: I'm not going to pretend to be terribly bothered by this, though. I get that
: saying stuff like this can easily put me into "horrible person"
: territory, but I'm happy that a Halo game whose direction I don't like
: doesn't have the legendary momentum of its predecessors. It means change
: toward a direction I do like is more likely. Microsoft isn't commanding my
: attention very well right now, but if they decide to change that, great.
: I'm still sort of listening.

Bingo. If 343i hasn't gotten the much-deserved wake-up call that they've had coming, this should help do the trick. Halo 4 just isn't that good. It's not good compared to other games coming out these days, and it's especially embarrassing when you consider the legacy of the Halo series. Either make Halo 5 the best Halo game there has ever been, or else Microsoft just needs to clean house and throw the studio out on the street. I hate to say that, since there are a few long-time Halo community members there. But that's what's really troubling. If these people can't ensure that the Halo series continues to be as high-quality and well-received as it has historically been, then what hope is there for the series in the future?