Tokyo-based Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (SIE) will acquire independent video game developer Bungie Inc. in a $3.6 billion deal.
According to a news release, the access of Bungie, the Washington-based company behind Halo and Destiny, will give Sony access to its live game services model and technology, expanding the company’s reach to billions of gamers.
“Bungie has created and continues to evolve some of the world’s most beloved videogame franchises and, by aligning its values with people’s desire to share gameplay experiences, they bring together millions of people around the world,” Kenichiro Yoshida, chairman, president and CEO of Sony Group Corp., said in the news release. “As part of our purpose to ‘fill the world with emotion, through the power of creativity and technology,’ we will utilize the Sony Group’s diverse array of entertainment and technology assets to support further evolution of Bungie and its ability to create iconic worlds across multiple platforms and media.”
According to the news release, Bungie will continue to operate as an independent company and can publish its own games and reach players anywhere. The news release also said that as an independent subsidiary, Bungie will be managed by a Board of Directors, with Pete Parsons serving as chairman with the company’s management staff.
SIE gives Bungie a supportive partner that plans on accelerating the company’s focus of creating gaming experience for players of all ages while maintaining its independence, Parsons said.
SIE President and CEO Jim Ryan said the acquisition was part of the company’s strategy to expand PlayStation’s reach to a larger audience, and Bungie will be instrumental in making that a reality. Both companies share a passion for gamers and will strive to develop a great environment in which they can play, he said.