I am a product of this community. This community is a product of Bungie games. The symbiosis runs deep. The roots are old. Bungie the Developers and Bungie the Community are inseparable. Always have been.

Being a Bungie fan has always demanded a constant and painful state of evolution. This company has endured for a long time as a moving target in a highly competitive landscape. Partnerships morph. Sandboxes evolve. Firing patterns change. Like a shark, we swim to survive. From generation to generation, Bungie fans have been challenged to do the same.

If you can remember debates about the best iteration of a pistol or what it was like to buy your first Microsoft product after a long career as an Apple gamer, you know what's it’s like to be a Bungie fan - to put the creators before the device, or any one game. There are people on this forum who can recount that storied campaign better than I.

We make games. Every ounce of our energy is immersed in developing something that will delight your imagination and quicken your pulse. That's what we talk about within our walls - every day. We talk about you. We look to our community for the truth about what we've created. With everything that might seem different, there are some essential things that have not changed.

Destiny will be more inclusive than anything we've ever made. We're reaching out to more gamers than ever before. We'll relate to each of them as Guardians. We will care deeply about each of them. On Bungie.net, you will all be equal.

So, Happy Bungie Day. Hope to see you in the Tower.

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The politics and deals behind making a major game must be hard to deal with especially from the point of view of the people on the inside. Perhaps all of us here need to take a moment and remember that we still are getting a great new game from our favorite developer. Even at its worst this current "crisis" will be just a small road bump at the end of the day. The arguments about the direction of DLC and exclusives will probably rage on, and I intend to argue them, but I think it's also important that we are able to say:

Happy Bungie Day!

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1v1 me IRL.

Lemme get a few drinks in first to warm up mah slappin' hand!

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I believe a simple acknowledgement like this is really what people wanted; knowing that you guys are indeed there.

I for one get it... what little there is for me to get with the few bits of info we have. But we don't have to know everything; I say stay strong and don't let the negativity of today veer you fine folk off course even a bit. It's a vicious world out there in business-land. Through it all, you're putting out a product that you strive to be proud of, and that's deserving of some serious respect.

Happy Bungie Day.

That's it? You're going to have to do better than that, DeeJ.

Like a shark, we swim to survive.

That's it? You're going to have to do better than that, DeeJ.

No, I think he said all he can. Business is not necessarily a peaceful, tolerant environment. To me, he's saying that they have to evolve to survive first, in order to bring the game to the people.

He's acknowledging the similarities between the first move (Mac --> MS) and the current state of being. This (to me) suggests they've had to enter into some arrangements in order to be what they want to be. There are...realities that have to be considered.

It's an acknowledgement he didn't have to make, and I appreciate it. I still will not likely be able to participate in the Beta, and subsequently, I'll probably have to wait and see if I will buy it.

But it was a nice gesture, at the very least.

That's it? You're going to have to do better than that, DeeJ.

Alright, that's it.

Nobody owes you anything, and if you're going to continue to cry over and over until somebody changes your diaper and makes you a super-special-edition Xbox version of Destiny with all DLC and a Recon helmet, then you're in for a long tantrum, though I have a feeling that may not take place around here forever.

You already said that you don't like what the reality is and that you aren't getting the game. Bungie's not going to play a stereo outside your window hoping you'll come around, so bringing nothing but negativity and entitlement when somebody bothers to acknowledge the issues is not helping this community at all.

I don't doubt [or rather my hope has not been dampened, considering I was PS4'less during the alpha] that the game will reach the high quality bar that ye set for yourselves. I certainly cannot wait to play the beta! [Picked up my PS4 for it yesterday]

But it's hard to see the community being best served by -some- of the exclusivity revealed today. The beta date.. I don't particularly feel passionate about [but don't begrudge those who do]. The dlc situation does, as I said in another thread strike me as very .. not Bungie like?

And yes, this is a bold new chapter for Bungie [and Activision], so perhaps this is part and parcel of that, who can say [save ye]?

Anyway, roll on the beta!
Hope ye're having a wonderful Bungie Day at the studio.

