Support NeoGAF

[adamsapple]

 

[tmlDan]

The full Sony takeover is coming hard and fast at this rate

 

[Bartski]

sent to the gaas chamber

 

[Trogdor1123]

Ahh, that sucks. Do we know how the final shape sold? I just bought it last weekend and it really is great. A great ending to the 10 year saga.

 

[tmlDan]

Ahh, that sucks. Do we know how the final shape sold? I just bought it last weekend and it really is great. A great ending to the 10 year saga.

I think it did well after they showed more of it, preorders surpassed 1 million but we dont have current numbers

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

"this will be a tremendous change for our studio" good.

 

[R3TRODYCE]

Sheesh

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

We are committing to two other major changes today that we believe will support our focus, leverage Sony’s strengths, and create new opportunities for Bungie talent.

First, we are deepening our integration with Sony Interactive Entertainment, working to integrate 155 of our roles, roughly 12%, into SIE over the next few quarters. SIE has worked tirelessly with us to identify roles for as many of our people as possible, enabling us together to save a great deal of talent that would otherwise have been affected by the reduction in force.   

Second, we are working with PlayStation Studios leadership to spin out one of our incubation projects – an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe – to form a new studio within PlayStation Studios to continue its promising development.  

One way or another Bungie will end up with all of its talent inside Playstation studios. Now they are even creating another studio inside Sony's PS Studios (which Bungie isn't a part of) for a new game?

 

[Killjoy-NL]

Sony finally stepping in and taking over?

Might actually be good news, especially seeing that leadership also is seeing some changes.
Bungie has been messing up since development of the original Destiny. About time things get shaken up over there.

 

[Dane]

The full Sony takeover is coming hard and fast at this rate

I've read that Jeff Grubb said that this is the case.

 

[Hero_Select]

One way or another Bungie will end up with all of its talent inside Playstation studios. Now they are even creating another studio inside Sony's PS Studios (which Bungie isn't a part of) for a new game?

aka: The Sony Takeover is complete

 

[killatopak]

I'm not surprised. Feel bad for those affected but the last release is supposed to be the final DLC for Destiny 2 right? I think they'll just be limiting staff to those working on that new game they're working on.

 

[Gamer_By_Proxy]

Playstation waiting on that takeover clause to kick in

 

[SEGAvangelist]

 

[Mr Reasonable]

I think they laid off 10% last year too.

Best wishes to all who have been laid off.

 

[Kokoloko85]

Thats like one huge studio. I hope Sony finds them jobs.

So Bungie only working Destiny and Marathon confirmed?

 

[Not_A-Cop_Maybe]

How could Microsoft do this?


oh shit wait.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

So 220 lay offs and 155 moving to internal PlayStation studios. Crazy..

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

 

[Daneel Elijah]

Weird to see them firing 220 people, then saying that 155 more people will go to Sony( and be out of Bungie) and on top of that having Sony taking one of their teams and making their own studio from it. Sad to see, but hopefully it will stop after that.

 

[Bartski]

tl:dr but I bet they used the word"alignment" somewhere. Or "leveraging"

 

[IntentionalPun]

I kept saying when the acquisition was announced with non-standard PR about how independent Bungie would be that it was most likely (or rather obviously) a timed thing.

Nobody buys a company and gives them indefinite freedom.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

aka: The Sony Takeover is complete

I mean...i'm usually against acquisitions but this one sounds like things would be worse for Bungie without Sony's involvement at this point. If Sony is taking over, clearly Bungie didn't comply with a certain clause somewhere.

This also means something: If a new studio is being formed under PS Studios, means Sony is about to get exclusives titles (if they want) from said studio, without paying anything extra. They are basically using Bungie personnel that would be fired anyway to create a new studio and work on that new project.

Sony is doing the best they can with what's happening.

The 220 people fired sucks ass though. Shame they couldn't do anything for them.

