For a studio with a relatively small list of blockbuster titles,Bungieis pretty important to the industry. After all, this is the studio that gave gamersHalo,one of the most recognizable and beloved shooters of all time. As if that wasn’t enough,Bungieis still going strong thanks to theDestinygames, which took the studio’s expertise in sci-fi action and put a looter twist on it. By moving intoDestinyafter passing theHaloIP to other developers, Bungie communicated to players that its main interest is in sci-fi storylines. So far that’s far from an issue, but maybe Bungie is having second thoughts about it.
A few months ago, job listing started floating around fora Bungie project calledMatter.Very little is known about the game so far, considering that Bungie hasn’t actually revealed anything about the game yet. Based on the job listing, though, curious Bungie fans can get a sense of what the studio is planning next, and it definitely doesn’t sound like anotherDestinygame. However, that might be just what Bungie needs right now. Even though its established itself as a sci-fi master with brooding, contemplative storylines, maybeMatterwill see the studio to spreading its wings and trying something new.
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What is Matter?
The job listing forMatteris pretty curiousto behold knowing who’s putting it up. Perhaps the most striking thing about it is the tone for the game that the listing describes. Apparently Bungie wants to makeMattera cheery, light-hearted game that’s sure to cheer and amuse. That’s probably a little jarring for some fans, as it’s hard to imagine the makers ofDestinyandHaloproducing a game that can be described as whimsical. Aside from this new tone, there’s also apparently going to be a focus on melee weapons, rather than the gun-based FPS gameplay that Bungie has built a reputation on.
It isn’t entirely separate from its predecessors, though. It sounds like Bungie still wantsMatterto follow some sort of live-service model, suggesting that the game will receive frequent updates and get constant support from the developers after its release. That shouldmakeDestiny 2fans feel right at home. Ultimately, though, mention of necromancers and comedy makeMattersound like it’s going to be very different fromDestiny.That’s not a weakness, though, that’s a strength. Bungie is doing itself a favor by trying something new.
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Learning New Tricks
Bungie might already be a pretty big company in spite of its limited roster of games, but it’ll struggle to get bigger if it spends its whole existencecatering toDestinyplayers. In order to grow and improve, Bungie needs to experiment with new ideas. In that sense,Mattersounds like just the right thing for Bungie to learn from. Veteran talent and expertise are best applied to new challenges, not to the same game models over and over again. Frankly, fans might get exhausted if everything Bungie makes turns out to be aDestinygame. In fact, something likeMattermight even bring back former Bungie lovers that didn’t get intoDestiny.
It sounds like it’ll be several years beforeMatteractually releases. Bungie just started hiring for it this summer, and in a previous statement Bungie said it’s aiming to release a non-Destinygame not in a year or two but by 2025. That’s a good thing too. That means that Bungie isn’t pressuring itself to make this experiment work as soon as possible. It’s better that Bungie wants to take it slow and makes sure thatMatteris a quality game and a good learning experience for the studio.Mattercan give Bungie the expertise it needsto become the multi-franchise studio that it dreams of being. For now, though, fans will have to be patient to see howMattershakes out.
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