P.S. Where's my BTS content in the LE/CE? The behind the scenes content has been my favourite parts of the Halo 2, 3 & Reach special editions, so it'd be a shame [personally] for it to not feature in Destiny's.

Please comb through my post history before you make any assumptions about what I've said or what I expect from Bungie.

The exclusives don't bother me. Bungie's sudden face-heel turn away from Microsoft so close to launch, after saying nothing about these exclusives in the year and a half before now, is what bothers me. I've already made an investment in Microsoft's console thinking that I would be getting the same game experience as PS4 owners. Had I known the nature and extent of these exclusives a little earlier, I would have made a different investment, but I didn't, and now I'm stuck with an inferior Destiny experience because Bungie couldn't be bothered to communicate what they were doing in a reasonable time frame. It demonstrates a serious lack of respect for the consumer.

And yet today of all days I return to this site. Serendipitous. Merry Bungie day, everyone.

Thanks for posting this. Can't wait to see you in the tower also!

Please comb through my post history before you make any assumptions about what I've said or what I expect from Bungie.

"Strictly speaking, I can no longer call myself a Bungie supporter."
You open up with being out of the team.

"Bungie, if you want me back, you're going to have to do some work."
"I am special, and I expect Bungie to cater to me."

"If Bungie wants to fellate Sony, that's fine with me, but they should have been up front with their fan base from the beginning instead of saving these exclusivity announcements for big reveals months away from launch."

You mean the ones that were announced and advertised ages ago? Ever since last year, the buzz has been that the PS4 version of Destiny would be the one to get. It was hinted and winked and as more news came out, it became more and more evident. That you decided to buy a different console anyway is not their concern, but you can't say that you had no idea.

"I already bought an Xbox One thinking that I would be able to play the same content as PS4 owners."

And as has been known for months already, you will eventually. Everything on one console will eventually make it to all others. I don't know why timed exclusives have blown your mind, if they've been a reality in the industry for many years now.

The exclusives don't bother me. Bungie's sudden face-heel turn away from Microsoft so close to launch, after saying nothing about these exclusives in the year and a half before now, is what bothers me.

You must have stepped out when it was announced over a year ago that the PS4 would be getting exclusive content thanks to their partnership.

I've already made an investment in Microsoft's console thinking that I would be getting the same game experience as PS4 owners.

And that's Bungie's fault? That you didn't take the one google search required to see which console would be getting the long-ago-announced perks?

Had I known the nature and extent of these exclusives a little earlier, I would have made a different investment, but I didn't, and now I'm stuck with an inferior Destiny experience because Bungie couldn't be bothered to communicate what they were doing in a reasonable time frame.

I think you also stepped out the entire year that the Xbox One has proven to be an inferior console both from a technical standpoint and from a multiplatform standpoint. On top of that, the exclusivity has never been secret. Heck, Bungie had input on the PS4 controller's design, for crying out loud. Should have been a light going off in your head.

You made a bad call, it happens, but you're buying a game. Destiny. Not Destiny: With-All-The-Stuff-That-The-PS4-Has-Because-That's-How-Timed-Exclusivity-Works. Besides, Destiny isn't the only game on the Xbox One, so your financial decisions haven't destroyed your world. Aren't you excited for the MCC?

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I may not agree with everything that you guys do, but I know in the end that you'll deliver a fabulous product that everyone can enjoy and come together for.

Happy Bungie Day!

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I’m afraid that I can’t sit by and let this pass without remark.

You talk about how ‘being a Bungie fan has always demanded a constant and painful state of evolution’, and go on to talk about the transition from Mac to Xbox, but this is unrelated to the complaints people are posting today. Arguably, saying that being a fan demands tolerance of painful evolution could be a rationale for excusing nearly any kind of egregious behaviour. The platform transition to Xbox was undoubtedly contentious, but it was also clearly beneficial for gamers. What benefit to gamers (other than those on the preferred platform) do platform exclusives bestow? Clearly there was a beneficiary, but most likely it was Activision.

