So I decided to write up a small post before bed. Been ages since I made a post-post. So how many people *REALLY* play Destiny. I decided to crunch some numbers, and let you decide your opinions. _ _ _ _ _ I do not have an official number. When I say this, I mean, there is no documentation that "xxx,xxx,xxx" users have made an account, and are/have played Destiny. There is, however, an open statement that was made some time "around" November 3rd, 2015, that the amount of Registered Users across all platforms was 25,000,000 (up 5,000,000 from the last "census"). So we'll stick with that number. Also, to be unbiased, that number reflects about 2,000,000 users register for Destiny each month since it launched. It's been about 2 months since that quote, so we will say 29,000,000 people globally have registered to play Destiny since Day 1. That being said, I hope we can agree for a base to do our crunching. Allow yourself to digest my sexy math. _ _ _ _ _ Only 60% of all players have ever decrypted 25 Engrams. = 17,400,000 players. Only 40% of all players have ever equiped an Exotic item. = 11,600,000 players. Only 60% of all players have earned *800* grimoire. = 17,400,000 players. Only 35% of all players have earned *1* level in Vanguard. = 10,150,000 players. Only 30% of all players have earned *1* level in Crucible. = 8,700,000 players. Only 25% of all players have ever completed *1* Raid. = 7,250,000 players. Only 15% of all players have ever completed *1* "Hard Raid" = 4,350,000 players. Only 2% of all players have ever completed a Raid w/o Dying. = 580,000 players. Only 65% of all players have completed *1* Strike. = 18,850,000 players. Only 20% of all players have completed *1* Subclass. = 5,800,000 players. Only 10% of players have completed King's Fall. = 2,900,000 players. Only 4% of players have completed Heroic K.F. = 1,160,000 players. And last, but not least : Only 1% of all players have Completed Destiny. AKA Platinum Trophy. = 290,000 players. (Note. These numbers come directly from the Destiny API and *NOT* 3rd Party Software) _ _ _ _ _ So where does that really put us? This certainly isn't a complete list, but it holds a lot of core developments. You saw the numbers. You digest them. Okay. Now let us step back and think of what is BEHIND the numbers. We are obviously dealing with millions. Even *ONE* million is a lot of players. Especially if they are on simultaneously. It's the artificial inflation, and perhaps, the "coached" number of "TWENTY FIVE MILLION ACCOUNTS" that draws the ire. 60% of the playerbase has NEVER equipped an exotic item. That screams how bad the grind is. Or how uninteresting the loot system is. 75% of the playerbase has NEVER completed a Raid. On *any* difficulty setting. We're talking, AT ALL. Period, never even killed the boss with a checkpoint. Somewhere along the line, the game couldn't even keep them hooked to end game. Either that, or matchmaking failed them. 80% of the playerbase has NEVER completed a Subclass. Even with a purchaseable booster pack, eighty percent of players have never gotten all the goodies in a single subclass. This is screaming suspicion if you look at other numbers for completion. I'm not saying it's "too" hard to max out, but if you can't even keep someone around long enough to max a subclass ... I mean, you don't even have to earn trophies, achievements, or anything for that. You just ... play. _ _ _ _ _ So what's the point, right? ... Should there be one? Everyone is going to look at this differently. Some might think as I do, that the outward sales-pitch used during each DLC phase is inflated, and has in fact been on the decline since TDB in 2014. Others might assume that the average game shows similar numbers. Do they? Don't they? Some might immediately come to the defense of Bungie. Others might not care at all. A few will see the truth for what it is. But, I suppose I've hooked you long enough. I do have a point. This game, as polarizing and "innovative" in design as it is, demands VAST amounts of time, and commitment, not only to excel in; but to KEEP UP with. Destiny boosts a number of roughly 30,000,000 global accounts created since its inception. Of those, I'd imagine only 500,000 have retained playership over the last 2 years. Of those 500,000 - I'd guess only half of them are on the forums each day, playing each week, and cashing in at the top of the Destiny experience. Right now we have 4 systems that dilute the player pool. That's about 125,000 players on each console, each day. That's a lot of players. But it's no 30,000,000. You need to start listening to the Forums, more. And I don't mean the nerf posts. Or the nerf posts. Or the nerf posts. It's been long enough that the forum team should know the regulars, and know the playerbase. We of the Forum represent the heart of this game. More than the money, more than the numbers, more than the *cough* winers. We aren't going to come on to these forums; after EVERYTHING ELSE you make us already deal with, just to help you make the game even worse. Anyway, I've rambled on long enough. So tired. Sorry. [u][i][b]* * * TL;DR * * *[/b][/i][/u] If you really want to save this game : Look to the forums for the good people.