Bungie End-of-Year Update - 2014

SGA - The Holiday Season is a wonderful time for reflection - to take stock of the current year as the final days wane, to build a few bridges and kindle a little bit of hope for the future (see what we did there?), and plan for the days and months to come.

Right now, at this exact moment, 12,869,066 players have picked up a controller and taken Destiny for a spin. They have sparked 22,932,276 Guardians to life. Together, they have spent 872,404,449 hours battling the aliens that want to turn them into dust. By the time you read these words, those numbers will have grown. Also at this exact moment, over five hundred developers are hard at work to make sure that the world you inhabit will continue to evolve.

This is your work as much as it is ours. As innumerable and immeasurable your ongoing contributions to our game may be, we numbered and measured anyway, attempting to sum the damage and devastation of a few million enlightened Fireteams.

• In the span of time you have spent playing Destiny, the Curiosity Rover could have made the voyage to Mars more than one hundred thousand times*
• If the Guardians populating Destiny occupied a single city, it would be as large as New York City and Los Angeles, combined
• Atheon has been shattered 2.4 Million times
  
  • At least a dozen of those kills were without cheese
• Crota has been Ended 769 times, and rapidly counting
  
  • But only once by a Fireteam of one (step it up, everyone else)

*Top that, Hardgrove

Staggering statistics aside, Destiny is more than a game of numbers. It's a world made of people (IT'S MADE OF PEOPLE!). When we look out across a sea of eager heroes, it's the human stories that lodge in our void-stained memories. Here are just a few standouts, offered up by the team that spends their days to give you reasons to spend your Glimmer.

When Dan Bull captured the defiant spirit of Destiny in a badass rap anthem.
Jerramen O'Donnell, Networking Tester

Randal the Vandal and everything he represents in terms of player-driven narrative. Special shout-out to himynameisross for this story and the best phrase ever: "Two words: One word: Destiny."
Jim Levasseur, Cinematic Artist

I love watching streamers on Twitch stream their race to beat all the Raids.  It shows passion, dedication, and it reminds me why I'm here: To make great video games.
Andy Xiao, Artist

Sparrow surfing incorporates two of the three best things in Destiny: Dancing and riding around on your Sparrow. Shooting things in the head is the third best thing. [Editor's Note: Known issue, will not fix]
Chase Christian, Senior IT Engineer

I can't leave a public zone without checking this first.
David Candland, UI Design Lead

Even though it is usually targeted right at my face, I love the Rant Tuesday thread on reddit. Something about the all caps public yelling speaks to me.
Jon Weisnewski, Design (Weapons)

I love watching Sparrow trick videos like this, and have been excited to see people making games for themselves like this.
Brendan Walker, AI Engineer

The "Destiny In Detail" series was awesome. It is an incredibly thoughtful, insightful, and cleverly written editorial on Destiny's game systems.
Nick Gerrone, Killer of Joy [aka: Project Test Lead]

I love how eager the community is to analyze our game, explain it to each other and themselves, and provide feedback on their experiences.
Alex Velicky, Associate Designer

There is only Turn Down for What.
Andrew Weldon, Senior Designer

Demonstration of proper void Titan usage... and how not to deal with void Titans.
Mike Forrest, Engineering Architect

Care Module: Not Found is still a favorite. 
Christopher Barrett, Creative Director

Simple, elegant, fast.
Find all the dead ghosts you're missing.
Jason Jones, Co-Founder

Harold Ryan, President

And, that's just a few of the people who replied in the hour I gave them to respond - right off the top of their heads. As we reflect on this year, we won't only be thinking about our successes and our challenges, but on the innumerable and immeasurable ways in which our players have made Destiny more than it has any right to be.

TLW

This is the last update for 2014. We've got friends and family to reconnect with. Gluttony calls (as does Crota). As the sun sets on this year, sending the final rays of light streaking across the horizon, we'll be thinking about what's to come for us, and hopefully, for you.

Before we kick off, we should note that you should be on the lookout for some small stocking stuffers sometime after the Holidays have come and gone - a small token of our gratitude.

One final thought: Destiny is about to receive a stampeding influx of what gamers inevitably refer to as "Christmas Noobs." Go easy on 'em. They'll show up in the Crucible - lost, confused, and freshly minted as Level Fives. They'll arrive on the forum where you're sort of a big deal, asking questions you discovered the answers to a long time ago.

Take them under your wing. Show them the way. They'll learn a lot from you. Try not to laugh too hard when they lodge their first, adorable complaint about our old friend Rahool.

Keep sharing your stories. Keep posting your feedback. We hear you, and you're helping make Destiny better. Our next update will drop in January. It hopefully includes some stuff you've been asking us for. Expect details soon after the holidays.

See you next year, Guardians. Thank you for playing.