Destiny
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Halo creators unveil 'Destiny,' an MMO-like first-person-shooter for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3
When Halo creator Bungie managed to steal away from Microsoft back in 2007, Master Chief's forefathers were afforded a few years to go dark and head down on a brand new gaming universe. Today, Bungie and its new benefactor, Activision, revealed that new franchise as "Destiny," an online-required persistent world first-person shooter. Even though the game's not due out this year, Bungie says it's headed to Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, with no mention of next-gen. The online requirement extends to both single-player and multiplayer campaigns -- your character's achievements remain persistent, and your avatar will seamlessly populate friends' games (rather than futzing with menus and the like), allowing for on-the-fly pairings. Bungie's shying away from outright referring to Destiny as an MMO, a la World of Warcraft. "[The] amount of players you see is design controlled. It's not about stuffing as many people in there as possible," Bungie COO Pete Parsons told our sister site, Joystiq. Of course, with next-gen sounding online connectivity, Bungie's silence on next-gen consoles is little more than a temporary vow -- Destiny seems a lock for (at very least) Sony and Microsoft's next consoles, if not also the PC (Wii U's looking unlikely). Hard details on Destiny are a bit scarce at the moment -- when it launches, if it's part of a series, how exactly the game will work -- but we've dropped concept art below and a debut video just beyond the break. The video goes into a bit more detail on the universe, and briefly touches on the smartphone tie-in that Destiny will have (think Halo Waypoint), but for a more exhaustive approach to Destiny's debut, Joystiq's got you covered. Update: In Activision's official PR, Destiny is listed as heading to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and, "other future console platforms."
Bungie's Destiny pre-order posters arrive at GameStop
Pre-order bonuses for Bungie's upcoming mega first-person shooter, Destiny, are arriving at GameStop stores today. The double-sided posters will be available beginning Monday, according to our GameStop source. We've placed shots of the poster after the break.Destiny, according to documentation provided with the posters, lets you create your own character and earn unique and customizable weapons, gear and vehicles in an always-connected universe. The game is described as an FPS with cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, combined with public and social activities.Bungie is expected to reveal Destiny on Sunday.[Thanks, OG]
The Firing Line: On Destiny, Tribes GOTY, and Ghost in the Shell
It's been a pretty eventful week for online shooter news, and The Firing Line is back to help you catch up on all the tidbits you might've missed. Since we've got so much to cover, what say we skip the usual game journo intro puns and get right to it?
Destiny ARG begins: 'Distributed, synchronous effort required'
A Bungie release wouldn't really be the same without an alternate reality game to get pattern-obsessed conspiracy nerds/internet detectives (read: us) all worked up and obsessive, and thus Destiny's own ARG has officially sprung into life. Destiny, in case you're just joining the party, is Bungie's new original IP of which we know very little, beyond the fact that some leaked concept art places the game on a ruined future-Earth orbited by a massive, spherical alien ship.Perhaps more obvious in its implementation than some of Bungie's previous ARG efforts, the new jam requires the user to "begin by aligning the day's pattern to the light," which is to say, arrange a pattern of eight diamonds into the correct configuration, thus granting access to the site in full.Once inside, the user is presented with some delightfully cryptic information: A small section of a larger geometric pattern/glyph on the left, an abstract matrix of dots on the right, and at the bottom of the page, a message. "Your node will remain active for 5 minutes, but may be reactivated as necessary. Distributed, synchronous effort required."Depending on the number of active users viewing the site at any given time, the image on the left will either be more or less obscured/legible. Likewise, the dot matrix on the right will be populated with more or fewer dots, based on current traffic. Once a sufficient number of users are online, a screenshot the dot matrix can be analyzed for information in Photoshop or similar. Yesterday's matrix, for instance, revealed a file extension that, once placed onto the end of the site's URL, rewarded studious sleuths with a large image and passage.Games such as this typically evolve as time goes on, so the complexity of the puzzles and the amount of technical skill required to solve them is likely to increase on a daily basis. There's also no indication of what happens after the seventh day, but we're eager to help find out. And, by "help," we mean "read forum threads and get excited when smart people solve things for us."
Join Bungie's ARG and work toward possible Destiny reveal
Not a lot of concrete information is floating around about Destiny, an upcoming game by Bungie. We do know more will be revealed at GDC next month, but a new ARG on the Halo creator's website hints that more may be revealed even sooner. How soon? Possibly next Monday: A row of numbers splayed across the top counts down from seven, and clicking on the next descending number each day changes the displayed weekday. After the first task, the ARG appears to require the efforts of multiple players to solve; the second puzzle spells out "alone will not be enough." So if you want to get in on unlocking the mysteries of the ARG, study the second puzzle's clue after the break and head over to Bungie to add your contributions to the mix.
