Could Microsoft get away with delaying Halo Infinite?

[dedge]

they could probably get away with delaying it and blaming covid but i think they would need an extended multiplayer beta or something to save face

Also the visuals seem mostly okay, but it just kinda looks like a Xbox One game set to max settings while still not wowing in any particular area.

 

[Vidpixel]

Sure, the visual presentation wasn't as mind-blowing as some would have hoped, but come on, it was not that bad looking. People seem to forget this game is coming out on the original Xbox One as well.

 

[William_Herschel]

Was there a lot more gameplay footage released that I'm not aware of, or are you actually trying to make all these judgments off of the footage from the showcase...?

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I've watched yesterday's demo footage five times. They aren't "judgements" they are noticeable things that are in the trailer. Happy to give you some time codes to check for review. 2:40 dropship moves like it is on an on-rails linear path not conforming to gravity or any sense of physics. 3:50 two brute pods drop, each brute emerges from drop ship with identical animations, and has no reaction to being shot from chief. In Halo 3 pieces of brute armor would fly off. 4:38 vertical columns all over the environment looks like a building block from a sandbox game. 3:11 not really open world, section of demo is a sectioned off island surrounded by other sectioned off islands. 3:30 multiple covenenent enemies at structure, all of them just sort of run at chief independently and do not operate as a group. Elite just sort of stands there and runs towards master chief.

 

[RSTEIN]

Am I missing something here? Why are people acting like the game is broken or something? Or like what they showed is not representative of Halo?

I'm fully serious about this, if they delay Halo Infinite then they might as well delay the entire console. It's THE reason to own the Series X especially since there's no other first party offering at Launch. I honestly don't get the criticisms. Call me a Xbox apologist all you want, but I don't see the problem. It's Halo. It's 60 FPS. It's at 4K. Is it the open world that's pissing people off? Is it the graphics? Because if it's both of those, I don't see the problems at all.

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I disagree. Personally I'm still excited about the console because when I look at the next 5-7 years I think it's the best bet. 3rd party games will probably run and look the best. Game pass can't be beat.

Look, if what we saw yesterday was from a mid tier developer launching a AA game then they would be applauded. But this is Xbox's tentpole release. It looks bland, uninspired, dated, and the brute character model looks like it's from the 360 (no hyperbole).

 

[Neuromancer]

If their plan is not to sell Xbox SX's, then yes, absolutely.

 

[LilScooby77]

343 needs Some love for all the new weapons they've added.

 

[BlueManifest]

People in here are too concerned for nothing it won't need to be delayed and it will look better at launch than the early build we saw

 

[GSG]

Yes, and they should.

I understand they want to ring in the new generation with their flagship franchise, but what we saw yesterday looked rough, unimpressive and nowhere near what you would expect a next gen title to look like. This game needs to be in the oven for a bit longer.

 

[giancarlo123x]

Considering the success of NMS and Sea of Thieves this is really just a meme at this point.

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This quote has always been a meme. Duke nukem forever would be the greatest game of all time based off of this.

 

[Kodama4]

Sure, it will show that Microsoft have the balls to do it and that 343 really care about making the game the best it can be

 

[Expy]

I mean... You could create a poll about it.

1. Would you buy an incomplete Halo experience at launch
2. Would you skip Halo at launch if it didn't have MP
3. Would you prefer that 343i delay the game to include every mode

 

[criteriondog]

Yes, there will be plenty of games at launch for Series X and PS5 from third parties.

 

[Thera]

Does the PS5 have a much better launch lineup though? Both new systems are relying pretty heavily on third parties at launch (which is normal).

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Probably not.
But the first 6 months / one year? SONY show more gameplay so I guess they are closer to launch some first party than most of what we saw yesterday.

 

[Bman94]

I disagree. Personally I'm still excited about the console because when I look at the next 5-7 years I think it's the best bet. 3rd party games will probably run and look the best. Game pass can't be beat.

Look, if what we saw yesterday was from a mid tier developer launching a AA game then they would be applauded. But this is Xbox's tentpole release. It looks bland, uninspired, dated, and the brute character model looks like it's from the 360 (no hyperbole).

