343's Kiki Wolfkill: We've Had Growing Pains over the Years as a Studio, Now We're Excited for What's Coming to the Halo IP

343's Kiki Wolfkill: We've Had Growing Pains over the Years as a Studio, Now Nosotros're Excited for What'due south Coming to the Halo IP

Reboot Develop Blue 2019 recently came and went in Dubrovnik, Croatia, and many of the best and brightest minds of the games industry were in attendance to share new technology, announcements, and hopes for the future of the manufacture. Wccftech was there through yours truly, and we picked the brains of some of the near of import people in the manufacture.

One of those brains belonged to Kiki Wolfkill from 343 Industries, Studio Head now leading Halo'southward transmedia efforts (previously, she's been credited every bit Executive Producer for Halo iv and Halo Master Chief Drove). Halo is more than but a video game franchise and with the upcoming TV series set to air on Offset, we couldn't resist asking Kiki about what it's similar taking Halo to new universes, capturing new audiences, and of grade, crafting the highly predictable show (which at present has the actor that'll play Master Principal).

Beneath is our full interview with Kiki, where she takes us through Halo's future beyond video games - though, that's not to say we didn't enquire about Halo Infinite while nosotros were in that location...

Hello in that location, Kiki, and give thanks you for being here with united states of america. How do you organize all of your transmedia efforts across the Halo universe? How practice yous keep it all in listen and make sure y'all roll it out at a sensible pace?

I think it starts with a deliberate program that at some bespeak falls apart, inevitably. Simply yeah, I mean, I recall it comes from a couple of unlike places. I may have mentioned this. One is, you know, the games are temporal releases, right? And so we've built around those game experiences and the timing of those game experiences. And sometimes it's hard because nosotros really don't know the timing.

I recall there was a point at which we got a little paralyzed with, well, what if this comes out at the same fourth dimension equally that and information technology finally got to the point where information technology's similar, nosotros should be building the right things. And you know, what a bang-up problem to have if these two big things are done at the same time. And if that happens, we'll figure it out.

But then far, it really has been well-nigh what are the right experiences, to lead up to a game or to follow up from a game. Because sometimes, nosotros detect our audience has great energy effectually a graphic symbol or a moment or setting, it'due south like, well, maybe nosotros should build on that. Right? It has given usa the feedback that that'due south a place in our universe that'southward peculiarly interesting. Sometimes it is just stories we want to tell, right? And stories that we're excited about. And so it becomes what'south the correct medium for those stories? Is it the game or is it something else? And who is the correct audience to go to? Y'all know, because when we remember most these experiences, is information technology about engaging the fans that we already accept? Is it about expanding that fan base a little bit and trying to get to new and dissimilar audiences, and that affects timing, every bit well.

And sometimes it's, practice we appoint fans of the universe who maybe aren't playing the game anymore just who are still fans and still a big part of our ecosystem. And and so, in an ideal earth, we're building this very deliberate roadmap, going into and coming out of a game, the reality is, a lot of it is driven by what story we want to tell when and what audience we're focused on.

Aye, admittedly. When it comes to all these dissimilar methods of delivery, is it tempting to like do big crossovers or practise you prefer to make each effort distinct?

Yeah, we kind of exercise both. Often information technology'due south a unique story. For instance, we've released a couple of novels now focused on sort of the young adult audience really. The Halo universe is filled with risk and interesting characters. And, you know, the idea that sci-fi is a genre where you want to explore.

And so in those instances, it was actually, how do we create these stories that are engaging for that sort of audience different from our very hardcore sci-fi, like, if you think about the Greg Bear trilogy of stories. And then, you lot know, those cases, they're standalone stories that have adjacency see to the game. So the Precursor trilogy, with Greg Bear (the author of the novels), very deep sci-fi, but spoke about the Forerunners and had a lot of themes and back story that was interesting, relative to the story nosotros told in Halo 4, right, then not necessarily a straight connection, just something where we were kind of going dorsum to the forerunner with Halo 4. Then how do we give some deeper background there for the fans who want it.

Whereas again, if I get dorsum to those young adult novels, they are these - while there'due south some crossover, they are unique stories for that audience and actually focused on the gamble of the universe.

And so I experience lucky that nosotros accept the scale of the universe where nosotros can tell different kinds of stories in unlike places, and they can be connected or not. And I recollect information technology really merely comes down to, once again, audience. And is it important for the states to connect with the stories in an platonic world or telling this dandy standalone story that has connections that deep, you know, hardcore fans, recognize and love? And nosotros e'er want to provide a nod toward those hardcore fans. And some are very deliberate.

Is there annihilation you tin can share with us about the Halo Telly serial? Because I know for a fact that a lot of our readers want to know.

Yes, nothing I could share except to say that, you know, we are actively working on it, actively working on the creative process, actively working on the production. It'south incredibly exciting for us because it just feels similar we have great collaboration and momentum. And, you know, there have been times during the testify when it's all been focused on the business organization side of it and contracts, negotiations, all of that. It feels like we're beyond that stage at present and bluntly, in the far more gratifying part of the procedure, which is the creative 1.

