The root of all our problems is this game being free. Had to say it twice.
51 Likes
Agreed. The corporate greed that has led to Halo focusing on cosmetics and player retention have absolutely ruined the “return to form” that they almost pulled off
41 Likes
The FTP model works for small games, indie games etc. Major franchises just cannot pull off the premium features that their fanbase is accustom too with this model.
17 Likes
I think the root of this games problems is 343
38 Likes
I actually think 343 did a pretty good job at making a game more similar to Bungie’s Halo than 4 or 5, but the emphasis on mtx has really stopped it short of its full potential. So personally I would say that the root of the problems is MSFT
16 Likes
I read a fantastic interview with Sid Meier about how monetisation in games is a danger to the future of the industry. A good interview you might want to check out.
https:/^/www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60304123#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16460701878512&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com
Remove the ^ from between the //
7 Likes
Agreed. Even if 343 doesn’t make the next Halo, Microsoft will still control the company that does.
7 Likes
Free to play + (awful) PC port = paradise for cheaters and hackers
That has been the case for so long now, and it’s just baffling how these companies don’t realize how much the free-to-play model ruins their games and player retention. Fewer hackers tend to return to a paid game after getting banned, especially if the devs are actively improving their anti-cheat.
If a cheater gets banned, they can easily come back on a new account. I’ve seen several people that went like 20-3 in games, but they only have like 100 Gamerscore and their playstyle was hella sketchy. And then there’s the smurf accounts, which people can easily make, essentially ruining the balance of matchmaking.
4 Likes
I think Free to Play came to Halo Infinite purely because 343 has failed at delivering a successful Halo title that wasn’t held back by months or years of technical issues and broken promises. I think Microsoft just wasn’t gonna wait around for another half a decade like they did for Halo 4 AND AGAIN with Halo 5 to make their investment back. So they stepped in and gutted Infinite a year or so before launch, replaced whatever story 343 had in place and had the new writer come in and help change it to what it is now… a cash grab to get Microsoft their millions back.
I have no choice but to think that Microsoft has given up on Halo, why else would a multi billion dollar company let their “flagship” product spiral into what it is now. The recent acquisitions of Bethesda and Activision paints a new picture for me, and I don’t see Halo taking up much room in that new picture.
4 Likes
F2P wouldn’t have been a problem if it was done right. The real problem is 343’s inability to make a complete game. They have been releasing poor Halo games since they took over.
8 Likes
Microsoft put all its money gamepass they spent 70 billion on owning blizzard and activism.
So if they just sold as is it would make couple 400 million easily that’s if they only got half 20 million users . And all they had to do release different was have really good custom games. I think failure is they trying to control modes I want full freedom
3 Likes
While being free probably didn’t help much I wouldn’t say it’s the root of all the problems. 343 has has issues making Halo since they started. 343s biggest issue is taking on more than they can handle. As usual they tried to do to much with the game so all of it is kinda lackluster rather than shine.
3 Likes
I disagree. The root of the customization problems is f2p, and the same could be said about cheaters. Not that I experience many of those, though it could just be because controller players never miss anyways and I can’t tell the difference, but I digress.
The root of the performance problems is poor network design and probably a poorly coded engine. The latter of which is also the probable reason for the lack of content, since the contractors who built the thing are long gone and no one at 343 knows where anything is in the code to be able to do anything without breaking the jenga tower of a game. Most of the other gameplay problems then cascade from the inability to work with the engine and the need to fix the networking being more urgent than the many other things that need attention.
You could make a case that the game wouldn’t have launched in this state without f2p, but it’s not hard to show that these broken launches have become an industry trend for both free and paid titles.
4 Likes
I mean they did a pretty rubbish job even with customization and player retention lol.
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Progression system non existant outside battle pass that wasn’t designed to last 6 months.
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Poor weekly ultimate rewards failing to motivate people to play each week (we don’t want the same emblem 4 times 343).
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A small restrictive store which forces people to wait months just to buy the things they want.
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Lack of cross core, coating system taking away freedom, kits being pointless and don’t even get me started on the split up emblems and skins…
Every part of this game got neglected even the ones you’d think they would prioritise.
7 Likes
I think that while they didn’t do a great job with progression, it is very telling that the store works very well and has not been broken at all since launch, and that there is a lot of content in the store. It seems clear to me that they prioritized a store with loads of content over a battlepass that was fulfilling.
2 Likes
They should have atleast made it optional.
If players want free multiplayer and to spend the next 10 years buying cosmetics then let them.
If players want to buy the full game with full acess to cosmetics without any other purchases. Let them.
But even if this rule existed it’s obvious which one the player’s will pick.
7 Likes
Why would that mean cutting base features at launch? They had the time and the money. They had Halo 5 and MCC features as a template to run off. All they had to do was make a stable Halo 5 multiplayer with the new gameplay and fresh coat of paint.
Also the game has less cosmetics and armour than Halo 4 and 5 at launch. The store isn’t loaded with stuff to buy. We’ve had a few minor items and gimmicks.
I think technical and engine issues are more important. The plan, probably, was to ship with more modes and Forge. Definitely case for co-op. Main reason is that they bent over backwards on all other points regarding the Halo 5 backlash. They took a lot of criticism for Guardians launching without Forge and Bare bones features. I can’t believe they would choose to repeat that mistake.
7 Likes
My thoughts, exactly. Halo 5, and MCC had many problems, and shortcomings at launch. How did 343 do this again? Maybe it is time to give another developer a chance? Microsoft does like buying them.
Today I learned that desync, BTB woes, and ranking issues were all caused by the game being F2P. Mind blown.
2 Likes
Given a lot of the negative reception Halo fans had for Halo 5 and MCC’s original launch I think it made some sense for them to make Infinite F2P. It made it a lot easier for people to give 343 another chance with Halo without having to pay to find out if this time they would be satisfied by 343’s product.
5 Likes