May 31, 2013 - DeeJ

Team Meetings are a pretty important strand in the fabric of our culture at Bungie. It’s a story that we’ve told you before.{{more}} Every warm body that is working on Destiny shuffles into the main hall of our studio. They perch upon every available vantage point, from the folding chairs to the staircase and the mezzanine rails above. A story-tall projection screen lowers from the ceiling like a blank canvas. Brave developers stand in front the studio, hundreds strong, and paint that canvas with their latest work.





This week, there was only one project update to share, and it came in the form of a preview of what we’ll be showing off at E3 on June 10th. The worldwide gameplay reveal came early for our team. Bleary eyes gave way to big grins, and then, cheering. We hope that you’ll be as excited as we are.





Soon™.





You’re only one more Mail Sack away. So, let’s get on with it. Shall we?













MastSin Will there be more reveals of Destiny after E3?







You’ve got to be kidding us! We’re not even there yet, and you’re asking us what will happen after we’ve been there? This is a new height of anxiousness. You’re skipping the main course with your queries about dessert, young man. Now go to your room, and wait for June 10th.









MoonDawg How does it feel to finally lift the veil of secrets that is Destiny?





Destiny is a world filled with secrets. As we prepare to send our away-team to the battle of Los Angeles, we’re thrilled to be breaking a new seal that will let slip your first taste of gameplay. Don’t just take my word for it.





It is great to see how fans react to any new information and dissect it down to the smallest detail. Wesley Olson, PS3 Tester

I think I will be cheering and screaming as loud as every other fan when I see the live E3 broadcast! David Johnson, Engineer

It’s like wiping away the haze of rheum that greats my field of vision every morning due to staring at screens all day long. Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

It is hard to describe. Relief, maybe? Try hiding from your friends and even family details about what you do all day for a while, then you’ll understand. Tom Gioconda, Engineer

Nervous. Scared. Impatient. Excited. Thrilled. Happy. Dawn Vu, Graphics Tester

It feels pretty good. But you know there’s more than one veil, right? Lorraine McLees, Senior Graphic Designer









Luneth Aerohawk There has been A LOT of speculation on the web lately on whether the Vanguard will be a fourth class, is it a fourth and separate class from the titan, warlock, and the hunter?





There’s been a lot of speculation on the web about all things Destiny. Don’t get us wrong. We love you for that. Don’t change a thing about yourselves. Just know that, just because you’ve got theories doesn’t mean we’re going to change when you get to know about stuff. We’ll reveal the Vanguard when (and only when) they report back from the wild.









Delirio On the release date, whatever it is, how will you celebrate?





I’m going to start doing the job I came to Bungie to do. To realize its potential, a gaming community must share a game. Right now, we’re more like friends and family sharing a waiting room – pacing expectantly with unlit cigars in our hands. I can’t wait to see all of you become Guardians of the City, and see what sort of civilization you create in our world. That’s just me. Everyone at Bungie has big plans for that day.





I’ll be shooting aliens in the face. David Johnson, Engineer

Scotch and Bacon! Wesley Olson, PS3 Tester

I will challenge Owenz to a beer-off. Jake Lauer, Web Development Engineer

Doing the dance of joy , of course. Josh Eash, Release Manager

Playing the game with the whole world. Dawn Vu, Graphics Tester

I’m certain it will involve locally made whiskey. Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

Celebrate? Release day isn’t a day of celebration for server engineers. Tom Gioconda, Engineer

The services test team will not celebrate until we have survived our first weekend. Ryan Cooper, Senior Engineer

I’ll sleep. Leland Dantzler, Tester

Keeping with Bungie tradition, I imagine we’ll do some big awesome public launch event followed by piling into busses and being carted around to various stores to sign midnight autographs for y’all. It’ll be nice to hang out again after all these years, I miss you. Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer (pictured) , Senior Designer (pictured)









E Z RIDER 2001 What is so "persistent" about the new world?





For starters, the questions about it appear to be endless.





