Not long into this game, the only thing that keeps most people playing is the camaraderie, teamwork, and relationships they have with old and newfound friends. This is one of the very few games on next gen-consoles (and quite frankly, is a quasi-pioneer in that respect) that really provides any sort of variety in the cooperation amongst teammates, whether that be in PvP, raiding, strikes, co-op missions, grinding for gear, whatever. You can play with friends in literally every game mode. Not many games are like that, and those that are (ie gta) are quite successful. It won't be long before a game(s) with much deeper content and more enjoyable/rewarding gameplay come along that also takes full advantage of peoples' desires to play with friends at nearly every step of the journey. The content, gameplay, and rewards/recognition are certainly not what kept me coming back to Destiny...it was playing with my friends. There are some things that can keep Destiny on top for a while longer (https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/100403268), but even that won't be enough to take the cake. You better believe other game developers have taken note of what drew people to this game and what subsequently pushed them away. Nevertheless, we owe a huge 'Thanks' to Bungie for providing the inspiration for many future games to inevitably adopt, evolve, and expand upon their formula for success.