Sorry bro’s. But, I’m going to have to get REALISTIC AND HONEST right now.
I have played Halo for ten years. Everyone (not wars, but who cares about Halo Wars). I have liked each game. Even when those hated and complained. I find the fun and originality in each game. Each game is Halo to the core, but has it’s own body and feel. Something I find good, and rare in some games.
When Halo 2 came out it was the top dog on Xbox Live. There was nothing really close to it’s empire of players. And for good reason, It added some elements to games, some casual, some not so casual, but overall appealing to people. These ideas were not all original, but instead presented in a way that could be used and understood by many. And from that spawned it’s amazing online empire.
Yet the Halo fans got too cocky, some of us got to cocky. And we thought nothing could touch us. Few games came and went and failed, and it only fueled our arrogance and made us believe nothing ever could change.
But change…It did
I can’t totally remember what it was first. Yet I believe Gears of War was the first game to really knock Halo 2(and so on) out of it’s high throne. We became angry, and resentful to this new game. Trying to understand such a move some became to even hate Gears of War with a passion, while others joined in to see what the fuss was all about.
Not going into history here but then the bomb was planted. The one game that would take off Gears and Halo off it’s throne. You know the name. Some of you hate it. Some of you can’t stand it. Yet you know. Call of Duty.
Duty
Call of Duty 4 (MW1) was not bad. Looking back on things it just did what Halo did. Taking ideas that aren’t completly original but presenting them in ways that many people can grasp and get them. It was a new fresh type of game to many. It really kept a casual game, but made itself to seem competitive. It was a deserved high ranking game. It was original, fun, and wasn’t too insane (Although some things in it are still kinda cheap).
Yet then MW2 comes out. And many people hate it. However it’s so similar to MW1 really people continue to play it. Because it’s still new. May be a near clone of it’s first game but still pretty much the same.
And between Mw2 and Halo 3 and Gears and such Call of Duty always seems to have the edge in the longrun. Sadly. But it’s the truth.
Reach came along, I think it did good for awhile, but then Black Ops comes out, takes away the thunder, Then Gears 3 comes out. A constant battle between the three. And regardless of who is on top or last they always have high player counts.
But change is needed
Call of Duty is winning because it’s new. Games copy it as they copied Halo. Yet none really go as far to really duplicating it’s greatness. If you want Halo to ever beat Call of Duty then you are going to have to realize Halo needs to change.
Old Halo, as great and fun as it was is never going to take top spot. If Halo 2 came out today it still wouldn’t be. I’m sorry, but you are all going to have to realize that nostalgia is nothing to base your “Fact” on. Because what is a fact is that nobody is going to give a “F” about Halo if it feels old.
You may hate it brothers, sisters, friends and foes. But Halo 4 is going to have to change. It needs new elements, Elements we may hate, and maybe not understand. However you can either shrug yourself to hating every new element in each game, trying to put Halo into a box and constrain it to one path…Or you can embrace the change. Go along with it, and help make Halo (4) the top dog, Halo the top dog once more.
But 343 and Halo 4 can’t do it alone. It takes your ability to understand. Halo 4(5,6) are new. They should not be old. They should not feel old. Old will not make a good game. So brothers…What will it be. Will you hate change for a better game, or smack Halo 4 down to it’s elders, forever keeping it from being it’s true power.