BUNGIE: Xbox Live wouldn’t have made it without Halo

As Xbox Live celebrates its tenth birthday, Bungie studio manager Harold Ryan has shared his thoughts on how the service may not have survived if it wasn’t for the former Halo developer.

Speaking to GI.biz, Ryan explained the studio’s guidance and leadership in the fledgling years helped push the limits of the service.

I think Xbox Live wouldn’t have made it. I don’t think the Xbox would be where it is today without Bungie and without Halo,” Ryan said.

As a group, we provided both technical and creative guidance and thought leadership that really pushed the limits. We weren’t just a game developer using the service. We were integrated in the design of the service and how it worked. Systems for groups and matchmaking and skill ranking were all things that were pushed the furthest and the hardest by us.”

Halo is now out of the hands of Bungie, but the franchise continues to represent one of the console’s biggest draws.