• by Larissa Faw , September 5, 2014

The Destiny video game -- out September 9 -- is called the world's most expensive video game, with Activision predicting it will become its next billion-dollar franchise.

Now, the video game developer is spending money to make sure it makes money from this game. Company executives are budgeting some $500 million to promote this title, which includes traditional and viral initiatives.

Thus far, the campaign has included a live-action commercial by "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau, a Beta game prototype played by 4.6 million people, the first selfie sent into deep space, the first Newsweek special-edition for a commercial product, gameplay trailers exploring Mars, Venus and the Moon, and Destiny Planet View, a chance to walk through these worlds using Google Street View -- the first time a video game has been mapped using Google technologies.

Finally, to introduce a mainstream audience to Destiny, MDC Partners creative agency 72andSunny has created a cinematic 2:00 live-action trailer that illustrates the game's concept of planet-hopping adventures. "The live action trailer is the culmination of an ambitious marketing campaign befitting what we hope is our next blockbuster franchise," says Tim Ellis, chief marketing officer of Activision.

“Destiny is set in our known universe, with our solar system as the backdrop for people to explore. We chose to produce a live-action spot in order to ground the world of Destiny in the familiar: real people, real locations and true adventure.”

Ellis added that filmmaker Joseph Kosinski (Tron: Legacy, Oblivion) has “channeled the epic look and feel of the game by shooting in locations here on Earth that mirror iconic interplanetary destinations in the game. The result is a story that captures the action, adventure, fun and exploration of the game itself."

Notably, the trailer features the 'Immigrant Song' by Led Zeppelin, a band notorious for rarely letting any of its music get licensed, let alone what's arguably its most famous and iconic track, say executives.

In order to resemble epic Hollywood movie trailers, 72andSunny worked with top talent. In addition to Kosinski, others involved in the effort include Academy Award winning Director of Photography, Claudio Miranda (Life of Pi), VFX studio, Digital Domain, FX studio, Legacy Effects, and sound designer, Per Hallberg (Skyfall, the Bourne franchise.)

Actor Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones and X-Men: Days of Future Past) voices the Ghost character in the trailer and plays the same character in the game.

A 90-second version of this trailer debuted September 4th during NBC's season opener football game featuring the Seahawks vs. Packers. The long-form trailer can be seen here.

Destiny was developed by Activision and Bungle, the creators of Halo. The next-generation first-person shooter lets gamers personalize and upgrade with a nearly limitless combination of armor, weapons, and visual customizations.