Rumor Update at 8BitJoystick: Bungie-Microsoft Split Reports Flame On

8BitJoystick, the blog that first reported the rumor of Bungie and Microsoft are breaking up, has posted another entry to follow up on the rumor. 8BitJoystick's Jake Metcalf stands by his earlier claim and insists that he has an inside source. He then suggests several alternative scenarios on how the breakup could happen.

[anh_duong]

"Flame on"??

this is a respectable and friendly place you know.. you won't find any fanboys or fangirls here to fan your flames.

[nasim]

no ps3 owner wants a cartoon game like HALO 3

bungie produce ur halo 3 on PC...that my sell

as a ps3 owner i dont want a cartoon FPS with bad graphics

[damnwrx]

Puta ang ina mo! LOL

[Bloodmask]

Just put together with more speculation. Microsoft own Bungie. This BS wouldn't even get approved if this site wasn't infested with Sony extremists.

[Arkham]

Bungie can still be 'owned' by Microsoft and have its own private shares among employees. One guess floating around is that the employees bought enough shares to take ownership.

If some of you would read more outside of N4G, you'd see that this 'rumour' isn't entirely false. *Something* is happening.

If you'd like to take your heads out of the sand for a breath of fresh air, check out the monumental thread on NeoGaf.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

This rumour has legs of its own. We'll all know what's going on between now and Oct. 12.

[Odion]

no they can't MS bought 100% of the company and took Bungie off the stockmarket, it is legally just another chunk of MS corp, kinda like their Zune branch or the MS office branch.

[Arkham]

Odin, a private company (e.g. not publicly traded on the stock market) can still have shareholders. My company isn't "on the stock market", but I'm an owner with 50% shares. In Microsoft's case with Bungie, I would guess that they own more than 51% of Bungie, probably more along the lines of 3/4.

Regardless, it is entirely possible that Bungie could go out on its own. Obviously Microsoft won't allow it to happen at their disadvantage, and there are some reasonable hyphotheses out there (if you read outside of N4G) detailing what might be going on.

And, no, you're incorrect in saying that Bungie is a part of Microsoft in the same way that its Office and Zune divisions are part of the company. Those are *divisions*.

Look at the original Microsoft press release about their acquisition of Bungie:

http://www.microsoft.com/Pr...

...specifically:

"Bungie's development staff will become an independent development studio within the Microsoft Game Division[.]"

[HBK]

Halo 3 success really drive somebody mad. So, same article like this will probably get approved 1000 times over on this site.

[unlimited]

they finally breakin up..good for bungie they need to make different games beside halo..

[Arkham]

I doubt it will be a bad break-up, but maybe something along the lines of both parties saying "We should see other people, but we can still be friends."

Granted, friends with benefits <nudge, nudge; wink, wink>. ;)

I can see it now: A drunken, 4 a.m. phone call will result in Halo 4!

[SL1M DADDY]

To see another good developer go on their own. It would be cool to see them come out with another game that shres the multiplayer value that Halo shares only not limited to 16 players online at one time. I wonder if they would have the rights to do a Marothon Redux?

[Arkham]

I was hoping for Oni 2, but I think Take 2 still owns the rights. Though, Bungie could do that through TTI. Apparently this new arrangement with Microsoft might allow them first right of refusal on their future projects, but whether or not that allows them to propose a game based on an IP owned by another publisher is beyond me.

[Nameless]

In the end the only company that will get screwed is Bungie. They will be forced to release games only on the XBOX 360 & Microsoft will just give Halo to another developer. Good job Bungie

[Arkham]

The latest rumour is that the new agreement states that Bungie can develop for other platforms, but that Microsoft gets first right of refusal for publishing.

[xionpunk]

it'll be funny if this turns out to be true, if only for the fact that the blogger dude can laugh in the face of gamespot,joystiq, etc

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Or trying to get a job.