In some big gaming news, Sony is making Microsoft-like moves by purchasing known developers. This time it’s former Microsoft developer Bungie, the studio behind the Halo and Destiny franchises.
Sony and Bungie Agree to $3.6 Billion Acquisition
Sony will be scooping up Bungie for $3.6 billion which would seem a bit low considering its impact on modern first-person shooters via Halo but that could be down to Destiny being the studio’s only active franchise and its sole marketable IP heading into the acquisition.
Sony Acquires ‘Halo’ and ‘Destiny’ Developer Bungie for $3.6 Billion
Of course, that is unless Sony knows of a pending IP that hasn’t been announced that could shake things up. The agreement will pretty much see Bungie operate as it does now, they’re just a subsidiary of Sony Interactive. That means Bungie’s games will be self-published and won’t be exclusive—which could explain the $3.6 billion price point as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyZGZF8Nv_g
On the acquisition, a statement on Bungie’s site, Pete Parsons—who heads the developer’s board of directors—read:
We remain in charge of our destiny. 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.
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. 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.
Could there be more acquisitions in Sony’s plans? It’s very possible as having studios bolster a weak area on a company’s first-party offerings is a very sound move. Scooping up a company that specializes in RPGs, first-person shooters, or all titles as Microsoft did with Bethesda and Activision Blizzard or Sony with Bungie could be something we see more of going forward.
There are plenty of sizable companies out there that are sitting on healthy funds that could benefit from a larger company providing even more funds and resources. So, all signs point to “Yes”.
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