Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal • Hacker News Board

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#121

Post by samsgro » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:27 PM UTC

sylens wrote: post #110

015a wrote: post #77

Outside looking in, this feels like a far more valuable acquisition than Activision for $69B. Call of Duty is valuable, but Microsoft has already said they don't intend to remove it from PlayStation. That could change, but so could CoD's importance to the video gaming industry as a whole: its popularity has dropped with essentially every release since BLOPS2. Outside of CoD: AB is a shadow of its former self; IMO the…

> In comparison: Sony paid 20x less for Bungie. What they lack in variety of products, they make up for in, in my view, Potential. Destiny is a great franchise, with lots of fans. The team brings rock solid FPS dev & netcode experience (something Sony's first party studios are at a deficit for). I disagree. Destiny may have once had potential, but Bungie is a studio that continually shoots itself in the foot. Just li…

Generally agree, but on the other hand, the game feels a LOT better since since the Activision divestment.

In the last 12 months narrative team of Destiny 2 have REALLY knocked it out of the park, with the seasonal plot actually making sense and having some interesting activities (like Battlegrounds). Some significant improvements in QoL too.

While there definitely gaps as you say - the New Light experience in particular needs some serious work - so long as Sony lets the team continue on its current trajectory, there may be hope.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#122

Post by theandrewbailey » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:28 PM UTC

supermatt wrote: post #21

Feels like sony + ms are just going to shoot each other in the foot. Gamers will end up with both consoles (sold as loss leaders) to get access to the exclusives and then spread their investment in games between the two. Lose/lose

It seems like all new Xbox games will be on PC[0], and eventually Playstation games will be after some exclusivity period[1].

Halo Infinite released same day on Xbox and PC. That's never happened for a mainline Halo game before.

[0] Phil Spencer confirms all first-party Xbox Series X games are 'coming to PC' https://www.pcgamer.com/phil-spencer-confirms-all-first-part...

[1] Sony wants to bring more first-party games to PC https://www.pcgamer.com/sonys-new-strategy-brings-more-of-it...

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#123

Post by cecilpl2 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:29 PM UTC

spelunker wrote: post #91

throwaway17_17 wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would really like to see that comparison, i.e. the ‘human hours’ required, for a AAA game by a largish developer vs. the average Marvel film. I may try to do some rough numbers later because that just seems like an interesting thing to know. Also, how far down the stack do you go for each. Both rely on tools to make the production happen. Do you count hours to make the digital editing software and fx programs for f…

Do you count the hours to design and produce the computer hardware used to render the CGI for a film? Do you count the years and cost of raising a child from birth to being a member of the crew? I doubt they count hours towards tools etc developed as they probably paid money for those. So, different bucket I guess, and still important for the overall cost.

Paying money for a tool means having a person develop that tool for you.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#124

Post by capableweb » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:31 PM UTC

cableshaft wrote: post #60

fractal618 wrote: post #33

Halo on Playstation?? Cross Platform Halo?? It feels like I suddenly have butterflies in my stomach. <3

No Halo. Destiny 3 will probably be exclusive to Playstation though.

> we will utilize the Sony Group’s diverse array of entertainment and technology assets to support further evolution of Bungie and its ability to create iconic worlds across multiple platforms and media

> We will continue pursuing our vision of one, unified Bungie community, building games that value our community and meet them wherever and however they choose to play

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220131005684/en/

Seems they'll aim for making it available for multiple platforms, not PlayStation exclusive.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#125

Post by mig39 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:32 PM UTC

w4rh4wk5 wrote: post #102

Fuzzwah wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Halo was most certainly an FPS before MS bought Bungie. https://youtu.be/ebI5lkLRTdg

True, but it was initially supposed to be an RTS, just a bit longer before Microsoft stepped in.

Did you watch the video? It was basically complete before Microsoft bought it. They then ported it to Xbox.

It may have been an RTS initially, but when Microsoft bought Bungie, it was already "Combat Evolved" and near release.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#126

Post by 015a » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:33 PM UTC

HWR_14 wrote: post #88

015a wrote: post #77

Outside looking in, this feels like a far more valuable acquisition than Activision for $69B. Call of Duty is valuable, but Microsoft has already said they don't intend to remove it from PlayStation. That could change, but so could CoD's importance to the video gaming industry as a whole: its popularity has dropped with essentially every release since BLOPS2. Outside of CoD: AB is a shadow of its former self; IMO the…

Microsoft didn't buy Halo. They bought Bungie, then used them to make Halo. They spin them off, keeping then Halo franchise. Okay, technically Bungie was working on a RTS game called Halo when MS bought them, but it was after the purchase it shifted genres and found its groove. In other words, this "echo" isn't really what you are saying.

