Destiny Microtransactions and Expansions Can Co-Exist, Activision Says

Destiny's microtransactions and paid expansions are both selling well, Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said on an earnings call today, November 3. As such, Destiny players can expect to see more of both in the future. Not one or the other, but both--and at the same time, Hirshberg explained.

"I think they're already co-existing," Hirshberg said in response to an analyst's question. "We had a full year of expansions to the game that have been very well received and sold quite well. More recently, you've seen us introduce smaller, in-game purchases that allow people to customize their experience and express themselves; those have been very well received and have sold well also. I think we've already shown that DLC and microtransactions can co-exist and that our community is hungry for more great content."

The analyst specifically asked if Destiny was changing its business model somewhat to favor microtransactions over paid expansions. Hirshberg didn't respond with anything definitive.

"As far as any shifts in strategy, I don't have any announcments today, but I think we have a lot of options at our disposal," he said. "And the reason for that of course is that we have such great engagement with this game."

Hirshberg reiterated that Destiny players, on average, spend around three hours per day in the game. He described that figure as "astounding."

Destiny's paid expansions have included The Dark Below, House of Wolves, and The Taken King. Microtransactions, meanwhile, were introduced in October, beginning with emotes.

In other recent Destiny news, the game has now reached 25 million registered players. Hirshberg said he expects Destiny, the Legendary Edition specifically (which includes the base game and all its DLC), to sell well in the holiday and expand the playerbase further.