Halo Fans Grumble About Infinite's Free-To-Play Model, 'Would Pay Full Price To Unlock All Content'

Progression speed aside, I'd prefer to unlock the stuff than have it all thrown at me.

I'm a pretty fickle multiplayer gamer and will drift over something else before long, these battle pass style unlocks work on me.

If I could fully customise my spartan day 1, exactly as I want I couldn't say Halo would last when the next multiplayer thing hits. But having those little carrots will keep me around. It certainly kept me active on Fallout 76 after I finished the story content of the last update.

I will point out that 343 have given us the most important part of the game experience NOW, with the only commitment being to buying the Battle Pass by it's free expiry date to be able to assign progress to it indefinitely.

I'm wondering how Forge will work with this model, since that is intrinsically linked to multiplayer.

It's a FPS and therefore all cosmetics are largely for the benefit of your opponents. I. Reality you quickly forget what your character looks like during gameplay so it really doesn't matter.

Ok, let's look at BF2042 and COD, arguably the biggest shooters at this time. Pay 60-70$, and what do you get? The same stuff. I'm even going to go further and say that BF2042 for me has absolutely no incentive to play. For what, a x8 scope on my SMG?

Love it or hate it, BP gives players incentive to play, and keep their audiences hooked to play their game. Maybe not consumer friendly, but as some who likes incentives, unlocking new stuff and customizing every now and then, I like this approach.

Either way, with Halo SP being added to Gamepass, I don't see the reason why not to go F2P. It's a Microsoft studio, so they're hoping to attract more people to Gamepass with this move.

I play Multiplayer games casually, I would prefer they are free. I spend most of my time playing single player games. I couldn't care less about battlepass.

I don’t get all the fuss. They’re already making changes. And all this is really just cosmetics we’re talking about here. Game plays wonderfully and I’m having a great time with it. I don’t care if I look like a piñata. I’ll use the same weapons and look boring AF, but I’ll have a blast.

Lmao!

Where were all you months and years ago?

If didn't think this was the goal and going to happen you are at the bottom of that river in Egypt wearing enormous concrete boots.

Battle passes been the new "microtransaction" for quite long while.

I just wish they would Fix the progression system, It doesn't feel rewarding at all after you finish a match.. They need to get rid of these stupid challenges and make you gain XP by getting kills and objectives..

@Thrussted That is what's wrong with not only gaming now but last 2 generations as whole (people not that box by your TV to play games).

Today there is simply zero work ethic or pride or just playing or doing something for the absolute fun of it. Ohhhhhh you need give me something just because I'm going to do it anyway.

Were there achievements on the atari 2600? Hell no. Battle passes on Nintendo NES? Nope.

We played games because we wanted to! We played games because it was fun!

We didn't need the equivalent of a virtual "oh you were such a good boy at the doctors today!" sticker going to the dentist. We played. We liked it. Gaming to game was all the rewards we needed. Ever.

I knew it would be like this ever since 2019 when MCC Season 1 was announced (it consistently felt like MCC's revival was a test for Infinite in all extents), still dislike it a lot though Battlefield's situation is even worse as this mess is on top of buying the game for $60/$70.

I think it’s a good way to have the game supported long term. Halo is so old school I’m not surprised to hear this complaint, but battle passes are in every shooter now. As long as it continues to be cosmetic only I don’t care. Side note, I played the first beta and was kind of disappointed, but once I hopped in to the full mp and played big team battle I remember why I loved this game so much back in the day.

@GuyinPA75 oh absolutely, I hear you. I actually play a lot of singleplayers games for that reason. The incentive in them is, "what's happening next". Same as bingewatching a series. 'Back in the day' there was no instant gratification. But time goes on, and tastes and desires change with it.

This is the same with MP-focused games, since it is still an entertainment medium. Keep the people entertained, don't let the people forget about you. 'Back in the day' there also weren't that many games to play either, so you HAVE to stand out and incentivize people why someone should come and play your product.

