Expansions for most major video games are typically priced around anywhere between $10 to $30 depending on how much content they add to the game. Destiny's upcoming third expansion pack, The Taken King, adds as much content as either one of the two previous expansions, and is priced at a hefty $39.99.
A boxed version of the game, dubbed the Legendary Edition, is priced at $59.99 and targets newcomers to the release and includes the base game and the previous two expansions.
There's also the Collector's Edition, which is priced at $79.99, includes the base game and both expansions, as well as some exclusive in-game content, including three class-specific emotes and exotic armaments with XP boosts.
Existing players of Destiny were made very unhappy by the prospect of coming up with that amount of dosh for this exclusive content, especially since they already own both the base game and its two expansions. Many of them have taken to forums like Reddit's DestinyTheGame subreddit to post their issues with the game's pricing scheme.
Eurogamer spoke with the game's creative director Luke Smith, a former game journalist, to talk about the issue. Smith defended the pricing scheme and even went as far as to say "If I fired up a video right now and showed you the emotes you would throw money at the screen," when the interviewer stated that he wouldn't want to buy the base game and its two expansions all over again for the additional content.
It was also pointed out that the new expansion adds as much content as either of the first two expansions, yet is priced as much as the base game.
"All I can do is answer that with the same thing I just gave you… We're really comfortable with the value we're giving to players this autumn," said Smith. "I believe that once we begin to share more, players will be even more excited. And for existing players it also comes with the Founder's pack with a new Sparrow, shader and emblem."
Fans were unhappy about the interview, with many stating that they had wasted their time and money on Destiny and its two expansion packs. "Seriously though, I feel like a fool for putting so much into this game… already spending 100 into [Destiny], and spending another 30 or so for [TTK]?! Absolutely no love for all the fans who have spent so much time with the game," wrote BillyPWNS.
Another fan, MMCZ86 wrote, "I've really enjoyed my time playing [Destiny] but after reading that I think he may have singlehandedly convinced me to not purchase any more content."
While it's safe to say that Bungie has their hands tied with the game's pricing, which is dictated by their publisher Activision, it's not a scheme that can be easily defended, especially to fans who would be more happy if they heard they could purchase the expansion pack and its assorted exclusive items intended for the Legendary Edition separately at a much lower price.
It goes without saying that existing owners of the game and its expansions do not stand to gain from the pricing scheme of The Taken King. You would have been better off not buying Destiny when it was released and just waiting to pick it up a year later.
