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

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
A) Why doesn't MS get rid of Rare then, as part of their "strategy"?

Who says they won't or aren't in the process? Even then, they paid a LOT of money for Rare (~$330M?) and I'd imagine there's considerable opposition to dumping that investment internally so soon.

B) No, I got the reference, you didn't get my response. Allowing Bungie freedom to make bad games is stupid because it taints the studio's image, which hurts sales. Microsoft would be better just prohibiting them from trying to make games like that.

Not if it kills morale.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wiglaf
They're not forced to do anything. WTF?

If in your purchase agreement, you tell the company they can make whatever game they want...yes, you are contractually forced to. Simple.

Rare is making Nintendo DS games. Do you think MS is fond of that, Wiggy?

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Asher
The key Bungie folk from Halo 1 had left a while ago, Wiggy.

Except Marty O'Donnel.

[Asher]

Gotta love the music.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Wiglaf

According to the source Agathon quoted, there's a bit more to it than that.

Yes, the source that was now proven correct as to the original rumour. That's good reason to believe in his accuracy.

You'd have to be a card carrying moron not to understand why this happened. Microsoft wanted to turn Bungie into an unimaginative cash cow that made Halo games, which they could milk for cash. Bungie didn't like that, so they arranged to leave. Only in the Asherverse is this not obvious, because the laws of logic and rationality are suspended in the Asherverse.

Again, this is a major black eye for Microsoft, since their premier game developer of their premier title has made it evident that they can't stand to work for them. And they did it publicly the very week the so-called killer app for the Xbox 360 was released. Could it be any more humiliating?

You'd have to have been the subject of a lobotomy not to get it.

It's just a pity that Microsoft strong armed them and didn't give them a clean break.

And I see the Stampers left Rare at the beginning of the year. That's a shame. I was a customer of theirs 25 years ago when they were Ultimate Play the Game (the best Spectrum developer on the planet bar none).

How many more pissed off game legends will disassociate themselves from Microsoft in the next few months?

[Asher]

You're so desperate to spin anything and everything against MS that it's pathetic.

MS was in the driver's seat for this whole transaction. I take it you don't understand business at all if you think otherwise.

And explain this to me:
1) If Bungie hates making Halo games, why did they contractually agree to make at least two more?
2) If Bungie hates Microsoft, why did they agree to have Microsoft be their exclusive publisher by default?
3) How does a wholly-owned part of the company simply "arrange to leave"? Once you've been purchased you can't take your ball and go home...
4) How is this is "major black eye for MS" when they can guarantee all Bungie games will be on the Xbox, as well as at least two more Bungie Halo games?

There are major holes in logic and reason in your argument, not in mine. I suppose you think the fact that FASA and Bizarre Creations were closed and spun off within a month was just a massive coincidence as well? Your theory is Bungie threw a tantrum because MS wants Halo games to be developed and left because of it. Yet, Bungie still has to make Halo games. Isn't that, I don't know, a fundamentally flawed argument?

I strongly suggest you take a Business 101 course as well. Divisions of a company don't just up and leave. Your whole post is meant to be anti-MS, as your posts always are. Your clinically insane vendetta against Microsoft is well-known, and it clouds whatever little reasoning skills you have.

Here's an example, from the PC space. You fork over a bucketload of cash for a new iMac. You get home, upgrade its software, and the thing just dies. Clearly atrocious quality control. What do you do? You start a thread on a Mac fanboy site extolling how awesome Apple is: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=190195

Any normal person would be furious their new computer is already broken, but not you...it made you love Apple even more. What's the term for that? Masochist?

[Asher]

I'm having fun reading through your posts on MacRumours.

I especially love how you whine about the Halo 3 online players here, yet on MacRumours you talk about how awful the Warhawk players are and how the host of the game will quit (and kick people out) right before he loses.

This comment is a gem also:

Yes, but the problem for Microsoft is that the PS3 is capable of much more than the 360 is. As time passes, the PS3 is going to have games which the 360 cannot technically compete with in terms of graphics and sheer size.

