re: Destiny has $500 million budget, huge gamble by Activision

I'm incredibly excited about Destiny. However, after watching this video a few times, I'm also incredibly disappointed with the way this game has been marketed thus far.

Bungie has revealed two gameplay videos of the game - the video from last year's E3, and the video we received about a week ago. Neither goes into any depth whatsoever as to why this game is not your standard FPS. In fact, the video last week didn't show anything unique - it was the most vapid, uninspiring gameplay footage Bungie could have selected. The majority of people still don't know what this game is actually about, and last week's gameplay footage didn't do anything to edify them on why Destiny is so different.

Do you know what a Focus is? No? Don't worry...you're not alone. What about a Super? What about a Ghost?

Every single weapon and armor piece in Destiny has its own talent tree.

The currency in the game is called Glimmer, which drops from enemies and can be used to purchase gear from vendors in the main cities.

Vehicles can be upgraded and customized.

None of this has been revealed in any of the major gameplay videos that Bungie has released. They've done nothing to show players why this game can be properly differentiated from other standard FPS games.

Bungie has said repeatedly that this game is a 10 year project, so it seems they're intending to treat this game as Blizzard has treated WoW, with major expansions released every 18-24 months. The $500 million figure is likely the allotted budget for the game for the next 5+ years.