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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]
Destiny progress will carry over to sequel, Bungie says
Player progress in Destiny will transfer to the sequel, Bungie Community Manager David Dague confirmed to IGN. Bungie has 10 years to fulfill its promises for the Destiny franchise, and it's laying out some of the groundwork now. "It's been no secret that we have a 10-year plan for the expansion and evolution of this franchise, and it's something that we're always dreaming about," Dague said. He continued, "The idea is that the Guardian you have created is something you can bring along with you on that adventure. If you take a look at the way people have played other games for a long period of time, they've had a relationship with the same character for a very long time." Dague didn't go into detail about development of a Destiny sequel. Destiny's first expansion, The Dark Below, launches on December 9.
Destiny's 10-year plan includes character-hopping to sequels
The strange approach of Destiny that has the game with one foot squarly planted in MMO territory and one firmly in the realm of standard console shooters has never been illustrated as strongly as in this story from IGN. In the interview, Bungie said that players will be able to save and import characters and progress between Destiny and a proposed sequel while ignoring how MMOs simply build upon game worlds so that importing isn't necessary. One of the devs even expressed the revelation that players tend to form attachments to their avatars: "If you take a look at the way people have played other games for a long period of time, they've had a relationship with the same character for a very long time." Bungie said it has "a 10-year plan for the expansion and evolution of this franchise."
The Iron Banner returns to Destiny on December 16
Raids, strikes, missions and console-exclusive content aren't the only things heralding the arrival of Destiny's first expansion, The Dark Below. Lord Saladin and The Iron Lords will return to Destiny's PvP mode, the Crucible, for another round of the Iron Banner event on December 16. Bungie Community Manager David "DeeJ" Dague detailed the news - along with plenty of other updates, such as fixes, tweaks and clarifications about how gear will work once The Dark Below is available - as part of the Bungie Weekly Update. DeeJ wrote that while more details about "the experiments happening in the PvP labs" are still incoming, players should know now that participating in the Iron Banner event gives them a chance to earn level 31 gear (the current level cap is 30), and that participants do not need to own The Dark Below to compete. The Iron Banner event, like much of Destiny's content, has seen several major changes throughout its lifespan. After high-level players complained about not feeling powerful enough in relation to low-level players, Bungie introduced "Iron Banner 2.0," which was received better. Whispers of Iron Banner 3 say it features a major villain who turns out to be a red herring thrown in to distract from the fact that the plot is actually adapted from the "Extremis" storyline. Or are we thinking of some other, iron-related trilogy? [Image: Activision]
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.
Destiny nerfs Suros rifle, tweaks exotic upgrades
Bungie may not have made an MMO with Destiny, but it's aping traditional MMO nerf/buff cycles with the game's latest patch. Version 1.1 bumps up the usefulness of the Thorn and Bad Juju guns while nerfing the popular Suros Regime auto rifle. Destiny's gear system has also been tweaked, as exotic armor and weapon upgrades no longer need ascendant materials. Instead, you'll need exotic shards, which you can get from deconstructing exotic gear or buying them outright from an NPC vendor. Click through the links below to read the full patch notes.