That's what we talk about within our walls - every day. We talk about you. We look to our community for the truth about what we've created.

I hope this is the truth and if so, I hope you’re having a long hard conversation about how you approach this kind of stuff in the future. The games industry has for a number of years now been steadily embracing consumer-hostile practices, with manifestly scaled-back products shipped as a vehicle for paid DLC, in-app purchases and other schemes designed to milk a captive audience for every last penny. It’s hard to believe that Bungie has been ignorant to the conversations and arguments going on about this stuff in the wider gaming community, so it’s equally baffling that you could so misjudge what your loyal fans actually want.

If this post is the sum total of your response to today’s reaction then it’ll demonstrate that that is all you think it warrants. Prove me wrong and show that Bungie cares about its customers more than providing shareholder value to Activision.

Although some of the news today had been rather... unsettling and some rather exciting, thanks for coming around and saying a few words. It means a lot, really!

Thanks for reaching out Deej - we all know your hands are tied in a lot of ways - don't sweat the stress. We'll get over it eventually.

There are still plenty of faithful people here who are super pumped about the game, no matter what - and we are thankful for the hard work and dedication you guys have put in!

LONG LIVE BUNGIE!!!

- III

P.S. But seriously, the XBOX players are still the best AND still your favorite... just admit it... just say it one time, my favorite Deej... just whisper it?

You mean the ones that were announced and advertised ages ago? Ever since last year, the buzz has been that the PS4 version of Destiny would be the one to get. It was hinted and winked and as more news came out, it became more and more evident. That you decided to buy a different console anyway is not their concern, but you can't say that you had no idea.

Meh. I think the gaming industry is in a sad state if we all have to rely on winks and hints to make $400 - $500 decisions. Maybe it's not Bungie's fault, maybe it is but this was the best and only way to make Destiny the best it could be, but it still kinda sucks. Blaming the victim of a partially broken industry isn't the way to go about this...

You must have stepped out when it was announced over a year ago that the PS4 would be getting exclusive content thanks to their partnership.

Yeah, but that was the time when some executive looking guy spoke vaguely about an exclusive deal and then didn't give one tiny hint what that meant for us gamers. All I heard back then was "somewhere in the background, not connected to the $60+ you plan to spend on Destiny, deals have been made that may or may not benefit you. What deals? Nevermind that now."

Yes, admittedly the writing has been on the wall in favor of the PS4 version, but not everyone has the time to look at the wall. Instead, there should be clear concise communication about all of this. Not hints and asterisks.

You made a bad call, it happens, but you're buying a game. Destiny. Not Destiny: With-All-The-Stuff-That-The-PS4-Has-Because-That's-How-Timed-Exclusivity-Works. Besides, Destiny isn't the only game on the Xbox One, so your financial decisions haven't destroyed your world. Aren't you excited for the MCC?

Shouldn't Destiny be Destiny and the console not matter?

As much as the seemingly preferential treatment still stings (I mean, THREE DAYS?) I think all this moaning and groaning -that I myself secretly partake in- about Bungie and us Xboxers being the best of friends these past many years should not immediately result in the assumption of betrayal but rather remind us if a track record constituting that maybe you fine folks have earned maybe just a bit of the being it of the doubt.

I won't say I'm not a bit put off by it all, but I know you understand and empathize with me, which just reenforces my decision to trust you on this one.

After all, you haven't let me down yet.

I can't wait to see what is in store.

See you Starside,
-IV

I am a product of this community. This community is a product of Bungie games. The symbiosis runs deep. The roots are old. Bungie the Developers and Bungie the Community are inseparable. Always have been.

Being a Bungie fan has always demanded a constant and painful state of evolution. This company has endured for a long time as a moving target in a highly competitive landscape. Partnerships morph. Sandboxes evolve. Firing patterns change. Like a shark, we swim to survive. From generation to generation, Bungie fans have been challenged to do the same.

If you can remember debates about the best iteration of a pistol or what it was like to buy your first Microsoft product after a long career as an Apple gamer, you know what's it’s like to be a Bungie fan - to put the creators before the device, or any one game. There are people on this forum who can recount that storied campaign better than I.

