Halo 4 is the seventh video game in the best-selling Halo franchise.[1][2] The game's 2012 release was announced at the end of Microsoft's 2011 E3 press conference, and will be the first major installment to be released less than three years after the previous one, Halo: Reach, although five years after its 2007 direct predecessor, Halo 3. According to the conference presenter, Halo 4 is intended to be the first of a new trilogy of Halo series games. Whereas the previous Halo games were developed by Bungie,[3] Halo 4 will be developed by 343 Industries. The game continues some time after the ending of Halo 3, and marks a return of the Master Chief as the playable character. Cortana will also appear in the game.[4] The official website was launched shortly after the E3 press conference, and states: "Set in the aftermath of Halo 3, Master Chief returns to confront his own destiny and face an ancient evil that threatens the fate of the entire universe. Halo 4 marks the start of a new trilogy that begins with its release in 2012