Sony Buys Bungie

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

News just broke!

 

Sony buying Bungie for $3.6 billion

WWW.GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ

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Destiny studio will remain multiplatform, able "to self-publish and reach players wherever they choose to play"

 

$3.6 Billion. Great news personally. Lets hope they get even more Devs to work on the game through this. Sony supporting some companies has worked very well if you look at all of their exclusives.

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

 

I doubt they'll hit the PS exclusive loot too. Destiny 2 just shared this on Twitter. It does follow every move they have made since having full creative control. Glad to see it stay that way too.

[J4MES OX4D 10,041]

Very weird and weak move by Sony especially in comparison to Microsoft buying Activision. Although this isn't a retaliatory move, it kinda looks that way after the way recent events have unfolded. The way the deal is formed also makes it all look a bit pointless as nothing will change just like when Bungie departed Activision - the gamer received absolutely no benefit whatsoever from them going independent as they took all the scummy publication practices with them. I really don't know what Sony can add to the table for them other than financial protection and it's not like Bungie have a host of brands to work with - it's Destiny 2 now and for the foreseeable. Even their 'shared vision' is exactly how the game is right now😂

 

If Sony wanted to really shake the industry up, they should've made a move for Konami - that would have been almost as big and even more significant that MS buying Blizzard. 

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

13 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

Very weird and weak move by Sony especially in comparison to Microsoft buying Activision. Although this isn't a retaliatory move, it kinda looks that way after the way recent events have unfolded. The way the deal is formed also makes it all look a bit pointless as nothing will change just like when Bungie departed Activision - the gamer received absolutely no benefit whatsoever from them going independent as they took all the scummy publication practices with them. I really don't know what Sony can add to the table for them other than financial protection and it's not like Bungie have a host of brands to work with - it's Destiny 2 now and for the foreseeable. Even their 'shared vision' is exactly how the game is right now😂

 

If Sony wanted to really shake the industry up, they should've made a move for Konami - that would have been almost as big and even more significant that MS buying Blizzard. 

 

Maybe the fact that there isn't anything as big as Activision/Blizzard, they went for one of the more smaller yet successful companies out there right now. Sometimes I think we have to give Sony credit when credit is due. Not for this deal but based on their experience of buying smaller developers in, and essentially allowing them the freedom to make such incredible IPs in recent years, its why Microsoft have been trying to make moves since creating Game Pass and now buying Acti/Blizz.

 

If it was me, I definitely think buying Bungie based on their morals and integrity (so far) is a better buy than something like Call of Duty right now. Its still $3.6 billion. Not sure what else is on the market to buy?

 

Regarding Konami, that would've been ace personally but I think the play now is trying to keep in the European and Western markets - The East is now just full with Mobile games and with the recent restrictions China imposed on all youngsters, you would say there seems to be more method than madness in the deal.

[Antpool84 1,109]

So does this mean playstation will get Halo 😂😂

[Jason 1,245]

Titanfall 3 please

 

*I am apparently misremembering who made Titanfall 

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

25 minutes ago, Antpool84 said:

So does this mean playstation will get Halo 😂😂

 

If only! lolz

 

14 minutes ago, Jason said:

Titanfall 3 please

 

And if only again!

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

Here's a brief FAQ from a Bungie Article on making sure that PS exclusives won't happen.

 

Q. As a Destiny 2 player, does Bungie becoming part of PlayStation have any immediate impact on how I play and experience Destiny 2?

No. Our commitment to Destiny 2 as a multi-platform game with full Cross Play remains unchanged.   

We want you to play The Witch Queen on February 22, 2022, on the platform of YOUR choice.

 

Q. Will the Destiny 2 experience on non-PlayStation platforms be impacted by Bungie becoming part of PlayStation?

No. We want to maintain the same great experience you already have on your platform of choice.

 

Q. Will any announced seasons, events, packs, or expansions be changed or impacted by Bungie becoming part of PlayStation?

No. Bungie retains full creative independence for our games and our community. Our plans for the Light and Dark Saga are unchanged, all the way through The Final Shape in 2024.

 

Q. Will Destiny 2: The Witch Queen include any platform exclusives?

No. The Witch Queen will not contain any platform exclusives. Every player should have an amazing Destiny experience, no matter where you choose to play

 

Q. Will cross platform features, like Cross Save, Cross Play, the Destiny 2 Companion App, or third-party apps like Destiny Item Manager (DIM) be changed or removed?

No. Bungie’s commitment to cross-platform play and social features remains unchanged. We believe games are best shared with friends, wherever they choose to play, and will continue to invest in new features and platforms.

 

Q. Bungie has future games in development, will they now become PlayStation exclusives?

No. We want the worlds we are creating to extend to anywhere people play games. We will continue to be self-published, creatively independent, and we will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community.

 

Q. I play Destiny on Steam, Xbox, or Stadia – will my platform still be supported?

Yes.  

[FallenDark200 168]

Basically this is a way of Sony getting there feet into the door of having a IP and developer that will make future games other then their main studio. Sure buying Bungie right now and only acquiring one IP looks and sounds ridiculous but imo it was a smart move in the right direction with multiple companies scooping up other IP right now. 

 

There are multiple rumors and emails floating around right now that Sony is not buying different IPs so bungie might of been the first one they grabbed. I think from what I have gathered Sony is looking at sqaure enix and one other IP.

 

With all this being said, Sony would be stupid to touch destiny, they would lose money making exclusivity to that franchise until the game is basically done. Why I say that is because of the cross-platform on how it works. Worse comes to worse we get the d1 treatment. I feel destiny as a franchise will continue to grow to whatever there wanting to do to wrap it up and then have big dad Sony now pay for whatever they are wanting to do next.

