A steady stream of development updates have continued to release for Halo Infinite. The developer 343 Industries is committed to ensuring that players are a part of development, building on everything it presented since Infinite's gameplay reveal and subsequent delay. This has been a fruitful endeavor so far, but eventually, the game will have to speak for itself.
Back when Halo Infinite was still slated for release in 2020, 343 Industries said that it was going to hold multiplayer beta sessions for the game in the leadup to launch. That is probably still be in the cards, but after all this time, it may make sense to go a little further. Halo's campaign is just as important as its multiplayer to many fans, and the last showing produced a lot of doubt in Infinite's ability to deliver on that front. For that reason, 343 Industries should seriously consider releasing a demo for Halo Infinite instead of a beta, casting a wider net to show what the game is capable of.
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A game demo is usually a freely distributed piece of a video game. It can be from the game's first level or area, or it can seek to show a variety of content through mixing in a couple later levels. If a prologue isn't particularly representative of the full game, then some demos, like Metal Gear Rising's, will start on the second instead. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version. Some demos, like those part of the Steam Game Festivals, may only be available for a limited time or a limited number of runs, but classically they were infinite and could be used to sell people on games long after they had launched.
Meanwhile, game betas are typically limited-time digital events that are either open to the whole public, or only available for certain pre-selected or registered users. A game can have one beta, or it can have multiple betas like Halo Infinite reportedly will. Betas are meant to stress test multiplayer servers and gather feedback to ensure the game launches in a more polished state, though open betas can also be used to give players who wouldn’t have bought a game otherwise a taste of what it’s like.
Temporary in nature, betas have gelled well with the rise of streaming, where content creators can go in, often a day or two ahead or in a closed beta, to show games in fairly controlled environments. While 343's plan to host betas is still on the table, there is enough time for it to pivot from a beta to a demo instead. A lot of people would love to experience the game on their own terms, and a demo would provide that.
A demo for Halo Infinite would primarily be used to assuage fears regarding its visuals, performance, and core single-player gameplay loop. A month or two before launch, players can get their hands on a free demo that allows them to explore most of the first major area of Halo Infinite’s semi-open world. While it could be made technically free due to being a pre-order bonus, there’s still incentive for 343 to release the demo to everyone six months later. If the game is a quality product, people will be impressed by what they see and buy in.
Alternatively, they can opt in, as Halo Infinite will join Xbox Game Pass immediately at launch. With the success of Game Pass, there’s no reason not to provide an always-available demo to get as many people possible to buy in when the game launches, as the barrier for entry will be the lowest it's ever been for a major Microsoft release. The only real downside is the potential over-emphasis of the single-player campaign in a series where multiplayer is also a massive draw.
With that being said, there are still reasons why 343 Industries would want to release a public beta with or instead of a demo. The chief reason is that while a demo is great for showing off single-player and local multiplayer, a beta is better at demonstrating online multiplayer. Also, the benefits of finding bugs before a launch and getting feedback still stand. Once again, people will be able to simply try Halo Infinite on Xbox Game Pass once it comes out, so a demo would be redundant for them.
There is a firm argument for Halo Infinite advertising itself with a beta, and another for Infinite providing a download-able demo. Ideally, both could be used, but as it takes a lot of development resources to carve out a chunk of the game and get it ready for the public, it’s probably better if 343 chooses one or the other. A good demo will make the game look great and will put anxieties caused by early showings to rest. Meanwhile, a beta could be good for Halo Infinite’s multiplayer longevity and esports initiative. It will be interesting to see which road 343 Industries takes as Halo Infinite nears its launch.
Halo Infinite releases in 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.