We make games. Every ounce of our energy is immersed in developing something that will delight your imagination and quicken your pulse. That's what we talk about within our walls - every day. We talk about you. We look to our community for the truth about what we've created. With everything that might seem different, there are some essential things that have not changed.

Destiny will be more inclusive than anything we've ever made. We're reaching out to more gamers than ever before. We'll relate to each of them as Guardians. We will care deeply about each of them. On Bungie.net, you will all be equal.

So, Happy Bungie Day. Hope to see you in the Tower.

You were supposed to be different, Bungie. You were supposed to be that developer that wasn't consumed by the Darkness--that didn't let publishers' interest affect your fans. You broke free from Microsoft to do just that, didn't you?

Maybe this current situation is the least of all evils. Maybe it could have been worse. Maybe you fought to make sure every piece of Destiny will, eventually, after a really long time, be available on all platforms. Maybe you don't have the strength, yet, to do what you truly want to do.

Bungie being on all platforms should feel like a win-win, but it doesn't. I can't think of a single piece of Destiny content that doesn't somehow favor the Playstation 4. It is excessive; Alpha, early and extra Beta, digital pre-loading, a plethora of timed exclusives at launch, timed exclusive content in paid DLC--and that's just what we know about. What about all that we don't know about, Bungie? Will the DLC itself come early to Playstation consoles? Will Destiny 2 have a Beta with similar treatment? Was ALL OF THIS really necessary?

Bungie treats Xbox like a taboo. Sure, you're making a game we can play on our hardware, but you barely even talk about us. When Destiny was announced on four platforms I was thinking, sweet, I don't have to experience what Apple users did. No, this is some other kind of weird we get to experience.

Destiny on Xbox is being presented as an incomplete experience.

Oh, it'll be complete in Fall 2015.

Or will it? You don't tell us these things. Will we even be told the duration of the Playstation timed exclusives before launch? Will be we able to port our character from Xbox to Playstation in 2 years when we're tired of being late to every party?

Shouldn't Destiny be Destiny and the console not matter?

Yes, in a perfect world is would be. However, Deej's statement was essentially that they had to do what they had to do to get the game made. Perhaps they wish it to be different, but it is what it is.

It is what it is. Slighted Xbox owners are just unfortunate collateral damage.

We're a demographic that almost certainly was part of their calculus - surely they determined that some Xbox owners would feel disenfranchised and might skip the game because of their PS bias. A risk, sure, but worth the deal.

It is what it is.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.

In any case, I'm going to back away from the keyboard for a few months. Korny is probably right - too much angst and heartache over something so trivial. Maybe things will look differently in September.

…to thank DeeJ for posting some words.

I am a product of this community. This community is a product of Bungie games. The symbiosis runs deep. The roots are old. Bungie the Developers and Bungie the Community are inseparable. Always have been.

Being a Bungie fan has always demanded a constant and painful state of evolution. This company has endured for a long time as a moving target in a highly competitive landscape. Partnerships morph. Sandboxes evolve. Firing patterns change. Like a shark, we swim to survive. From generation to generation, Bungie fans have been challenged to do the same.

If you can remember debates about the best iteration of a pistol or what it was like to buy your first Microsoft product after a long career as an Apple gamer, you know what's it’s like to be a Bungie fan - to put the creators before the device, or any one game. There are people on this forum who can recount that storied campaign better than I.

We make games. Every ounce of our energy is immersed in developing something that will delight your imagination and quicken your pulse. That's what we talk about within our walls - every day. We talk about you. We look to our community for the truth about what we've created. With everything that might seem different, there are some essential things that have not changed.

Destiny will be more inclusive than anything we've ever made. We're reaching out to more gamers than ever before. We'll relate to each of them as Guardians. We will care deeply about each of them. On Bungie.net, you will all be equal.

So, Happy Bungie Day. Hope to see you in the Tower.

Thanks for stopping by and providing some kind words, DeeJ.

