Halo the next Star Trek?

Earlier in the week we had a short discussion about how games influence other forms of media. One of the topics we discussed was fan fiction and some of the ways fans produce their own story elements to augment or add to the story of the game. I didn't say anything in class because the discussion was going in another direction, but the Halo franchise is a perfect example of this. Yes, I know, Microsoft and Bungie spent a lot of time and money promoting the franchise but that doesn't change the fact the the fan base is huge and enthusiastic. Star Wars and Star Trek had the same kind of promotion after the fan base got to a certain size and both of the universes exploded with new media. The same thing has happened with Halo. After the first game came out there was an almost immediate demand for a movie which still hasn't happened but we're getting close: Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, and other live action trailers.  While both of these examples were made for advertising and fanfare, this video was created by a fan from previous advertisement releases. You can find these types of videos all over youtube. The maker of that last video even goes on to say "I take no credit for the amazing work done by the creators of the videos nor the music that accompanies this Montage. The only credit you may give me is being enough of a Spartan at heart to have made what I hope is well received by fans like me.". The uploader was so excited about the release of Halo: Reach that they created their own promotion for it. This guy/girl loves the universe. 

It's actually gotten to the point that being a Halo fan is less about the games and gameplay and more about the universe and the connection you feel to the characters. The website Halopediean is a testament to this. It is essentially a Wikipedia for Halo. Anyone can put information on it and that information is cross-referenced and verified . Anything from weapons, characters, individual ships, the games themselves, and media surrounding the games is cataloged here. You can trace a weapon used in a specific sequence based on serial number if the sequence was detailed enough to give one. The shit on here is crazy (look at this ridiculousness: rediculousness) and it's because the people that put it there are passionate about the universe.

Sorry if this was kind of a rant, but I think it's important to look at these kinds of fan bases when we talk about validity of a game and it's influence on social media.