Bungie

Okay you two, stop. Just stop. We get it – you’re both incredibly insecure, endowed with too much money, but equipped with a braille like penis. The point has been well and truly made! Let’s get on with producing quality content for your respective machines, rather than showboating for the cheerleaders that just want to relish in this reductive pissing contest, that is just going to end with all assenting juveniles requiring new shoes. This continued pursuit for asset consolidation is only going to further propagate division between the already fractured contingents.

I realise that you are both competitive and proud conglomerates. With institutionalised rivalry that prevents either one of you from backing down. But, for the solidarity of the gaming firmament and my sanity, stop. Watching you two flaunting your respective influences and indulging in your conceited affluence, by acquiring publishers like some entitled aristocrat, compensating for their flaccid endowment is obstinate. Presumably this shopping spree has been instigated to ensure the consolidation of specific assets and prevent the competition from utilising said assets. Unless your competitors want to incur some recompense for the privilege. Not because your intended scheme of appropriating a few thousand acres of protected woodland, as a means for hunting peasants is still regarded as a morally reprehensible act.

Perhaps instead of buying these publishers for the express desire of demonstrating your power, or illustrate your generosity as a billion dollar conglomerate that could help feed and house the homeless, by potentially allowing other platforms to use your titles, for a small incentive, that you perhaps stop buying them. Let these creative minds flourish, uninhibited by the whims of stifling corporate provocation. We don’t need publisher’s redistributed like a quarrelling couple going through an expensive, time consuming divorce. Dividing their once shared resources in an attempt to negotiate some desperate trade deal. Like an estranged father being allocated visitation rights with their children at the weekend.

Whether Sony decides to play nice with Microsoft, by allowing Bungie games to continue distribution on their system. Or if Microsoft extend Sony the same courtesy with their recent acquisitions, one question still remains: how does buying these previously ubiquitous devs, now owned and distributed by major corporation’s, benefit the consumer? Oh, that’s right. They don’t.

Divorces rarely run smoothly. They’re costly, time-consuming and hardly a barrel of laughs for either disputing couple. More often than not the dissolution of a marriage is attributed to “inconsolable differences”, which is a just polite way of saying “I can’t stand the sight of that conniving, adulterous prick. Give me half of your money and get out!”. The very formal legislation, complicated terminology and general legality of divorce can get a little messy, especially when it comes to which parent gets custody over their children. In the case of Bungie and Activision it appears that the former has not only profited from its detachment from its domestically abusive spouse, but has also restricted all visitation rights from their offspring: Destiny. I think it’s safe to assume that Bungie are the aggrieved party in this analogy, with Activision capably adopting the role of “Sadistic Husband” who doesn’t allow his wife to go out socialising with her friends or allow her to have an opinion of her own. And if we are honest it’s normally the male that messes relationships up and boy, did Activision do a spectacular job here.

Bungie somehow managing to retain the rights to Destiny is not only surprising, but implies that they believe they can redeem the underwhelming franchise, free from their former corporate overlords. But has the brand been tainted by its faltering reputation? No doubt there are some Destiny 2 fanatics that will proclaim it as an unparalleled experience, unworthy of such vitriolic ridicule. That the game is immeasurably better when you splurge £100 on content that should have been included from the beginning. I’m not judging, simply stating that these kind of business strategies are some of the most heinous supplements of modern game development. Still if the perpetrators were Activision, which I suspect that they were, then perhaps Bungie, free from their oppressors can salvage Destiny and perhaps thrive.

If I sound a little sceptical it’s because that the creative freedom granted by independence doesn’t necessarily ensure success. Unless Bungie are looking to negotiate with another publisher then the risk of failure increases. Even if the presumed successor to Destiny is their first initiative, there’s no guarantee that even fan goodwill will be enough to help, especially at a time when game developer’s/publishers are being so heavily scrutinised. For me personally it’s difficult to feel confident or even joyous about either Bungie’s independence or the acquisition of Destiny when their reputation as a game studio is tarnished by the only franchise of there’s I’ve played, that being the much maligned Destiny.

Whatever happens there’s no denying that this is a watershed moment for both the industry and consumers. And it will be interesting to see if anyone else begins to consider their own professional marriage?

Are you excited to see what Bungie does with its new-found freedom? Of course you, stupid question. Do you think they will be successful, with either Destiny or something new? Let me know in the comments below.