: So why didn't they simply delay the release? The answer to that worries
: people as much, or more, than the issues themselves.

It's almost definitely because they're so in love with this anniversary idea and because the schedule for the game after this is already more or less set. I would say "I hate to say I told you so", but it's so rarely that I specifically tell people something is a bad idea and it fails this spectacularly, so 343 Industries, I told you so. I told you being all hype machine about anniversaries was not such a good idea. If I'm the one making better judgment calls than you, there's a problem.