Getting population back

Games Other Halo
1

Does not work like most people think it does. People who stopped playing the game to go play other games will not know when an update comes out that they want to play. There will be no update that brings back a surge of players.

Population growth when it occurs will be slow. People who are playing will tell their friends to check out the changes and if that player likes the changes they will do the same. Because when your XBOX starts up you do not see news that says “Hey come check out Halo 4 again” many people will not know of the changes and the effort that 343 is putting in to fixing this game.

“Listen to the competitive community”
This thinking would only hurt 343 more at this point. Most of the competitve players have left and probably do not regularly sign in to Halo 4 to see any changes. The competitive community has always been a minority but a very vocal minority. The best thing 343 can do for Halo 4 right now is appeal to the majority which are players that like having fun and enjoy playing the game as it is now.

The competitive community will most likely never make a full return for Halo 4. In Halo 5 343 will hopefully have them covered right off the bat.

In order to have population growth 343 must focus on the majority and relies on everyone who knows of the updates to bring their friends back in.

2

> the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.

If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.

The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.

3

> > the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.
>
> If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.
>
> The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.

The people who are still playing are obviously enjoying it, so I think the point stands.

Are the majority of the players who initially bought the game ejnoying it? no, as it’s safe to say a lot left for various reasons.

Are the majority of players on this forum enjoying it? nope, but they’re not a perfect representation of the current halo 4 playing population.

4

I don’t see the big issue. I still get games quickly.
I don’t worry about what others are doing. I play what I want to play, let them play what they want too.

5

If -Yoink!- runs a good tournament like they claim they can that can help as well.

6

> > > the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.
> >
> > If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.
> >
> > The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.
>
> The people who are still playing are obviously enjoying it, so I think the point stands.
>
> Are the majority of the players who initially bought the game ejnoying it? no, as it’s safe to say a lot left for various reasons.
>
> Are the majority of players on this forum enjoying it? nope, but they’re not a perfect representation of the current halo 4 playing population.

The 40k people?

This game had a 100+ million dollar budget and carries one of gaming’s most prestigious IPs. Having a few people happy with the game isn’t good enough. Period.

Especially with a new console cycle coming up. I know a lot of people bought a 360 for Halo 3. How many people are going to buy the new xbox because of Halo 5? How much money is MS going to lose because of H4? It could be be another 100+ million.

7

> > the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.
>
> If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.
>
> The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.

Most causal players I’ve talked to do very much like Halo 4’s game play. But they’re casual gamers. They’re playing the new Sim City now, or the new Tomb Raider. And that’s just not causal gamers, that’s a lot of players now.

People do come back and play other games, but very few people stick with one game in particular today. Which is why I very much dislike using peak numbers as opposed to unique log ins per week (What Major Nelson does).

I think there a few things 343i could do to bring numbers back:

1). Offer Crimson DLC for free

People like free things

2). Sandbox balance TU

A good balancing TU will bring a few players back.

3). Continuous advertising
It works. That’s why league and world of warcraft is so popular, so much advertisement.

4). Major world tournament

I’m talking like Dota 2 style international. Million dollar prize on the line. See if that doesn’t bring in a bunch of players. BUT THEY NEED GOOD CASTERS. Halo is notorious for having boring casters. Look at people like Day9, Total Biscuit, Yipes, Mike Ross, and BreakyCPK, great casters they make watching games fun.

5). More community oriented features

WoW is still 10 million strong after almost a decade because of the community it has. Look at ours. It’s awful. No lame musical paradies, replays, and the clans are laughed. More community stuff.

That’s what I would say.

8

> > > > the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.
> > >
> > > If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.
> > >
> > > The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.
> >
> > The people who are still playing are obviously enjoying it, so I think the point stands.
> >
> > Are the majority of the players who initially bought the game ejnoying it? no, as it’s safe to say a lot left for various reasons.
> >
> > Are the majority of players on this forum enjoying it? nope, but they’re not a perfect representation of the current halo 4 playing population.
>
> The 40k people?
>
> This game had a 100+ million dollar budget and carries one of gaming’s most prestigious IPs. Having a few people happy with the game isn’t good enough. Period.
>
> Especially with a new console cycle coming up. I know a lot of people bought a 360 for Halo 3. How many people are going to buy the new xbox because of Halo 5? How much money is MS going to lose because of H4? It could be be another 100+ million.

From my knowledge and from listening to people on the forums REACH was not as good as Halo 3. Halo 4 Came out and people still bought it at midnight to play. I think that the same will be said for Halo 5. If 343 shows beforehand that they know what the competitive and casual community wants then Halo 5 will be a no brainer.

