This news was a punch to the gut for the final days of an already horrible 2020. And it’s not very surprising. 343 failed to deliver a playable game for the launch of a new console and now they’ve provided a bad holiday surprise with this sunset announcement. Honestly, you couldn’t wait till next week to make an impact. Maybe give everyone a last opportunity to purchase the digital games before having them pulled.
The Xbox 360 game services being shut down for Halo has that Don Mattrick, “fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity, it’s called the 360”, feel to it.
Now it should read “fortunately we have a product for people who aren’t able to get some form of connectivity on legacy Halo titles, it’s called the Master Chief Collection.” The MCC has its own identity now and is continually growing, which is great. Unfortunately, it’s not the same experience and the game is not without issues. The numbers may not reflect it, but there are still people that want to keep playing these older games exactly as they were when released on the 360.
The big push to beat PlayStation this time around saw more of a focus put on backwards compatibility. Earlier this year Jason Ronald, Director of Program Management for Xbox Series X, stated they were “to deliver the highest quality backwards compatible experience consistent with the developer’s original intent…” He also mentioned that “as gamers, we also know how important it is to preserve and respect our gaming legacies. Your favorite games and franchises, your progression and achievements, and the friendships and communities you create through gaming should all move with you across generations.”
Stripping gaming services from these older Halo titles feels like false advertising at this point. They will become incomplete products and are going in the opposite direction of Microsoft’s statements/marketing regarding the Xbox Series X and S.
I’d expect an update like we received from a company that continually pushes out yearly games. Not from a major Microsoft studio looking to keep its fanbase engaged in the universe it’s helped to grow. “Maintaining these legacy services today requires significant time and resources which directly impacts the studio’s ability to support current and future projects…”, as written by 343. Supporting the older games that made this franchise is equally as important as building new Halo titles. It’s about maintaining a balance. And not limiting the options available for players to fully enjoy these products. That should be the Legacy you strive for as holders of this IP.
That’s all I have for now. I’m sure I’ll find some closure with these 360 titles over the next year. Maybe 343 Industries will realize their error and correct this decision before the 2021 end date.
