Bungie’s Destiny isn’t just looking to sell a few million copies and ride off into the sunset. When the developer left Microsoft’s side and entered into a multiplatform partnership with Activision, both the stakes and the software goals grew exponentially. Destiny is using its bigger world, richer narrative, and powerful next-generation platforms to not only match the fervor surrounding Halo, but to also surpass what many people see as the first-person shooter that first legitimized the genre on consoles.
The publisher-developer duo won’t stop there, either. In terms of comparisons, Bungie COO Pete Parsons would love to see Destiny being talked about alongside some of the most popular films of all time.
"We like to tell big stories and we want people to put the Destiny universe on the same shelf they put Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or Star Wars; we've already seen they do that with Halo. We were extremely proud of what we achieved with Halo… I'm pretty convinced we are going to do it again with Destiny in a way that maybe even Halo never achieved before," Parsons said to Game Industry International. "What excites me is a number of years ago we talked with Activision and Activision believed in that vision, and that's why we like this partnership so much; these guys know big entertainment as well. They prove it over and over again."
There’s a plan in place that stretches well beyond the first game, which debuts on every platform under the sun early next year. However, a successful launch will be necessary before too much thought is put into the future.