As stated before, someone can still enjoy Halo MP without spending a penny, but for me personaly, I'm happy they got a BP.

Headline should read "People want instant gratification, don't want to earn it."

Seriously though, was anyone expecting anything else when the mp was announced as F2P? I can count on zero fingers how many people are surprised by the pricing model. They don't want you to have everything up front, cuz you'll get bored and move on after a week. The drip-feed keeps gamers playing. How do people not understand this?

I am playing halo multiplayer to shoot folks and have fun battles not play Spartan dress up so I don't really give a monkeys about the battlepass or my progress through it.

Halo 3 gave me my look within a month of playing. I played it for 3 years straight (and now continue to play it through the MCC, edit: oh and we still leave Halo 2 in rotation despite only having colour customisations that get overridden anyway).

Halo 5 made unlocking my look near impossible and I gave up after a month.

There's something to be said for having the focus being on creating an experience that's designed to be fun in of itself vs using cosmetic unlocks to artificially extend the life of your game.

I don't have an issue with the MP being F2P but I would still want a 'similar' experience to the 'paid' model. I wouldn't be so opposed to cosmetic micro-transactions as long as you can buy the items you want directly (not paying for a random 'small' chance to get the item(s) you want in a loot box).

I don't want to 'feel' unrewarded and just making up the numbers for those that are buying the Battle Pass - not earning XP at the same rate, not getting some 'cosmetic' rewards, not having something to work towards. Yes the 'game-play' may be 'identical', but the 'experience' is very different. The number of times I have played 'just 1 more match' (which turns into an extra hour or two) because I have something to play for, XP to Level up and/or unlock new items (Weapons, Attachments, Badges, skins etc) because that is also a major part of the enjoyment too.

Therefore I do prefer the Paid model because often the F2P model doesn't offer the same 'experience'. Some games offer more, weapons, more XP for doing the same tasks so level up and unlock stuff much quicker etc. Therefore it makes me feel like I am not getting the same experience without paying and over the course of a year, if you do pay, you end up paying a LOT more for the game that's often 'mediocre' but that's OK because its 'Free' to play so doesn't have the same expectation.

The gameplay loop is what matters the most, of course. And Halo Infinite absolutely nailed it. But it really sucks that if I want to make my character look cool I need to pay as much as the cost of the whole Battle Pass or grind for weeks just to have the privilege of choosing between a handful of helmets.

Halo Infinite had no reason to be f2p. I thought the point of those big games was selling Game Pass subscriptions. Just make a full experience without all that trendy cattle manure of multiplayer games these days.

The last thing I care about is what my character looks like.

Halo, the only game that needs negative and positive stories in order for people to cultivate attention. from previews that say it's amazing yet state they're concerned to players whining over the smallest things as if it being free isn't enough. It's like, trendy to diss on it only to then compliment and praise is to go back to dissing on it. Hearing people talking about Halo is like listening to the moods of a bipolar cat lady.

Personally I can't wait to play campaign. End of

I don't see why it can't be both. Killer Instinct was F2P but you could get everything by buying the Definitive Edition.

@RadioHedgeFund you get to see your arms, and ina genre where some games resort to keychains they hang from their guns for customization, having cool arms on screen is quite something 😅

@LX_FENIX KI sold you additional season character packs. Only reason you could buy it all is because they only released what… 2 seasons?

Had the Xbox one not been a failure (it would had not been a failure if they had GamePass and instant pc release strategy back then) you would have seen non-stop barrage of seasonal content you had to pay for to get access to.

End of the day these unlockables are possible because the seasonal model supports a team dedicated to ongoing development. Someone that wants to feel like they just bought the base game should just put the money where their mouth is, buy $60 worth of season passes and consider that “a full game”, pretend nothing else gets developed later.

