14 DAY TRIAL // Just yesterday, website 8Bit Joystick started quite some hype on the Internet, with Metcalf claiming that an e-mail "from a friend" of his revealed that the Bungie/Microsoft separation will indeed be announced in a short while. More than that, as Microsoft owns Bungie big time, the electronics giant will get to own every bit and piece of the Halo franchise, if the "divorce" does occur. That much is true and fairly possible.
But let's see the original post shall we? Yes, the actual email. (an excerpt): "...as (of) today Bungie (is) no longer part of Microsoft. Ask anyone who works there to search the global address book, they're no longer in there. Microsoft was supposed to release the press release today but if they wait till the 10/6 the impact wont effect the quarterly results. However today is the actual official date and the day the NDAs expire, however you still didn't hear this from me."
I personally dig the "you didn't hear this from me" part a lot. Makes it sound like two twelve-year-old girls are talking to each other about who kissed who on the lips. Nevertheless, adults use the same expression on a regular basis so let's just not comment on the credibility of this piece of information just yet.
"Apparently MS just wants Bungie to make Halo for the rest of their natural days", the email reads on "and Bungie doesn't like how MS is constantly trying to "handle" everything they do; the way they market their games, the way they interact with their fans (basically the fact that they do appreciate their fans), and how stingie they are with the profits (comparable to the rest of the industry). So as of today they are their own independent entity. They'll probably make Halo 4 for Microsoft, however hey are also free to create new intellectual properties for whatever system they want. (Even though they prefer the xbox platform)"
So basically, we should understand that it was Bungie's decision to part from the "mother ship", even though they like the "Xbox platform" so much. OK...
Of course, Microsoft and Bungie were contacted immediately by several gaming sites, as some clarification was definitely in order. Here's what 1UP.com managed to find out from Microsoft representatives:
MS Rep #1: "To your question, there's been no such announcement. We can't comment further."
MS Rep #2: "There's been no such announcement. We continue to celebrate the tremendous success of the global phenomenon that is Halo 3."
This isn't the kind of answer you'd expect from company reps, had it all been bogus, is it now...? I have to say, as fragile as this story seemed to be, the statements above surely add some credibility to it now.