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Bungie aims to fix parts of Destiny's economy in House of Wolves
Bungie made some mistakes with the first bit of Destiny DLC. That's not editorializing; that's a takeaway from a post that designer Luke Smith made regarding mistakes that will not be repeated for the game's second bit of downloaded content, House of Wolves. Smith explains the shard economy essentially functioned as a barrier to prevent people from actually equipping their shiny new pieces of kit, thus invalidating and minimizing the effort put forth by players. Ultimately the goal is to make reaching level 32 with gear easier while giving players more incentive to keep tweaking their setup via new upgrades and better traits on items. Smith also states that the economy is not going to be adjusted this tier simply to ensure that the people who have already put this much work in will not find themselves invalidated again. It's a change to be made moving forward, one that will hopefully improve everyone's experience in the game once the second DLC update drops.
Destiny patch repairs Crota's bum knee
Bungie issued a new patch for Destiny today, primarily providing fixes for issues with the Crota's End raid in the game's first expansion, The Dark Below. As the developer revealed late last week, the update zapped a glitch that allowed players to easily beat the raid boss, Crota, by unplugging one teammate's network cable. The "force quit" by one player previously caused Crota to enter an irrecoverable kneeling state, according to Bungie's patch notes. Additionally, not only does the update fix a "rare case where the Shriekers would not spawn, preventing players from reaching the Deathsinger" enemy in the expansion, but the Deathsinger now has a chance to drop rare exotic gear and materials. The Dark Below launched in December, bringing with it a slew of story missions and three Crucible arenas. The DLC is available for $20 on its own, or as part of Destiny's $35 season pass. [Image: Bungie]
Next week's Destiny patch fixes Crota's End exploits
Bungie will deploy a Destiny patch fixing several issues within the recently introduced DLC raid mission Crota's End, addressing lingering bugs before introducing a harder difficulty mode for the level. Notably, the patch will eliminate the "knee glitch" that allowed players to easily take out raid boss Crota by yanking a teammate's LAN cable during a specific mid-battle moment. The update will additionally tweak Crota's End treasure chest contents, add new requirements for the bridge encounter, and fix enemy-spawning bugs that currently prevent some players from fighting the Deathsinger. Bungie's patch will begin to roll out for Destiny players on January 13. [Image: Bungie]
PSA: Destiny's first expansion The Dark Below out now
Destiny's first paid expansion The Dark Below is now available across the PlayStation 4, PS3, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 platforms, publisher Activision announced today. The Dark Below introduces a collection of new story missions and quests, along with the cooperative Strike mission "The Will of Crota" and a new Raid for up to six players. Players can also expect to see Legendary loot that boosts characters to Light Level 32 and three new arenas for the game's Crucible multiplayer component. Today's launch should re-enable Destiny access for players who were mistakenly locked out from the game over the weekend after pre-purchasing The Dark Below. The PlayStation 4 and PS3 versions of Destiny also receive an exclusive exotic weapon and an additional Strike mission as part of today's DLC launch. The Dark Below is priced at $19.99 on all platforms, and is bundled as part of the Destiny Expansion Pass for $34.99. [Image: Activision]
Destiny: The Dark Below is live today [Updated: Crota has already been defeated]
Destiny isn't leaving players in the dark today; the game is actively sending players into the dark. Why? Because The Dark Below launches today, bringing along with it updates and expansions for several parts of the game along with some exclusive content for players who buy early and/or play on a PlayStation system. The new content includes a new raid, three new competitive arena maps, new loot, new story missions, and another cooperative Strike. Players who purchase before January 15th, 2015, will also receive an exclusive vehicle, and PlayStation players get a special shotgun and access to an additional Strike exclusive to the platform. So if you're ready to start shooting the Hive in the darkest places you can think of, jump in today; we've placed the trailer just after the break. [Source: Bungie press release] [Update: Aaaaaaand the new raid has already been beaten.]
Report: Destiny DLC countdown locking out players on PS4
The PlayStation 4 version of Bungie's online multiplayer FPS Destiny is currently unplayable for a handful of users who have purchased the upcoming expansion The Dark Below, reports from Reddit indicate. When booting up Destiny after purchasing the content, affected users see a timer counting down to the launch of The Dark Below. The screen reportedly prevents players from starting the game or accessing existing Destiny content. Reddit user Grit45 confirms that deleting and re-installing Destiny fixed the issue in their case. While others remain locked out of the game even after restoring their PS4 system licenses, the issue could potentially resolve itself when the countdown concludes and The Dark Below launches on December 9 at 1:00 a.m. PST. [Image: RamiBlack]
Joystiq Weekly: Street Fighter 5, Captain Toad review, PlayStation's 20th and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Judging by how many uploads of Street Fighter 5's announcement trailer have been pulled, we're thinking Capcom doesn't want us to know about it just yet. Considering it seems to be a PS4 console exclusive, we're wondering if the reveal slipped out ahead of PlayStation Experience, this weekend's gathering in Las Vegas to talk all things PlayStation. We can find out together as the event plays out over the next 48 hours, but PlayStation news isn't the only thing happening this week – The King's Quest series is getting a new entry, we reviewed Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Telltale Games' Game Of Thrones, and Managing Editor Susan Arendt explained the Danganronpa series' remarkable conveyance of how depression works. Those and many more stories are waiting for you after the break!
