk of their revenue with merchandise these days.

You diversify your income streams. You got a brand? You make it a lifestyle experience. Even m&m aren't just chocolate anymore.

 

[fjtorres5591]

There is nothing surprising here, but gratulations on finally having this revelation on business 101 that's common to pretty much all pop culture franchises.

You think Mario makes most of their money on game sales? Or is it the merch, the movies, the tie ins with other businesses such as Lego, food products, theme parks etc etc.

Even smaller indie games make a good chunk of their revenue with merchandise these days.

You diversify your income streams. You got a brand? You make it a lifestyle experience. Even m&m aren't just chocolate anymore.

The same is true of pretty much every enduring/profitable IP

Comics in particular have not been profitable for 30+ years and only slightly from the 50's to the 90's. (Except for the speculative bubble of the 90's that bankrupted Marvel when it popped.) Toys, coloring books, and TV being the main revenue streams before games and more recently, video.

Games have been lesser players in the BIG markets until relatively recently (Pac-Man being a notable exception) but after Halo, games have been scaling up. EA has been fairly successful with MASS EFFECT and DRAGON AGE, and of course Mario and Sonic have exploded in recent times.

With FALLOUT and BORDERLANDS as examples of how to go and not go, odds are quite few new gaming ips will be chasing after media money. But that is easier said than done. A typical Hollywood project has too many chefs for good soup.