The internet exploded with fanboy chatter last night, as website 8bitJoystick claimed to have information pointing to a split between Microsoft Game Studios and Halo developer Bungie. Big hats of cynicism on now, please...
The site's source - who doesn't work at Bungie but "knows" someone who does - says that Microsoft has agreed to allow Bungie to become an independent studio, but MS will keep the rights to its cash cow Halo franchise. The source claims that the split stems from increased friction during the rush to release Halo 3.
The alleged scenario wouldn't be too dissimilar from Bizarre Creation's recent buyout - although they were never owned by MGS.
Usually this kind of dodgy speculation wouldn't get close enough to get laughed out the door, but an untypical response from Bungie and Microsoft's PR departments has us uncomfortably suspicious.
Microsoft's canned PR statement is "there's been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3". Meanwhile Bungie's usually talkative community pair Frank O'Connor and Luke Smith have gone oddly silent on their usual forum hangouts... as if waiting for an official announcement.
We'll stay on the case, and let you know of any further developments. Rare swapping allegiances seemed crazy a few years ago, as well...
"oh you know what, a friend, of a friend, of a friends, sisters, husbands, grandmothers, illegitimate childs, gardners, nieces, boyfriends, brothers, cats previous owners, sons friend told me..."
MS never owned bizarre, so its hardly the same thing. While Bungie would be a lose to MS, its not like they dont have plenty of internal studios, Rare, Lionhead, Turn 10 among others and anyways it may not be true.
As a company I can see how they'd want to keep the studio so that they can get exclusive titles and obviously dedicate more time to perfecting one particular platform.
But as a consumer I sort of hope they do split off. Releasing the game on multiple platforms is an incentive for the formats to drop their RRP in order to get you to buy theirs rather than the rival.
If Bungie did 'leave' they would still release their games on the 360 and the Halo francise would still be exclusive. So does it really matter?
Exactly.
If Bungie want to split in order to develop new IP's or develop for other formats, it would be in Microsoft's interest to let them do so.
If MS tried to force them to stay exclusive as a studio, they could face a walkout and be left with nothing but the Bungie and Halo names. At the end of the day any studio is only as good as it people.
Given that the Halo brand is going nowhere either way, they should let Bungie do what they like with their new ventures and have an agreement to call them back for Halo 4.
These guys have been working on Halo and Xbox/360 for about 8 years now, so you would understand if they needed a break!
MS already have other studios working on Halo with Halo Wars. And the Peter Jackson project may well go through a different studio also. I say If Bungie want to be set free, set them free...no point in doing a Rare!!
If Bungie did 'leave' they would still release their games on the 360 and the Halo francise would still be exclusive. So does it really matter?
people like the developers work, not the companies name.
if the developers split and did something else, and ms kept the halo trademarks and such and such. then.
future halo games would be developed by people who did not work on the other games (as is probably happening on pgr5).
The grammer was all over the place then! haha! I understand what you meant. In the most extreme case it'll be what the guy above said. Bungie will do what they want and pop back in (if its been agreed) to do another Halo game. Either way, Bungie will still release its games on the 360. It'd be nice to see what they could some up with after the Halo trilogy as everyone will expect the world of them.
I think its just people spouting crap to be honest. MS obviously didn't make Bungie rush Halo 3 as it was most likley planned for a November launch, a month where all the big guns usually launch but instead it was finished months before, hence it randomly releasing in September. Also, with Bizzare's case, MS never owned them. They only owned the license to the PGR series. If we go by the news stories reading upto the Bizzare buy-out, the way they were talking suggested they still planned to be with MS. In other words there was most likley a bidding war between MS and Activision and MS obviously didn't rate them as highly as Activision...
According to Bizarre there wasnt a bidding war, Activison made an offer and they took it. Regarding Bungie, I think the rumour is prob fake, but with neither flat out denying it is about weird. But they'll prob do the peter jackson halo thing and move on to something else. As MS is getting its Halo fix from ensemble with Halo Wars and any new map packs.
It would make sense if Bungie and MS split, as it would allow them to make other games for other platforms, but will just have to wait and see what happens.
I, for one, would be interested in what Bungie will do next, after all there shouldn't be any more Halo games, as this was supposed to be a trilogy
Not really connected to the original thread but in response to the Bizarre/PGR debate:
It's worth remembering that Bizarre created Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast which eventually became the basis for the PGR franchise on Xbox 1 and 360.
