What always happens to grandiose projects (Destiny)

by SonofMacPhisto , Friday, September 26, 2014, 09:30 (3507 days ago) @ Earendil

The vision was bigger than they had time for. The additional miscalculation is that BUngie planned for more content, stories, and ideas than could possibly fit in the first release, because they knew they had ten years. But just like all projects when the release date came closer they had to start cutting things, drawing a line across things that would come first, or come later. The absolute easiest thing to do is to cut visual content and story, because that eliminates large amounts of artist work and testing. Unlike some studios though, they had an out. They knew they could release continuous patches and added content in the weeks and months after release. So they polished what they could and shipping.

You know you've seen those games where there are bugs, or balance issues, or map design flaws. Bungie, for all their lack of story content and feeling or repetitive missions, has managed to lay an absolutely SOLID base to build upon. Even the greatest detractors admit that he game is fluid and fun. I have personally witnessed no bugs or flaws, and I haven't really seen any reported. Yes, there were networking issues, but it's really hard to test what happens when a million people globally try and hit your servers at once :)

Yes, it's an optimistic take. But having worked in Software for a number of years, I can say that the digital medium allows for absolutely crazy and large ideas, and they are ALWAYS cut short by funding and time.

Something happened in this development of Destiny and I want to know who to blame, because what we were told we were getting isn't at all like the final product.

"Yet". Okay, it wasn't in the Sept 9th shipping product, but it may still make it into the Destiny universe.

While I wish Bungie would open up and admit to what is really going on, I don't think they can. To admit they ran out of time is to admit failure, which the industry and the buying public, regardless of how fun the game is, would murder them over. No, they have to hang their heads high, say "we know what we're doing", and hope that in time they are able to create the universe that they dreamed about. And I think we have absolutely every reason to believe they can.

Great observations. For me, grandiose vision not quite realized covers a multitude of sins. Swing for the fences, goddamnit.