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I'll give you the brute model, yeah, that honestly looked rough, but the scope of the game itself looks great. The hookshot alone makes a huge difference in traversal in Halo. What they've shown us is probably the first open world section of the game. I haven't played a whole lot of open world games, but all of the ones I've played recently (BOTW, Gears 5 sections, The Last of Us sections) things look very basic at first and bloom as time goes on. I'd argue them making Halo open world at all is the opposite of uninspired.

 

[totofogo]

If the game is in a state that they should and they don't, they might as well bury the IP. Three strikes you're out.

 

[LilScooby77]

You know what? I take back everything bad I've said about this game and 343. Rewatching in actual 4K the game is incredibly pretty. Halo 3ish art direction from an old build still looks amazing. I mean we literally asked them to go away from their realistic art style for this.

 

[Dekim]

The game doesn't just need a delay. If what Brad Sams is reporting is right, then 343i needs to start from stratch, or pretty close to scratch. That would mean no HI until 2024 at the earliest.

 

[ArjanN]

No. It's a kinda-GaaS, so as long as it's not a broken piece of garbage, they can patch it.

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This.

 

[nekkid]

Sure, the visual presentation wasn't as mind-blowing as some would have hoped, but come on, it was not that bad looking. People seem to forget this game is coming out on the original Xbox One as well.

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Having watched it again today, yeah it's really not that bad. It needs what it's going to get - refinement. Things like the pop-in - which looks to be something that's just happening at the wrong time rather than being aggressive because the engine is struggling (a better example than the cloud is where grass disappears too early before being completely off-screen).

If the rumour of MP shipping later are true then yeah I can see justification. But if this idea of a delay is purely based on the demo? lol no.

 

[GattsuSama]

If it has not PVP at launch then yes unless MS really doesn't care and that seems to be what they are after.

MS doesn't care, they have enough value with Gamepass to sweep disappointments like this under the rug so I doubt they delay.

 

[RSTEIN]

I'll give you the brute model, yeah, that honestly looked rough, but the scope of the game itself looks great. The hookshot alone makes a huge difference in traversal in Halo. What they've shown us is probably the first open world section of the game. I haven't played a whole lot of open world games, but all of the ones I've played recently (BOTW, Gears 5 sections, The Last of Us sections) things look very basic at first and bloom as time goes on. I'd argue them making Halo open world at all is the opposite of uninspired.

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I'm incredibly excited about an open world Halo. That's a dream come true for me. I can see how some fans may not be excited but I think after like 6 games it's time to try something non linear.

However, what they showed yesterday looked like an up-rezzed Halo 1 encounter. No real evolution in animation, AI, effects, etc. was seen. Sure, it's 4k, but nothing really screams this is next gen, this is everything our first party studios have to offer, this is 12TF!

 

[Labyrinthe]

Time to release that roadmap!

 

[javiergame4]

Infinite was shown 24 hours ago and it hasn't exactly gone down how 343 and Microsoft would have wanted.

This game is seen as crucial to the launch success of Series X.

But if the game is not ready, should Microsoft delay it and launch series x without a major first party launch title? Or do they have no choice but to proceed with launch regardless of what state the game is in?

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Can you post a poll OP? But I think they could get away with this. They can't make it into another HCC fiasco

 

[OSHAN]

I don't think they will. It's on GamePass, so it isn't even like I'm buying it.

 

[Moebius]

I hope they delay it. I love Halo but I want to see great graphics, especially if this is the last Halo game we're getting for the next 10 years. I can't imagine being satisfied playing this in three years when games are coming out that fully take advantage of the new hardware.

 

[Kyry]

They could, but its probably way more profitable to sell it as is and fix it later. If you play your cards right you'll get a second sales bump

 

[jviggy43]

Can they? Absolutely. Will they? Very likely no. But they absolutely should.

 

[Punished Dan]

They could and they should.

 

[Deleted member 50232]

Can you post a poll OP? But I think they could get away with this. They can't make it into another HCC fiasco

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Poll added :)

 

[CerealKi11a]

Yes. Its not like in its current form its going to be selling consoles, and if it comes in as hot as MCC.... oh boy.

