And so, while Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is still set to be free, Spencer and his team rejected the idea of releasing it and the other parts of Infinite at separate points, but Spencer believed this was the right call for fans, Xbox, the developers, and the Halo franchise.
“So when looking at where we were, and the trajectory the team was on and honesty just the amount of effort and emotion that 343 [Industries] is to bring the game in, and to make sure we want to get the game out and deliver and to a healthy team, this was the decision we made. And I will apologize to the fans because I never like to set expectations and not beat them, but I also believe that in the long run we will make the right decision for both Xbox, and Halo, and our customers, “he said.
Spencer elaborated that the final decision on posting the news was about a 24-hour turnaround, noting that in part the urgency comes from how many factors go into launching such a new entry of such franchise – not just for Xbox, but for its many partners, as well.
“One of the things that has driven us is that when you send a game like Halo, it’s not just a solo release – we have a lot of marketing partners and promotions out there, and you want to respect that your partners by giving them a head-up so they can plan their timelines for things they do along with the launch of the game, which is also part of the input, “he said.” But in reality, if we know we know – let’s make the decision, let’s let it go so we can talk to our fans, and be as transparent as we can be. “
As for the wider launch of the Xbox Series X, Spencer notes that the company is investing heavily in the value that Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Series X offer players together.“Our investment in Game Pass and that portfolio remains strong. We have some more great announcements, really great, strong announcements to come about about things that come after Game Pass,” he said. “I think what you will see from us around the launch of the console, honestly, will not change too much, because you heard a lot about the console and a lot about Game Pass and how we think about it. two things together is a really big value proposition for gamers going to the next generation. “
You can check out the full interview with Spencer on the latest episode of Animal Talking, which also features Lisa Loeb and Dylan Sprouse.
For more on IGN’s coverage of Halo’s delay, be sure to read the IGN op-ed by IGN on why Halo Infinite’s delay was the hardest but accurate call, and check out the latest of our weekly Xbox Show, Podcast Unlocked.
Jonathon Dornbush is the Senior News Editor of IGN, host of Podcast Beyond !, and is continuously under the impression of the guest lineup for each episode of Animal Talking. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
