Similar type of deal, too.
Yes, you read that right. Bungie, the original developers of Halo, are being bought by Sony and “joining the PlayStation family”.
In a blog post, Sony Interactive Entertainment President and CEO Jim Ryan announced the news. Ryan does, however, go on to stress that Bungie “will remain an independent and multi-platform studio and publisher”. The studio will, however, get full backing from Sony regardless of what it is they are doing.
Bungie’s world-class expertise in multi-platform development and live game services will help us deliver on our vision of expanding PlayStation to hundreds of millions of gamers. Bungie is a great innovator and has developed incredible proprietary tools that will help PlayStation Studios achieve new heights under Hermen Hulst’s leadership.
In essence, Sony has already been using tools developed by Bungie, so it seems they just decided to make things official. Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios, said the following of the move:
I am absolutely thrilled to announce a new member will be joining the PlayStation family!
I’ve been a fan of Bungie for many years. I have admired and enjoyed the games that they create – and have great respect for their skill in building worlds that gamers want to explore again and again.
Bungie makes games with outstanding technology that are enormously fun to play. They also have unmatched dedication to the communities that play their games, and everyone at PlayStation, and PlayStation Studios, will be excited about what we can share and learn from them.
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.
Hermen Hulst, head of PlayStation Studios
As well as the following from Pete Parsons of Bungie:
We believe games have limitless potential, and that to do anything worthwhile in entertainment, we must bet big on our vision, on our studio, and on our incredible team of trusted creators who build unforgettable worlds that truly matter to people.
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.
Today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multi-media entertainment company.
Pete Parsons, Bungie CEO
Still, it’s hard not to see a bit of rivalry in the move in the wake of Microsoft’s purchase of Activision (and their now ownership of IP’s once thought synonymous with PlayStation, like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro). Sony will now own the original developer of one of Microsoft’s biggest IP’s, though said developer no longer controls that IP.
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