Sony Sign Bungie As Second Party?

[Dodece]

@rafichamp

I don't think you truly comprehend what exactly a publisher does. A publisher is not a producer. In other words they are not funding a project. Nor are they buying a company. A publisher is basically a intermediary for a smaller studio that handles tasks such as marketing, production, distribution, and legal matters. For a percentage of the profit generated.

Smaller developers use publishers, because they have both the experience and the resources to bring a game to market. A smaller developer cannot afford to have dedicated marketing, legal, and business departments. For one thing they would sit idle, but would need to be maintained to get the job done when it comes time.

Publishers have this staff, and are constantly using them to publish their own titles, or the titles of smaller developers. To put it simply publishers are middle men for small developers who by their nature cannot afford to do all these things themselves.

Speaking to whom. I believe Microsoft has first right publishing status. So if it isn't settled then it probably isn't Microsoft. Either they doubt the value of the product, did not like the offer on the table, or it isn't in their interest in that it is a cross platform title, or for a platform not their own.

Speaking to Sony I highly doubt this. Your figuring is all fucked up. Firstly if it is for multiple platforms it isn't in their interest to publish games on another console. Secondly if Bungie is going to stick to their preferred platforms it really isn't in the interest of Sony. Thirdly Sony isn't the publishing Juggernaut that you think it is. Their marketing muscle is extremely atrophied. In other words they are not even doing a good job with games they produced. Fourthly there is no coup to be had here unless they actually take something away from Microsoft, and once again that isn't what publishing is really about. Bungie doesn't need funding to develop their games. Especially when their next two games are bound to rake in cash.

My two cents are that it will be Electronic Arts. They have the incentive, and are likely to give Bungie a great deal, and they do not even have to care what platform or platforms the title would be on. More to the point they need a strong showing in the genre that Bungie is known for.