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Metareview: Destiny
Our review of Destiny said we're in it to "slay monsters, level up and collect loot." It's an interplanetary dungeon crawler. Go into the experience with that expectation, along with some friends, you'll do just fine. But, overall, Destiny reviews have skewed toward the lower end of the acceptable game spectrum. The game has been dinged for a lack of content, a lack of story and a lack of refinement. Destiny seems to suffer from "The Lack," which is actually a perfectly acceptable name for a new Destiny villain race.
Bungie doubles Destiny public events, plans to add requested features
Bungie told Joystiq today that it will roll out a number of post-launch improvements for its multiplayer online shooter Destiny, and notes that it has already "more than doubled" the number of public events players will encounter throughout its world. "Bungie is hard at work behind the scenes, updating Destiny to make it better," Bungie community manager David Dague said. "We've rolled out numerous patches, tuning updates, and server adjustments. For instance, the frequency of public events has more than doubled." Dague added: "We'll keep working to ensure our server performance remains stable for our already sizeable community, which has shattered previous records for any Bungie game to date. In an effort to keep our community up-to-date on these changes, patch notes will continue to appear on Bungie.net. The team is committed to a steady stream of post launch support, including the addition of some much requested features." Joystiq's staff noted a distinct lack of Destiny public events during our post-launch roundtable session, and Bungie's quick response indicates that it is listening closely to player feedback. Destiny's online features maintained a consistent performance during its launch week, and Joystiq's Richard Mitchell praised the game's "well-oiled shooting mechanics" in his review posted today. [Image: Bungie]
Destiny State of Service: Week One
This is State of Service, an ongoing review of the online service of a recently launched game. You can read our scored review of Destiny here. Tuesday, September 16 | T-minus 23 days until final verdict Current State of Service: Good Summary: Destiny's launch week has been generally smooth, with a few outlying issues. The game has been updated and new content added. Launch week has come and gone, and Destiny's servers seem to be handling things well. Bungie has issued an update to the game and added the first "Raid" mission, the Vault of Glass, which is intended for (very) high level players. Over the weekend, players could also jump into a special, limited-time Crucible mode called Salvage. Bungie has announced several other events that will take place over the next few months. The Joystiq staff hasn't encountered any persistent connection issues thus far. Reviews Content Director Richard Mitchell did lose connection during a Strike mission, though his equipment and experience progression were not lost. He also notes that the update immediately booted him to the title screen – his ship had been in orbit at the time – and prompted him to install the file. Other players have made similar reports, saying that the update notice even kicked them out of missions in progress. Finally, Joystiq's review of Destiny is now live. You can read it right here. If you encounter any connection problems while playing Destiny, let us know in the comments, or on the Joystiq Twitter or Facebook accounts. Use the hashtag "#sos" and specify your platform, please.
FIFA 15 removing trade offers from Ultimate Team mode
Electronic Arts announced that it has disabled a key feature in FIFA 15's Ultimate Team mode in an attempt to crack down on the harmful trade of in-game currency. In recent FIFA series games, players could exchange in-game items, coins, and players with friends using the Trade Offers feature. Finding that coin sellers often used the service to shuttle ill-gotten currency between accounts, EA removed the feature from this year's game. The coin-selling market is tied to account hacking and phishing, and functions in previous FIFA games could be exploited to cheat players out of cash by artificially inflating auction bids. EA's Ultimate Team revisions supplement recent changes to its cheating policy, which gives coin buyers three strikes before they're permanently booted from FIFA online play. Sellers are dealt harsher penalties, and risk being banned from all EA-published games for coin selling and farming. [Image: Electronic Arts]
WWE 2K15 delayed to November on next-gen
WWE 2K15 has been delayed to November 18 in North America on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, 2K announced today. The international release of the game on the next-gen systems has also been pushed back to November 21. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will still arrive on October 28 in North America and October 31 internationally, as originally announced in May. "Visual Concepts and Yukes are committed to delivering the most authentic and action-packed WWE experience to date, including release for the very first time on next-generation consoles," Visual Concepts President Greg Thomas said via press release. "The additional development time enables our talented teams to ensure the WWE 2K15 next-gen experience fully meets our expectations." The game will feature a historical rivalry mode that focuses on two feuds in WWE's history: CM Punk versus John Cena and Triple H versus Shawn Michaels. [Image: 2K Sports]
