Frying Pan -> Fire: Bungie & Activision Announce Exclusive 10-Year Partnership

[Shin-Ra]

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 /PRNewswire/ — 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.”

[kjacobs03]

Guess Bungie doesn't read the news?

[phranctoast]

There goes creativity.

[Snake_XRS]

So I guess this is Activision's way of countering the effects of the Infinity Ward fiasco. Toss IW out, get Bungie in

[mikejet]

I only see this as positive news. Bungie is a great developer and they will bring amazing things to the PS3.

[Maximus]

I feel this is more like EA Partners program rather than IW style ownership. Either way I imagine Bungie are dictating terms rather than Activision. I suppose it made more sense to Bungie as EA are now putting their lot behind Respawn, DICE and EALA for shooters I can't see the need for yet another premier studio working on a shooter franchise.

Also I think Bungie will have a lot of get out clauses and their freedom will be built into the contract. If Activision try to remove these I'm sure Bungie won't hesitate to trigger any release clauses.

[Snake_XRS]

Originally Posted by mikejet

I only see this as positive news. Bungie is a great developer and they will bring amazing things to the PS3.

I see it as positive as well, as anything from Bungie is obviously better than nothing. As far as them being great--don't they only have Oni and Halo credited to them? Oni was a flop, and Halo is Halo (either loved or hated).

Many people would argue that Guerrilla Games isn't a great studio, because they only have the Killzone IP to their name and haven't "proved" themselves outside of that. Personally I love GG, and really believe that Killzone 3 will convert a lot of people's thinking from GG being a lucky 1 hit wonder company to a AAA one.

Also, obviously they can't do anything with the Halo franchise, so they would have to come up with something fresh altogether. Granted, Activision is very well known in the gaming industry as the "Mecca" of originality, creativity, and setting the bar for developer-publisher relations

[Terjyn]

Originally Posted by mikejet

I only see this as positive news. Bungie is a great developer and they will bring amazing things to the PS3.

The flip side is Activision(Bobby) doesn't like the PS3, so this may be the reason Bungie continues to produce 360-only stuff.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

The flip side is Activision(Bobby) doesn't like the PS3, so this may be the reason Bungie continues to produce 360-only stuff.

I doubt that is truly the case. He was more than likely trying to push Sony towards lowering the price of the PS3. Remember that comment was made back before the slim unit came out at $299 and at that time PS3 sales were pretty much at a halt.

A LOT has happened since then and the PS3 is CLEARLY back in the game and doing quite well.

In short, Activision will not abandon the PS3. Not now. They would lose too much money to do so.

[Terjyn]

Yeah, and there's no way Square-Enix wouldn't release PS3 versions of games either, because it wouldn't make sense to favor the 360 on releases which only appeal to the Japanese audience.

Yet, somehow, it happened.

Game companies are notorious for hiring the dumbest, most short-sighted people they have and putting them in charge.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

Yeah, and there's no way Square-Enix wouldn't release PS3 versions of games either, because it wouldn't make sense to favor the 360 on releases which only appeal to the Japanese audience.

Yet, somehow, it happened.

Game companies are notorious for hiring the dumbest, most short-sighted people they have and putting them in charge.

HUH? I dont get how FF getting released on a 360 supports your original argument of Bungie not releasing their next game on the PS3. That makes no sense. You talk like Square actually LOST something by releasing FF on the 360. They gained a lot by doing that. They gained sales form the 360 that they wouldnt have gotten had they remained exclusive to the PS3. It was a win-win for them.

Them releasing a 360 version had no affect on people who were planning on buying the PS3 version.
I mean seriously would you stop buying a product from a developer that went multiplat just because of the fact that they went multiplat?

No. I dont think you would, because that is just plain dumb if that is your ONLY reason for doing so. if it ends up being a bad game....thats another story.


PS3 fanboys dont like it, but thats life.

