Bungie goes multiplatform; partners with Activision on new IP

LookingFor

So, pretty big news I guess. I dunno how Microsoft let Bungie go.

http://www.bungie.net/News/Blog.aspx?mode=news#cid25920

Bungie and Activision Announce Exclusive, Worldwide Partnership.

The story of Bungie is wild, winding, and full of majestic wonder. We’ve treaded many pathways over these last nineteen years. But for all the twists and turns we’ve taken, we’re still doing what we set out to do from the beginning, back when the whole of “Bungie Software Products Corporation” consisted of two friends operating out of a basement in Chicago:

Making kick ass games that we want to play.

And as Bungie has grown, the industry’s best and brightest have been totally accretive to our own creative margins. It’s no secret that while the full might of our studio has focused on making Halo: Reach, another core team, led by our co-founder and Studio Creative Director, Jason Jones, has already begun laying the groundwork to bring our newest universe, stories, and characters to life.

Today, we’re poised to open a new chapter in Bungie’s history—one that begins with a partnership between Bungie and Activision and ends where we always knew it would, with World Domination. Our Next Big Thing now has a concrete path, leading from our studio to the platforms of our choosing. The business formalities are behind us. Our Constitution remains unchanged. We are still Bungie, still independent, and now we are free to bring our stories to an ever bigger audience.

Next up, the most ambitious game we’ve ever made, Halo: Reach. Built upon ten years of experience developing the Halo franchise, we’ve assembled the best team, the best technology, and the best talent to ensure that Reach is the game our fans deserve. Strap in and buckle up tight, we’re sending our baby out with a bang.

Once the smoke clears, all the pieces will finally be in place for Step 7. Don’t worry, though. We won’t let World Domination go to our heads. We’re gonna keep making kick ass games on our own terms, and since you’ve been so supportive throughout the years, we’d love to bring you along for the ride.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BUNGIE AND ACTIVISION ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE, WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIP

10-Year Alliance Expands Global Reach for Leading Game Developer Across Multiple Platforms

Kirkland, WA and Santa Monica, CA – April 29, 2010 -- Bungie, the developer of blockbuster game franchises including Halo, Myth and Marathon, and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the #1 online games publisher (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that they have entered into an exclusive 10-year partnership to bring Bungie’s next big action game universe to market. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will have exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on the new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie remains an independent company and will continue to own their intellectual property. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The groundbreaking alliance will provide Bungie its first such partnership since splitting off from Microsoft in 2007, significantly broadening its global reach by providing the resources and support to develop, distribute and release games worldwide on multiple platforms and devices.

Activision will broaden its portfolio with a new franchise from one of the industry’s most creative, successful and proven studios, whose games have sold more than 25 million units worldwide. To date, Bungie’s Halo games have generated approximately $1.5 billion in revenues, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and GfK. Activision expects this agreement to be accretive to its operating margins as of the release of the first game.

“We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise,” said Harold Ryan, President of Bungie. “From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences.”

“Bungie is one of the premier studios in our industry and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with their talented team over the next decade,” stated Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. “Bungie has developed some of the most compelling and successful games, multiplayer experiences and thriving fan communities, and this alliance underscores our long-standing commitment to foster the industry’s best creative talent. Our unprecedented partnership with Bungie will enable us to broaden our pipeline of exciting new games as we continue to strengthen our industry position and pursue long-term growth opportunities.”

rizzla

No matter your opinion on MS, Bungie just sold their souls to the devil a.k.a Activision.

super_furry

So a studio who wants more creative freedom and no longer wants to be tied to one cashcow franchise goes to........Activision? Very strange decision.

Also, calling it now - Call of Duty: Future Warfare.

Retr0gamer

If it's another FPS, i'm not interested. I'd love to see them do something different because at the moment I'd say there's a lot of turn over in the studio with people sick of developing Halo. It can't be healthy.

ongarite

They haven't been sold or bought by Activision. This is the exact same as the deal Respawn got when the went to EA. Can't see the big deal.

They are publishing partners and all IP developed by Bungie will be owned by them.
They must have wanted to develop for more than 360.

Overheal

Activision hasn't assaulted my radar. What makes it so bad?

I wonder what the new IP is.. but as far as Reach, since reading the book a few years ago I've been pretty enthused about seeing it become a game.

cableguy.ie

Maybe they will be doing something in the Call of Duty or Modern Warfare line.

Kiith

Overheal wrote: »

Activision hasn't assaulted my radar. What makes it so bad?

Robert Kotick is what makes them soo bad.

I'd be interested to see what Bungie can come up with. If they aren't stuck with the Halo franchise, who knows what they can do.

ongarite

cableguy.ie wrote: »

Maybe they will be doing something in the Call of Duty or Modern Warfare line.

Why would they do this?
Activision can't tell Bungie what type of game to develop, they are only going to be publishing whatever games Bungie releases for the next 10 years.

Cuddlesworth

rizzla wrote: »

No matter your opinion on MS, Bungie just sold their souls to the devil a.k.a Activision.

I would bet they have a similar deal with Activision that Blizzard have. IE if the Activision CEO came in screaming and shouting they would turf him out on the street and tell him where he could shove his head.

rizzla

The main problem, Activision only do games they can annualise, so expect whatever Bungie is working on to be easily tuned into an annual property...

http://www.aeropause.com/2008/11/activision-only-wishes-to-publish-games-they-can-exploit-on-an-annual-basis/

jonnybadd

Seeing as Activision seem to be going down the route of watering down their big IPs by releasing them often and basically just being a reskin, they'll learn a lot from this new partnership.

i_am_dogboy

This is a good thing in my eyes, Bungie made some excellent games before they started on the halo franchise, if they're creatively free they could fall out of their current fps habits.

I just know it's not gonna be an Oni game. Unfortunately.

Jazzy

newsfalsh - Bungie are over rated. they had one big hit with Halo 1 (game wise not sales wise) and without the MS cashflow for marketing they are probably going to be shown up as such

Retr0gamer

Halol

gizmo

What I find most interesting in all of this is that MS have passed up on the opportunity to publish the game. If you remember back to the 2007 split between the two companies, one of the clauses was that MS have first dips on any new Bungie game developed. So one needs to wonder, why?

More info has come out since regarding it being multi-platform (which MS may have balked at) and the fact it may be subscription based (something else they may not have wanted) but who's to know really.

Jazzy wrote: »

newsfalsh - Bungie are over rated. they had one big hit with Halo 1 (game wise not sales wise) and without the MS cashflow for marketing they are probably going to be shown up as such

While they may be best known for the Halo series their contribution to the FPS genre is quite considerable if you look at some of the features found in Marathon. Then there was Myth and then Oni to consider both of which were great games. Of course, one could argue that many of the devs in the company that made those games have since moved on but to write them off like that is pure ignorance.

Overheal

Perhaps MS got a cash incentive to pass on the offer.

Jazzy

gizmo wrote: »

While they may be best known for the Halo series their contribution to the FPS genre is quite considerable if you look at some of the features found in Marathon. Then there was Myth and then Oni to consider both of which were great games. Of course, one could argue that many of the devs in the company that made those games have since moved on but to write them off like that is pure ignorance.

and what about Halo Wars? damn awful and their first attempt post-Halo and something 'new'

rizzla

Jazzy wrote: »

and what about Halo Wars? damn awful and their first attempt post-Halo and something 'new'

That was developed by Ensemble Studios not Bungie.

dloob

It a strange deal, a 10 year tie up for just one IP.
It seems bungie will still be able to develop other IPs that can be published by someone else and microsoft says they remain a first party 360 developer as well.