Sony has purchased Bungie, developer of Destiny, and creator of Halo for $3.6 Billion. This acquisition comes shortly after Microsoft announced that it plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7billion. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons wrote that Bungie would “continue to independently produce and creatively develop its games”.
Parsons writes, “In SIE we have found an unconditional partner who supports us in everything we are and who wants accelerated our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment all while keeping the creative independence that beats within Bungie’s heart.” SIE, like us, believes that IPs can be more than just game worlds. We share the dream of creating and nurturing iconic franchises that unify friends across the globe, families across generations, fans across multiple platforms, and entertainment media.
Bungie will remain a multiplatform, independent studio and publisher. It will be next to the company’s PlayStation Studios developers. This was stated by Jim Ryan, president and CEO at Sony Interactive Entertainment in a post on PlayStation Blog. He said that Bungie’s expertise in multi-platform development, live gaming services and other areas will allow us to realize our vision of PlayStation expanding to hundreds of million gamers.
In a separate blog post, Hermen Hulst from PlayStation Studios reiterated this sentiment. He said that Bungie’s technical knowledge, combined with their track record in building engaged communities make them an ideal fit for collaboration with PlayStation Studios. We are thrilled to plan to share our skills and expertise and unlock the potential of Bungie’s brilliant minds under the PlayStation umbrella.
Bungie is telling its audience straight that future Bungie games will and not be PlayStation exclusives. “No. “No. Bungie has published a FAQ regarding the deal. We will remain self-published and creatively independent. Bungie also addressed how the deal will impact the long-running hit destiny 2:
Q. Q. Does Bungie’s acquisition of PlayStation make any difference to my experience with Destiny 2?
No. No.
We invite you to be The Witch Queen, February 22, 2022 on the platform of your choice.
Q. Q. Will Bungie’s acquisition of PlayStation affect Destiny 2 on non-PlayStation devices?
No. No. We want to keep the great experience that you have on your platform.
Q. Q. Will Bungie’s acquisition of PlayStation affect any seasons, events, packs or expansions?
No. Bungie maintains complete creative autonomy for our games, and our community. We have not changed our plans for the Light and Dark Saga, even through The Final Shape 2024.
Q. Q.
No. No. No matter where you play, every player should enjoy an unforgettable Destiny experience
Q. Q. Can cross-platform features like Cross Save, Cross Play and the Destiny 2 Companion app, as well as third-party apps such Destiny Item Manager (DIM), be modified or removed?
No. Bungie remains committed to social features and cross-platform play. Bungie believes games should be shared with friends wherever they are played. We will continue to invest in new features, platforms, and other features.
Q. Q. Bungie is developing future Bungie games, will these now be PlayStation exclusives?
No. No. We will remain self-published and creatively independent. And we will continue driving one Bungie community.
Q. Q. I’m a Destiny player on Steam, Xbox or Stadia. Will my platform be supported?
Yes.
This acquisition is just one of many that were announced this month. Microsoft’s deal with Activision Blizzard is still being reacted to by the industry. This news came just over a week following the announcement of Take Two’s $12.7 deal with mobile developer Zynga. To bolster its PlayStation Studios portfolio, Sony purchased a number of studios, including Returnal Developer Housemarque, and Demon’s Souls remake creator Bluepoint Games.