Play Motorstorm and then go back to the 360, and you'll see what I mean. Forza 2 is an awesome racer, but it's just not on the same scale.

Forza 2 isn't a graphical powerhouse. It's not meant to be, of course, most of its horsepower is dedicated to physics. Motorstorm's physics are beyond pathetic, of course.

Compare PG3/PGR4 to Motorstorm and it's night and day.

The PS3 isn'tmore powerful. This is a fundamental failure to understand the technical aspects of the console. I can see why you didn't bring up that argument over here, you knew you'd be soundly dismantled -- but you still spew nonsense elsewhere with nothing but similar artsy Mac fanboys to argue with (who won't know a thing about it).

It's a goldmine for bull**** over there, spouted by you:

I think you're missing the point. I am an XBL member and, frankly, it is just individual games plus a friends list and email.

XBL is just a friends list an email? What? Are you serious?

One of your reasons to choose the PS3 over the XB360 is:

When the PS3 boots up, you get the wonderful sound of an orchestra.

Other ones are the "superior" interface (already dismantled in another thread, that you couldn't respond to because it was pretty thorough in dismantling your "opinion"), and "Online" -- because we all know that the PS3's online service is superior to Xbox Live! Not to mention your last point, "Dominance" -- if "Dominance" was a criteria, why would you choose the console looking to finish in a distant third place?


Everyone else here can get a good laugh at the posting history: http://forums.macrumors.com/search.p...2&pp=25&page=1

[Wiglaf]

And explain this to me:
1) If Bungie hates making Halo games, why did they contractually agree to make at least two more?
2) If Bungie hates Microsoft, why did they agree to have Microsoft be their exclusive publisher by default?
..

Figure it out...like you said, a wholly owned company can't waltz out without some limitations.

Microsoft's own press release states that they are "accommodating Bungie's desire" to be independent.

[Asher]

Sure, as I said before, I find that believable. MS doesn't want to deal with an internal development house that'll churn out sub-standard games. While I love Halo, Bungie isn't exactly a AAA developer for their other titles in Oni and Myth. They got Halo right, but it probably scares them to finance another Oni or Myth -- it's not something I'm sure they want.

This way, Bungie gets to do that and MS gets to say "pass" whenever a project doesn't interest them. Thus, win-win.

[asleepathewheel]

Lots of straw grasping.

Owning a dev company outright is much less necessary when your hd competitor has a small fraction of your marketshare.

Almost any decent third party hd effort that will be announced in the near future that is not moneyhatted by sony or japanese-centric is either going to be 360 exclusive or multiplat.

I mean, come on, look how many games have lost their exclusivity already.

[snoopy369]

Sorry Wiggie, you're not reading this very well. MS spinning them off is a business move, and a common one for companies to make who focus more on their core business(es) and spin off other elements that have high fixed costs. I don't doubt that the Bungie folks are happy to be gone so they have a bit more freedom, but I think this was a MS choice for business reasons.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Wiglaf

Figure it out...like you said, a wholly owned company can't waltz out without some limitations.

Some things are so hard for people to understand.

[Asher]

Clearly.

[Asher]

Look, more debunking of the "Bungie hates MS" ****:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163440

1UP: What was Microsoft's first reaction when you guys realized this was a move you wanted to make? Backing out of an acquisition isn't exactly the most sane idea we've ever heard of.

Jarrard: Well I wasn't in the room for those discussions but it seems that both groups quickly came to the realization that this was a mutually beneficial evolution of our relationship.


1UP: For all the super fans: does this mean Bungie won't work on whatever "Halo 4" turns out to be?

Jarrard: Well we are already at work on another Halo game -- I wouldn't call it "Halo 4", but it is based in the Halo Universe and represents a collaboration between Bungie and Peter Jackson. Halo 3 was definitely not the last Bungie Halo game.

[Asher]

It also looks like the Xbox 360 is still the only platform Bungie will work for, for now:

"The Xbox has given us lot of success so, for now, our eyes are set on the Xbox 360," Bungie spokesperson Brian Jarrard told Reuters. "We're not in a situation where we're running out the door and grabbing Wii and PS3 development kits."