[VGC] Halo Infinite developer concedes ‘the community is out of patience’

[Jawmuncher]

Halo Infinite developer concedes ‘the community is out of patience’ | VGC

“There’s a lot of work to do and most of it is going to take more time than most want”…

www.videogameschronicle.com

Community director Brian 'ske7ch' Jarrard posted to a reply to a Reddit user who said they wished 343 Industries would acknowledge that there have been issues that are delaying progress on new features for the game.

"There are indeed a lot of challenges and constraints," Jarrard responded. "We're certainly not happy to be unable to meet player and community expectations, it's a difficult situation that's going to take the team time to work through.

"Right now the focus is on Season 2 and we'll have more to share on that in the coming weeks. Meanwhile a lot of production planning, costing, planning, hiring, etc. is all happening which doesn't really lend to detailed regular updates.

"We understand the community is simply out of patience and frankly, I think understandably tired of words. We just need some time for the team to get the details sorted and then we can certainly share as much as we can."

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A lot more at the link.

Reading through, it sounds like everyone both Dev and Fan seems annoyed by the current state of affairs. Fans who aren't getting the kind of updates they want and devs having to deal with an overly negative fanbase as they likely work to make sure Season 2 is a big launch. I played a lot of Halo MP at launch, finished the battlepass, and fell off outside of events.

There's a solid base here that just needs more content which I'm willing to wait for (but I can understand the concern from fans as this isn't a particularly new phenomenon when it comes to waiting on word from 343). I've said it elsewhere but it is kind of odd seeing Halo not treated as the "#1 Xbox IP" most would assume it is. There wasn't even an event/promotion for Infinite with the release of the new show which just feels really off synergy wise (That's likely a whole other topic though)

With that said, reading the article does make me wonder about GAAS titles as a whole. There's so much competition out there now that you really have to be on top of your game or have a very large IP to keep a player base happy it seems. Especially with the biggest titles being F2P and easy to jump into at any moment. It brings into question how future companies will be able to compete.

 

[Defect]

I'm out of patience trying to find social matches.

 

[nexus]

It's sad because the core gameplay feels really good. My friends and I were obsessed for a few weeks then we just dropped off. Hopefully season 2 can revitalize the game.

 

[fourfourfun]

Feels a bit Anthem-y... developer not quite used to GaaS struggling to map their usual games to the model.

 

[MJForum Poster]

I took one look at the seasonal rewards and cosmetics for Halo Infinite multiplayer and felt like "Awesome, stuff I can totally ignore."

I play one or two matches a week. I like it as a multiplayer where I don't have to treat it like a job to keep up with everyone else. I can see why that is a negative to a lot of people, but it's working for my schedule.

The biggest mistake they made, however, was not having Forge ready for launch. That steady influx of community creations would've really helped them bridge this months long gap and alleviated some of the complaints about a lack of maps.

 

[ket]

Headline made me think the devs were lashing out at complaining fans

 

[Noppie]

It's just bizarre to me. This game was made as a GAAS. Six years of (troubled, I know) development time. Game delayed by a year, season 2 delayed even further and next to no new content in season 1. And they still need way more time for a solid stream of content.

I know the developers aren't happy with this either, but it's just bizarre.

 

[Arn]

It's a really good game with really good maps, let down by an overall lack of content and some wonky underlying systems.

Just goes to show how hard it is to land a hit in the multiplayer space, because ultimately I think from a pure gameplay point of view it'll be better than most multiplayer games released even this year and beyond. It's excellent, but has a terrible ranking system and a literal handful of maps so no matter how good that moment to moment game-feel is the average player is likely to move onto something else.

It's such an uneven game, some teams were absolutely flying and meeting deadlines whilst others were clearly well behind. I still have it in my rotation and enjoy it when it's all working well, but it needs four or five maps and some system overhauls.