Disney Infinity's Toy Box 2.0 offered as standalone download
When Disney formally unveiled Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes in April, the publisher announced that the power discs and base from the first game would be compatible with the one slated to arrive next week. Instead of buying a starter pack for Disney Infinity 2.0 with a new base, returning players will have the option to download the new game's Toy Box mode separately starting on November 4. The Toy Box mode has improved since the first game, offering options for procedurally generated content and themed templates. Priced at $19.99, the standalone Disney Infinity Toy Box 2.0 game will be available for PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U players. The developer opted for a November release date to time the digital launch with its physical 2.0 Edition Play Sets as well as the game's Disney Originals series. North American players that download Toy Box 2.0 will receive both the Stitch's Tropical Rescue and Brave Forest Siege game discs for free, with details on the limited-time offer on the way from Disney Interactive as November approaches. Disney Infinity 2.0 launches September 23 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii U. [Image: Disney Interactive]
PSA: Today's Destiny update causes interruptions
Destiny is getting an update today, meaning players may see the above alert in their games. This warning popped up for us on PSN while our ship was in orbit. Bungie.net offers the following message: "Pardon our dust! Destiny is being updated. You will be returned to the title screen to install a title update and will be able to continue playing afterwards." With the game running in the background, we also received a message to exit Destiny and apply the update, and for more information to search "cat" on Bungie.net. The cat error means there's an update ready to roll. See our ongoing review of Destiny's online functions in the State of Service series.
Why did Microsoft pay $2.5 billion for Minecraft creator Mojang?
Microsoft confirmed its $2.5 billion purchase of Minecraft developer Mojang today, with Microsofts's Head of Xbox division Phil Spencer noting that the acquisition "adds diversity to our game portfolio and helps us reach new gamers across multiple platforms." It's a big chunk of change to spend on an independent studio founded in 2010, but its juggernaut product has since sold over 15 million units and spawned a merchandising empire. Minecraft earned a reported $326 million in revenue last year, continuing its year-on-year trend of increased profitability. Creator Markus Persson expressed a desire to move away from Minecraft earlier this year following a notable shift in indie development culture, however. "The current indie scene is as new for the people making games as it is for the audience," Joystiq editor Jess Conditt wrote. "Indie developers don't have trained PR teams to guide them through the drama; many don't know that the press and public will take their tweets seriously; some of them aren't even sure what an embargo is. They receive death threats and then react like candid humans when the audience expects them to behave like detached professionals." "As soon as this deal is finalized, I will leave Mojang and go back to doing Ludum Dares and small web experiments. If I ever accidentally make something that seems to gain traction, I'll probably abandon it immediately," Persson said in reference to the Microsoft purchase. Here's a quick rundown of the events that led up to today's deal.
Driveclub additional to regular PS Plus allocation, says Sony [update]
PlayStation Plus members are getting the service's edition of Driveclub on top of next month's regular number of games, according to Sony Europe. That means the PS4 racer's lite edition is effectively a bonus for Plus subscribers, who can download and play it as well as the two PS4, two PS3 and two Vita freebies due monthly in the Instant Game Collection. The confirmation comes from Sony Europe's Fred Dutton on the region's PlayStation Blog, so we've reached out to Sony America to confirm the same deal applies. [Update: A Sony Computer Entertainment America spokesperson told Joystiq the same does apply for North America] Evolution Studio's sim is out October 7 as a full retail game and in an edition free for Plus members, with the latter missing most of the cars and tracks available in the former. The Plus edition includes 10 cars and 5 tracks with 11 variations or routes, while the full game features 50 cars and 25 tracks with 55 routes. It's unclear whether or not the hashtag is included in the Plus edition, but the good news those who download the Driveclub freebie can upgrade to the full game for $50. [Image: Sony Europe]
Sony UK boss: Vita sales are 'robust,' banking on Minecraft
Sony has been fairly low-key on Vita recently, with little mention of the device at its Gamescom press conference this year, and just a little Vita love during its Japan & Asia conference. However, Sony hasn't forgotten Vita – its sales are "robust and consistent," Sony UK head Fergal Gara claimed in an interview with Eurogamer. "It's trucking along," Gara said. "It's currently in year-on-year growth and enjoying a healthy year, and it's about to hit its biggest and potentially most powerful release of the year, which is Minecraft. That could be an extraordinary release for Vita."