Destiny update tunes exotic weapons to feel more 'overpowered'
Bungie updated Destiny today, changing the game's exotic weapons and introducing "additional acquisition paths for destination upgrade materials." Version 1.1 of the game re-balances the exotic gear so the weapons "look, feel and sound overpowered," and they will no longer require Ascendant Materials to upgrade. Final upgrades to exotic gear will require that players have exotic shards, obtained by dismantling other exotic gear or trading in seven Strange Coins. The update changed a number of exotic weapons, such as boosting the magazine size and reload speed of the Thorn and the stability of Hard Light and Monte Carlo. Bungie's update blog features a full list of the changes made to the exotic weaponry, which will generally start at a higher attack value than the items previously did. The version 1.1 update also fixed a few issues such as Raid exploits and lowered frame rates for Xbox One players using party chat. Destiny's first major expansion, The Dark Below, will launch on December 9. [Image: Activision]
All of the Lights: Many curious uses for the PS4 light bar
Sony is no stranger to idiosyncratic hardware design. Nintendo and Sega put analog sticks on their controllers in the '90s? Sony adds on an extra stick and redefines console controllers. Touch screens are de rigueur? Sony slaps a touch surface on the front and back of PS Vita. The PlayStation 4 is a sleek piece of modern consumer tech design, but even it's got its quirks. Case in point: the Dualshock 4 light bar. Every PS4 controller looks like KITT from Knight Rider, with a giant oblate spheroid of light pulsing on the front. Not just good for running down the battery, the light bar actually performs some unusual functions in a variety of games. Below the break is a taster's choice selection of memorable light bar uses from the PlayStation 4's first year of games. After browsing that, take our poll and discuss the light bar's career in the comments. What do you think of the Dualshock 4 light bar? [Images: Sony]
Bungie's COO thinks Destiny and games like it are hard to review
Bungie continues to hype its Destiny shooter post-launch, with the latest bit of messenging courtesy of COO Pete Parsons and an interview at GamesIndustry.biz. "The launch of Destiny was the starting line," Parsons says, before going on to explain how Bungie's Destiny operations center "looks like a NASA control room" and how "it's very difficult to sit down for nine hours, 11 hours, and write up a review of game like Destiny." Parsons takes that notion a step further and asks how similar titles will be reviewed in the future when game journos face "a nearly impossible challenge" due to an inability to experience PvP, the campaign, and endgame activities on a deadline.
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 demo now available
Bungie is dangling a demo of megahit Destiny in front of the three of you who haven't played it yet. You can now pick up a digital download of the sci-fantasy shooter in both the Xbox and PlayStation storefronts. The download is a whopping 20 GB on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 systems, while last-gen users will only need six GB of console hard drive space. If you decide to upgrade and purchase the full version of the game, all of your character's progress will carry over from your demo. Click through to Bungie's website to read the rest of the details.
Destiny's free trial transfers your characters to the full game
A trial version of Destiny is now available for players to freely check out, Bungie revealed. Unlike Destiny's July beta program, the trial version offers players a taste of the first-person shooter as well as the ability to transfer their character's progress to the full version of the game. Players will only be able to transfer their characters between consoles of the same family, however (PS4 and PS3, Xbox One and Xbox 360). Bungie noted that the trial takes up roughly the same amount of space on each system's internal hard drive as the full game does; 20 GB for the PS4 and Xbox One trial and 6 GB for the PS3 and Xbox 360 demo. Conveniently, Activision's servers handle the character transferring functions automatically, no action is required on the part of players. Destiny's Reforged Iron Banner event started this week and runs until Monday. [Image: Activision]
You can now try 'Destiny' for free and carry progress into the full game
Let's say that you aren't among the 3.5 million daily Destiny players, and you want to try the action out for yourself (for free) to see if its worth your investment. Well, developer Bungie wants to make your dreams come true. You can now download a sample version of the game on either generation of hardware and give it a go without dropping $60. Perhaps best of all, any progress made will transfer over to the full game -- something that members of the alpha and beta tests weren't afforded (but would have appreciated thank you very much). So really, there shouldn't be much stopping you from at least giving the former Halo-house's new jam a go by this point. Except maybe your data cap, that is: Sony says the PlayStation 4 trial weighs in at 40GB.
Iron, man - Destiny's 'reforged' Iron Banner 2.0 goes live
It's hammer-time for Destiny, now that the game's "Reforged" Iron Banner event is up and running until Monday, November 24. Hammer-time, get it? You know... forges... hammers... can't touch this? Oh, never mind. Bungie pitched the first Iron Banner as a limited-time PVP event in which "power matters." It was designed to remove the level playing field of the regular Crucible competitive multiplayer mode. In reality, the level-enabled advantages weren't that advantageous. This time, Bungie knowingly introduced the tweaked Iron Banner by saying, "Power. Does. Matter! (no, really)." According to the developer, players within three levels of each other will be competitive, while "players out of your league will seem like a boss."
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.