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Microsoft needs a Plan B, they need to start thinking about a Halo replacement.
- Thread starter TheGhost
- Start date
Personally I feel like the same could've been said for Kratos.
I don't think its an easy thing to do, but I think it can be done. Get some wild ideas in there.
Taking God of War into Sony's strength of third person, over the shoulder action adventure was easier than what you could do with Halo as a FPS. Spin off games are where you can radically change the game like Halo Wars or Gears Tactics.
I think they already have this with the Forza Horizon series (especially 4 and especially with the recent addition of Eliminator). I'm generally not even much of a racing games fan, and I've played a HELL of a lot more Forza Horizon 4 (and 3 before it) than I've played of any other game this console generation. That said, I don't think Microsoft needs a direct replacement for Halo; I think Halo just needs to reinvent itself in some regard to better cater to the audience Microsoft is targeting with its live games initiative.
Certainly seems like they finally have the leadership that will allow their studios to take their time and make new things. I wouldn't mind them making one final game in Gears and Halo and not touching them for 10 yrs. But, I doubt they will do that. I would definitely like something new from them on the scale and budget of those two.
Never been that big a fan of those two franchises, but they definitely are my least anticipated games from Microsoft these days. All of their other lower budget stuff is far more interesting.
Never been that big a fan of those two franchises, but they definitely are my least anticipated games from Microsoft these days. All of their other lower budget stuff is far more interesting.
Microsoft needs a new "Halo Level" IP, not a new Halo replacement. MCC is finally in a great place and is doing great on all platforms. Halo 5 is the best Multiplayer the series has ever had by today's standards.(Halo 3 was great, but not in today's landscape).
In no universe do you have the Xbox brand without Halo, Forza and Gears...forever. That would be like Sony without Uncharted, God of War and Gran Turismo or something sinilar. More New IPs for sure, but why kill guaranteed sellers?
In no universe do you have the Xbox brand without Halo, Forza and Gears...forever. That would be like Sony without Uncharted, God of War and Gran Turismo or something sinilar. More New IPs for sure, but why kill guaranteed sellers?
I don't really see why Microsoft need that. Sony don't have anything that fits the bill, so Halo will easily hook people that want that type of live servicey kind of game into Microsofts ecosystem.
If anything, we're back to a scenario where Sony will need a Halo competitor.
Also I don't think its right to suggest that Halo was in a better spot before than it was now. It had third party competition before from GRAW, COD, Rainbow Six and Battlefield, and yet Halo thrived in that environment on the 360. The only issue now is that titles like Destiny, Apex Legends, and even the new COD tend to demand all of the players time. As service games they are built to be part of the players lifestyle, leaving little room for anything else. That creates a scenario where it's very challenging to pull their attention away from those games.
Games like Destiny will certainly move over to next generation hardware and Destiny players have thousands of hours invested into that game. How will Microsoft get those players to stop playing Destiny and start playing Halo Infinite? That's the challenge that Halo faces, and if anything a new service type shooter would only make that harder for Microsoft, effectively competing with itself for the players attention.
If anything, we're back to a scenario where Sony will need a Halo competitor.
Also I don't think its right to suggest that Halo was in a better spot before than it was now. It had third party competition before from GRAW, COD, Rainbow Six and Battlefield, and yet Halo thrived in that environment on the 360. The only issue now is that titles like Destiny, Apex Legends, and even the new COD tend to demand all of the players time. As service games they are built to be part of the players lifestyle, leaving little room for anything else. That creates a scenario where it's very challenging to pull their attention away from those games.
Games like Destiny will certainly move over to next generation hardware and Destiny players have thousands of hours invested into that game. How will Microsoft get those players to stop playing Destiny and start playing Halo Infinite? That's the challenge that Halo faces, and if anything a new service type shooter would only make that harder for Microsoft, effectively competing with itself for the players attention.
And again the Collection on PC only has Reach thus far. Once Halo 1, 2, 3, ODST, and 4 hit it will go back up.
