According to German website Xbox Dynasty, the budget for Halo Infinite is rumoured to be a staggering $500 million. That would easily make it the most expensive video game project ever produced, with the developmental budget coming from Microsoft and 343 Industries.
The website doesn’t provide any evidence for this claim so we should take this with a massive grain of salt, however, there have been multiple rumours around the scale of this game. The reveal trailer showed fans an impressive array of visuals and diverse landscapes which has led some to believe whether Halo Infinite will be the first open world game in the franchise.
Halo quite frankly hasn’t been performing as well as 343 Industries Studio hoped it would since taking over from Bungie in 2007. Failing to hit the standards expected by both critics and fans, the franchise has fallen into a bit of a lull period. That being said, spirits are still high in the 343 building and they look to be rising to the challenge with former Studio Head Chris Lee describing Halo Infinite as taking the franchise in “new and unexpected directions.''
The game is set for release on PC and Xbox One however it’s also rumoured to be a launch title for Microsoft’s new console, Project Scarlett. With the fairly recent acquisitions of game studios by both Sony and Microsoft, the belief is those with the stronger exclusives will be the victor of this next generation of consoles. With so much a stake, a budget of $500 million starts to make much more sense.
If you’re still unconvinced (as am I) then perhaps it might be wise to consider the budget isn’t just accounting for development but also that of marketing. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have noticed Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins, one of gaming’s most recognisable faces announced he has left Twitch to stream on Mixer. In the announcement video, Master Chief makes a surprise cameo as pictured below. Add this with the knowledge Ninja was once a Halo pro player, then you can begin joining the dots in sussing out Microsoft’s Halo strategy.
Only time will tell.
Written ByOllie East@EastOllie
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