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Take a look at the April update for 'Destiny'
Developer Bungie held a livestream today adding further details to what you can expect from Destiny's next update. First up is an increase to Light level (the rating that denotes your defensive and offensive power, based on the gear you have equipped) to 335 from expansion pack The Taken King's 310. New loot and difficulty settings are coming to the Prison of Elders, Court of Oryx, heroic strikes, Nightfall strikes and the King's Fall raid in addition to Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris events, as well.
Popular 'Destiny' matchmaking site plans app for more games
Online multiplayer isn't just an afterthought for many of today's PC and console games -- it's central to the whole experience. Games like Destiny work best as massively multiplayer experiences, where you're part of focused squads taking down difficult opponents. Quickly finding a competent team can be difficult, however, which is why tools like DestinyLFG have flourished online. DestinyLFG (LFG = Looking For Group) is a website that allows Guardians to submit posts stating what quests they wish to complete, exactly the type of player they're looking for and list other in-game requirements. The site now counts over 6 million users from all over the world. With a dedicated user base using the site daily, the team behind it has decided to branch out. It's headed to Kickstarter to launch For The Win (FTW), a new app that incorporates all of the useful elements of DestinyLFG and makes them available to communities of other popular multiplayer games.
'Destiny' spring update arrives on April 12th
Bungie hasn't been shy about teasing Destiny updates in between The Taken King and its sequel, but what are those going to look like, exactly, and when is it arriving? The studio isn't spilling all the beans just yet, but it's now offering a few clues. As part of a multi-post preview, Bungie has revealed that Destiny's first big post-TTK update (aka version 2.2) will launch on April 12th with at least a few sweet offerings. There's a new quest that revolves around the mysterious Blighted Chalice strike, as well as additional player-versus-environment challenges. Also, you can anticipate a smattering of new and updated gear, Crucible updates and an increased maximum Light level with rewards to match.
'Mass Effect: Andromeda' lead writer joins Bungie
Not long after the departure of writer David Gaider, another scribe from Canadian developer BioWare has left the company. This time it's the lead writer from the upcoming Mass Effect: Andromeda, Chris Schlerf. The announcement comes by way of Schlerf himself via a series of tweets. Naturally, he's proud of his work on the game and says he's excited to play it upon release, in addition to saying that working with BioWare was one of the best experiences of his career. Where's he working now? In another sci-fi universe under the employ of Bungie where he's presumably writing the next bits of Destiny.
'Destiny' sequel set for next year
Destiny's Valentine's Day event is well under way, but developer Bungie is taking an extra step toward proving its devotion to fans. The long-rumored (and apparently delayed) sequel to the sci-fi online shooter is slated for release next year, corroborating earlier reports from Kotaku.
Destiny's new 'Damage Referee' will punish laggy players
Destiny is in a state of limbo right now as Bungie struggles with the pressures of developing a sequel while keeping existing gamers entertained. Many Year One players have downed tools (controllers) altogether, but for those who have stuck around and kept Crucible arenas well populated, things have slowly started to improve. With its February update, Bungie is using that momentum to further balance online skirmishes with its new "Damage Referee." It's a new system designed shift power to Guardians with reliable connections and punish those who don't.
Bungie has a new CEO
While Bungie is trying to keep its head down and focus on development of its Destiny sequel, a management reshuffle has thrust the company's operations back into the spotlight. After more than 15 years at the studio, president Harold Ryan has stepped down. Long-time COO Pete Parsons has been chosen to lead the company forward, but will do so as Bungie's new chief.
'Destiny' player matching focuses more on good connections
Destiny's Crucible multiplayer mode can be a blast... up until you're lumped into a match so laggy that you may lose simply because your rivals keep jumping around. That might not be a problem after this week, though. Bungie is trying out a matchmaking update that puts more of an emphasis on connection quality. The move should not only give you a better chance at pulling off that kill streak, but speed up the matchmaking process itself -- you'll spend less time twiddling your thumbs while Destiny finds a final player for that Control game. Skill will still matter in match-ups, but it won't be quite the be-all, end-all factor that it was before.
Paid 'Destiny' level boosts promote progression over experience
When developers Bungie and Activision released their biggest-ever paid Destiny expansion, The Taken King, it signalled a return to everything that made the game great. It appeared that both companies had addressed nearly all of the suggestions the Destiny player base had put forward, which included the re-introduction of the all-important six-player raid.
'Destiny' won't get big add-on packs in its second year
Those reports of Bungie scaling back Destiny's add-on plans were apparently well-founded. The studio's Derek Carroll tells Eurogamer that the game's Taken King era will focus on events like Sparrow racing, rather than the "giant, monolithic" downloadable content packs that defined Destiny in its first year. Bungie isn't explaining why, but tipsters had previously claimed that this was necessary to give the team more breathing room as it worked on yearly upgrades.
'Destiny' will add a hovercraft racing competition next week
If you're searching for a new way to play Destiny, Bungie and Activision have PlayStation owners covered. Starting on December 8th, Destiny: The Taken King owners can participate in the Sparrow Racing League. It's a competitive race on the game's Sparrow hovercrafts against friends or strangers alike, and from the quick video we just saw at the PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco, it should be a good time. If you're a fan of F-Zero, Wipeout 2048 or any of the other many similar games out there, the Sparrow Racing League will likely scratch that same itch.
