‘Destiny’ Team Knows They Must Earn Sequels, Starts with Beta Test
104
With the Destiny beta already in full swing (on PlayStation platforms), gamers are getting their first sample of Bungie ‘s upcoming shooter.
‘s upcoming shooter. Those who participated in the recent alpha testalready have some understanding as to how Destiny ‘s world, systems, and multiplayer work, but that was only the first part of the equation for Bungie. Now comes the larger test: how the game performs under a large player load and how players respond to the game.
See, as Bungie Community Manager David “Deej” Dague explained to TrustedReviews the beta represents the developer’s “first date” with players. They hope that the relationship can span years, and of course several titles, but a lot of that potential rests with the success of this beta test.
It’s no secret that Bungie and publisher Activisionaren’t looking to stop at just one with Destiny; after all, with a reported $500 million budgetthis franchise has already drawn a significant investment from Activision. However, whether or not gamers show any interest in a second or third Destiny is wholly dependent on their reception to this first game, and sales of this first game could rise or fall based on how this beta test goes.
“We have to do our jobs to build a big, beautiful world that people do truly want to explore further,” he told us. “We have to capture their imaginations with a story that has them asking more questions as they get to the end of this first game.”
Obviously, Bungie is a developer with a strong pedigree, but no matter how popular Halo may be Destiny is still a new IP and therefore a risky endeavor. And even though the game might share some similarities with Halo , its approach is completely different.
With Destiny , Bungie is trying to build a sprawling universe that players can explore as they see fit. They can venture out to the Moonone day, or fight the Fallen on Marsthe next. Even Destiny ‘s multiplayer, called the Crucible, is a lot more fast-paced than Halo ‘s online component, something that Bungie says is by design.
So, while gamers are sampling Destiny’ s wares for the next week and a half (don’t worry Xbox gamersyou’ll get your chance), they should know that this is Bungie’s first step towards, as Dague puts it, “earn[ing] the right to put a number on the box.” Ideally, the journey would begin here, continue on September 9thwhen the finished game hits stores, and last for more than a decade. For now, though, “it is just Destiny.”
Do you think that Destiny will be successful enough to warrant future sequels? What do you think of the beta so far?
Destiny releases September 9, 2014 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source: TrustedReviews(via CVG)
Follow Anthony on Twitter @ANTaormina