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170°

Is Microsoft Grasping At Straws Now?

We're getting a new Gears Of War game. While this wasn't unpredictable at all, it does raise the question of quality. It seems all too common these days developers would rather stick to sequels, pumping out expansion packs at $60 a pop and then raking in the cash with DLC. But it only continues to push the boundaries, and there doesn't appear to be an end in sight. This follows a pattern that was set by Halo, Microsoft is more than ready to continue development on series' long after the original developers think the time has come to let the franchise die and move on.

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passionforgames.net
NYC_Gamer5098d ago

MS is just shifting support over to the next console that should be announced next year

BlindGuardian5098d ago

milking in not the problem, the problem is having too few cows to milk

because if you create new cows then you can milk them in the future

palaeomerus5098d ago Show
DigitalRaptor5097d ago (Edited 5097d ago )

Amusing to see palaeomerus back to his old tricks.

Talk smack about Sony's exclusives all you want. It has zero impact on the millions who love these games and IPs. Just cause they don't sell Halo, Uncharted or Gran Turismo numbers, and aren't household names means little to people who call themselves gamers.

"Few gamers" cared about Shadow of the Colossus, Ico, Okami and Beyond Good & Evil but no, i'm sure that those aren't beloved games... Surely... /s

user54670075097d ago

@palaeomerus

What are you talking about..."few gamers care about"

Hell they could announce MediEvil 3 and I would buy it day 1.....and that game franchise was back on the PS1. I still care for it

Kinect5097d ago

lmao so true. I don't blame MS if the fans want more gears, then why not just like PS fans are waiting for UC4 and Sony will definitely provide it.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5097d ago
rmedtx5098d ago

That's probably right NYC. But that doesn't mean they should stop supporting the 360. I'm sure a lot of people will want to keep it for some time before they can buy a 720. I hated when MS did that to the original Xbox. I was very disappointed...

MrMister5097d ago

Wow, such amazing insight you must have. I didn't know u worked there.

Snookies125098d ago

Lol, it's not only Microsoft... Still, they do need to learn when to let a series end gracefully. Halo 3 should have been the end to the Halo series, not saying Reach wasn't good, but now they're talking about making 3 more games? At a certain point it IS just milking it and there's no denying that whether you like a series or not.

Chuk55098d ago

So when the eventual MGS5 comes out will you say the same?

Snookies125098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

Probably yes, MGS 4 is where it should end. They had the perfect ending to the series.

This coming from someone who loves MGS almost as much as the GOOD Final Fantasy games.

Ethereal5098d ago

MGS5 will not be about snake. I agree that it ended perfectly and his story should remain complete.

fermcr5098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

How many Ratchets are there ? (a lot)

God of War ? (2 on PS2, 2 on the PSP, 4 on the PS3 including collections and new GOW)

Mario Brothers ? (to many to count)

Final Fantasy's ? (to many to count)

Call of Duty, Battlefield, FIFA, etc ? (a lot)
...

If the games are good, gamers will purchase them. Are there to many Halo's? No. There are gamers that want more.

Milking is a stupid word used by people that have no idea of what is business.

Genghis5098d ago

Totally agree. All companies like to make money. As long as they think it's something that the public will buy and hopefully enjoy, WHY THE HELL WOULD YOU NOT RELEASE ANOTHER SEQUEL???

iistuii5098d ago

Absolutely, if nobody bought them, they'd stop making them.Gears & Halo are great games that I & obviously millions of others can't get enough of, bring em on I say.

ChunkyLover535098d ago

So Microsoft needs to learn how to let a series die, but Sony doesn't? Your okay with God Of War 4? Uncharted 4? Killzone 4? Ratchet And Clank 5? or an Infamous 3? How are those not milked by your definition?

If people want the games, let them have the games. I honestly think people are more upset because they know it'll be a quality Xbox 360 exclusive that will sell well, than because they think the franchise is milked.

The only franchises close to being milked are COD, Assassins Creed, Battlefield, Fifa and Madden. Even so, they still come out with solid titles for those series from time to time.

GribbleGrunger5098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

i agree. if there's a market then feed it. i never understand this type of thinking. i never have and i never will. it's the same as when people want 'changes' to a game. you buy a particular game BECAUSE you know what you want and you know what you like, not because you want a different experience!

there is a slight 'but' though. i think the problem is that MS are RELYING too much on Halo and Gears. i don't think there's anything wrong with milking a franchise if there are other first party choices to be made.

Snookies125098d ago

That's exactly why I said "Microsoft isn't the only one".

HarryMasonHerpderp5098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

I think the problem with halo is that they released
to many games in a short time,they should spread it out a bit more.

As for MGS it ended on a high note with MGS4 let
it stay that way we don't need an MGS5.
Although i would still buy it anyway haha! hypocrite much!

BlackTar1875098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

yea if MGS4 was the last one i would be happy.

Personally SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

I wanted snake to die. i wanted ti to end when he didn't die i was sad. I love the game i love the charcter have for years but he was set to go and they didn't go thru with it.

