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Halo Infinite removes armor color customization in favor of "coatings" (Similar to Destiny "shaders")

JoeDanny

Member

Over the last few weeks, a number of different marketing promotions have started popping up around the world with partners offering a variety of in-game customization offers for Halo Infinite. While we shifted our release to 2021, many of these programs are still proceeding this Fall as planned which lets fans redeem and bank items now. These cosmetics will be available in-game when we launch. From Mega Construx toys to Monster Energy drinks to Mondelez cookies, candies, and more, fans around the world will have opportunities to score 2XP boosts, emblems, and ‘armor coatings.’ We know folks are eager to get a better sense of what’s happening out there and we’re working with our partners to pull together the specifics around these programs. Depending on locale, there may be slightly different terms, conditions and rewards, but these products will be staying on shelves and we are moving quickly to adapt to the shift in launch. Rest assured, we'll continue to communicate these programs and prizes as they come online.

Admittedly, product promotions weren’t how we originally envisioned sharing the first look at some of these customization elements. In our last Community Update, we offered a closer look at the “Monarch” armor coating – a special award being offered by Mondelez (US & CA), and before that, we shared a closer look at the Monster Energy weapon coatings in this Xbox Wire blog. Overall it’s been great to see excitement for this early look at some of Halo Infinite’s customization items but we know many of you also have questions. We’ve got a lot more to share and show about multiplayer and customization in Halo Infinite – and we will get to it in due time – but for now, we want to provide a bit more clarity around what you can expect from coatings.

...

Coloration, along with materials and patterns, will now be baked into the coating, taking the place of the primary/secondary armor color options found in prior games. While we understand that many players are fond of the previous color system, we’re very excited about the breadth and scope of armor, weapon, and vehicle customization options that will be available in Halo Infinite because of the coating system. Additionally, players should expect more robust per-piece armor customization choices akin to what was available in Halo: Reach vs. what was offered in Halo 5: Guardians. And, as we expand our customization capabilities with armor geometry, materials, colors, and textures, it’s important to the team that players are given even more opportunities to express themselves within the game itself (more on that later!).


hi_mark_vii_red_shift_waypoint-362df36003ce472e9a9014409a02f00a.jpg


An arguably controversial decision. Shaders are neat in Destiny but removing a feature that's been around since 2004, in favor of what will most likely be battle pass filler, is pretty disappointing.
 
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Kagey K

Banned
Yeah, this is how you sell battle passes. Giving gamers too much customization means devaluing of your potential shop offerings.

Which would be fine if this was a free game, but... $60. Lol. We’ll see what they do, though.
The multiplayer is free to play. Even if you don’t buy the game or have Gamepass.



Also what difference are shaders going to make when you are red or blue most of the time?
 
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Yeah makes sense from a business perspective; it’s one more thing to chase. Custom colours are great and all but doing events, promotions, DLC etc where you can get a particularly cool “skin” drives engagement. Might not be to everyone’s liking but it is what it is.
 

Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
So all of the “coatings” we’ve seen so far are tied in with promotional products. The Spartan armor still has the 343 plastic appearance. Ironically (or perhaps it is intentional) the armor looks like the action figures they sell. I respect Bonnie for saving Halo from becoming something contracted out to Gearbox but I fundamentally disagree with her vision for the franchise. She has said that she views Halo like Star Wars with an emphasis on transmedia. We have seen a ton of Halo toys, over two dozen books, and a bunch of video content over the past decade with only two mediocre FPS titles. You have to earn the transmedia stuff with good games but 343 has elected to put the cart before the horse.

I've talked about what I would do for Halo in the past. Some of what 343 is doing is stuff that I would have done-moving to more of a platform model, F2P, etc. I completely disagree with the gameplay decisions but that is another story. I think they should keep the old color scheme as a default option for all armors but feature full armor skins, weapon skins, vehicle skins, and armor pieces in both a seasonal battle pass and a permanent store much like Warzone or R6 Siege. A full on armor skin would supersede any default colors applied to a piece of armor. This would allow for them to sell plenty of skins while simultaneously retaining Halo's familiar armor customization system. Build on what players know and enjoy rather than replacing it.
 