Bungie to talk up Destiny at GDC 2013
CVG has sussed out what could be one of the more interesting presentations at this year's Game Developer's Conference. The annual San Francisco-based event will see Bungie writer and design director Joe Staten and art director Christopher Barrett talk up the firm's super secret Destiny project. The title, which has at various times been rumored to be an MMO, a Halo spin-off, and a cure for various types of gaming cancer still hasn't seen an official reveal, though Bungie did acknowledge the validity of some leaked assets late last year. If you're curious about Destiny, and anxious to "get a glimpse of the brave new world that has been built, a place where the next ten years of great Bungie adventures will unfold," stay tuned to Massively this March as we'll have multiple reporters on-site to bring you the scoop.
Bungie discussing 'Destiny' at GDC 2013
Bungie and Activision's new IP, Destiny, will be the subject of a session during this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco. Dubbed a "Brave New World: New Bungie IP," the talk will cover the studio's approach in putting together Destiny's original setting, "a place where the next ten years of great Bungie adventures will unfold."The Destiny leaks last year suggested a "fun and accessible" multi-platform project, set in the future and featuring a large-scale war between man and alien (bearing a strong resemblance, in other words, to Halo). Having been teased with Destiny and its iconography for months now, we expect some insight into just how Bungie's new universe is shaping up.The Game Developers Conference runs from March 25 until March 29. The time and date of Bungie's panel has yet to be announced.
Bungie's Destiny was teased way back in Halo 3: ODST
Bungie's Destiny has existed in one form or another since at least 2009, a new discovery in Halo 3: ODST indicates. The above image shows a poster found in ODST, which portrays a planet within close proximity to a large white sphere, with the message "DESTINY AWAITS" scrawled above. The similarities between this image and the recently leaked Destiny concept art is undeniable, especially the title screen-esque image obtained by IGN.Former Bungie employee and Halo series level designer Vic Deleon has confirmed the connection, exclaiming that the secret had "FINALLY BEEN FOUND!" on Twitter. In light of these events, we've decided to dig even further into the annals of Halo lore by running the entirety of Halo: The Fall of Reach through an anagram construction algorithm and seeing what we come up with. Should that prove fruitless, we'll start decompiling the code for Pathways into Darkness.
Concept art and story details leaked for Bungie's Destiny
Bungie's Destiny is "designed for your inner seven-year old," according to company co-founder Jason Jones. IGN reports that the mysterious sci-fi shooter is aiming at accessibility, with gameplay that is "social at its core" and featuring "a world to explore with friends, both old and new." The quotes come from an ad agency document leaked to IGN, which Bungie has since confirmed as authentic. There's still no word on whether or not the title is an MMO, but there is a gallery of gorgeous concept art on display at the source link below.
Bungie confirms leak of story info, concept art for Destiny
An IGN reader has provided the site with a bundle of Destiny art and story materials that it says were compiled by an ad agency. Destiny is the long-rumored secret project that will serve as Bungie's followup to the Halo series. The art shows an Earth in a future "littered with the ruins of man's Golden Age," according to the materials, with a huge alien ship sitting above the planet. There are also shots of various soldiers and war vehicles, along with a more final logo similar to the one we've seen before.And now Bungie has added to the collection with its own official piece of concept art above. On the official Bungie blog, the company vaguely confirms the leaks, saying, "Go ahead. Take a peek. It's alright. We weren't quite ready, but we will be soon, and we can't wait to finally show you what we've really been up to."The leaked documents describe Destiny as "fun and accessible to all," and say the property's goal is "to create a universe as deep, tangible and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise." That leaked contract between Bungie and publisher Activision about the project suggests that this title will involve four games, as many DLC releases, and stretch across the next console generation, so it's possible that this art reveals the very first step in what might be a long journey forward.
