Although 343 Industries has taken influence from Call of Duty in the development of Halo 4, the studio isn't trying to compete directly with Activision's behemoth.

In an interview with CVG, Halo franchise development director Frank O'Connor was asked if modern shooters such as Call of Duty have had an influence on the design of Halo 4.
O'Connor replied by saying 343i has done its due diligence, keeping abreast of the genre's evolution and a keen eye on peers. He went on to reveal former Treyarch and Infinity Ward devs are working on the sequel and "bringing some of their habits to the game."

Despite this, the development team has made a conscious effort to ensure Halo remains distinct and maintains its own gameplay identity.

"We haven't tried to chase that tail," said O'Connor. "Those games are good for specific reasons, and Halo is good for a different set of specific reasons.

"I think the closest we've come to that conversation about Call of Duty, is that we wanted to have an amazing player progression experience that wasn't just aesthetics."

Earlier today 343 revealed the Flood will return in Halo 4, and showed off two new vehicles.

Posted: Sep 27, 2012 8:19 am

Source: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/370186/343i-halo-4-isnt-chasing-call-of-dutys-tail/