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Diddy X

Member
So it's a f2p AAA game that's gonna compete against COD, Fortnite, etc... Also it should be a main attractive for gamepass (campaign) therefore a very important game for Microsoft.

I'm really intrigued to see how it does in popularity, they already srewed up with the first gameplay but they seem confident on it, let's see how it goes.
 
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BabyYoda

Banned
On a different note, isn't your avatar pic from the tng episode: Frame of Mind? Yeah I'm a nerd as well...love that episode!

Cheers for the heads up regarding the new Infinite update :)
 
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Bo_Hazem

Banned




hi_mark_vii_red_shift_waypoint-362df36003ce472e9a9014409a02f00a.jpg


An arguably controversial decision. Shaders are neat in Destiny but removing a feature that's been around since 2004, in favor of what will most likely be battle pass filler, is pretty disappointing.

That's the GamePass effect, keeping you coming and grinding to secure that subscription.
 

WakeTheWolf

Member




hi_mark_vii_red_shift_waypoint-362df36003ce472e9a9014409a02f00a.jpg


An arguably controversial decision. Shaders are neat in Destiny but removing a feature that's been around since 2004, in favor of what will most likely be battle pass filler, is pretty disappointing.

Looks like this one is the menstrual cycle coating 😂
 

nikolino840

Member
Devs are smart enough to lock some perks and costumes for the full game and full game. When it gets to Gamepass/Live, it's not f2p, as it needs to be fully f2p with no live/gamepass sub.
Like..always?
There's always a premium version of a f2p game..game pass or not
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
343i just spent 5+ years and X millions of dollars, making a FREE multiplayer game.

FREE

EFF

ARE

EEE

EEE

We are living in a God damn gaming utopia and gamers still find a way to complain.

343 sucks so bad they turned what was once the biggest franchise in video gaming into a meme and destroyed MS whole Xbox launch strategy. If this a utopia then send me to hell because that’s an improvement
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
343 sucks so bad they turned what was once the biggest franchise in video gaming into a meme and destroyed MS whole Xbox launch strategy. If this a utopia then send me to hell because that’s an improvement

It seems like the consensus is that Halo 5s multiplayer was the best or second best Halo multiplayer of all time.

I'm excited to see what 343 does with Infinites multiplayer.

I have little hope for the single player though.
 

Codes 208

Member
the halo subreddit is in an uproar over this and rightfully so imo
343i just spent 5+ years and X millions of dollars, making a FREE multiplayer game.

FREE

EFF

ARE

EEE

EEE

We are living in a God damn gaming utopia and gamers still find a way to complain.
Because they’re taking away a cosmetic option that has always been there since the beginning and replacing it with strict shaders. The MP may be free, but now we’re getting less for it and I think that’s bullshit.

mid they really wanted to go the micro transaction route they could just add to an already established system with things like patterns, new emblems, new armor, textures, weapon skins (which they’re already doing)
It seems like the consensus is that Halo 5s multiplayer was the best or second best Halo multiplayer of all time.

I'm excited to see what 343 does with Infinites multiplayer.

I have little hope for the single player though.
If only half the game is good it’s still only a 5 out of 10.
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
the halo subreddit is in an uproar over this and rightfully so imo

Because they’re taking away a cosmetic option that has always been there since the beginning and replacing it with strict shaders. The MP may be free, but now we’re getting less for it and I think that’s bullshit.

mid they really wanted to go the micro transaction route they could just add to an already established system with things like patterns, new emblems, new armor, textures, weapon skins (which they’re already doing)

If only half the game is good it’s still only a 5 out of 10.

How are you getting less for a multiplayer you have yet to see? They've invested more time and money into Halo Infinite than any previous Halo game.

So we're getting MORE game.

And it's free.

Lol @ your 5/10 math.
 

Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
It seems like the consensus is that Halo 5s multiplayer was the best or second best Halo multiplayer of all time.

I'm excited to see what 343 does with Infinites multiplayer.

I have little hope for the single player though.
Halo 5 certainly has a handful of fans but if it truly were the best or second best Halo MP of all time then people would still be playing it.