Microsoft may have the PGR name but it's Bizarre who have the past 8 years or so worth of development history for that particular title.
I'd rather it were Rare that were parting to become independant. Still, I'd be suprised if M$ let bungie go. It wouldn't be a wise move after halos success on microsofts part.
I'd rather it were Rare that were parting to become independant. Still, I'd be suprised if M$ let bungie go. It wouldn't be a wise move after halos success on microsofts part.
Bungie were there to complete the trilogy. There is no reason for them to stay solely with Microsoft and it would no way affect business for them. MS have the Halo trilogy. It's helped, massively, to make their console a success. Whether Bungie leave it no makes no effect on me and I wish them best of luck with their next projects, with or without Microsoft.
Bungie studios is definately the driving force behind Halo's critical success. If the IP is removed from their hands, who knows what could happen to it.
Either way, whatever happens to Bungie, my eye's are definately on their next project. Let the Master Chief stay where he is for a while and let them get their teeth into something new!
MS would never let Bungie leave. Firstly, they bought them out and own them. Secondly, they have created what is possibily one of the mos successful and popular video game series of recent times. Thirdly, they have left the Halo series wide open after the ending of Halo 3, so they could very well take a rest for a few years then pick up the Halo series again. Finally, there is no proof. Its just some idiot saying my mom's friend knows her friends friend who knows another friend that knows someone that knows someone related to Bungie. In other words chinese whisphers started by someone trying to through some negative news into the the positive media Halo 3, Bungie and MS have been getting. Wouldn't surprise me if the origin was Sony...
If this story is true, I would just like to say a couple of things to the guys on this forum who think that passing on an established IP to new developers could be a way of keeping the series fresh.
New developers to established IPs tend to have neither the vision or experience to make it work, all the examples I can think of off the top of my head have been pretty disastrous. Just look at what happened to the Medal of Honor series, after the original developers left to form Infinity Ward and how far downhill Championship Manager went without Sports Interactive at the helm.
Well I think the Tomb Raider games have improved and have become much more fresh than they once were under the original developer. Of course you are correct, most of the time they get passed onto unknown studio's that make a hash of it.
If this story is true, I would just like to say a couple of things to the guys on this forum who think that passing on an established IP to new developers could be a way of keeping the series fresh.
New developers to established IPs tend to have neither the vision or experience to make it work, all the examples I can think of off the top of my head have been pretty disastrous. Just look at what happened to the Medal of Honor series, after the original developers left to form Infinity Ward and how far downhill Championship Manager went without Sports Interactive at the helm.
Doesn't bode well for PGR5, in my humble opinion!
true,but look at what capcom did with the gameboy zelda's or amusement vision with f-zero gx (just don't mention namco's starfox),sometimes it can work. then again,i have the same fears over the us developed silent hill 5.
I've just had a scary thought...the Bizarre news and this Bungie rumour have both happened since Peter Moore left and those two c**ks who used to work at EA joined Microsoft's games division.
Maybe they've decided to maximize profits like EA, by pumping out yearly updates to all of Microsoft's high profile titles, starting with PGR and Halo.
Of course having come from EA, they won't care who knocks them out, just as long as they're in time to hit their respective financial quarters.
but i think bungie should leave as i think the halo 3 story was rushed as the ending was s**t i was expecting it to be on par with halo 1 and 2 but no it was s**t it didn't tell you how the master chief dies come on what a fooked up ending that just proves the game was rushed thanks alot mircosoft you dicks
but i think bungie should leave as i think the halo 3 story was rushed as the ending was s**t i was expecting it to be on par with halo 1 and 2 but no it was s**t it didn't tell you how the master chief dies come on what a fooked up ending that just proves the game was rushed thanks alot mircosoft you dicks
If you played the game and watched after the end credits then you would have seen the fate of Master Chief.
Bungie leaving MS isnt going to happen at all, MS bought out bungie in the year 2000 after seeing halo on the mac at a trade show, it became an exclusive for MS new console xbox and help ms to about 20 million sales worldwide of their machine.
So bungie going it alone and splitting from MS wont happen, specially when ms bought out bungie for i think just under 100 million.
Bungie staff leaving and getting new jobs is maybe more like it though, although i doubt it will be a mass walkout, maybe a handfull who want to do other things and other games in the future, no doubt bungie and ms will be working on drafts off how the MC gets found and has to fight in a future conflict for earth against a new alien race.
A reset for the halo franchise in story terms, or they could go into the books and make a game from that, like fall of reach.
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