An interview with Destiny’s Production Director, Jonty Barnes, can now give fans hope. At Bungie, they see many things as the gamers do.
Interviews with Bungie employees are rare. Most communication comes through the Weekly Update, which often provides only vague information. When Raid Designer Luke Smith spoke clearly last time, there was more information about the future of Destiny than collected in a month of “Weekly Update”.
Now Destiny has scooped the award for Game of the Year and Bungie’s Production Director, Jonty Barnes, took the time for an enlightening interview.
The surprise: At Bungie, they see almost everything as the community does.
The strengths of Destiny: The core gameplay
When asked what he likes best about Destiny, Barnes replies: “What I like most is that we have created a game that you can enjoy together. We have been working on Destiny for 6 years now, and I still play it with friends. (…) Many of the employees are incredibly proud of the core gameplay mechanics. Playing the game is simply fun. And we have worked hard to get to where we are today. And we are very proud of that.”
This core mechanic is, according to Barnes, also the foundation of success. The action gameplay Bungie is renowned for works well in Destiny.
Barnes probably means the famous “30-second loop”, a sequence of shooting, moving, taking cover, throwing grenades, shooting, that repeated itself in Halo and was considered the basis for making the game feel good. The major plus that is also attributed to Destiny.
According to Barnes, reward systems, a responsive AI, and the ability to play cooperatively add to this foundation. That is the recipe for Destiny’s success.
The weaknesses of Destiny: The story and the slow introduction of new game content
When asked what the team would do differently in Destiny if they had the chance, the answer was refreshingly clear: “We would make some different decisions regarding the game’s story today.”
Additionally, Barnes personally wishes that they could create new locations in the universe faster to give players more to do.
Personally, I wish we could build more places in our universe faster.
The future of Destiny?
According to Barnes, the outlook on “creating new places faster” is positive. The systems they have for bringing in new things evolve just as the players do. Therefore, they will be able to meet players’ wishes faster and satisfy their demands more promptly in the future.
Fortunately, the systems we use to build those worlds is evolving right alongside the player, better enabling us to meet their demands.
At the moment, they have the problem of having too many great ideas to choose from, as the strong community brings so many ideas to the team. In making choices, they will rely on what they believe to be right within the team itself. Because at heart, everyone at Bungie is a gamer.
From the last year, they have also learned that players embrace an “existing universe” like that of Destiny, and the player base continues to grow. This insight has already fostered a rethink of how to design games and what players yearn for.
For more on the MMO shooter, you can visit our Destiny-themed page.
