Winner: Bungie
It's a no-brainer sure, but there is a plethora of reasons why this is a deal of a lifetime for the developer. First, it removes the shackles of Xbox 360 exclusivity, ushering in a newfound creative freedom for the developer.
All eyes are now on the developer to see what its 'next big action game universe' will be.
The deal will also give Bungie a chance to prove to the world that it is capable of a lot more than just Halo.
With the developer recently re-registering the trademark for its oher FPS franchise Marathon, could this be a hint of things to come?
Winner: Activision
Another no brainer, but why exactly? Activision is easily the most powerful games publisher on the planet. Chances are you may have saw their media blitz for a game called Modern Warfare 2 last November?
Whatever their next game, we're sure the combined efforts of Bungie's reputation as a developer and Activisions knack for making sure every person on the planet knows about it will lead to the game being the biggest media launch in history.
Winner: Gamers
Don't have an Xbox? Always wanted to play Halo? Well you still can't, but the deal means Bungie's titles will be ripe for the multiformat treatment.
Could their next IP be released on Wii, DS, iPhone, PS3 and PC? If you look at the multiformat trends of Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero, this seems very likely.
it means more of us gamers wil lbe able to enjoy the team's stellar work regardless of what format we own. Three cheers for being spoilt for choice!
Winner: Creativity
Bungie has come dangerously close to being a one-trick pony with Halo. Now it will have the freedom to do what it wants, when it wants and in any capacity it chooses.
Who knows? Maybe the developer will make a Wii, Natal or PlayStation Move game that uses motion control in ways we have never seen before?
This is a smart team we're talking about here, and it will be great to see how this new liberation will affect its creative output.
Loser: Microsoft
There was a time when Halo was a guaranteed console-shifter for Microsoft. While it still has control over the Halo license, it has lost Bungie, by far the most important part of the IP.
Without the original creators on board, perhaps Microsoft will draft in a new third-party team to continue the saga? It's difficult to see how a new team could capture the essence of Halo quite like Bungie did, but then again we've been pleasantly surprised before.
Let's not forget the loss of guaranteed revenue. The profit made from the Halo series is not chump change and will surely dent the company's turnover.
Loser: Fanboys
The loss of Bungie as the sole Halo developer may result in a significant dip of quality in future instalments. If this happens, fanboys will have less ammunition for their flame war cannons. Which is always a good thing.