14 DAY TRIAL // Destiny, the new video game project from developer Bungie, is not yet out, but the company believes that it has the quality to be as important to gamers and pop culture enthusiasts as well-known properties like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter.
Pete Parsons, the chief operation officer at the studio, tells GamesIndustry.biz that “We like to tell big stories and we want people to put the Destiny universe on the same shelf they put Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter or Star Wars; we've already seen they do that with Halo”
He believes that Halo, the previous franchise that Bungie worked on, has already achieved a solid reputation and has made main character Master Chief a well-known figure.
Destiny will succeed not just because of the development capabilities of the company, but also because of the extensive support coming from new publisher Activision.
The executive adds, “What excites me is a number of years ago we talked with Activision and Activision believed in that vision, and that's why we like this partnership so much; these guys know big entertainment as well. They prove it over and over again.”
Destiny tells the story of the last city on Earth inhabited by humans, protected by a mysterious alien ship, and the challenges that gamers need to overcome to make sure that it survives.
The game is designed to mix traditional shooter elements with a persistent world and complex social mechanics that allow groups of players to collaborate or compete, depending on the situation.
Bungie believes that it can create a deep universe that can be used as a playground by those players who are socially inclined but can also deliver an interesting story for those who like solo play.
The game is expected in 2014 on the current-gen consoles, the Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4.