“In what may be nearly unbelievable news, word is circulating around the web that Bungie Studios’ days under Microsoft may be over. The initial news first started from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, an outlet known for its Microsoft-related information, and has since grown legs as other media have followed up on the story,” Marcus Yam reports for Daily Tech.
“According to an email received by the Post-Intelligencer, Microsoft has released Bungie Studios from its ownership. The deal is apparently done, but Microsoft wishes to hold the public announcement until after October 6 for the protection of quarterly financial results,” Yam reports.
MacDailyNews Note: Microsoft’s first quarter earnings for fiscal year 2008 will be released on October 25, 2007. [Thanks, Fabio of setteB.IT]
Full article here.
An excerpt from the email via The Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
Apparently MS just wants Bungie to make Halo for the rest of their natural days, and Bungie doesn’t like how MS is constantly trying to “handle” everything they do; the way they market their games, the way they interact with their fans (basically the fact that they do appreciate their fans), and how stingy they are with the profits (comparable to the rest of the industry). So as of today they are their own independent entity. They’ll probably make Halo 4 for Microsoft, however they are also free to create new intellectual properties for whatever system they want.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “RadDoc” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Note: Bungie Studios concentrated primarily on Macintosh games during its first nine years of existence. Halo’s public unveiling took place to thunderous applause during the Macworld Expo NYC July 21, 1999 keynote address by Apple’s then-interim-CEO Steve Jobs – we were there. On June 19, 2000, Microsoft announced that it had acquired Bungie Software. As a result, the Mac and PC versions were delayed, and the game was re-purposed for Microsoft’s Xbox, driving sales of Microsoft’s trouble-prone game consoles. Mac and Windows versions of Halo were eventually released two years later.
No….F-ing….Way….
God I hope this is true and they make a Mac based game next that blows away Halo.
Please
love it, I don’t like exclusives!
most of the die hard Mac guys that were at Bungie have long been gone. It’s a console gaming company now.
Hi-larious parody video of Halo world domination:
Halo: The Future of Gaming
http://one.revver.com/watch/406609/flv
nJoy!
Bummer is probably right- i still belive to this day that M$ bought Bungie mostly as an attempt to cripple the Mac gaming world.
but… hope springs eternal……
Here’s some more video fun at YouTube, “The Halo 3 Hoedown”, compliments of sarcasticgamer.com
@Bummer- So true…
@Tempus Fugit- I agree too. MS probably saw that Macworld demo and just about had heart failure. They had the cash and a console with no real game to sell it.
I’m happy to see that this news is being circulated. Microsoft often gets credit for the creativity and popularity of the Halo franchise. In actuality, Microsoft has nothing to do with Halo’s success. The innovation is all Bungie’s. Glad to see Bungie kicking them to the curb despite Microsoft’s attempts to stifle it in front of their investors.
Looks like Micro$oft really knows how to treat people right.
Most interesting and unexpected news. Godspeed, Bungie.
Marathon forever!
OMG – I was at that MacWorld! I still get goose-bumps thinking about it.
I knew Jason Jones and I can only wish the best for all the Bungie Crew.
Anakin is back – Vador is dead.
Dear Budgie –
If you’ll remember, we tried to tell you, quite pointedly, in fact, that no good would come of this relationship, and that MS only wanted you for your Halo property and didn’t give a damn about Budgie as a company. I remember how you tried to ease it over with the Mac community, how we felt betrayed that the game first previewed on a Mac at Macworld would not come to the Mac until long after the Xbox came out. You tried to tell us it was not big deal.
Well screw you, Budgie. You danced with the devil, and found out, oh gee, wow, he’s kinda evil.
No shit. Who would have thought?
Here’s a big fat fscking I Told You So to you all. Take care,
-c
I beat Halo 3 already on hardest mode, so for a bigger challenge I operate the movement controls with only my left nipple. My nipple gets sore after about an hour of playing, but it definitely is harder. I’m practicing so I can get good with it on Live.
Very interesting news.
Got Halo 3 through the post yesterday, and it is AWESOME.
I just hope Bungie can make a game that is better. In fact, I’m quite sure they will.
Good 7uck Bungie!
who’s budgie?
I partially remember a quote from the Bungie website back in the Marathon days. Something to the effect… PowerPC Rocks – we will never write anything for that other architecture. Anyone remember it exactly?
Re: ChrissyOne
BuDgie?? not once, not twice, but three times!
Sweet halo on ps3, now Xbox fanboys will not have any comeback to why ps3 or wii in not as good. Believe me that is their only comeback.
That’s wonderful news! I’d love to have some really good games like Halo for the Mac.
On a different note, what kind of company is MacSoft if they don’t make games for the Mac anyway?
Budgie? Since when does the guy from Siouxsie and the Banshees write software?
I think of them as a small, irritating bird.
@ iestynw
…who’s budgie?
UK english for a pet parakeet
that’s a long time to wait for a mac-primary version of anything from Bungie.
I remember the original teaser trailer mentioned in the article snippet. It promised “real-time” rendering of seamless battle scenes. It looked more like a movie than a game, but microsuck put a quick death to that…
@SpeedyG
What about Apple and the iPhone.
Don’t know about this one. Since when has MS just let anyone leave? I mean, they flat out bought Bungie. So, I think the story is a crock. Sure some Bungie developers might be leaving, but MS owns the name, and I doubt it’s leaving with them