Bungie director Luke Smith on 'Destiny 2': Our goal is to 'unhide the fun'

LOS ANGELES - "Destiny" has been one of the most popular video games over the last few years, mainly due to its pedigree - the game was made from Bungie, the same company that produced the original "Halo" games - and the way it constantly changed and improved through regular updates, patches, and downloadable content.

But one of the big themes in "Destiny" was the back-and-forth between the game's players and the developers at Bungie. Though it's a great game today, "Destiny" was very rough at launch. Fans and reviewers criticized the game's incoherent story and frustrating in-game progression systems, among other aspects. Players - especially those who loved the game, embraced its potential, and played it for hours every single day - demanded specific changes and quality-of-life improvements. In turn, Bungie would work to address those concerns and desires to put them into the game over time. It was a perpetual cycle of give and take.

At the "Destiny 2" event in Los Angeles on May 18, which Business Insider attended, Bungie's game director Luke Smith said the sequel would be "a new beginning for everyone. It's a convergence for veteran players and new players into our universe."

But this game is a new beginning for Bungie, too. It's an opportunity to start fresh with players, especially after the rocky launch of the first "Destiny" game. So for Smith, who was one of the lead designers on the first "Destiny" game, and who now leads efforts on the sequel, this fresh start means focusing on a phrase he's used repeatedly while talking with Bungie's various teams about "Destiny 2": "How do we unhide the fun?"