Halo PC: Summer 2003 - Why even bother? (1 Viewer)

[Paul_D]

With Doom III. Quake IV, Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal 2 and Counterstrike: Condition Zero all due out before/during next Summer, why even bother with a PC port of this allegedy great game? Why is it gonna take a year to get it out? Surely, if we're talking about a direct conversion, it could be far far quicker. I'm eager to play this game, but I can imagine my enthusiasm will have significantly shrunk in 12 months time.
The new title should be Halo: Production/Development Time Evolved

 

[Brian J Dupuis]

I'm eager to play this game, but I can imagine my enthusiasm will have significantly shrunk in 12 months time.

Why? Great games remain great games regardless of the length of time to release. I'll hold Halo's story-line and immersion factor up against any of the ones you mentioned any day of the week .

 

[Allan Petersen]

I'll probably buy it because I can't afford an X-Box right now. With all the great DVDs being released from now until christmas I'll still be struggling to make ends meet by next summer.

 

[Jared_B]

The next Halo (Halo 2 or whatever) will be released for Xbox in late 2003. Maybe the PC version is Halo 2, and being developed simultaneously with the new Xbox version.

 

[BrianB]

Maybe the PC version is Halo 2, and being developed simultaneously with the new Xbox version.

Not a chance.

 

[Damien]

microsoft would be shooting itself in the foot releasing halo on pc right away. they want to make sure every single xbox they can sell with halo is sold(and that halo 2 would be right around the corner on xbox 4q 2003)

 

[Brian J Dupuis]

I've heard that the next Halo (Halo 2 or whatever) will be released for Xbox in summer 2003. Maybe the PC version is Halo 2, and being developed simultaneously with the new Xbox version.

Not quite, Halo 2 was just announced at the X02 event. Information on that is available here. Note the "Holiday 2003" part for the expected ship time. Halo for the PC is still expected to ship in the Summer of 2003, and will have nothing to do with Halo 2. Microsoft is almost certainly not going to shoot themselves in the foot by releasing Halo 2 for the PC any time near the Xbox release. Think what you want of Microsoft, they're no dummies ... releasing Halo 2 on the PC would seriously cannibalize sales of the Xbox version if they were released anywhere near the same time frame.

 

[Jared_B]

Good points Damien and Brian - I spoke before I thought.

 

[Shaun Gonzalez]

Much like GTA3 on the PC, Halo will be great for people who want to play the game, but don't own the system that it's on. I don't own a PS2 or an Xbox, but I've wanted to be able to play both GTA3 and Halo.

Frankly, I don't really care if they don't add much. I'll be fine with some online multiplayer in Halo and maybe the ability for mods to be made for it.

 

[Rob Lutter]

Microsoft is making a REALLY smart move by releasing Halo for PC late next year. First of all, they won't have to worry about affecting XBOX sales... secondly, those who play it on PC and LOVE it (like us XBOX owners do now) will go out and buy an XBOX for Halo 2
Brilliant

 

[Bernhard]

That's a real shame for a game that was supposed to be for the PC in the first place...

 

[Masood Ali]

Halo, if released on the PC first, would've been another noteworthy release with a short sales run overshadowed by bigger PC releases (UT 2003, Doom 3, Unreal 2, etc.)

Halo, as an Xbox exclusive (up to this point), is universally regarded as the Game of the Year for 2001, with a huge sales run (still in the top 10-15 on the domestic sales charts). Although it is debatable, Halo is a revolutionary (not just evolutionary) FPS for the console market; a high water mark; or as Taco Bell would say, Le Package Totale.

 

[Aaron Copeland]

That's a real shame for a game that was supposed to be for the PC in the first place...

Ha! Too bad!

Companies buy various development studios all the time.

As to the original question, why not get it? It's a great game. Even if you are into multiplayer elsewhere (I'll be playing UT2K3 myself), the game is still a fantastic single player game and even better in co-op.

 

[Joe michaels]

Why would MICROSOFT want it to come out on PC at all? It's a system seller.

 

[Dave E H]

Why would MICROSOFT want it to come out on PC at all? It's a system seller.

I can think of a couple of reasons:

1) easy money. This will probably rocket to the top of the charts when it comes out

2) might inspire people to go "wow - great game! I should get Halo 2" and thus buy and Xbox

for point 2, it's still a system seller. By the time the PC version comes out, the xbox version of halo 2 will be imminent. For example, GTA3's release on the PC will probably turn into a system seller for the PS2 when Vice city comes out. I know some people that are so into the PC version that they now are really interested in the sequel.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

...allegedy great game?

There's nothing alleged about it. Halo is a great game. I agree with the above points that this release schedule makes sense from a marketing standpoint. And at the end of the day console developers have no obligation to release on PC nor the other way around.