Since Destiny's launch, controversy has been high. It's rare for a game to spark more discussion regarding its quality after its release than before, which makes Destiny quite an interesting case. The game has received a number of low scores from various media outlets, but has been praised by just as many. This has created a rift in the gaming community that has been hard for Bungie to deal with. For those of you who don't know, Bungie Studios develops the title.
Given Bungie's Halo series and its monumental success, we weren't sure how they were going to deal with the criticism. However, they've done a fine job of addressing fans and their many concerns regarding the game. Most recently, Bungie took some choice fan e-mails and answered anything that they could in this Weekly Update.
One fan's question asked about rumors and speculation, to which Bungie responded with:
"Let me stop you right there, if I may. We’ve seen a lot of theories about Bungie on the Internet this week. I understand why that stuff is compelling. The drama of the rumor mill is a symptom of a greater issue: We all want Destiny to be better. The problem is that sifting through gossip in search of truth doesn’t bring us any closer to a stronger game."
This indicates there is a very clear desire at Bungie to make Destiny better than it already it is. They've acknowledged that there are big problems with the game and that they don't feel remorse about changing their content.
Another fan asked if Raid Matchmaking would ever find its way into Destiny.
"That’s a really tricky topic."
"You don’t need to sell us too hard on the value of Matchmaking at Bungie. It’s something we helped to pioneer. Yet, we understand its limitations. In the recipe of a Bungie game, Matchmaking has always contributed the ingredient of a team built to play one match of competitive multiplayer. As you’ve probably witnessed in recent weeks (or years), many of those fresh allies have failed to go the distance together."
"The Raid was designed for solid teams of killers who have made a commitment to solve a dense and explosive riddle. Most of the raiding parties who have emerged victorious from the Vault of Glass have sworn that one weak link would have doomed their chain. There have been other stories, of course. We’ve heard tell of Guardians who met each other just outside the door that leads into that vault. Strange tales have reached our ears – tales of total strangers who have banded together to see the Raid all the way through to a triumphant finale."
"Those stories surprise us, but the players of our games always have. The best I can do to answer your question is to let you know that you’ve been heard. We’re having conversations about how Matchmaking might support the more challenging activities in Destiny. It’s a start. Keep sounding off about it, and maybe someday some matchmade Fireteam mates will hear you, too."
Bungie makes sense, in a way. While not having Raid Matchmaking might strike some as a bit lackluster, we also have to remember that raids are a late game endeavor. By the time you reach the level necessary to interact with them, you'll hopefully have made some friends along the way. With those friends you can conquer these raids together. It's a very sly way for Bungie to force cooperative play and encourage the longevity of Destiny. It worked in World of Warcraft, it should work here, too.