See you at E3!









POKEY CLYDE I don 't like going to the gym, and I barely have time to dedicate to working out. Do you have any cool tips on working out while doing everyday tasks?





Aside from some very rare – and odd – exceptions, no one really likes going to the gym. If the opposite were true, our homes would be furnished with training equipment instead of comfy sofas. This painful truth doesn’t stop a lot of people at Bungie from carving time out of their lives to stay fit. A healthy body supports a healthy mind, and you need both to make kick ass games – especially at the blistering pace we set for ourselves. As it turns out, our panel has some amusing suggestions for how to add some fitness to your geek-sexy lifestyle.





Get yourself a pedometer (Fitbit is pretty awesome). It’ll tell you how many steps you take each day…and you can start to set your own challenges to beat your high scores. Josh Eash, Release Manager

Watch your favorite TV show ONLY when you work out, it’s the treat that you get while working out that makes you look forward to it. Andy Firth, Engineering Architect

Do what Neal Stephenson does, combine an elliptical with game-play Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

I don’t look at it as exercise, I look at it as “the 45 minutes I’ve dedicated today to watching something on Netflix while I happen to be exercising” time block. I find I’m much less likely to skip it that way. Tom Gioconda, Engineer

Get a walking desk and set up your PC/video game console of choice on it (don’t be cheap about it either, get one specifically designed for this purpose). Ryan Cooper, Senior Engineer

If you make time to work out, you'll have time to work out. Also, do it with friends and/or coworkers. Mat Noguchi, Programmer*

I have a playlist of songs that are timed perfectly with my stride at different speeds. Jake Lauer, Web Development Engineer

Try the Scientific 7-minute Workout Lorraine McLees, Senior Graphic Designer

I recently signed up for a circuit training class. It’s easier for me to go when there’s a group of excited people who make me pumped about going. Plus it’s semi-public shaming. You have to be prepared to be called a wuss if you skip out (Dave Gasca). Dawn Vu, Graphics Tester

Stop making excuses and take care of yourself. Also, stretch. Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer









my name is byf Can you give us a little snippet of some of Marty's beautiful work to help inspire me for exams?





Hang on. Let me ask Marty.









Ir0nChimera Are the songs in the trailer going to be released as a teaser to the whole soundtrack?





Give me a minute, here. It’s not easy to convince Marty to part with the pearls of music he creates with his team.









Superwavebeam I need Marty, Ondraus, Jonty and Harold to sing Relight My Fire as a barbershop quartet.





Now you’re pushing your luck. I have obtained permission to share with you The Law of the Jungle (composed by Martin O’Donnell and Michael Salvatori), but there will no singing – at least not by those four. We’re still working on their basic stage presence.











Enjoy the tunes, and be sure to tweet some thanks to Marty









DE4THINC4RN4TE What is your favorite part about Destiny so far?





There is no right answer to this question. Conversely, there is no wrong one, either. Each of us will have our own favorite stories in Destiny. We’ll all love this game for our own reasons, and sharing those experiences will make Bungie.net a thrilling place to hang. Someday, our forum chatter will look like this:





I love stepping into a beautiful new environment, and popping off the heads of its inhabitants. Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

My first studio playtest of the game was when I came up against a [redacted]. It blew my mind! Wesley Olson, PS3 Tester

[Editor’s Note: Let’s hold this for E3. - urk]

One of my favorite things in Destiny is when you’re on a mission by yourself, and suddenly you’re presented with the option to [redacted]. I always choose the latter. Josh Eash, Release Manager

[Editor’s Note: This, too! - urk]

[Redacted.] Leland Dantzler, Tester

[Redacted.] Jake Lauer, Web Development Engineer

[Editor’s Note: Yup, this just happened. Sorry, fellas! Almost there. - urk]









Justrec Will you guys at Bungie have to start over in Destiny since you're getting a head start?





