NowGamer looks at who stands to gain and who will lose out following today's announced publishing deal between Activision and Bungie. The facts, the rumours and the future prospects laid bare in one place.
The winner... ->Playstation for getting a former 360 exclusive developer. ->AV for roping in Bungie.... Might ask them to jump in MW development and hype it to another coming of Jesus Christ. Either ways, this is huge for them especially after the IW fiasco.
Loser ->Microsoft... For losing Bungie... It could have been a good start if MS bought Bungie as their First Party. ->Bungie..... They might not know now, but AV can and will turn dirty down the road when the deal comes to an end... It's in their blood.
EDIT: Guess the article agrees with most of the points.
You can guarentee AV will milk and milk and milk Bungies products for all their worth. Just look at every other major dev studio theyve been involved with - once producing some genre defining games, now shunned by gamers.
Activision is solely a publisher and has no control over the IPs Bungie will be working on. This is pretty much the same thing that Respawn is getting with EA, which is exactly what they wanted with Activision but never got because the uppper management was too busy swimming in the money IW made them.
We'll see how much of a winner PS3 only owners will be. It's not an easy platform to develop for, so unless Bungie is willing to put in the time to learn the PS3, we can probably expect subpar ports.
MS maybe losing by not having Bungie to make there next Halo game, but that is about it, as a gamer, I could not care less, as long as we get good games, not like I have stock in MS and I will lose my mortgage over this.
It was a good run. I think its the best thing to happen, another Halo made by bungie would of started to be a little too much. They needed to move on, the Halo brand is strong enough to go on without bungie, and it is for the better. I am actually excited to see what will become of the Bungie franchise after this, change can be good.
i just hope bungie doesnt get screwed over like activision screwed over IW, which ended up in IW suing activision and and IW devs quiting just to get away from activision...i agree with bungie in that activision knows how to market their games for multiplat and glad that there should be less bungie/halo haters out there when they get to play their new ip
I think it has been common knowledge, for quite a while now, that MS is not interested in having first party studios, they prefer to make exclussive deals. And it seems to have been working fine for them up until now.
Microsoft is still invested in Bungie as an LLC IIRC (means Microsoft has less than 49% of a stake in Bungie, how much or how little was never disclosed) so if they make money they haven't lost out entirely.
The article also fails to mention 343 Industries and the fact that some Bungie members (Frank O'Connor off the top of my head).
Regardless, there are people skeptical about Bungie in a post Halo world, Activision has had a pretty good sales record so the two seem like a good fit.
i thought the last 2 years showed that it wasnt working 'fine' at all so to speak. Question marks of 80% of the so called exclusives and 50% of those actually ended up on the ps3...Because of this buy deals model the variety and quality of exclusives on the 360 has fallen. This year seems to be the 360's best year since 07 in terms of line up and even in variety...we'll see i suppose but the fact that sony has overtaken MS in quality exclusives comes as no surprise and im not talking exclusively from a meta pov. More studios = more exclusives....isnt that what we all pine over. Even if its just a numbers game; The more exclusives you produce the probability of quality games increases so a game like haze was covered by x y or z compared to ninja blade which had no back up for like 6 + months
'it doesn't even matter given the fact there still putting out more games across the board then Sony'
what are you on about carbs....show me these across the board exclusives ...lol
I really wish MS had more 1st party support but in a way it doesn't even matter given the fact there still putting out more games across the board then Sony. This is good news for PS3 because if anybody could make it look more appetizing both online and software wise its Bungie.
Sony...they could've bought Bungie...used all the Reach hype to promote there next game...Imagine what Bungie could of done for PSN...and the best part...Announce it at E3...
No offense, but you obviously don't know much about the industry. Sony / Microsoft / Nintendo don't just go around buying every developer that is independent. It doesn't work like that. They ( the developers )enjoy having creative freedom. That's one reason Sony doesn't own Insomniac and it's also why Bungie left Microsoft. They wanted to have control over what they create and be able to pursue deals like this. Why the heck would Bungie leave Microsoft for that reason and then join Sony and be stuck in the same situation? Doesn't make sense. They aren't owned by Activi$ion, just have a deal with them. Plus im sure Bungie enjoys working on the Xbox. It's all they've known since the early 2000's.
