Looks like we don’t have a quiet week. While Microsoft recently bought Activision Blizzard, now Sony wanted to answer by taking over Bungie, one of the juiciest multi-platform studios in the industry.
The operation, revealed by GamesIndustry.biz, has been closed for $3.6 billion. The studio will remain an “independent subsidiary” of Sony Interactive Entertainment, retaining Pete Parsons as president, as well as the rest of the management team.
Creators of the Destiny franchise, Bungie will remain a cross-platform developer, with the option to “self-publish and reach gamers wherever they choose to play.” The developer also has a history behind Halo, as they were the original creators of the Master Chief adventures.
“We’ve had a strong partnership with Bungie since the beginning of the Destiny franchise, and I couldn’t be more excited to officially welcome the studio to the PlayStation family,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO of SIE. In addition, the director himself indicates that “this is an important step in our strategy to expand the reach of PlayStation to a much wider audience“.
In a blog published on the Bungie page, Pete Parsons has explained that Sony has explained that “we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in everything that we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create entertainment that crosses generations, at the same time that we preserve creative independence that beats at the heart of Bungie.”
Precisely regarding free creativity for Bungie, Parsons wanted to clarify what are the next modifications for the study:
“We will continue to independently publish and create our games. We will continue to drive a unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play.
With the support of SIE, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in the hiring of talent across the studio to support our ambitious vision.”
