Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
Halo: The Master Chief Collection 20 GB Update Intended To Keep Game On One Disc
Last week, we reported that Halo: The Master Chief Collection will have a 20 GB update in addition to the approximately 45 GB on the Blu-ray disc. Now we have a little bit more information about what that additional content represents and why this decision was made.
Halo franchise development director Frank O’Connor took to NeoGAF to explain (yes, we confirmed with Microsoft and 343 that this is O’Connor).
“That's not a patch. It's content,” O’Connor writes. “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. Since the bulk of it is MP or MP related, the logic is sound. There will ALSO be a [title update] in there, but that in itself is a tiny fraction of the content.”
O’Connor reiterates that the campaign content is on the disc and will work without the content update. In other words, if you happen to be away from your internet connection, you’ll still be able to enjoy the offline portions of the game. For more on Halo: The Master Chief Collection, check out our preview from PAX.
[Source: NeoGAF via Eurogamer]
Our Take
To be clear, we confirmed with Microsoft and 343 Industries that this was, in fact, O’Connor posting on NeoGAF. That said, this is the smartest division of content possible. It ensures that players can enjoy the four campaigns even without a connected Xbox One.
If you want to jump into multiplayer first, your best bet is to purchase digitally. If you do that and have automatic patching on, you’ll pull down the 20 GB update as soon as it’s ready and have little to no wait on November 11.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
