Halo Infinite Was Almost Shipped In Different Pieces Before Delay
Before deciding to delay Halo Infinite until next year, Microsoft toyed with the idea of releasing the game piecemeal. The newest installment of the premiere Xbox FPS franchise was put on hold after negative fan feedback when it was shown off at the Xbox Games showcase last month.
When developer 343 Industries unveiled up to 8 full minutes of Halo Infinite gameplay during the July Xbox event, viewers complained that the game's graphics looked underwhelming for what was supposed to be a next-gen title, as well as the game footage shown not really offering anything new to fans who have already played the previous Halo entries many times over by now. 343 has since assured those fans that they are taking these criticisms to heart and that they, along with production complications brought on by the recent COVID-19 outbreak, were the deciding factors in Infinite’s recent delay. However, it turns out that moving the game’s release date back wasn’t the first solution that Microsoft suggested.
According to VG 24/7, Xbox head Phil Spencer revealed in a recent interview with writer and game journalist Gary Whitta that Microsoft briefly considered releasing Halo Infinite in separate chunks instead of postponing the game outright. As Spencer tells it, studio leaders debated the issue for a full 24 hours before deciding against it, claiming that it didn’t feel like “the Halo release that we would want.” He also took a moment to apologize to fans for the Halo Infinite delay, stating that it was not a decision that he or the people at 343 Industries took lightly.
So far, players that were looking forward to Halo Infinite have been taking this delay surprisingly well, showing their support for 343 and Microsoft by sharing humorous memes of Craig the Brute, an enemy character that has gained a great deal of notoriety on the internet over the past few weeks due to his grumpy and poorly rendered facial expression. One factor that might be making the news of Halo Infinite’s postponement easier to swallow is Microsoft reassuring players that it will not be affecting the release of the Xbox Series X, which is now slated to arrive on store shelves sometime in November.
It isn’t clear how Halo Infinite would have been separated had the original idea to release it piecemeal been carried out. Perhaps the game would have had its multiplayer released separately from its single-player, or its story campaign would be told in separate installments like the recent Final Fantasy VII Remake. Regardless, Phil Spencer and 343 Industries should be commended for their willingness to listen to fan feedback and hopefully improve Halo Infinite in the way that they feel will lead to the best game possible, even if it means that those fans will have to wait until next year to play it.
Source: VG 24/7