Bungie Talks Big About DESTINY; Watch out Guys, Your Hubris is Showing
Bungie has a lot to say about its upcoming sci-fi epic, Destiny, but the latest is the most confident or arrogant I’ve seen. In an interview with GamesIndustry International Pete Parsons, COO of Bungie, hopes that Destiny will make an even bigger impact than their prolific Halo franchise.
"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. We were extremely proud of what we achieved with Halo... I'm pretty convinced we are going to do it again with Destiny in a way that maybe even Halo never achieved before,"
Parsons said. He goes on to explain Bungie’s ten year plan surrounding Destiny and its sequels.
Wow. Bungie is a company renowned for their production quality, and they have become legends with the Halo series, but this is bold talk, even for them. Wanting to create a legacy like that of the Lord of the Rings or Star Wars franchises? The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most influential series of novels. It basically defined the fantasy genre, spawned a movie trilogy that won 17 Academy Awards, and inspired over 22 video games. And the Star Wars trilogy has done even more! There are nine Star Wars movies (counting the newest trilogy still in production), 9 television series, more than 35 video games (I lost count), and an absolutely mind blowing number of written works (WAY too many to count). Saying take you plan for your new IP to have as much significance on pop culture is a mighty display of hubris.
I want Destiny to be everything Bungie says it will be. I would love to be able to become immersed in a lore-filled world that lasted for years, but really, comparing yourself to STAR WARS? That just sounds like a recipe for disappointment and a discouraged board of directors, which is a recipe for disaster. Bungie does have the gargantuan Activision as a backer, so they have the money to help with their vast plans, but pride goeth before the fall.