It’ll be big, but will it be that big?
The publisher certainly seems to think so. During a post-earnings conference call (as summarized at GameSpot), Activision Blizzard executives Bobby Kotick (CEO) and Eric Hirshberg (CEO of Activision Publishing) said they expect the anticipated Destiny to be the “best selling new video game IP in history.”
If they’re referring to contemporary history, that might be possible. Bungie’s new open-world shooter is primed to be the top new IP of 2014, especially considering the sheer amount of advertising dollars it will receive. If, however, we take Activision’s statement literally, it means Destiny will have to beat out every new IP – typically defined as the first game in a fresh franchise – in all of gaming history.
That’s not exactly impossible, either, though. The industry is much bigger than it was back in the days of Super Mario Bros. and shooters remain immensely popular. Also, don’t forget that Bungie’s name holds a ton of cache; they developed the now-iconic Halo franchise.
A bigger, better Borderlands 2?
That’s what I think of when I look at Destiny. Borderlands 2 is still one of the best games of the previous generation, so it’ll be tough to improve on that achievement. However, if Bungie can make good on all their lofty claims, maybe Activision’s expectations really aren’t that far out of whack. Only time will tell.
