MMORPG.com: First, let us say, congratz on the success of the game. Do you feel validated by the community now that the game has launched? What was your highpoint over the last few weeks?
Eric Osborne: Thanks! We have monitors all around the studio that show off the surge of players all around the world coming in and playing. It’s really gratifying. While we’re in development, we’re constantly thinking about the moment players experience Destiny for the first time, so watching them flood in and play was a very special moment for us.
MMORPG.com: Can you talk about the big deal that was made out of the “loot cave?” It seemed kind of funny that the game press latched onto it the way they did.
Eric Osborne: Emergent behavior in games is super interesting. You can say whatever you like about the game, and how you think people are going to play. You can envision all sorts of scenarios and expectations for what people are going to do day in and day out. The reality, though, is that people are unpredictable. Our job in a post launch world is to watch what players actually do. They are a divining rod.
The Loot Cave was entertaining, and we poked some fun at it ourselves. Most importantly, it told us something definitive about the way our reward structure was and wasn’t working.
)
MMORPG.com: Can you give us a look at some of the plans you have for character advancement in the coming months?
Eric Osborne: We’ll have some new stuff to talk about on this front very soon. Stay tuned.
MMORPG.com: We are seeing new content already being created. What are your plans for weapons and abilities going into the next few months as well?
Eric Osborne: We’ve laid a lot of ground work for what’s to come. You can already visit some spaces that will feature new encounters in the future, and we had some idea prior to launch of where we wanted Destiny to go next. That said we’re just now putting the final touches on The Dark Below. We’re in a pretty fortunate position. We can listen and learn. It’s hard work, and it means we’re constantly iterating, but we think it will lead to much better experiences for players.
MMORPG.com: There have been calls to add in a ship combat system to the game. Any thoughts on that one? Also, my son asked if you would add in speeder racing? He loves his speeder. Can you give us any ideas on how you might approach these two areas?
Eric Osborne: Both are ideas that have been circulated at the studio. We’re quite a bit like our players. We play the game, and see lots of opportunities to expand on the activities in the game. I’m not going to write any checks for the team to cash, but these are fun ideas!
MMORPG.com: There has not been a lot of talk about the races that humanity is battling against in Destiny. Have we yet to see the grand scheme of these alien invaders?
Eric Osborne: All of the enemy races in Destiny have their own multifaceted motivations and backstories. We’re very interested in fleshing them out further as we go. The Dark Below, for example, will focus primarily on the Hive.
MMORPG.com: The Crucible is a great arena for players to battle it out. However, being that the game is online, do you gave plans for much larger battlefields?
Eric Osborne: Given the explosive nature of each player’s toolset, our goal for Crucible was to focus on tight knit team play, where every individual player can play an important role. We wanted your moment to moment decisions to matter. We have some fun ideas that will expand on our PVP offering in the future, but we’re staying tight lipped until they’re ready for prime time.
MMORPG.com: What is one area that has been the most fun to create in Destiny? It could be anything, a game system, environment, or features.
Eric Osborne: We’ve got hundreds of people working here, spanning every discipline. I’d never be able to give you one answer for all of them. For me, it’s the overall camaraderie. Working with a crew of talented people who want to make awesome, memorable experiences for players is a dream job for me. It can be very challenging, but it’s worth it.
MMORPG.com: Are there any plans to do more with the mobile app?
Eric Osborne: Yes.
MMORPG.com: Activision has said that the game plan for Destiny is over ten years. Where do you see the game going in the far future?
Eric Osborne: In less than fifty years’ time, all games will be played through our sense of smell J
