Sony's Purchase Of Bungie Has The Internet Going Wild
Just over two decades ago, software developer Bungie created a little game called "Halo: Combat Evolved." The company was purchased by Microsoft, which then used the sci-fi shooter to launch its new foray into home video game consoles, the Xbox. The rest, as they say, is history. Bungie would go on to sign an exclusive deal with Activision Blizzard in 2010, creating the "Destiny" series and launching a whole new generation of co-op shooting mayhem, before once again becoming an independent company in 2019. This week, Bungie has made history yet again, as Sony has just announced its intentions to purchase the video game developer in a staggering $3.6 billion deal.
The news came as a shock to gamers everywhere, particularly following on the heels of Microsoft's unexpected acquisition of Activision Blizzard earlier this month. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier broke the news on Twitter, writing, "Sony is buying Bungie, the maker of 'Destiny' — another seismic gaming deal ... Bungie put Xbox on the map. Now it's part of PlayStation Studios."
As soon as the news began to circulate, gamers open wondered what this would mean for the future of Bungie. With the release of "Destiny 2: The Witch Queen" on the horizon, how would the beloved franchise make the move to a new parent company? Luckily for those fans, it seems as though Bungie and Sony expected these very concerns, and have already made efforts to relieve those fears.
The future of Bungie and Destiny 2
In statements regarding Sony's purchase of Bungie, leaders at both companies expressed their excitement and hopes for the future. PlayStation Studios Head Herman Hulst explained what brought the two companies together in the first place: "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."
Piggybacking off of these remarks was Bungie CEO Pete Parsons, who reassured the company's fans that Sony would not be limiting Bungie's games strictly to its consoles. Parsons explained, "We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games. We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play."
So it looks like Xbox and PC gamers who were worried that "Destiny 2" would soon be yanked out of their hands can rest easy. This point was reiterated in a blog post just for "Destiny 2" fans, in which Bungie explained that the game will continue to have a unified vision across platforms, complete with cross-play to keep the community together for a long time to come.
Fans still have their doubts
Of course, even with the news that "Destiny" would remain multiplatform, fans have found reasons for concern in this announcement. Some are wondering how Bungie will handle working under a new company, while others are simply frustrated to see yet another notable company being absorbed by one of the gaming giants.
Some gamers are still underwhelmed by "Destiny," and are hoping that this lucrative deal means Bungie will soon be developing a new IP for the first time in a while. Those fans may be in luck, as Pete Parsons also mentions that the company is already making plans to build something new. "With SIE's support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision," reads Bungie's blog post. "If this speaks to you, and you want to help us put a dent in the universe, we are hiring across all disciplines for Destiny 2 and for all new worlds beyond."
Sadly, it sounds like not everyone in the Bungie camp knew the merger was coming. As explained by Jason Schreier, both Sony and Bungie's higher-ups were working overtime to keep news of the acquisition from leaking, leading to a number of Bungie employees finding out when the rest of the world did. Not only that, but the remote working has unfortunately put a damper on what could have been a celebratory moment. Schreier later added, "In 2007, when Bungie spun out from Microsoft, they had an all-hands meeting and popped champagne. In 2019, when Bungie split with Activision, they had an all-hands meeting and popped champagne. Today they're all remote and heard the Sony news on a Teams call."