Xbox fans were disappointed with the announcement that Halo Infinite, the latest game in the incredibly popular Halo video game series which was due for a holiday 2020 release, will be delayed till an unannounced date in 2021.
Halo is a sci-fi first-person shooter game that originally released on the first Xbox back in 2001. The franchise garnered praise and became a staple of the Xbox, exclusive to the console and PC.
Halo Infinite will be the sixth instalment in the long-running interstellar series, and expected to be Microsoft’s big exclusive launch title for the new Xbox Series X.
(Image: Microsoft)
Studio Head Chris Lee of Developer 343 Industries stated in a tweet on August 11 from the Halo account: “The decision to shift our release is the result of multiple factors that have contributed to development changes, including the ongoing COVID-19 related impacts affecting us all this year.”
Other titles have also been affected by the pandemic, including The Last of Us Part II from developer Naughty Dog which cited COVID-19 as the cause of delays to the now released epic zombie action game.
The delay will be a blow to Microsoft whose latest console, the Xbox Series X, will be released this November, going head-to-head with Sony’s PS5.
The loss of such a high profile first-party launch title could give the PS5 a large advantage and possible head start in sales in the new console generation.
Infinite received criticism from fans after a gameplay preview at Microsoft’s Xbox event back in July, with many stating the visuals looked last generation and not up to the standards expected of a new console.
(Image: Microsoft)
Chris also acknowledged the common practice of crunch, which is when developers are expected to put in much longer working hours, for no extra pay to ensure a game meets it’s scheduled release date: “It is not sustainable for the well-being of our team or the overall success of the game to ship it this holiday”.
He went on: “We know this will be disappointing to many of you and we all share in that sentiment. The passion and support the community has shown over the years has been incredible and inspiring.
“We wanted nothing more than to play our game with the community this holiday. The extra time will let us finish the critical work necessary to deliver the most ambitious Halo game ever at the quality we know our fans expect.”
Not having enticing launch titles can seriously hobble a system’s chance at the top spot, like Nintendo’s Gamecube back in 2001, where such a delay only added to its struggles to compete against the PS2 and original Xbox.
Sony has some impressive exclusive titles for the PS4 with games like Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part II and Spider-Man. These exclusive titles proved to be massive system sellers and can tip the console clash in their favour.
Xbox Game Pass is currently a huge success for the computer giant Microsoft but it remains to be seen if that success will carry over into the next generation of consoles.
Microsoft and Sony haven’t yet confirmed prices for either of their consoles and are waiting for their competitor to announce an RRP so they can undercut them.
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