Every time I run across this statement, it strikes me as wrongheaded and, on 343i's part, arrogant.
When I hear "Make it theirs" or "establish their stamp", I think that's supposed to be a blank check for 343i to change whatever they want in order to make it clear "It's ours now". Building a studio out of scratch, immediately moving to continue the biggest plot threads that had been left behind by GoO and Halo 3, and discarding iconic designs in favor of what fits the fancy of newby artists? Yeah, that goes beyond being merely audacious.

Also, the aversion to being under your predecessor's shadow is an alien one to me. You're working on Halo; that's kind of what you signed up for. You're always going to be compared to the original. You can either work with that, and 'leave your mark' by pouring your heart into the new stuff... or you can leave your mark much in the same way a dog does.

Maybe the UNSC Infinity is a metaphor for what 343i is doing. Technology inherited from those who came before is used to make something that's supposed to be bigger, better, and more awesome than what came before... but it's not.

: It's not that its more or less valid, its that in terms of HBOs many many
: changes, the only folks who can really say what its been like since the
: beginning have to have BEEN here since the beginning. Yeah HBO is quiet
: now, but I've seen multiple times from Claude that its normal, and people
: freaking out about it is normal. It ramps up, it slows down. It gets
: heated, it gets cold. There are many environmental factors to consider for
: this specific eco system, and I agree for the most part with Cody's
: opinion in this tread.

^^^Agreed. I'd love to see a time chart of the number of posts each week since day one.

: As an individual, that's why I can't quantify and compare Halo 4
: success/failure with any other Halo title. I can only say that they are
: different and there are things I like/dislike about each title.

Try my way.

: Hey, I was pleasantly surprised with Spartan Assault. If I had put on Palmer
: blinders I would have missed out on some fun. I still think she's a
: wanker.

What did she bring to Spartan Assault? Was Spartan Assault great because it used her to tell a good story, or because it was a blast to play?

: If you see what waypoint is now, know that it was like that in the Halo 2/3
: days on B.net.

... I occasionally venture onto Waypoint, just to bask in the chaos. Even then, I stay miles away from gameplay discussions.

: I don't think that I was trying to elevate myself or anything, but I do
: strive to read other peoples posts from their perspectives. I find myself
: playing Devil's advocate in a many areas that I interact with people (not
: just HBO).

Such an admirable quality that nevertheless irks me. =D

: 343's Halo needs to be different and risky or it will fade into the
: mediocrity that is far to common in mass marketed games these days.

That's right! 343i needs to bring in more stuff that Bungie never had the balls to make! Killcams and perks and lens flare MUST be the focus of Halo 5! And if we don't get some ADS down here stat, I'm going to declare this patient dead.