Bungie signs 10-year publishing deal with Activision @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on April 29, 2010

News: From one Evil Empire to another.

It appears that Bungie has jumped from the clutches of one Evil Empire to another as today they announced they will be partnering with Activision on a massive ten-year publishing agreement that, yes, will see the release of their future games on "multiple platforms and devices." While it was unsaid, these multiple platforms likely include the PS3 and PC, and "devices" may even refer to handhelds like the DS and PSP or mobile platforms like the iPhone/iPad.

The first game to come out of the deal will be part of Bungie's New Universe project, which they began hiring for earlier this year. However, any further details on the game have not been revealed as of yet. And it's important to note that this deal between Bungie and Activision is just a publishing agreement. Bungie will remain an independant developer and they will retain ownership of the intellectual property created for the New Universe.

Executives from both companies seem extremely pleased:

УWe chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise,Ф said Harold Ryan, President of Bungie. УFrom 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.Ф

УBungie 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,Ф stated Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. УBungie 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.Ф

According to the text of the press release (and statements from company executives), it appears this deal only applies to Bungie's New Universe, allowing them to also make publishing deals with other companies (such as making another Halo game for Microsoft) if they so choose.

We'll have more soon, hopefully at E3.