Why A Delay Wouldn't Work, Opinion

Games Halo Infinite
1

So far in Halo Infinite, we have confirmed:

  • Custom Games - Academy - Campaign - Social playlists - Ranked playlists - Big Team Battle - TheaterA pretty damn decent lineup. It’s been recently brought up that Forge and Co-Op for Campaign will be added in post-launch due to technical issues, and they need more time to fix those two modes in particular.

  • Forge - Campaign (Co-Op)With comparing those two parts, what we have and what we don’t, there’s more than enough for most members of the community to be happy. New players will have a blast. Especially when considering that we’re getting all of that, multiple game modes and new maps, customization, and battlepasses and Seasons. And i’ve heard that the Forge will be well worth the wait.

Instead of delaying the game and keeping the entirety of the community from enjoying Halo Infinite for another 6+ months, why not just release as is, add hotfixes, patches, new content via seasons and events and let people enjoy and explore the game, then a few months later bring in Forge and let the community make custom maps and modes? Why not, if you are someone dedicated to Forge, just hold off on playing the game for now if that really upsets you? Or if you’re someone who wants co-op, just wait to buy the game until a couple months down the line when co-op releases? You’ll have to dodge spoilers but it was ultimately your own preference that would be at fault for that specifically.
Not only that but we’d have to restart the hype train and marketing again, which means the delay could be a while.

2

I think the biggest issue at hand is the fact that they waited this long to tell anyone of this things. So many of my friends have been talking and planning their initial Halo Infinite experience through Co op. For long time fans of the series, the campaign is a crucial mode and experience to have at launch, but not to play solo. Sure. We can all wait the 3 months, but by that time the spoilers would be out. You will have to live under a rock to not see anything. I just don’t understand how it wasn’t a main feature to focus on.

3

> 2533274798778494;2:
> I think the biggest issue at hand is the fact that they waited this long to tell anyone of this things. So many of my friends have been talking and planning their initial Halo Infinite experience through Co op. For long time fans of the series, the campaign is a crucial mode and experience to have at launch, but not to play solo. Sure. We can all wait the 3 months, but by that time the spoilers would be out. You will have to live under a rock to not see anything. I just don’t understand how it wasn’t a main feature to focus on.

I also was planning on playing with my family, but it’s not like 343 just kicked their feet up in the office and said “good enough”. If they aren’t rolling out co-op, it’s for a good reason that’s out of their control at the moment. None of us work there, It could be anything that’s keeping them from finishing Co-op before launch.

4

> 2533274882898126;3:
> > 2533274798778494;2:
> > I think the biggest issue at hand is the fact that they waited this long to tell anyone of this things. So many of my friends have been talking and planning their initial Halo Infinite experience through Co op. For long time fans of the series, the campaign is a crucial mode and experience to have at launch, but not to play solo. Sure. We can all wait the 3 months, but by that time the spoilers would be out. You will have to live under a rock to not see anything. I just don’t understand how it wasn’t a main feature to focus on.
>
> I also was planning on playing with my family, but it’s not like 343 just kicked their feet up in the office and said “good enough”. If they aren’t rolling out co-op, it’s for a good reason that’s out of their control at the moment. None of us work there, It could be anything that’s keeping them from finishing Co-op before launch.

True, however I do believe the spread of how the community truly feels will either push their mind set in a different direction. If the co op doesn’t meet their full standards, but technically still works… I would rather have a half baked Co op at launch with a proper update 3 months later. If no one said their opinions, 343I would not know how each player group feels.

5

> 2533274798778494;4:
> > 2533274882898126;3:
> > > 2533274798778494;2:
> > > I think the biggest issue at hand is the fact that they waited this long to tell anyone of this things. So many of my friends have been talking and planning their initial Halo Infinite experience through Co op. For long time fans of the series, the campaign is a crucial mode and experience to have at launch, but not to play solo. Sure. We can all wait the 3 months, but by that time the spoilers would be out. You will have to live under a rock to not see anything. I just don’t understand how it wasn’t a main feature to focus on.
> >
> > I also was planning on playing with my family, but it’s not like 343 just kicked their feet up in the office and said “good enough”. If they aren’t rolling out co-op, it’s for a good reason that’s out of their control at the moment. None of us work there, It could be anything that’s keeping them from finishing Co-op before launch.
>
> True, however I do believe the spread of how the community truly feels will either push their mind set in a different direction. If the co op doesn’t meet their full standards, but technically still works… I would rather have a half baked Co op at launch with a proper update 3 months later. If no one said their opinions, 343I would not know how each player group feels.

Good point

6

I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.

I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.

There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.

Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).

With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?

This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.

If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.

7

> 2533274809073993;6:
> I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
>
> I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
>
> There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
>
> Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
>
> With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
>
> This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
>
> If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.

