http://youtu.be/jJ4nf8xnnVk
It's a shame that things have become like this, but long gone are the days that a person could simply pop in a game disc, install the game and, maybe, one update, then be on their merry way to spend some time with a brand new game. It's sad, really. Lengthy download times, large day-one updates, and various launch issues are the norm now, and no matter how much of an inconvenience they may be, it doesn't appear as though they're going away.
Such is the case with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a game that already has its own 15 GB launch day update to go through, on top of the mandatory game installs. Launch day players eager to jump into the collection's online modes and relive the multiplayer of Halos past have unfortunately been met with matchmaking issues that leave them waiting in matchmaking lobbies for unreasonable spans of time. Oftentimes resulting in no results.
Imagine patiently waiting for the 15 GB of content to download and install, just to run into problems that further prevent you from playing. For some, today is a much welcomed day off.
The Halo forums are currently filled with people seeking help and discussing the long matchmaking times. Fortunately, both Microsoft and 343 Industries have acknowledged the problem's existence and provided updates across Twitter, the aforementioned forums, and the Xbox Live status page. Though they all basically say the same thing:
"Xbox members, if you are having a tough time matchmaking in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, please restart your search. We are aware that some users are experiencing longer than normal matchmaking search times. We are actively working on a fix."
There's no telling just how far the issues spread, or how frequently they occur. Judging by the forums, the matchmaking to matches player ratio is staggeringly off. One forums user stated they'd be at it for 6 hours and only player two matches.
If you are one of the many that's suffering from long matchmaking times, the only alternative seems to be playing through the campaign or co-op until Microsoft and 343 work things out. In a comment made to Game Informer, Microsoft reassured that things will get better "as we continue to roll out;" currently, the game is not yet available in all regions, and only certain areas have been afflicted. They've not said why this is happening or what they're doing to fix it.
Have the launch troubles for Halo: The Master Chief Collection soured your day a little, or are you, perhaps, one of the few that hasn't run into any problems? Either way, it's a bummer that something like this is happening at all.
Sources: Halo on Twitter (1), (2), Microsoft, Game Informer