Rumour control: Microsoft to sell off Bungie (Halo developers)?

[Wiglaf]

He did present an argument. He feels Bungie is leaving because Microsoft instructs them to make a series of derivative shooters, each less original than the last. All you did was insult him.

[Asher]

That argument has already been presented, by Agathon himself earlier. Which I did respond to.

The subsequent post was not presenting an argument, it was a filosofical attempt at humour that ended up being a puerile derivative joke made ten times before ten times better.

[Agathon]

If Asher goes insanely septic, it's a good sign that the object of his ire is probably true.

If the news is confirmed, he'll probably blow a gasket. After all, having the developer of your number one gaming franchise leave immediately after its (ridiculously hyped) launch isn't going to make things look good, and it hardly speaks to their confidence in the product.

But I digress.... the fact that another source has confirmed the story was surely worth another post over and above the original.

[Asher]

Why would I blow a gasket?

The Halo trilogy is complete. I don't care what game they launch in 3 years, now that we have Halo 3.

I'd like to explain this to you again, since you still don't understand. Bungie can't leave Microsoft. Microsoft can sell Bungie. They are very different things. The fact that some sources have downplayed the news indicates to me it'll be Bungie obtaining Second Party status like Rare under Nintendo.

All of this talk about Bungie making Mac games (Mac games!! With integrated graphics? Why??) is just ridiculous.

[DrSpike]

Originally posted by Asher
Not if they convey arguments. Big difference, my Old World friend.

Old World?

[Asher]

Aren't you some euro?

[ZargonX]

All of this talk about Bungie making Mac games (Mac games!! With integrated graphics? Why??) is just ridiculous.

Um, you do realize that's where they started, right?

[Asher]

I sure do! But now they're big boys with real markets to aim for. Where people can actually play their games.

And with the direction Apple's headed with integrated-graphics or mobile-graphics in everything, there's no point in doing gaming there.

[snoopy369]

My comment about mac games was a joke, you know, right?

And my gf's macbook pro can play every game my computer can currently play... Admittedly my gfx card is only an x800gto, but i'm a year and a half out...

[Asher]

But the mainstream Macs are MacBooks and iMacs.

Macs are already a tiny percentage of the market, gaming-capable Macs are a fraction of that.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Asher
But the mainstream Macs are MacBooks and iMacs.

Macs are already a tiny percentage of the market, gaming-capable Macs are a fraction of that.

What percentage of PCs in the US (or North America, or Europe, or whatever market you prefer) , excluding those owned by businesses, actually have discrete graphics cards?

And of those, how many have an obsolete card that wont run any games current IG wont play?

What do the installed bases for Nvidia and ATI actually look like?

[Asher]

No idea, but assuredly they're far larger than that of capable Mac machines -- and the PC gaming market is small enough as it is.

[FrostyBoy]

That's because the world is full of ignorant people. Which Sony and Microsoft are fully aware of and raking in the $$ because of it, just like every other major company does.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
What percentage of PCs in the US (or North America, or Europe, or whatever market you prefer) , excluding those owned by businesses, actually have discrete graphics cards?

And of those, how many have an obsolete card that wont run any games current IG wont play?

What do the installed bases for Nvidia and ATI actually look like?

Those are all meaningless since Asher's assertion (the Apple gaming market is miniscule with relation to the PC gaming market) is obviously true.

[Asher]

Continues to look more and more like I'm right.

This is from artredis1980 from Neogaf, he was the guy to post about the 360 3 SKU price drop 3 days before it was leaked, sounds pretty legit


* Microsoft will own around 45% of Bungie stocks
* Bungie will become a public gaming company like Rockstar and Epic
* Bungie will be allowed to create thier own engine and thier own games for any console/system they want
* If Bungie makes a game for any other console other than MS, MS will still get royalty $ from the profits obtained from that game
* Microsoft will have majority rights in the board room and financial decision making of Bungie
* Bungie is now allowed to make games for Nintendo and Sony but it also needs to be on Xbox 360 as well
* Microsoft made this financial decision as Gamers are more likely to buy 360 games than PS3/WII games per system
* An Independent Bungie will be more valuable than a Microsoft owned Bungie, More games are potentially to be sold on 360 with an independent Bungie
* Microsoft has all rights to Halo, ONI and Myth, Bungie will develop Halo for Microsoft and it will be published by Microsoft.
* Bungie will develop 2 more Halo games in Collaboration with WETA published by Microsoft
* The only games Microsoft will not have exclusive rights for are the ones which are new IPs.

Bungie would effectively increasing its value and possibly size while MS has majority control, Halo and the last word on financial decisions.