: The above is really just a
: manner of storytelling. Where Bungie focused on plausibility and
: grittiness in the human future, leaving the grand history of Forerunner
: civilization to vague glimpses of things, it feels like 343 has taken
: advantage of the this..hole..the 'epic' scale of that vague fantastical
: space, and has begun to fill it in; a move that, while controversial for
: those of us latched on to the way Halo "used to be", was a very
: bold but smart move in gaining the attention and love from another type of
: sci-fi gamer demographic.

Why is it a smart move?
What sci-fi gamer demographic is this?

: That vast and rich emptiness that remained
: mystery is now the framework for the fantastical.

At the cost of the fantastical, yes.
The problem is, 343i sucks at delivering the fantastical. A lot of what Requiem, the Prometheans, and the Didact are detracts from the mythically advanced race depicted in Bungie fiction.

: It's now like Master Chief and the Universe (increasingly fleshed out),
: rather than Master Chief IN the Universe (dealing with what's put in
: front of us and lots of stuff happening independently around us; coming
: back to the 'living world' effect, the example of walking into a raging
: battle already begun between Flood and Covenant foes)

: The direction 343 is going isn't a "Bad Thing" objectively speaking, it's
: obviously doing something right because Halo is still going strong;

Halo is so big, and has so much going for it, 343i could have put out a game where each level had a twist like Mass Effect 3's ending, and it would still go strong from the momentum alone.
Tell me, have I said very much that's positive about 343i's handling of Halo 4? I'm still here, aren't I? I'm still trying to get Spartan Ops games going with friends.
Hell, what're the sales numbers on the Sonic games?

: at least for the demographic it seems like they are focusing on.

Um...

: Again, not that any of this is bad - it's just different. I don't know if
: there's some alternate universe where Halo storytelling methodology and
: tactics could have remained unchanged and yet still provide a thriving and
: popular Halo universe and franchise, or if this is just a natural, and
: essential move, in order to keep Halo thriving among the changing gaming
: culture and generations.

I don't buy it.
I don't think that Halo was at a point where reinvention was necessary.

It seems to me as if you're talking about what the comics industry calls a "Jumping on point". When a comic's continuity gets too deep for casual readers to penetrate, comic writers do their best to wrap up the existing storylines and start in a new direction. Not exactly a clean slate, but there's definitely a break between the old and the new. An example would be Book 10 of Schlock Mercenary. After eight years of daily comics, Howard Taylor finally wrapped up the messy aftereffects of the Teraport Wars and put the major villain on a bus. Both still come up occasionally, but they're no longer driving plot points. Hell, the archives even state "The Schlock Mercenary archives are deep. This handy page breaks them down by book, and provides teasers for each. Looking for a good starting point? If you don't want to go back to the very beginning, scroll on down to Book 10: The Longshoreman of the Apocalypse!"

When 343i took the reins, Halo was already at a jumping on point. The Human-Covenant War had ended, the Flood was defeated, and it looked like we were setting forth into a whole new era.

So, the question is, did Halo have to change to stay hip and current?
I don't think so. In fact, I think that 343i actually hurt the franchise by resetting the status quo. The Halo storyline had plenty of potential to continue if they focused on the splintering of the Covenant and Humanity's struggle to rebuild.

Wait. Were you talking about the story direction 343i took, and how it was close to a reboot? Or were you talking about something else? Like the visuals?

: Either way, some of the community will stay, some will move on. Personally, I
: still hold out hope, looking out into the unexplored depths of Halo's
: universe,

Like how the Elites are rebuilding? Or how Thel managed to stay in power when he needed Lord Hood to put down a rebellion for him?