670°

Microsoft Makes Mistake With Halo 4

Microsoft announced today that the next installment in the Halo “trilogy” Halo 4 will be released on November the 6th of this year. The release day manages to miss some of the holiday seasons biggest games, Borderlands 2, Bioshock Infinite, Assassin’s Creed 3, and Medal of Honor: Warfighter. The date is also on the same day as the US presidential election, meaning that the voting turnout will be a lot less than usual.

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hardreset.co.uk
MrBeatdown5022d ago (Edited 5022d ago )

It is pretty strange that Microsoft would decide to go up, almost directly, against Call of Duty. Especially considering this is more than just normal competition between publishers. Microsoft does a lot of the advertising for CoD, there's the timed DLC, and there was even a MW3 themed 360 bundle.

It will be interesting to see how the handle the fact that Activision is their biggest partner, yet also their biggest competitor.

dark-hollow5021d ago

screw cod! i would gladly buy halo 4 day one over it.

TheGOODKyle5021d ago

I'd buy anything over CoD!

Pl4sm45021d ago

a brown bag with a sammich inside has more creativity than cod

Awesome_Gamer5021d ago

I'm not a fan of halo but i agree with you

teething5021d ago

Halo 4 on election day is pure genius since an embarrassingly low % of the US actually bothers to vote during elections.

EVILDEAD3605021d ago

Halo 4 will be the biggest event in gaming this year.

Black Ops 2 will be come out a week or two later and do incredible numbers as well.

These are two games that can co-exist..

It is finally time for Halo to get some holiday dollars. November is going to be crazy.

The biggest wiiner was Ubisoft finally figuring out that coming AFTER COD every year with Assasin's creed was idiotic and probably cost them millions.

Evil

Yomaster5021d ago

Pl4sm4 said, "a brown bag with a sammich inside has more creativity than cod"

LMFAOOOOO! Funniest thing I've read in ages. Touche, sir, touche!

Halo 4 looking to take down CoD this holiday season!? Sign me up for a Halo 4 preorder!

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5021d ago
B1663r5021d ago

I think EA is the one that screwed up this year, not Microsoft. EA should take the year off. LOL. Oh wait, this is a chance to neg on Microsoft in the pretend game media, my bad.

enfestid5021d ago

They haven't decided to go up against Call of Duty. Activision hasn't set a release date, or even announced Black Ops 2.

I imagine that since they're launching on November 6, Activision won't be launching Black Ops 2 on the same day -- it's bad for both companies.

DeFFeR5021d ago

It probably won't matter - they won't be released on the same day...

Straight from the article:

"For the last few years, Call Of Duty has always released the first Tuesday in November. This year it looks like it will be Master Chief VS Unnamed AK holder."

No... CoD since W@W has released on the SECOND Tuesday of the month... not the first like the terrible "journalist" says. Do some fucking research before posting shit articles, "Dan Hobbs, Idiot extraordinaire."

JokesOnYou5021d ago

Activision can easily release early Sept or push back their usual Nov launch for early Dec, either way it won't matter much even if they launched the same month, although they might have a small impact on one or the others initial sales ultimately the next COD will sell like hotcakes and so will Halo4.

MrBeatdown5021d ago

Activision already confirmed a Call of Duty game is coming this year. I don't see them releasing early just to avoid Halo, especially when Halo is only available on one platform.

And they had to have two or three teams on MW3 just to get it ready for November 2011. I don't think they'd want to mess with their schedule, especially if it interferes with Elite and MW3's DLC schedule.

badz1495021d ago

"Activision can easily release early Sept or push back their usual Nov launch for early Dec"

lol, you're saying it like AV's CoD is actually threaten by MS's Halo! if any of the two would have to change/alter their release date, it's MS, not AV! Halo is huge, no question about it, but compared to CoD? c'mon we know who's bigger!

EVILDEAD3605020d ago

Metal of Honor October

Halo 4 the 6th of November

Black Ops 2 will probably launch the 13th but may even push to the 20th and still make Black Friday.

Evil

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chadachada1235021d ago

I don't see an issue. Halo 3, Halo Reach, and Halo ODST all were released pretty close to that year's CoD release, and share a lot of the fanbase (but Halo is definitely better, in my opinion).

GraveLord5021d ago

Looks like Sony is getting timed-exclusive DLC from now on. Only reason I can think of for MS releasing Halo 4 so close to COD.

Godmars2905021d ago

So not one thought or consideration that this might be a political maneuver to keep young and mostly Democratic voters from the polls?

DeFFeR5021d ago

How do you figure that Halo fans are mostly Democratic?

Legion5021d ago

I am assuming he is thinking because most Republicans are PS3 players.

I think someone did a demographics on it and found that most Xbox 360 players were democrats. Anyone have a link to that study? ha

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5020d ago
The Meerkat5021d ago ShowReplies(4)
mcstorm5021d ago

Maybe MS know something we don't about the release date. If they are out on the same day it should be interesting to see the two big names go up against each other. But I have to say I will not be picking up the next COD game but I will be picking Halo 4 up.

000000000000000000015021d ago

Yes, same here COD = NO, Halo 4 = big YES!

Fylus5021d ago

I don't think anyone would actually be stupid enough to choose Cod over Halo... But then again, there are some pretty stupid people out there.

lategamer5021d ago

People like Call of Duty. For all the hate it gets, IT IS A SOLID GAME. It's very accessible, the gameplay is fluid, the controls are solid.

People say it's the same game ever year, and really, the core gameplay is the same. But the fans buy it because of the updated Multiplayer (c'mon, MW3 did redo the killstreaks, added some new modes, etc.), Zombie/Spec Ops, and Campaign, etc.

Time for the disagrees :).

spicelicka5021d ago

@letgamer
WHAT?? "MW3 did redo the killstreaks, added some new modes", and you consider that enough to buy it every year? You can do that shit with a title update.
We all know COD is a solid game, it's the fact that it's so disposable that it breaks within an year, so they just bring out the cow and release another one instead of supporting the older games. Fans buy it because they're stupid, and they have no choice.

Dovahkiin5021d ago

Why would Halo 4 not be able to stand up against these games?

enfestid5021d ago

It's not about being able to "stand up" against Call of Duty, it's about maximizing your sales. If two big-name properties in the same genre launch on the same day, a good chunk of people are going to choose one over the other.

The gaming industry isn't the only industry that works like this. Movie studios constantly change release dates based on competition in the same genre.

Jazz41085021d ago

I don't see what this article is even for. We have a game that's been announced a while ago that we have seen screen shots of and has a solid release date. Then we have a game this article is comparing it too that has not even been announced.

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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
Bathyj98d ago

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

VenomUK97d 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.

DarXyde97d 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.

shinXseijuro97d ago (Edited 97d 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 .

Notellin97d ago

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

PhillyDonJawn97d 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?

-Foxtrot97d ago

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

Who would have thought

jznrpg97d 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_vulgaris188d 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.

VenomUK187d ago

What did Halo: Infinite sell?

Sciurus_vulgaris187d 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.

MrNinosan186d 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

slate91187d ago

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

peppeaccardo186d ago

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

1Victor187d 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 🤷🏿

thesoftware730187d ago (Edited 187d 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.

1Victor186d ago

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

AuraAbjure186d ago (Edited 186d 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
Tacoboto269d 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.

Profchaos269d 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

PhillyDonJawn269d 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_vulgaris268d 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.