9

What’s in the game and what might be added/removed will not help recover population. The reason the population is dropping is the same way they will come back. Marketing. Did you guys notice that after H4 release marketing for the game almost entirely dropped off? The only thing about halo 4 I see now is Xbox dashboard stuff. Games with longevity are continually marketed. There are still wow commercials on tv, no more H4 commercials.

The only thing I can imagine being successful is a big new dlc that Microsoft markets the ever loving crap out of.

(Tournaments count as marketing)

10

I should also point out that its not about getting people who quit back. I suspect halo 4 isn’t loosing people any faster than most games, it’s just not replacing them with new players.

11

> Especially with a new console cycle coming up. I know a lot of people bought a 360 for Halo 3. How many people are going to buy the new xbox because of Halo 5? How much money is MS going to lose because of H4? It could be be another 100+ million.

Funny you say that. Although I enjoy Halo 4 and I think it is a Halo game deep down, underneath everything. I do feel it lacks a certain quirkiness and character that the Bungie games had and I miss that. Also the arguing of the Halo community is becoming excessive now.

I have asked myself would I buy the next gen Xbox for 343i’s Halo 5… and going by the current “rumours” of the next Xbox’s specs, always online, Kinect requirment, no used or burrowed games and Microsoft’s increased desire of the “casual” and “family” market (I always use to think of Nintendo being the family one, Sony the casual and Xbox being the gamers console.)

My answer is a currently unsure, and tempted by the PS4 one (and knowing Destiny will be available on it.)

12

> “Listen to the competitive community”
> This thinking would only hurt 343 more at this point…

Exactly. It is too late for Halo 4. The best 343i can do at this point is throw in the towel and begin working on Halo 5 with what they learned already.

13

Nothing 343 does, nor does not do will bring back the numbers for H4.
However, MS could help up H4 numbers by giving H4 owners a series of Free to play weekend matches over XBL.
But even that will only bring back very few.
XBL even advertised so much MS points for buyers of DLC to put towards other DLC and that has failed as well.
So IMHO, the problem isnt just H4 numbers.

14

> Halo 4 Came out and people still bought it at midnight to play…

If this repeats for Halo 5 with the same level, I would be surprised. I give 343i about 75% of the fan base for Halo 5.

15

> > Halo 4 Came out and people still bought it at midnight to play…
>
> If this repeats for Halo 5 with the same level, I would be surprised. I give 343i about 75% of the fan base for Halo 5.

http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo_4/news/halo_4_sales_in_the_region_of_4_million_next_game_in_series_already_underway.html

if they hold 75% of who bought the game that would still be roughly 3 million copies. 343 has shown that they can learn from their mistakes and are making Halo 4 the best it can be. If they continue on this path and sell 3 million copies I beleive that Halo 5 would be exactly what people are wanting from Halo 4. It will have playlists just for competitive players and will still have casual playlists.

If 3 million people buy the game and it is great more people will buy. 343 needs to focus on the people that are playing Halo 4 now which are mainly casual players that have jobs and families.

I enjoy Halo 4 and play almost every night. I am not competitive but would appreciate a ranking system to see how I am doing.

16

Of course you will always have the people who play a game only for the achievements.

17

> > > Halo 4 Came out and people still bought it at midnight to play…
> >
> > If this repeats for Halo 5 with the same level, I would be surprised. I give 343i about 75% of the fan base for Halo 5.
>
> http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo_4/news/halo_4_sales_in_the_region_of_4_million_next_game_in_series_already_underway.html
>
> if they hold 75% of who bought the game that would still be roughly 3 million copies. 343 has shown that they can learn from their mistakes and are making Halo 4 the best it can be. If they continue on this path and sell 3 million copies I beleive that Halo 5 would be exactly what people are wanting from Halo 4. It will have playlists just for competitive players and will still have casual playlists.
>
> If 3 million people buy the game and it is great more people will buy. 343 needs to focus on the people that are playing Halo 4 now which are mainly casual players that have jobs and families.
>
> I enjoy Halo 4 and play almost every night. I am not competitive but would appreciate a ranking system to see how I am doing.

That’s old info. Halo 4 sold almost 8 million copies.

18

> > the majority which are players who enjoy playing the game as it is now.
>
> If this were true there wouldn’t be population issues in the first place.
>
> The majority are certainly casual players, but this casual majority does not like default H4. The numbers don’t lie.

No they don’t, but I feel that people like you (don’t take this as personal at all, I just disagree with that stance) aren’t noticing what the numbers actually say.

19

Earlier today I noticed there were more players on Reach than on H4… jus sayin.

20

> That’s old info. Halo 4 sold almost 8 million copies.

Ok. 75% would be 6 million then. and if 80% of that 6 million played the game consistently there would be good population numbers