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Current State of Halo

And how don't you see Infinite getting there when the same team that fixed MCC is the same team that's going to be working on Halo Infinite? It doesn't make sense.

Last I remember hearing about infinite is that the game was built by contractors over the past few years and that's why the game ended up kind meh.
 
Even if this game was perfect in terms of SP, MP and gameplay Halo will never be as big as it was 10 years ago.

Times have changed. People don’t go for sci-if arena battle kinds of shooters.

No different than Doom, Quake or Unreal. If they had brand new 2022 games that got good reviews, I don’t see gamers dumping COD, Fortnite etc to play shooters that were popular 15 years ago.
I wonder what a campaign style PvE mode unleashed for a solid 2 year planned run could do...
 

Topher

Gold Member
Why would it be a mistake if they'll prove that they're good at it. They've already proven that much with MCC. And Halo Infinite as a whole was mentioned as a 10 year project or effort from the start. We still don't fully know yet all they have in store and how it will all come together. Clearly the Certain Affinity aspect was a crucial part of the larger project from the start. And of course there's gonna be more campaigns.

Many don't get that Halo MCC was 343i's testbed for everything they're going to do with Infinite, and then some. Either way, I'm not too worried about the GaaS model as I fully expect it will work out for them.

Because 343 haven't proven they are good at Gaas. And sorry, but I don't see a remastered collection of older Halo games as a testbed for anything especially when you building off of something that was mostly built by your predecessor. Halo Infinite was 343's chance to prove something and so far, they haven't. To me, the crucial change that needed to happen was with the leadership. Obviously Microsoft finally agreed with many of us who said it needed a big change. Thankfully it happened.
 
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recma12

Member
Yep, I understand the differences, but ever notice how MCC support kept going? How Sea of Thieves support kept going? Typically a lot of companies drop those games, and they never see such strong later years support. We see with Certain Affinity partnering with 343 that the Halo commitment isn't going away. Also, when people factor in f2p GaaS and how different it is from full price games, do make sure to factor in the existence of Game Pass. Not many GaaS have something like Game Pass bringing in the kind of yearly reoccurring revenue like Game Pass clearly is. Halo Infinite is #4 on Game Pass in the United States.

So long as Halo Infinite is holding the attention of Game Pass subscribers it's doing perfectly fine. Can just imagine how crazy Game Pass is going to be once Starfield shows up. That game is going to drive serious traffic towards Game Pass.


I mean, when you launch a new console and bring back your biggest franchise along with a massive marketing machine and a companion TV show.....
......... "maybe it will be as good as Sea of Thieves one day" just doesn't cut it, sorry.

In a vacuum Infinite's numbers look like a decent, mid-tier kind of game (say, For Honor or Farming Simulator) but wasn't really what 343 and MS were shooting for when they started development, was it?
In the US atm the game sits at #18 (most played), and despite Infinite being f2p and included with Gamepass, there's more people playing CoD Cold War on Xbox.
Let that sink.
 

Pelta88

Member


It's a shitshow.


1.4 million views. 101K likes?

200.gif
 
I mean, when you launch a new console and bring back your biggest franchise along with a massive marketing machine and a companion TV show.....
......... "maybe it will be as good as Sea of Thieves one day" just doesn't cut it, sorry.

In a vacuum Infinite's numbers look like a decent, mid-tier kind of game (say, For Honor or Farming Simulator) but wasn't really what 343 and MS were shooting for when they started development, was it?
In the US atm the game sits at #18 (most played), and despite Infinite being f2p and included with Gamepass, there's more people playing CoD Cold War on Xbox.
Let that sink.

It's already significantly more popular than Sea of Thieves ever was; let's not go kidding ourselves now. I was referring to seasonal updates when I mentioned games like Sea of Thieves or MCC. I also don't recall Sea of Thieves ever winning the number of GOTY awards Halo Infinite did. We can also toss the whole "decent, mid-tier" game stuff regarding the game's numbers. Halo Infinite may be #18 in the USA, but what about places where it's top 3, top 10? Those don't count?

If you actually take the time to switch the store location to numerous other countries using the globe at the bottom left of the website you will see that Halo Infinite is consistently outperforming COD Cold War (game you compared it to) and a bunch of other games, even huge free to play ones in numerous countries that aren't the United States. There are even some places where it outperforms Fortnite. As I keep saying, people are vastly underestimating just how well Halo Infinite is doing amongst Xbox gamers. It's quite clear there are way more people playing Halo Infinite than COD Cold War just based on switching to the most played list of different countries. And yes, I know the USA is Xbox's biggest turf, but it's popular and available in plenty of other places, too. And those numbers matter as well. There are places, Mexico for example, where Halo Infinite is #11 and Cold War is way down at #46. If Microsoft provided a global list that combined all of these locations it would be a major wakeup call for people.

