Despite What The Marketplace Says, Destiny Isn't Free
Bungie’s Destiny has begun showing up in the Playstation Store and XBox Marketplace listed as “FREE.” Is it a new business strategy? Has Destiny switched to a free-to-play model (and right before a major retail release to boot)? Think for a minute if that makes sense…..nope, it doesn’t. But this isn’t an error either. What’s really going on?
Bungie posted an explanation today on its website. “The original Destiny adventure may appear to be free on some digital console marketplaces. While players may download the Destiny base game, they will only be granted access to the Destiny Trial Mode for free. If players wish to progress through the original Destiny adventure via digital download, they will be required to purchase Destiny – The Collection to gain access to this content.”
The Destiny Trial Mode has been free for a while, but this is the first time it’s been promoted in such a way. Sticking “FREE” onto the price tag may attract a lot of newcomers, who will inevitably be disappointed they fell for a demo. Bungie might want to rethink this strategy.