Bungie signs 10-year publishing deal with Activision

Activision has reached a 10-year deal with Bungie to serve as the exclusive publisher for the Halo studio’s next project.

In an announcement made by the duo Thursday, Activision will have exclusive rights to publish and distribute Bungie titles based on a new video game property.

The exclusive partnership will see Activision publish a new intellectual property to multiplatform consoles and devices worldwide.

Games will also be available on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie’s signature franchise, Halo, is only available on Xbox.

However, Bungie will remain an independent studio and retains all rights to their own intellectual property, the statement says.

“We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multiplatform experience and marketing expertise,” says Bungie president Harold Ryan in a statement.

“From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences.”

Activision Blizzard’s chief operating officer Thomas Tippl added: “Bungie has developed some of the most compelling and successful games, multiplayer experiences and thriving fan communities, and this alliance underscores our long-standing commitment to foster the industry’s best creative talent.”

Formed in 1991, Bungie was owned by Microsoft, and helped propel the Xbox into the video game console race with its Halo franchise. The series has generated about $1.5 billion in revenue, pretty impressive considering their games were only available on one device. In 2007, Bungie split from Microsoft to go independent, retaining all rights to Halo.

Bungie split from Microsoft, who currently holds the Halo licence, to become an independent company in 2007.

No word on when the first Activision/Bungie title will hit store shelves.