14 DAY TRIAL // The big news of the week is that Bungie, the creator of the Halo universe and of Master Chief, has signed an exclusive deal with publisher Activision, which concerns the distribution rights for all the videogames based on new intellectual properties for the next ten years.
It's been quite the bombshell, meaning Bungie will develop now for any platform they like after being confined for years on the Xbox 360. It also means they will be leaving behind the game mechanics and characters that made them famous and adventuring into unknown gaming territory.
A representative from Sony told IGN that “The partnership between Bungie and Activision is a big win for gamers worldwide. Combining Bungie's creativity with the incredible power of PlayStation 3 will add serious muscle to action gaming. We look forward to extending Bungie's 'next big action game universe' with PS3 users.” Activision has traditionally had a console neutral stance, meaning that its titles get launched on as many platforms as possible, which will benefit the PlayStation 3 in the long run.
Microsoft, the company that currently benefits from the gold mine that are Halo videogames developed by Bungie, has also offered a statement, “Our partnership with Bungie as a first-party developer for Xbox 360 remains unchanged, and right now we're deeply engaged with them on the development of Halo: Reach, which is poised to be the biggest game of 2010.” The software giant has recently set up 343 Industries as the entity that will take over the running of the Halo universe once Reach is launched in the fall.
Nintendo, content with the fact that a Mario-powered title tends to sell at least on par with other huge console franchises like Halo and Modern Warfare, did not comment on the news. The fresh Bungie intellectual property might arrive on the Nintendo Wii, but it's unlikely that it will have a huge impact.