Halo team staffing up for 'incubation projects'

 @SythisTaru  @joel0903 The point is that no matter how good the graphics are, or the campaign is, by far more people play the Halo franchise for Rumble Pit than any other reason.  Ignoring the most popular part of the game - which came out 2 weeks before another very popular franchise will 1- hurt sales as potential customer's attention turns to Black Ops II and 2 - cause those customers to remember how ass-backwards the role-out was when it comes time to purchase the next Halo.  Those people who bought Halo 4 and then have to wait and wait to play their favorite game types, some to the point where they'll be playing BOII instead (and instead of urging their gamer friends to hurry out and buy Halo 4) will remember this when the time comes to purchase Halo 5 - which will raise the bar that much higher for that game.  It was a stupid marketing move - there's no getting around that.  The most popular part of Halo games is Rumble Pit.  That is why most people want to play Halo.  It should have been available on launch day.  The rumors on the 720, and the leaks all indicate a launch next fall.  Which means that Halo 4 will be the last release for the current console.  The new console roll-out and a new Halo game for the 720 could encourage buyers to buy the game - but, if we factor in that there is likely to be a minimum of a year (and possibly two) between the 720 debut and the release of Halo 5, what customers are more likely to think about is 'man, they messed up Halo 4's launch.. didn't even have slayer playlists' is going to lead to problems with sales - particularly if that thought is followed by 'Black Ops III comes out next week'.

Or, simply look at it this way - which is more likely to interest more gamers/purchasers and keep them interested:  FFA Slayer or Flood?

 @Hellhound30x  @GPRx3 I actually loved that character so much and the ending was so brilliant that if they give you a Cortana clone in Halo 5 I'll be seriously pissed off (unless it's very carefully used as part of the story). I know Microsoft can be cheap but surely 343 wouldn't do something so lame?.. If they are brave and leave Cortana gone and have Chief mourn her I think Halos 5 & 6 could be very special.

 @Hellhound30x  @GPRx3 Alternatively, DLC as Cortana's old memory banks uploaded to USMC just after rampancy so "it's like she never left" - Only 5000ms points or 2000 when you pre-order the Gamestop Exclusive "Reclaimer" edition for US$200+

:D

Give me a rope so I can hang myself now, I hate where this now elitist industry is going thanks to the likes of marketing and corporate greed, etc.

Microsoft and Sony need to bring back the feeling of the days before console internet connectivity and discard DLC and season passes if they want to make more sales, and Microsoft need to make Xbox Live free and I'll actually use it for once in my life. Sorry for the rant.

 @LE5LO  @steelmouth hey the sound was pretty good too...

 @GPRx3  @steelmouth I don't understand why people don't get this. Microsoft made them, literally, to oversee the Halo project. They have plenty of other studios for new IPs.

@LE5LO@Flint247

 I disagree - i say keep it all as-is under the hood just like the Halo CE:A remake from last year. That way people can play the game as a piece of history AND as another shiny new Halo game with pretty graphics. Also Halo 2 had the HARDEST Legendary campaign of them all, so it'd be cool for new players to claim bragging rights on the remake (as with Halo CE:A )

And let's face it, the real "ending" of Halo 2... was Halo 3. 

I'm totally on board for a Halo 2 HD edition for 360 to tide us over on the wait to Halo 5. Especially if they update some of the old maps into Halo 4 the way they did with CE:A and Reach last year.  Also that would mean that Halo 1-4 (plus ODST, Reach and Wars) would all be playable in 16:9 HD on 360. As it stands now, if you want to do a "Halo-fest" you have to bust out an original xbox copy of 2 to play ONE game in SD... which kind of blows. 

 @grey_fox1984  @GOGOGOGURT I hate those damn kig-yar snipers:)

 @GOGOGOGURT even from a narrative perspective it would be really cool to explore that area of the fiction - the "freedom or anarchy?" of the Innies vs. the "civilization or dictatorship?" of the UNSC would ask some really cool questions to gamers who DON'T read the books and think that Halo is a  "man vs. alien" lore with no depth. You and I (clearly) read the books and have a good handle on just how awesome the series truly is, but think of how many people out there who ARE halo fans have no idea of the wonderful complexity of the universe they love! For all of these reasons (and more!) i vote bring on the spin offs, bring on more books, bring on more comics and for the love of god, bring on a proper hollywood movie! (Forward Unto Dawn was great, but MORE!!!!) 

 @jayjay444  @StateOfGrace totally agree with StateOfGrace Halo 4 has way better graphics that Cod Black ops II, on Xbox 360....you may say that for Pc version.