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Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that it has reached a deal to acquire Destiny creator Bungie, in a $3.6 billion deal (via GamesIndustry.biz).
Once the deal closes, Bungie will be “an independent subsidiary” of SIE, and will be run by a board of directors including current chairman and CEO Pete Parsons, as well as the Bungie’s current management team.
Bungie will continue to operate independently remain a multiplatform studio, and will have the option to “to self-publish and reach players wherever they choose to play,” according to a statement from Sony.
“Bungie has created and continues to evolve some of the world’s most beloved videogame franchises and, by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gameplay experiences, they bring together millions of people around the world,” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation. “As part of our Purpose to ‘fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology’, we will utilize the Sony Group’s diverse array of entertainment and technology assets to support further evolution of Bungie and its ability to create iconic worlds across multiple platforms and media.”
“We’ve had a strong partnership with Bungie since the inception of the Destiny franchise, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome the studio to the PlayStation family,” said Jim Ryan, President and CEO, SIE. “This is an important step in our strategy to expand the reach of PlayStation to a much wider audience. We understand how vital Bungie’s community is to the studio and look forward to supporting them as they remain independent and continue to grow. Like Bungie, our community is core to PlayStation’s DNA, and our shared passion for the gamer and building the best place to play will now evolve even further.”
This marks Bungie’s second acquisition – having been previously acquired by Microsoft back in 2000 – only for the studio to later regain its independence in 2007.
It also means that the original creators of Microsoft’s biggest franchise, Halo, now belongs to Sony. Though given that Microsoft now owns the rights to Crash Bandicoot, I suppose it’s only fair.
“In SIE, we have found a partner that fully supports us and wants to accelerate our vision of creating meaningful entertainment experiences that span generations, all while valuing the creative independence that is the heartbeat of Bungie,” said Pete Parsons, Bungie CEO and chairman. “We will continue pursuing our vision of one, unified Bungie community, building games that value our community and meet them wherever and however they choose to play. Both Bungie and SIE believe that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IP will become. Our original universes have immense potential and, with SIE’s support, we will propel Bungie into becoming a global multi-media entertainment company dedicated to delivering on our creative vision.”
This marks yet another gigantic acquisition, as the games industry becomes ever-more consolidated. While the sums involved pale in comparison to Microsoft’s $68.7bn acquisition of Activision Blizzard, it is nonetheless the latest in a long line of large studios acquisitions.
