Bungie: No longer a M$ property

[bojangles]

So in case you haven't heard the news, head over to Bungie.net (http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=news&cid=12835) for the press release.

I don't know why, but I feel very uneasy about Bungie and Microsoft essentially parting ways. I realize that M$ is probably eager to cash in on the Halo franchise, but honestly...I don't want to see another Halo FPS for a long time. Games that go into too many iterations tend to lose their luster. I don't want Halo to become one of them.

Also: I really don't want Bungie to start making games for PC. I dunno...I kinda feel empty inside. It's depressing.

[Yayap]

Actually, I think Bungie is taking back their name so that they aren't strong-armed into making any more Halo games. Good thing is that Microsoft retains the Halo IP so they can do whatever they want with it. Show Master Chief's face? No problem! I think Bungie should have taken the rights to the Chief, Cortana, and Grunts with them, though. That way, Microsoft couldn't f*ck up the main Halo story (as we know it) at all.

PIMPS AT SEA!

I just hope this doesn't mean the Halo 3 engine will go to waste by not being reused... It's a beautiful engine.

[gookyd]

I don't know why, but I feel very uneasy about Bungie and Microsoft essentially parting ways. I realize that M$ is probably eager to cash in on the Halo franchise, but honestly...I don't want to see another Halo FPS for a long time. Games that go into too many iterations tend to lose their luster. I don't want Halo to become one of them.

I agree, I'd hate it if they let Halo become one of those series. I wouldn't oppose a remake of the games on the next MS console, though.

At least we'll still get their games on the 360, since their publisher is still MGS if I read it right, and the PC gamers will get some love too.

[Silent Kayos]

It's not a big deal. Microsoft's involvement in this thing will be along the lines of them having first pick at publishing whatever game they are developing.

For example:

Bungie wants to make Pimps At Sea for the DS. Microsoft can opt to publish that game and if they don't, Bungie can look elsewhere for a publisher. In the previous relationship with Microsoft they would have not allowed the game to be made. Now Bungie can do the games that they want and on what platforms they want regardless of Microsoft.

So, really, it's not a big deal since Microsoft will still be getting exclusives no matter what. The relationship is the equivalent of Insomniac Games to Sony.

[MasterChief117]

Like Bungie assured, not much will change. Microsoft still has the rights to Halo, so rest assured you wont find Halo on Ps3 ever.

The only difference here is that we will start seeing more multiplatform Bungie games.

[MasterChief117]

Like Bungie assured, not much will change. Microsoft still has the rights to Halo, so rest assured you wont find Halo on Ps3 ever.

The only difference here is that we will start seeing more multiplatform Bungie games.

[bojangles]

Like Bungie assured, not much will change. Microsoft still has the rights to Halo, so rest assured you wont find Halo on Ps3 ever.

The only difference here is that we will start seeing more multiplatform Bungie games.
Right, but Bungie's assurance is to be expected. It's completely a PR thing, and it's understandable. I guess we'll have to wait and see how it turns out.

In any case, in response to Yayap, the fact that M$ has control of the Halo IP is exactly what scares me. I don't want to see the Halo franchise get screwed up by another developer (think Goldeneye as compared to EVERY OTHER Bond game). Know what I'm sayin?

As far as Bungie is concerned, I think they're a great developer. I've played some of their older games (the Marathon series), but that was ONLY because I owned a Mac at the time, and it didn't have any games worth playing. I'm not going to say that I could have told you who developed Marathon prior to Halo's popularity though. I didn't know a damn thing about Bungie.

Anywho, I no longer own a Mac, and despite the fact that I'm sure Bungie could make games for Mac/PC, I'm a console gamer at heart, and I would be thoroughly disappointed if they stopped making games for the 360.

[Yayap]

Marathon was wildly successful. You can still play it today, too, on a PC. Link (http://source.bungie.org/).

Actually, the only other decent Bond game I've seen was Everything or Nothing.

This is a great quote:
"Working with Microsoft was great for us, it allowed us to grow as a team and make the ambitious, blockbuster games we all wanted to work on. And they will continue to be a great partner. But Bungie is like a shark. We have to keep moving to survive. We have to continually test ourselves, or we might as well be dolphins. Or manatees."
Did you know that all great games start with one statement? He could say something like, "Let's have a level called Forerunner Tank." If someone questioned it, it would be made on the order of, "Awesomeness would ensue." Awesomeness would ensue. That's how all Bungie games are made, because awesomeness does ensue.

[Fool's Requiem]

Good thing is that Microsoft retains the Halo IP so they can do whatever they want with it.
Why is it that game developers are so willing to sell their prized franchises to publishers?

[The_Mess]

Easy answer, Halo is a cash-cow for MS, I doubt they would have let Bungie go if they had tried to keep the Halo IP due the possibility it could end up on a non-MS product... And by selling it, they possibly gained a rather large amount of capital they can reinvest however they want, a definite bonus for any developer.

[MasterChief117]

And this way, Microsoft cannot say "Bungie, make a new Halo game". Bungie does not have to make another Halo game if they do not want to.