Leaked dev blog: Bungie's Destiny project 'still quite like Halo'
Remember Bungie? Its Halo franchise helped define the console shooter genre, and even though it surrendered the IP to Microsoft and had nothing to do with this week's ginormous Halo 4 release, the firm is still on our radar. That's because its Destiny project is still in full swing, and Kotaku has published excerpts from an internal Demonware blog, whose author got some hands-on time with the game at a recent company function. So, wait, who or what is Demonware? It's a development firm that "handles online infrastructure for Activision's titles and also lists Bungie" as a partner, Kotaku says. In any event, a senior Demonware employee wrote the following on the company blog (which has since been removed): "This is not a dedicated server game, but there is some simulation and coordination running in their server infrastructure. The game was up and down a lot, playing in a team of three we did manage to experience entering a zone to find other players already taking on the bad guys. It's cooperative so we helped out [...] before both groups went their separate ways." The author went on to compare the game's "sense of exploration" to Elite, and he also said that Destiny is "still quite like Halo."
Rumor: Demonware with Bungie on 'Destiny,' report of hands-on playtime
"Destiny," the unofficial, unannounced project from Bungie, looks to be getting help from online software manager Demonware. Demonware, a subsidiary of Activision, lists Bungie as a partner and has offices in Vancouver with two open positions that correlate to an Activision job posting – but that's not all.A senior Demonware employee recently participated in Bungie Day and wrote a blog post (since removed) about his hands-on time with Destiny itself, Superannuation found. The employee described a meeting in a theater to discuss "game story, factions, art, engineering, tool chain, graphics, audio, player investment mechanisms, player progression, UI, and web and mobile apps." And then he played Destiny."The game was up and down a lot, playing in a team of 3 we did manage to experience entering a zone to find other players already taking on the bad guys, it's cooperative so we helped out (mostly [name removed], I just died) before both groups went their separate ways," the employee wrote. "Which is a pretty cool experience, making you feel you are part of a much larger populated world."At the end of the day I was excited about the game, I like the feel of being in a large world with different destinations and the interactions along the way. It actually brought back a sense of exploration I recall from playing [Elite] many years ago, although there was no opportunity to shoot aliens in the face in Elite. I'm not fully sold on the appeal of being able to change the colour of a weapon, but I guess it works in China, and customization and individual identity is a big theme for the game."The employee boiled down general comments from other attendees to, "It's still quite like Halo," and, "There is a lot of work to be done."
Bungie reveals its non-plan for E3
Bungie revealed its plan for E3 2012 in a community Q&A blog post on Friday. Or rather, its lack of plans for the annual trade show, as the company will not be there in any official capacity this year.When asked about presenting their latest project at E3, the development team said they "never started one, and we're not going to be at E3 in any official capacity this year. Some of us will be there, lurking from booth to booth, but don't expect any announcements."Word of Bungie's ongoing project, code-named "Destiny," leaked earlier this week in documents related to the court battle between Activision and former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella.
Bungie's Destiny coming in 2013, features microtransactions and subscriptions
Bungie's long-rumored MMO project has been outed by the Los Angeles Times in its coverage of a games industry lawsuit. According to the article, the company is developing a new IP called Destiny consisting primarily of sci-fi first-person shooter titles, the first of which will launch in 2013 on the Xbox 360. The title will be sold at retail but will also feature DLC, microtransactions, and subscriptions. But is it an MMO? That's still to be determined; the company hasn't released details. Eurogamer has put together a piece summarizing various Bungie comments on the Destiny series, including hints at persistence and a long-term commitment from both fans and developers. "I can't get into specifics, but we're definitely looking at building a universe that people want to spend time in," community director Brian Jarrard said in April of 2010. Bungie's Joseph Staten also commented on the IP at GDC 2010. "Wouldn't it be great if we could make a world that was always there for you," he said.
Activision/Bungie contract reveals four-game plan code-named 'Destiny', potential for new Marathon
As a side effect of Activision's ongoing court battle with former Infinity Ward heads Jason West and Vince Zampella, details of the company's deal with Bungie have been made public in documents posted by the LA Times.According to the documents, Bungie has agreed to create four "sci-fantasy, action shooter games" in a project code-named "Destiny" (for which Bungie filed trademarks last year). The first will be an Xbox exclusive (360 with the option for its successor) in fall 2013 (versions for other systems would follow one year later) with followup games on Xbox successor, PS3 successor, and PC in 2015, 2017, and 2019. Four DLC expansions, code-named "Comet," are included in the deal, due fall 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.In the contract, Activision reserves the right to take over the "Destiny" property if Bungie fails to meet its requirements; however, it stipulates that it will not begin more "Destiny" projects until Bungie has completed its work.The contract also gives Bungie the freedom to put five percent of its staff to work on a prototype for a new game referred to as "Marathon," with the team size allowed to grow after certain operating income. There are also rules governing how much of the company's staff can work on Bungie.Net, Halo Reach DLC and other projects.That takes care of the next eight years or so of video game news. Who wants tacos?
