The game is free, but it’s not really that fun compared to older halo titles and burnout occurs way faster, and content in due time does not make the game good today
I want to see the Halo IP thrive as well but I don’t think upsetting customers with overly aggressive microtransactions is the only way, or a particularly good way to achieve that and there are lots of games that have been or currently are successful with less aggressive monetization.
If Halo MUST be FTP and MUST contain microtransactions, I still don’t subscribe to the belief that either of those are musts but let’s for argument say they are.
I’d much rather see the in-game store selling lots of content, give me hundreds of items that I can buy but at reasonable prices, prices where the mark-up isn’t thousands of %. Let me pick what I want to buy and purchase it for a fair price where I feel like I’ve got good value and the developer makes a return that allows them to continue to invest.
All this pressure selling, “you can only buy 4 things this week but buy them now because this might be the only chance you get” and “there’s an exclusive item this week but you better buy the battle pass so you can work on an extra challenge and whilst you’re at it most of the challenges suck or don’t track accurately so best purchase some tokens to swap them”
I don’t think anyone objects to those that made the game making a profit, but if you want to part us from our cash how about doing it by offering us cool things to purchase at fairer prices rather than building everything around extracting every last penny you possibly can from customers? There can be an acceptable middle ground between charity and needing all the money.
As it stands, the game is designed to try and manipulate you to part with your money, I don’t want to be manipulated, why can’t we do business openly and honestly where consumer and business benefit?
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Also, that content will likely mostly be for those who pay. Good luck for everyone else.
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That’s the thing though, I’m not defending this in the least. I feel I’ve clarified this several times now, but if I’ve somehow misrepresented myself in this then thats my bad. I am not at all a fan or avid supporter of FTP. What I’m taking issue with here is the prevailing assertion that 343i is doing something uniquely untoward or egregious here (I mean compare Infinite in pre-release to Destiny 2’s entire history and tell me how this is worse than a full priced game, with paid expansions, that eventually went FTP with microtransactions, and STILL has high priced expansions). I hate the industry standard of FTP, and as I’ve said I’d happily pay way more upfront to avoid it. I’m just tired of people obfuscating the reality of this situation. FTP is a market standard. The majority of the shops pricing stacked against what’s in the bundles are market standard. Limited customization taking away the ability to play and enjoy an otherwise completely FTP game is a stretch (unless you’re arguing on principle). Acting like the franchise has always had some massive and deep customization suite is simply inaccurate, and even if it was the last iteration of such that wasn’t supported by microtransactions was Halo 4, 10 years ago. Can’t judge on decade old price points and standards.
Complain. Offer feedback. Criticize. But be honest but it and keep some perspective, that’s my only issue with nearly every one of these threads.
I usually don’t post in forums and complain about games, but in this rare instance, I am with the community on this one.
The microtransaction as it is right now, directly impacts the game in the most negative way. I will give a direct example of why.
Because people complained about the progression, at least now we get 50 XP per game, win or lose. That is still very low, but with the state of things, this is better than nothing.
Winning a game right now in Halo infinite is double punishing unless you are extremely competitive and your sole goal is to duke it with Onyx players (I am currently Plat 6, and I will say I am fairly good enough to be in mid Diamond).
What do I mean by that: if you play in Non-Rank, it is because you are not competitive and just want to enjoy playing the game, but still be rewarded for wins (or just for playing). A win in Halo, unlike most other FPS, actually requires teamwork.
Enter the problem with the current microtransaction, it takes the objective of working with your teammates to win the game away (especially in objective game modes, like capture the flag, oddball, or strongholds).
I will expand.
Take a game of stronghold for example. The objective is to work with your teammates to always control at least 2 strongholds, earn points and eventually win.
Currently, because XP is heavily tied to objectives, and even the most basic customization is locked behind it (really, color schemes is now paywalled/grind), the psychologic effect is that when you play a game (taking stronghold as an example), you have an ulterior motive, that is contrary to the main objective of the game itself.
