Where is the Destiny Franchise Going...Part II

I’m writing this in the aftermath of a quote released by community and marketing relations manager Eric ‘Urk’ Osborne stating that the “ten-year” plan for the Destiny franchise does not equate to ten years of releases. But here is where a little reading and critical analysis comes in handy. The Activision and Bungie contract for Destiny is available online and for free. It’s 27 pages long and most of it is about internal procedures in case any incident occurs, so we are going to look at the very first page and the page right after that. 

Here we can see under Recitals C. that “Activision and Licensor [Bungie] entered into a Development and Publishing Letter of Intent dated March 21, 2010”. This date is extremely important because the date when Activision and Bungie entered this agreement precedes the release date of the first franchise title by four years. Next, let’s looks at page 2, 1A. Release Plan.

The most important part for us here is “The release plan for the Destiny Games (“Release Plan”) is currently comprised of four (4) major retail Destiny Game releases tentatively scheduled for the Fall of 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019 and four (4) Comet releases … for the Fall of 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020”. In plain English? Four separate Destiny disc, each released every two years, and four expansions, released the fall of the years in between the disc release. What we know now is that:

1. The first Destiny game (Destiny 1) came out September 2014. This pushes the “major retail Destiny Game releases” up by one year. Expect the next one in Fall of 2016, 2018, and so on.
2. There have been two Comet releases already, expansions “The Dark Below” and “House of Wolves”. “The Dark Below” was released winter of 2014 (on schedule with the above release plan) and House of Wolves in Spring 2015. This could be the Fall 2016 release being pushed up or it could be part two to the first wave of new content.
3. As of Fall 2015, we have had three expansions to the first Destiny game.

This stuff is pretty cut and dry, it’s fairly easy to see where Activision and Bungie plan to go with it – but here is what pisses me off.  Articles that are being published across the Internet headlining: “Destiny – the Game it was Supposed to Be”. What?! Destiny has always been the game it needed to be, it’s just that the majority of community gamers are acting short-sighted. It’s clear from the moment you start your Guardian’s journey, there are very large forces at play in the game universe. But realistically, we can’t expect to grab a 331 attack weapon and dominate the entire universe.

I’d like to take a moment to mention Strife: Quest for the Sigil. This is another game that is a great example of having to complete a plethora of roundabout tasks that are all relevant to achieving your long-term goal. In Strife, the goal is to destroy the evil alien-mutant theocracy that has gripped its icy hand around the neck of humanity and in Destiny it is to destroy the Darkness, some malignant force from space that wants to put its icy hand around the neck of humanity. Honestly if you were a souped-up warrior, capable of space magic, you wouldn’t just dive in headfirst. You have to explore the universe around you, go up the stepping the ladder, prove your worthiness by toppling boss after boss. The fact that people seem to have expected the entire game to be available immediately baffles me.

Now I’m sure you have a good reason for expecting that. I mean Strife was a massive game that came bundled all into one. Yes, but Strife was also released in 1996. Destiny is coming out at what I assess is a far more interesting time in the world of gaming technology. At this point I am speculating, but take into account the external apparatus Destiny players have at their disposal – Destinylfg.net, /r/DestinytheGame, DestinyTracker and of course the Companion App, which allows you to make live in-game changes from your computer or phone. Some of these could have only come into existence as they are within the last six or seven years and I’m sure that innovations are not slowing down. Consider a future with Destiny in virtual or augmented reality. Instead of opening your phone to switch weapons, you just look at your wall and swipe your hand down. Destiny is doing something few other games have accomplished so eloquently and that is creating a comprehensive, immersive, and innovate universe for players to engage with and within. So to people who think everything needs to be released right now, consider that at the end of the day the developing company, Bungie, is “a bunch of humans who are just trying to make a really great game”. There are amazing things in store for this franchise and to everyone getting on the boat now because of The Taken King expansion, welcome Guardian. I’ll see you in Crucible. 

Check out part 1 of the series here