Halo: The Master Chief Collection is going to be a massive quadrilogy. And it’s coming with a massive day one patch as well, which feels like a slap in the face with a very large piece of digital content. Naturally, some people aren’t exactly happy about this. And 343 Industries is rather sorry about that.
The biggest issue here, is one of disc-swapping, as the game is meant to be played as an uninterrupted experience. “The game is designed to run as a single, unified product, digital is seamless obviously, but we also wanted disc users to have the same experience, without swapping discs,” 343 Industries boss Frank O’ Connor wrote on Neogaf.
Since the bulk of it is MP or MP related, the logic is sound. There will ALSO be a TU in there, but that in itself is a tiny fraction of the content.
The patch itself is mainly for the multiplayer of the game, which as you can imagine, forms a significant backbone for any Halo title. “For some folks it will be straight up annoying and I both apologize unreservedly for the irritance, and hope that the package and the way it works more than makes up for it”, O’ Connor explained. According to him, the game could have shipped on two discs, but this would have been impractical. Unlike those other Xbox 360 games where you could install off of a second disc and carry on playing with only one disc in the drive. But such games can’t possibly exist, right?
“Anything is feasible, it simply wasn’t practical for this product, this year in this timeline,” O’Connor said.
The Xbox One platform continues to improve and mature, arguably faster and more meaningfully than others and maybe next year two discs or some other method would have been the right approach, but this year it’s the option we have available that on balance, makes the most sense for this giant, ambitious project.
Do I understand the inconvenience and annoyance for some users? Of course. I’m not going to blow smoke or ignore it. I’ve been playing the whole enchilada for a week now and the ability to sample, jump from aspect to aspect, customize with skulls and playlists has been absolutely addictive and mesmerizing.
I think I would have enjoyed a box set with the same fidelity, but the way it all connects has for me at least, made it more than the sum of its parts.
On the one hand, I get what O’Connor is trying to say about making a seamless experience, but the other hand knows that gamers would really not mind at all about a second disc option that could easily be implemented. In other words, prepare to leave your console running for a few nights taking advantage of that extra bandwidth before you jump into multiplayer.
Last Updated: October 21, 2014
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 07:47
Dear God in Heaven!
Please make this silly man stop talking. Second disc impractical????
My sweet Nightmother! Does this guy not know that multiple disc installs was still a thing like yesterday??
Please dude, just come out and say that you did not want the expense of having to print and make a second disc.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 07:49
But dude, a second disk would cost like, 30c! Do YOU have that kindda cash on you?!
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 07:57
No. But I ain’t got no, what, R600-R900 to pay for an incomplete game either!
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 07:47
Lol. Another day 1 DRM download for the One. So if you buy this bundled, you need to dl a 500 mb day 1 patch just to turn the console on, then another 20 gigs? Lulz. http://i.minus.com/i9LF6l6xiRjiJ.gif
Admiral Chief 0
October 21, 2014 at 07:54
Looks like a proctologist appointment gone wrong…
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 07:58
Can they ever go right???
Admiral Chief 0
October 21, 2014 at 07:59
Well, if a doctor wants to shove his/her finger up your bum, he is doing it wrong. These days there are blood tests for that!
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 08:02
Well, if she’s a sexy doctor… Just saying!
Admiral Chief 0
October 21, 2014 at 08:08
Nope, EXIT ONLY
Alien Emperor Trevor
October 21, 2014 at 07:58
How dare you abuse that fine gentleman for your mockery, sunshine?
http://www.regalsays.com/hes-a-silly-ginger-git/
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:08
What a great movie!
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:20
Bwahaha that face
FoxOneZA
October 21, 2014 at 09:23
Yes, 500mb is a lot of gigs in the days of the WWF 😉
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 07:50
I’ve been noticing this trend for a few years now. The trend where released games don’t come with the higher textures, uncompressed audio, incomplete game, massive patches. So you buy the game and then end up with a fucking large ass download.
I fear that this trend is just going to get worse. Microsoft realized that the gaming community is not ready for console DRM. Sony even said that people were not ready, yet. So in order to get people prepared for DRM, you have to get people using the internet. Hence the large downloads which should have been on a disc in the box.
You paying a lot of money for a console game. Don’t you deserve the full fucking game in the box without looking for the rest of it on the internet.
The Witcher 3 will not come with a large download on release day. Having no DRM means that the game has to be complete in the box for all to enjoy without needing internet for the rest of the game.
Don’t support DRM.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 07:51
Ain’t that the truth.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 07:51
So I can immediately jump into all the Halo campaigns while the MP is downloading in the background? No problem! Can’t wait for this!! AWESOME!
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 07:54
In South Africa, most gamers with internet will finish the campaign of all the games and still be waiting for the MP to finish download.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:01
If you try and speedrun it sure, but I’ll take my time, drinking in the Halo lore, savouring every drop! Excited for this collection!
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 08:04
It’s not new games. I’ve played them already.
So savour every replay till the MP downloads.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:06
Exactly, you getting me even more excited!! ????
Kevin Brunsdon
October 21, 2014 at 12:40
Thank I’m sure a LASO run through the game will take long enough for the MP to dl
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:20
That’s pretty fortunate. I mean I wouldn’t bother with the MP at all.
FoxOneZA
October 21, 2014 at 09:24
The MCC takes us back to a day when Bungie was good. How times have changed.
Weanerdog
October 21, 2014 at 09:26
Apparently you can play a chunk of the MP without the download as well.