Its an ok shooter but it is not an excellent Halo MP experience. There is a reason why Halo 4, 5, and even Reach to an extent hemorrhaged players after launch with their large changes to the core formula.
 
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ZehDon

Member
That's the GamePass effect, keeping you coming and grinding to secure that subscription.
What a load of non-sense. As Jim's man-on-the-ground, shouldn't you be calling it the PS Now Effect, to highlight that Sony did the subscription service thing before Microsoft decided to ride their coat tails? Or, is the notion that these services impact game design only relevant when it's not Sony?
 
Shaders are in improvement..... problem with Destiny for me is that they lock out the exotics behind a paywall. Hopefully not the case here at all.
 

Bo_Hazem

Banned
What a load of non-sense. As Jim's man-on-the-ground, shouldn't you be calling it the PS Now Effect, to highlight that Sony did the subscription service thing before Microsoft decided to ride their coat tails? Or, is the notion that these services impact game design only relevant when it's not Sony?

Is Spiderman MM coming to PS Now? Releasing what's "supposed to be" a big game in cloud sub will tear the project to pieces to return back the investment, if it's big.

Also, with gamepass, is online gaming included or you still need Gold? Because you don't need PS Plus for online gameplay for PS Now. Also f2p games don't need PS Plus at all on PS4.

Maybe try to put the pressure on MS instead?
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Halo 5 certainly has a handful of fans but if it truly were the best or second best Halo MP of all time then people would still be playing it.

Its an ok shooter but it is not an excellent Halo MP experience. There is a reason why Halo 4, 5, and even Reach to an extent hemorrhaged players after launch with their large changes to the core formula.

Here's the best poll I can find.


They have 5's multiplayer at #3.

I give 343 a ton of credit for trying to push the multiplayer forward so much. They took a much needed risk imo. That risk taking is why I'm so intrigued by Infinites multiplayer so much. I want to see "Warzone 2.0".

You can't judge multiplayer based off whether or not people are still playing it. The market has advanced so much over the last 20 years I doubt Halo 3 would fair very well today.
 
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Yeah, this is about on par with recent first party games by MS.

Pretty sure Gears 5 was blasted - and still blasted even on steam reviews over it's over abundance of MTX fiddling the multiplayer.

Like many said, there has to be one way or another that they make money off these games, and lo and behold, customization MTX is the way it is.

I dont think it would take away the overall experience in the single player though, so theres that.

So you win some, you lose some.
 

magaman

Banned
343i just spent 5+ years and X millions of dollars, making a FREE multiplayer game.

FREE

EFF

ARE

EEE

EEE

We are living in a God damn gaming utopia and gamers still find a way to complain.

Utopia? Dude, I'd rather pay for quality than play whatever drivel 343 is going to put out.

Also, what world are you living in? Gaming nowadays feels creatively bankrupt. Hooray - another FPS that coddles to mainstream audiences!
 
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ZehDon

Member
Is Spiderman MM coming to PS Now? Releasing what's "supposed to be" a big game in cloud sub will tear the project to piece to return back the investment, if it's big.

Also, with gamepass, is online gaming included or you still need Gold? Because you don't need PS Plus for online gameplay for PS Now. Also f2p games don't need PS Plus at all on PS4.

Maybe try to put the pressure on MS instead?
Oh cool, just go ahead and link me to the independently verifiable facts on the bold part. Launching AAA games on subscription services. Finding those links shouldn't be too hard, I'm sure you've got dozens of them on hand.

The rest of your post feels like the ramblings of an addled man who forgot what topic he was writing about; do try and stay coherent.
 
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Men_in_Boxes

Snake Oil Salesman
Utopia? Dude, I'd rather pay for quality than play whatever drivel 343 is going to put out.

Also, what world are you living in? Gaming nowadays feels creatively bankrupt. Hooray - another FPS that coddles to mainstream audiences!

It feels creatively bankrupt because you're not 13 years old anymore.

We have more multiplayer game options, and more high quality multiplayer game options than at any time in the industries history.

Halo Infinites multiplayer might suck. But they aren't charging you for it so who cares? They charged you for Halo 4s crappy multiplayer. This is called PROGRESS.