Context is everything. You can't both use the fact that Halo Infinite is free to play to downplay how many are playing it when it performs too well or outperforms other popular games (Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077 etc) whilst at the same exact time use the fact that it's free to play to downplay it when any paid game shows up higher on a most played game list. Using that logic I can say other free to play games are only doing better than Halo Infinite because they've been out far longer and have had more time to develop and grow.

And when we factor in Game Pass, Halo Infinite is consistently top 5 or better amongst Game Pass users not just in the USA, but other places as well.
 
Oddly enough I've played Infinite multiplayer more then anything else in the past week or two. I didn't like the MWII beta, Destiny is too much of a grind, and sometimes I don't feel like popping into something like Hell Let Loose/Enlisted/Insurgency.

The BTB Social playlist is dumb fun with random weapons/all snipers/all rockets.
 

Balboa

Member
Personally, I refuse to consider Infinite a success until I get confirmation that it's at least top 5 most played on xbox in Costa Rica.
 
Oddly enough I've played Infinite multiplayer more then anything else in the past week or two. I didn't like the MWII beta, Destiny is too much of a grind, and sometimes I don't feel like popping into something like Hell Let Loose/Enlisted/Insurgency.

The BTB Social playlist is dumb fun with random weapons/all snipers/all rockets.
Yea, BTB Social aka The Yappening is a ton of fun. I've always been terrible as a Sniper, but because of the Yappening, I'm less terrible now.

Next to H5, no other Halo plays as well as Infinite to me. It's really only held back by the lack of maps which will improve soon and will only get better.
 
W0lF9mW.jpg


MCC is a game I go back to all the time, but infinite is fun, way more fun than 4 and 5. BTB fiesta is fantastic. Needs way more maps and content though, the rate at which games get updates now that DLC seasons aren’t a thing anymore, just terrible.
 

ACESHIGH

Banned
Answer me this: If this multiplayer is so lacking (I acknowledge it needs new content, but that is all coming), why is Halo Infinite played by tens of thousands more people than Halo: The Master Chief Collection? And how don't you see Infinite getting there when the same team that fixed MCC is the same team that's going to be working on Halo Infinite? It doesn't make sense.

Cyberpunk is resurgent and is experiencing a player boom. It's still #30 on the most played list on Xbox Live in the USA. Halo Infinite is #18. Halo: MCC isn't in the top 50.

Deathloop that just dropped on Xbox is #21 in the USA.

In Mexico Halo Infinite is #11 most played on Xbox Live. Halo: MCC is #23. In Canada Halo Infinite is #18. Halo MCC is #44.

Anywhere you look except Steam, Halo Infinite has significantly more people playing it than Halo MCC. If you look how high Halo Infinite is on most Xbox Live most played lists across different territories (change territories using the globe at the bottom left of the website and it will update the most played list accordingly) it becomes clear the game could easily have anywhere from 70-120k (if not more - meaning concurrent, so the total number of people playing it is likely a lot higher than that) people playing it collectively. Notice how many games have released, experienced player booms and then fallen off? Halo Infinite has been up and down, but it has consistently been in that top 20-25 range ever since it released.

Random: Halo Infinite is the #1 most played game on xbox live in Afghanistan :messenger_tears_of_joy: (and also in a number of other places around the world, was surprised how many I saw like that) followed closely by efootball 2023 and Forza Horizon 5. Fall Guys is #4. Minecraft is #5. Always interesting to see what different people in different countries are playing.

Because the PC version is terrible. So much for PC first development on this title.
 

clarky

Gold Member
Looks like the Battle royal game is rumored to switching engines to Unreal, and will suffer a lengthy "delay". Yes i realize an unannounced mode or whatever can't technically delayed but they were aiming for season 3/4 now they are looking at a couple of years minimum. Apparently.

Unsure what this means for infinite. A possible shift of engines as well? Hopefully so.
 

recma12

Member
It's already significantly more popular than Sea of Thieves ever was; let's not go kidding ourselves now. I was referring to seasonal updates when I mentioned games like Sea of Thieves or MCC. I also don't recall Sea of Thieves ever winning the number of GOTY awards Halo Infinite did. We can also toss the whole "decent, mid-tier" game stuff regarding the game's numbers. Halo Infinite may be #18 in the USA, but what about places where it's top 3, top 10? Those don't count?

