You’re taking what I said out of context, which in that post was arguing the concept that people are somehow being held hostage by microtransactions. They are not. You can play the entire MP without spending a dime.
That said, and I said this in an earlier post, I completely get people being frustrated by cosmetics being behind a pass or microtransactions. Compared to the franchise history this very different and I don’t blame anyone for finding it abrasive. But is it gonna keep a meaningful amount of people away from playing an otherwise entirely free game? Very doubtful. People keep ignoring that the last entry into the franchise had its cosmetics locked behind llootboxes, and that was 6 years ago. The last time we had a clear pathway to grind towards cosmetics was Halo 4. The entire gaming landscape has changed since then.
It’s been proven people are willing to pay $60 for a finished game, that’s why it’s been the static price for as long as it has cause many consumers don’t feel they should have to pay any more than that (up front, anyway), regardless of cost. Would people have been willing to pay $60 for Infinite MP alone? Doubtful, for the same reasons pointed out about people’s issues with the lack of cosmetics, “it used to be _______”.
“This drivel” may upset you, but it’s real life. Increased exposure and modern technology doesn’t decrease costs in the slightest, and AAA dev teams are freaking huge. Facilities and equipment to support them cost millions per quarter. Costs have gone up pure and simple, whether you want to acknowledge it or not. If we’re going off of the 500mil budget for Infinite, that would mean the game would need to sell around 8.4 million units at $60 to BREAK EVEN on that budget. Even if this game was to be released as a traditional Halo game, no company is going to accept breaking even on a AAA game. Expecting 343i to do so is ridiculous. Add to that that Infinite is poised as a 10 year project, costs are going to persist over time, meaning continuous revenue will be needed to support it.
“Good games” will always turn a profit is also a factually incorrect statement. The last 30 years of gaming is full of development studios that have closed or been absorbed because a good product didn’t sell enough to keep their persistent costs covered and encourage future investment. None of this is to say that Infinite’s approach to FTP is beyond reproach or wouldn’t benefit from QOL adjustments, but calling FTP out as Halo’s death knell is a stretch. Market evidence is completely contrary to these types of practices killing a game, their competitors have been promoting money with them.
Honestly understand how you feel cuz all the other games had a better progression and customization system. Heck, even Halo 5 is better in my subjective opinion. Even though it’s sad, 343 was given the excuse because it’s a free to play game. I’m not saying I excuse it. I’m saying modern video games excuse it (especially the companies higher up such as Microsoft.)
343 would need to sell 10,000,000 copies of Infinite for $60 just to break even with their $500,000,000 budget debt, and that means they would go bankrupt if they gave 10 years of content for free. Crazy how so many people think 343 is gonna shrug off half a billion in debt and just give everyone everything for free, because they want it for free. Sure, the store prices suck being that high, but whales are the only way they will financially recover and be able to provide service and content in the future, because they won’t make any profit if everyone just plays for free
Most of these kids work at McDonalds, or another location for hourly wage, without understanding the cost that actual businesses incur when they do anything. They don’t think about this, they think ‘I want everything for cheap, or free’, but still want to be paid astronomical wages. Can you even economy bro?
The only people that seem to understand economics are adults with full time jobs, bills, loans, and credit cards, that have experienced debt themselves. I would never expect any f2p players to understand business practices and marketing, because f2p games target full grown whale adults with disposable income and free time.
Look at Genshin Impact for example. They made $2 billion in the first year, from whales, by wasting hundreds to thousands on Gacha anime girls. We should be thankful that Infinite isn’t a Gacha game, because I was sick of it in Halo 5. At least now if I see something I want, I don’t need to gamble $20 for a chance to get it, I just get it right then and there. F2p players have zero intention of spending money anyway so 343 has no reason to pander to their demands.
All I can say is, sure, Infinite could be better, but it could also be far worse. To an adult, $20 is like a pizza. You eat it, and it’s gone forever. At least with a bundle in Infinite it stays for as long as Infinite servers are around. I don’t drink or smoke, so I have money for gaming.
That’s because it’s actually heavily influenced by Destiny 2. Almost everything in Infinite is pulled straight out of Destiny. Destiny borrowed from Halo, now Halo borrows from Destiny. Destiny 2 is doing pretty successfully as a f2p base game with Eververse cosmetics store, gacha loot boxes, a battle pass, and expansion passes. 343 wanted that and more in Infinite, including the coating “shaders” and weapon decorations, sliding, lens flares, multiplayer game modes, Master Chief’s upgradable ability tree, an open world with bosses to encounter, etc etc. Grapple comes from Titanfall, same place they got the idea for Mantis mechs from.
I was considering buying the pass and splinter skin, then I realized desert splinter only applies to Mk. VII, an armor core with no ODST armor pieces at all…
No camo ODST for me.
I just don’t like how absolutely empty the battle passes are, I wouldn’t mind if they put most things in battle passes and upped their price, then anything extra that feels like something that belongs in the store being there, but like, regular splinter camo was definitely something I was not expecting to be a single time bundle purchase.
I was for sure it was going to be an unlockable, in some form.
Edit: cat ears definitely feels like something that would be in the store.
I’m tired of seeing zoomers in the forums who don’t know how the real world works outside their mother’s basement.
343 may be filled with talented individuals who want what’s best for the franchise and to make a game that we as fans enjoy. But as a whole, it is a company that exists as a subsidiary of a much larger business, which needs to turn a profit.