While the current whereabouts for Halo Infinite is certainly undetermined, the game is forecasted to receive a “high-level” update sometime this December. Although the contents for the update is not clarified following its disclosure, it is anticipated fans will receive a glance at the updated Slipspace Engine which should improve on the visual play for the game alongside new footage of the highly-anticipated first-person shooter.
As already recognized to make improvements from the earlier iteration presented, a result of this is by hiring new staff that could greatly help benefit the game’s outcome. To elaborate on that matter, James Guard on LinkedIn announced to be joining the ranks at 343 Industries. For those unfamiliar with the developer, he is noted to be a former employee for both Naughty Dog & Insomniac Games.
Given the timing of his time at the two Sony Interactive Entertainment teams, his resumé grows with both The Last of Us Part II and potentially either Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart both. So for Guard to be recruited to the Redmond studio is surely a welcomed face that could help resolve the development problems Halo Infinite faced leading to the game’s delay into 2021.
“I start my Journey with 343 Industries! Halo has been a big part of my childhood and I am happy to be apart of such a great studio,” Guard wrote in a recent activity post on his LinkedIn profile announcing his new position at the Halo team.
While most Xbox Game Studios teams are always welcoming new faces to its studios, the notion of adopting a notable addition from a PlayStation studio is more in The Initiative’s territory. Previously, the Santa Monica developer has introduced former God of War developers Erik Jakobsen & Chris O’Neill, previous Naughty Dog employee Aisa Garcia, and former Insomniac Games Drew Murray.
One noted attribute that Guard could possibly remedy for Halo Infinite is the indirect lighting for the game. While Halo Infinite is certainly an upgrade visually, many credit the title for its underwhelming appearance through the use of a dynamic light system. Collected from Digital Foundry, the group reveals that because of the game’s day/night cycle being a dependent to light the foreground, the game illustrates to be flatter than it actually is.
With Guard now in 343 Industries, his contributions and experience as a Senior Lighting Artist on previous PlayStation titles could assist in bringing Halo Infinite’s head over the water. It should be recognized that the recent event atop of Halo veteran Joseph Staten now involved in the game’s development with a leadership role is just what Halo Infinite needs for a comfortable launch next year.
Recently, 343 Industries went public to deplatform the claims & rumors made for Halo Infinite. The supposed leak mentions a battle royale mode alongside references Halo Wars 3 and a spin-off featuring Team Osiris as the leading cast. You can read the full report by heading here.
What do you hope will come from James Guard now being added to 343 Industries?
Source: LinkedIn