Halo Studio
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Give Master Chief a break – I want more Halo games like ODST and Reach
The author argues that while Halo's core FPS gameplay is legendary, its narrative potential, particularly seen in titles like Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach, has been underutilized in recent years. With the rebrand to Halo Studios and the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, there's an opportunity to draw inspiration from these past successes and explore new storytelling avenues within the Halo universe, rather than solely focusing on Master Chief's main saga.
A Call Of Duty Studio Could Work On Halo, Report Says
A report suggests that Microsoft enlisted Sledgehammer Games, a Call of Duty studio, to help develop a Halo multiplayer game. While an initial prototype was canceled, Microsoft is reportedly still exploring the proposition. This follows speculation that Activision Blizzard studios might contribute to the Halo franchise after Microsoft's acquisition.
Call Of Duty studio rumoured to help out with new Halo games
Rumors suggest Microsoft is considering having Activision assist with future Halo games, potentially including multiplayer development. Activision reportedly created a prototype for a new Halo multiplayer game, though it was abandoned. This follows speculation that Microsoft might place the Halo franchise under Activision's umbrella.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Update With Bug Fixes, Stability Improvements Drops This Week
Halo Studios is releasing an update for Halo: Campaign Evolved this week on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, featuring bug fixes and stability improvements. Despite critical acclaim, the game has reportedly underperformed in sales, selling significantly less than Call of Duty titles released in the same period, with analysts suggesting PlayStation players favored nostalgia over the new release.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Will Look Way Better Soon
Halo Studios is releasing a major patch for Halo: Campaign Evolved next week, which will add options to disable film grain and chromatic aberration, improve Jackal enemy staggering, and fix Sgt. Johnson progression blockers. The update also includes additional stability improvements across multiple platforms. Despite these improvements, the game has had a slow start, selling 1.2 million copies across all platforms.
Halo Co-Creator Says Lack of PvP in Campaign Evolved is From “Lack of Oversight”, “Poor Planning”
Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto criticized Halo: Campaign Evolved for its lack of split-screen PvP multiplayer, attributing it to "lack of oversight and poor planning." Lehto also expressed dissatisfaction with the game's art direction, particularly the depiction of Forerunner technology, stating it lacks the ancient and mysterious feel of the original. The remake, released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, reportedly sold around 1.2 million copies generating $67 million.
Halo co-creator says the remake's lack of PvP is a "misstep" resulting "from lack of oversight and…
Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has criticized Halo: Campaign Evolved for its lack of PvP multiplayer, calling it a significant misstep due to poor planning and oversight. He believes this omission is a major drawback for fans of the original Halo: Combat Evolved and a key reason for the remake's underperformance compared to other recent releases.
"The most offensive thing we see every time we boot up the game" Halo co-creator takes shots Campaign Evolved art direction
Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has criticized the art direction of Halo: Campaign Evolved, specifically the main menu's depiction of the Halo ring. Lehto argues that the Forerunner technology should appear ancient and imposing, rather than shiny and new, stating it's the 'most offensive thing' upon booting the game. He also noted discrepancies with the lore regarding the ring's location in the galaxy.
Console Game Development Is Moving to Unreal Engine, and Halo Just Proved It
Halo Studios has transitioned from its proprietary Slipspace engine to Unreal Engine 5 for Halo: Campaign Evolved, marking a significant shift in console game development. This move aims to reduce internal engine maintenance costs, allowing more resources for game creation and faster content delivery to platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Supermassive Games are the latest studio to announce layoff plans, with 75 jobs at risk just three months after Directive 8020 launch
Supermassive Games has announced that it is beginning redundancy consultations for up to 75 employees, marking the studio's third round of layoffs in two years. This decision comes just three months after the launch of their latest horror game, Directive 8020. The studio cited the need for sustainability as the reason for the difficult decision, a move that mirrors broader trends of job cuts within the gaming industry.
