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Halo Infinite will skip December's Game Awards, "so we can kind of restart this journey together after the holidays"

JoeDanny

Member
There is very little good faith left for 343 in my opinion. They've been given so many chances to make it right with Halo but they fail every. single. time.

Halo 4 polarized the community with COD-ified multiplayer and introduced the most unnecessary change in art style of an established IP ever. (their justification literally boils down to "because we felt like changing it")

MCC was a famously disastrous launch and permanently damaged the Xbox brand following the poor showing of the Xbone itself.

Halo 5 introduced lootboxes and misled the community with its bizarre marketing campaign, replaced the Master Chief as the main character, and completely undid the emotional ending of H4 with Cortana's return.

Halo Wars 2 has been the least offensive of the bunch since 343 took over, with incredible cutscenes and heroes that felt like they could hang with the Chief. The art style is finally getting back on track and away from 343's bizarrely overdesigned sci-fi crap.

And now Infinite, after years of complete silence about the game, is looking more and more like a disaster every day while bleeding upper management and generally pissing off the community with asinine decisions like locking basic color customization behind a paywall. They really, REALLY need to hit it out of the park with this game. Nothing else will be acceptable, at all.

During this nearly decade long process, they've made it clear that they don't understand what made Halo great in the Bungie days. The soul, the charm. They've chased every single trend that has cropped up over the years, from Call of Duty, to lootboxes, to advanced movement, and now to free-to-play. They just aren't capable of really making something that Halo fans want, and instead want to make a focus-group tested amalgamation of video games with Halo on the box. They even literally said they hired people who hated Halo for whatever reason during Halo 4's development, and that while making H4 they made something that played very much like classic Halo but then scrapped it because it was too classic. 343 Industries' track record has been an absolute slap in the face to the dedicated fans of what used to be one of the biggest entertainment franchises ever.

At least the 343 publishing team has been able to resurrect MCC into a decent product in the last few years.
 

Phase

Member
wfLJU98.jpg

My kind of girl
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Evangelion Unit-01

Master Chief
H5 had the best Halo Arena experience since 3, and it had the pro scene to back it up. It wasn't just popular due to casual modes.
I don't think it was awful or even bad. It just wasn't Halo. As a new IP it would have been cool. It just didn't fill the void for casuals or pros IMO.
 

kingpotato

Ask me about my Stream Deck
Just put it back in the oven and set on 700 billion for 20 months and you'll have a winner on your hands.

Seriously though, I would be so pissed at MS if I worked at 343. They demanded to have the biggest halo ever for series x launch that also ran on launch xb one?!? Then when it looks like it did they flip out and delay the game. What did you expect MS????
 

Alan Wake

Member
imagine how bad this game was.

I actually think the game looked fun, but you're probably right. The game must have had a number of major issues. The complaint weren't about tiny details either but the overall look and feel of the game. That's not something you just fix overnight. Halo 5 launched in 2015, I just wonder what they've been doing for FIVE YEARS.
 

Vae_Victis

Banned
Halo Wars 2 has been the least offensive of the bunch since 343 took over, with incredible cutscenes and heroes that felt like they could hang with the Chief. The art style is finally getting back on track and away from 343's bizarrely overdesigned sci-fi crap.
343 had little or nothing to do with Halo Wars 2. It was developed by Creative Assembly, who are actually competent for the most part.
 

Shubh_C63

Member
Restart this Journey ?

Dear lord what the hell these Dev's are doing ? Although it's for the better seeing that awful trailer.
 

Ar¢tos

Member
So they are just using 343 name and having other, more competent, studios do the work?
343 is probably getting the same destiny of Evolution.
 

RoadHazard

Gold Member
I still don't get how they thought "this looks good" and decided to show the original demo. It's like they had no idea how lacklustre it was until their fans told them. Very strange.
 

Riky

$MSFT
The actual Gameplay of Halo Infinite looked really good to me, it was a definite throwback to the original and not like 4 and 5. All they have to do is sort out the technical issues and the look of the game. Hopefully they've got a BR mode as well.
It'll be worth the wait.
 
