Halo Infinite dev: we hear your complaints about the game

[midian182]

A hot potato: Microsoft proudly showed off Halo Infinite during its recent Xbox Games Showcase, but the reaction wasn't universal praise. The game looked far from next-gen, with flat graphics, blocky backgrounds, cartoonish visuals, and more. It prompted Microsoft to defend the Xbox Series X launch title. Now, one of Infinite's developers has responded, promising that the complaints are not falling on deaf ears.

Following the mixed response to the Halo Infinite reveal, Xbox Marketing Manager Aaron Greenberg reminded people that the world is in the middle of a pandemic, and we're seeing an in-progress game that's still several months away from its launch date. He also advised people to watch the 4K/60fps video of the game in action, and not make a judgment based on the 1080p stream.

Replying to a Twitter user, Halo Infinite's narrative experience director, Dan Chosich, gave his reaction to the criticism. "I've been in your shoes. I know what it's like to have expectations built + feel let down," he said. "I want you to know your voice matters + is heard. You're not falling on deaf ears. I always want to live up to the legacy that Bungie pioneered. I personally care a lot about honoring that."

I’ve been in your shoes. I know what it's like to have expectations built + feel let down. I want you to know your voice matters + is heard. You're not falling on deaf ears. I always want to live up to the legacy that Bungie pioneered. I personally care a lot about honoring that.

— Dan Chosich (@DanChosich) July 25, 2020

In addition to the Xbox Series X, Halo Infinite is coming to the standard Xbox One and PC, which might go some way to explaining its less than spectacular graphics. Whether 343 Industries can improve the game to a level that pleases fans before its release remains to be seen, but it should look better post-release, thanks to the planned ray tracing update.

Don't worry Chief, Domino's always delivers ? #HaloInfinite pic.twitter.com/IBbRD6Fh4n

— Domino's Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) July 27, 2020

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https://www.techspot.com/news/86191-halo-infinite-dev-hear-complaints-about-game.html

 

[krizby]

Microsoft might as well call it Halocraft RTX at this point...

 

[Irata]

That‘s the proper way to react. Cudos.

 

[m4a4]

*Sigh* they shouldn't give attention to the people who are over-exaggerating. The outspoken gamers these days just sound like children. Was it their best showing for a demo? No. Am I going to whine about a game that's still months out because of that? No.
What they should do is show MP this next month and have it a bit more polished so they can go "see? decent graphics". Or better yet, stop bringing attention to it lol

I swear people are just being dramatic these days because they're bored of COVID...

 

[kira setsu]

*Sigh* they shouldn't give attention to the people who are over-exaggerating. The outspoken gamers these days just sound like children. Was it their best showing for a demo? No. Am I going to whine about a game that's still months out because of that? No.
What they should do is show MP this next month and have it a bit more polished so they can go "see? decent graphics". Or better yet, stop bringing attention to it lol

I swear people are just being dramatic these days because they're bored of COVID...

exactly, the game looked fun to me and thats what matters most, if youre buying a game to study textures youre dealing with the wrong hobby.

I get players want graphics to the max but are they willing to pay for the work that comes with that request? from all the bs that devs come up with to pay for these games I'd say no. this next gen is pretty dull so far from what I've seen, the constant talk about graphics is boring, show me some fun games at some point, which halo infinite looked be one of.

 

[arrowflash]

Halo Infinite is looking like an early Xbox 360 launch title for the most part - only resolution and geometry/polycount could pass as current gen. People have made side by side comparisons and Halo 3 objectively looks much better.

I can understand that some people are unhealthily obsessed with graphics and I don't condone that, but isn't there a point we draw the line (at least for AAA games)? The Halo Infinite situation is ridiculous and if graphics are so unimportant, its apologists should just go back to playing Atari 2600 and take their Nvidia TNTs and Voodoo 3 out of the closet.

 

[Evernessince]

*Sigh* they shouldn't give attention to the people who are over-exaggerating. The outspoken gamers these days just sound like children. Was it their best showing for a demo? No. Am I going to whine about a game that's still months out because of that? No.
What they should do is show MP this next month and have it a bit more polished so they can go "see? decent graphics". Or better yet, stop bringing attention to it lol

I swear people are just being dramatic these days because they're bored of COVID...

There have been reports, and supporting evidence from employees themselves, that the game is in development hell.

 

[sawtx]

*Sigh* they shouldn't give attention to the people who are over-exaggerating. The outspoken gamers these days just sound like children. Was it their best showing for a demo? No. Am I going to whine about a game that's still months out because of that? No.
What they should do is show MP this next month and have it a bit more polished so they can go "see? decent graphics". Or better yet, stop bringing attention to it lol

I swear people are just being dramatic these days because they're bored of COVID...

Sounds like you don't understand the criticism. It's being criticized because the game has been in production for 5 years, is the big franchise for the console, and THAT was their big reveal. They already know what they can do before launch (already said that ray tracing will be patched in later) so this should have been what they expect it to look like and even the 4k trailer wasn't impressive. When people say it looks like a 360 game they are over exaggerating but there have been several open world games that look better than anything they showed.