Is it so much of an importance to the entirety of the game that having to wait for Forge to be included would absolutely murder literally everything else the game has going for it? The mosty customization of any Halo, Social mp, ranked mp, custom games, theater, solo Campaign, academy and weapon drills. All of that means nothing unless Forge is there on day 1?

8

> 2533274882898126;7:
> > 2533274809073993;6:
> > I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
> >
> > I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
> >
> > There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
> >
> > Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
> >
> > With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
> >
> > This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
> >
> > If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.
>
> Is it so much of an importance to the entirety of the game that having to wait for Forge to be included would absolutely murder literally everything else the game has going for it? The mosty customization of any Halo, Social mp, ranked mp, custom games, theater, solo Campaign, academy and weapon drills. All of that means nothing unless Forge is there on day 1?

No. Absolutely not. But the best Halo releases have been carnival-like events and festive and celebratory.

You absolutely kill that feeling when the rushed release of this game lacks features that everybody knows and loves.

Would you open a movie theater without popcorn?

Why? That would suck.

Who cares if you have skittles and milk duds? Movie theaters are supposed to have popcorn.

Anybody showing up to their movie hoping to eat popcorn gets disappointed.

And the thing is, you hurt no one by delaying the opening. You might disappoint people who were looking forward, but they’ll still show up the following year when the movie theater opens with popcorn.

If you open now, who knows if those people you lost wander back six months later when you finally announce, “Hey!! We’re selling popcorn!!!”

Who cares? You already missed the moment.

This game is likely being abused because suits want Halo on gamepass, and if so, that’s not right.

9

The fact of the matter is Halo has always been played first by 90% of players past 20 years, first SOLO, then multiplayer then co-op campaign a second run. They should not DELAY this campaign, on the 20th year anniversary of HALO and XBOX. This campaign needs to release on the 15th of November, on schedule. So 343i, we trust you, just stay on target. You will get millions of purchases near Christmas holiday, rather than in the middle of summer.

10

I truly feel for the people wanting co-op at launch however selfishly I want the game to launch. I honestly think launch will be fine and I have a strong opinion about the take. If the Solo Campaign and purely Multiplayer doesn’t allow this game to survive 6 months than it won’t survive anyways. The one exception in my opinion is if Forge was a industry defining creator tool which allowed PVE assets.

11

  • Custom Games: Hollow without forge - Academy : Pointless for anyone that’s played an FPS before - Campaign: Missing Coop, better hope the story is good this time - Social playlists: Cool - Ranked playlists: Cool - Big Team Battle: I’d lump this in with Social/ranked, def shouldn’t be a selling point on its own - Theater: Not much of a selling point in the age of streamingSo we are basically left with

  • Customs equivalent to H2 - A shooting range most will never touch - A solo Campaign - Basic Matchmaking equivalent to H2 - Theater mode that will likely only be used by machinima directors since clip features and twitch are built in to Xbox/PC nowHalo 3 had more features day 1, this is a joke at this point.

12

I love co-op and forge, they’re a big miss. But I do understand that microsoft need Halo this holiday season and a big influx of xbox series stock, it is what it is.
I just really hope it all comes together and 343 finally have a Halo game we all love, because this really could be their last chance at it.

13

> 2533274882898126;1:
> So far in Halo Infinite, we have confirmed:
> - Custom Games - Academy - Campaign - Social playlists - Ranked playlists - Big Team Battle - TheaterA pretty damn decent lineup. It’s been recently brought up that Forge and Co-Op for Campaign will be added in post-launch due to technical issues, and they need more time to fix those two modes in particular.
> - Forge - Campaign (Co-Op)With comparing those two parts, what we have and what we don’t, there’s more than enough for most members of the community to be happy. New players will have a blast. Especially when considering that we’re getting all of that, multiple game modes and new maps, customization, and battlepasses and Seasons. And i’ve heard that the Forge will be well worth the wait.
>
> Instead of delaying the game and keeping the entirety of the community from enjoying Halo Infinite for another 6+ months, why not just release as is, add hotfixes, patches, new content via seasons and events and let people enjoy and explore the game, then a few months later bring in Forge and let the community make custom maps and modes? Why not, if you are someone dedicated to Forge, just hold off on playing the game for now if that really upsets you? Or if you’re someone who wants co-op, just wait to buy the game until a couple months down the line when co-op releases? You’ll have to dodge spoilers but it was ultimately your own preference that would be at fault for that specifically.
> Not only that but we’d have to restart the hype train and marketing again, which means the delay could be a while.

This whole game would be well worth the wait if people would just wait. I think that’s what best for the game, is to be pushed back till Forge and Co-op Campaign comes out, to release it as a full game.

