Thursdays have always been like Destiny Christmas to me. That’s the day when “This Week at Bungie” goes live, often revealing cool new things and updates to happen in the game. This is where the development team acknowledges problems, details fixes, and addresses feedback. In recent months, that Christmas tree has gone from looking like a full-bodied lodgepole pine to that scant little thing that Charlie Brown tries hand a red bauble on. Much of Bungie’s communication since Destiny 2 launched has felt like that red ornament trying to distract from the bare tree that is behind it.
As Bungie sets up many of the ways it is beginning to restructure Destiny 2 to improve the experience for players, they’ve repeatedly made one thing clear to the players: They want to be more transparent. Director’s Luke Smith and Chris Barrett opened up the list of changes coming to Destiny 2 with a small note, concluding their words by saying “We know it’s frustrating when there isn’t enough of a dialog with the development team. You have our commitment that we’re going to do a better job going forward.”
While it may seem like developer platitudes, the post that followed was full of acknowledging a number of player issues, both with immediate promises of change and hints of future updates that players will see. It was an enormous list that–when taken into context with the content being added with the first expansion, Curse of Osiris, and coming sandbox changes–is quite impressive. Bungie is keenly aware that their core players are frustrated with the experience.
While the list isn’t flawless, and it’s missing addressing some of the complaints that have come up, it’s a start. I’m desperately hoping it’s not a false start. The latest Bungie Podcast further talks about the right balance for communication and dialog. It’s got a lot of great comments about what they’ve learned and how they want to provide context and communication to the players. Community Manager DeeJ doubled down on his Twitter with a few comments saying some of the same things.
Every medium has its strengths and weaknesses. We’ll do a more effective job of delivering context and specific details with the written word (and some images). There will be other opportunities to highlight personalities who make cool stuff.
— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) November 28, 2017
I agree with you. We have many mediums we can use to provide information. We’re committed to packing them with more details. I think tomorrow will be a good step in a good direction.
— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) November 28, 2017
It’s my job to keep the bridge between you and us open. If there has not been enough traffic across that bridge, it falls to me to speed it up. Talk can be cheap, so sometimes it waits for the important work (the real work) to get done.
— DeeJ (@DeeJ_BNG) November 28, 2017
One of my biggest concerns with Destiny 2 previously was the focus on what players felt were unimportant aspects. Centering streams on new content, will not addressing feedback about the very foundation that the content is being applied to can be disheartening to players. Bungie is taking steps to ensure that not only do fans fell like they are heard, but that action is being taken.
I’m optimistic as Bungie begins taking Destiny 2 in a new direction, focusing on the players that actively want to play Destiny 2 on repeat, but perhaps don’t feel that there are enough reasons to log back in and visit that world. If they can continue on this path and manage clear communication and expectations with their fans, they’ve done right be me to win back the hearts and minds of Guardians around the world.
[Source: Bungie]