 

[Tappin Brews]

Despite being hugely frustrated with the game, I really feel for 343. Heres hoping H.I. lives up to its potential in 2022

 

[MJForum Poster]

It's just bizarre to me. This game was made as a GAAS. Six years of (troubled, I know) development time. Game delayed by a year, season 2 delayed even further and next to no new content in season 1. And they still need way more time for a solid stream of content.

I know the developers aren't happy with this either, but it's just bizarre.

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I think after the disastrous summer 2020 showing, they knew they had a lot of work to do and it became, "What can we do to get campaign and multiplayer out the door for launch?" I still can't believe they launched without co-op campaign. The absence of that and Forge tells me they were rebuilding a huge chunk of the plane while still flying it.

 

[LewieP]

I don't really understand what anyone is talking about here. I play it regularly. It's a fun game. Cosmetics don't change anything, and that's how I like it.

 

[fourfourfun]

I play one or two matches a week. I like it as a multiplayer where I don't have to treat it like a job to keep up with everyone else. I can see why that is a negative to a lot of people, but it's working for my schedule.

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This is also good for me. Plus reading that you can play 100% bots and they are very good ones. I can basically craft myself a casual experience and enjoy it as and when.

 

[Remark]

Man they were just not prepared to make Halo GaaS. They should of just held out another year or two, make a more complete version of the game and stuck to DLC packs or something and I don't say this just for Halo I would honestly want the industry to just go back to DLC packs tbh.

This freemium model shit has sucked. CoD has just been doing ports of old maps to make up for content, BF2042 is.....BF 2042. I like the fact the population doesn't split due to everyone having the maps and shit but damn man the actual content itself has suffered. BF will probably never hit the heights of BF4 DLC map packs. Same with Halo going back to Halo 3 and Reach. Same with CoD and the old Season Passes like with Black Ops 2. The quality in post launch content for these games is just not there. The only game I know to have done it successfully in my opinion has been Fortnite.

 

[Spazerbeam]

At least they're aware. I'm fine with waiting though, I just won't be playing the game until they add some new content and make some fixes.

 

[UltimateHigh]

I'm sure the content will be there this year and it's not like I paid any money for it (well, battle pass), so waiting around for updates doesn't bother me much in the slightest.

it just might become a game I play for awhile every new season or maybe when it is content-rich, with more maps, modes and forge, it will be the only fps multiplayer I have much interest in. (it's kinda that anyway)

 

[etrain911]

I think this game came in way too hot. I think expectations would've been lower if they called the MP a beta or an early access release rather than marketing it as the complete experience (early access doesn't have to be a dirty word, it can be there to manage player expectations around things like co-op and the forge).

 

[srylain]

While I'd hate to see it, I can definitely see Gears 6 launching to the same exact problems (Gears 5 did too, but it had even worse problems since the launch was bungled). Game launches too early and without enough content to make people feel like they got enough with the base game, the season drops will be spread too far out and not contain enough new things, and then they spend the next couple years of post-launch support catching up to where they know they should've been when the game launched.

Maybe we'll get lucky and this extra year or two of development will actually mean something for the game, but if it continues at this rate it's clear Microsoft isn't learning and isn't giving their products the time they need to feel complete before being released. They do this with practically all of their software as well, so it'll take a lot for them to show they're actually improving and keep that going in the future.

 

[Fatoy]

I like the core gameplay of Infinite, but strip that out and you have a multiplayer game that released four and a half months ago and that hasn't seen a single new map since.

I've said this before, but I don't understand why 343 don't just port some old community favourite maps to Infinite. That has to be easier than whatever they're doing now.

 

[Indy in the Fridge]

Headline made me think the devs were lashing out at complaining fans

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They didn't lash out, but one 343 rep used the Ukrainian invasion as an excuse for why certain hotfixes hadn't been addressed. This was a few weeks ago.

Anyway, I've given 343i the benefit of the doubt since the game launched but I think I'm joining the chorus of those who are fed up with the lack of...anything. I don't know if its mismanagement or problems with their engine, but the studio has spent nearly 6 months digging a hole with limited options of ever getting out. Player numbers have stagnated or dropped, content is paltry, desync is still rampant, and the matchmaking rating system is in shambles.

