It has just been announced that Bungie, the video game industry giant responsible for hugely influential franchises such as Halo and Destiny, are being bought by Sony.for $3.6 billion. While Bungie is going to join up with Sony, the company has assured via their website that Bungie “will remain an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher”.
In a blog post uploaded to the Bungie website alongside this announcement, it’s written that “Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.” In the same post, a reassurance of creative freedom is given its own section, alongside the news that with Sony Interactive Entertainment’s acquisition a surge of new positions have been opened at the studio.
This deal comes a mere thirteen days following an announcement from Microsoft that the company was acquiring Activision Blizzard. While not nearly as large a purchase as Microsoft’s Gargantuan deal, this news is meaningful nonetheless thanks in large part to Bungie’s history as the original creators of Halo, one of Microsoft’s most popular franchises.
Bungie is a great pick for Sony, not only due to Destiny 2 which will be soon be receiving a significant update with The Witch Queen expansion this February. The developer is also reported to be working on another IP behind closed doors which has yet to beshown the public.
In the aforementioned Sony announcement, CEO of Bungie Pete Parsons writes the following: “In Sony, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungie’s heart. Like us, Sony believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.”
In the same post, head of PlayStation Studios Hermen Helst writes: “I have spent a great deal of time with the senior team at Bungie and it is clear their experience and skills are highly complementary to our own.We will be ready to welcome and support Bungie as they continue to grow, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible team.”