If Destiny 2’s overpriced Alexa speaker is the future, count me out

As a longtime Destiny player, I’ve occasionally found myself wishing for the companionship of one of the game’s Ghosts — floating robots that offer commentary, guidance, and the occasional wisecrack, along with persistent resurrection. Bungie, the online shooter’s studio, set out to offer players something like this (minus the functional immortality) with a limited edition Ghost speaker that pairs with a skill for Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant to provide voice-activated help while they’re playing Destiny 2.

It’s a solid pitch, especially since Destiny 2 is the sort of game that benefits from third-party management software. But what actually shows up in the physical package that users purchased (it was a limited edition that has sold out) is so underwhelming that I worry about what it means for the future of virtual assistants like Alexa.