In a seismic event that threatens to explode the internet, Destiny, Activision’s latest juggernaut IP, has launched worldwide at midnight, Local Time.
The launch was preceded by a press release from Activision, which, among other things, boasted:
Destiny is the most pre-ordered new video game IP in history, and has won over 180 awards and nominations, setting the stage for Destiny to become one of the biggest entertainment launches of the year, and the next big blockbuster franchise in gaming. In July, over 4.6 million people tested Destiny in what became the biggest beta of this console generation. Millions are expected to start playing the full game today.
Of course, those who are skeptical of parting with their money before a game has even been released would do well to wait for the reviews to come in, and even then, Bungie has stressed that those reviews might not do Destiny any justice. Chief among the cited reasons is the fact that Destiny relies on an abundance of players populating the game world to present an enjoyable experience, and without that, reviewers wouldn’t be able to make a fair judgement:
From the beginning, we set out to make Destiny feel like more than bits on a drive. We wanted to build a place for players to visit — a place filled with luminous life. Without a vibrant population for the last safe city on Earth, and Guardians roaming the wild frontiers, Destiny is a shadow of what it should be.
Still, larger gaming sites such as Gamespot and IGN are streaming their reviews in progress, so the more impatient of you can experience Destiny with your own eyes before deciding if it is worth experiencing with your hands and wallet as well.
Also available for purchase is the Destiny Expansion Pass, which is essentially a season pass for future DLC, namely two expansion packs with new story missions, cooperative activities, multiplayer maps, and more guns, armor and gear. The Expansion Pass is priced at $34.99, saving you $5 from the combined cost of both DLC, which will be individually priced at $19.99. The first DLC will be out this December, and the second one presumably a few months after that.
In case you’ve been living under a rock these past few months, Destiny is the newest franchise from Halo developer Bungie. Set in the far future, players take on the role of Guardians, soldiers of varying races and classes who have the truly unique and original task of protecting Earth’s last city from an encroaching alien species. The game has similarities to MMOs like World of Warcraft, which is also owned by Activision, in that it takes place in a living, breathing world that is shaped by the collective actions of players.
Activision has spared no expense with this new franchise, which is launching at a time when many are becoming fatigued by the publisher’s most recognizable franchise, Call of Duty, which will have put out seven games in as many years by the end of 2014. They have thrown $500 million dollars into the making of Destiny, a budget that dwarfs that of the most massive Hollywood films ever made, and with the floodgates now open, it will be curious to see how the half-decade spent on building Destiny culminates.