 

[Gaiff]

Was about to make a joke at Microsoft's expense but somehow forgot they're owned by Sony.

Carry on.

 

[tusharngf]

 

[FalsettoVibe]

The full Sony takeover is coming hard and fast at this rate

I've read that Jeff Grubb said that this is the case.

Around the 39:20 mark

 

[MiguelItUp]

Extremely rough.

 

[DonF]

now you are cooking with gaas

 

[Interfectum]

TLDR: Bungie is undergoing significant changes, including laying off 220 employees, integrating 155 roles into Sony Interactive Entertainment, and spinning off an incubation project into a new studio within PlayStation Studios, due to rising development costs, industry shifts, and economic conditions, with a renewed focus on Destiny and Marathon.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

Yeah I’m thinking there might be some slack to cut here.

 

[LordCBH]

Jesus Christ. Also not lost on me the CEO who has guided them into mass layoff after mass layoff gets to retain his job. Fire his bum ass and maybe they wouldn’t have to let go of so many people.

 

[Topher]

 

[fudgybrownie]

Bungie has a lot of people right? A lot of people that gotta get paid. At least some will still have job within SIE. Hopefully they can get their new game Marathon out and start making money.

 

[NuclearDiarrhea]

How could Microsoft do this?


oh shit wait.

220 people have just lost their jobs. Now is not the time for cringe console warring. Be better.

On an unrelated note, fuck Xbox.

 

[Alan Wake]

Sucks for those affected. But I haven't been interested in anything they've done since Halo: Reach.

 

[Interfectum]

tl:dr but I bet they used the word"alignment" somewhere. Or "leveraging"

focus: 4 times
changes: 6 times
integration: 3 times
support: 5 times
goals: 2 times
opportunities: 1 time
realize: 1 time
viable: 1 time
leadership: 3 times
mitigation: 1 time
challenges: 1 time
alignment: 0 times
leverage: 1 time
trajectory: 1 time

 

[Jaybe]

Seems sensible to re-focus on 2 big projects. Looks like they attempted to stave this off as best as they could.

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons gave up annual bonus to help avoid layoffs, but it wasn't enough

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons and other executives are said to have forfeited their annual bonuses to help prevent laying off 100 workers, but it wasn't enough.

www.tweaktown.com

 

[solidus12]

Buying Bungie was a mistake, PlayStation. I know it was a reactionary move to Microsoft’s attempt to buy the industry, but Activision games won’t be exclusive.

Find a way to get rid of Bungie, Asap.

 

[W11d]

I hope the new studio is working on a single player game

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

the final shape didn't save their asses. is Sony taking over yet?

 

[Mr Moose]

How the hell are they so big?

 

[diffusionx]

It sounds like The Final Shit wasn't the hit they needed to be, and either Sony is taking over or Bungie is trying to pre-empt that with cost cutting.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

Yeah I’m thinking there might be some slack to cut here.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

How could Microsoft do this?


oh shit wait.

 

[Interfectum]

How the hell are they so big?

AAA bloat. The industry is course correcting now. Too many people making too many games.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

I really hope the new studio is not working on a GaaS title.

 

[Heaven Angel]

Second, we are working with PlayStation Studios leadership to spin out one of our incubation projects – an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe – to form a new studio within PlayStation Studios to continue its promising development.  

Meaning they are working on 2 new projects.
The new Sci Fi game which hopefully be a single player
and second is marathon which is a gaas

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

How could Microsoft do this?


oh shit wait.

no no no they did

 

[NickFire]

An underperforming expansion followed by a delayed expansion makes this not surprising.

 

[Punished Miku]

Totoki hit them with the death blow 5 months ago and it just now kicked in. Like Fist of the Northstar.

Sony isn't happy with Bungie: PlayStation boss wants more 'accountability' from the studio on money and deadlines

SIE chairman Hiroki Totoki said during the company's recent earnings call that everyone needs to get "onto the same page."

www.pcgamer.com