Destiny's The Dark Below DLC is lit up in launch trailer
The environments in Destiny's The Dark Below expansion appear to be fairly well-lit – some of them are bathed in an eerie greenish glow, but still, they're lit. Maybe it's more of a metaphor about the darkness inside of us all. Or maybe it's just a cool name for some DLC. The Dark Below launches on December 9.
Destiny previews The Dark Below and still offers no raid matchmaking
The first expansion to Destiny, The Dark Below, is launching on December 9th. Some players will get new content out of it. That's not editorializing; the official preview of the mechanical changes says outright that the update will bring new content for some and new play mechanics for all. Mechanically, the updates focus around upgrading Exotic equipment, raising character levels to 32, and the addition of Legendary gear that sits below raid equipment and Exotics. Bungie has also reaffirmed its commitment to not adding in any sort of matchmaking service for the game's raids while praising third-party sites that allow players to find others who wish to take on these raids. This is the equivalent of refusing to own a clock while complimenting your neighbor's sundial. Despite this fact, the developers are aware the demand for this content exists, and the team states it's looking into designing content for this particular audience.
Destiny's PlayStation-exclusive Dark Below content detailed
When the Dark Below expansion drops for Destiny on December 9, PlayStation 3 and 4 players will receive a launch-exclusive Strike mission and exotic weapon. Both will be PSN-only through fall 2015, at least. The Strike is a Mars mission called The Undying Mind, set in The Black Garden. Players will face a "timeless Vex machine-beast that has survived for ages. Prepare for firefights amidst vine-laden pillars and decaying paths in an effort to destroy the ancient evil," the PlayStation Blog reads. The weapon is The 4th Horseman, a shotgun with four barrels, five shots and a "sizzlingly fast" fire rate. See an image of the quad-barreled blaster after the break. The Dark Below launches for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS3 and PS4 on December 9, bringing new story missions, weapons, armor, an increase of the Light level cap to 32, a competitive multiplayer map, cooperative Strike, six-player Raid, and more goodies.
Joystiq Weekly: Free stuff for AC: Unity, Telltale's Borderlands review, a Zelda story and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Oh wow, look at that scenic view from every retail store in the United States! Hopefully everyone survived Black Friday, an annual, nationwide recreation of that Lion King stampede scene where customers are unwavering bringers of death and retail employees are terrified reincarnations of Simba. We understand the thought process though – cheap video games and consoles are awesome! While you're mending your wounds, whether they were sustained physically or through your wallet, you can catch up on the past week's worth of prominent news with the Joystiq Weekly. News of free vouchers for Vita owners, free games for Assassin's Creed: Unity season pass owners, reviews of Assassin's Creed Rogue and Tales from the Borderlands, a spoken tale of a staff member's first journey to obtain The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and more is all waiting for you after the break!
Destiny's Dark Below trailer runs through the goodies
Destiny's upcoming expansion The Dark Below brings a boatload of new features to Bungie's multiplayer FPS, and the trailer above outlines what you can expect to see. Featured additions include new equipment, guns, environments, story missions, Crucible maps, a multiplayer Raid, and maybe even a Jacuzzi. Actually, that's probably not a Jacuzzi. Don't risk it. The Dark Below premieres on December 9. [Video: Activision]
Destiny's Dark Below gameplay previewed in new video
Bungie's response to last week's Destiny expansion leak takes the form of a new dev diary video. Joystiq reports on the "one way trip" nature of The Dark Below's design on display in the new clip. The vid also introduces Eris Morn who serves as a quest giver and offers insights based past encounters with the expansion's baddies. The Dark Below will cost you $20 when it launches on December 9th, unless you already have the $35 Destiny season pass, of course. Game Informer holds exclusive rights to the diary video, so you'll need to follow the links below to watch it.
