Bungie Signs 10 Year Deal with Activision

[DoctorFinger]

Well, this certainly isn't the first story I expected to read when I woke up this morning. Bungie, now free of their relationship with Microsoft, has signed a 10-year publishing deal with Activision.

Bungie remains independent and will own all new intellectual properties, but all new games developed by the Kirkland, WA based Bungie will be published by Activision. Mentioned prominently in the press release is Bungie's "next big action game universe." Expect something about that to be unveiled at E3 this June.

More on this as it unfolds.

[DoctorFinger]

So, can a brotha get a Darth Vader "Nooooooooooooooooo!" pic?

[wyeast]

Originally Posted by Jeffool

That's just the thing wyeast, save a clusterfuck by management at Bungie, they stay in the driver's seat exactly because they own the IP.

Owning the IP only means that after 10 years they can walk away with it. Until then, Activision is free to leverage them with piles of cash (or witholding such) to force them to do what they want with them.

Also:

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

So, can a brotha get a Darth Vader "Nooooooooooooooooo!" pic?

[Jeffool]

Originally Posted by wyeast

Owning the IP only means that after 10 years they can walk away with it. Until then, Activision is free to leverage them with piles of cash (or witholding such) to force them to do what they want with them.

Activision CAN offer them cash for design control or any other thing under the sun, but Bungie still has the right to say no. And if they withhold cash against contract, I'm sure we'll see another lawsuit. Based on what little info we have, I'm sure Bungie isn't jumping at the chance to bend over for a publisher.

[Squidbot]

Am I doing it right?

[DoctorFinger]

I'm taking bets on the first prominent website/analyst to proclaim that "Bungie making next Call of Duty/Modern Warfare game!"

[menage]

Fuck this shit

[TrackZero]

[Jeffool]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

Bungie remains independent and will own all new intellectual properties

And this is the important part. This is wonderful for Gaming, just as it was when Respawn got a deal that allowed them to keep theirs. Activision is a company like EA, but when either fosters what I value as "the right thing," then I'll support that.

[DoctorFinger]

Originally Posted by Jeffool

And this is the important part. This is wonderful for Gaming, just as it was when Respawn got a deal that allowed them to keep theirs. Activision is a company like EA, but when either fosters what I value as "the right thing," then I'll support that.

My feelings exactly. Activision buying Bungie would have been bad. This is just confirmation that Bungie's next game will be multiplatform.

[MagGnome]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

My feelings exactly. Activision buying Bungie would have been bad. This is just confirmation that Bungie's next game will be multiplatform.

How long before they buy them though?

These types of deals lead to a buyout of the studio in question all the time. I'd guessing that Bungie will be owned by Activision within a year.

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess.

Without Bungie and Halo, the Xbox would have been DOA.

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

How long before they buy them though?

These types of deals lead to a buyout of the studio in question all the time. I'd guessing that Bungie will be owned by Activision within a year.

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess.

Without Bungie and Halo, the Xbox would have been DOA.

Microsoft Game Studios was on it's way to be one of the top publishers. I mean that if they didn't squander all of their partners and let them run off to other groups, a huge stable of solid franchises and awesome developors could of be under their hand. If it was a matter a money that is... Otherwise, maybe they didn't have a chance. Who knows.

[Karak]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

How long before they buy them though?

These types of deals lead to a buyout of the studio in question all the time. I'd guessing that Bungie will be owned by Activision within a year.

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess.

Without Bungie and Halo, the Xbox would have been DOA.

This is the 360. And past is past. Nintendo had them all, then Sony had most, then it went to multi. Past is past. I would assume MS is going to do what they normally do. Get games made by as many people as they can.

[menage]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess.

Without Bungie and Halo, the Xbox would have been DOA.

Gears is pretty big though. And Fable is a pretty hefty seller as well.
The also have the Crackdown games. And Forza is still ruling the road.

Natal coming out. That's their next big ace (according to a lot of folks)

After MW(2), Gears, Crysis 2 and whatever. Halo is still huge but not really essential now to shift more boxes. Online shooters on console were pretty much exclusively Halo at one point, now every game does it.

And there's still Reach. Which will last at least 2 years until the fans actually would want a new Halo. Bet your ass Bungie/MS get some sort of deal together again if necesary for H4LO in one way or another.

[DoctorFinger]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

How long before they buy them though?

These types of deals lead to a buyout of the studio in question all the time. I'd guessing that Bungie will be owned by Activision within a year.

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess.

Without Bungie and Halo, the Xbox would have been DOA.

If and when Bungie gets swallowed up by Acti - and I don't think that'll happen, personally - then I'll get upset.

To your second point, MS has never had a great first party lineup. But 343 is still working on Halo games, Epic is still cranking out Gears of War, and EA/Bioware are still keeping Mass Effect off the PS3. Nothing is really going to change in the near term.

[OldJadedGamer]

Originally Posted by MagGnome

What is MS going to do now? They've squandered nearly every single developer that put the Xbox on the map. Now they've got Lionhead and Rare...and that's pretty much it. Epic is in their camp as well, I guess

I don't get what you mean by what are they going to do now. I would have to say that the vast majority of the games I buy are multiplatform and very... very few are exclusive. As long as MS has the $100 difference on the system and plays pretty much the same games as every other system... they will be fine. It's five years in and this gen is set. The 360 is going to get every large third party game just on userbase alone without even trying.

This gen is set and every company is in their place. Nothing is going to change that. Them losing Bungie to third party multiplatform means nothing now... and even in the future Bungie will always develop for MS's next system so they are fine there.

[Yeti2005]

This could be a good thing. Activision could give Bungie enough money to crank out a bad ass game. The problem is if Bungie does produce the next big game then Activision will force them to release a sequel several times a year until they run it into the ground.

[menage]

Originally Posted by Yeti2005

This could be a good thing. Activision could give Bungie enough money to crank out a bad ass game. The problem is if Bungie does produce the next big game then Activision will force them to release a sequel several times a year until they run it into the ground.

And they will probably ask 70 bucks for it as well, and 15 bucks for mappacks.

[Mot Wakorb]

Originally Posted by menage

And they will probably ask 70 bucks for it as well, and 15 bucks for mappacks.

Here's a thought then: don't buy it. Pissing and moaning about it doesn't get us anywhere.

[menage]

Originally Posted by Mot Wakorb

Here's a thought then: don't buy it. Pissing and moaning about it doesn't get us anywhere.

Well, I never did. Not CoD or Halo for that fact, but the latest mp from MW2 didn't fly of the virtual shelf any less. So I'll piss and moan anyway.