 

Bungie more in likely went with Sony so they could get into there studios to make actual TV series or movie out of destiny. Now with the future of bungie we might see console exclusive but it won't be for every game. 

 

Now my thoughts on it, I'm kinda in the middle about it. I hope we don't get the shitty end of the Staf like normal and we can keep the community without breaking up new games from different platforms. I think we will see bungie break up some of its knowledge probably pump out hopefully some good games and maybe even TV shows who knows. I might be being to optimistic on this hole buy but I can see great things coming in Sonys future with a powerful company behind them now with litterally unlimited money to produce wonderful gaming environments but the future will tell. 

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

I this picture by Destiny Bulletin shows what Sony's model looks like and why they seem a good fit right now. You can't deny that line up is pretty incredible below.

 

 

It doesn't mean they'll be there forever but what it does give Bungie is a way to accelerate the recruitment levels which Pete Parsons confirmed yesterday. They know what they want to do for the next 3 years of Destiny already so you would expect this bolstered already well-made plans for the better, not for the worse.

 

Outside of that, i initially lol'd about them making another Halo...but its easy to forget the powerhouses that helped create Destiny are still there behind the scenes on the unnamed IP that will centre more around PvP. The thought of something being even slightly like Halo's PvP on a Playstation has to be good news too.

 

We'll have to see what happens over the coming months i'm sure.

[J4MES OX4D 10,041]

16 minutes ago, GazzaGarratt said:

 

 

 

Whoever made that picture forgot God of War which is the biggest of all🤣

[phil bottle 9,784]

I keep reading Bungle and wondering what will happen to Zippy🙈

[RenFengge 1,042]

Sony isn't EA, so I'm not exactly "worried." 

 

Then again, while I play D2, it's not a game I cherish... nor do I think there's anything really to ruin by this acquisition. We all know the general grind for D2. And, the story is like background noise if you haven't played since D1. D2 is straight loot shooter. Any RPG elements that made it unique and interesting was left in the D1 era.

 

I would be more "concerned" if Microsoft bought D2... Sony actually lets its developers go do their own things (in general) and not dictate nonsense (RPG developer - yeah, you don't do that anymore. You do loot shooter).

[J4MES OX4D 10,041]

1 hour ago, RenFengge said:

I would be more "concerned" if Microsoft bought D2... Sony actually lets its developers go do their own things (in general) and not dictate nonsense (RPG developer - yeah, you don't do that anymore. You do loot shooter).

I actually think Bungie need a kick up the arse because they've been very reliant with Destiny 2 and Microsoft could've given them that nudge and provided elite technology to assist them. However I didn't think MS would ever consider working with Bungie again but I also didn't expect them to buckle so quickly operating as both a standalone publisher and developer after breaking from Activision. I'm not even sure if Bungie are good, or ambitious enough for Sony when compared to their other in-house studios but I hope this wasn't a tactical move and Sony have spotted something they can work with going forward.

 

If they remain doing Destiny 2 expansions for the next 5 years on 15+ year old technology then it's just a waste of bloody time for everyone minus Bungie who will be living the life of luxury an in security whilst other studios push boundaries and innovate. I hope this is the start of Sony making moves like this though as there are quite a few studios out there ran by garbage publishers who are being held back no end. 

[JungleHeart 82]

Interesting insights, everyone.

 

I'm briefly stealing my friend's thoughts on the matter posted on our chat group, but I kinda agree with this: The move feels retaliatory on the part of Sony, like they weren't really planning on this and if the Activision-Blizzard acquisition didn't happen, this would probably never happen too.

 

It feels like Bungie wasn't really set on being acquired and would still like to produce games everywhere, but when Sony pushed for their acquisition and saw Bungie's stance like this, they probably just completed the deal to primarily appease their fan base and kind of disregarded not being able to get something substantial out of the deal. Perhaps they thought they would make money out of the Xbox releases by Bungie, anyway, so it's not a total loss.

 

But being an Xbox gamer, believe it or not, I'm happy for Sony even if this pales in comparison. More competition means better things for all of us.

[GazzaGarratt 11,062]

5 hours ago, JungleHeart said:

More competition means better things for all of us.

 

Thats basically it. Whether they did it because they knew Activision/Blizzard was being bought is kind of irrelevant right now.

 

More backing in terms of financial and reputational support will always mean good things.

 

All you can do is base it on experience for now because stuff won't change overnight. Like La @RenFengge said, Sony DO have a good track record of letting studios do their own thing and release incredible video games.

[JungleHeart 82]

On 2/2/2022 at 3:51 PM, GazzaGarratt said:

All you can do is base it on experience for now because stuff won't change overnight. Like La @RenFengge said, Sony DO have a good track record of letting studios do their own thing and release incredible video games.

I totally agree. Nothing can be said about Sony having a good track record when it comes to nurturing studios. They have many strengths and this is one of them. One studio they have under their belt was Bluepoint who mainly made remakes back in the PS3 days. They're the type you'd think would get thrown off by other bigger companies but they're still doing well, thanks to Sony.

 

Veering off the topic a little, I really wish the rumors about backward compatibility support for the PS5 comes true soon. As much as I love the Series X and 360, the truth is Microsoft has nothing on the established history of the PS1 and 2. I know I can probably take out my old PS2 and play there but nothing beats the convenience and charm of being able to play those games on a current gen and not need a CRT TV to appreciate the graphics. 🤣