Jungle Rumble brings musical monkey mayhem to Vita 'very soon'
Developer Disco Pixel has announced that its rhythm-based platformer Jungle Rumble: Freedom, Happiness and Bananas is coming to Sony's Vita handheld. In Jungle Rumble, players control a troop of monkeys that must battle an opposing simian faction for control of the local banana supply. "Using the PS Vita's touch screen to tap along to the beat of the jungle, players drum on monkeys and then drum on trees to have their simian soldiers swing through the trees," reads the developer's official gameplay description. "Drum on coconuts and then drum on enemies to throw those coconuts with rhythmic flair." Unlike most rhythm games, Jungle Rumble doesn't require that players mimic existing songs, but instead the game creates a dynamic soundtrack to match the rhythmic drum hits which control the in-game action. Though Disco Pixel offers a solid description of the game, the developer fails to mention when Jungle Rumble might reach the Vita, beyond saying that it should arrive "very soon." [Image: Dead Pixel]
Dubai's wealthy gamers can now purchase a gold PS4, Xbox One
Prominent Dubai retailer Jumbo Electronics has announced plans to unveil custom PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles made of rose gold, claims regional news outlet Emirates 24/7. According to the report, the console is being crafted by Italian jeweller Gatti and will initially be available for purchase at the ongoing Games14 conference in Dubai. If you're interested in scoring one of these gaudy gaming machines, you'd better bring your wallet: While the tech specs of these special consoles match their plastic counterparts, each machine features a price tag of 50,000 UAE Dirhams - about $13,612 here in the United States. "We are particularly excited to be launching the most unique and valuable gaming consoles in the world at Games14, specially created by Gatti," Jumbo Electronics head Nadeem Khanzadah told Emirates 24/7. "Available to both Xbox and PS4 fans, the high-end materials and exquisite detailing of the gold consoles make it a great collectible item for gamers who love luxury." [Image: Sony/Gatti]
Destiny State of Service: Day Three
This is State of Service, an ongoing review of the online service of a recently launched game. Friday, September 12 | T-minus 27 days until final verdict Current State of Service: Good Summary: Destiny continues to enjoy a clean launch, with glitches hitting a small number of players. Destiny is holding up well across PS3, PS4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One in its first week online, with the most prominent server issue being the Boar error on PS3. Bungie offers a workaround for the bug: Install Destiny, create a new PSN account designating the same region as the game, and then launch it and sign into your original PSN account. If that doesn't work, try deleting and reinstalling Destiny. Inelegant, but effective, apparently. The Joystiq staff hasn't encountered any connection issues since launch, though Feature Content Director Xav de Matos has received a PS4 UI error noting he's lost connection to the server. Oddly, he hasn't dropped connection to the game itself, even when the notification appears in the middle of matches. Destiny's first weekend events kick off today, and Bungie promises that public events will appear more frequently in the game "very soon." If you encounter any connection problems while playing Destiny, let us know in the comments, or on the Joystiq Twitter or Facebook accounts. Use the hashtag "#sos" and specify your platform, please.
Octodad localized in Japan with a new name, tons of style
When Octodad: Dadliest Catch launches on PS4s in Japan, it'll be with the snazzy new logo seen above, and a fancy localized name: "something like Okutodaddo: Don't Call Me an Octopus," Young Horses co-founder Phil Tibitoski says on Twitter. Adorable. Sony Computer Entertainment Japan designed the logo and "they did such an awesome job," Tibitoski writes. The new art will make an appearance at Tokyo Game Show next week. [Image: SCEJ]
This weekend's Destiny event goes 3-vs-3 in the Crucible
Bungie's freshly-launched Destiny is more than just a first-person shooter, it's an MMO-like game with planned community events for players to pepper with bullets. The developer unveiled the next set of missions in a blog today, starting with the 3-vs-3 Crucible event, Salvage. The playlist spans this weekend and has players fighting to "claim and salvage relics on small to medium sized maps." Players earn Crucible reputation, marks and gear by taking other teams of three on in the mode. Then starting on September 16, the Vault of Glass level 26 raid opens. Set in a mysterious area beneath Venus, players take on "your greatest challenge yet," which happens to be long division for us. Vault of Glass champions receive raid set gear and ascendant materials. The last three sets of challenges are without description at the moment. Two of them, Combined Arms and Queen's Wrath, are planned for September, with the Iron Banner event set for October. These online events are playable as long as Destiny's servers are stable, which are in good shape as of our initial State of Service update. [Image: Bungie]
Dying Light to rise in January 2015
