Today, Activision and Bungie dropped a bombshell of an announcement, revealing that the publisher and developer would be teaming up for a new multiplatform IP. The 10-year deal is indeed a long one, suggesting that both Activision and Bungie are in this for a big franchise beyond a simple one-off title.
Those expecting to see Halo on other consoles will be disappointed. The IP rights of the Halo franchise are still very much owned by Microsoft, who is rightfully hell-bent on seeing their number-one franchise stay on Microsoft’s consoles (and occasionally the PC), even if that means Bungie won’t be the developer.
This announcement bodes especially well for Activision, who have not been the most popular game publisher as of late. The recent shakedown at Call of Duty creator Infinity Ward, resulting in the firing of the studios’ co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella, the subsequent lawsuit, West and Zampella’s founding of a new development house, and the departure of many key members of the Call of Duty team from Infinity Ward to join the new developer (whew) has been a battle that Activision has had trouble facing, as it puts the future of their most popular franchise in jeopardy (for a more in-depth look, check out Stevie Smith’s editorial piece from last month). Needless to say, teaming up with one of the most popular shooter developers in the world would be the boost in the arm that Activision could use to bolster their catalog.
For Bungie, this is finally seeing their separation from Microsoft come to fruition, allowing the developer to forge their own multiplatform path. While the developer separated from Microsoft nearly three years ago, the company has continued to develop games from its Halo franchise exclusively for the publisher, including the yet-to-be-released Halo: Reach. Their first foray outside of Microsoft’s systems is definitely a big move for the beloved developer, and fan boys be damned, a multiplatform title will only ensure that their games will get into the hands of more gamers, which is definitely a wise move.
All in all, the winners in this announcement will be gamers, particularly Bungie fans. Bungie knows how to turn out a fantastic franchise, and Activision knows how to properly sell one. While some might look to the shake up at Infinity Ward as a possibility that the uber-publisher might cause some issues with the game’s development, hopefully Activision will learn from their experience with that developer, consider Bungie’s track record, and let the folks that turned the Master Chief into a household name do their magic in peace.
