Destiny

This looks awesome. I'm surprised its coming out for both PS3 and Xbox 360 and its not an exclusive like Halo is. I'm even more surprised that it will be a console only release. PC gamers will miss out on this one.

Bungie is no longer a 1st party developer for MS. They left at the cost of losing all property rights to Halo. This was a good move for them. Halo could never bring in the big bucks like COD due to its exclusivity. However, publishing under Activison, I am wondering if this is a way for Activision to respond to the secret project Respawn Entertainment has been working on for EA. If you don't know the history, Respawn Entertainment was founded by the two guys that made COD what it is today, they created COD1, 2, COD4: MW1 and MW2 and left on very bad terms... they also took most of the Infinity Ward staff with them which explains why MW3 was such a pile of shit. Basically everything good about Infinity Ward left activision and went to EA.. their biggest rival. They have been working on an original project for years now, and have been very cryptic about what it is. They had been talking about making an COD MMO, and other various things to take COD into a new direction before the fisaco of their departure happened. I wonder if they got an inside scoop as to what was being worked on an then recruited Bungie to not only compete with it, but beat them to the punch.

The graphics for this game has me feeling this wont hit PS3 and 360.. it will be a big hype machine and then get pushed back into PS4 and the new Xbox. Its too late in the game to release a big block buster game with a supposed long lifespan on an obsolete console. If the rumors are true and the next gen starts this holiday season, don't hold your breath hoping this will be a current gen game. E3 will be very interesting this year. I'm sure the next COD, Battlefield 4, Star Wars 1313, Madden 2014, an any other big release or annual release will be announced for the next gen.

Lastly, I wonder how Activision is going to handle having to run actual servers now since they have been too tightwad to use it for COD... A hosting method is clearly impossible for this type of game.

Very good points. It'll be interesting to see what happens with the E3 announcements this year. Seeing as Destiny already has a pre-order page up for the current gen systems on amazon, they'd probably piss off quite a few people to push the game into the next gen systems.

Dust 514 has been in the works for quite a while for PS3 and has only recently been released (I think its still in full open beta?) and it is supposed to be a long term game interconnected with their EVE Online PC game. It makes me wonder if some of these games that are being developed for the current gen are going to be playable on the next gen systems via backwards compatibility.

LOL. Pushing games into next gen after offering preorders isn't unprecedented. Remember Twilight Princess? Ugh. 

I remember that. lol. I still bought it for the gamecube even though the better version was on the Wii.
 
It looks like Destiny will not be coming out this year regardless of Amazon's listed December 31, 2013 release date. And it will be coming out for all consoles, this gen and next:
 

http://www.gamespot.com/news/bungies-destiny-not-coming-out-in-2013-says-activision-6404060

"Although Bungie's amazing new world was revealed today, Activision has not included the launch in its 2013 outlook and there should be no speculation or expectation of a different result," said the publisher today in a statement.

Destiny is scheduled to be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and all future console platforms, with the new Xbox and PlayStation expected on shop shelves before the end of the year. This means it is unlikely Destiny will be a next-gen launch title.

So instead of any backwards compatibility, it seems that there will be versions sold just for the next gen. Now this makes me wonder if there will be 4 dedicated server networks, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox 720 or if all xbox platforms will access the xbox networked servers and same with the playstation. This is that same issue that we've mentioned in other topics.. There should be cross platforming designed into these games, especially if its from the same console manufacturers. It could be the case that they upgrade the game for the newer consoles, but even with better graphics, the game could technically access the same game servers as the older console, except have a better interface.

I'm expecting a worse case scenario though when it comes to Next Gen Consoles. That being that Microsoft & Sony remove Xbox Live & PSN from 360 & PS3. Them doing that would cause more demand for certain people who really want to play their games online.

I don't think they'll stop supporting the old system's online networks until probably a year after they stop manufacturing them. And considering the PS2 was discontinued only a month or so ago, then these systems should still be good for at least another 5+ years of online play, maybe more.

The original Xbox live was shut down in 2010. It came out in 2001 and the console was discontinued in 2007. 360 came out in 2005. So I'd expect the same time frame. They'll keep making money off 360 live subscriptions at first. I don't think they'll shut down the current XBL until there aren't enough paying subscribers and/or activity on the network to warrant paying people to maintain it.

Considering the fact that consoles will not be backward compatible in the next gen I'm pretty sure both companies won't stop supporting the current gen systems for quite awhile (especially considering the fact that the new Xbox is going to require a constant internet connection (or so has been reported). A lot of people don't like the idea of that (nor do I, with my crappy internet connection)). Plus as DX pointed out the original Xbox Live was shut down in 2010 due to lack of subscriptions.  Plus most people won't update to the new system right away so they'd lose money if they stopped supporting the old systems right away (I, for one, will not be upgrading right away. I just bought my current 360 two years ago and I'm still paying off my laptop, no money for a new system. Plus I usually wait a year to make sure there's no major hardware or software problems with the new system (remember the 360 debacles)).

Back on the actual subject I've been awaiting this announcement since Bungie left MS for Activision (and turned over the keys to Halo, an idea I still don't agree with or like. Don't get me wrong Halo 4 is fun but I don't like the direction 343 is taking franchise). Bungie has a lot of great talent on their team so I can't wait to see what the final product looks like and if they can really support their ideas for this game (the server thing has me wondering since, as DX pointed out, Activision doesn't like to run its own servers).