The most baffling thing to me is how many industry experts that reveal footage presumably went past and yet was still ok'd to be shown to the public. They had the perfect excuse hold fire thanks to COVID.

Its crazy. How does all of MS management see that and go: Yeah, lets demo this.

It literally boggles the mind. Although, people did vote for trump in big numbers, so maybe it isnt that shocking.
 

PaNaMa

Banned
When everything looks like plastic and cartoons, it just breaks immersion for me. Next gen halo needs to have a better look than what we saw - and no DF it isn't just about the lighting.
Hopefully they can turn the ship around
 

Concern

Member
How about we just skip a generation at this rate? Halo 4 and and 5 weren't bad looking games, just weren't good halo games.

But for them to hype up that sorry ass gameplay for months only to show that after 5 years of dev time, there's clearly a lot wrong in 343. Idk why ms insists on holding to that studio. Its just infested with diversity over talent now.
 
I'm glad that I'm not the only one blinking a few extra times at the journey mumbo jumbo fluff nonsense. Instead of talking like they are passing the joint around they should lay it out there. Is there a new realistic launch target, what exactly is being changed in the game, how long do these changes usually take, etc., etc.? And if they don't have concrete ideas yet just say it and be direct. Pretty much anything else would be better than vague notions of starting a journey with respect to the flagship title that was supposed to launch last week.

Anyway, since they are talking in fluff and platitudes and avoiding a show of this size during their launch window, my gut is saying that even holiday 2021 is a reach goal right now.
For me this seems to be completely scrapped, as it should. They aren't only changing the graphics, that wouldn't take long, they are trying to fix the whole game.
 
You know how calling something "Master" is now racist, right? For example you don't supposed to say "master bedroom" but "primary bedroom" instead.

How about we mass message some cray cray from 343i and request Master Chief to be renamed to Primary Chief just for lols?


🤡
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
What I want to know is, why hasn't Phil fired any of the upper management at 343? The game had been in development for five years and they still don't have anything to show for it. Heads should roll and if Phil can't get it together on his end, whoever his boss is should fire him.

After virtue signalling Bonnie Ross and practically fellating her for weeks straight, then showering her with rewards on stage, I fear this is the Kathleen Kennedy effect. Major blow to the company's pride and narrative to start sacking them.
 

Dick Jones

Gold Member
To steal a line from Ronan Keating

343 PR 'You say it best, when you say nothing at all'

Concentrate on the multiplayer.
Keep new characters out of multiplayer and introduce them when the single player story is ready for release.

Fucking give us a few days notice of a gameplay video with a date to hype it. This PR is like getting an IOU under the Christmas Tree from St Nick. There is no hype, I'm beginning to think that Bill Gates lost a bet and has to keep them around.
 

oldergamer

Member
Hmmm this is what i'm hearing

"...they should talk, they shouldn't talk, they should keep quiet, they should give up, they should shut up..."

Face it, you guys don't know what is going on there. You don't know how development works, or what it takes to ship a game (or 99.9% of the lot are in that bucket). None of you are entitled to anything, so stop acting like it. How about armchair developers shut up until the game is done.
 
When everything looks like plastic and cartoons, it just breaks immersion for me. Next gen halo needs to have a better look than what we saw - and no DF it isn't just about the lighting.
Hopefully they can turn the ship around

I agree, a return to classic art style does not have to equate to cartoon styling and megabloks shite. Look at Halo 2 anniversary and the output of Blur Studios, it's a matured Halo that rings true to classic art style. How 343 don't see the success of H2A cutscenes being universally loved for their art, character design, animation, graphics, textures, style etc is evidence where the leadership misses the mark with updating classic Halo games to modern releases. You have a fucking roadmap of what to make, take Blur Studios' cutscenes and make it as close to next gen in game as you can. Done.