Yeah, absolutely. I imagine sticking to a strict canon is difficult when you lot exercise have a transmedia franchise to maintain. Are at that place any examples similar, tweaking or retconning existing catechism that you lot tin can tell me almost?

Yep, I mean, I call back retconning is a pretty normal part of whatever sort of universe edifice. When I think about the Television set show, you know, an case that Frank O' Connor (my creative partner on the show), and I... Nosotros talked a lot nigh Game of Thrones, correct? I read all of the books before the show came out. They were extremely true-blue to the book very early only, yous know, even within season i they had some pretty stiff deviations. And I retrieve watching that, I would exist momentarily jarred by the fact that they were changing how something had read in the book, but then very quickly understood why, right, and all of that they're very smart. And all of those cases, I feel like they made a decision to change the story for a actually skilful reason. I'm similar, wow, that was an amazing scene, I completely become why they made that change.

And and so I experience like that'southward the framework that we call back about. As we think about the show, how do we make sure that whatever sort of alter that they feel we have to make is made for the right reasons? And that's tough. I don't know if you lot always know that until it's done.

And I think for us, that'south why I think nosotros may cease up considering information technology sort of a branch of the canon, because we want to acknowledge that we've deviated and also wanted to be clear why.

And so making those changes not disrespect the core canon. I call up we're still sort of figuring out what that means and what that was like. Does that brand sense?

Definitely. One affair I was wondering is that Master Chief has never been a silent protagonist, but he'due south been quite the man of few words.

Yep, absolutely.

Has it ever been actually hard to characterize characters like Master Master (and some of his other co-stars) in mediums which don't actually permit for the strong silent type so much?

Aye, I mean, I call up that was ane of the interesting challenges going into the Telly series, especially, y'all know, every bit we practice these boot camps for anyone coming on to the prove. And then all of the department heads and the network and marketing, nosotros've done a lot of these to actually express sort of what the DNA of Halo and his stop of each of the characters in the relationships to each other. And information technology was sort of the first challenges. You know, if we want to have a dramatic story effectually the Main Master around John, we have to be able to have him communicate more.

But how do we do that and still keep that stoicism, correct? And it'south been sort of that sense of control from him. And so that'southward how we think virtually it. Right? If y'all hear him more, how does it not feel out of character or untrue of who he is? And that's simply really a dialogue challenge.

Yeah, that makes sense. Another question I can imagine it's pretty difficult. is John going to have significant screen fourth dimension in the upcoming TV testify?

Oh, he'southward definitely a large part of this series, yes. I'thou thinking considering I'm trying to remember if nosotros oasis't mentioned that earlier, only I believe Showtime mentioned it.

Are there going to be tie-ins to other Halo media, like Halo Infinite?

I don't know that there's a lot to say on that right at present. Y'all know, right now, what we're focused on is making sure Halo Space is as great equally it can exist. And making sure the Halo TV show is as great every bit tin can be, kind of back to my point of when we try to necktie them personally, we ended up having to brand compromises on either side, something would change in the game, right? And so we endeavor and change it in, you know, Halo Nightfall as an example, like at some point, they have to exist able to have their own independence to exist the best they can be. And so we call up a lot nearly what are the right loose connections that allow for both to move in the management they demand to but also experience similar they have no need for each other. Absolutely.

That makes more sense. Is there a lot of collaboration between teams working on different Halo media?

Oh, yeah, absolutely. It'southward hard work, information technology's difficult for u.s.a. to manage, specially when different teams are actually heads-down on what they're doing. Only now there's a lot of cross-pollination and a lot of creative conversation. And at the very least, we will brand sure to have discussions just then we can be aware on each side of changes that are happening. And and then we take a franchise team who are sort of the shepherds and protectors of catechism who work across all the projects. So there'south e'er a mutual thread of cognition of what'southward going on with all the projects. And so we all are aware of the rest of the franchise besides.

It's good stuff. On TV show. Is it going to be like, more based in space? I always liked seeing Globe, but we don't see much of it in the franchise, outside of ODST. Tin can nosotros expect to meet Earth in the series?

We aren't talking about setting too much yet.

Is there anything else that you feel like Halo fans should know?

I recall equally a studio, you know, we've kind of gone through our own growing pains over the years. And I call up nosotros're all really energized with the things nosotros're doing with the Main Master Drove. And bringing that on the PC and sort of really moving into a more of a service model with how we evangelize content and updates with MCC and really, for the offset time, moving on to PC very deliberately. And then at the same time, with Infinite and the Television set testify, this idea of really shepherding in this new generation of Halo is actually exciting for us. Like it just feels similar we have all these really not bad pieces that nosotros're incredibly excited nearly moving frontwards at the same time. So that's crazy. Every bit developers and also but Halo fans, we are really excited nearly the next few years.

Excellent. Give thanks you lot and so much. I really appreciate yous taking the time to talk to me today, it'south been very enlightening.

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Posted by: robertsthenly.blogspot.com

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