Bungie signs exclusive 10-year deal with Activision

[Matthew DeCarlo]

While Activision's relationship with Infinity Ward is going down the tubes, the mega-publisher has teamed up with some fresh, but all-too-familiar talent. Bungie, the studio behind Halo, has inked a 10-year contract with Activision that grants the company exclusive worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices.

Before you shout profanities, Bungie will remain an independent company with ownership of its intellectual property -- at least for now, anyway. In a statement on its official blog, the developer said "Our Constitution remains unchanged. We are still Bungie, still independent, and now we are free to bring our stories to an even bigger audience."

Founded in 1991, Bungie was picked up by Microsoft in 2000 and eventually split from the software giant in October 2007 to become a privately held independent company. Although it's a separate entity, Bungie still creates titles in the Halo franchise, which Microsoft now owns. The studio is currently juggling several projects, including Halo: Reach and a new IP.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/38774-bungie-signs-exclusive-10-year-deal-with-activision.html

 

[tengeta]

Well I thought Bungie was making themselves a joke after promising Halo 2 to be the last, then Halo 3, then ODST, and what do you know? Here comes another Halo. Its all they make, its all just for money.

This? This just confirms that. I'm really glad that Activision won't be able to get their hands on any Halo money to help in court though.

 

[TomSEA]

Not sure why Bungie did this other than pick up some pocket change. All it does is allow Activition to be a distributor and publisher. Activision won't be involved in any decision-making processes at all.

 

[NeoFlux]

"...now we are free to bring our stories to an even bigger audience..."

Someone explain this line to me... There Is an audience which owns xbox and don't know about Halo? Or not allowed to purchase it without Activision's permission?

 

[Relic]

A part of me is torn about this as I'm upset with the direction Activison has gone over the recent years especially now. Then again I very much enjoy Blizzard games and they are together with Activison. In a weird way this might be something good for gamers, in that they might finally do something multi-platform. And being independent should give them whats most important - creative decision and ownership. I just wish they would have gone with someone else like THQ or maybe even a smaller publisher...but I doubt they can offer what Activison has.

NeoFlux said:
"...now we are free to bring our stories to an even bigger audience..."

Someone explain this line to me... There Is an audience which owns xbox and don't know about Halo? Or not allowed to purchase it without Activision's permission?

Pretty sure they are trying to insinuate that there next franchise will be going multi-platform. Halo wont have anything to do with them or Activision.

 

[princeton]

After the IW incident bungie looks like a bunch of *****s right now. Regardless of activisions involvement with the games.

 

[Relic]

princeton said:
After the IW incident bungie looks like a bunch of *****s right now. Regardless of activisions involvement with the games.

Ya the timing of this is just bad, but they've been apparently negotiating for months long before the IW problems (at least publicly). Ironically this is exactly what IW wanted from Activision =/ .

 

[Guest]

All good things must come to and end . . .sniff sniff

 

[gobbybobby]

Cannot wait for Reach looks EPIC. I also cannot wait to hear about this new IP there working on. A new game would also be pretty epic. Seems it won't be announced at E3 tho. (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=244940)