Posted in: Games, Movies, Video Games | Tagged: entertainment, games, halo, Halo 5: Guardians, microsoft, video games

Halo 5 And Its Beta Are 'Tailor-Made' For E-Sports And Streaming

If you went out and bought The Master Chief Collection, you are probably aware that it gives you access to the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer Beta in a few weeks. If you didn't…well, Merry Christmas. It does.

If you are a fan of streaming, the next in the Halo main series has been designed specifically with your desires in mind. Speaking to IGN, Josh Holmes, the Studio Head at 343 Industries, said the game is going to have a lot of streaming functionality, and that will start in the upcoming Beta.

When you think about Halo, it's such a tailor-made experience for eSports, especially with that competitive edge, getting back to the level playing field and everything. So we put a lot of focus on surrounding features.

343 Industries are putting a fair amount of emphasis on spectator control too. You won't be relegated to just sitting and watching what the Streamer has on their screen. He said spectators:

…can go in and live-spectate on any of your friends' matches in the Beta, [and] you can flip between first person and third person. So if you want to cast, you can go do that in a Twitch stream.

Casters will also be able to:

…rewind and fast-forward through the match, assuming that you're tuning in if there's a bit of a delay, so if you want to go back and replay a specific moment, you can do that within the controls. We're looking at deepening those controls for launch, but we want to get that there for Beta so we can put it in the hands of players.

That is a fairly exciting proposition. Streaming has obviously become a huge business, so putting more options in the hands of those watching and streaming is a natural progression. Who is to say exactly how much control they will have, but it is well worth keeping an eye on. It could be a powerful tool, and it's something I'd love to see expanded on in the future, especially if eSports continue on the insane trajectory they're already on.

My only problem is a philosophical one. Should we be designing artistic experiences through the rules of sports? This will no doubt be a bigger conversation as eSports get bigger. I'm not damning the practice, but I think it is a worthwhile discussion to be having,.

That is for another time though. Right now, I think this is a neat bit of experimentation.

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