If you actually take the time to switch the store location to numerous other countries using the globe at the bottom left of the website you will see that Halo Infinite is consistently outperforming COD Cold War (game you compared it to) and a bunch of other games, even huge free to play ones in numerous countries that aren't the United States. There are even some places where it outperforms Fortnite. As I keep saying, people are vastly underestimating just how well Halo Infinite is doing amongst Xbox gamers. It's quite clear there are way more people playing Halo Infinite than COD Cold War just based on switching to the most played list of different countries. And yes, I know the USA is Xbox's biggest turf, but it's popular and available in plenty of other places, too. And those numbers matter as well. There are places, Mexico for example, where Halo Infinite is #11 and Cold War is way down at #46. If Microsoft provided a global list that combined all of these locations it would be a major wakeup call for people.

Context is everything. You can't both use the fact that Halo Infinite is free to play to downplay how many are playing it when it performs too well or outperforms other popular games (Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077 etc) whilst at the same exact time use the fact that it's free to play to downplay it when any paid game shows up higher on a most played game list. Using that logic I can say other free to play games are only doing better than Halo Infinite because they've been out far longer and have had more time to develop and grow.

And when we factor in Game Pass, Halo Infinite is consistently top 5 or better amongst Game Pass users not just in the USA, but other places as well.

As far as Xbox goes, the US is like what 60%, 70% or 80% of their business?
Im not even American, I'm in the EU where Xbox isn't all that big. Not even in the Top 20 here, but why use that number when the US is the deciding market?
 
Yea, BTB Social aka The Yappening is a ton of fun. I've always been terrible as a Sniper, but because of the Yappening, I'm less terrible now.

Next to H5, no other Halo plays as well as Infinite to me. It's really only held back by the lack of maps which will improve soon and will only get better.
The maps that exist aren't exactly great either. Certainly not memorable.
 

bootaski

Member
Because the PC version is terrible. So much for PC first development on this title.
What do you mean, what's wrong with the Steam version? I play Halo: Infinite on Steam, it runs fine. Had a few times where I updated my graphics driver and I had problems, but got it fixed in a day or two. I play with a controller and my guess is I'm playing with mostly xbox folks. Could use more multiplayer modes and content, but I'm satisfied jumping in periodically when I want to relax and just have fun.
 

bootaski

Member
All these negative/critical HI threads are going to make me want to play the campaign for the third time, on legendary.
I did a LASO run with the secret tank gun when I 100%'d the steam achievements. I don't think I could have gotten through it without the gun.
 

ACESHIGH

Banned
What do you mean, what's wrong with the Steam version? I play Halo: Infinite on Steam, it runs fine. Had a few times where I updated my graphics driver and I had problems, but got it fixed in a day or two. I play with a controller and my guess is I'm playing with mostly xbox folks. Could use more multiplayer modes and content, but I'm satisfied jumping in periodically when I want to relax and just have fun.

The PC version is a resource hog compared to the console one. Both in SIngle Player and multiplayer. Not sure how they are going to handle a battle royale mode when 6 vs 6 maps are already pretty demanding for what they are.
 

clarky

Gold Member
I play most evenings and don't struggle. When do you play?
Peak times is ok, outside of that and youll be out of region or not finding matches at all most of the time. I work nights and used to play after work early mornings but have given up. (Ranked)
 

SafeOrAlone

Banned
Hard disagree there. the game falls down as a live service but the campaign is one of the best in the series.
I found the campaign lackluster. Lots of potential but unfulfilled.
The enemy types didn’t take advantage of the open-world. I expected scarabs and long-distance aerial battles against Banshee’s, but everything just feels sort of sectioned off.
 
Yeah it is now, great package. But it took them years to get there. Fantastic being able to dip in and out of my favorite levels for old times sake.
Spot on. This fact doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Took them what, 5 years to get there? But they did get there. And that’s why MCC will remain the definitive Halo experience until infinite demonstrates it can support matchmaking BTB for hang ‘em high, blood gluch, and other classic fan favorite maps. Maybe it’ll happen 4 years from now if we’re lucky….
 
It's generally interesting to see that the smaller, poorer countries are using Xbox more or less purely as a Gamepass and F2P machine. Not surprising at all, but now we can actually see it.

Most of the world is using their consoles as a free to play machine if you go by the most played games on both Playstation and Xbox even in countries like the United States.