[RaijinUT]

I Hate Bungie!!! The Halo series is the most overrated series in the history of video games. Over the ten years of the series, Bungie has made marginal increase to visual and gameplay of the Halo series... yet everyone thinks they walk on watter. Compare Halo 3: ODST to Modern Warfare 2, Gears 2, or Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and honestly tell me how that crap stands up against games released during the same year. All three of games blew ODST right out of the water and made it look dated, slow, and down right pathetic.

I have played all 4 halo games and I am proud owner of a 360... but just because a series is the flagship on a system, it doesn't mean that the game is good.

Don't be afraid to speak out against the norm people Bungie only makes dated and slow moving games.

[Terjyn]

Originally Posted by merrick97

HUH? I dont get how FF getting released on a 360 supports your original argument of Bungie not releasing their next game on the PS3. That makes no sense. You talk like Square actually LOST something by releasing FF on the 360. They gained a lot by doing that. They gained sales form the 360 that they wouldnt have gotten had they remained exclusive to the PS3. It was a win-win for them.

Them releasing a 360 version had no affect on people who were planning on buying the PS3 version.
I mean seriously would you stop buying a product from a developer that went multiplat just because of the fact that they went multiplat?

No. I dont think you would, because that is just plain dumb if that is your ONLY reason for doing so. if it ends up being a bad game....thats another story.


PS3 fanboys dont like it, but thats life.

What the hell are you talking about? I didn't mention Final Fantasy 13 nor does the post you replied to have anything to do with FF13.

[Septimus Prime]

Originally Posted by merrick97

HUH? I dont get how FF getting released on a 360 supports your original argument of Bungie not releasing their next game on the PS3. That makes no sense. You talk like Square actually LOST something by releasing FF on the 360. They gained a lot by doing that. They gained sales form the 360 that they wouldnt have gotten had they remained exclusive to the PS3. It was a win-win for them.

Them releasing a 360 version had no affect on people who were planning on buying the PS3 version.
I mean seriously would you stop buying a product from a developer that went multiplat just because of the fact that they went multiplat?

No. I dont think you would, because that is just plain dumb if that is your ONLY reason for doing so. if it ends up being a bad game....thats another story.


PS3 fanboys dont like it, but thats life.

I believe he was talking about Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant, and (until recently) Star Ocean 4. It's cool you failed to do some research before getting onto your soapbox, though.

[MerrickG]

Originally Posted by Terjyn

What the hell are you talking about? I didn't mention Final Fantasy 13 nor does the post you replied to have anything to do with FF13.

My bad. I have never cared for anything released by Square, which means I dont care and I assumed that you were talking about FF.

Nevertheless, I do feel that your comments made about Bobby Kotick dropping support of the PS3 were nothing more than posturing and I wanted you to consider the state of the PS3 market at the time he made those comments vs. the state of the PS3 market now. The slim being at the $299.

I could be wrong here, but I cant think of a single current gen Activision title that was exclusive to one system over the other.

All of this leads me to believe that Bungie joined up with Activision for the main reason to go multiplat, something they couldnt have done had they stayed with MS as their publisher.



Those two arguments alone mean I have a VERY hard time believing that Bungie would still continue to be 360 exclusive.

[Monkey]

I'd love for a sequel to Oni or even a remake.

As for Halo. Halo:CE was good for the multiplayer back in the day (I would have bought a Xbox live versoin back when I had a 360).. I can't say Bungie has done anything worthwhile since then. Then again I'm not a fan of COD games either, they just feel so generic and bland (from trying COD2, COD3, COD4, COD5).. Too many other FPS's that are better.

Still another developer is better than nothing and I'd have to give Bungie a chance to put out a quality product.

[Monolithium]

Let's hope that Activision lets them do whatever they want. And not force them to make COD games.

[mikejet]

Maybe they will bring back the Myth series

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by mikejet

Maybe they will bring back the Myth series

What is Myth?

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by Monkey

What is Myth?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myth_%28series%29

Myth was a groundbreaking RTS game for PC's that came out before Bungie announced Halo.

It was an awesome game for it's time.