If you want to talk about gameplay being more important than graphics I'll agree, but I don't think it looked all that great from a gameplay perspective. The thing is a ton of people will play Halo for single player/co-op and graphics matter, you don't want the first steps onto a Halo to be ruined by a blocky, ugly Phantom that makes unnatural movements. Sorry but when a big moment has me laughing at how bad it is instead of me being impressed, the devs messed up and if they let that slide what else are they letting slide.

Some people just don't understand that criticism is needed and ignoring it will just lead to a bad game.

 

[m4a4]

Sounds like you don't understand the criticism. It's being criticized because the game has been in production for 5 years, is the big franchise for the console, and THAT was their big reveal. They already know what they can do before launch (already said that ray tracing will be patched in later) so this should have been what they expect it to look like and even the 4k trailer wasn't impressive. When people say it looks like a 360 game they are over exaggerating but there have been several open world games that look better than anything they showed.

If you want to talk about gameplay being more important than graphics I'll agree, but I don't think it looked all that great from a gameplay perspective. The thing is a ton of people will play Halo for single player/co-op and graphics matter, you don't want the first steps onto a Halo to be ruined by a blocky, ugly Phantom that makes unnatural movements. Sorry but when a big moment has me laughing at how bad it is instead of me being impressed, the devs messed up and if they let that slide what else are they letting slide.

Some people just don't understand that criticism is needed and ignoring it will just lead to a bad game.

...What are you talking about. I'm calling out the over-exaggeration and whining about the graphics (like above) as childish and should be ignored. I'm not talking about other criticism. I never implied the game as a whole looked perfect.

As for the 5 years, they built a new engine from the ground up to support this game for the next 10 years. Last I checked, that's a big feat.

 

[m4a4]

There have been reports, and supporting evidence from employees themselves, that the game is in development hell.

Yeah, I've heard things here and there. Maybe it will be telling of the quality on launch day, maybe it won't.

But at the least, regardless of the reception, I can get gamepass and decide if it's the style of game I want to play at launch and for as long as they provide content...

 

[Evernessince]

Yeah, I've heard things here and there. Maybe it will be telling of the quality on launch day, maybe it won't.

But at the least, regardless of the reception, I can get gamepass and decide if it's the style of game I want to play at launch and for as long as they provide content...

They've had problems were the repository has locked devs out for weeks. I very much doubt the game is going to be overflowing with content.

 

[Carlos GarPov]

IT LET ME DOWN indeed. I saw a super lousy former former taken-to-maximum level graphics engine. This was like unreal engine 2 pushed as far as possible to build a "Next Gen Unreal Engine 5 game". Shame on you Microsoft I was planning to buy an XBOX Series X, but it seems you are not taking your job seriously.

Ahhh By the way, I know halo uses it own graphics engine, not UE. I used unreal engine with the purpose of explaining to a wide range of new gamers.

 

[Xex360]

Whether the game is good or not is not the point of the reveal, but the showcase a new console and new technologies, from that point they failed miserably, they could've just said this was an Xbox One X version and be done with it.
We can't dismiss other people's criticism as childish, each one of us has his/her own factors for liking a game, for some it's the story, others the gameplay, the level design and for some how it looks.

 

[MaxSmarties]

Domino’s advertising is great, lol

 

[Burty117]

As for the 5 years, they built a new engine from the ground up to support this game for the next 10 years. Last I checked, that's a big feat.

Aren't you someone who comments on the Star Citizen stories claiming 8 years of development is more than enough to create 3 studios, a game engine and an entire franchise from scratch?

Yet 5 years isn't enough to just continue a franchise with an already established studio at the helm?

Right...

 

[m4a4]

Aren't you someone who comments on the Star Citizen stories claiming 8 years of development is more than enough to create 3 studios, a game engine and an entire franchise from scratch?

Yet 5 years isn't enough to just continue a franchise with an already established studio at the helm?

Right...

Umm... no.....

I'm not one of those trolls who says stuff like this magically happens in a short time-span.

But, nice try?

 

[Burty117]

Umm... no.....

I'm not one of those trolls who says stuff like this magically happens in a short time-span.

But, nice try?

My bad, thought I remembered your username from the Star Citizen stories complaining it's taking too long. I was in Scotland when I was commenting and signal wasn't good enough to go and check.

 

[nulll]

So long as the gameplay is tight (as in a rock solid 60fps at least, 120 maybe?) and the weapons feel right to use I'm quite content with a more minimalist graphics style. I've been playing through Halo 1&2 with my fiancee lately and we simply use the original graphics setting with the MCC on an xbox one x to have a nearly locked 60fps. Plays great and its just a fun as it was playing couch coop with friends back in the day during Uni.

I would love to see a variation of the MA5B and the M6D but I've enjoyed most of the weapons in Halo over the years so I'm also open to new variations on the established themes.

 

[Alfatawi Mendel]

It looks like a game from 2010 - if not before.
Water that looks like sheet ice. Grass and trees that don't move. Totally improbable physics.
Shoot run. shoot run.
Is this the sum of Microsofts gaming ambitions in 2020?
Jesus wept.