It's official: Bungie breaks free of Microsoft
The rumors were true -- Microsoft Corp. on Friday announced a plan for Bungie Studios, developers of the "Halo" franchise, to embark on a path as an independent company.
Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will retain an equity interest in Bungie, at the same time continuing its long-standing publishing agreement for the Microsoft-owned "Halo" intellectual property as well as other future properties developed by Bungie.
"While we are supporting Bungie?s desire to return to its independent roots, we will continue to invest in our 'Halo' entertainment property with Bungie and other partners, such as Peter Jackson, on a new interactive series set in the 'Halo' universe," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "We look forward to great success with Bungie as our long-term relationship continues to evolve through 'Halo'-related titles and new IP created by Bungie."
In a press release issued by Microsoft, Bungie studio head Harold Ryan said the move will enable the game developer to expand in its mission to "create world-class games," but said his team "will continue to develop with our primary focus on Microsoft platforms."
"[We] greatly value our mutually prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios," he said, "and we look forward to continuing that affiliation through 'Halo' and beyond."
Rumors earlier this week of Bungie's desire to break free of Microsoft, which acquired the studio back in 2000, brought hope that Bungie would again be free to pursue games for non-Microsoft platforms, including the Mac, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
In speaking to Macworld, Brian Jarrard, franchising director at Bungie, said a return to the Mac could indeed be a possibility.
"But sure, now that we?re branching of and controlling our destiny, that puts us in a position where we could put ourselves back on the [Mac] platform definitively again," he said.
Bungie was originally conceived as a Mac-only game company back in 1991 under the name Bungie Software Products Corporation by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. For nine years it produced hit titles for the Mac such as Marathon, Myth, and Oni, before being courted by Microsoft, which eventually put a end to Mac development.
Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will retain an equity interest in Bungie, at the same time continuing its long-standing publishing agreement for the Microsoft-owned "Halo" intellectual property as well as other future properties developed by Bungie.
"While we are supporting Bungie?s desire to return to its independent roots, we will continue to invest in our 'Halo' entertainment property with Bungie and other partners, such as Peter Jackson, on a new interactive series set in the 'Halo' universe," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios. "We look forward to great success with Bungie as our long-term relationship continues to evolve through 'Halo'-related titles and new IP created by Bungie."
In a press release issued by Microsoft, Bungie studio head Harold Ryan said the move will enable the game developer to expand in its mission to "create world-class games," but said his team "will continue to develop with our primary focus on Microsoft platforms."
"[We] greatly value our mutually prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios," he said, "and we look forward to continuing that affiliation through 'Halo' and beyond."
Rumors earlier this week of Bungie's desire to break free of Microsoft, which acquired the studio back in 2000, brought hope that Bungie would again be free to pursue games for non-Microsoft platforms, including the Mac, PlayStation 3, and Wii.
In speaking to Macworld, Brian Jarrard, franchising director at Bungie, said a return to the Mac could indeed be a possibility.
"But sure, now that we?re branching of and controlling our destiny, that puts us in a position where we could put ourselves back on the [Mac] platform definitively again," he said.
Bungie was originally conceived as a Mac-only game company back in 1991 under the name Bungie Software Products Corporation by two undergraduate students at the University of Chicago. For nine years it produced hit titles for the Mac such as Marathon, Myth, and Oni, before being courted by Microsoft, which eventually put a end to Mac development.
Comments
Am I still spiteful @ Bungie for accepting the deal and turning their backs on macs? Yes.
They should have known this would happen when dealing with a company like M$.
/Adrian
Bungie breaks free
Spelled differently - poetic license.
Am I still spiteful @ m$ stealing Bungie from the world? Yes.
Am I still spiteful @ Bungie for accepting the deal and turning their backs on macs? Yes.
They should have known this would happen when dealing with a company like M$.
Yeah, from what I understand "Bungie" is just the name of a company now. Enough turnover and Microsoft's influence made it just another company now that happens to share the same name as the old Mac game maker. Our "Bungie" has been long dead.
Yeah, from what I understand "Bungie" is just the name of a company now. Enough turnover and Microsoft's influence made it just another company now that happens to share the same name as the old Mac game maker. Our "Bungie" has been long dead.
I have to say that I shouted a loud "Woohoo!!!!!" when I read this. Excellent news.
Bungie breaks free
I see you use the word "free" liberally... MS might not be their parent company any longer, but you know they will drive them to produce Halo this and that until it's not even fun anymore... in typical Microsoft fashion.
And they'll probably attempt to destract them from other projects with more Halo work.
I predict very little out of Bungie beyond Halo. Once MS's lapdog, always MS's lapdog.
-Clive
Am I still spiteful @ m$ stealing Bungie from the world? Yes.
Am I still spiteful @ Bungie for accepting the deal and turning their backs on macs? Yes.
They should have known this would happen when dealing with a company like M$.
Under the terms of the deal, Microsoft will retain an equity interest in Bungie, at the same time continuing its long-standing publishing agreement for the Microsoft-owned "Halo" intellectual property as well as other future properties developed by Bungie.
To me this statement says that MS owns Halo and any future properties developed by Bungie. How is that a breakup then?
To me this statement says that MS owns Halo and any future properties developed by Bungie. How is that a breakup then?
"publishing agreement" for "other future properties"... the publisher isn't the owner. MS is apparently retaining the rights to "Halo" in the breakup (even though it was mostly developed before Microsoft bought Bungie), but not future works.
-=|Mgkwho
but i'm not getting my hopes up too high.
i'll just play it via boot camp and skip the whole red ring of death on the 360.
@JeffDM: Not all buyouts are what they appear to be. There are various clauses that either must be met, after being met, etc.
Mac game publishing is no big deal anyways. Only 3 models have their own gpu. With the ground being gained by macbooks a huge percentage of mac users can't even consider games. Of course if there was a mid tower....
big YES for a mid tower.
I see you use the word "free" liberally... MS might not be their parent company any longer, but you know they will drive them to produce Halo this and that until it's not even fun anymore... in typical Microsoft fashion.
That's probably a big part of the reason they wanted to split off. They'll probably still do some more halo stuff but will do other projects as well. Don't forget that MS owns the Halo concept and characters, they'll probably just farm out future Halo stuff to other developers. They already have a Halo RTS in progress that bungie isn't doing.
To me this statement says that MS owns Halo and any future properties developed by Bungie. How is that a breakup then?
That statement isn't worded right. MS owns the halo rights. They just plan to continue working together, but MS doesn't own their future stuff, and they can develop for other platforms down the road.
There is one part to these stories that I don't understand. How can Bungie can break free of MS when MS bought them? Wouldn't MS have to be the one that's letting them go? Or was it just an indentured servitude that had some sort of "out" clause?
MS did let them go. The key Bungie guys likely threatened to leave and start their own shop, or they just offered to buy out the studio from MS.
And I totally agree with the midtower thing, a budget headless box with basic expandability is WAY overdue.