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I fully believe the MCC's absolute cluster of a release was the final nail in the Xbox One coffin. They cannot afford it again, but I think they know that.

 

[Deleted member 45460]

No, the game will be fine by launch. It's pretty obvious at this point they're all hands on deck for 1st party to get this game out at the cost of delaying other titles. So they've made it clear Halo is not getting delayed, other games like Forza are instead.

 

[MCD]

Why delay it? All MS ips are incomplete by default these days.

 

[Derktron]

I'd say no only because of the hype around the game and the long wait. People saying yes are in denial that Xbox could be in big trouble if they have to delay it.

 

[Rodney McKay]

I think they just need to be clear that it'll be a work-in-progress, GAAS type experience and it would be fine to launch it with the system.

 

[Mukrab]

i think at this point they can not afford to NOT delay it.

 

[snausages]

Delay Halo, then you have to delay Xbox. No way about it imo.

(They should delay both if needed)

 

[Deleted member 50232]

I'm trying to think what first party games xbox one and ps4 launched with.

Microsoft had what, Forza 5?

And Sony didn't have any first party games?

 

[platocplx]

Considering the success of NMS and Sea of Thieves this is really just a meme at this point.

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The context at the time it's correct, but now that most games can be patched it's not the case anymore and more and more software In some cases can ship at a certain state and dramatically be better over time like what you said.

 

[platocplx]

Sony has

I'm trying to think what first party games xbox one and ps4 launched with.

Microsoft had what, Forza 5?

And Sony didn't have any first party games?

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shadowfall.

 

[Deleted member 50232]

Sony has

shadowfall.

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Ahh yeah. My memory is crap.

 

[¡ B 0 0 P !]

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*Laughs in Duke Nukem Forever*

 

[Japanmanx3]

Can they get away with it? Depends on if their main player-base even cares that much about Halo anymore. Should they release it undercooked (especially if the rumor about no multiplayer is true)? No. DELAY DELAY DELAY. I may not like where the franchise is anymore, but that would definitely punch it into the ground if it releases more broken than the MCC. Halo doesn't deserve that.

 

[JigglesBunny]

They absolutely need to push it back and they won't, that's the issue.

That's their big launch title, this isn't like the Xbox One launch where they launched with a handful of titles like Ryse, Dead Rising 3, Forza 5 and Killer Instinct. As far as we know, this is one of the only major exclusives available at launch, Medium being the only other one. Push this out of the launch window and you're left with third parties to carry the console while Sony has Spider-Man, Deathloop and Godfall. They'd be getting slaughtered.

Hell or high water, I think we're seeing Infinite on launch day and I don't think it's going to be pretty.

 

[Xiofire]

Gonna be a rough quarter for GaaS with Avengers and Halo Inf.

Just delay it MS, let this game cook.

 

[zombiejames]

I think they've already made their bed, imho. The want Halo to be there day one to combat the PS5 and to push Gamepass.

 

[El Crono]

I remember Phil Spencer said in an interview they were willing to launch without Halo if it came to that, so they surely have considered delaying it.

I say yes, delay it and polish it to make it a true flagship title.

 

[Tawpgun]

If they cared about selling XSX's they should have shown the game running on a One, One X, and XSX.

 

[Jmdajr]

Personally I don't give a fuck...

But it will hurt them.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Considering Sea of Thieves' trajectory, I see them benefitting from just releasing it now.

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Shigeru Miyamoto Delays Orgasm for Quality Purposes

KYOTO, Japan — Shigeru Miyamoto announced today that in order to make sure he lives up to his highest standards, he will be delaying the…

thehardtimes.net

 

[Nessii013]

The context at the time it's correct, but now that most games can be patched it's not the case anymore and more and more software In some cases can ship at a certain state and dramatically be better over time like what you said.

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Oh for sure, back before patching and post-launch support became standard this was definitely the case. I've just noticed people still use this meme in a "serious" way when there's less and less truth to it in the modern age.