Also Microsoft has been good with not spamming Halo. I wouldn't mind another Spin-off game between the main line games but man... It's been 4 years since Halo 5 released and will be likely 5 years by the time Infinite comes out. It's not exactly like Microsoft is spamming the series.
Some have suggested them taking a break but Halo isn't exactly a yearly series.
Funny tho Sony is doing their own thing, Nintendo is doing their own thing. Only MS seems to be lacking "something"
Third Person Action Epic
Olah: Saga of Time
About a group of space explorers who get lost in space and transported to a flat crystalline planet structure that exists out of normal space time.
Using powered armor imbued with anti-matter surge drives and their trusty AI Anatnoc they search the structure for it's secrets, it's creators, and a way home to prevent an evil they just found out is coming.
Olah: Saga of Time
About a group of space explorers who get lost in space and transported to a flat crystalline planet structure that exists out of normal space time.
Using powered armor imbued with anti-matter surge drives and their trusty AI Anatnoc they search the structure for it's secrets, it's creators, and a way home to prevent an evil they just found out is coming.
Microsoft seems to have a problem with making their series' identity tied to how the games play, down to each specific intricacy. And then you get spinoffs that don't have much to do with the core titles besides the license itself, because there's so little to work with.
A good place to start would probably be making games that don't share a plot with previous entries, similar to Zelda, or Final Fantasy. There's not much reason for each Gears and Halo game to be in the same continuity when the overarching plots in both series are fairly tripe.
The only thing I see that makes Halo "unique" is how archaic it feels. I think it's been more than proven that first person shooters on console don't need to have you move at a snails pace or be so restrictive with your arsenal to be enjoyable.
Some people would love a Halo RPG made by one of their RPG developers.
A Halo RPG has so much potential. It would allow them to introduce a bunch of book stuff to people who only play the games since it will be a better environment to do so.
I would argue that it very much depends on what Halo Infinite ends up being.
Gears 5 is a good example of how things have moved on in the last several years. While Gears 5 has a standard-for-today live servicing models, the experiences it provides have not moved on from the old arena shooter style experiences. Thus it has a hard time keeping casual players in, and as the live service for it continues, if it continues with the current models of adding more content for existing experiences, it will become even more difficult to get into by non-regular-Gears players and even more difficult to preserve those players over time.
If Halo Infinite is the same arena shooter that all of the previous Halo games have been, it will struggle in locking players for the long run. Arena shooters are simply not that popular anymore, regardless of the brand. If it has deeper and more meaningful experiences, then in my opinion, it will be far more successful.
They dont necessarily need a halo replacement, but they sure need to stop being chained to their franchises (that used to be too big to move on from, but not anymore)
They don't, lots love them, but they feel very stagnant and a lot aren't super impressed with the directions they've taken.
Make MC a father figure that eventually learns to like the child figure. Reduce the FOV. Add RPG elements like gear, loot, and skill trees where they aren't needed. Make it yet another AAA open world. Make the text really tiny. Fish AI.
There's plenty of ways to modernize the franchise to make it fresh!
I'd like to see some of these teams behind Halo, Gears, etc., to work on something else. I know it's a long shot because even a lousy Halo game IS a Halo game and it's already got that cache to fall back on... But I'd love to see some of these studios try a new IP and see how it goes.
Although I don't think Microsoft "needs" a new series, but I'd like to see one.
Although I don't think Microsoft "needs" a new series, but I'd like to see one.
i was gonna say... it's also more well known than anything not published by Nintendo.
I feel like a console manufacturer can't really have the biggest multiplayer shooter on the market in this day and age due to the prevalence of multiplats. Maybe it could be possible for MS because all of their stuff is multiplat with PC. But they'd either have to luck into it or buy the Fortnite IP or something (which isn't happening).
But I also don't really think they need it? It's not like Sony or Nintendo has a Halo.
But I also don't really think they need it? It's not like Sony or Nintendo has a Halo.
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you're right FPS/Third party wise, but they need a Halo replacement. A tent pole that's not a one and done title. It doesn't have to be a FPS, but it has to be a title that brings people in.