Bungie going multiplatform is the equivalent of polyphony digital going multiplatform. I mean like polyphony, bungie was the team which brought the biggest game to its respective console. This news is massive, and pretty awesome for a ps3 fan. Wonderful
Bungie is still independent, meaning Activision cannot treat them the same way they did Infinity Ward. Activision will only be publishing Bungie's games for them, they cannot fire anyone working for Bungie or tell them what to do with their game.
Look up what 360 is bringing out this year compared to PS3 from XBLA to full retail games. There's denying what I said and trust me to big exclusives this year wont be enough for Sony.
Low carb, in terms of sheer number, Sony has outperformed MS this year... Just look at the games launching in the first 5 months...
Sony already has delivered 3 Blockbuster hits in GOW3, Heavy Rain, MLB10:The Show all garnering AAA scores.... Then Sony has MAG, WK:C, 3D Dot Heros, Modnation Racers... And thats just the first 5 months, Sony hasn't even showed what they have for the fall.. Compared to Alan Wake which hasn't even been released.
If you are saying that MS is pulling out more exclusive than Sony, then it's a blatant lie and Sony has proved it last year and will prove it this year as well. And it's all because of First Party and 3rd party support TOGETHER....
Just look at the rumored or nearly confirmed list of Sony and you get the sheer scale of the number of titles.... Agent, TLG, David Jaffe's game, Insomniac 2 titles (RESISTANCE 3+...), Title from Demon Souls creator, KZ3, infamous 2 (confirmed by voice actor), Uncharted 3 (already confirmed by Norlan north), Motostorm 3 (showed behind doors at GDC), SOCOM 4, FF vs 13...
Sorry, but Sony first party still pulls out more titles than 360 3rd party.
This is single handedly the biggest blow to MS in a long time! The magnitude of this blow is so big most fan boys do not realize it due to sheer blindness.
I personally dont care about either Sony or MS I only care about the games I like to play..but taking away the developer who single handedly kept MS's gaming business alive is devastating. This will alienate at least 70% of HALO fanboys which roughly equals to 50% of 360 owners. You can guess the backlash this will have.
Now the death blow to the 360 is Epic's announcing Gow on the ps3 as well.. But MS is smarter than that i think..
The sad thing about this is reading meaning-less damage control posts by the aforementioned fanboys, desperately trying to prove themselfs that Bungie, BUNGIE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! went multi platform!
And we thought FFX13 going multi was the biggest blow this gen! Heck no!
Anytime a studio goes multiplatform, the former hardware manufacturer to whom the developer was exclusive, loses.
Anytime the maker of your biggest franchise ever leaves said franchise and goes multiplatform the former hardware manufacturer to whom the developer was exclusive, loses.
People can spin this all they want if it will help them sleep better at night but if Naughty Dog left Sony and went Multiplatform there would be endless articles asking "Is PS3 teh doomed?"
No offence?...lol...NONE taken...You must be new to the game kid...Bungie didn't walk away fom M$ and Halo...M$ walked away from Bungie...that's basic, common knowledge which tells me your 12 yrs old...
You see kid...do some research BEFORE you share your considerably ignorance with everybody.....moving on...you should too :)...
Speaking of Naughty Dog I could have sworn just recently there was an article discussing them possibly venturing out on to Multiple platforms. The only thing that sucks about this deal with Bungie is that A.they went to Activision and B. there not making Halo games anymore.
That won't happen as ND is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony. There was talk however of Insomniac doing so. I was being facetious with the ND bit in an attempt to prove a point.
No one is actually giving us a logical response as to how Microsoft is losing out here.
1. The game will still be on the 360. 2. The game might not even show up on the PS3. The 360 and PC are considered "multi-platform". 3. Microsoft still has Halo, and will continue to have future Halo titles exclusive to the Xbox 360.
So in all seriousness, how is Microsoft losing out here? Bungie went multi-platform back in 2007. The only difference now, is that Activision is publishing their game. People keep comparing this to the FFXIII thing as if it's even the same form of news, and yet, Microsoft still holds their exclusivity.
