The delay of Halo Infinite is disappointing, but it will benefit the game and Xbox in the long run - XboxEra

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Sums up my thoughts about the delay pretty well. 343i could have released the game but if it launched in a rough state I think it would have done a lot of harm to the brand and to the Series X itself.

It is best to give the team time and launch the game in a polished state.

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Yep, Polish it and release it day one with Ray Tracing. A buggy unpolished game could have killed the franchise and killed hype for the Series X.

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It will definitely benefit the game, but it leaves the new consoles in a bit of a pickle, imo. Mediocre launch titles are nothing abnormal but launching neck and neck with your competitor and having no flagship title is unprecedented.

Is The Medium a launch game?

I agree. I see delaying the game as a good sign for Xbox. I think one of Sony’s biggest strengths as a first party is that they aren’t afraid to delay their games until they’re truly ready. The fact that Microsoft is willing to delay the only big launch game for the Series X shows me that they will give this game the time it needs.

If it comes out and is good and polished people will forget all about the thin first party launch lineup. Halo has had its troubles under 343 and the last thing the brand (both Xbox and Halo) needs is another undercooked tentpole game.

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It certainly leaves Series X in a bit of a pickle that’s for sure, but it is ultimately the right decision. If Halo launched in a bad shape, then it would have done further damage to the console and the IP.

It pretty much comes down to price now. Microsoft could still have an ace up their sleeve if Lockhart is significantly cheaper than the PS5.

Also, yes. The Medium is a launch title and included on Gamepass as well. They also have the Ascent as well but that is not on Gamepass.

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I personally thought it was pretty obvious this would happen after the showcase. I made similar post in other threads. There is no way a Halo game should launch looking like that and without raytracing. This is for the best. Console warriors will make a big deal but this will be the best for people that will play the game.

It was the best option between two evils, launching XSX without a first-party title or launching Halo Infinite in a bad state and at a great human cost.

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Yeah, as soon as Chris Lee stated ray tracing would come after launch it was obvious the game was coming in ‘hot’ and the game honestly needed a delay. It is a tough decision and one that is not easy to make but the right one if Microsoft has any hope of Halo making a big splash when it launches.

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I think the bigger question now is, “what are they doing to bolster the launch line up?”

This delay is for the best, but they definitely need to pivot on their launch strategy. We may see them open the wallet for something exclusive to fill in the gap Halo left.

As others already said, MS had to choose between two evils. Both sucks and would damage the brand/marketing/narrative nevertheless of reasoning.

In the end, I’m ok with the delay, but disappointed with the first 6 months or year of Xbox

Welln to stay positive, at least there is now a big game in 2021 from Microsoft, and Ray Tracing will be there at launch.

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It’s basically too late at this point to get an exclusive game I would think. They could try and get a pack-in game like Cyberpunk or Assassin’s Creed to soften the blow though.

That makes sense, actually. I’m sure many devs have obligations to bring games to other platforms. Who knows then… it’s definitely something the Xbox team needs to work through.

They made the right choice. It’s been 5 years already, what’s another 6 months - year? This is Halo. That should mean something. Do whatever you have to do to make sure 343 polish that bad boy up real good, give it all the bells and whistles, reintroduce it, give it the biggest marketing campaign push, show what the power of xsx can do for Halo and blow everyone’s mind.

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So some people are saying that even other big AAA titles in recent years had lengthy delays, this one is horrific because its tied to a console launch and this DOOMS XSX.

Game dev crunch is real, delays are good for all.

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What is encouraging is the gameplay looked great and fun as hell and played smooth.

With more technical polish this game will be amazing. They nailed the more difficult part which makes the wait worth it.

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Flight Sim is highly probable to be launch title too btw.

Might be possible to get MP ready for launch. Wouldn’t count on it but isn’t out of the realm of possibility atm.

I think XSX and XSS will be big sellers no matter what. Multiplatform games playing best on it guarantees as much. Plus BC and some other launch games (Ascent, FlightSim?)…it will do just fine. :slight_smile:

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