I just think when we talk about what Microsoft wants and how things are perceived there is an assumption that things are going according to plan. Microsoft could have planned to have this and that (like they planned on not having an empty 2022) but reality is a different story. There typically aren’t back up plans when things change.
All that to say that the games are ready when they are ready, regardless of what Microsoft might have planned. So all I can do is judge based on what we see and what we hear.
Sure. I’m just saying I think these games are targeting that window, not that they will actually come out then. Fable could very easily be Spring 2025 or something. But I do believe Fall 2024 was the target when they showed it at E3.
No apology needed Zappy. It’s not that Gears doesn’t need some adjustments and fine tuning, I just don’t see them overhauling the game. Besides, they’re in heavy armor which is part of Gears. How would they move faster without removing the armor the characters wear?
I’m not concerned about gaining new fans because that’s what other games and new IP’s are for. Games like Gears and Halo should be re-imagined like God of War 2018 but at the same time, it shouldn’t lose what it actually is.
And of course, im NOT a co-op/MP gamer at all so if/when the day comes there’s no single player campaign for Gears or Halo, they’re done for me which I obviously don’t want to happen. I love Gears and Halo Infinite campaign was my 2021 goty and made me a fan of the franchise and 343. Would prefer them to keep giving me my campaigns. All the other stuff can still be there but not at the expense of the campaign.
After Gears 6, I agree as I want a Hivebusters trilogy but not bigger like Gears 5 open areas. Longer? Absolutely. Give me a (linear/wide linear like Tomb Raider at most) 15 hour 12 chapter campaign and I will be very happy.
I’m hyped for Avowed, Hellblade 2 and Towerborne so at least for me personally, 2024 wouldn’t be a step down at all. I’m loving Starfield which is on another level and Hi Fi is great but Redfall brought the overall year for me down in regards to Microsoft where as I don’t see the three games I have for 2024 being any less than great for me. So while Starfield is the blockbuster, overall, I think 2024 will be better, at least for me anyway. Can’t speak for others.
I really doubt it it. Right now I’m going with both Avowed and H2 for after summer next year. We’ve just seen so very little still. I guess that could change in a new dev direct early next year.
Fable? I say not a chance it’s 2024. They’d just put the year 2024 on it then last June, right?
But in the digital foundry interview (14:55), one of the developers said they see the game as a live title.
Nothing wrong with a live service in a sports multiplayer game, various events and content updates make a game fresh each time you play it and engage the community, assuming there’s no egregious monetization behind the model.
I love Halo and want it to thrive. I just don’t think having two of MS’ pinnacle studios working on IPs that are dwindling and appealing to fewer and fewer people is sustainable forever. At some point there either needs to be changes or I fear we lose those IPs.
Gears I’ve never really gelled with that much. I absolutely respect the fans of it and understand why they don’t want change.
I just fear without change gears will eventually die.
You don’t know with this industry. Maybe it’s a live service in the practice of ongoing support and addition of content, but they want to avoid naming it that so that you don’t expect the usual live service seasons, battle passes, and all that that is negative association to many people. They seem to prefer "platform ", maybe it’s basically the same. We’ll see.
If Gears 6 is 2025 then I hope we see a fairly significant change with the series. If they’re going open world, for example, then it makes sense.
If it’s another mostly linear experience, with some open areas between, then I expect visuals and story-telling presentation to set a new standard or something.
I couldn’t agree more with the suggestion (and rationale) of decoupling the campaigns and multi-player of Halo and Gears into separate products, but unfortunately I don’t think that will happen.
Imo Gears 6 should do three things:
Conclude the trilogy and make Kait a protagonist that players really love.
Shake up the gameplay in some way. There are cool genre-bending ways you can do this (e.g. inject survival horror elements) or you could overhaul certain systems in very Gears-y ways. Why not revamp the melee combat so you can chainsaw a dude’s arm off or have real lancer duels that require more from the player than just smashing the A button?
Controversial hot-take incoming: Destroy the gnasher meta in PvP. It does nothing but drive new players away. Gears 2 tried to offset the gnasher meta by adding stopping power to the lancer, and Gears 3 tried to do it by introducing new weapons like the retro lancer and sawed off shotgun. Unfortunately, wall-bouncing-gnasher players still completely dominate the PvP.
They should separate it, but Microsoft won’t get the luxury to do this. I feel if they were to do that then the media will concern troll about Microsoft removing features or not proving full package
Yeah unfortunately you are 100 percent right. It kinda crazy that people expect so much from Halo and Gears when most games just do singleplayer or just multi-player.
