'Destiny' - This is Normal, We'll Be Back !
If all of this sounds a bit apocalyptic, rest assured, it isn't. With every Destiny article I write, there are several people who respond by saying something like, "I never got the hype," or, "I played for a week, then traded it in. Whatever." I'm certain the comments below this article will be filled with many more of those folks, smilingly sharing the fact that they stopped playing long ago.
I'm not speaking for those people. I'm also not talking about newer, more relaxed players, some of whom have only recently gotten into Destiny, and who seem content to slowly chew through levels and earn new gear. Those players have probably got it best right now, partly because their restraint has led them to the least thankless way to play Destiny, and partly because grizzled veterans like me find a surprising amount of joy in taking new players through the raids and strikes and experiencing the game fresh through their uninitiated eyes.
When I talk about dedicated Destiny players leaving, I'm talking about people who, like me, fundamentally dig the heck out of Destiny. I'm talking about people who have sunk hundreds of hours into the game and are planning to be playing it off and on for the next several years at least.
For those people, this sort of ebb and flow is normal. It's understandable that someone could put 400 hours into a game, burn out, take a break, and come back with the next expansion. That's been the way of MMOs for years. Unlike almost every other game I play, Destiny makes me feel like my progress is "safe," like it'll be around for years to come. I can afford to take a few months off, because my three characters will be right there waiting for me when I return. We're in this for the long haul.