Good evening, 343 and the greater Halo community. Allow me first to apologize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, understand how unfortunate this “leak” was, and 343i now stands in an odd position, with it mainstream gaming news on sites like IGN reporting on it, can it really be called a leak anymore? I understand that 343i had a contract at which they needed to adhere to, and to do so all they must do is remain silent, until the 10th. Giving us much time to rage and speculate, because if rumors are true, than Halo 4 spits in the face of the familiar security, we’ve come to expect from Halo games. Halo games that I enjoy as much as any bloke.
Now I have not delusions, there are those who of course do not want us to speak and most likely as you click on this thread, as you read its contents, men and woman, doing there job, and nothing more are being dispatched to silence me, to silence us. I only ask they pause for a moment and reconsider, for every opinion no matter how shrill or insignificant has the right to be stated. And that this focuses less on the content of the alleged leaked material, and more on the reason for its existence at all.
Now lets look at the state of Halo; Gimmicks, X to respawn, Random Weapon Drops, Armor Abilities, and of course the worst of the worst customizable load outs. I am proud of the efforts 343i has gone to make this game more appealing to a wider variety of people. People who might not have cared otherwise. However, this is an appalling way to go about it, and a betrayal to the core of your fan base, the only people mind you, that will still be playing when the next big thing comes out. But how did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. The success of competitor games like COD, and BF almost assured this outcome. After all, 343i might spout the jargon of community, but at the end of the day nothing is free, they need to make a living as much as the next guy, and a core fan base, don’t pay the rent like it once did. Oh and I know vary well why you, the gamer did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? Persecuted because you stuck with Halo, as many of your friends went off to COD. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the now copy pasted COD, which has saturated the entire FPS market. It promised you order, it promised you peace, and all it demanded in return was your silent, obedient consent as it pulled the money year after year from your wallet. And like sheep you allowed it, and now the Shepard’s of Halo see mindless masses capitulating to the lack luster FPS COD, looked at their declining success, and looked to that for innovation, for what the 90 percentile want. Because believe me dear brothers and sisters, we are the minority, the 10 percent, they don’t care if we are hear year after year to buy their game, and these changes are in start contrast to what we as a community desire, they simply care that at one point or another millions of people buy it. A few 1000 isn’t significant at all.
And Halo isn’t the first to fall to this way of thinking, just one more shell of a game cast out to the masses, instead of the core. Online passes, day one DLC, pieces of games gutted and sold back to us, the CoDification of Halo is just one in a long line in a of miss steps by the gaming industry, because we the gamer allow it. Because its easier to believe don’t like don’t buy, because its simpler to just ignore the issues and move on to the next game never thinking about the ramifications that standing idly by and taking it with an open mouth brings, because its simpler to stand down and pay the money, they ask for instead of demanding what we paid for.
They don’t have the same excuses some other have to hide behind, there is no lack of artistic integrity, by giving your player base the multiplayer they want.
But only time will tell, as we grow ever closer to the precipice, the eventual collapse of the gaming industry, the collapse counsel manufactures are afraid of, so much so that they feverishly try and extend this life cycle long past its prime. Milking what they can before the fall. And we only have our selves to blame.
But back to the subject at hand, if Halo 4 is to disappoint, if this is not an optional vanilla, along side a plethora what the community wants. Than I ask you to join me brother and sisters on November 15 if plausible, a day in which we should be celebrating Halo’s legacy, to not give them the satisfaction of your participation online. Will it matter, maybe not, will 1000’s of other be there, sure, let them, but let 343I know that you will leave that day unmarked. In protest to what Halo has become.