But yeah Jared, you're right. I think everyone is sick of words. So what's the remedy? More words?

 

[Bxrz]

I'm out of patience trying to find social matches.

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The ranking/matchmaking system is so bad. Strict SBMM is the worst

 

[Jawmuncher]

I don't really understand what anyone is talking about here. I play it regularly. It's a fun game. Cosmetics don't change anything, and that's how I like it.

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We're passed it being about cosmetics now. A lot of the issue comes from a lot of little things building up that take a long time to get resolved compared to other F2P GAAS MP titles. It's all just a case of Halo being a big IP yet the updates and content feel like they're from a small dev team.

Not every GAAS title can be Fortnite but Halo is perceived as such a large IP that people expect a lot more from it.

 

[hwalker84]

It's sad because the core gameplay feels really good. My friends and I were obsessed for a few weeks then we just dropped off. Hopefully season 2 can revitalize the game.

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2 new maps on an already barebones game isn't going to revitalize anyone.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Honestly by the time they actually have meaningful new content to drop, will anyone but the hardest of the hardcore faithful still be playing? That's the problem with these GaaS games that stumble right out of the gate - it's VERY HARD to get people BACK after they drop your game.

2 new maps on an already barebones game isn't going to revitalize anyone.

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Seriously. The map rotation is already as anemic as it is and two maps isn't going to be enough to fix that, especially when BTB is as miserable as it is right now.

 

[Rodelero]

The multiplayer side of the game was released significantly too early. Everybody loses in this scenario. The playerbase loses, the developers lose, and the people responsible for rushing the launch (presumably individuals at the top of 343i and Microsoft) lose too. It's product management entirely oriented around short term thinking.

It's not unrecoverable, Halo isn't dead, but they have wasted an opportunity to put the franchise back on the map.

But yeah Jared, you're right. I think everyone is sick of words. So what's the remedy? More words?

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Sadly this is the kind of PR that results from an inability to tell the unvarnished truth -- they'll never explitly admit that they released the game in an unfinished state. The only 'fix' to this is time and hard work, so while I do think 343i would have benefitted from more apologetic community relations from the off, there's nothing to be done now but wait.

 

[Bunkem]

I really wanted to stuck with HI but the lack of maps and busted matchmaking gradually wore me out. It's a pity, cos I find the core gameplay super fun.

 

[pswii60]

Why didn't they think about this and plan ahead during the many, many years it was in development?

It's almost like after years of development hell they didn't expect it to be the huge success it was at launch, and now they've squandered that momentum.

 

[Mukrab]

I don't really understand what anyone is talking about here. I play it regularly. It's a fun game. Cosmetics don't change anything, and that's how I like it.

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Cosmetics are the least of my concerns. How about fixing really minor stuff that has been in the game since launch like the mouse wheel not behaving properly? How about the social features from every previous game being non existent? How about game modes? How about a proper ranked? How about what they promised and couldnt deliver, like a roadmap in january?

 

[Eamon]

Halo Infinite will be a case study in the textbooks in how to utterly fail to support a live service oriented title.

 

[Renna Hazel]

They didn't lash out, but one 343 rep used the Ukrainian invasion as an excuse for why certain hotfixes hadn't been addressed. This was a few weeks ago.

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How exactly are these two things related?

 

[NediarPT88]

Just checked how this game was performing on Steam... and it's pretty much dead there?

Forza Horizon 5 had more average players in the last month and that's a paid game.

 

[AImalexia]

Is this the blogpost they talked about yesterday?

 

[Ascenion]

They basically burned all the goodwill they earned. Game launched in December. It's April. Not a single new map, no new weapons, same tired ass season pass most people have completed. Still issues with challenges just being designed poorly for the game. Promises upon promises. And this is on top of the game launching unfinished. I just expected more.

