Is going solo the right thing for Bungie and Destiny?
GOING INDEPENDENT COULD BRING BUNGIE EVEN CLOSER TO DESTINY’S PLAYERS.
It feels like the industry is swinging in favour of independent developers. Going independent could afford Bungie the creative freedom it needs to turn Destiny into the kind of game it always promised to be. That’s not to pour scorn on Activision, which clearly supported the dev, but now Bungie can own its decisions. With one eye on the next gen, with streaming and a direct engagement with us gamers likely to be important, Bungie could develop Destiny in tandem with the wants of its players. With the dev able to listen and adapt quickly, what Destiny ultimately becomes may not be decided by a publisher but by us, the players.
IT’S GOING TO BE BUSINESS AS USUAL FOR BUNGIE.
Destiny has been around for a long time now, and the very reason Bungie signed up with Activision in the first place is the strong vision the dev had for its series. It’s that vision that means it will mostly be business as usual for Bungie’s portfolio. The dev knows how to make things work, and improvements to Destiny 2 since the big Forsaken update only prove that. The drip-feed of new content has been improving over recent months, and Bungie’s interaction with its community has helped the game grow stronger. The timeline for updates is already clear, and works, so Bungie just needs to keep doing what it is clearly good at.
BEST OF LUCK BUNGIE, BUT DON’T BLAME EVERYTHING ON ACTIVISION.
After leaving Microsoft for Activision, serial monogamist Bungie has benefited a lot from being with large publishers. There’s a lot to be thankful for, but along the way it’s undoubtedly been harder for Bungie to figure out just what it is as a company, and what Destiny means to the studio. It’s good for the dev to feel freer, but you can’t lay the blame for previous missteps at the feet of Activision. Going it alone means there will need to be a lot of introspection. The company needs to take care of itself, to think about how to keep being the best it can be, and what independence means to the firm.
I’D LOVE TO SEE BUNGIE CREATE SOMETHING NEW AND INNOVATIVE NOW ITS AN INDIE.
While I’ve enjoyed Destiny I’d love to see Bungie use its new-found freedom as an independent developer and self-publisher to create new IP and move forwards. The talented team has spent eight years working on this one series; I think its time they turn their attentions to something else and use this opportunity to create new worlds, stories, and innovative mechanics. Whatever comes next needn’t be a huge new game, either. Perhaps the dev can take a note from Pixar and create small, intimate new games, experimental ‘shorts’ that can excite us while a reformed Destiny continues apace.