The release of the beta version of the upcoming video game Destiny has been announced by Activision and Bungie to take place on the July 17.

PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 owners will be the first gamers to sign in and try out the new game. On the other hand, Xbox 360 and Xbox One players will have to wait a week longer, as they will only be able to sign on July 23. The beta version will be available for gameplay until July 27 but will be offline for maintenance from July 21-22. This means that Xbox owners will have a shorter time to enjoy playing the early version of the game.

A diverse sampling will be featured including major activities in the game, Activision and Bungie said in the announcement. The Destiny website tells those who have pre-ordered the game to redeem their beta codes soon since access to the beta will only be available while the codes last.

The science fiction FPS game has the same creator as the highly popular game Halo, promising another memorable gameplay experience. Destiny lets the players become the guardians of Earth's last city. They will battle enemies from all over outer space, wielding special powers and having planets to explore.

While the original package is priced at $60, special editions were announced on Monday with prices ranging from $90 to $150. More gameplay will also be available via expansion packs that may also be pre-ordered.

Destiny is expected to create an unprecedented combination of gaming experiences as it exploits Internet capabilities and the processing power of next-gen consoles in both solo gaming action and co-operative online skirmishes. Reports also said that the two companies are spending $500 million to rise up to the expectations and make sure that Destiny will be the next big thing.