I can see exactly why they don't want to be associated with it. Because 343 is one of the worst game studios in the world, they hired people who hated Halo, M$ is now using their moneygrubbing tactics on the Halo series, MS tried to get Bungie to be bought out by them and Halo (H4) currently sucks in every aspect. It went from a AAA title to a floundering blunder of a "game" that nobody likes (look at their forums, they're in horrible shape; everybody's complaining) and they still try to act all sunshiny and pretend nothing happened. If they like sales records as much as they have for H4, then they're going to have hardly anything worthwhile to even call a sales record for H5 because they've killed the competitive community, totally unlike what Bungie's doing. Bungie likes it's community and knows the community makes the game, not the game makes the community, which 343 tried to make happen and failed utterly.

I would like to thing that long ago Bungie sat at a table with it's many toys spread out before them. As they aged the toys grew new meaning and purpose, and they never got old. Bungie even created things to make the toys better as the years passed. Then at some point Bungie realized they had been sitting in the same room for too long, but they simply couldn't leave their toys behind, there was too much history. Instead Bungie filled a backpack with every toy possible, slung it over their back and opened the door to that room. Ever since they have been trekking along an unknown path with an unknown destination. They know not where it will lead - a new house? A new home? But they do know what they will get out of the experience - a new adventure. A new bag of stories to share with it's friends. And all the while that backpack sits snug on Bungie's back, not moving an inch, not one toy left behind. Bungie moves forward, but does not forget the past, and embraces the future. Will you?

Personally, I think Bungie just got bored of Halo.

It has been my esteemed opinion that halo was passed on thus is fact as this is what did happen. Some just feel some how that Bungie just walked off for some reason leaving no one to the task to take there place. Some of the fans hate every new halo admiring the old ones a bit. I have said before bungie are trend setters not trend makers. Why would they go out of there way to hurt halo ? they would not. 343i is handling it now as many have stated before and now that this is the case as focus has been redirected onto Destiny. Assumptions made not based on fact as i have never seen one word or Iota of proof that bungie hates Halo or any of its games at all. I think the OP is listening to the wrong people and not directly to bungie its self. even so hearing is not listening. Personally i agree with the view that halo is in the rear view mirror like Disney land but its time for Knox Berry Farm. As the good times were good but looking forward to even better. Bungie even stated they went from being makers of Halo to Halo fans. Ensuring 343i was able to carry the torch forward and keep it alive. Destiny is the way forward. New game to play in as the old theme parks still exist. I have every Halo bungie made. Fan base is still there. Just some are having a harder time adjusting to the change then others.

Who cares if these exact words ever appeared in a press link ... sure they would be dismissed as another "[i]Yeah. Typo. Fixed[/i]". Kinda showed though with their actions in the final days ... not a single patch for Reach (no, playlist updates are not patches) ... and then the major cry moar post header from the original bungie.net site ("[i]Bungie dont own halo anymore, dont complain here, we dont care[/i]"). Honestly, could anyone miss that hint? Plus it was time ... bungie was bored, bungie wanted change and Microsoft wanted more of the same ... and Reach was the outcome, and the feeling showed. Activision manage the success of the COD series by keeping two studios in the mix, keeping the game alive by changing the mix between releases. Halo had grown old, moving it away from bungie was the best idea in 6 years.

I can't imagine that it's too fun having everything you do compared to your old pieces of work. Frankly, I'm glad they're not holding on too tightly to Halo. It's had a great run but Bungie needs to move on. With a fresh IP, Bungie can finally do things differently without being bogged down with all the expectations of producing another game in the Halo franchise.