LMAO @ blog sites pretending Bungie and Microsoft just parted ways today..Newsflash..it happened 3 YEARS ago..and it still won't matter
Halo Reach..easily biggest selling exclusive of 2010..but will be a 360 and Multiplayer mainstay for the next 3 years..Micrsoft Wins..
Halo 4 being developed by a 'dream' development team will be ridiculously huge when it drops 4 years from now..Bungie or not..especially if released on next Microsoft console..Microsoft wins.
Bungie's next WILL be on a 360.which Bungie knows EVERYTHING about..and as history shows us will easily sell more on the 360 if the new IP ends up being an Shooter.Microsoft wins..
Gears of War 3..still dropping less than 6 months after Reach..Microsoft wins..
Reach still supported by Bungie like no thoer..with new maps, modes, leagues etc. for at least a year if not more (as Bungie always has)..Microsft wins..
If Halo movie ever sees the light of day..M$ still retains all the rights..Micrsoft wins
So for all the haters that pretend this announcement matters..just wait till Reach drops in September..3 full years after the ENTIRE gaming world assumed that Bungie would NEVER make another Halo again..and try to pretend that somehow Microsoft lost at all
The Real Winner here is Activision Then Goes Bungie, even if AV will try to screw them like with IW Then Sony, cuz now it'll have a Game Developed by Bungie, EX-MS Studio and by that is gaining a New Multiplat Game
The Real Loser Here is MS, cuz it lost Bungie as a Developer, now has Rare and Molineaux, less First Party Power = more Third Party Deals that go Nowhere, or to be more precisely, go Multiplat after the Time Exclusivity Deal is Over. Then, IF Bungie wants to Develop a Great Game, it must be on The HD Consoles, so Nintendo is out of the Picture, but you never know cuz Activision will do everything for more ca$h...
bungie isn't under the activision umbrella like IW was at all. They signed on for a 10 year deal for 1 IP only. which Bungie is also calling a universe. Which means that it will probably be some type of MMO for consoles. But Activision has no control over the IP. Bungie controls everything from creative designs to release dates. Activision signed the PARTNERSHIP because they liked idea that Bungie has and stands to make a profit if they publish and grant the resources.
I agree with that list MS are the ones who lost out the most here as without Bungie making Halo they are down so much money would could have been used to foot other exclusive titles. Which in turn could have shifted consoles. All one vicious cycle really. MS doesn't need Halo/Bungie to survive but it will cost them millions and they know it.
Winners : activision as they will make a fortune out of milking yet another cash cow.
Losers : Microsoft lost Bungie exclusive. Which for some reason sold lots of average games to fanboys. Losers : Sony gained Bungie games. Which means more average games for PS3 Losers : Bungie did no one explain who activison are and what they do to developers ???
Losers : Gamers No matter what you think about bungie games activision have a track record of detroying franchises. Look at MW2 and infinity ward.
my biggest worry is Bungie dont really have any experience in making mulitplat games... they have never touched a PS3 dev-kit so i fear that their first attempt to crack the PS3 market may fail... and developing for the 3 major consoles (PC, PS3 and 360) spreads the dev team a little thin. Im not saying i dont have any faith in Bungie, its just that i think people are expecting too much from a very inexperienced developer when it comes to multi-plats.
And can i point out that Activision have only bought the publishing rights to 1 new IP from Bungie for a duration of 10 years... meaning if Bungie want to release another IP they are free to go to whoever they want even EA.
Also just because Activision are a publisher who (like EA) seem to focus mainly on Multiplat games, they do from time to time release console exclusives... could go either way but perhaps they might go PS3 and try to establish their Brand name in the PS3 community.
It sounds to me the PS3 fanboys want the xbox 360 fanboys to suffer LOL. They have to make this out to be bad news.
Business wise it's not. Every one got what they wanted. MS got what they wanted and they still have what they wanted, HALO the franchise. That is not going any where. HALO is a generic FPS experience that glues live together. This is very unlike getting FF13 or metal gear. You only get the developer. It's very similar to what happened when rare went to MS. Did they take any magic with them, It doesn't seem like it. Bungie is good but at best they have been avg on the console front yet on PC formats they make very deep games.
