Destiny 2 is not without its troubles, but it has nonetheless been a big success for Activision. The company said in its fourth-quarter and 2017 year-end financial results that the space-wizard shooter was "the largest PC launch in Activision history based on units," and that its first expansion, Curse of Osiris, had a higher attach rate—that is, the percentage of Destiny 2 owners who bought it—than the first expansion for the original Destiny.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said during the earnings call that the launch of Destiny 2 was "very successful," and that it enjoyed "high levels of engagement for the first couple of months post-launch." But he also acknowledged that Bungie's effort to make the game "less of a grind" than the original Destiny resulted in some expected problems.
"That actually allowed our core players to consume the content faster than we anticipated, and that led to an increase in players calling for more challenges and better rewards in the ongoing game," he said. "This is a live game, and responding to player feedback is a part of the process in this game and any live game, and we feel like we have the right plan in place to address the concerns."
Hirshberg's comments echo those of game director Luke Smith, who said in November 2017 that Destiny 2 "doesn't have enough excuses, or reasons, for those [hardcore] hobbyist players." Bungie recently released a "development roadmap" covering its plans for the next several months of the game, which will hopefully improve the experience across the board. Two big steps in that process will be the release of the second Destiny 2 expansion in May, followed another major content drop slated for the end of the year.
Separately, Bungie community manager Deej addressed complaints about the studio's recent decision to restrict forum posting to Destiny 2 players who have reached The Farm. The reaction to that decision was not universally happy, as some Bungie fans felt they were being excluded simply because they didn't happen to be interested in Bungie's latest offering. But Deej said that a similar restriction was in place for Destiny, and that the goal is not "censorship or monetization," but to "provide a valuable service to our community."
"We’re not taking any steps to remove negative feedback about Destiny 2. In fact, if you’ve expressed a desire to see something added to the game, it’s very likely that it’s itemized on our Development Roadmap. If it’s not, lend your voice to the #Feedback forum. All we ask is that you meet us halfway as a player," he wrote.
"This is the clubhouse that we provide for the players of our games. You are as welcome here as you are in the world we’ve created for you to explore. If neither of those things appeal to you, there are other worlds than these on the Internet. We created this one, so we’re responsible for its upkeep. If you want to join us in that mission, I’m always suggesting that we could benefit from more Mentors or Ninjas to help us serve the player or keep the peace. Set a strong example, and you just might be the next addition to the teams that tend to their own garden."
