Wednesday, April 24, 2024

‘Destiny’ And Sony: The Strangest Exclusivity Relationship In Gaming

This week, Xbox Destiny fans started getting a bit itchy after they slowly began to accept that every Playstation exceptional content material from yr of the game might not be arriving on their device with this autumn’s growth, Upward push of Iron. In yr one, a properly-publicized deal with Sony stored sure weapons, maps, and missions exclusive to Sony for a year. While that became enough to harass fans by way of itself, remedy, in the end, came when The Taken King arrived, and that content material became to be had for Xbox as well.

Relationship In Gaming

However, Bungie has shown that that’s not how matters will work this time. Speakme with IGN, Destiny community supervisor Deej indicated that these Playstation -exceptional objects would not be arriving on Xbox for Upward Thrust of Iron, seeming to say that it might be till Fall 2017 alternatively.

I observed up with Bungie PR, who said it turned out accurate. No Ps-exclusive gadgets have been showing up with ROI. However, they might not commit to a Fall 2017 closing date. Alternatively, I was referred to a footnote on this page, which says the content is ” timed differently till as a minimum Fall 2016 (emphasis mine).” Enthusiasts have been glaringly thinking that, like a closing year, once the year becomes up, that becomes correct sufficient, But that’s’ now not the case. With that form of language, they could in no way arrive.

And surely, they may as nicely now not come to Xbox besides, because Future 2 might be launched a subsequent yr, and probably there can be a little factor in unlocking Future 1 map and weapons when everybody is moving directly to a brand new recreation. It’s’ doubtful what precisely is happening right here. It could be that Sony told Bungie to increase the exclusivity period (or paid them to). Or It can be something greater complex, like that the Upward thrust of Iron became technically purported to be a mid-year expansion before Future 2 became delayed to 2017, so that could be why.

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Regardless, Sony’s’ relationship with Bungie and Future remains one of the weirdest exclusivity offers in gaming. Most console-exclusive content material is usually terrible for one facet and now not the other. Still, in Destiny’s’ case, this Ps content material truly makes the game worse for everybody, as I’ve argued before.

Photo: Bungie

For specific multiplayer maps, they can be selected as Trials maps for that event because it’d reduce 1/2 the player base. For extraordinary strikes, they can’t be chosen for the Nightfall. For weapons, they couldn’t be sold by using Xur. So while it’s’ hectic for Xbox players, technically, the game is a touch worse for Sony gamers as properly, at least beyond what it would be if all people had been admitted to the same content material all of sudden.

Now, matters are becoming stranger with those warped timelines, which might be bleeding into sequels and all other manners of nonsense. Formerly, the 12 months deadline became dumb, But at the least, it was a deadline. Now, it’s’ doubtful whether Xbox players get any of this stuff or if it will even count numbers while it does show up. It’s’ additionally murky what the modern-day state of the deal is with Sony. Future has its well-known “ten 12 months plan,” But there’s no word on how lengthy Sony plans to preserve paying (or has already paid) for Bungie to create unique Ps content. More is arriving with Rising of Iron, which’s technically the start of yr 3, But again, that growth was speculated to be earlier in the yr, so perhaps it ends with Future 2. However, if it does, Sony should re-up again.

I don’t see why Sony is that invested in this courting. I understand making the deal originally 3-ish years ago once they tried to construct an early lead over Xbox in any manner they might, But now? They won. No longer only are they dominating Xbox in sales; however, possibilities are if players were gambling Destiny on PS4 the past years, they’re no longer going to replace Xbox while new expansions pop out or Destiny 2 arrives. So why even trouble persevering with this? The gain to Sony seems quite minimum until they are similar to having bragging rights on my own. It looks like spite, even greater than the Maximum of these kinds of offers.

The association, of course, makes the best feel for Bungie. Withhold a tiny little of content they would probably release otherwise for a possibly significant amount of cash from an enterprise perspective. Simultaneously, as this issue periodically comes up and causes lots of grumbling within the community (like now), ninety five% of the time, it’s’ generally neglected. The “damage” to fan morale is insufficient, and the cash they’re getting from the deal is well worth it. So long as Sony keeps paying and is not stressful or too crazy, it’s’ difficult to peer this going away. But with these latest traits, different exclusivity offers like Microsoft MSFT +zero.00%’s’ “put off DLC on PS4 for a month” deal with Ubisoft for The Division appears charitable.

I’ve usually hated this deal as an Xbox participant. Still, Xbox and Sony Destiny players seem to be universally disliked, who agree it’s’ anti-consumer and makes the sport worse for everybody. This modern flip provides a new layer of frustration to an already perplexing deal, But it’s’ quite easy. Sony can pay; Sony is still “the quality location to play Destiny” for as long as it wishes

William M. Alberts
William M. Alberts
Unable to type with boxing gloves on. Professional beer scholar. Problem solver. Extreme pop culture fan. Fixie owner, shiba-inu lover, band member, International Swiss style practitioner and holistic designer. Acting at the intersection of design and mathematics to save the world from bad design. I'm a designer and this is my work.

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