Activision’s collaboration with Bungie on Destiny is continually proving that new IPs can not only survive but thrive, as every measurable indicator prior to the game’s upcoming launch points toward a huge hit across the board.
Destiny’s first dance with success came late last month when Bungie and Activision opened up a playable beta on July 17 for PlayStation platform owners and July 23 for Xbox platform owners. By the time Bungie shut the beta’s doors on July 28, over 4.6 million players had sampled Destiny across all platforms. Translating that number to actual disc and digital sales would prove an instant blockbuster and franchise born.
This past week, GameStop announced that Destiny pre-orders had set a record for the most pre-sold units from a new IP. Many of these pre-orders were likely triggered by players who access the beta, enjoyed the beta, and decided that they absolutely had to own the full game when it is released on September 9.
“With the launch of Activision’s Destiny just around the corner, our GameStop associates are working diligently to prepare for what is currently our highest pre-ordered new IP in history,” stated GameStop Senior Vice President of Merchandising, Bob Puzon. “Based on the consumer excitement we are encountering in our stores every day, Destiny is on track to deliver a tremendous gaming experience.”
Pre-order Destiny for PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360 or PS3 at Amazon with free shipping.
Despite the impressive beta and pre-order numbers Destiny has brandished to the holiday shopping season competition, there is unrest among the gaming community in regards to the game’s design and availability. There’s no PC version available, a staple among first-person shooters that will block a portion of the game’s target demographic from acquiring it.
There’s also the beta revelation that each planet including Earth, Mars, Venus and others will only have one location to visit. These geographic limitations downplay the Destiny advantage of being able to travel between planets in a singular gaming experience.
Beta players are also wondering why Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage sounds so utterly bored during his line delivery. He may have been directed to deliver his lines in such a monotone manner, or he simply was cashing in a paycheck. Either way, there’s still time for Bungie to hit the soundboard and add a little pep to Dinklage’s voice inflections.
It’s easy to look at a new movie and determine roughly about how much it will make during its opening weekend, save for a few exceptions like Guardians of the Galaxy. In the case of Destiny, the stellar beta participation and GameStop pre-orders signal a huge release, while some of the game’s negatives might force other prospective buyers to hold off for holiday sales.
I’m of the opinion that Destiny will sell huge numbers throughout this holiday season, especially with EA’s Battlefield: Hardline pushed into 2015. That will give Activision the ultimate trifecta of holiday home runs: Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Skylanders Trap Team and Destiny.
I’ll leave you with this new Destiny Mars trailer that explores the red planet in a little more depth.
