News

Xbox Live Posts Halo Legends: The Package Part 1 & 2

"The Package," the third two-part episode of the Japanese-animated Halo Legends anthology, has been posted on the Halo Waypoint section of Microsoft's XBox Live service for today only. Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed, Viper's Creed) directed "The Package" at Casio Entertainment.

The first two episodes, "The Babysitter" and "The Duel," were similarly posted for one day each in November. The next epsiode, "Origins" Part 1, is scheduled to run on January 2, 2010.

Seraphim Studios, the company formed from the assets of A.D. Vision's Amusement Park Media dubbing outfit, is producing the English-language soundtrack for the Japanese-animated Halo Legends. ADV Films founder John Ledford is serving as an executive producer for the English soundtrack. Before the assets of ADV Films were split up earlier this year, the company worked with Warner Home Video on the English dubbing of another high-profile Japanese-animated science-fiction title, Appleseed: Ex Machina.

The BONES, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G, Studio 4°C, and Toei Animation anime studios are animating these side stories about the war between humans and the alien Covenant. The staff includes creative supervisors Aramaki and Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell); directors Aramaki, Hideki Futamura (The Animatrix), Daisuke Nishio (Dragon Ball Z), Hiroshi Yamazaki (Karas), Toshiyuki Kanno (Black Lagoon), Kōichi Mashimo (Blade of the Immortal) and Kōji Sawai (Patlabor); directors/action designers Tomoki Kyoda (Eureka Seven, Evangelion 1.0) and Yasushi Muraki (Macross Plus, Vampire Hunter D); and writer Dai Sato (Cowboy Bebop).

Microsoft Game Studios previewed the anthology at Comic-Con International in July and again on the Spike TV network in September.

Warner Home Video will ship the North American DVD and Blu-ray Disc releases on February 9, 2010.

Thanks to SXAniMedia for the news tip.