@ harry yea i know :( i just kinda wanted to see it end or hear it . Just thougth MGS4 was such a masterpiece to a long time fan that it was enough to see it be the last Snake Adventure on HD consoles. Whatever though it's not like i won't play new ones :) just thought they had a chance to cap off an amazing thing with the amazing game is all

HarryMasonHerpderp5098d ago

Yeah but...

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER! he didn't have long left after all with fox die... =( SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER!

HarryMasonHerpderp5098d ago

Yeah kojima has said himself he wanted to kill snake off many times but he just couldn't do it!

I just hope they leave snake now and concentrate
on grey fox the cyborg ninja or big boss.
They could have epic storys with those guys!

aviator1895097d ago

Honestly, if the gamers enjoy further installments, what's the harm? They're just making the people who like those franchises happy. It' simple: if you want to buy it, buy it. if you don't want to buy it, don't.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5097d ago
Hicken5098d ago

Explain. Or are you just saying that because somebody's questioning Microsoft and you don't like that?

ALLWRONG5098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

All you have to do is read it. It's obvious damage control from some commenter here.

Hicken5098d ago

I don't know if I see it as damage control. What damage is the author trying to minimize? He makes a couple of assumptions- that it will likely entice fans but perhaps not be so appealing to the rest of us- but it's not like he's taking fanboy-motivated shots at Microsoft.

I wouldn't say it's the most articulate of articles, but it's not necessarily wrong, especially from the perspective of someone like me, who's very curious to see if Microsoft is going to give me enough reasons to want to buy a second system.

kevnb5098d ago (Edited 5098d ago )

its the state of the console industry right now. Too much reliance on market research on new ips, and way too worried about presenting some epic cutscene heavy plot that probably wont make any sense.
Why cant they learn from dark souls? From software did something they were passionate about, didnt waste millions of dollars on voice acting and other silliness, didnt slap us all in the face with a story but still had one (most gamers dont even care about story, but many do).

Ethereal5098d ago

Sony continues to investing in new IPs. The last of us comes to mind with others such as david cage's new title. Although I agree, more risks should be taken. This generation will be remember for the mass FPS's unfortunately.

vallencer5098d ago

The problem with taking risk are that no one, aside from you or me and some other people, will support the risk. People claim they want new different games and when something does come out no one supports it. Look at kingdoms. Yes I know it plays like other games but it is a new ip. And now the company is closed. Its a shame to see.

Ethereal5097d ago

You make a valid point. This topic can spawn an entirely new conversation of the "gamer" of today. I always look for new interesting IP's as I feel they push the industry forward. Too bad there are so few of us real gamers that respect games as a artistic medium left...

Grimhammer005098d ago

The problem isn't whether a game after many iterations should keep pumping out sequels....

The problem is when the central premise and characters no longer have anything meaningful to say. It's like books or movies......don't make a sequel unless you aim to be better than the original.
Often that means that the sequel is lucky to be as good as the original.

With MGS...it's not going to get better than great. Same applies to Halo.

What's worse is that many games come out with world or universe saving story lines - how do you follow up saving the universe like in Halo? I thought ODDT was a great example of how to do a one off follow up.

Reach was anti-climatic from day 1! Still fun, but was never going to be as good as the other Halo titles. (fps...not that rts abomination)

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180°

Halo art director leaves studio after 17 years with ominous message alluding to discontent

Glenn Israel writes: "As of today and after seventeen long years, I am officially no longer contributing to the Halo universe. There is little more I can say for the moment, though I intend to share this particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year. In the meantime, I have a message for anyone and everyone who needs to hear it.

I know that the state of our industry seems dire, but never forget that you are *free to choose*. No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values - and no one can force you to. Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong."

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linkedin.com
Bathyj218d ago

My god.
There's a story for next year.

VenomUK217d ago

I’m really disappointed to learn there are still people/morale problems. I thought the whole point of rebranding 343i to Halo Studios was to signal that real changes had been made - not to cynically rebrand to paper over the problems.

I really hope the Halo CE remake is great and gets people hyped for the future of the series.

DarXyde217d ago

It's inevitable with the modern landscape. Even if some issues have been assuaged, new ones crop up all the time.

I'm willing to bet AI and the lack of regulation is causing substantial upset.

shinXseijuro218d ago (Edited 218d ago )

He said something very marking . We tend to complain a lot about the industry but deep down I realize that we never have we been offered this crazy amount of games all available for you to play now . You can literally play any sorts of games in 2025 . Nobody is forcing you to buy the latest COD or the latest BF . You’re more of a 8 bit cozy gaming guy there’s a whole niche of modern games for that . You like micromanaging there’s games for that . I feel like we have been spoiled so much we just stopped being realistic and thinking for ourselves . We follow trends cry about stuff online when you are the buyer you have the power .

Notellin217d ago

I'm not buying any games until another Immersive sim is made.

