Destiny ships $500 million on day one

Activision claims this morning that Destiny is the most successful video game franchise launch of all time, as the game shipped more than $500 million to retail stores and first-parties worldwide. The company was keen to note that it's also "the highest-selling day one digital console release in history." Note that the company provided shipped figures, not actual sales figures. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick said earlier this month that the company is spending $500 million on developing and marketing the game. Analyst firm Macquarie Research calls the launch "strong", with Ben Schachter adding, "While this is not the same as actual gamer purchases, retailers would not order the title on this scale without confidence in the high level of consumer demand." Macquarie Research had forecast sales of $400 million for the whole of September, so Destiny is already selling far better than they expected. In fact, Schachter believes that it is likely Destiny will sell more than 15 million units before the end of the year.