In truth, I'm not exactly sure how to feel about all of this. My initial reaction was anger at the duration of the exclusive content and the perceived shortening of my beta experience. And not due to some feeling of entitlement because "I've been loyal to you for 10 years!". Nothing like that.

Maybe it's because I feel like I've been very patiently waiting for this wonderful thing called Destiny for what seems like eons now. Scouring weekly updates, videos, and press releases for every scrap of info. Yearning to know more. Then, hearing that there will be a beta, all that penned up anticipation feels like it will have an outlet. And soon. Lo and behold, one day we find out that a section of the community gets to play an Alpha. Not a huge deal because we at least get a good look at what Destiny is/will be. I still have that beta to hang on to. Then, on the most exciting Bungie day of recent memory, we know that we are about to get that sweet info we've been craving and finally learn the Beta date. And when we do - BAM - it looks like we get about half the awesome that others do. So, first instinct was to be angry. Now, I'm kinda sad and don't really know what to think. I'm very grateful for the ability to play the Beta for free. I truly am. I'm just confused and a bit hurt about it all. As misguided or wrong as that may be, it's how I feel.

But having said all that, I'm still in it for Destiny. I'm quite sure it'll be an amazing game, and I'll gladly spend as much time as I'm allowed in the Beta. So, as unsure as I am of how to feel, I look forward to Destiny. Thanks for all of your hard work - good times are ahead.

- CC Xbox gamer

I’m afraid that I can’t sit by and let this pass without remark.

You talk about how ‘being a Bungie fan has always demanded a constant and painful state of evolution’, and go on to talk about the transition from Mac to Xbox, but this is unrelated to the complaints people are posting today. Arguably, saying that being a fan demands tolerance of painful evolution could be a rationale for excusing nearly any kind of egregious behaviour. The platform transition to Xbox was undoubtedly contentious, but it was also clearly beneficial for gamers.

In hindsight, yes. No one knew that in 2000. There were a few visionaries at Bungie and Microsoft, but it was much less clear to consumers.

What benefit to gamers (other than those on the preferred platform) do platform exclusives bestow? Clearly there was a beneficiary, but most likely it was Activision.

I can think of a few. Bungie attracts a new fanbase who wasn't interested in their games before. As a result, Destiny is a huge success across both platforms. This enables bigger and better games to be developed in the future. There could be other benefits to Bungie's success. Bungie is an innovator. They basically created the console FPS. Modern matchmaking. Today we complain about no cross-platform play. Maybe Destiny is the groundwork for a new landscape where that is possible. Regardless, a large audience, even if segmented, gives Bungie leverage, and because I trust that Bungie cares primarily about games and gamers, I think they'll act with integrity about the stuff that really matters.

That's what we talk about within our walls - every day. We talk about you. We look to our community for the truth about what we've created.

I hope this is the truth and if so, I hope you’re having a long hard conversation about how you approach this kind of stuff in the future. The games industry has for a number of years now been steadily embracing consumer-hostile practices, with manifestly scaled-back products shipped as a vehicle for paid DLC, in-app purchases and other schemes designed to milk a captive audience for every last penny. It’s hard to believe that Bungie has been ignorant to the conversations and arguments going on about this stuff in the wider gaming community, so it’s equally baffling that you could so misjudge what your loyal fans actually want.

I'm pretty loyal. I want the best, biggest, most ambitious game that can be built in this hyper-competitive triple-A space. I recognize that this requires selling a boatload of games. I recognize that this isn't 2000 or 2004, that these sorts of games take a lot more effort and money to make, that discs leave gamer's trays faster than ever, and games, even big games, can sink or swim in a matter of weeks. Bungie hasn't delivered a game I didn't find fun and worth every penny (even factoring in the costs of consoles), and when they do
that's when I'll believe that they have lost sight of what's important.

If this post is the sum total of your response to today’s reaction then it’ll demonstrate that that is all you think it warrants. Prove me wrong and show that Bungie cares about its customers more than providing shareholder value to Activision.

