Gamers were taken aback by the surprising disclosure that a version of Halo was under development for the highly popular Nintendo DS console. Initially, it was believed that Microsoft had axed the project due to owning the intellectual property. However, developer N-Space’s VFX artist James J. Inziello has revealed that it was, in fact, Nintendo that chose to terminate the game. Reports indicate that the Kyoto-based company was reluctant to invest in advertising expenses, similar to their experience with Gust, which did not perform well in sales.
“The sad part about this game was that it was almost greenlit. But about a month after it got approved on the Microsoft/Bungie side, it was Nintendo that shut it down. There was speculation that they were unwilling to front some advertising money on a first party development side, just as they had originally done with Geist.”
James J. Inziello
“Inziello theorised that Nintendo was ‘still a bit annoyed’ at helping the studio finish Geist, a GameCube FPS game that failed to be a big hit. Nevertheless, the team believes that the Halo DS project ‘would have sold in the [millions] as a portable online multiplayer in 2006.’”
James J. Inziello
Regarding the game’s quality, developers involved with the project acknowledged that the DS wasn’t the most suitable platform for first-person shooters; however, they felt it could have provided an enjoyable experience.