Why is Bungie Already Discussing Destiny 2?

Apparently, Destiny 2 is already in the works. During an Activision financial earnings conference call, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg says development has already begun on a new “full game” in the Destiny series. Hirshberg stated, “Work has also begun on future expansion packs, as well as on our next full game release.” The news was rather confusing, considering all the complaints surrounding the first Destiny game post-launch and the issues that have not been smoothed over yet, specifically with the game’s disappointing plot. Not to mention, Bungie’s Direction of Production Jonty Barnes said in an interview with Xbox Magazine last August, that Destiny is a “10-year game.” Does this mean those plans are now out the window?

To play devil’s advocate, on some level I can understand why there is already sequel talk. Despite what any detractor says, the game is a massive success. At this point, Destiny has likely recouped its massive half a billion dollar budget. According to Activision, the game has 9.5 million registered users. While critics can argue about whether the game lived up to its massive amount of hype, the game has been a tremendous financial success. From a corporate standpoint, it makes sense that a publisher like Activision wants a sequel out very soon.

However, the sequel news seems to contradict information that Bungie previously put out regarding Destiny. Barnes said Destiny is a “10-year game,” or a singular “game.” The same interview mentioned a Bungie contract with Activision for 10 years and four games. However, then Barnes responded that there is a 10-year plan just for Destiny. So, perhaps I could be misinterpreting Barnes’ statements, or Bungie could have been misleading with the news. The 10-year plan for Bungie includes separate games outside of the planned downloadable content expansion packs.

Instead of talking about a sequel already being developed, I would prefer Bungie do more to right the current ship. OK, a sequel is getting made, but I would like to see more done with the current Destiny title to make sure that Destiny 2 could be a must-own. If the story is going to be as much of a mess, I would say, “No thanks.” Not to mention, the hiring of such talented thespians as Nathan Fillion and Bill Nighy and having them play such marginal, sparse roles. The story for Destiny has been so vague, and the game presents so many questions that so far the developers appear to have no intention of answering.

Another major issue that needs to be addressed is the server functionality. Games are still constantly crashing and breaking down, and this is without my internet signal going down. While I enjoy playing Destiny and the shooter mechanics, the server and network crashes have justified my fears of games that always require an online connection. In conclusion, I want to see the current Destiny evolve into a more exceptional experience before Bungie and Activision discuss a sequel.