I think it's the other way   MS is contractually oblicated to consult Bungie on the Halo franchise.  Plus I think several Bungie team members are in that studio.  Personally I wish they would have farmed it out to Valve... though the two development team thing sounds interestin... I think the better idea would be to branch the franchise out to other genres.

 No, I'm pretty sure my way is the right way.

Halo 3 Finish the Fight!! Oh and Halo 4 coming soon. :)

Well Halo 3 finished that fight. there are always more Fights to be fought

@tyrannical, i think bungie can give insight and advice for future halo games , but m$ doesnt have too take it. and any future bungie games as far as i remembered from their deal with m$, letting them go independent is that all their games have to be shown to m$ 1st and if m$ wants to publish them , then their games will be only on xbox platforms. i hope "halo 4", actually uses the full potential of the 360, and not a mere upgrade of halo 2 .

I love this News cuz the Xbox 360 life span just got Confirmed to be longer than 2012

They should have Halo 4 and Halo 5 being built together. Make the team big enough put 1 story line together.

2011 or 2012 Halo 4 on 360
2012 or 2013 Halo 5 launch on Next Xbox

Very exciting that it's been made by MS' internal studios!

I hope the same is true for Age of Empires IV and that MS is currently making it "by their own".

Lack of Bungie = OH NOES!