So I expect Infinite to be a great game and deliver but what if it fails, where do Halo and 343i go next?
Does Halo take a break?
Reboot?
Go to a new developer?
Does 343i cease to exist?
get handed another existing IP?
get liberated from the shackles of existing IP’s established narrative, gameplay expectations, and art direction.
Do 343i start releasing smaller titles in the universe that are not traditional halo games?
Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
If halo infinite fails they can fix Mcc 
> 2533274817408735;2:
> Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
>
> The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
>
> However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
>
> I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
Especially with being on PC I don’t expect it to fail financially at all as it will have the broadest market compared to just being on console.
It would take some pretty jarring and universally disliked gameplay in the flights to fail, and even if it that happened I don’t think it would because it’s Halo.
> 2533274817408735;2:
> Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
>
> The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
>
> However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
>
> I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
Ok let’s put a definition on fail as, not getting a positive critical and public reception with huge fall off of player base soon after launch thus failing to maintain the revenue stream projected by Xbox division internally.
> 2535411919953126;5:
> > 2533274817408735;2:
> > Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
> >
> > The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
> >
> > However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
> >
> > I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
>
> Ok let’s put a definition on fail as, not getting a positive critical and public reception with huge fall off of player base soon after launch thus failing to maintain the revenue stream projected by Xbox division internally.
That certainly would be a fail. However, it’s not often that a game hits all those checkmarks, and 343 doesn’t have a track record for producing games that fail in the way you described. MCC released broken and even it doesn’t fit that definition of “fail”.
Even as a “what if” scenario, Infinite failing like this is so unlikely I don’t see the point in entertaining the thought.
I’d imagine staff shakeup would be the most likely scenario. Get new people in leadership to try new ideas out if infinite we’re to fail.
I don’t see them shuttering the franchise as financially they’ve been alright, their core issue comes from sales and lacking player retention.
> 2533274817408735;6:
> > 2535411919953126;5:
> > > 2533274817408735;2:
> > > Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
> > >
> > > The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
> > >
> > > However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
> > >
> > > I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
> >
> > Ok let’s put a definition on fail as, not getting a positive critical and public reception with huge fall off of player base soon after launch thus failing to maintain the revenue stream projected by Xbox division internally.
>
> That certainly would be a fail. However, it’s not often that a game hits all those checkmarks, and 343 doesn’t have a track record for producing games that fail in the way you described. MCC released broken and even it doesn’t fit that definition of “fail”.
>
> Even as a “what if” scenario, Infinite failing like this is so unlikely I don’t see the point in entertaining the thought.
Well halo 4 fits the definition. And MS won’t share 5 numbers so we actually don’t know if 343i has a track record that doesn’t fit. H5 was met by a poor response after all.
> 2535411919953126;1:
> So I expect Infinite to be a great game and deliver but what if it fails, where do Halo and 343i go next?
> Does Halo take a break?
> Reboot?
> Go to a new developer?
>
> Does 343i cease to exist?
> get handed another existing IP?
> get liberated from the shackles of existing IP’s established narrative, gameplay expectations, and art direction.
>
> Do 343i start releasing smaller titles in the universe that are not traditional halo games?
> 2535411919953126;8:
> > 2533274817408735;6:
> > > 2535411919953126;5:
> > > > 2533274817408735;2:
> > > > Well, it depends on what you mean by “fail”.
> > > >
> > > > The type of failure that would have the greatest effect on the franchise would be a financial failure. And that doesn’t necessarily mean it doesn’t recoup the money it took to develop it, but rather it not making as much money as investors expected. That, coupled with bad reviews from critics and players, could change how the franchise goes forward.
> > > >
> > > > However, if by “fail” you mean it ends up being a polarizing game like Halo 4 or Halo 5, then I doubt it would bring into question the future of the franchise.
> > > >
> > > > I doubt that Infinite could do so poorly as to result in 343i being dissolved as a developer or the rights to Halo being given to another developer.
> > >
> > > Ok let’s put a definition on fail as, not getting a positive critical and public reception with huge fall off of player base soon after launch thus failing to maintain the revenue stream projected by Xbox division internally.
> >
> > That certainly would be a fail. However, it’s not often that a game hits all those checkmarks, and 343 doesn’t have a track record for producing games that fail in the way you described. MCC released broken and even it doesn’t fit that definition of “fail”.
> >
> > Even as a “what if” scenario, Infinite failing like this is so unlikely I don’t see the point in entertaining the thought.
