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Bungie, Activision Announce Partnership
Bungie and Activision have today announced that the two companies have entered into a 10-year publishing deal. Under the partnership, Bungie will retain its IP while Activision gains exclusive worldwide publishing rights for the games developed during that period of time.
“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.”
A post revealing the news on Bungie’s official blog was no less optimistic, though slightly less formal: “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.”
Bungie president Harold Ryan says that the deal had been in the works for the past nine months, several months before the Activision/Infinity Ward fallout.
Bungie is currently wrapping up Halo: Reach. The multiplayer beta for the Microsoft-owned IP is set for a wide release May 3. Bungie was once a part of Microsoft, before the two companies split in October 2007. There’s still no word about what Bungie’s next project will be, though the deal with Activision makes it extremely likely that it will be available to more than Xbox and PC players.
[UPDATE]
We've gotten word straight from Bungie and some other industry insiders on how exactly the news will affect Halo fans and gamers in general.
The deal makes Bungie the masters of their own universe
Gearbox's Randy Pitchford weighs in on the deal and what it means
Bungie: Another Halo game doesn't fit with our plans
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