Bungie and Destiny Set the Stage for the Future of Gaming

Yesterday, we were given our first official glimpse of Destiny, the long-awaited project from Bungie and Activision. While certainly falling in line with subject matter that Bungie is accustomed to, there is enough risk and ambition fueling this project to change the landscape of gaming for years to come; and that is exactly what Bungie has in mind.

Set many years in the future, Earth is finally reaping the consequences of exploring the galaxy. Aliens have invaded and wiped out much of the human population. The remants of the human race live in a massive city that is protected by a mysterious alien fortress that hangs above the planet. Players will design and create their own hero that they will control on their mission to save the human race from extinction and return the Earth to its former glory. At first glance, the project may look like pretty standard science-fiction shooter material but the similarities end there.

Destiny is the first in a series of games that will span 10 years and give players the ability to affect the world they are playing in and the people whom they share it with. While Bungie insists the game is not an MMO, players will have a constant affect on the game world and will in turn, effect the experiences of other players. Of course, players will be able to team up together to tackle missions and objectives together but it is the grander, socio-economic and political affects that will set the experience apart. Bungie is crafting a world in which much of the content is dictated by the player but in a structure that still has more in common with single-player experiences rather than full blown MMOs.

It Sounds Cool but What Does it Mean?

Destiny is a world that requires a constant internet connection in order to represent the effects that other players have had on the world. It is a game that seems focused on delivering an immersive, storytelling experience while encouraging exploration, adventure, and cooperation among players. When it comes to player interactivity, Bungie is aiming for seamlessness; an idea that reminds me a lot of Journey, a game that had similar ambitions in regards to multiplayer but on a smaller scale.

What surprises me is how interested I find myself in the social aspect of Destiny. Bungie intends to develop Destiny in a manner that will allow players to continually progress their character and their game on-the-go. By connecting a mobile phone app, players will be able to receive updates and coordinate get togethers with other players even they aren't playing. This kind of thing has never really interested me before but mainly because it has almost exclusively been a feature set among MMO's. The ability to have this social aspect on the go but tied hand-in-hand with a more console-centric experience might be pretty cool.

At this point, it is hard to comment on what Destiny will be like as an experience but with Bungie already referencing open-world exploration and the ability to hop a freighter over to other parts of the solar system, my imagination is running wild. With that said, I have my concerns about the implications that this new project has for the future of the industry...

It Is Not all Sunshine and Rainbows

Not that a persistent open world from the creators of Halo doesn't sound amazing (because it does) but I can't help but feel like requiring a constant internet connection sets a dangerous precedent. This project is incredibly ambitious as it is and trying to pioneer the use of a persistent internet connection within the console market might be a bit much. Not only does this move alienate those with limited internet access but it also might open the door for all kinds of trickery on the part of the publisher to combat used game sales. Let's be honest, Activision is not new to the concept of shady marketing tactics.

Of course, there is something to be said about the scope and ambition that Bungie is demonstrating here. Destiny is setting the stage to really shake things up if it proves to be successful. It may be too early to tell but the pedigree is there and the concept is certainly shaping up rather nicely. All that is left is to see the game in action in get some hands-on time with it. In the meantime, enjoy the developer documentary that was debuted on Sunday.

Destiny (Developed by Bungie / Published by Activision) is due for a release sometime in 2014 on all current gen hardware.