PhillyDonJawn218d ago

....wth happened over there?
Does this confirm a new Halo by next year?
What did they want him to do that made him feel it was morally wrong or a insult to his integrity?

-Foxtrot218d ago

Well how about that, a name change doesn’t fix internal issues

Who would have thought

jznrpg217d ago

MS was throwing money around for a long time but now it’s time to pay the Piper.

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110°

Halo 4 & Halo 5: Guardians Sales Reached Nearly 10 Million Units Worldwide

Lifetime sales of 343 Industries' first-person shooters, Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, reached nearly 10 million units worldwide each.

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twistedvoxel.com
Sciurus_vulgaris308d ago

There were reports that Halo 4 and Halo 5 had similar sales to Halo: Reach years ago. The clickbait websites and rage bait YouTubers from 2012-2016 just wanted to spread excessive negativity about the franchise for their own benefit.

VenomUK307d ago

What did Halo: Infinite sell?

Sciurus_vulgaris307d ago

I don’t know. However, I would assume around 10 million. All the Halo FPS titles have done around 10 million sales, except ODST. Halo 3, was reported to exceed 14 million copies. I still remember back in 2007-2008, Halo 3 and COD 4 would duke it out for the most played XBL game.

MrNinosan307d ago

@Sciurus

There is NO WAY Infinite sold 10 million. Wake up dude.
Once upon a time, there was gamers on the Xbox side who actually bought games. Those times are since long gone.

Infinite has most likely not even hit 5 million sales

slate91307d ago

Nearly 10 million units and killing the brand is crazy work. Nicely done.

peppeaccardo307d ago

This New: Putting chocolate chips on top of a freshly made dog turd .....

1Victor307d ago

So let me get this straight in almost 13 years both games sold a combined 10 millions units.
Now I’m not going to use the obscured mentality and compared it to the amount of consoles sold and say it’s a failure 🤷🏿

thesoftware730307d ago (Edited 307d ago )

1Victor,

Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians, reached nearly 10 million units worldwide "each."

Read it again, there is a word in there that clears up your misunderstanding.

1Victor306d ago

@thesoftware720
I apologize I skimmed through the article and the headline blinded me and stuck in my mind thank you for the correction 👍👍

AuraAbjure307d ago (Edited 307d ago )

Halo 4 is the best multiplayer ever! It’s even better than Titanfall 2. I admit Halo 4 got CoDified but there’s nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other games sometimes and halo 4 did it sooooo well with that speed boost plus sword combo and SAW plus damage booth combo, holy guacamole 🥑

Some crucial improvements to halo 4 could’ve been to boost the power of the AA sentinel, and whenever matchmaking pits people against each other with an armor abilities turned off completely then the map needs to routinely spawn, plentiful, predictable, power weapons. Also, all frame rate drops are unacceptable for a halo game during split-split screen or couch co-op. Just dynamically scale the resolution of the game down but whatever happens don’t let the framer dip in a Halo game for the love of all that is holy and good!

My personal gameplay of getting 30 kills in a 4 v. 4 game of team slayer up to 60.

https://youtu.be/ZYDvior_K-...

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190°

OG Destiny artist recalls Bungie’s “disgruntled” reaction to Halo 4’s art style change

Original Destiny artist Darren Bacon recalls how Bungie reacted to the art style change of Halo 4 by 343 Industries.

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videogamer.com
Tacoboto389d ago

Bungie at that time became the most wonderful bunch of hypocrites in the gaming industry. Knowing this now, gosh the entitlement they felt was out of this world.

Nothing like buying yourself from Microsoft because you don't want to be the Halo Studio anymore, and the FIRST THING you do is sign your next IP over to Activision, for a DECADE, while they are in the middle of ousting the heads of Infinity Ward so they can exert even more control over COD while screwing out the devs at IW...

Should've come as no surprise then that Activision gutted the content of Destiny 1 before launch and was a horrible partner through Destiny 2, until history repeated itself and Bungie had to split from Activision only to wind up in the arms of another major conglomerate that also doesn't know how to handle these unmanageable devs.

Profchaos389d ago

Tti their credit they praised the technical abilities of 343 and I remember at the time thinking halo 4 was a huge graphical leap above reach everything else was rubbish when I actually got to play it but there was no doubt it looked good for the 360 and is probably the best looking game on the system.

But ultimately I think bungie has always had a leadership problem and going independent ultimately proved this it's only getting worse with studio heads being outed by Sony for abuse allegations seems like all bungies past success has been in spite of management not because of it.

But really I think the bungie we have today is not the same one we had in that Xbox era of Bungie

PhillyDonJawn389d ago

I liked the artstyle change. For the most part. Something looked worse but most of everything else looked better. Weapons and vehicles for sure. The wraith come to my mind instantly.
And how can they get mad when the bungie changed it with Halo Reach?

Sciurus_vulgaris388d ago

I know a lot of people dislike Halo 4’s arts style, but there’s thing about it I like and dislike. Personally, the Halo 4 design of Master Chief’s armour is my favourite depiction of the character’s armour.