Dying Light, the free-roaming zombie apocalypse survival game from Call of Juarez and Dead Island developer Techland, will launch January 27, 2015. The game was delayed to February back in May, and was previously expected to arrive on March 31 of this year for PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360 and PS3. Published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game splits players' activities among day and night cycles, the latter featuring much more dangerous and aggressive zombies. The best options for survival during the noctural hours is usually to run, encouraging players to partake heavily in Dying Light's parkour-like urban traversal mechanics. Players will also hunt for supplies to dig into a weapon crafting system and take out the undead enemies when the opportunity arises. [Image: WBIE]
Paul McCartney didn't receive a check for his Destiny work
Paul McCartney contributed to Destiny's soundtrack, but he didn't do it for the money – because there was none, Bungie Community Manager Eric Osbourne told Vulture. "There was no check involved, big or otherwise," Osbourne said. "He's in it for the creativity. He got a wonderful opportunity to reach an audience that wouldn't typically be immersed in Paul McCartney. They might hear the name – of course he's everywhere, the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics, obviously he's touring and recording nonstop – but he sees it as a way to reach a new audience that might not otherwise hear his music." McCartney contributed orchestral elements to Destiny's soundtrack and he wrote the single that plays over the credits, though a team of composers scored the game and they "put in a lot of work," Osbourne said. Osbourne also touched on Activision CEO Bobby Kotick's claim that the company is "making a $500 million" bet on Destiny. "None of that is true," Osbourne said. "You really have to get a quote from Bobby to fully understand it, but I suppose what he was getting at was what Activision was willing to invest in the project and the IP over its life. There's no P&L statement anywhere where all these numbers add up to $500 million. It's not even close at this point, for development and marketing." As we noted when that number first emerged, Activision has a 10-year plan for Destiny and the company is proficient at cultivating long-standing franchises. [Image: Activision]
August NPD: Madden 15, PS4 score top honors
Madden NFL 15 was the software leader in August, surprising a record-breaking no one. According to the NPD results, Madden's sophomore effort on the latest batch of consoles faired better on the PS4 versus all other platforms. The latest console release of Diablo 3 landed second on the new physical retail sales list, with Minecraft for Xbox 360 and PS3 rounding out the third spot. Compared to the same reported period last year, however, software sales of new games for the month were on the decline due to fewer big ticket launches. In August 2013, a handful of anticipated titles arrived in stores and online, including Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Saints Row IV and Disney Infinity. Overall, new physical retail sales of hardware, software and accessories "increased by 8 percent in August 2014 over August 2013 and followed a similar pattern of prior months with explosive hardware growth driven by eighth generation consoles offsetting declines in software," NPD analyst Liam Callahan said. "Deep declines in seventh generation software [X360, PS3, Wii] of 57 percent were not offset by growth in eighth generation software, leading to a net decrease of console software sales of $47 million," he added. Hardware sales grew over the same reported period last year "by an over 200 percent increase in console hardware sales" thanks to the Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U. According to a statement from Sony, "PlayStation 4 was [number one] in hardware sales for the eighth consecutive month and remains the cumulative leader for next generation game consoles."
Australia gets The Evil Within maze-style haunted house
In an effort to scare the ever-living-shit out of its fans, Bethesda announced a partnership with Warner Bros. Movie World to craft a real-life maze based on its horror game, The Evil Within. Located on the Gold Coast in Australia, the maze will feature characters from the game portrayed by actors as well as lots of fake blood. The Evil Within maze will be part of Warner Bros. Movie World's "Fright Nights" event held throughout the month of October. Those that can't make the trip will have the chance to experience a "teaser version" of the maze at the EB Expo in Sydney from October 3 to 5 at Bethesda's booth. The Evil Within launches October 14 for Xbox One, PS4, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. [Image: Bethesda]
Report: PSP users in Europe, Asia lose PSN access on September 15
Sony is closing off PlayStation Network access for its PlayStation Portable console in multiple regions starting this week, IGN reports. A Sony representative told IGN that the shutdown affects PSP owners in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and select regions in Africa. North American PSPs will still be able to access the PlayStation Network while Sony "evaluates market trends" to determine if it should expand its service shutdown plans. While affected regions will be unable to directly access the PlayStation Network from PSP hardware starting on September 15, Sony notes that users will still be able to buy PSN marketplace content and redownload previous purchases via the Sony Entertainment Network Online Store. Sony halted PSP production in Japan in June, and discontinued North American hardware shipments in January. [Image: Sony]

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