- Time Glitch
- |
- Heroic Member
I wrote this in the Halo Waypoint forums in hopes that someone at 343i will read it, and take the idea into consideration. However, since I feel it's relevant to the Halo universe, I'm posting it here for anyone who'd like to comment on it.
Hello Halo fans, and 343 Industries.
I've had this idea bouncing around in my brain for a long time, and now that the Halo Franchise has been turned over to you, Microsoft and 343i, I would like to explain it in full, in hopes that not only will this community support the idea, but that it be considered by 343i as a new direction to take the Halo games in. I know that these are bold words, but I assure you that if you take the time to read through and understand what I'm proposing here, you will not only have the community on your side, but you will create something that the Xbox and the gaming industry as a whole has never seen before. Innovation at its best, my friends.
While this is not going to be a fully in-depth, detail-oriented article, it will be a full overview of what I'm proposing. A concept, if you will. A concept that what could revitalize the Halo name and put it back on top. So I hope you all brought your listening caps today, because now is the time to put 'em on.
_____________________________________________________________ __
The Halo universe is vast, deep, and full of life. Through the various comics, books, and of course games, the dedicated Halo fan could prattle on for hours about how great the universe is, and how much there is in it. The universe spans over many mediums, and it's always growing and changing with each new piece of information we get.
But as we all know (And I hope you guys at 343 Industries know) is that Halo has always been, and will always be, about the games. While the non-game canon has always felt connected and in-sync, the games feel disconnected and disjointed. The games are either behind in the times, coming out too infrequently, or have broken canon altogether (I'm talking about YOU Halo: Reach). They almost seem like sometimes, they aren't even related to the story and canon. You have the Halo lore: The books, graphic novels, motion comics, anime movies, and ARGs. And then you have the Halo games, which pretty much only cover one story. They're part of the universe, but in a way, they aren't. They're the backbone to the whole thing, but they don't FEEL that way. They FEEL separate, while all the other mediums (books, comics, etc.) all feel like they're bulked into one category.
Even though the Halo games are all telling the same story...They don't even feel connected to each other! The games play very differently, and each one feels separate. So we have the story-based Halo content that feels like it's all together, and has its act together, and then we have the games that seem all over the place and separate from one another.
So...How do we change that? Well my friends, that's what I'm going to explain right here, right now.
_____________________________________________________________ _
What the Halo games need is a central location. They need something to feel connected to one another, rather than each release being its own separate thing. They need to all feel like they belong together. How do we do that? My idea for the future of the Halo franchise is based entirely around the idea that from this point on, the Halo games be part of a centralized platform, or as I'm calling it in concept...The Halo Network.
The concept behind the network is that every piece of game content released from this point on is not its own separate game, but is a contribution to the collective Halo Network. The network would be the basis for all things Halo games, and would only require the consumer to purchase the platform, and additional content to that platform. The Halo Network would be a One-Stop-Shop for all things Halo-game, and would never require the release of another stand-alone Halo game ever again.
I know that sounds BIG. But let me break it down a little better, from the consumers perspective.
The Halo Network would work similarly to every other game in existence. You'd buy the disk, bring it home, and slap it in your Xbox. But from that point on, things would be very different. From that disk, you would be able to access all Halo-related game content, right from one central location. All past, present, and future game content, all in one place. How great would that be, eh?
"But Time Glitch," you ask, "All the Halo games are separate! They can't just be COMBINED! Plus all the different multiplayer modes are all on different severs, etc...How is this even possible?!"
Well, that's where the work comes in. See, The Halo Network would be more than just an app. It would be a whole new game, with one singular goal in mind: Customization and Adaptation. The launch of the Halo Network wouldn't just be a platform, it would also be a new game. However, this game wouldn't be like any of the Halo games we've ever seen before. The Network would feature its own, stand-alone multiplayer system that was FULL of customization options. We're talking about a customization system that is so flexible, it could re-create the multiplayer of ALL OTHER PREVIOUSLY RELEASED HALO GAMES.
Using this customization system (That would of course, be available to the players), The Network's multiplayer platform could satisfy the entire community's wants and needs for their personal Halo game play style. All the people who want Halo 2 back, or Halo CE back...They could have it. Not only could they have it, but they could have a high-resolution, graphically updated version of their favorite multiplayer game that plays exactly like they remember it. All the same maps, all the same weapons, all at their fingertips, to not only play, but customize how they'd like.
Oh and did I mention that all this would have matchmaking support? Yup, Halo 1, 2, 3, Reach, and the next incarnation of Halo's multiplayer...All with matchmaking support...All under one roof.
They could then take this world into Forge, where the updated engine would allow for them to select from all the previous Halo weapons and vehicles (Which are already used, of course, to re-create the multiplayer from past Halo games), but also edit their properties. Weapon damage, projectiles, rate of fire. All adjustable by the player. Of course, Forge would now come with a terrain editor as well as many, many more options for the player to create levels exactly how they want to, without the need for a singular "theme" or style they had to conform to.
And that's just Step 1.
The Halo Network would not only launch with the definitive Multiplayer platform, but it would also launch with the next Halo's campaign. This campaign, however, would not be the only campaign compatible with this platform, however. This campaign would be the first of many. The Network would be built with add-on campaign support enabled. With this infrastructure in place, each new campaign could simply be bought (either online, or in-store), and added to The Network. Say you bought the next Halo campaign. All you'd have to do is stick it in the drive, download it to your hard drive, and you'd never have to stick in that campaign disk ever again. It would all be part of The Network, and directly accessible from the game's menu under "Campaign".
This would also open up the doors for updating past Halo games to current-gen graphics. They could be sold on the network, to function WITH the network. Imagine hitting the "Campaign" tab, and having all the classic Halo campaigns immediately available to you, all in stunning new, highly detailed and current-gen graphics, with co-op support, alongside all the new content that you've just purchased. What a rush, right!?
Basically, Halo game releases would continue as normal, but instead of them being their own stand-alone platform, they would be incorporated into The Halo Network. The "multiplayer" for each Halo game would simply be add-ons, expansions, and updates to the current multiplayer platform.
Do you see where I'm going with this? The whole idea is to create one definitive platform where all future Halo game content could come together as one, centralized game. It would be a truly evolving game experience, with each release not only bringing new ideas and content to the forefront, but incorporating all those new ideas in with the pre-existing medium. It would be the ULTIMATE Halo experience, and one that could, in the future, define how high-profile, AAA franchises are handled.
This could be the future of FPS and franchise gaming. And you'd be the first to do it. What better place to start than with Halo?
_____________________________________________________________ __
Thank you all for your time (If you read the whole thing), and I'd be more than glad to answer any questions you all may have about this idea.
Feel free, in fact. I know it's a complex idea. I'll be sure to add any questions/answers to this post for a more informative OP.
Dream053 is concerned that the concept of the network would bring down or replace the sale of physical media (the games themselves).
I figured that would be a common mis-understanding.
Halo titles would continue to be released, in physical form, but they could also be purchased online, on the network. The physical releases, which would release like Halo games always have, would contain the next campaign, a set of multiplayer maps and updates, and any other game updates/add-ons the creators had come up with.
The Network would not replace the physical medium, but would provide a place for all of them to come together under one roof, one platform, one game. It would unite the games rather than divide them.
[Edited on 11.23.2010 11:33 PM PST]