: First came interviews during Halo 4's development that quoted 343i staffers
: as saying that Halo had the potential to be as big as Star Wars. Then came
: a post here or on NeoGAF where someone who had a business meeting with
: 343i employees on new Halo media said that they honestly believed that
: Halo was already as big as Star Wars, and it wasn't PR speak.

I think my experience with Star Wars pretty much mimics my experience with Halo. The original Trilogies are great, and near and dear to me. I have enjoyed one of two of the spin off stories, specifically the ones that feel most in place with the original trilogy.

However everything else in the Expanded Universe, and everything down the pipe I'm not super keen on. I don't pay attention to either expanded universes, just the major releases. I will probably play Halo 5 somehow just as I will probably see Episode VII, but they will not be as close to my heart as where it all started.

I'm also a huge Star Trek fan, and notice how 1. It's changed considerably over the years, and 2. came really close to dying completely after Enterprise.

In fact, a lot of the stuff with longevity is the stuff that changes with the times. With video games it's not just story content, but game design as well. The original example of Mario is a good one, because Mario made the jump to new technologies well. Things like Batman and Superman likewise have remained relevant (superman less so, but the potential is still there in a big way) because they change and adapt.

I think saying what they are saying now is a recipe for disappointment, given that it's driven by the desire to keep Halo alive for the sake of Halo, and not having a particular story you want to tell and deciding to tell it with Halo.