They don't need to replace Halo. Terrible argument. What they do need is something as big in addition to Halo, Gears, and Forza.
And they're coming. Only time will tell if they are as successful as those franchises.
Let's let Infinite get out the door first huh? It seems to be a soft reboot of sorts anyway, and if it fails(it won't) Bonnie and Frankie are gonna give us a reinvention. Halo is in the best hands possible. Halo 4 & 5 were literally two parts of a learning process. They nailed campaign and then they nailed MP. Infinite is gonna be special.
Totally.
I mean, this isn't 1:1 but let's be honest. Their "Halo Replacement"? Something that from a cultural standpoint is as exciting/vital as Halo once was, and getting as many people into the Xbox ecosystem as Halo once did?
It's GamePass.
Usually "needs a replacement" isn't code for "needs the same type of game", it's a need for something new to stay relevant. When Guitar Hero was puttering out for Activision, they 'needed' a replacement in their lineup to generate the revenue that plastic instruments weren't bringing in anymore. Enter yearly Call of Duty being the biggest thing since sliced bread.
This isn't to say I don't think team Xbox should be resting on their laurels or not taking big swings with new properties. Their studios should be trying to light the world on fire. But from the standpoint of "what's going to be that thing that organically pulls people towards "Xbox as a brand"? It's GamePass.
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They may have to
If it's just Halo - The arena shooter again, it's going to be good for that core halo audience but not good enough for the casual market.
How do you get people to come back to Halo?
How do you get someone to leave COD and Destiny and stay with Halo? Unless they change the game in a way that will piss off the core fanbase, I don't think it will work.
I bet Microsoft is hoping for the Halo Showtime series in 2021 (?) to contribute to revitalizing interest in the games (with a just launched Infinite) in a similar way The Witcher Netflix has done for the The Witcher 3. Ironic how original TV might be meaningful to Xbox starting next-gen.
I don't think you need a back up plan for Halo nowadays as XGS has diversified - as mentioned many times already. Microsoft needed a back up plan for Halo around the mainstream miss of Halo Wars 2 when that was the big non-racing offering in 2017 with seemingly shrinking first party publishing. So both the era of XGS is radically different, and now we'll soon see if Microsoft have their ducks in a row with Halo for 2020+.
I don't think you need a back up plan for Halo nowadays as XGS has diversified - as mentioned many times already. Microsoft needed a back up plan for Halo around the mainstream miss of Halo Wars 2 when that was the big non-racing offering in 2017 with seemingly shrinking first party publishing. So both the era of XGS is radically different, and now we'll soon see if Microsoft have their ducks in a row with Halo for 2020+.
Then maintain Halo and it's fanbase with the mainline games. Other IP's or spinoff Halo games can appeal to a wider audience.
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I still maintain that I don't see a need for both Xbox and PlayStation to be around today. 🤷‍♂️ I'm not trying to bring up console wars, but I think three console manufacturers is a crowd in 2020. With Xbox, it isn't so much the IP's, but that Sony does new IP's better than them, and Sony also has a variety of Japanese games on their consoles.
That'll be a tall order because we don't know what makes a game have mass appeal. Few people saw Fortnite coming. 343's Halo is only number 10 on Resetera's most anticipated game of 2020, it really should be at the top 3 with the name Halo alone.
I see Microsft doing some good things though letting developers making games like Bleeding Edge at least try to test waters a bit.
I see Microsft doing some good things though letting developers making games like Bleeding Edge at least try to test waters a bit.
I don't see why this can't necessarily be a third person cinematic game then? Uncharted was probably this game for PlayStation for a while and that fits that criteria. Not saying it has to be one (I personally would prefer if it weren't because I don't really like those sorts of games), but I was confused at that distinction you made there.
And personally I don't think it necessarily "needs" one since I'm not sure if PlayStation has anything like that but I certainly think it would help, especially in the first year. See: How the success of Breath of the Wild helped the Switch sell.
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Because they are one and done games unless you're talking something special like the Witcher. I'm not going to be playing and returning to Uncharted for months on end.