Activision signs Bungie

Publisher Activision has signed a ten year deal with Halo developer Bungie that grants it worldwide publishing rights to a future multiformat release.

The move brings one of the most acclaimed developers into the Activision stable and is all the more notable considering the recent fall-out with super high-profile developer Infinity Ward.

Just as important as the monetary gains it will bring to Activision is the message it sends to an industry that has been ripe with discussion of how Activision treats its development partners.

The press release says that the partnership will bring Bungie’s next big action game universe to the market”. The deal covers new IP only, meaning that the Microsoft-owned Halo franchise will not only remain an Xbox and PC exclusive – it will also move away from its parent studio permanently after the release of Halo Reach later this year.

It’s the first publishing agreement Bungie has signed since it split from Microsoft in 2007.

We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise,” Bungie president Harold Ryan stated.

From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences.”

Activision’s Thomas Tippl added: Bungie is one of the premier studios in our industry and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with their talented team over the next decade.

Bungie has developed some of the most compelling and successful games, multiplayer experiences and thriving fan communities, and this alliance underscores our long-standing commitment to foster the industry’s best creative talent. Our unprecedented partnership with Bungie will enable us to broaden our pipeline of exciting new games as we continue to strengthen our industry position and pursue long-term growth opportunities.”