Btw, if you're against creative bankruptcy (I am too), you might not want to shovel dirt on the developer who took the biggest creative risks with Halos multiplayer in franchise history.
 
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sol_bad

Member
Yeah, this is how you sell battle passes. Giving gamers too much customization means devaluing of your potential shop offerings.

Which would be fine if this was a free game, but... $60. Lol. We’ll see what they do, though.

It's ok, mostly everyone will get it through Gamepass for "free. Remember that thing we are getting about 20 threads about per week lately?
GP is the reason decisions like this will be made on a "creative" level.

*EDIT*
Just read that multiplayer is free.
How about not make it free, have it be a part of Halo Infinite and allow everyone to lock what they want for free.

*EDIT 2*
Yeah, do you need to pay for Gold to play multiplayer? If yes, the game is not free to play.
 
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Kagey K

Banned
the halo subreddit is in an uproar over this and rightfully so imo

Because they’re taking away a cosmetic option that has always been there since the beginning and replacing it with strict shaders. The MP may be free, but now we’re getting less for it and I think that’s bullshit.

mid they really wanted to go the micro transaction route they could just add to an already established system with things like patterns, new emblems, new armor, textures, weapon skins (which they’re already doing)

If only half the game is good it’s still only a 5 out of 10.
What game modes do you expect to see your custom colors or custom shaders in?

In the past they have basically only been for ffa or on your menu.
 

Concern

Member
Disappointing move imo. Why remove the customization option? Just add the dumb shaders (which I wasn't a fan of in Destiny) for people who will buy the battle pass.
 

JimiNutz

Banned
If the picture in the OP is a good example of what to expect moving forward then I don't like it.
Looks shit.

Oh well, so long as the gameplay is there.
 
Don't worry guys, the development of our game is a total trainwreck and the story of the last two games was a directionless mess and the gameplay reveal was so bad we delayed the game for a year, but hey, good news, we're removing the stuff that you all love in favor of something we can sell to you through microtransactions!

They sure got their priorities straight. Every damn AAA game is turning into a free to play mobile game with a $70 price tag.

This will be the first Halo game I won't purchase at launch. They don't care anymore and neither do I.
 

Pop

Member
343i is god awful anyways

Ruined a massive franchise. Gotta get those microtransactions one way or another.
 

teezzy

Banned
I'm not necessarily opposed to any of this. It makes sense given the general direction Xbox is heading in.

Give it a battle royale mode and I might even finally enjoy the genre.

Give me Halo's take on Toxikk and I'm straight breh

 
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So it's a f2p AAA game that's gonna compete against COD, Fortnite, etc... Also it should be a main attractive for gamepass (campaign) therefore a very important game for Microsoft.

I'm really intrigued to see how it does in popularity, they already srewed up with the first gameplay but they seem confident on it, let's see how it goes.
They were confident about the first showcase too, then Craig happened. At this point, "confidence" just means Microsoft doesn't know what they are getting themselves into.
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
343i just spent 5+ years and X millions of dollars, making a FREE multiplayer game.

FREE

EFF

ARE

EEE

EEE

We are living in a God damn gaming utopia and gamers still find a way to complain.

Spoken like someone under the age of 20. I will wait for 343 to produce a single game that was worth playing before praising them for spending over 5 years developing something and then turning it into something to be used as an MTX store front.

Like everyone remembers these are the people responsible for The Master Chief Collection right? Halo 4? Halo 5? Like.... these where all terrible entries.... I mean they screwed up releasing a remaster for gods sake... most the work was already done for you at that point.

This studio has released nothing that should give you confidence in there up coming product, the trailer was a laughing stock and when received suddenly resulted in the game being delayed, the multiplayer will be free but that will only be because they know its not worth paying for.
 
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the_master

Member
It was about time, the 2 color selection has been lame forever. Color picking can never match artist custom creations.
 
Give them and inch and they will take a mile especially Microsoft.

Let this sink, because once the the Halo franchise has been raped enough with monetization there isn't going to be much left worth talking about. Hell there already isnt anything clearly since every topic that ever breaks light is always negative.

F2P mutiplayer sacrifice for a 5 year 500 million dollar game.... Just freaking kill it already god damn.
 
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