Breaking! Sony neemt Destiny-ontwikkelaar Bungie over voor $3.6 miljard

Sony Interactive Entertainment neemt ontwikkelstudio Bungie over voor een bedrag van 3.6 miljard dollar. Na de overname blijft Bungie een onafhankelijke studio van Sony.

Bungie is hedendaags bekend om de Destiny-franchise, maar voor Destiny was Bungie eigendom van Microsoft. Deze studio was verantwoordelijk van de Halo-franchise tot en met Halo 3.

UPDATE: In een FAQ op de PlayStation Blog geeft Bungie aan dat de studio volledige creatieve vrijheid blijft houden en dat games multiplatform gaan verschijnen. Destiny en toekomstige projecten zullen dus ook uitkomen op Xbox-consoles.

Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios

“I am absolutely thrilled to announce a new member will be joining the PlayStation family!

“I’ve been a fan of Bungie for many years. I have admired and enjoyed the games that they create—and have great respect for their skill in building worlds that gamers want to explore again and again.

“Bungie makes games with outstanding technology that are enormously fun to play. They also have unmatched dedication to the communities that play their games, and everyone at PlayStation, and PlayStation Studios, will be excited about what we can share and learn from them.

“I have spent a great deal of time with the senior team at Bungie and it is clear their experience and skills are highly complementary to our own. We will be ready to welcome and support Bungie as they continue to grow, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for this incredible team.”

Pete Parsons, CEO of Bungie

“We believe games have limitless potential, and that to do anything worthwhile in entertainment, we must bet big on our vision, on our studio, and on our incredible team of trusted creators who build unforgettable worlds that truly matter to people.

“In Sony, we have found a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment, all while preserving the creative independence that beats in Bungie’s heart. Like us, Sony believes that game worlds are only the beginning of what our IPs can become. Together, we share a dream of creating and fostering iconic franchises that unite friends around the world, families across generations, and fans across multiple platforms and entertainment mediums.

“Today, Bungie begins our journey to become a global multimedia entertainment company.

—Creative Freedom

“Since taking flight in 1991, Bungie has always charted the future with our own star map—a path that is driven by our people and for our community. We are continuing that journey with new worlds in development, and we can’t wait to share them with you.

“With Sony, the potential for our universes is unlimited. Our future games will take bold steps into unexplored spaces for Bungie, continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, and will always be built on a foundation of creating meaningful, lifelong friendships and memories.

“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.

“With Sony’s support, the most immediate change you will see is an acceleration in hiring talent across the entire studio to support our ambitious vision. If this speaks to you, and you want to help us put a dent in the universe, we are hiring across all disciplines for