Activision and Bungie team up for the next 10 years

Activision will publish Bungies titles for the next decade in an industry changing move

Nope, this is not a joke.

Activision and Bungie have announced that for the next decade, Bungie’s titles will be published by Activision. The company will have exclusive and worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on new IP (in other words, non-Halo games) on multiple platforms and devices.

Bungie will continue to be a independent company and own their own intellectually property, so we won’t be seeing a repeat of the circus that has been the Infinity Ward debacle.

Bungie split from Microsoft back in 2007 to be a fully independent company once again, this move though could put the future of Bungie-made Halo games under a cloud.

So why are we reporting this? Well, Activision like to publish on every console under the sun (Re: Call of Duty 4). So, could a Bungie developed game be heading to the Wii or DS? Probably not- but if we asked you if this would happen yesterday, would you have believed us?

Full press release below

Bungie and Activision Announce Exclusive, Worldwide Partnership

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10-Year Alliance Expands Global Reach for Leading Game Developer Across Multiple Platforms

KIRKLAND, Wash. and SANTA MONICA, Calif., April 29, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX News Network/ — Bungie, the developer of blockbuster game franchises including Halo, Myth and Marathon, and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the #1 online games publisher (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that they have entered into an exclusive 10-year partnership to bring Bungie’s next big action game universe to market. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will have exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on the new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie remains an independent company and will continue to own their intellectual property. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The groundbreaking alliance will provide Bungie its first such partnership since splitting off from Microsoft in 2007, significantly broadening its global reach by providing the resources and support to develop, distribute and release games worldwide on multiple platforms and devices.

Activision will broaden its portfolio with a new franchise from one of the industry’s most creative, successful and proven studios, whose games have sold more than 25 million units worldwide. To date, Bungie’s Halo games have generated approximately $1.5 billion in revenues, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and GfK. Activision expects this agreement to be accretive to its operating margins as of the release of the first game.

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

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"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," stated Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. "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."