Stop Trying to Make Destiny a Thing Already

Dave Walsh at the Stoned Gamer talks about the media's love affair with Destiny's latest expansion the Taken King and how it defies logic to give Bungie's shooter another chance after a disappointing year.

[DeathofSouls]

Destiny is a great game and they don't have to "try" and make it a thing, it is already. Wasn't it announced that The Taken King is the most downloaded game on PS4? That makes it a "thing". Your entire article was based on the game a year ago, I get it, it wasn't what we thought and I stopped playing it two months after it came out, but I picked it up again and absolutely love the changes they made. Another argument is that you shouldn't have to pay all that money, well if you pay $60 you get everything ever released for it, a year later. Why do I point out "a year later?" Because that's exactly what Call of Duty is, every year you pay $60 plus an ass load on all the DLC. The big difference here is that you keep everything from the year before, plus if you already bought it you get it discounted at $40.

The Taken King is a great game, if your thinking about starting Destiny again, get it. Mid your stuck in the past and judge it on what it was a year ago, your gonna miss out.

[ravinash]

I never play Destiny, but if they said they wanted to make this game, and it takes a year from when it was realised to realise the game as they originally imagined... shouldn't people know. you know, the ones who wanted to play this game as it was originally promised?

The good thing about patching now is that you can keep working on the game. there is no "that's it, you've used your one shot, the game has to stay as it is".

[StanLee]

I played Destiny, avidly and I have defended the game from time to time but a year and $140 to get the game we were promised, that's disappointing. Taken King may have brought Bungie and Destiny's defenders some redemption but let's be honest, for a year, the game was mediocre at best!

[WildArmed]

Pretty much.

It's not the media, but the gamers that made it a thing.

I've had a love-hate relationship with Destiny, but here I am back into Destiny.

There just isn't another PVE coop shooter out there like Deatiny.

It scratches an odd itch. I play with a group of friends every week and I have a blast (even though I always get the short end of the stick when it comes to loot).

[Pocketaces111]

@WildArmed

It's like your in my mind. :)

The game is great it keeps you hooked but same here love hate for sure.

Overall though sooooo happy with the changes it brought me back when I thought I was done with it forever.

Everybody complains at how much money they had to pay but if you calculate a per/hr of gameplay rate it's way lower then most games.

[Baka-akaB]

Not complaing much about the game , it is addictive and great to play in co-op ...

But it doesnt provide more content that many mp shooters or most mp centric games out there at a lower or equivalent cost . Especially when compared to rpg hybrids like Borderlands

The rest is a matter of personal preference and choices . So no , i feel people can objectively complain about the quantity it provides for its steep cost .

Especially for people that already got the first season pass and first game .... when they refuse to provide a better bundle for them without the cost of the two dlcs .

[darren_poolies]

I love Destiny and The Taken King but the point you make about Call of Duty I don't completely agree with. If I don't buy Black Ops 3 I can still play Advanced Warfare. Whereas if you only own the Destiny base game, you're locked out of a lot of stuff now that you weren't before TTK which I think is unfair.

[DialgaMarine]

Welcome to the wonderful world of MMO's. Destiny is basically WoW on console.

[darren_poolies]

But you're not locked out of the base content of WoW if you don't have any of the expansions (as far as I'm aware).

[Baka-akaB]

Difference is the price of future expansions isnt jacked up because it include stuff you already bought as required .

And mmos dont lock you out of existing content , but solely the new ones and new stories .

Not everyone skipping the game necessarily boycott it ... some people have others plans delaying the purchase , but still intend to play the base game they bought , until they get the expansion . It's a pity Activision doesnt give a damn about pleasing those

[djplonker]

Dedtiny has a been a bit more expensive than a cod+ season pass

Destiny: £40

Dlc 1: £20

Dlc 2: £20

The taken king: £40

So thats £120 or $185 usd and we all know there will be more...

[Gohadouken]

Much more in fact . As much as i dislike COD and prefer Destiny , you don't actually need to own the overpriced dlcs to access the next game .

And when you actually do own those , you dont get screwed over for not just waiting and getting the new game with everything included :p .

PS : I don't mind the all inclusive bundle for newcomers , i welcome it , in fact . But a gesture other than lame shaders could have been done for earlier customers with the pass .

