Why Bungie Left Microsoft

eFluxMedia reports:

Microsoft is famous for how bad it treats its partners and for its "moody" way of dealing with things, and the fruitful collaboration with Bungie is no exception.

For instance, back in September 2005, French developer In-Fusio had announced (in collaboration with Microsoft) the publication of a suite of mobile applications based on the "Halo" franchise created by Bungie Studios. But, according to the suit filled by In-Fusio in U.S. District Court in Seattle in January this year, . . .

With these details in mind you'll understand better why Bungie is so keen on breaking up with Microsoft.

[Mr PS3]

Bugie left micro$oft!! Because(look at my picture)

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

Your probably one of those guys who scream and throw fits to get attention arn't you?

[Nightrider128]

Wow how can a 360 fanboy like you live with your self.

And i know why Bungie and Microsoft split, its because Bungie is a one trick pony...and they realized halo sucks donkey nutts.

[-CaT-]

I find it hard to believe that MS would treat thier cash cow developer house like "crap"..

Perhaps MS feels that they don't "need" Bungie since they own the rights to all things HALO?

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

pfft what good is owning the rights if you don't know how to make the game good.

[mighty_douche]

that might be one of their problems, there such a huge company that they dont feel they need to listen and take advice once in a while. thing is they need to remember that there plenty of other smart people that DONT work for them already.

[-CaT-]

Bungie says "No more Halo from us" .. MS says "Bullsh*t, Halo is a must." , and viola you have an in-house Halo game in development.. Perhaps a partnership with Epic (or who ever is hot at the moment) to code and design the game..

Who knows what they are thinking.. Like I said, we may never know the real reason..

[socomnick]

Epic making halo = ORGASM lol

[HeavyweightInTheGame]

A great dev like Epic making Halo would bring innovative ideas to an already great series. Think about it. Using a great formula with new ideas would make the game only so much better.

[gta_cb]

i wonder how long it would have taken Epic to make Halo 3 and if it would have ended up being better?...

[gta_cb]

lol, how can anyone disagree with me saying "i wonder" if it would have been better. dont get me wrong i love playing Halo 3, i especially love the 4player co-op.

[dazreah]

How is this news, i don't get this site at times some site that has no idea the real reason why bungie left spews out some anti ms crap and this place laps it up.

[mighty_douche]

are you bill gates mum or something?

[dazreah]

I take it back :) soz douche

[mighty_douche]

relax my friend, this is an internet forum not houses of parliament. lighten up.

edit : no worries dude, im guessing your new to n4g, it's an... 'interesting' site, but dont expect to much...

[Squeezle]

This is, of course, only one person's idea... but Microsoft is exceedingly notorious for being a bully in business. They treat everyone like crap (even their best and "most valued" developers.) Case and point: Bungie. This is why I've never been fond of M$; they just don't care about anything but their money. This isn't to say that other companies aren't the same way, it's just that M$ has massive control issues.

[unlimited]

even epic have problems problems with microsoft. im jus glad bungie left now they concentrate on other platforms too.

[dazreah]

To be honest i don't see bungie working on anything other than the 360 for now, they have already stated this in interviews.

[unlimited]

yeah it will be awhile..but still they can make games for other system if desire..so im happy about it..microsoft need to chill with all the halo games ...halo universe halo war and etc..let bungie make new games gezz..

[gamesR4fun]

Heres hoping we see them shine now that their unfettered by M$. Besides another great independent dev team should be happy news for gamers of all ilk.

[SuperSaiyan4]

Why don't you people try READING carefully and more accurately? Bungie has already stated on their OWN site that they are continuing to support the Xbox 360 as their primary console to make games for and I quote 'Nothing has changed'.

[Sez]

thats because they are hoping bungie will make a game for their system.
bungie has stated many time in many interviews that nothing has change except bungie own bungie. not that they will stop supporting MS in anyway. matter fact they get first crack at any new IP before anyone does.

[The BS Police]

Bungie has stated that Microsoft has treated them very well.

[Silvia007]

Who ever thought that microsoft actually even gives a rats ass about them is umm... beyond words. This goes for bundgie and all the fanboys. This pretty much goes for almost any company. Your cash is their friend, not you.

[HeavyweightInTheGame]

Maybe the contract was set to expire once Halo 3 was released.

[Bloodmask]

is turned into an article. And because "he thinks" that Microsoft treats their in-house studios bad it must be true. LOL. Just more Microsoft hatred being placed as fact bc of this Pro-Sony sight.

Bungie and Epic both have stated that Microsoft treats it's game producers very well.

David Jaffe left Sony's first party studios. I guess this must mean that Sony doesn't treat their first parties well. Hang on. I'm going to go type up an article about it and post it.

[Kyur4ThePain]

Let me know when it's done.

[Kulupoo]

Gj bungie, now that can way more creative on games, like Halo DS... which is probably block from microsoft from releasing

[Nameless]

One of the main points of Bungie leaving Microsoft is to not do Halo anymore. I doubt we will ever get a Halo game with Bungie attached to it for a long time.

