Bungie Defends Destiny: The Taken King’s Price Tag

Destiny: The Taken King has a ridiculous price tag- and by that I mean ridiculous. The damn thing costs a staggering $40, £40 in the UK, and you can get it on disc too- if you also rebuy the base game and the existing two expansions so far. That latter way is also the only way to get some minor content such as emotes and costumes. It may seem to be inconsequential, but it is another in the long lie of Destiny exploiting its customer base- to get this content, loyal day one buyers have to purchase the entire game and all of its expansions so far, again.

This, and the sticker shock from the price, have led to a loud controversy surrounding the title. Players are, it seems, finally tired of Bungie’s antics. Destiny is not that good of a game to begin with, and policies like these are not sustainable in the long run either. Unfortunately, it also does not seem like Bungie actually has any intention of backing down on Taken King’s pricing or content.

“There is no way right now for you to get the new dance emotes without [getting the Collector’s Edition]. Those are Collector’s Edition exclusive. We’ve set some stuff aside for that edition specifically to really make it appeal to fans who have engaged with the game already and also to people that will enter the game this autumn,” The Taken King’s creative director Luke Smith told Eurogamer. “… we have nothing more to talk about regarding your opportunity to spend extra money in Destiny, other than The Taken King and the three versions we’ve announced.”

That’s a damning statement right there, and it reveals just there how much for granted, and in contempt, Bungie holds its audience. But that’s not all, either. For the first ‘expansion’ to Destiny that actually deserves the name, rather than being a glorified map pack, Bungie is charging $40, and Smith is apparently comfortable with that price.

“Purchasers get a big, rich campaign. Fully voiced cinematics and the story of what happens when an angry alien god wages war on a solar system, all with a satisfying conclusion. You also have a new subclass to pursue and unlock. We also have a bunch of new strikes – we’re not yet talking about how many – and a new raid. We’re showing two new PVP modes and four PVP maps this week, and it’s a fairly safe bet we’re not done yet showing things off. So I’m fairly excited about the value proposition. We’re calling this a major expansion because it is. We’re giving people a whole new place to go, that new destination,” he said.

“All I can do is answer that with the same thing I just gave you… We’re really comfortable with the value we’re giving to players this autumn. I believe that once we begin to share more, players will be even more excited. And for existing players it also comes with the Founder’s pack with a new Sparrow, shader and emblem.”

I… I have no words. I don’t know what to say, other than urging the players to not fall for this. Vote with your wallets, guys, put your money where your mouth is… which is, not Destiny.

What has become of Bungie?