>
> Well halo 4 fits the definition.
Halo 4 has a Metacritic score of 87 and a user score of 7.0, which is a reasonably positive (even if not outstanding) reception both from critics and the public. The extent of “fall off of player base” is also a bit vague here. How fast exactly does the game need to lose players to be a failure?
In any case, if Halo 4 is your standard for failure, then it’s quite clear what will happen: nothing particularly interesting, as we saw with Halo 4, because it’s apparently not a failure by the standards by which Microsoft would judge the game. In general, I think gamers have much stricter standards for a successful game than publishers do. Publishers only need something that’s sufficiently profitable and doesn’t make them look bad. (In case of flagship first party franchises of consoles, they could even be willing to bleed a bit of money if it gives their console more press.)
It’ll probably be the last straw for me. Halo 4 and 5 are not terrible games but they’re far from great imo, and they don’t feel like Halo. If they stick with the enhanced mobility shtick then it is going to have to be super refined and balanced. I would prefer if they only kept thrust and increased the base movement speed by maybe 15 to 30% to appease the fans of Sprint. There should be no situation where you can’t shoot, melee, or grenade (ie sprinting and clamber). That fluidity is core to Halo’s feel.
If it fails then I could see a big shift in creative leads and series direction. But based on the e3 trailer there is already a shift in direction in regard to aesthetic and emotion for Infinite. But no idea about gameplay. So I am hopeful for the campaign but for the multiplayer I am preparing for the worst.
> 2535411919953126;8:
> Well halo 4 fits the definition.
What? How? Critically and financially, Halo 4 did extremely well. Player reception was mixed, but not majorly negative. In terms of longevity, yes, H4 did have a small but consistent player base after a year of being out, but support-wise, Halo 4 had just about as much post-launch content releases as Halo 3, albeit within a more condensed time period.
> 2535411919953126;8:
> And MS won’t share 5 numbers so we actually don’t know if 343i has a track record that doesn’t fit. H5 was met by a poor response after all.
Halo 5 was met with a mixed response, at worst. Halo 5 is going on 3+ years of consistent multiplayer, and while content updates have long since ended, regular support still occurs. As for sales, what little information we have suggests that sales numbers were enough for the game to be a financial success and maintain enough of a player base to keep the game supported over 3 years after its launch.
> 2535435902217648;9:
> > 2535411919953126;1:
> > So I expect Infinite to be a great game and deliver but what if it fails, where do Halo and 343i go next?
> > Does Halo take a break?
> > Reboot?
> > Go to a new developer?
> >
> > Does 343i cease to exist?
> > get handed another existing IP?
> > get liberated from the shackles of existing IP’s established narrative, gameplay expectations, and art direction.
> >
> > Do 343i start releasing smaller titles in the universe that are not traditional halo games?
>
> - What do you mean by “break”? Because it’s been a few years since H5 came out and we still have no release date in sight. That feels like one heck of a break. - As far as a reboot, do you mean like scrap the new story direction and start from scratch? If so, at what point in the story would you like them to start over from? - Interesting thought, but who would be the go-to developer in this scenario? - I doubt they would cease to exist in the unlikely event that Halo gets taken from them. Bungie moved on (albeit those were different circumstances) - Out of curiosity, what would be an existing IP that they could take on? - Regardless of fail or success, I would love to see some smaller titles that expand on other aspects of the universe outside the main line games
Break asain franchise hiatus not just the main series.
Reboot as in fresh start reboot.
Bungie are free? But I dunno kinda expected more feedback and other people to share ideas.
They built 343i for halo. No halo may mean no 343i, it happened to lionheart and creative assembly.
Existing IP, mech worrior/assault, battle tech, ascend, ininsane twisted shadow planet, list goes on plenty of dormant IP’s owned by MS.
And agreed small games are tight.
At worst, I think you would get some new leadership like was already mentioned, but I don’t see anything else happening to Halo.
If Infinite is full of modern abilities and the multiplayer is similar to previous modern games, then I could see them going a different direction gameplay wise like a more classic approach, but that’s more wishful thinking than anything.
I would like to see 343i making a new IP but Halo is too important to Microsoft to take a break. I also think 343i have the best bet to make a good Halo game, it’s just a matter of who’s at the top. If H6 fails I could see them replacing important figures rather than going to a new studio altogether.
