Searching for a new Halo

Microsoft needs a new Halo. The old Halo just won’t do it anymore. The highly-anticipated Halo 5 came out----was met with a solid but not truly spectacular 1.4 million, and XBox One was still outsold by the PS4 that week. Then the next week, it got outsold very severely by Call of Duty. And soon enough, Fallout 4 will overtake it in sales as well. To be honest, if Halo 5 sells 5 million, I will be shocked.

Halo used to be king. The franchise has six games that have sold over six million copies. Halo: Combat Evolved became the reason why the XBox survived the first couple years. Halo 2 launched with 2.4 million copies sold within the first 24 hours. Halo 3 sold a phenomenal 13 million copies, becoming the best-selling shooter in the history of gaming. On the XBox 360, the Halo franchise sold an incredible 42+ million---easily being the biggest non-Grand Theft Auto franchise in the seventh generation.

Nowadays however, the power isn’t as mighty. Even though the XBox One has sold a respectable 15 million copies to date, good enough for 28% console market share, the power of Halo has dwindled a bit. There was an awesome Halo pack that included four games with updated content, enhanced graphics, and extra movies between the installments, and this excellent deal sold a feeble 2.6 million. While this sounds like great numbers, it is nowhere near the days of when Halo 2 sold that amount in a week. And that was a decade ago, when the XBox only sold 24 million units overall. Halo has become Super Mario---sells decent, but no longer moves hardware sales like it used to. 

And when I mean another Halo, I don’t mean another shooter franchise, just any type of new IP that can move units. Sony has once again taken over the third-party market by not only having more friends, but also forking over extra money to have exclusive games. The only way the XBox even has a shot at gunning for the ever-elusive crown, it’s time to shift the focus to a new franchise.

For years the competitors searched for a Halo killer. Nowadays we have Call of Duty, Battlefield, Titanfall, and Destiny encroaching on its historical sales run. Even Splatoon has sold a shocking amount of copies and if Nintendo plays its cards right, the NX and the ninth generation will see more from this new and highly successful IP. The competition has improved, so the next Halo may not even have to be a shooter.

The options on the other hand, remain quite deep. Microsoft still has action-packed franchises like Jet Force Gemini, Perfect Dark, and Blast Corps in its shelf. Titanfall can become bigger. Lost Planet is an unused grouping of games that can be rebooted/revived. Perhaps it’s time to conquer genres that have seen little attention: JRPGs (Could help Microsoft in Japan), adventure/action hybrids (a competition to Uncharted—the Sony darling). Maybe Microsoft can create the next big sandbox game, a Grand Theft Auto killer (I know, good luck).

The point is, unlike Nintendo and their bag of tricks, Microsoft is once again lacking that killer exclusive AAA franchise that can cut into Sony’s lead and even threaten its position on top. It will definitely take a lot more than just one game to defeat the PS4 and the upcoming PS5, but a game can change the entire playing field. Halo did that, as the series would solidify the idea of online gaming and provide the blueprints for doing it correctly. Wii Sports would fling the entire gaming industry into the mainstream—before they moved on to tablet/mobile gaming. In order for the XBox to become the best-seller in the market, they need that huge, huge game that will alter the fanbases. Halo can’t do it anymore, the shooter market got too cluttered. They need something else, soon.

Mario Kart 8: 50cc Gaming in a 150cc Gaming World

I wanted to like Mario Kart 8.

I wanted to love Mario Kart 8.



I wanted to acknowledge the effort they made into smoothing out the mechanics to be fairer, to be faster, more creative, and to still maintain the family-friendly magic that has resonated with the franchise for two decades. I wanted to acknowledge that thanks to DLC there are more tracks, more characters, and more vehicles than ever before. I wanted to acknowledge the nice polish that had been given to the franchise. I wanted to so badly become immersed like I was back when Mario Kart 64 became the pinnacle of multi-player and arcade-like racing (and nobody outside the Burnout franchise had come even close to challenging that until Forza Horizon).

But the truth is, Mario Kart 8 once again is proof that Nintendo scales back on some of its quality punches and saves them for the next installment, as opposed to going 150% all-out to deliver the ultimate Mario Kart experience, and to deliver a sure-fire reason to own a WiiU. Mario Kart 8 is good, it might be great. But it’s still not a console-seller, it’s still not going to turn heads the way past Nintendo games like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Smash Brothers Melee, and Wii Sports did. And what really harms Mario Kart 8 is that for the same price you see a competing system release an entire anthology of its biggest franchise---4 games, all with a fresh coat of paint, upgraded visuals, and a massive, massive multi-player mode that blends it all together.