No fucking about, that's the universal love right there. The Halo audience has grown up, as has gamers average age, we don't need to bring in the next cartoon loving 10 year olds. They're already playing Fortnite, Rocket League and Minecraft. Pushing this cartoonesque appeal just makes Halo come off like Roblox instead of a mature audience game. I'd kill for Halo to get out of T for teen crap, 343 wouldn't have the balls or vision to do it. Oh and those kiddies you think you're alienating aren't being locked out of your games, they play with dad (maybe mum) and also grow to trail other games too. Build a great game for the core audience you have, not the audience you want.
 
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BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
man is it just me or Microsoft is just being too soft on 343. How many blank cheques and resources they would get before any major changes? its unbelievable since its been in development for FIVE years and the only thing we got is that 5min gameplay. I have lost all hope on this one now. Was super excited for E3 showing, now fuck it. and fuck whoever is managing this team.
 
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Face it, you guys don't know what is going on there. You don't know how development works, or what it takes to ship a game (or 99.9% of the lot are in that bucket). None of you are entitled to anything, so stop acting like it. How about armchair developers shut up until the game is done.

Actchiiiuuuuuaalallllyyy

I develop apps, sites, databases, CMS, integrations, web systems, requirements, code/logic with many of the same tools and talent pools game studios use, I just don't make games at my company. Outsourcing, workflows, software development, tools management, risk mitigation, security, engineering, design/art, collaboration, project management, IP, architecture, iterations, version control, output results, client feedback and more all align for me to have more than an armchair developers insight thanks mate. I'm also very familiar with hardware manufacturing, supply chain, artists/devs, optimisation and the processes you have to manage to make something a finished and QA service as well as support it long term. I've been programming since I was 8 years old and prior to my own company worked in a myriad of IT sectors and segments as well as countries. Infinite as a project and from their own PR mouths of communications is fucked, no doubt. Plain and simple, you don't have it to show, you don't have it. It's actually pretty black and white when you look at just the results and Infinite reveal themselves.

Good luck to the studio pulling a Halo 2 out of development hell as Bungie did. Fuck even CE multiplayer was nearly cut at eleventh hour and the 3 shot pistol was a happy mistake in the final release. Good things can come from bad, it's just not a curation of creating your own luck or an environment where outcomes are more predictable. Perhaps that lightning in a bottle occurs again. I know I'm tired of digging my lightning rods in the Halo sandbox for the strike to never arrive out of the storm swell thus never delivering awe inspiring uniqueness at the end of the day. Halo has clear strikes against its name under 343 for MCC, H5 campaign and H4 multi plus now Infinite reveal. There are some hits/wins of course, and I don't mean to be purely negative here, but nothing that screams Halo 1-3 levels of success across the board; nor industry leading innovations and objectively less engagement/retention with fans and sales.

I'm not entitled to anything but as soon as you provide products or services to the public you're open to public criticism, whether you like what those speculations are or not. I love Halo, I don't love what 343 has done to Halo and my life long friends don't play or follow it anymore either. Going dark and working things as best they can is all they can do for now. The entire process needs serious reviewing as do the executive staff at 343/Xbox managing them, unacceptable track record for what should be series of love letters to Xbox gaming and Halo fans. The reveal just compounded a growing chasm between the studio and Halo fans that want Halo to be great in all modes.

Here's a comparison of how a well managed studio and projects go -

Respawn -

Apex Legends. Dropped out of the blue on the public, delivered from day one firing on all cylinders while having consistent sustain and fresh content well balanced and adjusted rapidly based on community feedback.

Oh you say but they didn't make a campaign like Infinite or H5...Respawn also delivered Jedi: Fallen Order within the same period of time by comparison to 343's Infinite project timeline. Incredible campaign with refined elements and creative innovations executed brilliantly.

Again, if you have it then you have it. 343 don't. Prove me wrong 343, I'll eat crow and play your game near daily while promoting it to old school friends and Halo fans to return plus push my kids to enjoy the game with their friends.

Apex Legends is the best Halo multiplayer game yet, in terms of slayer/deathmatch. Halo 2/3 has it beat in terms of objective and vehicles. Halo 4 or 5 don't hold a candle to Apex in anyway e.g. weapons, movement, engagements, latency, hit rego, matchmaking systems.
 
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