[goodganja]

Micro$hit is known for treating developers like crap. Look at bizarre creations, they left M$ and Bungie followed suit. Not to mention Ninja Theory was interested in developing exclusively for XBOX but they said no. Microsoft's only tactic is to fund Capcom as much money as they can and Take 2,EA the same.

Sony on the other hand are more hands on with developers and more tech savvy which is why devs develop for PS3 exclusively. So now that Bungie is free, be looking for Sony to really help them harness some PS3 power.

PS3 HALO COMING SOON BELIEVE THAT!!!

[Sez]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[BloodySinner]

That was hilarious, vega75.

[BIG49]

Did your mother drop you on your head when you were a child, devs exclusively made games on the playstation brand because they were number one and last i checked they werent and they cant sell any software.

[JasonXE]

freedom to do their own projects that is not Halo. IF they were with MS then their ideas would of been shot down and ask to do Halo 4. Personally, I want bungie to do another game or 2 this gen and on the next xbox have Bungie do Halo 4 to resurge xbox sales for next gen.

[Lotto]

MS got a rep as acting like bullys. They have the "right" to it if you ask me

[DarkSniper]

Bungie is playing the safe card. You know, never burn your bridges. Solid business practice on Bungie's part. They dont want Microsoft angry at them because of their past. That's all it is. But it's clearly stated that they will be moving on to greener pastures.

That green pasture is called the PLAYSTATION 3.

$niper

[BIG49]

go take a nap

[Nameless]

Ganja you do know that Microsoft owns anything & all related things to Halo right ? Bungie wont be making Halo games. Halo will never go to the Playstation 3. Bungie completely gave up Halo in order to split from Microsoft & now Microsoft owns anything & all things Halo.

Believe that !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jack who]

bungie has a 2 page repot on why they left...i guess we cant use that huh?

[The Wood]

plus im sure that if working under ms had become untenable, bungie would not make that fact clear to the public.

[jack who]

“This exciting evolution of our relationship with Microsoft will enable us to expand both creatively and organizationally in our mission to create world-class games,” said Harold Ryan, studio head for Bungie. “We will continue to develop with our primary focus on Microsoft’s platforms; we greatly value our mutually prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios, and we look forward to continuing that affiliation through ‘Halo’ and beyond.”

“Working with Microsoft was great for us, it allowed us to grow as a team and make the ambitious, blockbuster games we all wanted to work on. And they will continue to be a great partner. But Bungie is like a shark. We have to keep moving to survive. We have to continually test ourselves, or we might as well be dolphins. Or manatees,” said Jason Jones, Bungie founder and partner.

Bungie’s management retained the services of Don Leeds, senior managing director of B-Hive Global, LLC, to assist in the structuring of the deal and negotiating on their behalf. Bungie will remain in Kirkland, Washington, and is always looking to hire excellent talent.

[Jdoki]

I'm not defending MS, but I think a lot of people on this site (and many others) take things way too personally.

It's not like MS is running a sweatshop; it's not like Bill Gates comes down every day and cracks the whip over the employees. MS is a business, a big one just like Sony and just like Nintendo.

Bungie wanted more autonomy and in this situation both sides win... MS no longer have to financially support Bungie, but still keep the Halo franchise and have first refusal on any new IP... Bungie are now free to diversify and explore new genres. Sounds good to me.

The article speculates that MS treated In-Fusio badly, but it's just that.. speculation with no proof. It could just as easily be argued that In-Fusio didn't know one end of a mobile phone from the other and MS was protecting it's Halo IP to avoid diluting the franchise with poor quality games.

The only other example the article gives for 'moody' treatment of partners is Toshiba for the Zune situation, but people forget that MS and Tosh have a pretty close relationship in HD-DVD, so it can't be all bad.

And just to look at companies not having the best relationships' with partners... Nintendo was notorious in the NES/SNES days for treating 3rd parties like crap (high license fees, little support, even restrictions on the number of games a dev could make). Then there's Sony... do you really think developers 'love' Sony? I doubt it, they have to put up with difficult architecture and poor dev tools - devs code for Playstation because it's the brand that brings in the most money, nothing else.

Sony, MS and Nintendo are in business for one reason only.. to make money; emotion rarely gets in the way of decisions, so I doubt anyone at MS is losing sleep and crying in to their pillows over the Bungie realignment.

[jackdoe]

They own Bungie in everything but name. Bungie still has to give Microsoft first rights on whether or not they want to publish their games and they are still working on some games in the Halo franchise.