Yikes, if true.


What's yikes about them making a new Halo game that continues the awesome story of Halo Infinite? Removing the seal imprisoning a race so powerful that it even scared the Forerunners was the primary goal of Atriox and The Harbinger in Halo Infinite. The Endless were imprisoned on Zeta Halo by the Forerunners. It appears to have been the biggest secret of Zeta Halo, one more secret than the flood itself.
 
Spot on. This fact doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Took them what, 5 years to get there? But they did get there. And that’s why MCC will remain the definitive Halo experience until infinite demonstrates it can support matchmaking BTB for hang ‘em high, blood gluch, and other classic fan favorite maps. Maybe it’ll happen 4 years from now if we’re lucky….

Not really. Halo MCC didn't have such large ambitions to start. It was only meant to be just a simple collection of all the campaigns and the MPs. Beginning Dec 2019, 343 started releasing seasonal content, which was obviously a test bed for where Halo Infinite was going. And, guess what? They're going to get to that level far sooner than they did with MCC because that's the plan this time around. They already had 2 seasons far faster than MCC had one. They delayed Season 3 till March next year, but signs suggest they'll be doing a far better job next year. And they seem to signal on their own roadmap that Season 3 is a much shorter season this time around, unless of course that's an accident. Though I doubt it.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Answer me this: If this multiplayer is so lacking (I acknowledge it needs new content, but that is all coming), why is Halo Infinite played by tens of thousands more people than Halo: The Master Chief Collection? And how don't you see Infinite getting there when the same team that fixed MCC is the same team that's going to be working on Halo Infinite? It doesn't make sense.

Cyberpunk is resurgent and is experiencing a player boom. It's still #30 on the most played list on Xbox Live in the USA. Halo Infinite is #18. Halo: MCC isn't in the top 50.

Deathloop that just dropped on Xbox is #21 in the USA.

In Mexico Halo Infinite is #11 most played on Xbox Live. Halo: MCC is #23. In Canada Halo Infinite is #18. Halo MCC is #44.

Anywhere you look except Steam, Halo Infinite has significantly more people playing it than Halo MCC. If you look how high Halo Infinite is on most Xbox Live most played lists across different territories (change territories using the globe at the bottom left of the website and it will update the most played list accordingly) it becomes clear the game could easily have anywhere from 70-120k (if not more - meaning concurrent, so the total number of people playing it is likely a lot higher than that) people playing it collectively. Notice how many games have released, experienced player booms and then fallen off? Halo Infinite has been up and down, but it has consistently been in that top 20-25 range ever since it released.

Random: Halo Infinite is the #1 most played game on xbox live in Afghanistan :messenger_tears_of_joy: (and also in a number of other places around the world, was surprised how many I saw like that) followed closely by efootball 2023 and Forza Horizon 5. Fall Guys is #4. Minecraft is #5. Always interesting to see what different people in different countries are playing.

People just want to look at the Steam numbers when the Xbox stats would likely be the most important for this game, considering the strong association between Halo and Xbox. The game is doing okay. They just should have had a better plan going for future content updates for the MP. I'm surprised they didn't have the first year ironed out before launch day, tbh.
 
People just want to look at the Steam numbers when the Xbox stats would likely be the most important for this game, considering the strong association between Halo and Xbox. The game is doing okay. They just should have had a better plan going for future content updates for the MP. I'm surprised they didn't have the first year ironed out before launch day, tbh.

Well, considering they were behind from the start due to the issues that led to the game being delayed, that automatically was going to impact their first year after launch because obviously that extra year wasn't to work on extra MP content, but literally to get campaign and launch MP in a shippable state. So they used the 1st year after launch to basically get caught up and should hopefully have an excellent 2023.
 

DaGwaphics

Member
Well, considering they were behind from the start due to the issues that led to the game being delayed, that automatically was going to impact their first year after launch because obviously that extra year wasn't to work on extra MP content, but literally to get campaign and launch MP in a shippable state. So they used the 1st year after launch to basically get caught up and should hopefully have an excellent 2023.

True. It's just too bad they didn't have the staff to be able to plan the first few waves of MP updates in tandem with the base game development. With that said, I'm sure Covid didn't help things.
 

skit_data

Member
What's yikes about them making a new Halo game that continues the awesome story of Halo Infinite? Removing the seal imprisoning a race so powerful that it even scared the Forerunners was the primary goal of Atriox and The Harbinger in Halo Infinite. The Endless were imprisoned on Zeta Halo by the Forerunners. It appears to have been the biggest secret of Zeta Halo, one more secret than the flood itself.
It would be ”yikes” because Halo Infinite was supposed to be a platform for future Halo content with a 10-year lifespan. Not dropped within 2 years of it’s release.
 