This sounds like the sort of passive-aggressive threat I really dislike. I guess if they don't respond further it will mean what you says it means, but what if they do respond further and that doesn't meet your criteria? Where does this end? I say play the beta and decide whether it's worth your nickels.

Based on my Alpha experience, I predict the mood around here will be different two weeks from now.

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If this post is the sum total of your response to today’s reaction then it’ll demonstrate that that is all you think it warrants. Prove me wrong and show that Bungie cares about its customers more than providing shareholder value to Activision.

This sounds like the sort of passive-aggressive threat I really dislike. I guess if they don't respond further it will mean what you says it means, but what if they do respond further and that doesn't meet your criteria? Where does this end?

I'd like to back off this last bit. I think I misread your comment to mean you expected an additional personal response immediately or else, and I don't think that's what you meant. All apologies.

Today we complain about no cross-platform play. Maybe Destiny is the groundwork for a new landscape where that is possible. Regardless, a large audience, even if segmented, gives Bungie leverage, and because I trust that Bungie cares primarily about games and gamers, I think they'll act with integrity about the stuff that really matters.

This is my hope. My only two considerations for the new generation of consoles have been whether I like the controller and where my friends (mainly this community) will be. If cross-platform is truly a future possibility, I could care less about platform exclusivity or anything else that's been griped about.

RE: Acting with integrity; we're talking about the same Bungie that redistributed Myth II in the wake of that fatal drive-wiping bug. The same entity that made DLC for Halo 2 free after a certain period so as not to further segment the community. These things are huge. I see no reason to abandon the faith I've placed in them now.

I certainly come down in the "I felt shafted on Bungie Day" camp, but; like you, this isn't my first rodeo. I was a day-one Xbox owner solely for Halo. There was no other consideration. Nowadays? Not so easy to unflinchingly drop the change it takes to adopt the target console. Am I salty? Sure, a bit. But it's just the way things go sometimes.

I'm pretty loyal. I want the best, biggest, most ambitious game that can be built in this hyper-competitive triple-A space. I recognize that this requires selling a boatload of games. I recognize that this isn't 2000 or 2004, that these sorts of games take a lot more effort and money to make, that discs leave gamer's trays faster than ever, and games, even big games, can sink or swim in a matter of weeks. Bungie hasn't delivered a game I didn't find fun and worth every penny (even factoring in the costs of consoles), and when they do
that's when I'll believe that they have lost sight of what's important.

Agreed. And the ever-shortening attention span of the hardcore gaming market is one more huge reason why I think cross-platform is the way to go. When player populations dwindle, there's a negative feedback loop. I'm certainly not immune to it myself. When it starts feeling like fewer folks are playing, fewer folks are likely to want to play. I think a lot of what Bungie has done to make the world feel alive and populated will stave off that phenomena for a good while, but ultimately I think there's only one fix for it.

If this post is the sum total of your response to today’s reaction then it’ll demonstrate that that is all you think it warrants. Prove me wrong and show that Bungie cares about its customers more than providing shareholder value to Activision.

This sounds like the sort of passive-aggressive threat I really dislike. I guess if they don't respond further it will mean what you says it means, but what if they do respond further and that doesn't meet your criteria? Where does this end? I say play the beta and decide whether it's worth your nickels.

Based on my Alpha experience, I predict the mood around here will be different two weeks from now.

Proof and pudding and all that good stuff. Despite what anyone here says, I'm sure we'll see everyone boots-on-ground when the time comes.

Can't wait to play with everyone.

~m

Really well said, Kerm.

I'd just like to say I don't see where people are getting the whole "this is what Bungie had to do for [insert reason or outcome]", especially from this, it wasn't stated, it wasn't implied, it wasn't even hinted at. I only see one person bringing it up in this thread but I've seen at least three others bring it up in other threads. You can be mad or glad or acceptant about what you want (although I see very little here to make anyone feel better), but I'm pretty sure people are putting words in Bungie's and Deej's mouths, specifically the words they want to hear. This isn't me giving anyone a dressing-down or a talking-to, just saying let's keep in mind what was actually said, which I say because I'm not seeing anyone else touch on this particular thing.