FEATURE: What Is Microsoft Doing with Bungie?
- Scribbled on July 16th, 2008 by Jonathon Howard
- Filed in E3, Features, Microsoft Xbox 360, Shooter, WTF
For the last several months, Bungie has been building up anticipation for their next title to be revealed at E3. Gamers and industry followers’ interest was piqued and everyone was waiting for the big reveal, especially after Bungie’s conspicuous absence at Mircosoft’s press conference.
Bungie was building up to something on its website with several non-sequitur messages, but if you visit the site now, you’ll be reading this from Harold Ryan, Bungie’s President:
Well, all that was for nothing.
Microsoft is their publisher, so why has Microsoft put the stops on announcing in a big way? With the announcement from Microsoft, that there is indeed a new Halo in production and that Bungie is working on it, it seems likely that it is the game Bungie wasn’t allowed to announce. It just doesn’t make sense to stop the developer making a big announcement, so that one of your upper management types can make an off-hand comment about it in an interview with MTV. Perhaps Microsoft wanted this E3 to focus on Gears of War 2 and Bungie’s title would have taken the spotlight. Of course, Final Fantasy XIII did that by itself.
Or maybe Microsoft decided that cancelling the announcement would pique interest in the Bungie project even more. After all, it’s certainly working as rumor and speculation fly freely. (Is Bungie upset with Microsoft? Did someone knock over the dolls on the Bungie web cam out of anger? Is there a tiff? Is the game broken? Is the game going multiplatform?)
Anyway, we’re not going to know until someone at Bungie or Microsoft spills, in the meantime let the rumors fly!
July 16th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Microsoft trying to pique our interest with a stunt like that? I don’t think even they would try a something as underhanded as that.
I’m thinking a power struggle between the two companies. Somebodies being punished. The alternative is total stupidity.
Maybe one of the BR brats from MLGpro.com may have had top connections with M$ executives? Bungie kind of arrogantly slapped around the Battle Rifle opponents. Payback for somebodies relative?
July 16th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
“Underhanded”? How so?
July 17th, 2008 at 10:18 am
M$ admits it was because of already owning the competition. Holding the announcement in the bank so to speak.
What a horrific blunder. The way it should have been handeled is thus.
1. Bungie prepares for but makes no announcements. No hype.
2. M$ has it’s announcement list in hand and Bungie knows it might get cut. No harm done by being prepared.
3. Bungie makes a surprise announcement and the audience shits itself with glee.
OR
3. Bungie gets cut and nobody is the wiser. The fans aren’t swarming outside the nest.
July 17th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Trust me, all will be forgiven when Microsoft makes a huge production out of Bungie’s project.
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