Halo fan Maliq Makes redesigned Microsoft Office's Clippy as Clip-E, an AI assistant that would fit perfectly in the world of Halo Infinite. Clippy entered the digital realm in Microsoft Office 97, making the bottom right corner of Office documents its home for roughly a decade. Microsoft unceremoniously retired Clippy with Office 2007, yet plans to resurrect the Office Assistant as a 3D emoji across Microsoft 365 in the coming months.
Master Chief's beloved AI assistant, Cortana, in Halo has experienced her fair share of peaks and valleys, as well. In Halo 4, the AI sacrifices herself to save Master Chief following a bout wherein she goes haywire. Developer 343 Industries brought Cortana back in 2015's Halo 5: Guardians, though she betrayed Chief in what's considered a rather divisive storyline. While she will return in some capacity during this year's Halo Infinite, the game will present a new Cortana-like AI construct who goes by "The Weapon."
A piece of fan art has some Halo faithful hoping for a new kind of AI assistant. Reddit user B1TAH1 shared the art in question created by Maliq Makes, who transformed Microsoft Office's Clippy into Clip-E. As Clip-E, the repurposed Office Assistant would effectively replace Master Chief's long-time companion, Cortana. Maliq Makes' depiction of Clip-E notably reimagines the paperclip-styled AI as a futuristic hologram that looks as though it would feel right at home in the world of Halo Infinite. Check out the full design in the image featured below:
If Microsoft were to implement a Clippy-inspired AI in Halo, it wouldn't mark the first time that Microsoft Office and the hit shooter franchise crossed paths. A virtual assistant named Cortana joined the Microsoft Office ecosystem a few years ago, providing voice-enabled assistance to Windows 10 users.
To the delight of many a fan, the wait to see how the new Cortana-like AI fares in Halo Infinite is nearly at an end. During Geoff Keighley's gamescom Opening Night Live presentation, Microsoft finally confirmed a release date for 343 Industries' latest. The eagerly-anticipated first-person shooter will hit stores year in December, though a Halo Infinite-themed Xbox Series X console and Elite Series 2 controller will arrive a little earlier on November 15, the date of Halo's 20th anniversary.
Halo Infinite hits PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S platforms this holiday season on December 8.
Source: B1TAH1/Reddit