Here’s a crazy thought that I doubt would ever happen: what if Microsoft bought up Bungie or at least got them to continue Halo now that they’re free of Activision.
> 2535411919953126;1:
> So I expect Infinite to be a great game and deliver but what if it fails, where do Halo and 343i go next?
> Does Halo take a break?
> Reboot?
> Go to a new developer?
>
> Does 343i cease to exist?
> get handed another existing IP?
> get liberated from the shackles of existing IP’s established narrative, gameplay expectations, and art direction.
>
> Do 343i start releasing smaller titles in the universe that are not traditional halo games?
What happens? The same thing that’s been happening since 2012 where 343i follow the next big market trend and hope that works.
They tried it with perks and killstreaks, they tried it with advanced mobility, and I have zero reason to expect anything else from them.
> 2533275031939856;15:
> I would like to see 343i making a new IP but Halo is too important to Microsoft to take a break. I also think 343i have the best bet to make a good Halo game, it’s just a matter of who’s at the top. If H6 fails I could see them replacing important figures rather than going to a new studio altogether.
>
> Here’s a crazy thought that I doubt would ever happen: what if Microsoft bought up Bungie or at least got them to continue Halo now that they’re free of Activision.
Well we’re on our third shake up at 343i so a fourth doesn’t strike me as a good idea.
I’d rather get all the guys who left bungie after Activision came in to join 343i
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> 2533274817408735;12:
> > 2535411919953126;8:
> > Well halo 4 fits the definition.
>
> What? How? Critically and financially, Halo 4 did extremely well. Player reception was mixed, but not majorly negative. In terms of longevity, yes, H4 did have a small but consistent player base after a year of being out, but support-wise, Halo 4 had just about as much post-launch content releases as Halo 3, albeit within a more condensed time period.
>
>
> > 2535411919953126;8:
> > And MS won’t share 5 numbers so we actually don’t know if 343i has a track record that doesn’t fit. H5 was met by a poor response after all.
>
> Halo 5 was met with a mixed response, at worst. Halo 5 is going on 3+ years of consistent multiplayer, and while content updates have long since ended, regular support still occurs. As for sales, what little information we have suggests that sales numbers were enough for the game to be a financial success and maintain enough of a player base to keep the game supported over 3 years after its launch.
Halo 3/reach had more support than 4. Spartan ops clearly didn’t get the budget it needed.
It sold well but it did not maintain a player base and despite having the largest install base saw diminished sales on 3 and reach. It had a positive reception is the mainstream media but any review that actually endeavoured to critique were quite critical. Grants graphical fidelity and lighting were universally applauded and rightly so.
From what we know it’s strongly implied 5 had the poorest sales in the franchise. The campaign was universally hated and critical response that was positive, mainly mainstream relied on a sparse launch suit for multiplayer. The game was supported for 3 years to recoup from a dedicated player base. Not because it was successful. Microtransaction models are viable with tiny user bases that’s the appeal.
I’ll concede that they may not count as fails but they were damn near close, and are showing a down ward tradgectory.
> 2535411919953126;18:
> From what we know it’s strongly implied 5 had the poorest sales in the franchise.
Halo 5 sold over 5 million copies in its first three months. For comparison, Halo CE had only sold that much by the release of Halo 2, so we know already that Halo 5 had higher sales than Halo CE. Since don’t have more up to date information on the Halo 5 sales, and we don’t know the sales for Halo games from around the first three month period apart from Halo 3, there aren’t really more conclusions to to draw. We only know for sure that it is not the worst selling game in the franchise, but we don’t know anything about how it compares to Halo 4 and Reach.
> 2533274825830455;19:
> > 2535411919953126;18:
> > From what we know it’s strongly implied 5 had the poorest sales in the franchise.
>
> Halo 5 sold over 5 million copies in its first three months. For comparison, Halo CE had only sold that much by the release of Halo 2, so we know already that Halo 5 had higher sales than Halo CE. Since don’t have more up to date information on the Halo 5 sales, and we don’t know the sales for Halo games from around the first three month period apart from Halo 3, there aren’t really more conclusions to to draw. We only know for sure that it is not the worst selling game in the franchise, but we don’t know anything about how it compares to Halo 4 and Reach.
Sales isn’t the metric tho attach rate is the relevant metric. EDIT SORRY WRONG THREAD.
We know it had the best launch/pick up rate, but we don’t know how much they sank into it and the large ad campaign. I take your point though financially 343i’s games are probably doing fine.