[DFresh]

This will really hurt MS getting rid of their best developers.
I don't even think MS cares about video games. I think they started it only to make some extra money that's why the first Xbox died so quickly they didn't take that much time to learn or even try to make good games.
The Xbox 360 is a good console but they really need to develop other games that sell not just the same two style of games Halo and Gears of War.
Bungie messed up on this new game as well promising to make an HD game but only plays in 640P- bad sign. However the game is fun anyways I just wish it could of played in HD.
If Bungie starts developing games for Sony MS is done for.
Lastly they need a better line up for next year to comeback the PS3 line up of MGS4, KZ2, Eight Days, etc.
I am a Sony fan by the way but if MS starts making newer and better games I will consider buying an Xbox out of good graces and trying not to offend anyone.

[WilliamRLBaker]

the reason from bungie them selves, so why would we listen to the WRONG reasons this site is giving?
no reason.

[Real gamer 4 life]

anybody else noticing a trend? First peter moore then bizzare and know bungie. there something that we dont know about. Everrybody is leaving microsoft, but why?

[jack who]

nice try there but bizzare was never with microsoft and they didnt leave they were Acquired by Activision...peter moore left so he could be closer to his famliy.

[SofaKingReetodded]

MS is going to announce the discontinuation of the xbox line and the closing of its games division.

MS has NEVER made one penny of either xbox, they are already like 13 billion in the hole and the years of unprecendented sales growth it would take to erase that deficit and return a profit would happen by the time the 1440 is out. In other words it's NEVER gonna happen.

Shane Kim said it, many other MS talking heads have said it. The only ones not reading the writing on the wall are the poor little xbots fighting their hearts out for a corporation that only cares about profit and gaming seemed like an easy market to corner and then gouge at the time. Thank god for sony otherwise console gaming woulda been turned into a MS micro-transaction waste land.

[Gina-get-u]

Guys, think, even for a second, just THINK. You are a developer working for Microsoft. You hate Microsoft as much as this guy says you do. You are "eager" to leave Microsoft. You are sick of Halo. So what you do?

a) Quit, not in a year, but NOW and set up your own shop, have nothing further do with either Halo or Microsoft; or

b) Negotiate with MS for a year so that you can form an independent studio in which MS still retains an equity interest, while continuing to focus on the 360 as your primary platform, and oh, also continuing to work on the Halo IP.

If you choose B, that doesn't sound like somebody sick of Halo and "eager" to leave MS, does it? And nothing was stopping Bungie from choosing A. So think, please, just think.

[IRONMAN_X57]

no need to show it you already know, they demand product yet provide no support especially with halo, its as simple as that

[Quickstrike]

NOW GO OUT AND BUY BUNGIE B4 M$ GETS IN A BAD MOOD AND FORCES BUNGIE TO MERGE WITH THEM :(

[ConnerS]

the problem i have with this posting is that everyone whos worked for sony and then gone to microsoft says that sony people are the worst people to work for because the are such @$$holes and that they like microsoft so much more because they dont treat their partners bad or have "moody" ways of dealing with things so this posting is a big piece of $*!&.

[God of Gaming]

seems to me MS was pretty fair in letting bungie go somewhat on their own... good deal for both companies

[DiLeCtioN]

i thought they were happy

[Archmagel]

Many may think MS is a "bully" and some "not"....but the bottom line is that Bungie left...good news, bye bye, see yuns later....but they will still have some type of bond with MS... it just has the system to hold all of Bungie's dreams, hopes, and money. They may have left from under MS's wing...but it will still be the thing that fed it worms and a nice nudge (i know someone will come up with push) out of the nest and made it fly. Now all we have to do and can do is wait and see if it will continue to fly or die.

p.s.: i think theyll fly

[tplarkin7]

That's the reason for the split. Microsoft aren't "mean". Bungie aren't "mad".

It is typical for any man to be unsatisfied when he works for anyone. Every man has his own aspirations.

Naturally, Microsoft have their own ideas about Bungie which didn't match Bungie's plan. Bungie have leverage, so they made a deal.

[QuackPot]

The Guys & Gals at Bungie are very talented and should be proud of the work they've done with the Halo franchise.

But we have yet to see anything from Bungie as good or better than Halo.

It would be interesting to see any new IP especially for the the Ps3, but if it never happens, who cares?

All the good things of Halo(characters, gameplay, MP online, vehicles, weapons, music, graphics, settings) can be copied, modified and improved on by other developers. Oddly enough, no developer has done that but have instead gone their own way with their FPS(Killzone, Ut, Resistance, Black, CoD, Battlefield etc).

[CDorno]

Not so surprising, really - one could only imagine just how controlling and restrictive Microsoft could be.

[tonsoffun]

Personally, I think the real reason that Bungie left MS is two main reasons: creative freedom and MONEY.

Since Bungie is a first part dev, then I am prety sure that MS would have taken a huge chunk of any profits made from Bungie games.

And I am also sure they would love to keep Bungie to churn out the Halo games every few years, but any decent dev would like to do a variety of different games, rather than the same iteration/genre over and over again.

Bungie is a great dev and I for one look forward to see some of the things they will come up with.

GOOD LUCK TO THEM

[supnub5]

again like i said halo sigma: ps3 edition