The coverage of Destiny continues prior to its 9/9/14 release. Destiny is arguably the most anticipated title this year. Developed by Bungie, who is most notably known for their creation ‘Halo’, has had nonstop marketing and press coverage for the game. Late in the evening on 26 Aug 14, Bunge’s Assistant Community Manager, DeeJ (David Dague), joined a live stream with @Bestbuy and a panel of gamers.
Image from Live stream with BungieThe stream lasted little under an hour and had a open live chat with questions addressed throughout the broadcast. Deej was the primary source of new information and clarity during the stream. The other panel members were referred to for opinioned responses only. The overall excitement from the panel members was not over embellished, as it seems their responses were shared by many followers of the stream. The panel members based their opinions on their previous experience with the Alpha and Beta played throughout the month of July. The overall consensus was Destiny’s appeal stems from how the living world […..wait….”universe”…that sounds more erotic] is presented to the gamer. The feeling of having the raw or “organic” moments with random (non-AI) gamers in the seamless instant is amazing. Much like the panel, I experienced this feeling on countless occasions throughout my time with Destiny. It is truly something a gamer must experience to fully appreciate the universe Bungie has created.
Key points addressed by DeeJ were the available difficulties and the process Bungie developed for the guardians (that’s you!) to explore and battle in the universe. He elaborated this by essentially stating Destiny’s “Story and Strike missions will have harder modes”. Furthermore, “Special Events” will have random hard difficulty applied to keep the gaming experience interesting. Bungie created the AI to meet the gamer in which they encounter, but much like developer’s previous titles, the gamer will have the ability to adjust the difficulty to raise the challenge…..when they’re ready. Deej also hinted at areas on Mars and Venus that gamers will have a lot of enjoyment and or pain with. Guardians will have a chance to battle alien strong holds on Venus and a chance to discover the lost city hidden underground on Mars. [Random thought insert] I wonder how many people are going to make youtube videos about stunts with sparrows (personal vehicles). I don’t know why, but Mars dunes seems like a prime candidate for sparrow misbehaving chaos! [Ok, back on track]
As far as the game changes from beta to final release, DeeJ mentioned “When the Beta was released we [Bungie] were already a couple builds down the road”. Adjustments that were made based on Beta players have been previously discussed, such as: weapons upgrades for hand cannons/plasma rifles and the infamous downgrade to the interceptor (tank). When asked how much time a gamer could expect with Destiny, DeeJ said in short, even if a player thinks they’re done….we have more for them.
A question was asked about the trading cards given out during the Beta, and DeeJ made it known that these cards are important in the upcoming weeks. On the back of the trading cards is a code that gamers will be able to redeem for rewards at Bungie.net. What exactly will be the reward is unknown, but let us all hope it more than a name plate! *blank gaze*.
As always, thank you for reading and stay tuned for more details on Destiny on GamerHeadlines.com! Lastly, I leave you with a question(s): What most excites you about Destiny? Is it the PVP or PVE? Is it the MMO/FPS concept? Leave a comment below. Maybe the discussions will keep you sane until 9/9/14. 13 days and counting.