I never get this obssession with cosmetics. What matters is gameplay and presentation, which in the case of Halo Infinite is superb. Dont care if I look like Mario or master chief.

When you buy halo infinite it doesn't come with a multiplayer because that's a seperate free to play game

@Axlroselm really?? You never get the feel good moment when someone walks past you in the game and says "hey nice boots man". I get shivers everytime...

I mean this isn't as bad as people are making out. CoD charges full price and you have to buy the battlepass. I know you get the campaign and zombies too but a lot of people tend to buy it for the MP.

In what game today do you pay 60 dollars and unlock the full content right away? Gamers are a special kind of dumb sometimes lol

If you aren't willing to trade the broad playerbase of F2P for not having your ideal in-game cosmetic at launch (or, gasp, months!) then you were never gonna play for more than a month or two anyway.

People forgot how bad was Halo 5 if we talking about customization and unlock items.

The game need to be f2p when there are alot of other big games f2p... F2p mean more players and everyone win.

And the BP is not timed so it's more like dlc, if someone like the game they get all the items.

Simple like that.
Glad they move to f2p bc now it's easy to make friends to try it even if they not know the franchise.

As long as they’re fun to play I personally don’t care too much about unlocks or progression in pick up and play online games like this or rocket league or splatoon etc.
I can understand why people would feel this way though, but at the same time having it be free is great at getting everyone I know to play it. Great fun with it so far.

Battle passes are one of the worst things to happen to video games. Right behind that introduced them, micro transactions.

They had the option to get $60 from me for a proper experience. Instead they're getting $0 from me because I'm not paying for a battle pass.

@Zochmenos What a strawman. I still play Halo 3 going on almost 2 decades later.

But yea, totally wouldn't have played longer than a month. 😂

Quite literally, because the game is F2P, many of my friends (and friends of their friends), and even friends who have never cared or played a halo gave halo infinite a try once more after halo 5 had destroyed all their hopes for the franchise.

All they could do was praise the game an just had a blast with it.
I'd rather the game actually have a playerbase than someone complain theres no unlocks right now or to showcase themselves when not a soul cares what they look like and all they want is to frag them in a match.

@InterceptorAlpha You've played Halo 3 for over a decade because you found the perfect helmet in 2007?

@John117 To be fair, just playing is a HUGE contribution to the community.

I'm new to xbox. I've played a little bit of Halo single player in the past, but never tried the multiplayer. I've played a little bit of Halo Infinite the last couple of days... can't say I'm impressed. Compared to any other FPS, its Just. So. Slow. If I liked the gameplay, the F2P would piss me off. I don't think I'll ever play this enough to care.

So long as you can't pay to win and it's just cosmetics I don't care. I'll be hopefully jumping into it this weekend but i personally don't care about the cosmetics too much. I'm sure I'll see some things that I would like to have but will i part with actual money for it...not likely.... rewards points... perhaps.

It could be better no question but I wouldn't say I'm too annoyed by it. I've been absolutely hooked on the game since it came out. As a F2P game I'm just happy it's actually all just cosmetic. As long as gameplay isn't effected let the whales be whales I say.

I finally saw a spartan that was breathtakingly cool - I have no idea how much playing time it took or how much money was spent but it looked fantastic. I am not one to care much about cosmetics but this particular spartan was stunning.

@Zochmenos Tht has absolutely nothing to do with your initial comment. No need to move goal posts.

Us console gamers truly are stupid. Complain at cosmetics being locked behind a paywall yet perfectly happy with full MP games being locked behind a paywall.

@InterceptorAlpha No one is moving goal posts. You presented yourself as an example contrary to my thought. I'm asking a question as a follow up, but it's no matter really.

My point about the "perfect helmet" is that you didn't actually do that...because it would be ridiculous. You played Halo 3 because you enjoyed it and there were others to play with. If you (or whomever, really) is now choosing to not play Infinite because cosmetics aren't available in a $60 bundle, you probably just aren't enjoying the game.

