Read the full Weekly Update here
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This week at Bungie, we entered a new phase of development.
The strife and conflict of the Pentathlon fades in our rear-view mirror. A fresh build of Destiny sits on every desk in the studio – a monument to a battle for the ages. Four dueling schools have laid down arms to reconstruct our union. Our team has been reunited.
As the smoke cleared from the air, Luke Smith stopped by my desk. When he stops by, I listen. In the golden age of Halo 3, he walked this very beat. Now, he’s a game designer with grand conspiracies to send you screaming into the darkness of Destiny’s endgame. Like a veteran of the force, as he did the other day, he imparts his wisdom on rookie cops like me.
“Can you feel it?” he asked. “This is my favorite part. These next eight weeks are where it all comes together.”
“Closing at Bungie is when we look at the game we have now, the people we have here, and the time left on the clock to make what our fans will call Destiny.”
This is when the best memories from game development are made, when late night conversations form unbreakable bonds of friendship and teamwork.
“The people here are about to be a part of something that is a once-in-a-career opportunity. We have to use what little time we have left.”
“I can’t wait to see how we’re going to land it.”
There was a rare glint in his eye.
This great time of reckoning will not be the end of our journey. If you’re thinking you’re two months from seeing this game on your shelf, I’m still here to ask you to put on the brakes. The next phase awaits, in which you’ll be invited to launch head-long into the world we’ve constructed, like a test pilot clad in exotic armor.
Jez: Can we customize ghosts or will everyone have the same looking ghost?
Very interesting question!
Celticsgreen17: Will you allow gamers to stream the beta on twitch from their PS4/Xbox One this summer?
We will do far more than allow you to share your glorious war stories from the frontier. We’ll amplify your voices, if they are brave. Some of you will even be selected to play a role in our stories, as we go to war with (and against) our community in the wild for the first time. That will be as glorious a moment for us as it will be for you. Watch this space. We have plans within plans within plans. Destiny, after all, is a thing to be shared.
Thatspacewizard: Will service years on bungie.net be reflected in-game, in any way?
Yep.
Sect79: So far, all of the trailers, in-engine and screenshots of Destiny have looked really awesome. Will the final build on next gen (particularly PS4) product look as clean and smooth as what we’ve been shown?
What you have seen is not even our final form.
COTU: When do you guys gear up for GDC? Can we expect something big this year?
That all depends on how curious you are. The Game Developers Conference is where alpha geeks converge to discuss their craft. We’re sending six of ours. They’re pulling back their respective curtains to show off the buttons and levers that will drive things like your face, your armor, your career search, and our development processes. In the words of Bruce Wayne, it’s all a bit technical. We’ll carve a few notes from their sheet music so you can sing along, assuming you can follow their rhythm.
ForsakenNoble: Have you ever had such a large community for any of your guys’ other games? How does it feel to just sit back and see the HUGE community that has been built up around Destiny? As a member of the community, I think I speak for us all when I say it’s awesome.
We’ve never had a community this large for a new game that had yet to be released. And yeah, it feels good, man, if not a bit terrifying. You honor us with your enthusiasm and (for the most part) your patience. We’re busting our asses to live up to that. Like the people who were waiting for Halo, we expect you to have some new friends when all is said and done. Like our game, our community has yet to achieve its final form.
ramenloverninja: What is your preferred method of slaying trolls?
We prefer to leave them to the Ninjas. If you encounter a troll on Bungie.net, their date with Ninja Justice is just a click of the Report button away. Don’t suffer the slings and arrows of poor Internet conduct in silence! Activate your friendly neighborhood judge, jury, and executioner!
Cobra Commander: Are we there yet?
We are not there yet.
Every week brings us closer. Over the next eight weeks, Luke will implore me to walk the floor more often, to watch as what you will call Destiny emerges. I’ll share what I can. Again, you must remember that my job is not spoil your fun. It will be much more rewarding for you say “Look what I found!” than it would be to say “Listen to what DeeJ told me.”
Urk and I are leaving the crow’s nest again next week. Our mission will be to enlist more powerful allies in our quest for world domination. We’ll share our adventures when it seems appropriate, but our objectives will be top secret.
Upon our return, we’ll bring you up to speed with the team.