It's really not given Xbox has expanded their market and access to their games. Halo Infinite will release on sale digitally on PC (Windows store and Steam) and digitally and retail on Xbox and people can access it through buying it, or subscribing to Game pass on PC and/or console. Halo Infinite is likely to have it's highest player engagement ever for a Halo game. It's why your "concern" seems so misplaced and laughable by stating they need a "Plan B" and "Halo Replacement".
Almost can't believe people actually have this opinion, I dread to think what things would look like now if Sony were left to their own devices, or MS for that matter. Xbox has brought incredible changes since it entered the industry, they completely revolutionised online gaming. We need both companies, the competition forces each of them to change for the better. Imagine if Sony wasnt around at the start of this gen and MS were able to go forward with their original Xbox One plans? They forced MS to change direction and we have benefited from it, with Xbox raising the bar with services like Game Pass and pushing new ideas like cross play and play anywhere, which in turn is forcing Sony to improve their services. Gaming would be worse without either company.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.
Almost can't believe people actually have this opinion, I dread to think what things would look like now if Sony were left to their own devices, or MS for that matter. Xbox has brought incredible changes since it entered the industry, they completely revolutionised online gaming. We need both companies, the competition forces each of them to change for the better. Imagine if Sony wasnt around at the start of this gen and MS were able to go forward with their original Xbox One plans? They forced MS to change direction and we have benefited from it, with Xbox raising the bar with services like Game Pass and pushing new ideas like cross play and play anywhere, which in turn is forcing Sony to improve their services. Gaming would be worse without either company.
Xbox gives you options. You don't need a console to enjoy their games or services.For sure. The competition aspect makes it worthwhile to have them both around. I suppose it hinges on what a consumer wants out of a console: Do you want more Japanese games, do you want to play on the same console your friends are playing on, do you chase after the higher specs on a machine, or do you want to play select first party IP's such as Halo or Gears of War.
Well, they're investing in new AAA IP, The Initiative is clearly the big bet.
/r/whoosh 😊
Oh wow, I didnt know about thatOriginally they were described as an AAAA developer, but I think they said in recent interviews they were gonna stay small, so I wouldn't expect them to release anything near the scale of a Halo game anytime soon.
4's campaign was fine? I never saw anyone complain about it. It was a great send off for Cortana (before Guardians fucked it up).
It's not just hardcore fans though.
It's not just hardcore fans though.
Millions of people still buy and play Halo.
Halo 5 didn't hit the same heights as Halo 3 in terms of player counts/retention but it was still extremely successful.
this isn't enough though when halo is your big flagship title.
nintendo release like 4 titles a year that outsell halo and sony like 1-2.
but nintendo and sony make profits with their gaming business.And still PlayStation and Xbox have more revenue than Nintendo. Guess that's not working out great for 'm.
but nintendo and sony make profits with their gaming business.
They don't really have a big one, and they should rightly be criticised for that.
However, The Initiative also looks to set expectations going forward, claiming "staying small, and staying agile, will actually be our strength." Followed by words from Gallagher, the studio lead states "the bar is high" and "the challenge for us is making sure we deliver on those expectations." It indicates The Initiative is starting small for its early projects, leveraging a tight team focused on innovation – not scale.
I think this was the first post to mention The Initiative. Xbox has been a aware that they need another big hit for some time and have been working hard to produce one. The problem is that it can take 5 years from decision point to beginning to see results.Maybe that's what The Initiative is for? But I'm fine with more Halo alongside other titles
The fact it even got that many players from such an old game shows it's still big/relevant though.From the initial success, I haven't expected this kind of drop. I think majority didn't, because if you look at that highlight thread on ERA, it was full of people suggesting that Halo is back and it is big/relevant again.
I only started to see positive reactions to Halo 4 after Halo 5 came out, both campaigns suck. Halo 4 was very linear in its level design and the whole Master Chief is a chosen one thing was awful. 5's story is atrocious not much else needs to be said there.4's campaign was fine? I never saw anyone complain about it. It was a great send off for Cortana (before Guardians fucked it up).
Halo is Microsoft's most well known game. At one time, a time when there was no real threat on consoles from a third parties in the FPS field, it was king. It ruled with a iron fist and it took COD4 to finally make the Spartans to budge from their throne of power.
Fast forward to today and Halo is not what it's once was, caught between a power struggle between Halo enthusiasts and probably people in power who want to evolve it into a series that will have a wider net of appeal.
I have faith with the help of Gamepass, Halo Infinite will succeed in drumming up excitement. But people have moved on....Halo is now sharing it's playerbase it once held with COD, Battlefield, Rainbow Six, Overwatch and Destiny.
But this thread isn't about the direction Halo needs to take. It's about Microsoft needing a Plan B.
Plan B isn't a single player, third person view cinematic game. That will fill a hole, but they need something that can be as exciting as Halo once was.
Forza is great for racing, arguably the best racing game this generation.
Gears is fun and always well produced but it has failed at being a Plan B, it's now just a game you play for a month or two and put down.
Microsoft needs a new MP game that will drive engagement. That will make Microsoft a must have system.
It can't be purchased with marketing rights, it can't be a time released third party title. It needs to be a in house success story.
They need the Halo replacement.
You really shouldn't compare attachment rates of an online-focused racer to a Single Player narrative-driven game.Yes, they do. Maybe MS does so too.
That wasn't my point to be honest. Microsoft has a fairly sizable gaming division without having the first party attachment rate that Nintendo does. Sony doesn't fare that much better than MS at this point to be honest. I'd say the attachment rate of Forza Horizon is probably better than the rate of God of War, if you compare the size of the userbase.