I see what he’s getting at, I think.
What he means is you shouldn’t cater to the casual market all the way, but try to listen to the more “well seasoned” (usually competitive, but not necessarily) a tad more so.
Unfortunately, in today’s day and age, no matter what game it is, companies almost always do whatever they can to cater to the casual far more than the competitive, because when it boils down to it, more casuals play video games. Not everyone picks up a game to master it and play it near obsessively. Not everyone is a die-hard fan. Fact is, there is a far greater opinion out there that is unvoiced, yet it is recognized. Just because there isn’t evidence of this voice anywhere on here doesn’t mean 343i isn’t listening to someone. If you’re posting on these forums, believe it or not, you’re way more likely to fall into the more “well seasoned” side, simply because you know this forum exists.
It isn’t just Little Jimmy 343i is listening to. Its the teen who’s buying it because its the cool thing to do. Its the 30 year old who has a chance to play every now and then when the wife and kids are out. True, it may also be the 5 year old who plays because “Grunts are funny to shoot.” But the casual market covers a much broader audience and contains maybe 1000%+ more people. And if these people have to get to know the game at least somewhat well to have any fun with it, then Halo 4 is going to get dusty on the shelf as soon as Call of Duty Modern World War 7: Purple Ops 9 comes out. Because that is the game casuals are going to be able to pick up and play no matter how long its been since they popped it in last.
And even more unfortunately, this whole category of people is why we get nice things. Its these people who will essentially be funding Halo 5 and 6, and anything in between. Because we as a fan-based community do not provide nearly enough profit to keep this series alive.
Now, this isn’t to say they don’t throw the competitive side a bone. There is Arena. There is MLG. They’re even bringing back the BR. The two sides can effectively coexist peacefully, as they’ve done for all Halo games. But Dino Blasters exists for a reason. They need to appeal to everyone, and No items, Fox only, Final Destination does not do that.
Granted, companies have learned before where to draw the line on these things. Take the transition from Super Smash Bros Melee to Brawl for example. Melee was a HIGHLY technical game, and everyone knew that. It got to a point where if you played anyone who had knowledge of any of the more technical stuff, you instantly became a ragdoll. In Brawl, they slowed down the gameplay, and even added RANDOM TRIPPING, where your character would fall on his face at random intervals completely unpredictably. The producer noted this was hilariously ridiculous after not too long, and decided that was a no-go for the next smash. But this allowed for more players to have more fun with the game at release, and even after it. This is the reason why Brawl is more expensive than Reach at market value. 343i has taken note on the balance given between casual and competitive, and will adjust accordingly.
Thankfully, Halo is such a customizational experience that if you don’t like something, perhaps a particular gametype or setting, you can avoid it altogether. They’ve given that option not for fun, but to help cater to the competitive side.
TL;DR: Give 343i some faith. As mad as anyone, even me, has been at times, they do know what they are doing.
/essay