[DrGonzo]

Thanks day 1 Destiny players for paying full price for what essentially amounted to a stripped down beta, then paying an additional $80 for expansions that I can go out and buy now for $45!

Destiny is toxic. Activision scaled the game back so they could sell it to the dumb masses piece meal. Its anti-gamer and anti-consumer no matter how you want to slice it.

[jmc8888]

Except the only way they'll sell it to me is if I pay $79 for TTK... which has been shown to be about 4 hours of story content.

On top of that, there is still no matchmaking.

TTK looks like a $20 add-on, and not a deep one either.

Still haven't even attempted Vault of Glass? You know why?

NO MATCHMAKING.

..and no I'm not going to beg people, spam my username, go to a 3rd party website, or anything else.

Also I can jump on and play CoD:Ghosts right now and nothing has changed, meanwhile if I don't get TTK, then I lose access to content.

It's still funny that morons defend not having matchmaking, as if they've even thought it through without the propaganda they've soaked up.

Having matchmaking, doesn't mean you can't have fireteams, not having matchmaking... means a ton of people can't play content.

Which way is right? Which way is horribly wrong? It is clear, no matchmaking is wrong.

How about this, these morons think it's better FORCING EVERYBODY into playing at a deeper level then people want. Joining clans, using 3rd party websites, etc, etc.

But what if all your FPS/TPS were like this? Afterall, who needs matchmaking or server lists in a FPS game? Wouldn't you get more dedicated players with invite only? If it's so preferred, why aren't these people calling for using it for crucible? Afterall, won't most people give up and quit if they join with matchmaking? So why is ok for crucible randoms and not strikes? Oh that's right... THERE ISN'T A DIFFERENCE.

That's the point. The idiocy spouted as reasons to not have matchmaking can be used for anything, and no, it's not correct.

No matchmaking = a ton of unhappy customers who can't play what is already a pitifully small amount of content, and a lot of them simply won't buy TTK, or Destiny 2, or beyond. Well Bungie CHOSE for that to happen. It's a 'feature'.

Great plan for a product you wish to hock 10 years worth of games and expansion packs on. Or as dumb as a love child between Bush and Obama. That would be one dumb mf'er.

[3-4-5]

Destiny already is a thing.

Hey Hack bush league website I've never heard of.

Stop trying to make Drama happen.

[ninsigma]

Stop trying to bring down a game while basing your opinions on aspects that are now irrelevant because the game has mostly changed for the better. You say it was a disappointing year but many (not me) have been playing the game this whole year, keeping the community alive so clearly they enjoyed it and didn't find it disappointing at all.

[jmc8888]

So you're saying there is matchmaking?

So you're saying they changed the pricing model so people who bought the base game don't have to pay $79 for this small expansion?

So you're saying there is vastly more then the reported approximately 4 hours of story if I rush through it? So 4-6 hours for $79? Yeah...great.

So you're saying the people who still haven't bought TTK, either because they don't want to, or can't yet afford it... did their base game lose access to some content? Did the base game lose content starting with the first expansion (yes, it did).

Sounds to me like there is still a ton of problems, and the problem is, you jumped through their hoops and 'dont see a problem', while most people who saw and dislike the effects of these problems and jumped shipped, see the problems haven't been fixed.

It's one thing to play the same raids over, and over, and over again.

It's another to not even be able to get to play those raids over, and over, and over... because there is no matchmaking.

The game is still broken because people can't access the content. It's that simple. But these are just small problems. Who wants to actually be able to play their game without jumping through hoops, arbitrary hoops, using 3rd party means.

[BlackSpartan187]

What is ironic he mention Call of Duty, which took parts of Destiny game play and added to Black Ops 3. Which is the same game with changes to guns maps and minor adjustmenrs to perks and gameplay. Destiny is a next gen experience that has significant upgrades from the original game, Call of Duty still feels like last gen with bits and pieces from other current gen shooters. I being playing call of duty since COD 2 and I tired of it and going to purchase the Taken King Legendary package and get on the Destiny band wagon, F Call of Duty.

[HeavenlySnipes]

its already a thing. Didn't it break some download record on PSN?

The author of this lives under a rock

[Hoffmann]

Its mostly a thing because a giant marketing budget and a ton of gaming sites worked together to make Destiny something a lot more popular than it should be.

