'Halo 4' creative director quits: 'I wasn't excited anymore'

Halo 4's creative director has left to form his own company, it has been revealed.

Ryan Payton left developer 343 Industries after he wasn't "excited" over the project any longer, according to Kotaku.

"I had a great run at Microsoft," he said. "I don't regret one day of it. But after a few years, there came a point where I wasn't creatively excited about the project anymore."

While Payton said that Halo 4 won't become a bad game, the direction of the project was different to what he first anticipated.

"The Halo I wanted to build was fundamentally different, and I don't think I had built enough credibility to see such a crazy endeavour through," he said.

"I think time is the most valuable thing we have. I've decided that I'm not going to waste one more day working on something that doesn't speak to my values."

Watch Halo 4's debut trailer below:



Payton's new company Camouflaj will produce games that "hit [people] harder than a great book or film", and is already underway on two new projects.

Payton joined 343 Industries after producing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and was credited for updating the game's controls and balancing the story for international audiences.

Extensive details about Halo 4 were revealed last month, including the Forerunner-built setting, art direction and story.

Halo 4 will be available exclusively on Xbox 360 in late 2012.

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