Bungie, the developer who created the Xbox exclusive Halo series, has now been purchased by Sony Interactive Entertainment for a cool $3.6 billion.
Following hot on the heels of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Sony has announced its purchase of famed developer Bungie. The Halo and Destiny developer had actually only split from Activision Blizzard three years earlier, taking their latest creation Destiny with them.
While this new owner may have many Destiny fans concerned any future DLC or sequels could be PlayStation exclusives, the head of PlayStation, Jim Ryan, has confirmed that Bungie will remain an independent and multi-platform developer.
Jim Ryan even went as far as penning a post on the official PlayStation blog outlining their desire to help “to enhance Bungie’s existing IP portfolio” and to ensure that the “Legendary development studio [remains] independent and multi-platform”.
This means that Xbox, and perhaps even Nintendo, owners could see future titles from Bungie appearing on those systems, accompanied by a Sony Studios publishing credit. This wouldn’t be the first time that a Sony Studios game had made its way into a rival platform, as last year’s MLB The Show even launched day one on Microsoft’s Game Pass service.
What does Sony get out of this?
So what does Sony expect in return for their purchase? It’s likely Bungie’s experience in both the development of successful multiplayer and live service titles. Ever since the original Halo with its options to play 16 player LAN games on consoles, to Halo 2 being the defining title of the original Xbox Live, and recently with Destiny 2’s expansive ever-evolving worlds, Bungie has always been on the forefront of console multiplayer gaming. This is an area where Sony has typically fallen behind their main rival, Microsoft, when it comes to games.
So while $3.6 billion may seem a steep price for Sony to acquire Bungie. They’re not just purchasing the company and Destiny, but their knowledge and future assistance in publishing more multiplayer and live service titles.
Do you think Sony has made a wise investment? Do you think Microsoft should have brought Bungie back into the fold? We’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.