Halo: Master Chief Collection is 4 Halo games in one massive package, a package that includes the original and updated looks of the original two Halos, while remastering and tweaking the latter two installments. At just $60, you get hundreds of potential gameplay hours between multi-player, single-player, and online gaming---while getting new cutscenes from each of the games! This is allowing for the XBox One to have a breath of life this upcoming holiday season as they did another necessary price cut and have now been outselling the PS4 in the United States market. With a little more European love they can cut off the lackluster Japan sales and challenge PS4 for the crown in 2015.

Mario Kart 8 on the other hand once again has the same 32-course setup from previous Mario Karts. Once again, they inexplicably downgraded the battle mode, which is absolutely stupid how they can’t figure out a way to simply expand the idea of Mario Kart 64’s battle mode. Seriously, it’s not that hard: add new items, add new courses, and allow customizable rules. It is NOT THAT HARD NINTENDO!!

Mario Kart 8 also managed to even water down some of the classic courses, which makes little sense considering how awesome some of the new levels were. Toad’s Turnpike, Yoshi’s Valley, and N64 Rainbow Road are shorter, easier, less chaotic, and overall very ho-hum. Gone are the classic block bombs for some odd reason. Gone are the lap times and even overall race time from the grand prix. Why?!?!? Wait, why is there no way to see how my stats change depending on vehicle?!?! Wait, I don’t earn anything after earning 3-stars in all the Cups?!!?!??



THE BATTLE MODE NINTENDO, WHYYYYYY!!?!?!?!?!$(*#()*%(*#&)&(*#*)*$)*#)*$**#(*$&()*$)$


Worst of all, is all the history behind Mario Kart, and it doesn’t fully get utilized. Have we been watching all the insane features and throwbacks the Smash Brothers series has delivered? Why can’t we have an SNES Cup, an N64 cup, a Gamecube Cup, a GBA Cup, or a DS Cup? That is 80 potential courses to pick from? What sounds better: Mario Kart 8 with upside-down racing and superior online play? Or Mario Kart 8 with 100 courses, each online-capable? We are too technologically advanced in the gaming world to ever say that it might be hard to pull off; especially after seeing what Forza, Forza Horizon, Gran Turismo 5, and Burnout Paradise was able to deliver in the previous gaming generation. In a gaming world where Halo’s entire catalog runs at $60 and we can get full gaming experiences at prices of $3, $5, $10, we deserve better from Mario Kart.

Let’s have some more fun. Why not throw in some F-Zero tracks since we are already in the futuristic approach to racing? Why not Stunt Race FX? Why not Kirby’s Air Ride? Why not Diddy Kong Racing? Why not Crusin' USA/World/Exotica? Why did we kill the battle mode Nintendo? The Game Boy Advance version of Mario Kart (the underrated Super Circuit) had the entire SNES catalog. This tradition should have continued on Double Dash with the N64 circuit (which to me still has the best mix of courses in the franchises’ history).

I don’t get it, I honestly don’t. I want to enjoy this Mario Kart, but to be still so closely attached to Mario Kart of the 90s and 2000s while scaling back on even more features makes this a very frustrating experience. While seeing all the effort being given to Smash Brothers, one can only wonder what would happen if Nintendo fully dwelled and gave Mario Kart the time and love required to create the perfect installment. Give another gaming company a chance to contribute, give it a few extra years of work (look what GTA V accomplished after extra time to polish) and see what you can deliver. Make me be happy I spent $60 on you.

I want my Mario Kart to have more than just 32 courses pre-Mirror Mode and DLC. I want my Mario Kart to hit Gran Turismo territory with 70+ places to race in. I want my Mario Kart to reward me for being a good racer as opposed to coins and a few gold stars. I want my Mario Kart to have courses that doesn’t just test your skills, but can also test your endurance and patience (N64’s Wario Stadium comes to mind). I want my Mario Kart to allow me to experiment with shortcuts and secrets. And lastly, I want my Mario Kart to keep it simple while expanding the concept as opposed to improving some aspects and disappointing in others.