@InterceptorAlpha Keep in mind, I get not preferring a Battle Pass. But I don't believe the game will lose players in any substantial amount because of the F2P model.

As a gamer of the original Halo games, cosmetic items mean little to me. I play the multiplayer for fun and to do my best to win and have a blast with friends.
The fact it is F2P means more players due to no cost barrier, so that's a plus in my eyes.

However, I do understand a lot of younger games have grown up on Fortnite and the like, so I do think 343 still need to do more work to make XP gain more accessible.
Thankfully, the multiplayer is still in BETA and these things evolve over time, so things can still change.

Totally fine for me, gives me something to look forward to & work towards. Hope they add Elites and Brutes as skin options. I also think there will be plenty of free content coming over this games lifespan if MCC is any indication. I dropped $50 into the HI credits, so will get 3-4 seasons with that and maybe $10 for some skins. So I'll always be able to get those skins eventually because I will likely sink hundreds of hours into this. Almost on level 10 of the BP so I don't think progression should be tweaked too much, because I also don't want the season (which ends in May) to end after 2 weeks of playing. Some slight speed up would be appreciated though & not as many weekly challenges. 21! Crazy, that's 3 a day of some difficult tasks. Maybe 14 per week would make it fairer

I would not pay $60 for the multiplayer right now, no way. The game is great, amazing at times but there's not nearly enough there to justify full price. If anything, give people who buy the campaign 2x battlepass xp or some kind of multiplayer perks.

I personally don't believe that either the campaign or the multiplayer, taken individually, merits a $60 price tag. A big part of Halo's appeal has been the ability to do either or both over the years.

As for F2P, Battle Passes, and cosmetics, I honestly couldn't care less because while I still enjoy the occasional match or three of Halo/FPS multiplayer, it's nowhere near enough to justify pouring even more money into the game. I've never been particularly good at FPSes partly because I don't eat, drink, and breathe them; Halo is just one of many, many games and genres that I play and/or have time to get around to. I have actually found playing with/against bots to be by far the best innovation with Halo Infinite, and I really hope that 343 incorporates them into the Forge so that it finally has some actual practicality for those of us who don't have a laundry list of friends to play our creations with.

@Zochmenos I never stated I wasn't playing. I stated that they had the opportunity for me to spend $60 on a complete package. Instead I will be sending $0. Not sure where the confusion is.

@InterceptorAlpha So then it's all moot. You ARE trading cosmetics for the playerbase, and people who are into the pass will have people populating the servers to shoot at (and be shot by). You aren't who I was criticizing in my initial post, and from 343's perspective, that's probably still a win.

Sure, 343 misses your $$ a bit, but so too they would miss $$ for any used copy in the old way of delivering their product. You aren't a whale, but you are a cuddlefish. Lol.

@Richnj the people moaning in this thread - ironically moaning about people moaning - are missing the point - you and a couple of others nailed it… these people just are too stupid to notice it - “why do people want instant gratification” and all that narrative… it’s not that we want a fun game that isn’t designed to be a grind that keeps you coming back like a job…. Make the game fun and people will come back.

These kids think they can talk to us about wanting instant gratification…. When that’s all they seek. Games are now bare bones intentionally and a massive grind to get anyway. It’s a bore. Give me fun games with nice achievable unlockables and proper customisation options from the start like we used to have.

Considering that Halo Infinite is costing an extraordinary amount of money to develop, I think it's a huge loss even with the current business model.

Well that was a short run. Never got to install it, and it likely never will. Looking forward to the campaign.

I sure as heck wouldn't pay $60 for skins lol! And they wouldn't make as many skins if it wasn't F2P model. People don't understand that. This was really smart of Microsoft. They got options for everyone. The most I'm paying is the battlepass for $9.

@xboxjapanfan You realize that Fortnite, Apex, and Warzone have ginormous budgets and make a bonkers amount of money right?