And Perhaps We’ll See a New IP?
Developer Bungie, in a surprise move, announced a new partnership with China-based company NetEase. At first glance, it seems like a move to publish games overseas, but both companies attest to a more creative agenda.
For Bungie, the new partnership represents an opportunity for studio expansion. It seems they have ambitions extending beyond the breadth of current projects, ambitions that may lead to new intellectual properties sooner rather than later. The Chinese giant has invested $100 million in the studio. As such, the creators of Halo have additional resources to “explore new directions.” Coupled with the business savvy of NetEase, the team may have all they need in order to reliably self-publish.
“Today, we’re excited to announce that we’ve entered into a new partnership with NetEase to help us explore new directions,” Bungie wrote on their website. “With their industry expertise, they’ll empower us to build new worlds and invite players, new and old, to join us there. They’ll help us support separate teams inside Bungie to bring our newest ambitions to life.
Despite the big changes, Bungie has assured Destiny 2 players that the multiplayer shooter will receive continuous support. The game’s roadmap and the partnership with Activision remain intact, according to Bungie:
“Destiny is an experience that will grow for many years to come. We’ll continue to work with our partners at Activision to foster this global community and turn new players from all over the world into Guardians. Our commitment to that world is not diminished by this announcement. We have exciting plans for the future of the Destiny franchise, and you’ll learn more about the next steps we’ll take together in the weeks to come.”
The most obvious upside to the new deal is that Bungie now has an avenue into the Chinese market. Before we see any studio properties in the hands of a new audience, however, we are likely to see a new project. As of yet, there’s no inkling of what that project may be. We’ll provide updates as the future of the two companies unfolds.
SOURCE: Bungie