Not really. Halo MCC didn't have such large ambitions to start. It was only meant to be just a simple collection of all the campaigns and the MPs. Beginning Dec 2019, 343 started releasing seasonal content, which was obviously a test bed for where Halo Infinite was going. And, guess what? They're going to get to that level far sooner than they did with MCC because that's the plan this time around. They already had 2 seasons far faster than MCC had one. They delayed Season 3 till March next year, but signs suggest they'll be doing a far better job next year. And they seem to signal on their own roadmap that Season 3 is a much shorter season this time around, unless of course that's an accident. Though I doubt it.
Sorry, but in the world we inhabit, there is absolutely no way that Infinite will be capable of offering the level of map quality and map diversity that MCC has (finally) achieved after all these years. Unless the dump all those classic maps into Infinite ASAP, they will be playing catch-up forever.
 
True. It's just too bad they didn't have the staff to be able to plan the first few waves of MP updates in tandem with the base game development. With that said, I'm sure Covid didn't help things.

I think they definitely had the staff, but they just put as many hands on deck as possible making sure launch was as strong as possible at the expense of first year content, which was definitely the right decision. It couldn't launch and not be received as well as it was.

All in all, with plenty of other games to play and still being one of the most played games on the system, they were wise to use this year to finish laying out the foundation for all they want to build on all of calendar year 2023. Games don't live or die based on how they launch anymore, especially when the studio is still heavily committed to improving it. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is being played again like it's new launch or something just cause it dropped into Game Pass.

I'm also pretty sure they have a lot more content built that we haven't seen yet, but it doesn't matter if it's complete if the main studio isn't ready to integrate it with the rest of the game. And that's what 343 is trying to do, get the foundation right first. So that's why I support slowing down to properly organize themselves. Winter Update is a great start, they're getting things in people wanted to see at launch, plus they'll be revealing the beta match xp system they promised to work on immediately after launch when people didn't like progression. They said they would work on that and it sounds like they're keeping that promise.
 
It would be ”yikes” because Halo Infinite was supposed to be a platform for future Halo content with a 10-year lifespan. Not dropped within 2 years of it’s release.

Endless is part of Infinite. Who says it isn't simply because they chose to give it a marketing name? It's all part of the same strategy. Infinite is the foundation, and that foundation will keep evolving for the next 10+ years, but likely utilizing separate marketing names. Think of it like a season evolution, but for Campaign. Each Infinite Campaign will be called something different.
 
Sorry, but in the world we inhabit, there is absolutely no way that Infinite will be capable of offering the level of map quality and map diversity that MCC has (finally) achieved after all these years. Unless the dump all those classic maps into Infinite ASAP, they will be playing catch-up forever.

Didn't they drop 8 seasons in less than a year? :p
 

skit_data

Member
Endless is part of Infinite. Who says it isn't simply because they chose to give it a marketing name? It's all part of the same strategy. Infinite is the foundation, and that foundation will keep evolving for the next 10+ years, but likely utilizing separate marketing names. Think of it like a season evolution, but for Campaign. Each Infinite Campaign will be called something different.
Not according to the tweet in my original post:

 

StueyDuck

Member
Halo is in such a weird place right now that i really don't even know what to say, like it's fun but also not fun at all. it's the strangest most modern AAA launch in a long time. where's it's objectively fun and a good game while still being really bad haha.
 
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Not according to the tweet in my original post:



First, I have no idea who these people are. Rumors are not facts. Split-Screen campaign co-op was a pointless feature that deserved to be axed, so I can only commend them for getting rid of such a waste of resources. As to Halo Infinite being a platform for Halo for the next 10 years, we have no evidence yet suggesting that isn't still the case. Certain Affinity is quite literally working on a major Halo Infinite project. Doubt they would be doing that if Infinite is somehow being abandoned like they want people to think.

Guess time will tell.
 
everyone who wants a good halo game wants them gone

As a mega Halo fan on here, I could not disagree with you more. I live and breath the Halo universe through every piece of media that exists, I buy all the books, physical, audio book, etc. I live for the fiction and the extended universe, and I want 343 to remain on Halo forever. I don't mind other studios doing something in the universe, but they should remain the primary studio because 343i has made the best playing games in the entire franchise with the most interesting stories, and nobody can convince me different.
 
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