Destiny 2 gives Pre-ordering players 2-3 extra days to play, with PlayStation leading the pack on July 18th. Bizzarely enough, PC gamers have to wait until August to try it out, with no benefits for pre-ordering. While the staggered release is normal, it’s disappointing that pre-ordering customers get only a few days advantage. Additionally, the delayed beta for PC is a counter-productive measure that will severely hurt the game’s launch.The original Destiny’s greatest marketing tool was its own beta. It generated strong hype and sales after its popularity and intrigue captured console players’ awe. Destiny 2 is opening with an already strong console playerbase—and PC gamers are the ones who need convincing. With this late beta, PC gamers are being ostracized from the community at large and excluded from the pre-release discussion.
From a practical standpoint, this hurts Bungie and Activision: PC gamers haven’t been convinced of Destiny’s quality. PC player bases and spending dwarf those of consoles, meaning that the game's longevity rests in their hands. Just check Grand Theft Auto V--a four year old console first title--whose fervent PC player base and spending outpaces both consoles by huge strides. Putting PC gamers at the back of the line is turning off PC gamers who are necessary for the game’s success. Streamers and YouTubers overwhelmingly prefer to use PC, meaning this bad taste will likely wash into the immediate reactions you get on launch day.
I’m okay with the late launch. But a late Beta is an unnecessary blow when the game runs beautifully in demos on PC, across strikes, missions and Crucible matches. There’s absolutely no reason Destiny 2 can’t have the beta portion of the game ready for a beta window. It’s bad marketing that hurts the community and the game.