Bungie gets $100 million investment from Chinese gaming company NetEase

[GennGreymane]

https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/3/17...stiny-business

On Friday, Halo and Destiny studio Bungie announced a major partnership with Chinese tech and gaming company NetEase, “to help us explore new directions.” The deal is to the tune of $100 million, giving the NetEase a minority stake in Bungie, as well as a seat on its board of directors, according to GamesIndustry.

The partnership will help Bungie grow into a “global, multi-franchise entertainment studio,” according to NetEase CEO William Ding. Bungie CEO Pete Parsons told The Wall Street Journal that “a big part of our focus is to self-publish in the future,” rather than replying on other companies such as Microsoft or Activision. Bungie signed a 10-year agreement with Activision to publish Destiny, which ends in 2020.

In its announcement, Bungie says its partnership with Activision for Destiny is unaffected by this new partnership, and that it expects to continue to grow that franchise for “many years to come,” but that its “long-term goal is to become an entertainment company that sustains many worlds simultaneously.”

Founded in 1997 in China, NetEase has developed some of the country’s internet infrastructure, and produces email services, advertising, and online PC and mobile games. It also licenses games from Activision Blizzard, such as World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and others for the Chinese marketplace.

[ParanoiD84]

Bungie is shit these days.

[Eleccybubb]

And out of all the companies they picked to help them "explore new directions" they picked Bungie?!

The company who literally reskinned the same game 5 times and 1 other time?

[Blayze]

And out of all the companies they picked to help them "explore new directions" they picked Bungie?!

The company who literally reskinned the same game 5 times and 1 other time?

A perfect match for the Chinese.

[dope_danny]

This is interesting considering some industry rumours talking about Bungie apparently looking into defaulting on the Activision contract and handing Destiny over to Activision and Vicarious Visions.

Maybe after all the actual creators of Destiny jumped ship the new staff want to give up trying to salvage their mess and make new games?

[Deleted]

Are they gonna make yet another space shooter with it?

[Video Games]

This is interesting considering some industry rumours talking about Bungie apparently looking into defaulting on the Activision contract and handing Destiny over to Activision and Vicarious Visions.

Maybe after all the actual creators of Destiny jumped ship the new staff want to give up trying to salvage their mess and make new games?

That would be interesting.

Funny thing is is that this might sound bad but is it worse than activision?

[DoctorDoomkin]

This is interesting considering some industry rumours talking about Bungie apparently looking into defaulting on the Activision contract and handing Destiny over to Activision and Vicarious Visions.

Maybe after all the actual creators of Destiny jumped ship the new staff want to give up trying to salvage their mess and make new games?

Destiny 2 is just screwed. If people were turned off by Destiny 1, Destiny 2 is not going to get people to come back with the shit-show it has been. Destiny 3 is just gone in my eyes. The first didn't impress me and ended up being traded in for something else. Destiny 2 didn't get me interested and all the negativity over the lootboxes and crap-tastic DLC keeps me from getting interested. I'll just ignore Destiny 3 mainly because it will just be the same thing.

If I was the new head, and if I have a way out, I'd take it. I'd rather save my name rather than have it kept dragged in the mud by a crappy product and crappy producer that is more interested in making money than it is to making good games these days.

[Arrashi]

They will need alot more than 100 milion to make a good game.

[Kathandira]

So, I was watching a video about this, and I got to thinking, who is NetEase?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetEase

Licensed online games
Commercially re-launched World of Warcraft in September 2009, which used to be operated by another company, The9 Limited

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm launched in PRC in July 2013

Launched free-to-play digital strategy card game Hearthstone in PRC in Jan 2014; mobile version launched in April 2015

Open beta testing of Heroes of the Storm started in China in May 2015

Initiated open beta testing in PRC of Diablo III: Reaper of Souls in April 2015

Three-‐year agreement to license Blizzard's upcoming title Overwatch in PRC[14]

Operates Overwatch in China

Agreement to license Mojangs Minecraft and Minecraft: Pocket Edition in China[15]

Operates the third-party Minecraft-related Hypixel China Server[16]

Bungie is partnered with Activision.
Activision is partnered with Blizzard.
Blizzard is partnered with NetEase.

This just got way less exciting. It now just sounds like a partnership circle jerk.

[The One Percent]

That would be interesting.

Funny thing is is that this might sound bad but is it worse than activision?

This is like when the cartoon character says something like, "Well, at least it's not raining!"