NASA a 'constant source of inspiration' for Bungie

Bungie's relationship with NASA has been a "constant source of inspiration" during the development of upcoming shared-world shooter Destiny. As part of the studio's latest Mail Sack feature, Bungie said it is in awe of the aerospace agency.

"We don't speak to NASA, they speak to us," Bungie said. "We’re pretty star struck, and they continue to be a constant source of inspiration for us."

Dr. Craig Hardgrove, from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, visited Bungie's offices in January. Hardgrove has worked in planetary space exploration since 2004, assisting on the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. He is also a self-professed gamer.

Writing on Twitter this weekend, Hardgrove said, "Just saw the Mail Sack. Here's 1/2 of your wish," with an accompanying link showing a sunset on Mars.

It is not clear what Hardgrove and Bungie discussed during his trip to the developer or what the other half of the developer's wish may be. A Bungie representative was not immediately available to comment on the nature of the NASA-Bungie relationship.

Bungie's Destiny is an all-new universe from the studio that created Halo. It will be published by Activision Blizzard and is expected to ship in 2014 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and potentially Wii U, PC, PlayStation Vita, and the next Xbox.

The game features a number of extraterrestrial locations that NASA would have a refined knowledge of, including Mars and Venus. More information about Destiny is expected to be divulged at the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo next month.