Getting new fans into Bungie Culture is Critical. (Destiny)

by Cody Miller , Music of the Spheres - Never Forgot, Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 21:42 (2292 days ago) @ CommanderCartman
edited by Cody Miller, Tuesday, October 30, 2018, 21:50

We are on our own largely. I don't think you realize the leash around everybody at Bungie now.

When I reached out to Bungie for my book, they didn't just tell me no thanks. They literally said this:

We wouldn't want anyone making any unauthorized statements.

So draconian sounding. This was after making it clear I would have no problem talking to people with a PR person in the room, with the questions and topics of interest given out ahead of time. Of course, this just means the people there who have spoken to me have done so in a completely unauthorized manner.

This isn't just a special case. Many people have told me that the culture at Bungie has shifted. I believe it. Every community interaction is monitored and calculated. There's too much at stake. One slip up telling people they'll throw money at the screen, and the media is all over your shit.

Microsoft 'tolerated' Bungie because they thought they needed them for Halo. Activision has no such hang up. Eric Hirshberg used to be in advertising (he did the famous Who Killed Laura Palmer campaign for Twin Peaks), and there was absolutely tension about how to reach fans for maximum effectiveness. Notice how Bungie never posts here anymore.

Also fun fact: I had a letter to the webmaster published. It's on Archive.org somewhere. Search for 'carefree innocence'.