[spoiler]Before we start, let's get this out of the way, the definition of casual is neither derogatory nor implying that the game itself has a flaw. Casual in this argument refers to a game in which practically anyone can pick up and play without putting [i]too[/i] much effort into it. So let's see how many people get on me about calling their precious game of the century "casual" without even reading this.[/spoiler] Destiny is a first. The first of Bungie's games outside of the Halo franchise in the past decade and the first game in this new chapter of Bungie's story as a company. Because it's a first, it's both a risk to Bungie and Activision as game creators and developers, respectively. If the first of a series of franchise flops, that normally terminates any and all hope for continuations of said game(s). Although Bungie and Activision both have large followings willing to buy a game just because it's their favorite company, that doesn't help them in the long run. What the companies need is for Destiny to do well in sales and reception for there to be any hope for the planned sequels. What better way to appeal to a large group of people than to do what mathematicians do and use the "greatest common denominator" and appeal to a large audience. This is where the term "casual" comes in. Destiny is a rather simple and streamlined game and we can see it by dissecting the game into parts. [u]1.) Story/Lore:[/u] Whether your argument is that Destiny has a great, mediocre, or horrible story and lore, that's not my place to judge. To each their own. But we can all agree that Destiny's story is a rather simple one. Good on the brink of destruction fighting an unknown evil force much stronger than us, until the player comes along (we've all seen it before, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad). People love being the hero and saving the day, so that's the story. [u]2.) The Rating:[/u] Unlike many of Bungie's games, Destiny is rated T, not M. This also has a purpose. Because Destiny is Teen, more people can buy the product without going through a medium that anyone under 17 originally had to get a rated M game through (parents, anyone above 17, or other unconventional means). Increase in availability means an increase in sales for most cases. [u]3.) Leveling (before level 20):[/u] In my time playing Destiny, I could usually average out to gaining a whole level a mission when playing with some bounties and I believe it's safe to say that was the case for many. Here we see how smaller amounts of effort can lead to the same result as playing constantly, eventually leveling up without a constant grind for loot or experience points (again, before the "insanity" that is level 20 looting. Now anyone can put in some effort to play a game for fun and still level up without much trouble. [u]4.) Gameplay and style of gameplay:[/u] Before we start on gameplay and difficulty (or lack of), shall we examine the style of gameplay? If I were to compare Destiny in terms of other games' gameplays, it'd be a mix and mashup of Borderlands, Halo, and Call of Duty. The gameplay of each of these games has proven effective and fun, sparking followings behind each series. Simple and fun, controls we're all used to, etc. This fun style of shooting and looting gameplay is what appeals to many. Now when talking about the difficulty, we can say the game's story missions designed to be played through by everyone are simple, no complex puzzles, tricks, twists, and the small times you do have to play fetch with items, they don't prove hard because of their proximity to the original goal of the level. But you're right, I didn't even mention the strikes or raids which are designed to be significantly more difficult when compared to the story missions. Now that's another story that I dare not go into before I start asking random people on a forum to play VoG with me via the #Gaming forum. Point being, when you add all these attributes together, you get Destiny, a game easy to pick up and play to level 20, like it was originally intended and a whole other 10 levels of grinding for those looking for more. Overall, the game aims for the most amount of people possible and it did. It was done so it could appeal to a large amount of fans and spark a following that will last it through the rest of its sequels. tl;dr OP practically says "Casual" and Destiny in the same sentence, multiple times. *zips up flamesuit*