Microsoft has dominated recent headlines with the announcement of Activision Blizzard’s acquisition, but Sony itself has been on something of spending spree over the last year as well, having acquired the likes of Bluepoint Games, Housemarque, and Firesprite. They’ve now added another studio to their first party lineup- and it’s a big one.
Via a GamesIndustry report, it’s been announced that Sony is acquiring Bungie – the creators of Halo and Destiny – for $3.6 billion. Interestingly enough, it seems Bungie is going to operate very differently from others under the PlayStation Studios banner. Following the acquisition, the company will be “an independent subsidiary” of PlayStation, with its board of directors consisting of current CEO and chairman Pete Parsons and the rest of the studio’s current management team.
That means Bungie will still be a multiplatform studio even after the acquisition, and will have the option to self-publish games on other platforms in order to “reach players wherever they choose to play”. So yes, that means Destiny will still be on Xbox, and future Bungie properties might be, too.
“We’ve had a strong partnership with Bungie since the inception of the Destiny franchise, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome the studio to the PlayStation family,” says PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan. “This is an important step in our strategy to expand the reach of PlayStation to a much wider audience. We understand how vital Bungie’s community is to the studio and look forward to supporting them as they remain independent and continue to grow. Like Bungie, our community is core to PlayStation’s DNA, and our shared passion for the gamer and building the best place to play will now evolve even further.”
Bungie CEO Pete Parsons says: “Both Bungie and SIE believe that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IP will become. Our original universes have immense potential and, with SIE’s support, we will propel Bungie into becoming a global multimedia entertainment company dedicated to delivering on our creative vision.”
Bungie is currently working on Destiny 2, of course, which has a new expansion coming out soon with The Witch Queen. Meanwhile, the developer is currently also at work on new IP.