Frank O’Connor Talks Halo 5, We Will “Do Much Better Next Time”

 
343 Industries wowed Halo fans late last year by delivering a product that managed not to botch the franchise and push it forward to new levels of awesome. Fortunately, that doesn't mean Frank O'Connor and the rest of the team at 343i are going to take it easy from here on out.

In a post on Halo Waypoint, O'Connor discussed what is next for the series now that Halo 4 is in the can. With new hardware on the horizon and a well-oiled team at the helm, expectations are high for the fifth chapter in Master Chief's story.

Halo 4 is the best and fastest-selling Halo game in the series. It won critical acclaim. It won awards, from Best Graphics at the VGAs to Game of the Year at the Inside Gaming Awards. We altered the engine. We expanded the universe. We innovated in storytelling, technology, and even marketing.

It wasn’t flawless by any stretch of the imagination, but by most objective criteria, it was a resounding success. 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.

In regard to Halo 4's shortcomings and what specifically they hope to improve upon in the next entry, O'Connor added:

There are a ton of things we wish we could done better: 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. A collection of talent and souls that can do something genuinely amazing on this and next-generation hardware. The overhaul of an amazing game engine – but one that really needed to be overhauled – and an amassed education on systems, people, code and audience that will stand us in great stead for the future.

If there's one thing you'd like 343 Industries to change or improve upon with Halo 5, what would it be? Let us know in the comments below.

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