In 2012, Activision struck a multi-year deal with Bungie, the original developers of Halo, to produce an unparalleled first-person shooting experience for consoles, with an original storyline and engaging set-up. The end result was Destiny, a game that arrived in mid-2014 to high praise from both gamers and critics alike, and it became a bestseller with over 30 million registered players.
Bungie has continued to push Destiny‘s story with add-ons, including last year’s The Taken King, which was a major success. However, some players felt that Destiny still didn’t have enough special events and items, so Bungie is looking to resolve that this fall with the Rise of Iron expansion.
Set to debut on September 20 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Rise of Iron promises to expand the universe even further with a new location to explore and new events such as additional Raid and Strike, which players can’t get enough of) and new items to acquire.
“Rise of Iron is an exciting addition to the Destiny universe,” said Pete Parsons, CEO of Bungie. “We are continually blown away and inspired by the growing Destiny community’s energy and enthusiasm.”
Activision didn’t have a booth on the E3 show floor this week, but the company still held behind-closed-door sessions. There, Bungie presented how players would rediscover a sense of energy with the add-on, mainly with the debut of a new setting on Earth called the Plaguelands, where they can explore to find new missions and items.
“The trick in keeping players coming back for more within a gaming universe is finding the kind of content that will keep them around for the long-term,” creative director Chris Barrett explained to Game Informer. “Stuff like raids just takes a lot of time to build but we’re excited to try and deliver that stuff for fans, and we’re all players ourselves. I go home and feel the same way: I want to explore a whole new zone and play new raids. We’re excited to get that stuff built and into players’ hands as soon as possible, so we’re always looking to add new events and stuff for players to do. In the past year, we’ve released new updates and events and fixes, and it’s just exciting to be able to release a new expansion with so much good stuff in it.”
But perhaps the biggest expansion will come with the story, which remains a highly engaging part of the Destiny universe.
“The world of Destiny is an awesome place and the fans love it and we’re always looking for ways to expand the game and the lore,” said Barrett. “We’re really focused on this release with telling the best story we can within the game. Our number one priority is making a great new campaign, setting, and adventure for players. We’re not only looking for ways to expand Destiny on the outside but also bring stuff that is found in the grimoire into the game itself. And that’s one of the reasons we’re telling the story of the Iron Lords in Rise of Iron.”
Activision will no doubt promote the game with some a new retail package, as it did with The Taken King, but find some way to overcome potential outrage, since the expansion won’t be available for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which a large portion of Destiny players still use.