Another thing is every one knows MS with have the cash to market this game on the xbox 360 more than sony period. That is standard practice for MS and it nets them more sales more times than often for the xbox. Ms is very over bearing and does not understand the artist much. Activison is get in small doses just ask id software. Yet they have always been douches and they know it...LOL
Bungie gets funding again, and lots of it and MS can choose to support them or not with ads yet I think activison will be footing the ad bill this time LOL. Bungie gets more freedom and maybe even gets to make an iphone game LOL, or at least a game for the mac using the lastest open GL toys.
Activison gets a new card to play before IW fans come crashing down on them.
So far every one evolved wins... Halo is not coming to the PS3 and sure bungie will make some thing for some system but I'm betting it's PC. The switch to PC to console and back is very good for a developer.
I know this does not fit in with the console fanboys wars but this is a very good move. for every one involved.
G4: You mentioned the deal was just signed recently. Did the Infinity Ward situation give you any pause, or because the deal was so different from the normal structure, did it not play a role? Jarrard: I think the only pause that it gave us was in terms of the overall timing of the announcement and just all the noise that's out there right now. It's unfortunate. Just in terms...it's not unexpected what people's immediate reaction might be, given what they've been reading out there, but in terms of the actual partnership and the deal, it didn't really give us any concern at all because, again, this has been about nine months in the making, so a lot of this goes back well before [the Infinity Ward situation]. But because we do have the deal that we wanted, and we are still independent, we're not owend by Activision, we do own this IP and we do have creative control over it, and we do have a plan that we shaped, we feel really good about the spot that we're in. But, you know, it's just unfortunate that there's a lot of other noise out there right now, and we wanted this to be a happy time for us, but because the deal was just signed, which is not something that we felt like we could just wait and talk about also. Like I said, we didn't want this to bump into all the great Reach stuff that's going to be happening between now and launch, either.
Do they have Halo though?? Who said MS own the whole franchise 100%? They never invented it as Bungie originally were gonna release Halo on MAC so that proof there MS never invented the IP Bungie did. That means Bungie has some rights to the IP. Meaning without Bungie MS cannot release any more Halo games.
There are three kinds of fanboys affected by this change:
1) Xbox fanboys - who stand to lose quite a bit... the top exclusive developer going multiplat 2) Halo fanboys - who stand to lose less... 343 Studios won't stop making Halo games 3) Bungie fanboys - who stand to gain an expanded community
And a fourth kind... people who didn't know they were Bungie fanboys until this happened.
I think both Bungie and MS are losers in this one. MS is obviously the big loser because Bungie developed for them exclusively, and now that is no longer the case. Also the Xbox probably won't be seeing a lot of Halo games (if any) for a long time after Reach.
Bungie is also a loser though because it has become very clear how Activision treats their talent. Although we don't know the details of the contract I doubt it's simply a matter of "hey Bungie do whatever you want and we'll publish it".
I think the point of the piece was that, while 343 are talented, they still don't have the name or pedigree of Bungie behind them. They will have a lot to prove.
It's like Infinity Ward and Treyarch, gamers will always make comparisions between Bungie and 343, which is a shame as 343 are obviously talented :(
Not if the game is good/great. If you get a top notch game why would it matter which dev made it? For example, if Kojima Productions stepped away completely from the Metal Gear Solid series and Konmai had another team continue the series, would it really matter to you as long as the next game in the series was just as outstanding as the others? I know it would not matter to me, just give me a good/great gaming experience.
ninja gaiden s2 came out better than ng2 which had itagaki on board so anything can happen...Time will tell NOT predictions so lets wait n see and wish em good luck
Without looking...
The winner...
->Playstation for getting a former 360 exclusive developer.
->AV for roping in Bungie.... Might ask them to jump in MW development and hype it to another coming of Jesus Christ. Either ways, this is huge for them especially after the IW fiasco.
Loser
->Microsoft... For losing Bungie... It could have been a good start if MS bought Bungie as their First Party.
->Bungie..... They might not know now, but AV can and will turn dirty down the road when the deal comes to an end... It's in their blood.
EDIT: Guess the article agrees with most of the points.
Everybody wins! Except for Microsoft and stupid fanboys :-P
microsoft dnt seem to concerned dey still have halo. activision win with yearly updates but bungie will be the new infinity ward lool
Regardless of this, Fanboys are generally losers anyways :)
Everyone loses when Activision is involved.