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Post-Bungie/MS Split News Roundup #1
So the official news came out that Bungie and Microsoft are breaking up but going to remain good friends. This was the biggest break up since Loni and Bert.. J-Lo and Ben. Peanut Butter and Jelly! This went from crazy blog rumor that lots thought I made up on Monday to confirmed and the biggest tech news story on Friday. I even got the dates right!
So that means that any Halo game will never come to any other platform besides Xbox 360 and or Windows. Not PS3, not Wii, not Colecovision but some new Bungie non-Halo games might come out on other platforms eventually. Darn it looks like Bungie will never make another Myth game.
Man I love personal publishing and blogs. There was some choice quotes of folks not believing me.
"Upon closer examination, though, it appears rumors of Bungie's impending independence have been greatly exaggerated."
"Bogus or not bogus?: Bogus that Bungie's entire operation is uprooting itself from the Microsoft campus of its own volition"
The Seattle PI's Todd Bishop had great coverage including a great interview with heads of Bungie and Microsoft games, Shane Kim of Microsoft Game Studios and Harold Ryan of Bungie Studios.
Bungie going independent, Microsoft confirms (Update)
Here is a sample.
Q: Why did Bungie and Microsoft do this?
Kim: We've always had active conversations with the guys at Bungie. This is really about supporting their desire to return to their independent roots. Over the course of many conversations, we decided that this was the best path for both parties to undertake.
Ryan: It's about us becoming independent and feeling independent, but we're still partnered with Microsoft Game Studios ... for the Halo universe and other IPs that we bring out for the foreseeable future and hopefully for a long time with Microsoft Game Studios.
And another sample.
Q: What about existing IP other than Halo, such as Myth? Who will own that, and what happens there?
Ryan: Myth is something that Microsoft didn't acquire in the acquisition of Bungie. It actually still belongs to Take-Two.
Q: Why did Bungie want to become independent?
Ryan: It has a lot to do with that feeling of independence. We have a lot of independence already, having our own separate offices in Kirkland. But I think it's the same thing that strikes most people when they go leave a great job at a great company and go off to form their own company, in a lot of cases probably work harder then they worked before. ... This is just about that feeling of entrepreneurial independence.
The most awesome timing ever happened while Joystiq.com was recording their weekly podcast. They were 45 minutes into their podcast when the email of Bungie's official announcement of their independence again. They read bout it on the air and you can actually listen to the shock in their voices. Previously in the podcast they stated how this exact event would never happened. I love Joystiq.com and I understand the skepticism that they had when I made my first post about the Bungie/Microsoft split. They said that they owed me an apology by name and called me "The Man". At 25 minutes into the file they say that it's never going to happen, then later on at 45 minutes the official announcement came in and you could hear a pin drop while they read the news. They called it the Eating Crow Edition Podcast with a little theater about how it was not going to happen right before the word hit.. best podcast episode ever.
Bungie Owns Bungie: The Q&A - Kotaku
Kotaku had an great interview with Bungie heads about the future of the company.
"Bungie is privately owned by Bungie, not Microsoft. We are Bungie, LLC now."
The Halo movie is completely dead
Bungie Split Confirmed
The Seattlest gave me an awesome shout out about this.
8bitjake Was Right: Bungie Splits From Microsoft
MTV's Multiplayer blog had a good write up of the day's events.
It’s Official: Microsoft and “Halo”-maker Bungie Parting Ways
There already is a winner of the Frag 8bitjoystick.com Bounty Contest. I'll be mailing off the package and writing up the details about it this weekend. I can't wait to actually finish Halo 3's single player mode this weekend with my cats sitting next to me for support cause you know... cats and Halo.
Jake at October 6, 2007 
Games
Comments
Wow. I mean... wow. o.o
*can't believe it*
Posted by: Suzie at October 6, 2007 10:18 AM
That joystiq podcast is the funniest damn thing Ive ever heard.
Posted by: Anonymous at October 6, 2007 8:44 PM
