Bethesda's Cheng says MS marketing is to blame for ODST backlash

Bethesda's production director, Ashley Cheng, has defended Halo 3: ODST's campaign length on his blog, stating that Microsoft's marketing machine is almost solely to blame for the consumer backlash and mixed reviews.

"Microsoft and/or Bungie totally bungled the marketing on this. First saying it was a standalone expansion pack, then coming out and saying wait, no, we're charging full price because - surprise! - we put "more" stuff in it and it's called Halo ODST now, vs it's original title, Halo Recon," he wrote.

"Like Microsoft was ever going to sell this for less than full price. It is a new Halo title, it'll sell like hotcakes no matter what.

"Because of the waffling, reviewers are now mentioning that Halo ODST may not be worth the price point, that it should've been cheaper, etc... Give me a break. First off, most games - especially first person shooters - are anywhere from 5-10 hours. Tops. What makes Halo different from others? You can't just ping Halo ODST for it.

"I bet if Microsoft hadn't screwed up the marketing messaging, there would less talk about pricing.

Youch. More through the links.

Via Videogamer.