One solution I see in forums on problems with 343 and in other places a lot these days is the idea that we should, and can, get a new developer to take over the Halo series, or even worse, Microsoft needs to somehow “bring Bungie back”. I’m here to tell you that you can’t honestly expect that to be a feasible solution?
Consider the amount of time, money and resources Microsoft has spent on building 343; hiring some of the most experienced and talented developers in the industry- people from Pandemic Studios, Activision, loads more.
Then consider how hard it would’ve been to continue to build that studio WHILST developing Halo 4. At least it sells well, but this is when 343 starts to lose the people’s trust. Then comes The Master Chief Collection. They hire two studios to help them with the remasters and servers etc. It’s broken etc. Now people are starting to get fed up. 343 get that out of the way and are given a reportedly HUGE budget for Halo 5; it releases to a very divisive reception and fairly low sales for a Halo game.
But Among all of this are certain figures leaving and joining, studio moves, HUNDREDS of concepts being drawn out, things that will come into play way further down the timeline, plots, novels, comics, characters,that are all even years away. So now, after all of the money Microsoft has pumped in to the studio, do you really expect that they would… Tell the studio to pack upend leave all of this behind? And let them work on a new IP that won’t make as much money? Build a new studio and go through the aforementioned process ALL OVER AGAIN? Business doesn’t work like that methinks. Maybe it’s possible, but its definitely improbable.
Then comes the " bring Bungie back" idea. Now this one literally makes no sense, whatsoever…
Bungie are independent and are working on their own IP that makes WAY more money than Halo, with exclusive content going to Sony.
IF somehow Microsoft bought Bungie again, then who knows how many original members are still there? Marty is gone, Staten is gone… Do we even WANT this new Bungie? The Bungie that terminated O’Donnel inexplicably, and sued them? That Joe Staten left because of creative disputes? The developers of a game with micro transactions, platform exclusive content, four dlc packs, two of which aren’t included in a season pass? The Taken King cost $40, £40… I’d take 343 over that personally.
Now i’m not defending 343 for their myriad of mishandlings and mistakes with the franchise; no one should. There’s been too many issues lately and we can’t stress enough when they -Yoink- up, otherwise nothing will get better. I’m just saying that we need to accept 343 as the developer, and when we critique and criticise them and their games, do it in a way where they can LEARN from it. Chanting “get rid of 343” isn’t going to do ANYTHING. So If you really want the series to get better, then accept them. We’re stuck with each other now. There’s nothing we can do about that.