How do you ruin a good time? Just ask Bungie.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, let's be completely frank here.  Destiny's loot cave needed to die.  It was nothing more than a way for players to abuse a system set up to provide enemies for the game on a timed basis.  It was NEVER intended to be used the way players were using it, and certainly not to be abused so overtly and so blatantly.  Bungie recognized it incredibly quickly and did the right thing, though I'm sure I'm one of the few players to think so.

Raging began almost immediately once the people using this method of farming for loot lost their precious little toy, and has gone on since.  I've seen everything from people claiming that they're quitting their high level character, to people claiming that this was Bungie's plan all along, just to lure people to play...  ?  Wait, what?   How does that even work?

Whatever.

The mistake that Bungie made, however was in regards to 'nerfing' (weakening to the point of being useless in gamer parlance) the Queen's Wrath gear that you get from doing her missions.  Up until the fix they provided for this, this legendary level equipment would give you materials necessary to upgrade your other armor or weapons, and for anyone that already HAD gear that was higher or maxed out, at least getting the material made it worthwhile for the purposes of upgrading.  Without that as an incentive, there is literally no reason to play these missions, other than curiosity.  Yeah, I'm not that curious.  I was playing them, and I trying to raise my reputation with the Queen, and I may continue to do so, if for no other reason than in the future it's probably going to be favorable for me to do so, with the coming expansion packs.

That's not a good reason to do it though.  It just isn't.  As it stands, there really is no reason for me to do it.  That's just poor planning Bungie.  I expect better from someone with so much experience in online multiplayer games.

I'm still enjoying Destiny, just less so now.

A memo to Microsoft: Backhanded compliments don't count...

Every day, I read about how game companies (console makers as well as game developers) are all making a concerted effort to listen to their fans.  And every bit of it is a lie.

I'm sorry, but Microsoft isn't 'Listening to the Fans' because they've made changes.  That's what it looks like on the surface, and boy would they love you to buy their attempt to spin it that way.  But let's face facts, what really happened was this:

1. They announced a new set of protocols, and expectations that were not only patently ridiculous is what they wanted FROM their customers, but was not even realistic in terms of logistics (internet connections are simply not consistent enough for what they wanted).

2. They got more backlash than they ever have before, and people basically said, "okay, so I guess I'll buy a Sony this time around, because Microsoft has lost their damn minds.

3. They responded to this backlash like the spoiled businessmen they are.  #dealwithit might have gotten one man fired, but let's face it, that's exactly what the rest of them were thinking.  He just had the balls to tweet it to the world.  Initially, Microsoft wanted to hear none of what the people that would be their customers had to say.  There was this rigid, unyielding stance that they were loathe to stop taking.

4. Finally they relented, and realized that not only were their sales going to be abysmal if they stayed on this path, but that by trying to stay to it at all, they might have damaged their profit margin irreparably.  ONLY upon this realization, did they finally 'Listen to the Fans'.

As some of my navy superiors used to say, "Don't blow smoke up my ass and call it sunshine."

If/when I eventually get a 'Next Gen' machine - it''l likely be a PS4.