 

[Glass]

It's all gone very wrong for Infinite. Not sure whether the issue is with 343 structurally or the engine being horrible to work on, or both.

 

[Necromorph]

I played the game when i got my SX and idk, the main campaign can be the most boring FPS i played since a long time and the MP it simply works randomly, without the list i liked from the past games and the GAAS elements are awful.

 

[Hyun Sai]

Just checked how this game was performing on Steam... and it's pretty much dead there?

Forza Horizon 5 had more average players in the last month and that's a paid game.

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Well, I imagine numbers must be much better on Xbox anyway ?

 

[DontHateTheBacon]

Well, I imagine numbers must be much better on Xbox anyway ?

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Must they?

 

[SCUMMbag]

Certainly a breakdown in project managed. I feel for both the devs and the fans.

If Season 2 launches and when they say it will and those new maps release day one, Halo: Infinite's map release cadence will be on par with Halo 2's.

That's wild given the expectation around multiplayer games today compared to 2004.

 

[NediarPT88]

Well, I imagine numbers must be much better on Xbox anyway ?

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Probably. Only mentioned Steam because it's easy to see that info and from what I remember the multiplayer had a really great launch there.

 

[Yuuber]

Why didn't they think about this and plan ahead during the many, many years it was in development?

It's almost like after years of development hell they didn't expect it to be the huge success it was at launch, and now they've squandered that momentum.

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Absolutely. Halo Infinite was off to a great start, but the lack of updates have slowyly been killing the community.

It's a shame. It could have been one of the biggest games in years...

 

[RoKKeR]

Whole thing is a bummer. Core is so good but everything else around it is severely under baked.

 

[EvilBoris]

Should have just made it a BR game instead, you can get away with having only one map that way

 

[Indy in the Fridge]

How exactly are these two things related?

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I was just suggesting that, although it didn't occur in this instance, 343i reps have a history of skirting addressing issues by blaming unrelated events. The rep even came back with an apology because his initial reply--using the war in Ukraine as an excuse--was snarky and inappropriate towards a single user having asked a question.

If you've followed this trainwreck, you'll find that 343i's PR is not that great and there have been multiple incidences in which their PR comes off as condescending or dismissive.

 

[MouldyK]

I don't really understand what anyone is talking about here. I play it regularly. It's a fun game. Cosmetics don't change anything, and that's how I like it.

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I think the community are annoyed because:

• Cosmetics were free and in greater numbers in previous Halos.
• Key modes such as Infection and King of the Hill are still not in the game.
• Weekly Challenges are usually the same Emblem 3 times:
  • Vehicle Emblem
  • Armour Emblem
  • Gun Emblem
• Promised a Roadmap was Joe Staten's Top Priority in January...we are now in April.
• 7 Arena Maps and 3 BTB at Launch is a low number...not to mention that they took one of the maps out of Ranked because it was not great to play on.
• Season 2 is looking to have 1 more Arena Map and 1 BTB Map, after 6 months without Content.
• Match-Making is broken at times, going as far as BTB Games start out as 2 vs 2 at times.
• Campaign Co-Op doesn't look like it will be in Season 2.
• Forge might be in Season 3 still, but who knows.
• The way they have Weeklies set up means that people quit a lot of games. I think I read a story where someone needed 3 Stockpile Wins last week and played 41 Full Matches or something, 7 of which were Stockpile...so no wonder some people quit games...

Here:

Wanted to share some info for how impossibly grind-y and long this weeks Ultimate challenge was for me. I prioritize challenges, but not in a way that ignores my teammates, and don't quit out of games that don't match.

This week it took 41 Arena matches to unlock the final Ultimate Challenge. This is fine by me, as I knocked them out in the usual first two days (though having maxed out the battle pass already, these didn't contribute anything to the progression). I would have played this amount of Halo either way, so this all works out for me.

However, it took an additional 41 matches of Big Team Battle to secure Two Stockpile wins. Big Team Battle rounds each last 15+ minutes which at a lowball places the time spent JUST ON THE FINAL ULTIMATE CHALLENGE at over 10 hours.

