Halo 4 developers promise to do better next time

While the Xbox 360’s flagship title Halo 4 has received much praise, it has also faced some criticisms. According to Eurogamer, developer 343 Industries wishes that it could’ve improved on the game some more and promises to “do much better next time”.

Frank O’Connor of 343 Industries says that he is proud of what he called “the best” game in the series, and is proud of the team for filling in the “oversized shoes” that were left behind by the original developer and creator of the series – Bungie.

“We altered the engine. We expanded the universe. We innovated in storytelling, technology, and even marketing,” O’Connor wrote on the Halo Waypoint blog. “It wasn’t flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but by most objective criteria, it was a resounding success.”

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“So we know we have a lot to do. And we know we have a lot to learn. But we also know that we now have the capacity, the teamwork, the technology and the experience to do much better next time.”

The company is currently working on a DLC for Halo 4 and will be starting work on a next-generation Halo game after that.

“There are a tonne of things we wish we’d done better [in Halo 4],” O’Connor continued. “Features that didn’t make it into the final game. Glitches that emerged. Missteps made. DLC fiascos. Communication breakdowns.

“But there were things that went astonishingly well - the creation of a genuinely competitive AAA studio chief among them.”

Back in November, details about the release schedule for Halo 4’s DLC map packs had been leaked. According to the leak, the Majestic Map Pack will be making its way to Xbox Live on February 25, whereas the Castle Pack will be out on April 1.

Microsoft has confirmed that while the months are accurate, the dates may be changed. According to Microsoft, “Halo 4 War Games Map Packs will become available in December, February and April. The exact release dates are pending the production schedule for each map pack, but we look forward to sharing more details in due time.”

The War Games Map Pass was revealed back in October. The Map pass costs $25 (approximately Rs 1,341) and will include nine maps in total that will be released between December 2012 and April 2013. The map packs are set to cost $10 (approximately Rs 536) individually. An added bonus for those who purchase the Maps Pass is the inclusion of two in-game helmets called the Scanner and the Strider, and an in-game emblem – the Falcon. The Map Pass will be included in the limited edition of Halo 4.

The first map pack for Halo 4 was released in December and is called Crimson. It includes the maps Wreckage, Harvest and Shatter. The second map pack will be released in February 2013. Titled the Majestic map pack, it will include the maps Landfall, Monolith and Skyline. The last map pack included in the Map Pass will be the Castle map pack in April 2013, which will include the maps Daybreak, Outcast and Perdition.