14

> 2533274798778494;4:
> > 2533274882898126;3:
> > > 2533274798778494;2:
> > > I think the biggest issue at hand is the fact that they waited this long to tell anyone of this things. So many of my friends have been talking and planning their initial Halo Infinite experience through Co op. For long time fans of the series, the campaign is a crucial mode and experience to have at launch, but not to play solo. Sure. We can all wait the 3 months, but by that time the spoilers would be out. You will have to live under a rock to not see anything. I just don’t understand how it wasn’t a main feature to focus on.
> >
> > I also was planning on playing with my family, but it’s not like 343 just kicked their feet up in the office and said “good enough”. If they aren’t rolling out co-op, it’s for a good reason that’s out of their control at the moment. None of us work there, It could be anything that’s keeping them from finishing Co-op before launch.
>
> True, however I do believe the spread of how the community truly feels will either push their mind set in a different direction. If the co op doesn’t meet their full standards, but technically still works… I would rather have a half baked Co op at launch with a proper update 3 months later. If no one said their opinions, 343I would not know how each player group feels.

Here is how the community feels. These are two different polls that both show a 70% Yes rating with over 136K votes when asked “Should we delay Halo Infinite?”. One of them was Mint Blitz, who is a Halo YouTuber that 343 has mentioned by name

So at what point do we start saying something needs to be done?

15

I don’t see how any of this suggests a delay “won’t work”
You just don’t value the missing features as much as others.
Optics will he far better if they delay.
Also the trade off of established pillars of halo for microtransaction systems is a dangerous narrative.

16

> 2533274809073993;6:
> I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
>
> I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
>
> There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
>
> Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
>
> With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
>
> This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
>
> If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.

I would be sad of a delay

17

> 2533274801884952;16:
> > 2533274809073993;6:
> > I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
> >
> > I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
> >
> > There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
> >
> > Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
> >
> > With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
> >
> > This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
> >
> > If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.
>
> I would be sad of a delay

I would too, but it’s the right thing to do.

18

> 2533274792737987;10:
> I truly feel for the people wanting co-op at launch however selfishly I want the game to launch. I honestly think launch will be fine and I have a strong opinion about the take. If the Solo Campaign and purely Multiplayer doesn’t allow this game to survive 6 months than it won’t survive anyways. The one exception in my opinion is if Forge was a industry defining creator tool which allowed PVE assets.

My guess is it will be. Let’s save launch for it.

19

> 2533274809073993;17:
> > 2533274801884952;16:
> > > 2533274809073993;6:
> > > I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
> > >
> > > I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
> > >
> > > There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
> > >
> > > Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
> > >
> > > With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
> > >
> > > This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
> > >
> > > If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.
> >
> > I would be sad of a delay
>
> I would too, but it’s the right thing to do.

is it? lets take a moment and think now 343 didnt just decided to do this out of the blue they had to have a reason for it and given what these two modes have to face/do them delaying them post launch means they can make them work the best way and if thats the route it takes then so be it

20

> 2533274801884952;19:
> > 2533274809073993;17:
> > > 2533274801884952;16:
> > > > 2533274809073993;6:
> > > > I see zero opinions about why a delay wouldn’t work.
> > > >
> > > > I would argue, in fact, that a delay would work.
> > > >
> > > > There’s not a single person that would be sad about a delay that wouldn’t pick up the game a year from now.
> > > >
> > > > Infinite lacking forge at launch will be plagued by the feeling the last two failed launches imparted, which is that the games were somehow lacking (in MCC’s case, it was that the game was broken).
> > > >
> > > > With forge in the pipeline, they’ve already got their hype-train silver bullet in the form of the new and improved forge, which absolutely has the capacity to stir up and excite fans. Anybody remember forge world?
> > > >
> > > > This decision is likely being made because the sooner Halo is on gamepass, the sooner millions of people will be on potentially infinite and unending subscriptions to gamepass, and not because Halo is ready.
> > > >
> > > > If true, this is a disservice to the game, the community, and the artform, and you should care to oppose it.
> > >
> > > I would be sad of a delay
> >
> > I would too, but it’s the right thing to do.
>
> is it? lets take a moment and think now 343 didnt just decided to do this out of the blue they had to have a reason for it and given what these two modes have to face/do them delaying them post launch means they can make them work the best way and if thats the route it takes then so be it

343i likely didn’t decide this. There’s been a rather convincing leak that’s been going up and down reddit that seems to suggest they’re having to compromise on the campaign to get it out on the given timeline, that is mostly being upheld by execs hellbent on the release of the game.

Even if that leak is false (which, again, it doesn’t appear to be), there are many other indications that all is not right with the current development process.

We’ve waited so long for this game–6 years. Why not wait a little longer for the game we want, instead of rushing to get it out and botching the release at the finish line?

Let’s do this right and make it a real celebration of Halo.