Halo 4 vs Gran Turismo 5

[Dodece]

I have a hard time seeing Call of Halo. Sorry I mean Halo 4 managing to beat GT5. Had Halo 4 been more of a traditional Halo title I could see it having a real chance. However it is more of a persecuting grind. With core mechanics that lose a lot of the charm of previous titles. So no doubt a lot of fans of the series picked up the title, and it isn't necessarily all that bad of a game. However Halo fans buy Halo games for the Halo experience. Which is something that Halo 4 has lost in its attempt to be more like Call of Duty.

To me that says the used market is going to be larger then it was with previous installments. Those who have purchased the game at launch are far more likely to trade or sell their copies of the game, because it doesn't have the straight up pure shooter feel anymore. The reason people held on to previous Halo titles is that they were pick it up and leave it kind of affairs. Players didn't need to live Halo to be good at Halo, or to even have fun with Halo. So they would play it for awhile, and then come back to it months later, and there wouldn't be any kind of penalty. Where as now if you are not keeping up with the current game. You are going to get your ass pulverized in online play if you come back five or six months later.

Basically Microsoft is making a counter argument for title retention. Occasional players, part time players, or weekend warriors are going to find it harder to justify keeping this title around. The game is just far too demanding especially if a player feels the least bit competitive. After all nobody wants to play a game where they are forced to get their ass beat down for hours on end, because they have a life outside of the game.

Ironically this is a advantage that GT5 retains. As a racing game it retains its casual flavor. It isn't demanding more of its players then those players can necessarily give. So it will enjoy better retention. Just because players won't feel like it is pushing them away. Basically Halo 4 is going to be fighting a large used market when it comes to new sales. Before you dismiss what I am saying just ask yourself this. How much replay will Halo 4 have for you personally three or even four months from now.