Am I an idiot for grinding 82 matches somewhere in the ballpark of 15-17 hours for an Armor Emblem that is nearly invisible with my armor coating?

Obviously I am.

I really like playing this each week, and for the most part love the structure that challenges provide, but the ones that require you to grind out a mode you don't have any control over the selection of feels super demoralizing. Of the 41 BTB rounds, only 7 of them were Stockpile, and 5 of those had my teammates playing it like slayer. It just feels extremely disrespectful of the players time.

Stoked to start back fresh on tuesday tho.

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Don't get me wrong, it's a fun game, but the content currently on offer is pretty limited. And going "It's just Cosmetics" is fine and all, but it still traps people into a system of FOMO like that...and I say that with 189 Hours, 1,197 Games and 47 DNFs, over half of which were the game crashing and the others me not wanting to spend 15 minutes on a Game Type which didn't push me forward.


Minus the 5 or so Tenrai Events we've had..this is the Timeline since Launch:

Reddit - Dive into anything

www.reddit.com

 

[Rodelero]

Well, I imagine numbers must be much better on Xbox anyway ?

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It's 15th in the US and 27th in the UK on the Most Played charts. So a lot better than on Steam, but still not great.

343i did everything imaginable to expand their potential audience for this game. The SP is on Game Pass PC & Xbox. The MP is free-to-play. It's on PC, and Xbox One, and Xbox Series S|X. It's available on Steam. It should be extremely popular compared to previous Halo games, but while it has had more players total, I'm not sure engagement is that different to what I remember of Halo 5.

 

[Fatoy]

Why didn't they think about this and plan ahead during the many, many years it was in development?

It's almost like after years of development hell they didn't expect it to be the huge success it was at launch, and now they've squandered that momentum.

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Seriously. Was nobody making maps while everything else was being ironed out for launch? Did nobody consider looking at porting classic maps from any of the past Halo games?

Neither of those are unpredictable things. Say what you like about Call Of Duty, but the studios working on it are at least being assigned to create what players want: more content over time. And they often raid the back catalogue to make that happen. There's zero logical reason that 343 couldn't have done the same.

Someone, somewhere in their offices had Zanzibar open in the level editor at some point in 2020 or 2021. Why not just let them finish remaking it?

 

[Miniature Kaiju]

The only 'fix' to this is time and hard work, so while I do think 343i would have benefitted from more apologetic community relations from the off, there's nothing to be done now but wait.

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The way out is the NMS strat: shut up, work hard and deliver new, more, better content consistently for quite a while. Prioritize things that you can deliver fast and have a large impact first, and do it as soon as possible.

 

[Transistor]

I'm out of patience for co-op, in all honestly. I've played every Halo (except 5) at launch with my friend. Infinite was the first time I played through the campaign alone. At this point, I don't even really care to run through it again with him. We've both played it by now so the point is moot.

 

[vixolus]

Is this the blogpost they talked about yesterday?

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No

 

[Prime2]

Seriously. Was nobody making maps while everything else was being ironed out for launch? Did nobody consider looking at porting classic maps from any of the past Halo games?

Neither of those are unpredictable things. Say what you like about Call Of Duty, but the studios working on it are at least being assigned to create what players want: more content over time. And they often raid the back catalogue to make that happen. There's zero logical reason that 343 couldn't have done the same.

Someone, somewhere in their offices had Zanzibar open in the level editor at some point in 2020 or 2021. Why not just let them finish remaking it?

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You realise cod is a ten studio team right ? They all work on that and even the cod fans aren't happy these days with the state of their game.

 

[GaussianMultivariate]

As an armchair player, I'm still wondering why 343 is struggling so much with it? Is it lack of personnel? Are they dealing with other stuff that's not Halo Infinite (they mentioned something about planning and such), are they lacking funding, human power, technical expertise, leadership, or focus to produce new content?