No. Halo needs a large install base, you let the pawns go first. Halo 5 will be 2015, roughly 2 years after the 720 launchs, which is exactly the same time Halo 3 launched this gen, expect the same for Fable 4.

No you're wrong, Halo games are never delayed, you're talking rubbish, they launched Halo 2 exactly 3 years after Halo 1, they wernt going to launch Halo 3 only a year later (not only would they not, but it wouldn't be possible, since then they've always met their september date. So ... yeah yojohn is right.

There are pros/cons for both.

I believe MS want Halo 4 this gen because they are not going to invest in much new IP at this point and need another iteration of core titles, to allow 343 to release a Halo title to a large install base which gives them the best chance of success, and as because this gen is clearly lasting longer and they need tail ends boosts for 360 to cross with the release of their next console. Finally releasing Halo 4 on 360 means investing the fanbase in the new story and increasing the odds they'll buy into a new console more quickly to get Halo 5 and the next step in the new story trilogy.

The main (possible) downside to releasing Halo 4 on 360 I see is that if for some reason it is deemed not as good as Bungie led releases (probably a slim chance but one that's there) then of course the franchise could be diluted ahead of the next console, weakening the draw if fans feel the series may be about to decline. I doubt this will happen but it's a risk that exists.

The upsides of releasing Halo 4 on the next console are fairly obvious as they are variations of the above - lure players over to the new console, have a new trilogy kick off on the new console, and of course push the graphics/engine further than the 360 could support.

The downsides though are that the first 343 title will launch to an initially smaller install base and if the reception for the game was that it wasn't as good as Bungie's efforts it could harm the initial ramp up of install base for the new console. Unless MS find other IP to invest in no Halo 4 on 360 runs the risk of the console having a fairly weak tail life.

So I think overall it makes sense to launch Halo 4 on 360. The install base is there, it will help the tail end of the 360, it will set up Halo 5 for a big launch on the next console and it will stave off cries of "no exclusives" in the market better than a bunch of new, untested IP that might fail to find favour with the install base.

A new trilogy should have a new generation imo

I think that yes, Halo 4 should come to Next-Xbox, since it's like a reboot it's a new generation on a new generation xd

Hopefully Halo 4 is as good as the previous ones, I can't see how it wont be. Besides if the first game in a new Halo trilogy releases on 360 and the other two are on the next gen version, then it will help push sales due to people wanting to continue the story.

as far as Microsoft goes, they should release it on the Next-box as then sales for the system will be guaranteed to be rather far, if they release it on the 360, sales of the Next-box aren't going to be as high as they would of been had they released it for the Next-box

(this is a profit vs market share topic, by releasing it on the 360 they get more money as sales will be higher than 7 million in a couple years, but if they release it for the Next-box, then they'll secure a lot of marketshare for the next generation very quickly, but not make as much cash, as the Next-box may not be sold for a profit, and the Next-box's sales for halo 4 will be less than those for the 360 in the same time frame)

Depends on what you call delayed, because I am pretty sure the dictionary definition of delay is  "to put off to a later time; defer; postpone: The pilot delayed the flight until the weather cleared." To miss a deadline and reschedule the release of a product is a delay. I'm not sure what you define as a delay but the definition definatly applies. "The developer delayed the game until development could be completed" matches the example found on Dictionary.com perfectly.

Your absolutely right it was impossible for Bungie to meet the launch date which Bill Gates had promised. Bungie was working on a spin-off franchise to Halo at the time and hadn't even begun development on Halo3. But Bill Gates set a release date which was confirmed in Microsoft's Official X-Box Magazine at the time and by several other sources both officially at Microsoft and media related.

Nintendo's Iwata said several games would release within the launch window of Wii. Reggie confirmed 7 would be availible launch day with more first party software to launch within the launch window. Several titles titles like Mario Galaxy were supposed to arrive within the launch window and didn't.

Would you say that those titles weren't delayed? Or how about LoZ:TP which was scheduled for release in 2005 and didn't everyone called that a delay but its not like Nintendo delayed development. Nintendo was incapable of meeting the promised release date delaying its release to a later date.

Titles that have announced launch windows are often refered to as delayed if they miss their launch window (Example Q1, 2012) if the title comes in 2013 people will have considered it a delay. Let alone a title that actually recieved an exact release date and missed it. Delaying a game is almost always done because the development team is unable to produce the game within the time frame provided. Games that are released at launch day but aren't completely developed get bad reviews and low sales.

So yes no matter how you look at it Halo 3's release was delayed due to Bungie's inability to provide the product within the time constraints Bill Gates had provided to consumers. Halo 2 was scheduled for a release window (No actual date given) but it too missed its initial launch window meaning it too to a lesser extent was delayed.

In fact delaying a game to polish it for example is a great game, there is no reason to view delays as a bad thing. I don't know why you'd get so defensive over the fact that a quality game took a little longer then promised!

Joelcool, if you want me to read and respond learn not to make such pointlessly long posts, there is no need for it.

Like how Zelda was considered a Gamecube swan song and a Wii launch title, I think Halo 4 could be the same. I'm sure the next Xbox will be backwards compatible with current games and you'll likely be able to play online against the two. Give the next Xbox version some advanced graphics features and let it still be playable against current Xbox 360 owners. It can be like playing a PC game on high settings against a PC game on lower settings. Then, there's motivation to buy the next Xbox (better graphics) as well as release it for this Xbox (Huge install base).