Fans and players have been keeping an eye on Sony ever since Microsoft purchased Activision Blizzard -- a power play, for all intents and purposes, after considering Xbox also bought Bethesda in 2020. Now, with Sony announcing its plans to purchase Bungie, those who suspected Sony would start acquiring studios to even the playing field have been proven correct. That said, Sony and Bungie's relationship seems like it'll be a bit different from how Microsoft has incorporated new studios into the fold.
While Sony's purchase of Bungie for $3.6 billion might seem like pocket change compared to Microsoft's $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, it's vital to remember scope. Right now, the legendary original Halo developer only has one active title on the market. Even though there's another secret project cooking in Bungie's oven, it's still nothing compared to Activision Blizzard's current active lineup. That said, it's still a big deal that Bungie will officially be joining the PlayStation family, having previously partaken in content exclusivity deals with Sony before.
Likely the first thing on many fans' minds after hearing the news of Sony's acquisition was whether the decision would create ripple effects in Destiny 2. Thankfully, Bungie quickly followed up on the news, releasing a blog post that helped ease away any fears harbored by players. In the post, Bungie says, "We remain in charge of our destiny. We will continue to independently publish and creatively develop our games. We will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community. Our games will continue to be where our community is, wherever they choose to play." In short, Bungie confirmed that players will always be able to play Destiny 2 across the variety of platforms they're able to currently.
Bungie even went on to add a FAQ about the news, providing even more insight into how the partnership with Sony is playing out. Most interestingly, one of the FAQ questions makes a point to call out the mysterious untitled project Bungie currently has in development, saying, "Bungie has future games in development, will they now become PlayStation exclusives?" and answering with a firm "No." In the same vein, Bungie also put to rest any fears players might have had about console-exclusive armors or activities returning to PlayStation consoles, reaffirming the company's plans remain unchanged since debuting a roadmap for the Light and Darkness Saga through 2024.
It seems fans won't have to worry about Bungie entangling itself with content exclusivity or changes to the way they play. Still, Bungie could have some positive changes in store after becoming a PlayStation brand. Namely, Bungie will have access to a much larger resource pool, both for funds and potential partners to work with. In fact, Sony's already had a positive effect on Bungie that players can see. Right now, Bungie's hiring across the entire company, accelerated by Sony.
While Destiny 2 is an ultra-popular online game, and Bungie has another title on the way, it might seem at first glance that Sony is on the losing end of its purchase. Bungie is staying independent in the sense that it's able to maintain Destiny 2's existence across the vast ecosystem of platforms, and there doesn't seem to be any plans for PlayStation exclusive content. So what's Bungie's value to Sony?
Firstly, Sony's new partnership with Bungie puts a live service heavyweight in PlayStation's corner, helping the company in an area it struggled to gain ground. Speaking to gameindustry.biz, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan confirmed that he felt PlayStation could use its new relationship to learn from Bungie. Ryan said, "We have an aggressive road map with live services. And the opportunity to work with, and particularly learn from, the brilliant and talented people from Bungie... that is going to considerably accelerate the journey we find ourselves on." So while Sony won't be able to sway players to PlayStation consoles with tantalizing Destiny 2 offers, it's gaining something that's arguably more important, the know-how to make a game like Destiny.
Though that's as far as the Sony and Bungie news goes in the world of video games, it would be irresponsible to discount other media too. Sony is a behemoth in the movie industry, and job postings last year had all but confirmed several Destiny-adjacent film and tv projects were staffing up for production. With Sony, Bungie has a reliable partner with both a foothold in worldwide markets and decades of experience in the field. Coincidentally, that also means that any Sony-produced Destiny media would net the PlayStation manufacturer a nice slice of whatever that project goes on to earn.
All in all, Sony's purchase of this legendary developer will be mutually beneficial for both parties. Bungie will see Sony's monetary support while continuing to grow its community and create content delivered across various platforms, just as it does now. At the same time, Sony will be able to learn from a best-in-class live service partner and open the doors for future collaboration with Bungie's brands across different types of media. Best-case scenario, Destiny gets better and is followed by good movies and tv shows. Worst-case scenario, Destiny stays the same and doesn't translate to the screen. For all intents and purposes, this may be the best news Destiny fans have gotten since The Witch Queen's announcement.
Source: Trendz OH
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