Halo Infinite Includes Microtransactions, Described As A "AAA Player Investment Experience"

A newly posted job ad at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries provides a clue into what to expect from the Xbox One, Scarlett, and PC shooter as it relates to the "live" nature of the game. It sounds like we might be getting some major microtransactions in this release.

Microsoft is hiring a "Live Design Lead" who will come up with strategies to keep people engaged with Halo Infinite for a long time after release. This includes all manner of things, from in- and out-of-game progression, social media engagement, and seemingly through some kind of microtransaction strategy. One line in the job ad states that the candidate will design and deliver a "AAA player investment" experience that includes microtransactions.

"Design and deliver a AAA player investment experience that focuses on our fans and their desire to express their passion for our franchise (including but not limited to microtransactions)," reads a line from the job posting.

The "express their passion" line seemingly is in reference to cosmetics for in-game characters, but nothing is confirmed at this stage.

It is no surprise that Halo Infinite will have microtransactions, as a job ad from 2018 called for an Online Experience Design Director who would oversee a number of games-as-a-service elements including microtransactions.

Interestingly, the wording of the Live Design Lead and the Online Experience Design Director include a number of similarities, including some word-for-word bullet points. The Online Experience Design Director job ad has expired, but it's not immediately clear if the position was filled.

Whatever the case, the new Live Design Lead position also notes that among the successful candidate's responsibilities are to "put the player first in all of their team's designs," and players are likely glad to hear that given how microtransactions can, at times, skew toward the icky side.

This new Live Design Lead position is a relatively senior position, as a successful candidate should have 8+ years experience on two or more AAA titles and a deep understanding of business models in games "and beyond." The successful candidate should also know how to develop frameworks that keep people interested in Halo after they stop playing, while 343 is also looking for a person who has a "comprehensive understanding of player psychology" as it relates to creating experiences that keep people coming back.

Halo 5 also had microtransactions and live-service elements, so this is nothing new for the Halo franchise.

Halo Infinite launches during Holiday 2020 for Xbox One and PC, while the game is also coming to Microsoft's next-generation console, Project Scarlett.