If you're working in the AAA console business, your studio needs to do more than make a good game. With big budget titles becoming more competitive by the day, publishers are often looking to create franchises that exist just not as games, but as sweeping transmedia properties. Many of today's top franchises have expanded into comic books, animated shorts, and other forms of media, and one series that's particularly excelled in the transmedia space is Microsoft's Halo. The series' numerous novels, comics, and live action videos have helped it become one of the biggest franchises of the last two generations, and at last month's GDC Online, two of the men behind Halo 4 outlined the powerful influence of these transmedia products. 343 Industries' Armando Troisi and Kevin Grace noted that Halo's supplementary products over the past several years have dramatically boosted player engagement with the franchise, as they give consumers additional channels through which they can explore the series' universe and characters. "We've got a universe with lots of different stories in it, but not every story is suited to a AAA console release," Grace said. By creating a lineup of products that tell different, yet interweaving stories, 343 Industries hopes to give die-hard fans even more reason to engage with the Halo fiction. "Really, it's about letting our fans enjoy our universe as much as they want and in as many forms as they want," Grace said. When users can consume Halo content even when they're away from their Xbox, 343 Industries believes they'll be far more likely to stick with the series for years to come. To learn more about how 343 Industries has managed Halo's transmedia lineup, check out Troisi and Grace's full presentation in the above GDC Vault video.

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent GDC events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers. Those who purchased All Access passes to events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Online already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription Beta via a GDC Vault inquiry form. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company. More information on this option is available via an online demonstration, and interested parties can send an email to Gillian Crowley. In addition, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault admins. Be sure to keep an eye on GDC Vault for even more new content, as GDC organizers will also archive videos, audio, and slides from other events like GDC China and GDC 2013. To stay abreast of all the latest updates to GDC Vault, be sure to check out the news feed on the official GDC website, or subscribe to updates via Twitter, Facebook, or RSS.