For a concrete example:
I played Halo Infinite for about 1 hour and only made an XP progression of 300XP because I wasn’t doing any of the daily challenges. After an hour I needed a quick mental break, so I went into the customization. In the past, between playtime, I will hang out in the customization screen for like 5 – 10 minutes messing around, so the mind can cool down before jumping into competing again (anyone that plays sports knows what I am talking about, that is why every sport has a break). But now that is a dud because everything is locked. So now I am irate, I jump back into PVP Rank, with the sole purpose of finding a stronghold game and completing the objectives so that I can get my 600XP for 2 objectives in 1 game.
This Ends up taking me another 30 minutes to end up in a stronghold game(due to the lack of a playlist, I have to play modes that I don’t feel like playing at a given moment). Now I am in the stronghold game, I don’t care about my teammates or winning. All I want is to complete the objective so I can get my XP. One of the challenges is to kill Enemies while they defend the stronghold. Kill 4 and the challenge is complete. So what do I do, I intentionally camp in a corner, watch my teammates die, so that the enemy can take the stronghold ( because I don’t want my teammates to get the kill, as that will take my objective away), pounce on the weakened foes, rinse repeat, for all the other challenges. In the end, we obviously lost because I wasn’t being a team player (if anything I was a double agent), but I am happy (sarcasm here) because, after 2 hours of grinding, I unlocked 600XP in 10 minutes (also save myself 5 bucks in the process instead of trying to pay my way towards the armor).
In boxing (and any other sport), this is called taking the fall: basically, throwing the match so you can get paid from gambling.
This is what 343 studios have inadvertently done to the Halo community, because of the way the current microtransaction is set up. There is more incentive to throw a game than win it, so as to unlock a basic color scheme to play around with when you are taking a pause from all the slaying.
This is what the community is calling out, the microtransactions directly affect the game, even if 343 is claiming it is purely cosmetic. As a matter of fact, it affects the game even more so than if it was behind a hard paywall.
I bought the battle pass initially because I wanted to support the devs (I work in the gaming industry, and I know intimately how hard it is to make games, especially AAA games, late nights, forced pizzas, and little recognition unless you are in upper management). But currently, I would prefer paying $80 ( I have bought every Halo game since Halo 2 before they even come out), than to be stuck in this misguided loop and slowly lose my sense of why I love Halo (especially the multiplayer ).
There is a way to get the microtransaction right, but the current system is not the way (voice of the Mandalorian) . Don’t tie the microtransaction to in-game actions, it should be the other way around, playing Halo normally and correctly rewards you with lots of XP (even Halo 5 had it right).
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Is there anything else that isn’t pay 2 win that you could monetize that isn’t cosmetics while still remaining f2p?
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Well I didn’t decide to make the game F2P so I don’t think that’s an issue that should be for me to fix, if Microsoft can’t find a way to make money out of the Halo IP without making it F2P then they need to sort out their staffing.
I’ve said a few times that if the game has to be FTP (which I don’t believe it does) that you can monetize things without being overly aggressive at doing so.
You can sell cosmetic items in games for reasonable prices, you don’t have to inflate the cost of things or use phycological manipulation to try and make customers keep spending.
Honest answer is because this game isn’t fun. Can’t put my finger on it, but Infinite doesn’t feel like a Halo game for some reason. Probably going to move back to MCC unless they make some changes to how Infinite feels.
Actually paying nearly $10 for a basic RBG colour is unique.
Calling that out is not blowing anything out of proportion. Its putting it into perspective.
You are looking at CoDs $30 bundles in a vacuum that does not apply to Halo.
