The head of Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries admits that the team may have taken on too much at once when it started the project, which contributed to its lengthy delays.
In a new interview with CNET, 343 head Bonnie Ross talks about how Halo Infinite's initial vision "just took on too much real estate." This led to the team needing to cut back certain planned features later in development, which - along with COVID-related logistical difficulties - resulted in the poorly-received Ascension demo from July 2020 (also known as the one with Craig, the nonplussed Brute).
A delay soon after ultimately pushed Halo Infinite out a year past its previously planned release date of holiday 2020. Ross said she is "super proud" of the state of the project as it stands now, with Halo Infinite multiplayer out in beta and the campaign nearly here, though with hindsight she would have done some things differently.
"But if you could go back in time, there are some decisions... maybe we shouldn't have tried so many new things at once," Ross said. "Like doing free-to-play and doing a more expansive world with your more traditional story, but you're also allowed to have a lot more agency in your play. Those two things are huge in and of themselves. And we decided to take them both on."
Still, 343 Industries took the time it needed to put it all together, and the future of Halo is looking good. It's also closely tied to Infinite itself, as Ross responded when CNET asked about potential sequels: "I think we have our hands full in making sure that we stand up and support this game. So, infinitely Infinite." 343 has confirmed that Halo Infinite is meant to be an ever-growing platform for the next decade's worth of Halo, so no surprises there.
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