The deal between Sony and Bungie, the developer of the sci-fi video games Halo and Destiny, is finalized.
On Friday, both businesses shared the good news on Twitter, reiterating that the $3.6 billion transaction had been completed without any hiccups.
Despite the fact that it is a sizable sum for a relatively small business, the deal was understated enough to avoid the antitrust investigation that Sony competitor Microsoft’s proposed simultaneous acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $69 billion sparked.
Although Activision Blizzard, which publishes everything from Overwatch and World of Warcraft to the Call of Duty mega-franchise, is a far larger company, Bungie is still positioned to have a significant effect on Sony’s strategy for upcoming titles.
While Bungie will continue to operate independently at Sony, the company’s plan for PlayStation Studios, the subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment tasked with creating blockbuster games that demonstrate the company’s technological power, will use Bungie’s experience.
For a large selection of live service games—online multiplayer games that sell virtual items and expand over time, frequently charging players set monthly fees for access or exclusive benefits—Sony has huge ambitions to capitalize on Bungie’s fine-tuned approach.
Jim Ryan, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, stated the company’s goal to devote 49 percent of its PlayStation Studios development budget to live service games by the end of 2022 in a presentation to investors in May. Sony intends to release and sustain 12 of its own live service games within three years.
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