I hope the preload period for infinite is long enough for people like me to play day one.
Forza had a 20 gb updated so I’m still not able to play it yet.
Please no day 1 patch for infinite! Internet in my area struggles as it is and i just want to play campaign!
Well, you could pre-load Jurassic Evolution 2 a few days before its release, so if that is anything to go by then a week beforehand, maybe a few days. I do hope 343i announce when pre-loads are available in the next couple of weeks.
You can download the license now (~200 MB) but the game itself won’t be available to download until maybe 24 to 48 hours after the game “Goes Gold.” The game has to go through final checks then sent to Xbox Main Server Room and uploaded there. Then the internal system needs to send the game to all consoles with a license. After that, final polishing is done. About 1 week before official launch (or 1 week before early access launch) the game will send one last update with the final polishes. Then, at 12 AM Eastern (presumably) on December 8th, the game will be playable.
Expect to hear the game going Gold in about 2.5 to 3 weeks.
Follow Halo or Xbox on Twitter to get notified fast!
There is likely to be a Day 1 patch anyways. IIRC the game gets distributed to online stores with a similar version as the retail copies, which has a run-up time till launch. So any last minute changes go into a launch hotfix.
(on top of distribution, there is what HB3i just said about the console validation process.)
The main thing is if you get the majority of the game files loaded before the launch time, this reduces your overall download at launch. So if anything just hope that there isn’t a MAJOR patch at launch. Which even then, the servers are likely to have some teething issues which is normal for any major game release.
Which from my understanding is overestimating the player base at launch just means eating massive amounts of ops costs on servers/networking etc, but idk this is Macrohard
Preloads for games happen shortly after a game has “gone gold”. That’s usually about 2 weeks before launch.
If I had to guess Halo Infinite will probably get it’s preload available near the end of this month. You’ll likely have about a week to download it ahead of time.
I wouldn’t expect any preloads to become available anytime in the next two weeks.
As for a day one patch, I’d guess it’s unlikely but who knows for sure.
I’ve published things on online stores myself so I know the ins and outs reasonably well.
So really day one patches are only needed if your gold master needs a hot fix as you said but there is no good reason that can’t be pushed out the door and pre’installed as an update.
Only if it isn’t ready is there reason to not push these updates ASAP.
I understand the red tape but its their flag ship title they aren’t going to get rejected by the store.
There will be launch issues its not something g we can avoid but surely the added year can ensure a reasonably stable day one experience.
20gbs can cost me 2 days of possible play time.
I’m hoping most hotfixes will be for the MP suite and as a separate dedicated install not hinder campaign access.
Console validation doesn’t stop you from having the pre release download being launch ready unless the update is very last minute, a possibility im hoping we can avoid.
Hopefully the lack of online networking in the campaign with coop not included at launch can alleviate some pressure for the devs and get campaign out the door without a need for any or at least substantial day one patches.
Booting forza to find it hadn’t auto queued a 20gb update was a pretty poor first impression for me.
I was looking forward to racing around Mexico before work today and I’d like the have faith that December 8 is truly the end of my 6 year wait for the next halo campaign.
I understand that things happen, last minute GEBs are real.
I
'm just putting vibes out into the universe we only need like a 250mb unlock key at the most so I can play day 1.
If they can pull that off the forge and coop loss won’t hit me nearly as hard.
Miss the days a disc went gold I could go to the shop and buy the game.
Although from the production side god bless post launch updates, haha I want my cake and I want to est it i guess.
Edit: I should note ive never published anything on xbox so the nuances are likely beyond me.
That’s some cool insight and out of my wheelhouse when it comes to production for games.
I’m sorry to hear that though, I’ve got a few buddies who are in the same situation where the industries game file bloat is drastically outpacing ISP bandwidths outside of leading infrastructure.
Which makes me wonder the differences between Xbox, MSFT Store, and Steam for preloading patches before launch?
Its a really interesting topic in its own right and I’m far from well informed especially in terms of these massive blockbuster AAA products where the moving parts dwarf anything I’ve experienced. That said places like the website formerly known as gamasutra has some cool pieces of insight on it.
I’d imagine the ms owned stores are ostensibly near identical.
If any major difference is made for steam it’ll be campaign.
The f2p model will mean the publisher wants to get that mp suite out to everyone as soon as possible.
I’m just hoping the game is installable a week prior to launch. Last I saw campaign is in the 80s
There’s definitely going to be a day 1 patch. Game goes gold so they get that version ready for release but they still work on the game from that period to launch which ends up being a day 1 patch. That’s how I understood how that works anyway.
Gold is for printing discs. Theres no real reason the preload file can’t get a patch prior to day one outside of scheduling.
Still team prob will push until as close to launch as the deadline permits but a DOP is no a garuntee.
Aren’t the digital and physical versions the same thing though in terms of content and bug fixes and what not? Or is that not a thing. I haven’t gotten a game day 1 since H5 lol I just see pretty much every AAA game out there getting day 1 patches so I feel like we should just assume that it will have one at this point.
Oh no they usually end up being the same but that isn’t a necessitates its just usually the patches wait till day one to go live.
But for example
If I go to gamestoo and get rdr2 and install it it’ll need an update.
If I buy it digitally I’ll install an up to date version immediately.
My last few big releases haven’t needed a DOP untill I installed forza.
But most these games weren’t anywhere near the scale of forza or infinite.
My point is if they can get the DOP live before the launch day then it would be able to preinstall.
It should be the prime advantage of online retail and buying a digital version gives more revenue to the publisher and reduces over head or environmental impact.
Ah I see, makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.
i think is going to be the same day, forza horizon 5 did
Thank you! This info sounds about right from past games history.
No word on a day one patch for the game at this time but hopefully there won’t be one. As for when you’ll be able to pre-load the game my best guess is probably the Monday or Tuesday the week of the game release. Although since the game comes out on a Wednesday the pre-load may go live a bit earlier like maybe the Friday before. At the very least I am sure we’ll get 2-3 days in advance of release to download the game.
No day 1 patch? Don’t count on it, co-op is delayed for a reason. They are going to use every minute of development time they can get.
Most games I’ve preinstalled did a partial install a few days prior to launch, and then there was like a 10mb day one patch for a launch key or something.
I dont see the logic in that statement.
Please explain.
Coop is delayed for a reason so what does that have to do with launch?
Forza 5 (games pass) for me pre installed at least a week prior! So hopefully halo does the same