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Microsoft Explains Why 'Halo 4' Didn't Debut On Xbox One

If there’s a common refrain going around the gaming industry right now, it’s that both the PS4 and Xbox One lack “system sellers,” games that by themselves make either console worth buying. Instead both console’s exclusives have middling scores at best, and third party titles available cross-console are generally the best titles to pick up for either system.

Excalibur3822d ago (Edited 3822d ago )

IMO they made the right decision.

All I ask is you take your time with the next game, no point in rushing it, learn the ins and outs of the new machine and make the best game you can possible make.

LackTrue4K3821d ago

lol....isn't it obvious why????????

lack of xbox 360 games.

ABizzel13821d ago

I don't think that was why, they moved pretty much 50% of their 2012 and 2013 line-up over the XBO launch, they might as well have done the same thing with Halo and Gears of War Judgement. It would have helped their XBO launch significantly more.

Nicxel3821d ago

I would think they also made Halo 4 for the XB360 because of the larger install base in order to produce greater sales. Period.

lets_go_gunners3821d ago

They already confirmed 60fps 1080p on a scale bigger than any halo game so that's already a plus. I just hope it last longer than 4 did, not that 4 was bad but the community died down after 2 or so months kinda sad I stopped playing about 6 months in though I liked it.

MRMagoo1233821d ago

They didnt confirm 1080p from what i remember , i think all they said was 60fps.

Nicxel3821d ago

Same here. Stopped playing after about 6 months or less. Mostly because they severely cut the social communication between teams (felt like I was playing with bots) and no visible ranking system to keep my motivation up.

At least a few months ago 343 announced that there would be large scale battles (like 32 players or more) and having a multiplayer reflective of Halo 2!

spicelicka3821d ago

I don't understand why so many people are forgetting launch games are literally outdated within 6 months. They all suffer from that transitional stage and end up being nothing more than prettier looking previous gen games. No launch game for either console so far has done anything special. Last gen it took a year for gears of war to truly show next-gen potential and what a game that was.

I think only the first halo succeeded in setting a benchmark at launch and i would say that's a rare case, it hasn't really happened since.

I am more than glad 343 is taking its time to understand the hardware and releasing halo5 next year. I really hope and believe it'll be amazing.

BG115793821d ago (Edited 3821d ago )

Not just that but their Principal Engine Architect and coder extraordinaire Corrinne Yu went to Naughty Dog not so long ago, so that may have helped to the decision.

Convas3821d ago

What does that have to do with Halo 4? Or did you miss the part where she was on the team that shipped Halo 4?

Common Sense, how does it work?

thehitman3821d ago

Even though I think its irrelevant.. It still wouldve mattered in a sense since she left awhile ago and the xb1 just released so no way she wouldve been able to continue working on the xb1.

Gabenbrah3821d ago

I really doubt 1 employee leaving affected this decision.

BG115793821d ago

Not just one employe, the "Principal Engine Architect and coder extraordinaire", hence the title.

Gabenbrah3821d ago

@BG
Her work would of already been completed for Halo 4... How does Corrine Yu leaving last week affect the decision not to release Halo 5 last week with the Xbox One, that literally makes zero sense. If they had launched Halo 4 last week, Corrine Yu still would of been at 343i and completed the game. The game would of gone Gold months ago.

KingDadXVI3821d ago

It made more sense to bring out Halo 4 on the 360 for several reasons:

1. It was a well known IP and was used to keep the Xbox fan base happy prior to launching the Xbox One.

2. It was not Bungie developing Halo 4. It made more sense to have a potential f@!k up on the 360 than on the launch of the Xbox One. It would be far easier to redeem the Halo Brand alone than to try to redeem the Halo and Xbox One. It takes a long time to recover from a really bad console launch.

3. Halo is the flagship title for Xbox and the first version you put on your new next gen console had better look and play next gen. By putting Halo 4 on the 360 they made lots of fans happy to have another Halo to play and at the same time gave 343 and MS the time to develop Halo 5 on finished hardware. Now they can learn the Xbox One architecture while coding the game and optimize the shit out of it. By the time we see Halo 5 most of the bugs will be worked out of using the Esram and other features.

4. Despite what is said constantly about how amazing it is that there is such a lack of great launch titles it actually is not that amazing. A lot of console launches have happened without amazing IP. It often comes later. Many people (not all) just want a new console period. You could probably come out with a game called "Shit" that played like shit and looked like shit for either the Xbox One or PS4 and people would still line up in droves for it. I mean look at the iPhone 5. Pretty much the same damn phone offering less than the competition but it was new and had a new name so Apple junkies every where lined up to buy it. It is the same with the consoles. Bottom line Sony and MS can get away with it.

5. They want a large Xbox One console base so that when the next Halo comes out they can sell more games.

6. By bringing out their biggest IP a year or so after launch they can reinvigorate the demographic resulting in new console sales.

7. They knew they had Titanfall in March. It does not make sense financially or developmentally to launch two exclusive titles for your console at or near the same time. By not having Halo at launch it gives them two wins. Titanfall gets the breathing room it needs to put down roots and become really big and Halo does not have another game stealing some of its time in the sun.

8. Accountants. We all hate them, well I do anyway being an engineer. All they ever care about is about showing earnings in every quarter. This goes back to point 7. Accountants want to see earnings every quarter, so you spread out your IP strategically for appearances to your investors.

Simple isn't it.

nigelp5203821d ago

Remember when Halo games came out every three years? Kept the community strong

SilentGuard3820d ago

Yep, and it helped prevent Halo fatigue. One more year in development is what Halo 4 needed to go from a good game to a great game. Maybe they could have implemented a skill based ranking system at launch that you didn't have to go into Waypoint to see. The new Halo trilogy makes sense to start off on the One.

Double_O_Revan3821d ago

Because they needed SOMETHING to release in the next 12 months.

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