Some of us will know every rivet and bolt of the structures that pockmark the landscape. Others will be as familiar with the weapons as they are with their own arms. Yet others will know the physics of those worlds as if they were born into them. You may have hours upon hours of time to perfect your skills, but you can’t take familiarity with the creation away from the maker.









jhutch413 My momma always told me I had to learn from other people's mistakes because life was too short to just learn from my own. Can you testify to this? What words of wisdom did your Mommas give to you?





My momma always told me that triaging your friends list is the surest path to victory. She used to sit me down and talk about strategic recruitment, insisting that the most important combat decisions were made before the first shot was ever fired. “It’s all about the player to your left, and your right,” she should say. “It’s the way their strength compliments your own, honey.” Yep, mom was a visionary, and quite the hardcore gamer. From her perspective, a deadly team of specialists would always win out over a mismatched fireteam of skilled rogues. If you seek more conventional wisdom, we can ask the panel what they heard around the kitchen table.





Be kind to others. Lorraine McLees, Senior Graphic Designer

I don’t think some of the weird folklore stuff that my mom said would be very helpful. She told me that playing cards at home will attract snakes to the house (it’s a Vietnamese thing). Dawn Vu, Graphics Tester

I once had a friend that built an airplane based off blueprints he found online. Moral of the story: don’t believe what you read on the internet. Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer

It’s much, much better for you to learn to never drink too much via a friend’s experience than your own. David Johnson, Engineer

My mom told me I’d never have a career if I spent all my time playing video games. Leland Dantzler, Tester

Your mom told me the same thing. Jake Lauer, Web Development Engineer









EmptyLearner5 How was Memorial Day celebrated by Bungie employees?





More of us were here than you might think. These video games don’t make themselves, and we’re applying a lot of elbow grease to what you’ll be seeing in (HOLY CRAP) just over a week. Plus, the way we see it, the best way to honor the memories of our fallen heroes who had the bravery to fight without the luxury of a respawn is to create new stories that honor their legacy of bravery and sacrifice. Some of us, however, did score a weekend pass, and this is how they spent it.





I was camping and only almost lost one finger due to injury… So all and all a great memorial weekend camping adventure. Wesley Olson, PS3 Tester

I was watching the entire fourth season of “Arrested Development”! David Johnson, Engineer

I was golfing in the rain. Troy McFarland, Motion Capture Lead

I was eating pork ribs and baked beans with a pound of bacon and lots of brown sugar and molasses added. Tom Gioconda, Engineer

I was on a 20-mile hike to stretch out the legs and clear the mind. Mark Flieg, Artist

I was working on my current pet project – a co-operative card game! Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer

I was relaxing in Coeur d’Alene, ID. Jake Lauer, Web Development Engineer

I was finishing the new hotness for E3. There was tequila involved at some point. Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer





You and me, Jandro. No shore leave for the wicked. Eh?









Vypro22 Just wondering, will the skybox be animated? I mean will there be ships and clouds flying in the background of the main city?





This question has me wondering how Isaiah Sherman would answer it.









Strazol Verse me.





Verse yourself , Guardian in waiting. And, welcome to the frontier.









SquattingTurtle Can you guys make a statement saying: "We love Xbox players too." People seem to be misunderstanding you.





Bungie loves you.









HOOBLA 911 If you had to describe Destiny's "soul" with a picture, what would it be?





Pat Jandro, Senior Cinematic Designer , Senior Cinematic Designer

Leland Dantzler, Tester , Tester

Josh Hamrick, Senior Designer (pictured) , Senior Designer (pictured)

Mark Flieg, Artist , Artist

Alex Loret de Mola, Engineer , Engineer

Mat Noguchi, Programmer* , Programmer*

Lorraine McLees, Senior Graphic Designer , Senior Graphic Designer









shpeil in How will the weapon system be handled?





We recommend that you always handle weapons with your hands. Sorry, man. You left yourself wide open for that one.









Now it’s time to say goodbye. We’re on the cusp of what you call a weekend, and what we call our last chance to get in a few last licks on that E3 payload.