This summary of the video was created by an AI. It might contain some inaccuracies.
00:00:00 – 00:22:10
The video thoroughly examines the current state and future of Destiny 2, focusing on its latest expansion, "The Final Shape," which has recorded significantly lower pre-orders compared to previous expansions like "Lightfall" and "The Witch Queen." This decline is largely attributed to player dissatisfaction with recent expansions and the game's repetitive seasonal model. Despite Bungie's various revenue streams, such as season passes and cosmetic bundles, low player engagement has led to decreased in-game spending, exacerbated by the delay of "The Final Shape" to June 2024 and layoffs within the company.
The discussion also highlights Bungie's shift from annual expansions to a narrative structure based on episodic content, raising concerns among players about the game's future. Annual expansions have historically been crucial for generating excitement and revenue, and their potential phasing out has fueled uncertainty. Despite financial challenges and a declining player count, the video comments on Bungie's strategic approach, which includes the possibility of reallocating resources for developing a new Destiny installment.
The speaker appreciates the analysis provided by charlot man and emphasizes the importance of pre-order data as an indicator of future trends. SE2, Bungie's studio, currently has over 650 employees dedicated to delivering a memorable experience but faces looming uncertainties regarding future revenue and potential budget cuts if "The Final Shape" does not perform well. Overall, the video underscores the importance of player sentiment, financial stability, and strategic planning in determining the future trajectory of Destiny 2.
00:00:00
In this segment, the discussion centers on pre-orders for Destiny 2’s “The Final Shape” expansion, which reportedly amount to less than 25% of those for the previous expansion, “Lightfall.” This conclusion is based on data gathered from exclusive pre-order emblems visible on publicly accessible Destiny profiles, analyzed by charlot man. The speaker expresses concern and curiosity about Destiny’s future and explains that the expansion, although initially set for release in February 2024, has been delayed to June 2024 due to underperformance. Additionally, the discussion includes a comparison of previous expansions, noting that while “The Witch Queen” was both a sales and critical success, “Lightfall” had good sales but poor reception. The video also provides insights into the methodology used for data collection, relying on charlot man’s website and third-party app that aggregates data from Bungie’s API for Destiny.
00:03:00
In this part of the video, the discussion revolves around the pre-order data for various Destiny 2 expansions. The speaker notes that the data provided may not be fully accurate due to limitations, such as player profiles set to private. The pre-orders for four expansions—Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, Lightfall, and The Final Shape—are compared. Beyond Light has the highest number of pre-orders, followed by Lightfall, The Witch Queen, and The Final Shape with the lowest. Beyond Light’s popularity is speculated to be due to features like stasis and the dynamic weather system, and the fact that it released during the COVID-19 pandemic when more people were at home.
00:06:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses graphical updates in Destiny 2 and compares the game’s graphical quality before and after the Beyond Light expansion. The focus then shifts to pre-order numbers for various Destiny 2 expansions, with Beyond Light, Witch Queen, and Lightfall having significantly higher pre-orders compared to the final shape, which had only 47,600 pre-orders. The speaker highlights the lackluster response and hype for the final shape expansion, contrasting it with the enthusiasm for previous expansions like Lightfall and Witch Queen. Concerns are raised about potential future layoffs at Bungie due to these lower pre-order numbers. The analysis shows a correlation between pre-order emblems and actual pre-order numbers, with approximately 15,000 pre-orders secured for the final shape within a specified 15-day period.
00:09:00
In this segment, the video addresses the decline in pre-orders and player sentiment for the upcoming Destiny 2 expansion, “The Final Shape.” Despite past successes, this expansion has not reached the high pre-order figures of previous expansions like “Lightfall,” which had surpassed 1 million pre-orders. The drop in pre-orders is attributed to cautious fans, possibly due to dissatisfaction with recent expansions. Lightfall, though commercially successful, failed to meet player expectations with its lackluster story campaign and repetitive seasonal model. The delay of “The Final Shape,” coupled with layoffs at Bungie, has further contributed to uncertainty. A poll by Destiny Bulletin revealed that a significant portion of the player base has either not pre-ordered or is waiting for more details before committing. These factors, along with lower revenue projections, highlight a challenging period for the franchise.
00:12:00
In this segment, the video discusses the impact of Destiny 2’s monetization strategies and the challenges faced in 2023. Despite various revenue streams such as the season pass, cosmetic bundles, and merchandise, low player engagement led to a significant drop in in-game spending. The delay of the “Final Shape” expansion without proper marketing initiatives further diminished player interest. The video also addresses Bungie’s shift from annual expansions to a narrative structure centered on episodes, causing concern among players regarding the game’s future. The focus is on how these annual expansions have historically been crucial for both the game’s narrative and Bungie’s revenue, and the uncertainty of relying solely on episodic content.
00:15:00
In this segment of the video, the discussion centers around the strategic approach of releasing a few episodes per year for Destiny 2, allowing Bungie to focus on developing a new Destiny installment. Annual expansions are highlighted as essential for generating excitement and revenue. The success of past expansions like “The Witch Queen” significantly influenced “Lightfall” pre-order numbers, while a lack of new subclasses and enemies has led to lower pre-orders for “The Final Shape.” Additionally, financial challenges and player sentiment about the series concluding contribute to a declining player count and expectations that “The Final Shape” may be the final Destiny expansion for many dedicated players.
00:18:00
In this segment of the video, the speaker discusses the declining player numbers in the game throughout 2023, highlighting a significant drop with the latest season, “The Wish,” which saw the lowest day one peak ever on Steam at 94,670 players. Despite enjoying certain aspects of the current season, such as a standout dungeon and good loot, the speaker notes that Destiny 2 will continue to receive annual expansions even after “The Final Shape,” transitioning to an episodic structure.
The speaker also touches on financial motivations, pointing out the substantial revenue from annual expansions and the unlikelihood of Bungie abandoning this model. They describe the specialized teams within Bungie dedicated to different segments of Destiny 2’s live service, emphasizing the importance of continued major expansions, raids, and dungeons. The speaker speculates that Bungie might release episodic content for a few years without annual expansions to reallocate resources for a potential new Destiny game, but expresses doubt about the imminent arrival of “Destiny 3.” Lastly, the segment concludes by mentioning the anticipation among fans for the gameplay reveal of “The Final Shape” and upcoming free content.
00:21:00
In this part of the video, the speaker discusses the future steps for SE2 with a focus on their game, Destiny, which currently has over 650 employees (excluding contractors and partner studios). The studio aims to deliver a memorable experience this summer but faces uncertainties regarding future revenue. The speaker appreciates the detailed reporting by Charlamagne and mentions the community’s reliance on such insights. They note that if the upcoming release, “Final Shape,” underperforms, it could result in significant changes, implying potential budget cuts.