Which other game from 2006-2015 got over friggin' 550 articles alone on one big gaming site (destructoid) ..do you think Destiny is so much bigger or better than anything else that it got twice as many articles as every other video game of the last decade?

[ninsigma]

"a ton of gaming sites worked together to make Destiny something a lot more popular than it should be."
The media can say what they like but it isn't the media that's making all these people enjoy the game, the game itself is doing a good job of that.

[Hoffmann]

@ninsigma
The media can say what they like but it isn't the media that's making all these people enjoy the game, the game itself is doing a good job of that.

So how does it come that there is a majority of gamers whch bought Destiny were disappointed in the game if its so good?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media...

[ninsigma]

Is there supposed to he proof there that the majority of players didn't like it?? Because I don't see it.

[Baka-akaB]

See i do have issues with Destiny as a game , after playing it less than a year , but as much as some of you guys wanna pretend that it's just marketing , the game always had a big active and playing community .

Yes even when it's was trendy (and deserved) to pile upon the game , and trash or criticize it .

Call it addiction or brainwashing , but the game has a staying power than no title with just good marketing , could pull all year long like that

[BLow]

Ok I'm confused. You said a majority of people don't like the game but it set a record for most downloaded game on PSN. And that's not even counting the hard copies. I know you and a lot of people don't like the game but come on just don't make sh!t up. That's why I can't stand the Internet sometimes. People just make stuff up and pass it along as a fact. Millions enjoy the game. Get over it and let it go. You Destiny haters never quit. A lot of people were disappointed and a lot people like it. So what? Move on and play something else.

[SaveFerris]

'Stop liking what I don't like!'

[morganfell]

This. What kind of tantrum is this stonedgamer having? I have tried, albeit briefly - do not want to waste too much time on this article - to fathom why the the troll behind this exercise engaged in such an effort.

I can only reach a single conclusion.

I have arrived at the fact this person has a dislike for Destiny that is of a personal nature as it certainly doesn't derive from an objective review of the facts. Then again, what supposed site, basement throw up or supposed industry magnate employs objectivity these days?

I picture someone that actually isn't very good at Destiny. It also seems likely his friends let him know about his incompetence. Otherwise what explanation is there for such an illogical, poorly conceived piece? The theory fits the facts and this angry, irrational article can be little else but revenge driven angst.

What a grand way to submit a first, and hopefully last, exposition to n4g.

[crazed_shadow27]

Stop trying to make fetch happen!

[dvewlsh]

That was the entire joke.

[DrumBeat]

It's a good game, but IGN's coverage and over-the-top promotion of Destiny is pretty nutty. They've literally all but begged us to play.

I enjoy Destiny, but I gotta admit it's getting a little silly and out of hand at this point.

[Spotie]

Does anyone take IGN seriously anymore? If they do, why?

I enjoyed my time with Destiny. Can't wait until I can go back.

And it has nothing to do with marketing.

[eferreira]

they cover what gets the most traffic and Destiny pulls in a lot so why wouldn't they put up more content about it?

[_LarZen_]

The game is great now and the new expansion is awesome. Don't like it then don't click on articles about it. Or leave pesky comments.

An article about how much you don't like it is childish . It's the nr 1 selling game in the UK. And broke the record of most downloads on day one at Playstation Store.

So just save it. It's super popular and selling good for a reason.

[MilkMan]

Nah, Ill game was cool first 20 levels. After that it went downhill fast. When everything is free or like $5 bucks Ill check it out again or never. I have enough games to last 4 lifetimes (I actually did the math).
Destiny and Activision can keep ripping new ones to the acolytes.

[Doodleburger]

The stoned gamer, sounds like a reliable source for absolute garbage opinions.

[aviator189]

I think the changes for Destiny 2.0 are pretty good, but the one thing that really bugs me is the way bungie has blocked off a good chunk of content (content that was available prior to the 2.0 update) to year 1 players who haven't bought the Taken King expansion. I just really don't like that sort of practice. If content was already there before, they shouldn't block off that content to people who don't want to upgrade. That's just not consumer-friendly, imo.

[realplu]

There is no disputing day one Destiny players have to lay out $140 to enjoy TTK.

[jmc8888]

Only if they don't mind jumping through hoops because of no matchmaking...

Otherwise you have day one Destiny players who will have paid $140 to not be able to play the game.

...and yes that will happen to some poor souls.