Recommended Reading: Don't try to shop on Facebook or Twitter
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read.I Tried Holiday Shopping on Facebook and Twitter and Got NowhereKurt Wagner, RecodeFacebook and Twitter may be testing options for buying products from ads and sponsored posts, but don't try to take care of your holiday list that way. As Recode's Kurt Wagner discovered, those buy buttons are pretty much non-existent unless you're in the test group. In fact, he didn't even stumble across a misplaced option to purchase in the News Feed.
Here's why the 'Destiny' story was so weak on launch
If you rushed to play Destiny when it first arrived, you probably noticed that the story was a little... thin. But how did it get that way, especially when Bungie is known to have spent years working on a grand vision for the game? Thanks to some sleuthing, Kotaku knows. As it turns out, the original storyline was shot down in summer 2013 for being too "campy and linear" -- it had to rearrange a mountain of existing content into something that would make management happy. Once-important figures (like the warmind Rasputin) were reduced to bit players at best, and many missions were patchwork versions of what was originally planned. The team did get a time extension to help finish the game, but most of that extra time was spent refining nuts-and-bolts mechanics, not the plot.
The new 'Destiny' emotes might just be worth buying
I won't blame you if you're skeptical of Bungie's plan to add purchasable emotes to Destiny on October 13th. Would you really want to pay for a canned animation? If some early previews are any indication, though, the answer might well be "yes." Some of the expressions are a bit cliché, if fun (like the "come at me, bro" emote you see above). However, there are some proper gems in there, including nods to The Matrix and a certain Fresh Prince of Bel Air star. It's doubtful that the market for these Destiny emotes will be as big as that for, say, Team Fortress 2 hats -- you may buy something once to personalize your Guardian, and that's that. Even so, this idea doesn't seem quite as dubious as it did a week earlier. [Image credit: Arekkz Gaming, YouTube]
'Destiny' is getting microtransactions, but don't panic yet
Destiny is getting microtransactions. Unlike item cool-downs or the obnoxious stuff that's intrinsic to all those Facebook distractions that clog up your news feed, however, these purchases aren't game-impacting. No, come October 13th they'll take the form of emotes and other cosmetic items. Developer Bungie stresses repeatedly that these will not impact your performance in any way should you not buy them. "You won't lose a Crucible (adversarial multiplayer) encounter or fail to clear a raid because you didn't have the right" emote equipped, the blog post says.
Playdate: taking on The Taken King in 'Destiny'
We're officially in "year two" of Bungie's connected shooter Destiny and what better way to celebrate than by streaming its first big expansion pack, "The Taken King" ? Both Sean Buckley and myself are lapsed Destiny players who've largely stepped away from the game in pursuit of other, not-grindy experiences. But Bungie's been touting the changes it's made as being more welcoming to new folks and those who've been overwhelmed by what it took to get the best gear and weapons previously. So join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT for two hours of hot new Guardian action as we discover how accurate the developer's claims are. As always, you can check out the broadcast right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage, and, if you want to join us in chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq.
The year of change for 'Destiny' starts next week
Developer Bungie is treating Destiny a lot like an MMO and come next Tuesday the game shifts into version 2.0, what the studio is effectively referring to as "year two" for the game. There are a ton of changes coming, and even if you don't snag the kick-off expansion pack "The Taken King," you'll be able to benefit from them. Bungie's latest blog post gets into the nitty-gritty, but we're going to keep it mostly high-level here. First up: new modes and new maps for the game's adversarial multiplayer mode, Crucible, are out now but unless you buy the next expansion, will disappear once "King" launches in earnest next week. A new subclass for your character is available as well. Everyone, not just "House of Wolves" and "Dark Below" purchasers, will get the benefit of an increased level cap (bumping up to 34), but again, buying "King" will increase it further (to 40).
'Halo,' 'Destiny' composer Marty O'Donnell wins lawsuit against Bungie
Developer Bungie's former in-house composer Marty O'Donnell had his day in court and it's time for Bungie to pay the piper. In addition to the initial payout of $142,500 he's owed as a profit-sharing program, O'Donnell also gets to hold onto what VentureBeat describes as a "considerable" amount of stock in the company responsible first for Halo and now Destiny. As part of the terms, apparently unless O'Donnell gets permission he can't publish any music from Destiny as his own without Bungie's blessing. In June, O'Donnell revealed that he was starting a new studio with other game-industry vets, Highwire Games. [Image credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP]
Check out some gameplay from Destiny's 'The Taken King' expansion
The Taken King is a massive expansion due to hit Destiny on September 15th, bringing new strike missions, three new subclasses (including skill trees), exclusive gear and more goodies. The expansion's new raid, King's Fall, will not be available at launch, but director Luke Smith tells IGN that Bungie has "a plan for when it's going to be available." Smith promises to give fans a heads up before it goes live.
'Destiny' ditches Dinklage
Before Destiny officially launched on consoles, it launched a meme: That wizard came from the moon! The phrase, which was printed on Bungie-sanctioned t-shirts (and sold like hotcakes), spawned from Peter Dinklage's awkward, non-committal voice acting as the game's helpful, floating Ghost character. Soon, we'll be able to tell if the dialogue was to blame, or if Dinklage simply phoned this one in: Bungie is replacing all of Dinklage's voice work in the main game with that of Nolan North, the voice actor behind Uncharted's Nathan Drake and Assassin's Creed's Desmond Miles (among many other credits). North spilled the beans to Game Informer this month.