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In one of the more unusual tie-ins we’ve seen this year, Activision has announced some Destiny 2-related functionality for Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant.
Alexa will now respond to a variety of tasks with the prefix “Alexa, ask Ghost…” (Ghost being the game’s robotic AI assistant, for those not versed in the ways of Destiny). Commands include “Alexa, ask Ghost to equip my raid loadout” and “…tell me which friends are online”.
The answers will even be offered to you by the erstwhile voice of Nolan North, who voices Ghost (and pretty much every major male gaming character in the history of everything).
There’s also a limited-edition bit of actual kit in the form of a Destiny 2 Ghost speaker that is wi-fi enabled and will hook up with your Alexa setup. It releases on December 19th and costs £80. You can also buy it bundled with the Alexa Dot for £130. The speaker isn’t required to make it all work, although a copy of the game is.
“The Ghost serves as your guide and companion in Destiny 2 the game, and now players will be able to bring that experience into the real world with them through Alexa,” Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said.
“The Destiny 2 Ghost skill is the first of its kind and the most innovative and immersive gaming experience to date on Alexa. We’re excited to give our community of players, who are among the most-dedicated fans in the world, new ways to play Destiny 2 with the Ghost skill and Limited-Edition Destiny 2 Ghost. The lines between in-game and out-of-game have been blurred in an incredible new way.”
Amazon Alexa VP Steve Rabuchin added: “Alexa is now part of the Destiny 2 experience, and we’re excited for what that means for Destiny 2 players and the future of games and voice technology.
“Gaming is an example of where voice can create a more engaging experience in a natural and delightful way for customers. Rather than interrupting gameplay to navigate menus, players can just ask Ghost through Alexa to help with certain tasks. Players love the Destiny 2 experience, and now Alexa can make it even more immersive and fun.”