Will Mario Kart 8 make money and be a Nintendo hit? Of course it will, but unlike what Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64 accomplished, don’t expect it to leave a mark in gaming history. Mario Kart Wii was a forgettable mainstream hit, Mario Kart 7 was ho-hum, and this one was wasted potential thrown out to the public to keep extremely frustrated WiiU owners from burning their systems and switching to the other side.

The bar in gaming has been raised. And just like what has happened to Zelda (Still not fully recovered from Majora’s Mask), Mario (Mario Galaxy back in 2007 was its last earth-shattering game), Donkey Kong (Still lacking the personality of the SNES installments), and Pokemon (Not even going to talk about it) in recent years, Mario Kart is struggling to reach this new bar. Time to grow up. Don't just improve some things, improve everything. Step up to the plate boys, give me a full complete game. Otherwise you will see movement in software----but not in the hardware.




What hampers my complaining the most is that the damn game is still fun……..

XBox One Needs to Embrace the Niche

So the Playstation 4 is off and running and Sony is doing everything absolutely right. Good lineup of games, best deal amongst the three systems, re-releasing a PS3 gem known as The Last of Us for the PS4, still releasing games on the PS3, and a diverse appeal that has allowed for them to control the European and Japanese market. Even though Microsoft still owns America, it’s honestly not that much of a gap. As of March 28th 2014, Sony owns three of the best-selling games in North America.

In the case of Microsoft, it took them a while to finally gain some momentum towards second place with the release of Titanfall, a hybrid shooter that has heavy elements of parkour. It is new, its fresh, and its approaching a million copies sold and being attached to nearly 25% of all the XBox One systems sold. In terms of success it is essentially Halo-lite, the holdover before the next Halo installment. Similar to how Quest 64 kept the N64 at bay until Ocarina of Time, Titanfall is destined to keep the Microsoft fans entertained until the next big shooter.


And this is where Microsoft needs to focus: its niche. The XBox One needs to become an action shooter system.


Taking on the PS4 directly with the same third-party games can clearly no longer work. Grand Theft Auto 5, Metal Gear Solid 5, Dark Souls II, and FIFA sell far better on Sony systems when against Microsoft. As a matter of fact, most of the third-party franchises do better on Playstation systems. Want to know what sells better on Microsoft? Call of Duty, Battlefield, Bioshock, Elder Scrolls and Fallout. There are statistics proving that action games with plenty of gunplay appeals far better to the Microsoft owners, and North American gamers in general.

So in order to even stand a chance to win the eighth generation with no Japanese appeal, the XBox One needs to create an arsenal of exclusive games that appeals to its audience to keep them happy and potentially draw in new fans interested in the niche genre that dominates the XBox brand. Standing toe to toe against PS4 won’t work, you need to separate yourself in a way the Wii separated itself from the PS3/XBox 360 battle.

You need more shooters. Embrace your niche. Its the key to survival.

The niche is what kept the Dreamcast afloat, with its entourage of excellent fighting games and excellent sorts games. The Gamecube kept pace with XBox because its niche of deadly first-party games allowed them to cover all their weaknesses. And the XBox survived mainly because of Halo and all the imitators in the early 2000s.

Microsoft, you have Titanfall now. You still have Halo. You still have the unused Perfect Dark. You have Left 4 Dead. You have Fable (although its going downhill). You still technically own the heavily unused Jet Force Gemini. Time to reload your lineup and start immersing it with more and more shooters.

Microsoft Game Studios may have absolutely no shot at matching the diversity and depth of Sony’s firat-party division (and to be honest, although they are catching up they are still leagues under Nintendo’s first-party arsenal), they can still deliver a fantastic set of games. Halo 5 needs to happen soon, Perfect Dark 3 needs a return, Left 4 Dead 4 should be in progress, Jet Force Gemini 2 might be a decade too late but still needs a revival, and some new IPs wouldn’t hurt either.

Going a little bit to the past can also help. Blast Corps is a Rareware classic that needs a sequel; Doom could also use a new installment, and let’s not forget the IPs of James Bond, Jason Bourne, Black, and Half-Life are still floating around potentially looking for good suitors.

