Activision Spends $500 Million on Bungie's Destiny

According to a report from Reuters, Activision plans on spending a mere $500 million on developing and promoting Bungie's Destiny. That figure alone has the potential to break some industry records if everything pans out and goes anywhere near the $500 million figure that's being tossed around.

Destiny, Bungie and Activision’s upcoming original IP, aims to “create a universe as deep, tangible, and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise. 
The game’s story begins seven hundred years from present day in the Last City on Earth, in a solar system “littered with the ruins of man’s golden age.” An massive alien ship of unknown origin known as “The Traveler” hangs over and protects Earth “like a second Moon.” But from “the edge of the universe,” strange alien creatures determined to overtake Earth “creep in.” Players take on the role of a young ‘knight’ tasked with discovering the origin of, and ultimately overcoming, their new alien foes.

Analysts said $500 million would likely be a record spent on a single game - especially one without an established track record. To break even, Activision would have to sell about 15 million to 16 million units of a $60 game, analysts said. 

"It's a head scratcher, said Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia. "For brand new IP, it's tough but it could post a big surprise." 

Bhatia expects the game will sell 8 million units. "Grand Theft Auto V," which hit stores last September, was a runaway success with over 32.5 million units as of February this year. But it was the fifth installment of a critically acclaimed series that had become an indelible component of popular youth culture.

Activision has also revealed that the beta for Destiny will kick off at some point in July. This will give Bungie and Activision less than two months to make any last minute adjustments to the game prior to its launch on September 9.