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Activision CEO: Destiny will be bestselling new franchise ever

The game, expected to launch on Xbox and PlayStation consoles later this year, is the first major release from Bungie since the Halo franchise.

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Bungie, the development house behind the Halo franchise, might have a hugely successful follow-up ready to go this year, said Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.

Speaking to investors in an earnings call on Thursday, Kotick said that he believes Destiny, Bungie's new franchise, could be his company's "next billion dollar franchise." The high expectations continued, as Kotick said that he believes "Destiny will become the bestselling new video game [franchise] in history" when it hits store shelves later this year.

Bungie has had an odd history. The company created the Halo franchise and was quickly swallowed up by Microsoft. In order to get out from under the Microsoft yolk and become independent again, Bungie was forced to hand over Halo. Destiny is its first major franchise since Halo and leaving Microsoft.

For its part, Activision plays an important role in Destiny's success. The company will be publishing the game, meaning it will provide the marketing and sales support needed for the completed game to maximize revenue. Activision will then get a cut of the action, along with Bungie. The developer-publisher relationship is standard in the gaming business. Electronic Arts is another major publisher.

Destiny, which is slated to launch on September 9 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, is an action game that puts gamers into a completely new, "mysterious" world. Gamers are charged with defending "the last safe city on Earth." More details on the game are expected at the E3 gaming expo later this year.

(Via The Verge)