The Daily Grind: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards?
Guild Wars has long been a source of mild frustration for me because not all of the game's achievements are account-wide. While aspects of the Hall of Monuments are based on your account's accomplishments and skill unlocks are accessible by alts, the game nevertheless discourages me from devoting time to my secondary toons, not when there are factions and titles still to grind on my main. I'm intrigued by games that offer parallel power tracks that show your overall investment in the game, not just in one character. Lord of the Rings Online's Destiny and Star Wars: The Old Republic's Legacy systems do just that: They reward you for playing multiple characters by allotting you currency that can be spent on special rewards. So today we ask you: Are you a fan of account-wide rewards like Destiny and Legacy points? Or do you think they unduly reward scattered play rather than specialization in one character and class in the game? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
'Destiny' and 'Be Brave' trademarks officially in Bungie's hands
We're still in the dark about Bungie's next game, but if it's nearly as compelling as the team's current project, "Guess Our Next Game," we're all in for a treat. Today's update comes from Halo.Bungie.Org, which reports that "Be Brave" and "Destiny" (previously trademarked to a dummy corporation owned by Bungie staffers) are now the official property of the company. But wait, we've got more than legal maneuverings here! Misriah Solutions has put together a wonderfully thorough scouring of the new Bungie vidoc "O Brave New World" filled with plenty of eagle-eyed observations and just a little bit of conjecture. Also, guys? It's a Call of Duty game. Accept it, embrace it, move on. [Thanks, Josh.]
Bungie vidoc drops hints, possible art from new project
"We wanna build a universe where any crazy shit can happen." That's one of the few vague/tantalizing statements Bungie staffers make in the latest vidoc from the company: "O Brave New World." Though mainly a rumination on Halo, the nearly hour-long feature makes some passing nods at the "new thing." Including: 1. It's referred to at one point as "Tiger", a codename that's been kicked around for months. 2. A couple of brief scenes are shown while Tiger is being discussed. There's also a scene where two actors have movement and facial animations captured. They're possibly lifted from the new project, but that's pure speculation on our part. 3. The video closes with a picture of this logo which was previously attached to Bungie and the name "Destiny," which may or may not be the working title of an MMOFPS. 4. Bungie co-founder Jason Jones says "One of the reasons that Tiger is so intriguing to people in the studio is it's reaching players in a way we haven't before." OK, so that's all we know. We'll now leave the speculation to you. Oh, and watch the video itself, of course. The Tiger stuff starts around 53:00, but the whole thing makes for a heck of a compelling story. %Gallery-129981%
New evidence supports Bungie's Destiny in MMOs
If you have been following Bungie, then you are well aware of the alleged MMO in development by the creators of the single-player first-person shooter series Halo. Most are also aware of the "World of Warcraft in space" quote from a supposed ex-Bungie employee in the geek blog Kotaku. In that same article, the source named Project Tiger by another name: Destiny. At the time, there was nothing to validate the claims of the article, until now. Now may be a good time to don your tinfoil hat. On the fan site Halo.Bungie.org, a blogger may have discovered an actual connection between the words of the ex-Bungie employee and the name Destiny. While tracing the activities of Bungie employees, this intrepid pursuer found Podophobia Entertainment a company formed by Harold Ryan and Martin O'Donnell of Bungie. One of the trademarks issued by this company was the name Destiny listed as "computer game software downloadable from a global computer network." Massively will let you draw your own conclusion for this, but pictured above is the trademarked logo for Podophobia's Destiny and next to that a Bungie employee wearing that same logo on a t-shirt. Tell us what you think in the comments.
New logo, trademark lend credence to Bungie 'Destiny' project
Doing the detective work of any good fansite, HBO.org has turned up more evidence of the rumored "Destiny" MMOFPS in development at Bungie Studios / Bungie Aerospace / whatever Bungie wants to call itself. The site discovered that a company named "Podophobia Entertainment," formed by Bungie head Harold Ryan and music composer Marty O'Donnell, had registered a trademark for "Destiny" with the image seen above. The filing is classified under "Computer game software; Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Video game software; Virtual reality game software." "Destiny" is just the latest in a series of filings by the Halo dev studio, most recently incorporating "Bungie Aerospace" and trademarking "Crimson" for use with "Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices." As you might expect, Bungie has remained quiet on the filings and has yet to respond to our requests for comment.