Weanerdog
October 21, 2014 at 09:39
Seeing as bandwidth does not seem to be a problem for you, if purchase the game digitally you can pre download the game in its complete form.
Jonah Cash
October 21, 2014 at 07:52
What he meant to say was: It would cost us more if we had to ship it with two discs…. So we will let you pay for the second discs content!! My capped account is only 20gig…. So this would definitely not work for me!!
Lord Chaos
October 21, 2014 at 07:54
Or… what he meant to say was: #dealwithit
FoxOneZA
October 21, 2014 at 09:25
Go with Telkom. All their capped accounts are uncapped between 0:00 and 7:00
Jonah Cash
October 21, 2014 at 17:16
I am with Telkom but haven’t heard this little bit of information!!!!!!!
FoxOneZA
October 22, 2014 at 12:14
It’s all explained here or you can phone them for further explanation 🙂 http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/596707-Telkom-Internet-Uncapped-User-Feedback-(Pt2)?p=13222144&viewfull=1#post13222144
Jonah Cash
October 23, 2014 at 12:50
Thank you good sir!!
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 07:56
Can I send Microsoft a blank blu ray disc for them to copy the download files.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:00
Yes, yes you can!
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:12
Erm…
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 08:13
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MqtG6HZD5Lc/U9stqCYIbMI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/4rAfbWnogF0/s1600/70180_original.gif
Microsoft, please can I have what I paid for in the box. Please.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:14
You ask for too much!
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 08:18
CD Project RED. Can I have the complete game in the box that I paid for. Yes and have some more.
http://www.incgamers.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/cd-projekt-gog-witcher-3-conference-1.jpg
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:18
*Goes weak at knees…
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:03
Hahaha, reading all the silly complaints I realise most gamers really are a bunch of whiney cry babies! ????
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 08:08
Pieter Kruger, if you are happy handing over your hard earned cash for an incomplete game, then please, by all means be the silly fanboi we all know you to be and happily hand ’em your money.
I ain’t gonna stop you from being a fool.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:11
Oh thank you so much! ????. I was really concerned that this game is incomplete and unplayable without the patch like Drivedud, but seeing that I can get stuck into all the campaigns while waiting for the MP to download in the background really makes me happy!! ????????????
Lord Chaos
October 21, 2014 at 08:15
Did you miss the part where it said “The patch itself is mainly for the multiplayer of the game”?
Meaning there’s still the chance you won’t be able to do anything until the patch is done.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:16
No no no, on Reddit he clearly said all campaigns are 100% playable without the patch!
Weanerdog
October 21, 2014 at 09:36
In fact they even stated that MP is playable without the patch it is however limited. What limited means I don’t know.
Ryanza
October 21, 2014 at 08:11
aww. you think we are to blame and not Microsoft. This year they can’t give an extra disc but maybe next year.
Microsoft thinks the world has fast cheap stable internet. In South Africa and I’m sure all over the world, there are people using 3g connections to play MP. You download 20gb on a 3g connection and tell me how much that will cost. Just because you are ok with it, doesn’t mean that others who are forced into a shitty situation are ok with it.
L337J1MB0B
October 21, 2014 at 09:10
.. and the rest are a bunch of overly sensitive, defensive fanboys.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:28
I think complaining abut 20gigs isn’t really whining. Sure the SP is available day one but there are those who probably just wants to play it for the MP. At least it’s playable in some form unlike DriveClub
Skyblue
October 21, 2014 at 09:39
I checked last night and saw that DriveClub still isn’t available for PS+ members, some 20 days after it was due.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:43
Yeah, maybe next month. Maybe….
Weanerdog
October 21, 2014 at 09:34
The point is that with most guys bandwidths and caps it makes this an unplausible scenario especially seeing as they could have included a second disc that could have just downloaded onto your hard drive, so no disc swapping during the game. They then try to tell everyone how sorry they and then lie about how they couldn’t include a second disk.
Dutch Matrix
October 21, 2014 at 08:06
You know what I am going to do today? I am going to burst into CNA. Grab an Xbox One of the shelves, put like R20.00 on the counter and tell ’em it’s impractical for me to pay the rest.
(Yes, I know it is not CNA being the dicks here, but hey…)
Lord Chaos
October 21, 2014 at 08:08
It IS CNA, they’ll find a way to be dicks.
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:08
HHAHA
RinceThis
October 21, 2014 at 08:13
When will we learn? “Here’s half a game for you, we’ll finish the other half once you’ve already spent R800 on the half complete game. But hey, we are nice, we will allow you to DL 20 gigs worth of product after the fact. Now look away and cough”.
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:18
OVG said it nicely. We’re connoisseurs. The other 95% isn’t that’s way the throw money at gamers like I do at strippers.
Brady miaau
October 21, 2014 at 18:27
Um, no. That is not what was said. you can play the game, just not the multiplayer and it makes some sort of sense.
Pieter Kruger
October 21, 2014 at 08:15
“HALO:FINISH THE DOWNLOAD!”
Hammersteyn
October 21, 2014 at 09:17
hahaha I see what you did there.
DarthZA
October 21, 2014 at 09:36
At least you can start playing the moment you put your disk in, just not in the multiplayer. And even with a 2M line, by the time I finish playing Halo 1 again, the download should be done. It really sucks, but it is something I can live with.
Skyblue
October 21, 2014 at 09:44
I tend to agree with you on this but 20GB is still ridiculous.
CAE9872
October 21, 2014 at 17:48
It sure is a tad big…