Halo, the game that took the industry by storm in 2001 is about to start a new beginning for the franchise in 2024 onwards.
We all heard the news that 343i will be renamed Halo Studios and the shift from its own game engine Slipspace to Unreal Engine 5+ which has got some people excited and some people concerned about the shift and changes. So lets get into it.
NAME CHANGE: 343 Industries changed to Halo Studios
This isn't anything new to a business, it's part of a clever business strategy to change the name of a brand which might be carrying too much weight, normally with negative views. Changing the name brings a breath of fresh air to the studio which will also include internal changes like staffing and networks. This means that MS is investing heavily into 343i to have it renewed, something that wouldn't be cheap to do and can be a huge risk but in Halos case, something needed. Halo 5: Guardians and Halo: Infinite just came out with too much negative publicity and for the franchise to recover, it will require some drastic changes.
Some people also hate the idea it's called Halo after the game, which they missed the entire point of 343i. But let's clear the air. 343i was created to replace Bungie and to continue to make Halo only games. 343 is a character from the original release called 343 Guilty Spark. 343i was solely created to continue the franchise with no distractions of other projects. It was the entire reason why MS and Bungie split, due to Bungie no longer wanting to work on Halo and to make a new IP. Halo Studios will operate the same as it was 343i and that's to continue making Halo content. And for those jumping up and down on forcing a studio to focus on one series, then look no further then Turn 10, a studio solely created to make Forza games. This isn't a new strategy; it's been going on for decades.
Personally, I never liked the 343i name, I never understood out of all of Halo Universe, that was the character and name they wanted to name the company after. I actually like the Halo Studios name as it's a lot more universal with the series and straight to the point.
ENGINE CHANGE: Slipspace replaced by Unreal Engine
So, this has twisted a few feathers however we need to really understand why Halo Infinite limped out on launch. It lacked content, had in game issues and slow content releases. This was all due to the Engine, yes Slipspace is an incredible engine however the lack of experience working with the engine, while the engine did have issues during development where devs claimed they were losing files of content due to the engine. This affected Halo Infinite's launch and explains the lack of and slow content releases.
Moving to Unreal Engine has so many benefits, let me explain. First, the engine is a lot more universal for staff to work on, it's the default engine across learning game development and is incredibly powerful and reliable. Keep in mind that Unreal Engine will also be modified to work on the games, much like how The Coalition use Unreal Engine for Gears of War. Speaking of The Coalition, moving to Unreal also allows internal teams to jump on and help with development and content, so expect The Coalition to help Halo Studios in the near future with game development etc, something that would be harder to do with the current Slipspace. So, adding the best experts with Unreal Engine into the game development can do wonders for a game, and no one knows Unreal better than The Coalition. This change will not only improve the visuals of Halo, it will also guarantee faster release content, more content and even more games.
CONCLUSION: Changes will always worry people, as the saying goes, people don't like change, however in some circumstances, changes are necessary to revive or push forward. People are just not happy with the Halo games we have had recently, even though they all have great highs and lows. Halo is a series that not only has a heavy nostalgia to it, and it is an icon of gaming and is a huge part of many people's lives, and nothing will feel better than seeing this series back to its very best. MS also want Halo to be better, hence the changes. Halo use to offer the perfect game package of having the best SP, MP, Visuals, Sound, Music and Gameplay, so let's see if the Halo Studios can go back to making Halo the best FPS franchise on the market again.
What are your thoughts on the new changes with Halo, are you excited or nervous?
UPDATE
Digital Foundry just released thier video Explaining the Pros and Concerns, see below.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zxIBxusvyMQ&t=1660s
Last edited by Azzanation - on 10 October 2024
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