Note: I'll be pulling info from the "Xbox Community Content" article featured on Windows Central last year. Give it a read if you're interested for more details for Microsoft's, alleged, mod plans on console.
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-microsoft-exploring-bringing-mods-xbox-one
So with the news of an announcement for the Master Chief Collection coming at the WCC in March I recalled an article from last year that mentioned that mod support was something developers were going to get beta access to that month, last year. That's not to say 343i is going to announce mod support for the MCC at WCC, but it did get me back on a train of thought a lot of folk have had in the past year. Is mod support a future pillar of the Halo franchise?
Halo thrives on community content, even on console
With the original Halo featuring custom gametypes the series has continued to embrace the communities' drive to make tweaks to the Halo experience. Halo 2 expanded upon this (remember OXM gametypes?) and Halo 3 went wild with "Forge", a map editor that allowed for some really fun content. Since then there have had ups and downs but the current version of the Halo 5 Forge Editor is a powerful tool that creative folk are able to do amazing things with.
And that's not counting the amazing content from folk like Masterz1337 for Halo on PC (SPV3) but more on that later.
Mainline Halo is coming back to PC. Mouse and Keyboard are coming to console
As some people are keen to forget, Halo Infinite will be the first time a Halo FPS will launch simultaneously on PC and console. What better time to implement modding support than a PC Halo which can use the extra resources of the platform to go wild with mod tools. The same goes for official mouse and keyboard support on Xbox. That's a huge jump for map creation over just being limited to what a single controller can do.
343i Seems Interested
I was a bit surprised last year to learn that someone had been making strides with modding Halo Wars 2 but had even gotten support from folk at 343i saying that the more work done to the game, the easier the pitch for mod support can be made internally.
When ElDewrito was given the notice to cease development of the project Phil Spencer even tweeted out the following highlight that came from 343i's statement...
Bethesda proved mods work on console.
Fallout 4 and Skyrim Enhanced Edition were the proof that mods on console can not only work but that people are more than happy to use them there as well.
Microsoft is, apparently, building the infrastructure for it.
As stated in the article above Microsoft is allegedly building mod tools for their platform. From being using the marketplace to deliver content, user ratings, validation checks and being able to specifically define what within a game is moddable, this seems like it is could be a very powerful tool and something developers have apparently had access to for some time now.
From 2018...
The community is ready for powerful mod tools
No amount of modding tools are important if there isn't a community to use them and there is no better proof of the Halo modding community than Halo itself. Halo: CE (Custom Edition) launched on March 15, 2004 with no official support from the developer of the Halo PC port, Gearbox, but it has endured for years now with custom maps, levels, weapons, and so much more.
The fact that 343i is testing bringing some of that content into the MCC is exciting stuff. But how could it be delivered to the end-user? If there was ever a game that would be the perfect testbed for Microsoft's mod program on Xbox (and PC whenever MCC rolls out there) it'd be this collection. From the near infinite of content already available to the "flighting" program that exists with the MCC it seems a match made in heaven, especially if 343i has had a year to work with the Xbox mod tools.
Just thinking what the Halo community could do with tools not built in 2003, but instead something built into the Slipspace Engine is obviously exciting. Could it be what Halo: Infinite needs to take that big step forward for the FPS genre?
https://www.windowscentral.com/how-microsoft-exploring-bringing-mods-xbox-one
So with the news of an announcement for the Master Chief Collection coming at the WCC in March I recalled an article from last year that mentioned that mod support was something developers were going to get beta access to that month, last year. That's not to say 343i is going to announce mod support for the MCC at WCC, but it did get me back on a train of thought a lot of folk have had in the past year. Is mod support a future pillar of the Halo franchise?
Halo thrives on community content, even on console
With the original Halo featuring custom gametypes the series has continued to embrace the communities' drive to make tweaks to the Halo experience. Halo 2 expanded upon this (remember OXM gametypes?) and Halo 3 went wild with "Forge", a map editor that allowed for some really fun content. Since then there have had ups and downs but the current version of the Halo 5 Forge Editor is a powerful tool that creative folk are able to do amazing things with.
And that's not counting the amazing content from folk like Masterz1337 for Halo on PC (SPV3) but more on that later.
Mainline Halo is coming back to PC. Mouse and Keyboard are coming to console
As some people are keen to forget, Halo Infinite will be the first time a Halo FPS will launch simultaneously on PC and console. What better time to implement modding support than a PC Halo which can use the extra resources of the platform to go wild with mod tools. The same goes for official mouse and keyboard support on Xbox. That's a huge jump for map creation over just being limited to what a single controller can do.
343i Seems Interested
I was a bit surprised last year to learn that someone had been making strides with modding Halo Wars 2 but had even gotten support from folk at 343i saying that the more work done to the game, the easier the pitch for mod support can be made internally.
When ElDewrito was given the notice to cease development of the project Phil Spencer even tweeted out the following highlight that came from 343i's statement...
Bethesda proved mods work on console.
Fallout 4 and Skyrim Enhanced Edition were the proof that mods on console can not only work but that people are more than happy to use them there as well.
Microsoft is, apparently, building the infrastructure for it.
As stated in the article above Microsoft is allegedly building mod tools for their platform. From being using the marketplace to deliver content, user ratings, validation checks and being able to specifically define what within a game is moddable, this seems like it is could be a very powerful tool and something developers have apparently had access to for some time now.
From 2018...
The community is ready for powerful mod tools
No amount of modding tools are important if there isn't a community to use them and there is no better proof of the Halo modding community than Halo itself. Halo: CE (Custom Edition) launched on March 15, 2004 with no official support from the developer of the Halo PC port, Gearbox, but it has endured for years now with custom maps, levels, weapons, and so much more.
The fact that 343i is testing bringing some of that content into the MCC is exciting stuff. But how could it be delivered to the end-user? If there was ever a game that would be the perfect testbed for Microsoft's mod program on Xbox (and PC whenever MCC rolls out there) it'd be this collection. From the near infinite of content already available to the "flighting" program that exists with the MCC it seems a match made in heaven, especially if 343i has had a year to work with the Xbox mod tools.
Just thinking what the Halo community could do with tools not built in 2003, but instead something built into the Slipspace Engine is obviously exciting. Could it be what Halo: Infinite needs to take that big step forward for the FPS genre?
Last edited:
