Previously, retailer GameStop announced that Bungie's Destiny was the company's most preordered game ever, but now Activision says the title is the "most preordered new video game IP in history." Activision made the announcement today in a press release heralding the game's imminent arrival.
Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg adds that Destiny is poised to trace the same trajectory as Bungie's previous work, Halo, meaning it could extend beyond gaming circles and into pop culture. The game has the potential to reach a massive audience, he says.
"Destiny has been a labor of love and a rem arkable creative journey for everyone at Activision and Bungie," Hirshberg said in a statement. "We feel that we have the opportunity to launch something huge--not just into the gaming landscape, but the pop cultural landscape. Arriving at our launch day with this much support and enthusiasm from fans and retailers is downright exciting. Moments like this just don't come around very often."
Destiny launches tomorrow, September 9, for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Servers for the game were switched on today at 8 AM EDT, and GameSpot is currently hosting a Destiny livestream marathon (above).
"Destiny is the game we've always wanted to make" -- Bungie president Harold Ryan
Activision also reiterated that 4.6 million people played the Destiny beta in July, and added that "millions" are expected to play the full game on its first day.
For its part, Bungie also took a moment to herald the launch of Destiny in big, sweeping terms. "Destiny is the game we've always wanted to make," Bungie president Harold Ryan said. "We've dreamt of this universe for years, so we couldn't be more thrilled to swing open the doors and let fans shape this experience as they tell their unique stories in the game. For us, the next generation of games is all about allowing players to collide and interact with each other as they take on epic, action-packed adventures all their own."
Following Destiny's launch tomorrow, players can expect further content down the road in the form of two major expansions. The first of which is called The Dark Below, and should launch in December. Both expansions include new story missions, cooperative activities, new multiplayer maps, and more weapons, armor, and gear to amass. Destiny's post-launch DLC can be purchased through the game's Expansion Pass for $35. Alternativel y, you can buy the expansions individually for $20.
Last wee k, Activision announced a special Destiny upgrade plan whereby if you buy a digital copy of Destiny for Xbox 360 or PS3, you can get the Xbox One or PS4 version (also digital) for free.
To mark the release of Destiny, a member of the Bungie development team will jump out of an airplane and land on a tarp outside of the studio's headquarters in Bellevue, Washington to make an extra special entrance at the developer's community day event today.
For more on Destiny, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Eddie Makuch is a news editor at GameSpot, and you can follow him on Twitter @EddieMakuch
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