As millions of last-gen gamers anxiously await Destiny's release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, a problem arises: what if you want to play Destiny now, but might upgrade to an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 over the course of the holiday season?
Nobody wants to start from scratch, and nobody wants to buy the game a second time on a new system to do so. Thankfully, developer Bungie and Activision have come up with a new deal that will allow players who buy the game on last-gen hardware and then upgrade to next-gen for free.
There are a couple of caveats, of course. Players are only eligible for the free upgrade if they purchase Destiny digitally before Jan. 15., and the free upgrade only works if you stay in the same system family, so a player can't buy Destiny for PS3 and upgrade to Destiny on the Xbox One. With those two rules in mind, the promotion is still a killer deal for anybody who doesn't want to wait to get their hands on Destiny but might be getting a next-gen console later this year.
The best part? All of your character's stats, weapons, equipment and reputations carry over to your shiny new console, meaning you can pick up exactly where you left off on your last-gen machine.
This promotion from Activision is just one of several Destiny-related deals currently going on. Sony, since the launch of the PlayStation 4, has given Destiny the VIP treatment, securing exclusive advertising rights, exclusive alpha and early beta access for PlayStation gamers, and bundling Destiny with a sleek new white PS4 as an incentive for players to make the next-gen jump. Microsoft is doing an Xbox One promotion of its own: for one week when you purchase an Xbox One you also get to bundle it with a game for free, with eligible titles including Destiny.
It's all for what is expected to be the biggest game of the year and Activision's next billion dollar game franchise, following in the footsteps of the juggernaut that is the yearly installments of Call of Duty. Destiny has already claimed the title for "most pre-ordered new IP in video game history," but will that translate to "biggest selling game of all time?"
We won't have to wait long to see. Destiny launches on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on Sept. 9.
