The future of Xbox is interesting. Xbox is doubling down on its software-focused approach to gaming. You have their “This is an Xbox” advertising campaign, which demonstrates how any gaming device, even your phone, your SteamOS handheld, or your Samsung Smart TV — can be “an Xbox” by utilizing cloud gaming and Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox is positioning itself as the “Netflix of gaming,” where you can sign up for a monthly membership and play hundreds of games on a variety of devices. I don’t think there is anything that remotely matches the variety of great games you get under one monthly price.
This open-minded approach Xbox is taking to hardware could support the persistent rumors that the Halo franchise will eventually make its way to PlayStation in the very near future.
The possibility of Halo not being an Xbox exclusive has made some longtime fans disgruntled. How could Master Chief, the lead protagonist of the sci-fi first-person shooter that revolutionized the genre, come to PlayStation? Isn’t Halo synonymous with Xbox? What would Xbox and Microsoft have to offer fans if they give away their best intellectual property to their competitors? Some people simply don’t like the idea of Halo not being an Xbox/PC exclusive. For some, Halo on Xbox helps rationalize being an Xbox fan in the first place. However, considering Halo Infinite’s infamously rocky release back in 2021, releasing the next game on PlayStation may be the best thing to happen to the franchise.
When I was growing up, Halo was huge. Just do a quick search on YouTube or Google for the Halo 2 and Halo 3 midnight releases — the advertising machine behind it, the Mountain Dew promotions, the sheer epicness. It was all larger than life, and the big green Master Chief was very much the face of Xbox. They even had the Halo 3 “Believe” campaign, which dramatically positioned the science fiction Halo wars as a real-life historical event. The stakes were high, and every Halo release was larger than life.
But when Halo Infinite was released in 2021 as a free-to-play game, it had many hallmark features absent at launch. No co-op for the campaign, its fair share of bugs and cheaters, and the heaviest implementation of microtransactions the franchise had ever seen. All this sparked a heavy debate among fans about whether 343 Industries, the development team that took over the series after Halo: Reach in 2010, had actually destroyed the franchise’s legacy.
There were many other issues with Halo Infinite as well: mass layoffs, reported development issues with the game’s “SlipSpace” engine, reliance on too many contract workers, and promised features that were later canceled.
The game definitely didn’t live up to expectations for most Halo fans, and its fall from grace as one of the most beloved and iconic gaming franchises became evident. There’s a whole new generation of gamers who didn’t grow up with Halo, and Halo Infinite didn’t have a strong enough impact to entice them to “Join the Fight.”
Now, 343 Industries is no more, having transitioned into Halo Studios and switching from the SlipSpace engine to the potentially more reliable Unreal Engine for the next game’s development.
The future of Halo isn’t totally clear. We’ve seen a very brief trailer from the Halo team expressing their excitement about continuing the franchise on Unreal. None of us know for sure how this will play out for the newly formed Halo Studios, but it would be a shame for Master Chief to be forgotten simply because Xbox and Microsoft refused to innovate.