@hardwenzen said:
@BenjaminBanklin said:
@hardwenzen said:
If MS announces a delay after this mess, i don't know how they plan on selling their console with no console sellers. Would only work if they go all in and offer a 12tflop system for $399, then the console seller won't matter at all. $399 for the X and $249 for the digital X. Not happening, but they do have the money to burn.
I can't see them delaying it for this reason alone. They'll release this Frankenstein monster of a game at launch, and there will still be jackasses that praise it just to toe the company line, just like they did the broken MCC. It won't be so much about Halo succeeding, but just not wanting Xbox to fail.
I don't see em delaying it either, but they did got their shit together since the X launched, so if they have the balls, and release a video explaining why they're doing it, people will understand, especially if they promiss it to look like a proper next gen game. 10% of it happening.
The Ironic part is......I actually feel bad for 343 Industries, because I honestly dont even believe it is ALL their fault. Alot of the questionable decisions 343 makes are actually based on mandates handed down from Microsoft. It must suck being a studio constantly tasked with shouldering such an enormous responsibility.
Not only do people deep down want them to put out AAAA TLOU/RDR/GTA/GOW/CP77 level mainline Halo games, but they are constantly beholden to having to SELL the Xbox brand, and clean up MS messes. Like, their entire development cycles are based around what the Xbox brand currently needs at the time. They get mandates from above, and when they eventually fail, THEY get blamed for being incompetent, and people want them shut down.
I'll give an example:
- Halo 4: 343 originally wanted Halo 4 to be an Xbox One launch title. MS forced them to put the game on 360, to fill a gap in their portfolio. They had to cut content from the game to fit it onto 2 DVDs, and thats the reason Spartan Ops was free DLC, and the in-game terminal videos took you out of the game and booted up the external Halo Waypoint app. Because they wouldnt fit on the disc. This of course, meant that Halo 5 would be 2 years off from the Xbox One launch. This was confirmed by Bonnie Ross. This brings us to........
- Halo MCC: This game was originally JUST Halo 2: Anniversary, which was already in development. But after Microsofts 2013 debacle, and their disasterous blunder of the Xbox One, Microsoft realized that the Xbox brand could not survive this debacle for 2 years without the next Halo game. So went to 343 and made an emergency move to salvage the Xbox brand. They mandated that 343 port ALL of the halo games to Xbox One, creating the Master Chief collection. Originally 7 different engines (now 11), and 5 diff developers (now 7) all working on one game, in one unified UI. This was thrown together in only 9 months BTW, which is why it launched broken, and they've spent the last 6 years overhauling it and doing massive title updates. This was also confirmed by Bonnie Ross.
- Halo 5: Also rushed out the door with missing features and content, because the Xbox One NEEDED a Halo game as soon as possible. Another game that was hamstrung by the enormous burden of having to sell Xbox hardware.
- And of course, Halo: Infinite. Another Frankenstein game that is clearly not finished, but is being pushed out the door because Microsoft has a new Xbox to sell. But not just that........MS likely forced them to make the game cross-gen, spread its development across 5 platforms, and make it run on the Lockhart, and 2013 Xbox One, and adopt a "live services" business model because this time they are ALSO responsible for having to sell Gamepass.
Their entire development cycles, and business models are beholden to having to sell Xbox consoles/services, and clean up Microsofts PR blunders at the expense of Halo's quality and brand equity. Sacrificing Halo's brand equity, for short term gain.
They get mandates handed down from Microsoft to spread their resources thin, and clean up their PR messes. And when they inevitably fail, 343 gets blamed for it, and attacked, and in some cases harrassed. And people call for them to be shut down.
The fact that there was so much turnover and creative leads leaving the game tells me that there are people within 343 who WERENT monumental morons and they KNEW that this is not what people wanted. They put up a fight, and lost. That, and they seem to be doing a good job with Halo MCC right now. This has to be coming from senior brass at MS, that even goes above Phil Spencer. The bean counters want the Fortnite/PubG/Apex Legens/Destiny/Overwatch audience. Just like they wanted the CoD audience last gen, and Halo 4 reflected that. There are rumors that 343 wanted to do Star Citizen type shiet with a 1:1 Halo ring you could fly to from end to end, etc.....
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