Halo Co-Creator Calls Out Remake For Pandering To “New Era Of Players With 0% Attention Span”
Marcus Lehto, co-creator of Halo, has expressed mixed feelings about the new remake, Halo: Campaign Evolved. While praising upgrades to movement, cinematics, and lighting, he criticized the game's heavy-handed hint system as pandering to players with short attention spans. Lehto also commented on the game's release on PlayStation and the online negativity surrounding it.
Halo Studios hit by Xbox layoffs despite Campaign Evolved’s strong reception
Halo Studios has experienced layoffs despite the strong critical reception of its recent release, Halo: Campaign Evolved. Several employees, including producer Nick Treitman and scrum master Paul Morris, confirmed their departures via LinkedIn. This news comes as part of broader workforce reductions at Xbox, which previously announced plans to cut over 3,200 jobs across its studios.
Halo Studios jettisons long-serving contractors after launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved
Halo Studios has eliminated an unknown number of contract roles following the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Several long-serving contractors have been let go, though no full-time employees were affected. This follows Microsoft's broader decision to cut 3,200 roles across its Xbox division.
Halo Studios seemingly cut staff after Halo: Campaign Evolved launch, including a 6-year veteran producer
Halo Studios has reportedly let go of an unspecified number of contract workers following the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Producers Nick Treitman and Paul Morris confirmed their departures on LinkedIn, citing the challenging current job market in the gaming industry. This follows earlier layoffs at Microsoft, which impacted several of its studios.
Halo Studios hit by layoffs after release of Halo: Campaign Evolved
Halo Studios has reportedly experienced layoffs shortly after the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved. Developers have shared their departures on social media, citing the challenging current job market in the games industry. This follows a broader wave of job cuts at Microsoft's Xbox division.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Studio Has Been Hit by Layoffs Following Release – Rumor
Halo Studios is reportedly experiencing layoffs following the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, with producer Nick Treitman and scrum master Paul Morris confirming their departures. The studio has not officially commented on the situation, but reports suggest mismanagement and a difficult transition to Unreal Engine 5 contributed to development issues and feature cuts.
Halo On PS5 Is Off To A Slow Start, Expert Says
Halo: Campaign Evolved is experiencing a slow sales start on PlayStation 5, with analyst Rhys Elliott estimating around 351,000 copies sold in July. Elliott attributes the slow uptake partly to the $50 price point for a graphical update of a 2001 game, especially without multiplayer. The game's performance on PlayStation 5 contrasts sharply with significantly higher sales on PC and Xbox, and also with the success of older Call of Duty ports on PlayStation.
Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Troubled Development Led to Multiplayer Project Cancelation – Rumor
A recent rumor suggests that Halo: Campaign Evolved experienced a troubled development, with significant issues arising from the transition to Unreal Engine 5 and mismanagement by Halo Studios leadership. Support studio Abstraction was reportedly removed from the project, leading to work being redone from scratch and contributing to bugs and missed deadlines. This mismanagement also allegedly led to the cancellation of a multiplayer project.
Halo: Campaign Evolved Reminded Me That Halo Infinite Was Great, Actually
Playing the remake Halo: Campaign Evolved highlights the strengths of Halo Infinite's gameplay, despite its development struggles and narrative issues. The article argues that Infinite modernized the core gameplay loop established in Halo: Combat Evolved, particularly with the addition of the grappling hook, and that the new Halo Studios should learn from both Infinite's innovations and the series' past successes.
What’s Really Happening With Halo: Campaign Evolved?
Halo: Campaign Evolved, a remake utilizing Unreal Engine 5, has launched to mixed reception despite generally positive critic scores. While it performed moderately on consoles, particularly Xbox via Game Pass, its PC launch on Steam saw significantly lower concurrent player counts compared to previous Halo titles. The article analyzes this lukewarm reception, attributing it to potential shifts in Xbox leadership and strategy, and questions the franchise's future direction.