Whatever direction Microsoft takes, it needs to separate itself from the similar lineup as the PS4, and become the more action-packed system between the two. The XBox One needs to conquer America by becoming the Movie Blockbuster Gaming System and delivering plentiful heaps of action games to combat the superior pricing and variety of the PS4. Until then, the best the XBox One can do is second place.

Can a Halo Movie save Microsoft in Japan?

Microsoft’s original XBox was in deep trouble from the start, as the Playstation 2 was clearly, truly, madly, deeply running away with the race. All the third-parties were joining Sony, while Nintendo was countering with its heavy arsenal of first-party and second-party properties. There honestly wasn’t much of a reason of get an XBox.




Until Halo, that is.



Halo saved Microsoft gaming, saved the XBox. The original XBox would sell just south of 25 million copies. Between the two Halo games, they sold a total of a whopping 13 million copies. The ratio between Halo sale and system sale was almost 1:2. The franchise is the flagship of Microsoft gaming and represents it well with acclaimed game after acclaimed game. It has been around for over 10 years, and the franchise hasn’t lost much steam even in the midst of all the imitators.

But in Japan, it still can’t seem to find its audience. Halo 4 sold only 40,000 copies, hardly making a ripple in the industry. Now, we all know that Microsoft and the XBox struggles mightily on Japan, but because of its sheer style and genre, it makes minimal sense as to why it has yet to catch on.

After all, science fiction does extremely well in Japan in all types of fields. In the anime field, you have the likes of Neon Genesis, Cowboy Bebop, Dragonball, Pokemon, Astro Boy, among others sell millions upon millions of copies—and these are all whether science fiction or contain heavy themes of science fiction.

We have Miyazaki and his arsenal of science-fiction/steampunk movies make extremely good money in his native country. Howl’s Moving Castle made 190 million in Japan alone, and let’s not forget the success of earlier Miyazaki sci-fi like Castle in the Sky. Now before you bring up that Halo could not work cinematically in Japan because of its American origin, consider this:

The American Transformers trilogy has grossed over 110 million in the Japanese market. Avatar was Japan’s biggest movie in 2009 with 186 million. The Matrix trilogy in Japan made over 150 million.

Over the decades, there’s always been a warm spot for science fiction in the entertainment world of Japan, so all Microsoft has to do is convince the nation of gamers that Halo can appeal to their senses in the way Avatar, the Transformers, and the Terminator have despite being American products.



So about that Halo movie…? The one that has been discussed for years upon years with dozens of names attached?



The Halo movie could be the way to re-introduce the franchise to Japan. Microsoft can financially back this project while finding a good studio and a good cast to make the type of movie it deserves to be. Halo has all the science-fiction goodness contained in other projects that have indeed made money in the Fast East Coast. It has the mythology, it has the complexity, and it has the energy of your best animes, so why not successfully translate it to film and get the nation excited for the next Halo game?

The entertainment industry is wound tighter than ever, with games becoming movies and movies becoming games far more often than in the past. And now the successes are becoming interchangeable. The Transformers franchise revived its toy industry. The Lego Movie and the Lego video games have breathed brand new life to the Lego brand. Argue all you want about the Prince of Persia movie from Disney, it still made 336 million dollars around the world. And lastly argue all you want about Resident Evil in cinematic form, it’s almost made a BILLION in its history.

Can a Halo movie honestly propel the sales of its upcoming games in Japan? It is indeed a long shot, but it really doesn’t hurt to try, since there isn’t much else Microsoft can do over there. Its XBox One will be creamed by the PS4 over there, its XBox 360 was outsold by the PS3 by 8 million copies and the Wii by 11 million. Don’t even ask how badly the Nintendo DS took down the XBox 360.

In order for Microsoft to succeed in Japan, it needs to attempt to reach them in a different way. 10 years have passed and they have barely caused any sort of noise in the Japanese game industry. Perhaps a cinematic way of reaching them, a cross-breeding exercise in entertainment can get the ball rolling. The XBox needs Halo to succeed, so in order for the One to make money in Japan, it needs Halo front and center being the mascot, being your top reason to purchase the system. Being a very American company, Microsoft doesn’t have the starting appeal that Nintendo and Sony has. It needs that boost, that jump-start.



Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, or the Wachowski Duo helming and crafting a Halo movie that will focus heavily on Japan can be that solution.

And we all know somehow Tom Cruise will be attached to the project......