I’m curious specifically how others feel like the “battle pass system” can be improved upon, or even replaced by something better. In general I think this is an important question in gaming as a whole- especially when it comes to free-to-play games by passionate creators with good ideas which we want to see succeed long-term.
As for Halo Infinite itself, one of the promises of this game is that you can “create your own Spartan”. In my opinion (based on the flight, which may not reflect the launch appropriately) this premise is woefully undercooked in favor of a commonplace “battlepass system” which locks some very basic choices for new players. If someone new to Halo installs the game, they will find that they immediately can barely customize anything notable about their spartan, and that if they want even a modicum of personal choice, they must grind for it. Already, that is a proposition which will lose players. The ones who stay will then find that some of the most basic options for personalization are locked behind other things they have no interest in: You want a purple Spartan? Too bad, you have to get a seafoam, and orange color scheeme frst, and awkward black chestplates, and other things whether you want them or not. This is a second limitiation which will already lose some new-to-Halo players. Letting people get what they want with the experience they earn, instead of forcing them to wade through a parade of items they’re uninterested in would go a long way to helping. But more importantly, having a bit more personal choice from the start (giving us freedom to fill in our color wheel with base colors, a couple armor and visor options, etc) is more likely to hook the new players who otherwise may not stick around for the grind. There can still be unlockable patterns to replace base colors, fancy visors, gun skins, etc- but those things aren’t as fundamental to a player’s sense of freedom in expression as the color that they appear- obviously some at 343 realize this, given the incredible new team outline system replacing team colors.
Personally, I hope Halo Infinite will play on its own strengths, and look for other sources of inspiration rather than simply lifting an economic model from elsewhere. Other games with good, non-battle pass systems to draw inspiration from include Warframe and Gears 5. A player still starts with options, can get cool things by playing, and paying for some stuff is possible to skip grind on special items. I think it’s important to note that Gears 5 has some exclusively paid items, but honestly, nothing in mulitplayer should be exclusively behind a paywall. Some people are broke, but they might play extra to grind for those special paid items if it were possible. Players are probably the most important element to retain in the game if you want it to be something which thrives, where paying players will play. There is just no reason to make anything in multiplayer exclusively paid other than trying to profit off of fomo, which is not just unfun and unethical, but short-sighted given the ambitiously long planned lifespan of this game. Having players is important FIRST, then money can be made from them. And new players are gained and retained through the perception of good will.
But hey, what do I know? I’m curious what other Halo fans think of the Battle Pass system, and of free-to-play economic models in general. What are the best ideas you’ve seen to make a fun free-to-play economy?