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I have yet to see an armor coating in the shop as a standalone for $10. Most of them are coupled with an emblem, Keychain, emblem background, or shoulder set which is in keeping with CoDs packages at the same price point. I’ve compared nothing in a vacuum, you’re taking what I said out of context, which was a full armor pack (20 for the coating, all the armor pieces, a visor and helmet accessory) compared to a CoD operator pack (20-30 for a skin, one-two weapon skins, emblem, patch, Keychain, maybe an assassination depending on bundle).
I’d agree that just an armor coating for $10 is too high, especially as they stand being locked to either a core, weapon, or vehicle. To this point the only thing I’ve come across in the shop that was out of step was the sword belt with emblems for $15. That’s ridiculous.
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I have to agree with you on this. Some have even claimed it’s predatory.
343 took a misstep. That’s it. They shouldn’t be compared to the likes of Activision or EA.
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Exactly. Call it out, but call it out for what it is. Complaining about a free game not having enough free stuff in it will fall on deaf ears. Pointing out how pass progression shortfalls currently make microtransactions feel more compulsory than optional or convenient will be seen as constructive.
Trying to have fun is hard when every system surrounding the gameplay is created to frustrate you, limit your ability to play what you want to play, nickle and dime you, and remove every possible social aspect (lobbies, voice chat, clans, etc.)
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Maybe 343 shouldn’t have implied there would’ve been tons of ways free players would get customization options then.
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Bruh, I’ve seen most of the comments defending 343 say the same thing, “It’s free” “They have to make money from this.” There are literally free games that have better battle passes and progression system
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No you’re viewing CoD’s bundles in a vacuum that does not apply to Halo.
At no point in Halo’s history did you have to pay money for a basic RGB colour. At no point in Halos history did you have to pay money for a nameplate/sticker bundle.
The bundles in CoD are EXTRA to the content that you get in the game already. The bundles in Halo right now are the only method of obtaining armour.
In CoD you can unlock operators, weapon skins, nameplates, emblems, weapon charms, stickers, camos etc etc the list goes on, its all unlockable via gameplay.
THEN ontop of the unlockables they provide the bundles.
In Halo, you need to pay for EVERYTHING or you will be a cadet grey andy until you’re 1500 hours into the game in 5 months.
This is in a franchise where EVERYTHING in customisation was free and unlockable in game. NOW its a paywall grind fest thats so consumer unfriendly its even making CoD shiver in its boots.
I really fail to see how you are going to try draw a 1 to 1 comparison when if you try to compare them CoD is actually MORE consumer friendly. Their monetisation system doesnt actively prevent you from customising your character.
Halo’s does.
You need to comprehend and accept that this system is not okay. ESPECIALLY in a Halo title.
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EVERY free game has a better progression system than this. Anyone defending the system straight up does not play Halo Infinite.
No one in their right mind could interface with this system for more than 2 hours without realising its an absolute abomination.
I mean, it’s only “free” if you aren’t buying the campaign. That thing still costs $60, and for that price look at the gold standard of Reach for how many armors, colors, attachments, maps, modes, game types (yes there’s a difference), etc we had.
The old phrase “you get what you pay for” is coming to mind…because so far in this multiplayer, we sure don’t have a lot…
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A cosmetic item like an armor color change takes very little effort in general, since the modelling is already done and it’s often just a recolor. If that color change was priced at ONE PENNY, 2000 buyers would make the money back from the labor cost. And it’s not like they have to remake it again for every customer that buys it.
One person puts the effort in to retexture armor with something simple, and the company sells it for 10 bucks like its ANYWHERE NEAR THAT WORTH.
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s important or not, this is egregious pricing practices. Jim Sterling may have gone off the deep end but he was right years ago: not only would this become completely common place, legions of nonbuyers (who have nothing to say about this issue anyway) and defenders (“BUH ITS FWEEEE GAME”) will prevent this practice from being extinguished.
This has NEVER, EVER been anything more than customer exploitation, and cosmetic appearance has been a part of Halo since the first game. Looking how you want is part and parcel of most games today. This is simply not an acceptable practice by any metric.