First of all; the original acquisition is not what I was referring to, but rather: Microsoft's "maintenance" of the Halo IP after Bungie itself left Microsoft's domain, and the formation of a near-entirely new studio (343) to develop it. Ok, they didn't buy the IP at that juncture; they bought a studio to develop an IP they already owned. Use some creativity and you can see the parallels are similar enough.

Second: Do you recall the keynote where Bungie unveiled Halo for the first time... at MacWorld 1999? For reference, Microsoft acquired Bungie in 2000. I've literally never heard the assertion that Halo was intended to be an RTS; my understanding is that it was originally going to be a third person FPS, as the 1999 MacWorld trailer suggests, but was changed to a first person FPS when Microsoft purchased them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eZ2yvWl9nQ

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#127

Post by mig39 » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:35 PM UTC

HWR_14 wrote: post #94

bsimpson wrote: post #19

I still remember when Bungie was one of the only companies that made games for Macs. The Marathon trilogy was a memorable part of my childhood. Then Microsoft bought them for Halo, and spun them back out (sans Halo). Halo was first demoed by Steve Jobs - it was going to be a Mac game.

It was going to be an RTS. Pretty different if you ask me.

Nah, here's a preview of Halo for Mac, in 1999. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebI5lkLRTdg Before Microsoft bought Bungie. It looks almost identical to the Xbox version from 2001.

It definitely started as an RTS, but it had morphed into Combat Evolved before Microsoft bought bungie.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#128

Post by capableweb » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:38 PM UTC

BitwiseFool wrote: post #8

I sense Sony is in dire straits when it comes to both IP availability and their ability to compete with Microsoft.

> I sense Sony is in dire straits when it comes to both IP availability

Maybe you're referring to that they don't have many IPv4s available, because Sony is in no lack of strong Intellectual Properties when it comes to gaming. Guerrilla Games (Killzone, Horizon Zero Dawn), Insomniac Games (Ratchet & Clank), Naughty Dog (Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Dexter, Uncharted, The Last of Us), Santa Monica Studio (God of War), Polyphony Digital (Gran Turismo) and more are all part of PlayStation Studios which is a division of Sony IE. Most of the studios in PlayStation Studios are big time IP in the industry.

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#129

Post by kipchak » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:40 PM UTC

015a wrote: post #126

HWR_14 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft didn't buy Halo. They bought Bungie, then used them to make Halo. They spin them off, keeping then Halo franchise. Okay, technically Bungie was working on a RTS game called Halo when MS bought them, but it was after the purchase it shifted genres and found its groove. In other words, this "echo" isn't really what you are saying.

First of all; the original acquisition is not what I was referring to, but rather: Microsoft's "maintenance" of the Halo IP after Bungie itself left Microsoft's domain, and the formation of a near-entirely new studio (343) to develop it. Ok, they didn't buy the IP at that juncture; they bought a studio to develop an IP they already owned. Use some creativity and you can see the parallels are similar enough. Second: D…

Halo was originally designed as a RTS, but playing around with it a bit they found it more fun to get the camera down closer, especially driving vehicles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weuRNxpDLUE

Re: Sony to buy video game maker Bungie in $3.6B deal

#130

Post by wklauss » Mon, Jan 31, 2022, 8:41 PM UTC

015a wrote: post #77

Outside looking in, this feels like a far more valuable acquisition than Activision for $69B. Call of Duty is valuable, but Microsoft has already said they don't intend to remove it from PlayStation. That could change, but so could CoD's importance to the video gaming industry as a whole: its popularity has dropped with essentially every release since BLOPS2. Outside of CoD: AB is a shadow of its former self; IMO the…

> Sony paid 20x less for Bungie. What they lack in variety of products, they make up for in, in my view, Potential.

Not really. Destiny has a smaller audience than CoD, and Activision Blizzard is a huge purchase with lots a of valuable IPs that go beyond CoD and can still grow (Bungie, OTOH, currently only has Destiny in it's catalog).

Bungie revenue was estimated around $300 million for 2019 vs. $6,5b for Activision Blizzard, so price seems to be in line for both purchases, around 8x annual rev.

Keep in mind Microsoft has bought ton of small studios as well! (Rare, Playground).

Returnal is a good title, but far from being a success by AAA standards (last time they reported sales of the game, in June 2021. it was 560.000 copies). I think part of the aura of success comes from being one of the very few exclusive titles created specifically for the PS5.