While the ugly enemy now known as Craig the Brute may have started out as a thorn in the side of Halo Infinite's marketing, the comically passive character may now have a job at the top of the Xbox ecosystem after Phil Spencer jokingly (and smartly) declares him the "official Xbox mascot." Craig's unamused mug made its debut during July's Xbox Games Showcase's first public unveiling of Halo Infinite's campaign gameplay. The combat and new weaponry were exciting to see, but many onlookers took issue with the game's graphics, with enemies particularly standing out to critics. What was expected to be a marquee title showcasing the power of the Xbox Series X instead looked like something that could run on long-discarded hardware.
Fans began dissecting the trailer and the official screenshots trying to see if their suspicions were correct. It led to a situation that Microsoft is more than familiar with, calling back to the "Wall Guy" meme surrounding Perfect Dark Zero and the Xbox 360 launch. Similarly, the 2020 model is an almost equally unimpressive enemy model. Craig is only in the gameplay trailer for a split second, but his face perfectly capture what Halo Infinite's detractors saw as a shoddy presentation and potential development troubles. Then, as his mug began to spread around, the jokes turned from derisive to just humorous, and the Halo community embraced Craig as their own.
This makes it no surprise that Phil Spencer recently made an offhand remark on social media that Craig the Brute was the "official" Xbox mascot of the moment, wisely diffusing the negative narrative surrounding the flagship game and owning the gaffe rather than ignoring or denying it. While the head of Xbox was obviously having some fun, it makes sense to spin the negatives around Halo Infinite into positives as much as possible. The developers at 343 Industries have already confirmed that the version of Halo Infinite on display was an out-of-date build running on PCs in an attempt to explain why the game didn't meet fan expectations.
Microsoft are currently prepping one additional showcase before the Xbox Series X's launch this holiday. Players still don't know the expected date or price for the console's launch, and rumors continue to point towards a second cheaper unit to exist alongside the Series X. In addition, more recent branding moves point towards the end of Xbox Live Gold and a move to make the now Xbox-less Game Pass an experience that exists beyond the console. Microsoft obviously needs to explain its full strategy, and it's running out of logical times to do so.
Honestly, even outside of the Halo Infinite controversy, a new mascot for Microsoft's gaming efforts isn't the worst idea in the world. Outside of Master Chief, there isn't' really a recognizable face that fans can associate with the entire division. Sure, they've had some fine candidates over the years, but the closest that they've had to consistency is the constant presence of a car from Forza. If Halo Infinite can recover from its initial showing and become a hit, perhaps Craig can become a symbol of the Xbox Series X's unlikely success story. It certainly wouldn't be the most bizarre advertising a console has ever had.
Halo Infinite will be available on Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in Holiday 2020.
Source: Phil Spencer