New Microsoft Studio Aiming to "Build the Next Halo"

Remember that new studio Microsoft set up in Vancouver? Well, it's been renamed to Black Tusk - and it's working on a new exclusive IP for the Xbox 360. But not just any new IP. This studio has big plans, with the outfit's boss declaring that the team is on a mission to "build the next Halo."

Black Tusk is hiring for a senior gameplay engineer and a senior AI engineer, to help on this bold new project. Internet sleuth Superannuation says that the studio is working on a sci-fi epic on the same scale as Gears of War and Halo, with the lead designer of Crysis 2 behind development.

In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, boss Michael Crump revealed that employees have an average of 12 years experience in the industry a piece. "Big games, big teams, big budgets, long timelines" is the mantra here.

"What that means is we are working on Microsoft's next big entertainment franchise,” Crump said. “We're not working on an existing franchise, we're looking to build the next Halo here in Vancouver, for example, which is really exciting. We are building something from the ground up."

We look forward to seeing what they have cooking.