So, Bungie Studios — the people behind the Halo trilogy and recently announced “Halo 3: Recon” expansion pack — are on record as saying that “Recon” will be their final Halo project.

As a longtime fan who has recently been playing Halo 3 again, I have to say that I am disappointed that this is the end of Bungie’s involvement with the series. Another studio (such as Gearbox, who are rumored to be taking over the franchise) may create a game within the same universe, but can they match Bungie’s understanding of both the single player and multiplayer experience?

Gearbox is a competent studio, but the Brothers in Arms series is hardly on the same level as Halo. There’s a “feel” to the Halo games that no studio, even Insomniac with their Halo knockoff Resistance: Fall of Man for PS3 has not quite gotten the experience right (though there were some moments in Resistance that felt astonishingly similar). Halo really is something special that extends to more than just the IP — it’s really the whole package that makes it great.

I’ve seen the recent videos from the upcoming RTS title Halo Wars, and though they’re trying their best, it just doesn’t feel like Halo.

Let’s just hope Bungie can create a new product that’s just as good. Otherwise, Halo 3 will continue to be played for years to come.