New trailer for Destiny's The Dark Below glances at gameplay
After Destiny's cinematic introducing the story of the game's upcoming DLC, The Dark Below, leaked, Bungie opted to issue a more explanatory video. As seen on Game Informer, the developer diary-style trailer discusses the "one way trip" nature of The Dark Below's design. The trailer also introduces Eris Morn, the merchant and primary quest-giver that failed to defeat the DLC's main villain Crota in the past. The Dark Below will launch on December 9 and adds new gear and maps to the game, which are also shown in today's video. The DLC will cost $20, and it is also part of the Destiny's $35 season pass program. Those that buy the expansion will also receive a new Sparrow vehicle capable of performing some fancy tricks. [Image: Activision]
The opening cinematic for Destiny's first DLC has been leaked
You remember Destiny, don't you? Come on, folks, it was only a few months ago. Science fiction shooter? Made by Bungie? It had a cave that you shot until candy came out? Well, the opening cinematic for the game's first major DLC, The Dark Below, appears to be out in the wild via a leak. You can watch it just past the break, complete with ominous chanting and creepy voice over explaining what the title actually means. The DLC is planned for launch on December 9th for $20, or included as a part of the game's Season Pass for $25. There's no way to confirm if this is indeed the trailer, but it certainly looks legitimate, and it lays out a reasonable story pitting players against the Hive and its ultimate designs on Earth. You can check out the trailer for yourself just past the cut.
Destiny's Dark Below DLC trailer leaks
A cinematic for Destiny's The Dark Below expansion has reportedly leaked. The video found after the break, courtesy of YouTube user Mr Jester6598, seems a lot like a standard trailer that sets up the game's upcoming DLC. Information on future Destiny add-ons has been prone to spill across the web in the past few months; Bungie confirmed a leak of two DLC packs' mission names and descriptions in September, followed by the discovery of an entire map on Venus for the House of Wolves expansion in October. The Dark Below will launch on December 9 for $20, and is part of the game's $35 season pass program. Aside from The Dark Below's story missions fixated on the Hive's plans to summon a pretty mean god known as Crota, the DLC adds a special Sparrow vehicle to the game that allows players to perform tricks at high speeds. Bungie will also add some free content to the game at The Dark Below's launch, such as additional gear and five additional bounty slots. hose still on the fence about playing Bungie's latest FPS can check out the game's trial, which launched this week with the ability to transfer players' demo progress to the full version of the game, should they choose to upgrade. [Image: Activision]
Big Destiny patch adds expansion stuff, shaders, and more
If you're a Destiny fan and you're planning to play later this evening, you'd best be patching now. Today's update is a whopping 2.44GB and it adds everything from team chat to multiplayer map tweaks to shaders to the new Iron Banner mode. Does all that really add up to 2.44GB, though? Not exactly, according to Bungie's Twitter account which says that the patch also includes "new playable spaces to support The Dark Below" expansion that launches on December 9th.
Destiny to dole out some new content for non-DLC purchasers
As we reported last week, Destiny has revealed its first DLC pack, The Dark Below, and set a date of December 9th for its release. But what if players don't want to buy into this update? Will they be left out completely? Nope, says Bungie in its weekly update. While the offerings won't be as robust for those who opt not to buy The Dark Below, there are a few content scraps that will be free for all. These include new daily bounties, five more bounty slots, and "some" new weapons and armor. The weekly newsletter also revealed a little of the story of the upcoming DLC, wrapped up Halloween activities, and mentioned how the team is combating various bugs that have been plaguing Destiny as of late.
Destiny's The Dark Below expansion launches December 9th
The Dark Below, Destiny's first expansion -- sorry, "Expansion I" -- releases on December 9th, Bungie announced today. What's in store for players? New weapons, armour and gear A new Light Level cap of 32 with 5 additional Bounty slots New story quests and missions revolving around a new character Eris and the Hive A new co-op Strike called The Will of Crota (with a second co-op Strike, The Undying Mind, exclusive to PlayStation gamers for a year) Three new competitive multiplayer arenas: Pantheon, Skyshock, and The Cauldron And a new six-player Raid called Crota's End. Bungie says the expansion will cost £19.99 standalone or £34.99 for a bundle that includes this expansion plus Expansion II. We've included a few of the new screenshots and concept art pieces below.
The Dark Below expands Destiny on December 9
The first expansion to Destiny, The Dark Below, will launch on December 9, Activision revealed today. The Dark Below takes players below the surface of the moon to compete in new missions and blast through story quests that reveal The Hive's sinister plans to summon a god known as Crota. Which sounds a little too similar to "crouton" for us to be too worried about its desire to destroy Earth. The Dark Below will cost $20 on its own or can be obtained by purchasing Destiny's Expansion Pass, a $35 ticket to both The Dark Below and an upcoming expansion. The Dark Below raises the game's level cap to 32 and adds five bounty slots as well as new weapons and gear, including legendary and exotic items. It also features three competitive arenas – Pantheon, Skyshock and The Cauldron – as well as the cooperative strike mission The Will of Crota and the six-player raid mission Crota's End. PS4 and PS3 players will have access to The Undying Mind, a strike mission that will be exclusive to PlayStation platforms until "at least fall 2015." The expansion was announced during Sony's Gamescom press conference in August. Descriptions of the expansion's content, though determined to not be final at the time, were leaked in September. [Images: Activision]
