Bungie And Activision Sitting In A Tree, P-u-b-l-i-s-h-i-n-g
When Bungie declared its independence from Microsoft back in 2007, gamers expected it to be a sign of a new multiplatform direction for the house of Halo. And since then Bungie has developed Halo 3: ODST and is currently developing Halo: Reach. Just when it was looking like an independent Bungie was the same as a Microsoft owned one, we were hit with the announcement today that the company has signed a 10 year exclusive publishing deal with Activision on multiple platforms.
Do you hear that sound? It's the sound of a million Halo fanboys and fangirls screaming.
Fear not Halo faithful, for this publishing deal is only regarding "Bungie's next big action game universe." Bungie is still free to continue making Halo games and publishing them through Microsoft independent of this Activision deal. Of course, the deal also means that Bungie now has a "next big action game universe," aka a new IP, to work on. There's even a nice nod to the recent Infinity Ward fiasco in the press release, clarifying that Bungie will still be the owner of this new IP with Activision doing what it does best and pimping the game to every console and device it can find. And despite Activision's involvement, I'm actually quite happy for Bungie in this deal. After so many years of Halo development, the folks at Bungie must have some new ideas that they would like to get out. And in the sea of sequels that is the gaming industry new IPs are always welcome, even if they come with the promise of 10 years of sequelitis.
The full press release can be found after the break.
BUNGIE AND ACTIVISION ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE,WORLDWIDE PARTNERSHIP10-Year Alliance Expands Global Reach for Leading Game Developer Across Multiple Platforms
London, UK - April 29, 2010 - 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 device. 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."
NaviFairy
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 29 April 2010
· Comments (1)
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