Is Destiny an MMO? Bungie weighs in

Bungie's new game Destiny has been given a lot of names. It's been called a "first-person shooter," "shared-world shooter," "action role-playing game," "mythic sci-fi open-world game," and an "MMO," but which is the most accurate?

Asked as part of the latest Bungie Weekly Update if the studio ever gets tired of people called Destiny an MMO, the developer said it enjoys the constant debate about how to classify the game.

"Not at all. Do you guys ever get tired of us insisting it's not an MMO? Debate about this game is always fun, and we welcome it," Bungie said. "The ideas that are shaping Destiny come from a lot of different places. We're drawing the best elements from experiences we love. Like an MMO, our game will compel you to explore."

"You'll embody a character that evolves on that journey. Unlike an MMO, the entire experience is built around heart-pounding action that you'll see through the eyes of your hero," Bungie went on. "Ultimately, we're looking forward to knowing how you describe Destiny, once you've played it."

Also in the Bungie Weekly Update, Bungie said the plan--at least for now--is for the Destiny beta to allow users to create and customize a character, instead of being assigned an auto-generated character.

"The essential experience in Destiny is bringing a character to life, and earning the rewards that will make you a legend. The Beta is your first taste of that ritual," Bungie said. It remains to be confirmed if characters created in the Destiny beta will carry over to the final version.

The Destiny beta begins in early 2014 first on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, before coming to Xbox 360 and Xbox One sometime after.