Phil Spencer, the head of Xbox, shared many insights about the gaming industry and his gaming preferences in an interview at PAX. This included his opinion on Destiny and whether he regrets that Xbox did not develop Destiny.
What kind of interview was it? This is an interview with Phil Spencer at PAX. PAX is a series of conventions for gaming enthusiasts in America and Australia. Here, there are various booths from developers, and also leaders like Phil Spencer meet to see what is happening in the gaming industry.
He was invited to an interview where various games were discussed – including Destiny. He was asked about his stance on the loot shooter, how the development team at Bungie has shaped him, and whether he regrets that Destiny was raised with Activision.
“I made some of the worst decisions in game selection”
What does Phil Spencer say? In the interview, Phil was asked how Destiny has come into the journey of the Xbox head. According to him, he has mixed feelings about the loot shooter. Bungie was already part of Microsoft before he started at Xbox. He shared the same floor with the developers of Halo, and so he was able to learn various things from them, including how to create games.
When Microsoft then received Bungie’s pitch for Destiny, one of the most successful loot shooters on the gaming market, the computer company declined. He thought that Destiny would not work. Instead, Bungie then went to Activision. Phil Spencer himself confirmed that he had the opportunity to play a pre-build before the release of Destiny 1 and he himself was not impressed.
You can find the full Destiny interview here on YouTube starting at minute 42:55:
The game felt much too PvP to him. He was worried that Destiny threw him into a PvP world, and he himself is not a PvP player – but he was mistaken.
Then Phil was asked if he regrets that Bungie did not stay at Microsoft. Phil sees himself as someone who regrets and mourns few things. However, he admits that he made some bad decisions in game selection for Xbox. As an example, he cites Guitar Hero.
Regarding Destiny, Phil does not regret it. He thinks it is great what Bungie has accomplished with Destiny 1 & 2 and celebrates it. Additionally, he praises the loot shooter for its talent in connecting people, allowing friendships to form.
How is Bungie doing at the moment? No one knows for sure. After Bungie has undergone a second major round of layoffs, many developers who worked on Destiny are gone.
Additionally, the studio was split, and capacities were shifted to other projects of Sony. A large part of the workforce is now working on Destiny 2 and Marathon, the extraction shooter. When this game will see the light of day is still uncertain. Some insiders believe that due to the endured consequences, Destiny 2 must endure many cuts. You can find out more about it here: Destiny 2: Insider report shows how Bungie lost its magic
