Activision's Court Case Outs Bungie's Upcoming Projects

[WMDogma]

Activision's Court Case Outs Bungie's Upcoming Projects

[img_inline src="http://cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/62/62837.jpg"]
Documents hint at a new shooter and a new Marathon title.

The lawsuit between Activision and former Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vincent Zampella has revealed some fascinating tidbits of information, such as the hilariously named "Operation Icebreaker", in which Activision tried to hack its employees' computers. More recently, the court case revealed the details of a ten-year publishing deal Bungie signed had previously signed with Activision in 2010 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/100329-Bungie-Signs-Deal-With-Activision], detailing the former Halo developer's plans to launch a new game franchise later next year.

The contract calls on Bungie to develop and release four "sci-fantasy, action shooter games" under the code name "Destiny" every other year starting in the fall of 2013. Bungie will also release four downloadable expansion packs, currently carrying the codename of "Comet" every other year beginning in the fall of 2014. The first game will be exclusive to the Xbox 360, but later "Destiny" titles would be made for the next generation of gaming consoles, including the rumored Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4.

On an interesting side note, Bungie may also be working on a successor to their cult classic FPS Marathon, originally published almost two decades ago in 1994. A passage in the Activision/Bungie contract shows that Bungie has the right to devote no more than 5% of its staff to working on an action-shooter prototype codenamed "Marathon" while working with Activision.

You can check out all the juicy details of the contract here [http://documents.latimes.com/bungie-activision-contract/].

Source: LA Times [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-bungie-activision-contract-20120521,0,3463781.story]

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[Bloodtrozorx]

I think the Marathon tattoo on my arm just glowed alittle.

OT: Bungie makes a mean Sci fi Shooter and all but now they will compete with Halo and whatever the sci fi shooter is that Respawn is working on. I kinda wish they had tried something else.

 

[cairocat]

I think the Marathon tattoo on my arm just glowed alittle.

OT: Bungie makes a mean Sci fi Shooter and all but now they will compete with Halo and whatever the sci fi shooter is that Respawn is working on. I kinda wish they had tried something else.

So I guess this kills the cross platform MMO rumor.

 

[Aerosteam]

I really hope what they make isn't close to what I'm going to make.

Sci fantasy, action shooter

Also, Bungie is now dead to me.

 

[Atmos Duality]

A passage in the Activision/Bungie contract shows that Bungie has the right to devote no more than 5% of its staff to working on an action-shooter prototype codenamed "Marathon" while working with Activision.

Welp, expect 10 more years of no-Marathon, unless the codenames for the games are swapped.

I'd make some snide comment about how this is going to lead to another overblown CoD4.x-like franchise to milk year after year....but then I remember Halo and how Halo basically revolutionized that sad trend for the shooter market.

Seems like a perfect match to me.

 

[Sucal]

A passage in the Activision/Bungie contract shows that Bungie has the right to devote no more than 5% of its staff to working on an action-shooter prototype codenamed "Marathon" while working with Activision.

Welp, expect 10 more years of no-Marathon, unless the codenames for the games are swapped.

I'd make some snide comment about how this is going to lead to another overblown CoD4.x-like franchise to milk year after year....but then I remember Halo and how Halo basically revolutionized that sad trend for the shooter market.

Seems like a perfect match to me.

Except Halo was never a franchise every year thing. First halo came out in 2002. Last one came out in 2010. Its 2012. Where are my six missing halo games?

 

[Atmos Duality]

Except Halo was never a franchise every year thing. First halo came out in 2002. Last one came out in 2010. Its 2012. Where are my six missing halo games?

If Activision has contributed anything to that cycle, it's that they've streamlined the formula and production to the point where even a different company was able to take over and they didn't miss a beat.

 

[Sucal]

Except Halo was never a franchise every year thing. First halo came out in 2002. Last one came out in 2010. Its 2012. Where are my six missing halo games?

If Activision has contributed anything to that cycle, it's that they've streamlined the formula and production to the point where even a different company was able to take over and they didn't miss a beat.

Which they haven't. Microsoft was the publisher of the Halo games after all, not Activision.

 

[Atmos Duality]

Which they haven't. Microsoft was the publisher of the Halo games after all, not Activision.

You missed the point; Halo gave the industry a blueprint for making shooters, and how to target demographics.

It's a formula that was copied over and over again (to varying degrees of quality) up til Call of Duty 4 came along and kicked Halo off the top. And now that we have CoD4.x, it appears that Activision took the original formula for success pioneered by Bungie and has streamlined it for their own (incredibly lucrative) purposes.

 

[Roboto]

If these publishers keep forsaking PC at this rate they are going to have to rename PC to PornBox (PB) in order to more accurately reflect its uses.

 

[Sucal]

If these publishers keep forsaking PC at this rate they are going to have to rename PC to PornBox (PB) in order to more accurately reflect its uses.

Oh yes, because its totally used only for porn and games.

Its not like 99% of computer users tend to use it for data entry and spreadsheets.