Yesterday, 343i confirmed the community's fears that color customization will be replaced by a shader system that mimics Destiny 2. That confirmation comes after they let us fester in a sea of ambiguity not just regarding armor customization but regarding every single feature in the game. The removal of color customization is just the tip of the iceberg that is Halo Infinite.
The game was in development for five years, which is two years longer than most Halo games. These five years were completely, worryingly silent. Big statements were made after the game was revealed. "It's a soft reboot", they said. "It has a brand new, next gen engine" they said. Remarks were made that implied but did not confirm that this game is open world (a matter which they have not cleared up to this day). And then, silence.
Where are the days that 343i promised fans will help shape future titles? Where are the days 343i promised that every game of theirs will have a Beta test?
The gameplay demo is revealed in the Xbox Showcase and, big surprise, a big group of people don't like it. It's not just that the graphics felt several years old when we were expecting to see the next generation, it's that there was nothing truly spectacular about that demo. It kind of looked like Halo, a weirder, graphically unimpressive Halo, but nothing about the demo got the fans excited. Does that mean the game is a complete failure? Hell no. It still looked okay.
343i, you chose to show us a boring section of the game, and that was a mistake. Showing us gameplay was *not* a mistake. You should have shown us gameplay a long time ago. We should have had a Beta by now, and you know this. Instead we had bottled-up silence.
So people don't like the demo, and 343i retreat back into their silent state. Do you know what this looks like? It looks like even you don't believe in your game anymore. It looks like you think that whatever it is you have been doing for five years is an embarrassment not just to yourself and your fans but to the entire Xbox brand. Show some initiative, for God's sake! Show us the game you created. Yes, we'll judge it. Yes, if it's full of more bad decisions like these shaders, we will complain - because that's how it's got to be. A dialogue.
The less you show, the more concerned the fans get. The less you show, the more embarrassing the reveal will be in the end (let's not wait for a promotion to reveal your hand again, shall we?). You knew the fans wouldn't like that you removed the customizable colors, you even said as much in yesterday's update. So why did you keep it to yourself for so long? Why not release a video that explains exactly how customization works in Halo Infinite, the good and the bad? Now all we have is the bad, we don't know any of the good features you added to customization.
Stop waiting for the last possible moment. Stop making choices that you know most of the fandom won't appreciate. And, for the love of all things Halo, start communicating.
For your convenience, I'll add a list of the community's most pressing concerns. If anyone wants to add something to the list, leave a reply here.
1. What are we actually paying for? 60 dollars just for the campaign?
2. Is the Campaign open world or not? No ambiguous answers.
3. Elaborate on the meaning of Free to Play Halo multiplayer. Are we getting a similar offering to what we've seen before, or will it be completely different?
4. Microtransactions. We want to know exactly how you plan to monetize this Free to Play multiplayer.
5. What do you mean when you say Infinite is a platform that will last ten years? Please, answer without useless adjectives and just explain what it means.
6. Release a video that shows how customization works in Halo Infinite. Prove to us that, despite stripping away the most basic feature, we should still be excited about Infinite's armor customization.
7. Set a date for the Beta and flighting programs. Forget the release date.
Added per request:
8. Why is Halo now rated T? Is it no longer targeted at a mature audience?
Lastly, 343i, it's important that you'll understand we ALL want you to succeed. We all want to love Infinite. But we're not fools. We know there has been trouble in the game's development, that's painfully clear. Help us help you make this the game it needs to be. All we need from you is clarity and good will.
With love,
The Halo Community
The game was in development for five years, which is two years longer than most Halo games. These five years were completely, worryingly silent. Big statements were made after the game was revealed. "It's a soft reboot", they said. "It has a brand new, next gen engine" they said. Remarks were made that implied but did not confirm that this game is open world (a matter which they have not cleared up to this day). And then, silence.
Where are the days that 343i promised fans will help shape future titles? Where are the days 343i promised that every game of theirs will have a Beta test?
The gameplay demo is revealed in the Xbox Showcase and, big surprise, a big group of people don't like it. It's not just that the graphics felt several years old when we were expecting to see the next generation, it's that there was nothing truly spectacular about that demo. It kind of looked like Halo, a weirder, graphically unimpressive Halo, but nothing about the demo got the fans excited. Does that mean the game is a complete failure? Hell no. It still looked okay.
343i, you chose to show us a boring section of the game, and that was a mistake. Showing us gameplay was *not* a mistake. You should have shown us gameplay a long time ago. We should have had a Beta by now, and you know this. Instead we had bottled-up silence.
So people don't like the demo, and 343i retreat back into their silent state. Do you know what this looks like? It looks like even you don't believe in your game anymore. It looks like you think that whatever it is you have been doing for five years is an embarrassment not just to yourself and your fans but to the entire Xbox brand. Show some initiative, for God's sake! Show us the game you created. Yes, we'll judge it. Yes, if it's full of more bad decisions like these shaders, we will complain - because that's how it's got to be. A dialogue.
The less you show, the more concerned the fans get. The less you show, the more embarrassing the reveal will be in the end (let's not wait for a promotion to reveal your hand again, shall we?). You knew the fans wouldn't like that you removed the customizable colors, you even said as much in yesterday's update. So why did you keep it to yourself for so long? Why not release a video that explains exactly how customization works in Halo Infinite, the good and the bad? Now all we have is the bad, we don't know any of the good features you added to customization.
Stop waiting for the last possible moment. Stop making choices that you know most of the fandom won't appreciate. And, for the love of all things Halo, start communicating.
For your convenience, I'll add a list of the community's most pressing concerns. If anyone wants to add something to the list, leave a reply here.
1. What are we actually paying for? 60 dollars just for the campaign?
2. Is the Campaign open world or not? No ambiguous answers.
3. Elaborate on the meaning of Free to Play Halo multiplayer. Are we getting a similar offering to what we've seen before, or will it be completely different?
4. Microtransactions. We want to know exactly how you plan to monetize this Free to Play multiplayer.
5. What do you mean when you say Infinite is a platform that will last ten years? Please, answer without useless adjectives and just explain what it means.
6. Release a video that shows how customization works in Halo Infinite. Prove to us that, despite stripping away the most basic feature, we should still be excited about Infinite's armor customization.
7. Set a date for the Beta and flighting programs. Forget the release date.
Added per request:
8. Why is Halo now rated T? Is it no longer targeted at a mature audience?
Lastly, 343i, it's important that you'll understand we ALL want you to succeed. We all want to love Infinite. But we're not fools. We know there has been trouble in the game's development, that's painfully clear. Help us help you make this the game it needs to be. All we need from you is clarity and good will.
With love,
The Halo Community
