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[IbizaPocholo]

Xbox chief thinks today’s Microsoft could have kept Bungie

On Wednesday Xbox will release the newest game from the franchise Bungie created but no longer develops: Halo.

www.axios.com

Microsoft’s head of gaming understands why Bungie, arguably the most acclaimed game studio in Xbox history, left the tech giant to go independent many years ago, but he thinks his company might have been able to retain them today.

What they’re saying: “We’ve learned a lot,” Xbox’s Phil Spencer told Axios when we discussed Bungie’s history with Xbox in late October.

• Asked if the split was inevitable or if Microsoft could have held on to them, he added: “Could we do it today? I think we could.”
• But he said he understands why they left. “At the time they had big ambitions. They had sold their business for a certain amount of money. They saw what Halo turned into. And it's like, ‘OK, Microsoft benefited more than Bungie did from the success of Halo.’ There's no other story that can be written there.”
• He mused, “If you're saying, ‘Hey, I think I've got another one of those in me. I want to really take another chance,’ I can understand the allure of doing that as an independent company.”

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

Microsoft today could have bought nintendo... i wish I could see what low ball offer they made them then. Hindsights always 20/20 tho.

 

[Topher]

Microsoft today could have bought nintendo... i wish I could see what low ball offer they made them then. Hindsights always 20/20 tho.

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

 

[Kenpachii]

imagine the cash that would god dam.

 

[Ozzy Onya A2Z]

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

Spoiler

Nintendo would never sell.

 

[Magic Carpet]

Do Bungie wish they had stayed with Microsoft? Are they wishing to come back or something?
Now I got to know. Can any studio just up and leave whenever they want? Or is there a contract time? Number of games count?
What was the nature of Bungie as part of Microsoft as opposed to say Double Fine?
Can Tim Shafer next week make an announcement that they are going back to being independent?
Can Bethesda take starfield and say 'Toodalooo' ?

 

[Dr Bass]

Spoiler

Nintendo would never sell.

Nintendo's market cap is over 50 billion.

Nintendo (7974.T) - Market capitalization

As of February 2025 Nintendo has a market cap of $85.40 Billion USD. This makes Nintendo the world's 223th most valuable company according to our data.

companiesmarketcap.com

The price would go up with an acquisition.

And based on history, MS would likely run it into the ground. It would be the most expensive disaster of a purchase ever made. Nintendo and Microsoft's culture's could not be more different.

So yeah, there is no price tag for this idea.

Do Bungie wish they had stayed with Microsoft? Are they wishing to come back or something?
Now I got to know. Can any studio just up and leave whenever they want? Or is there a contract time? Number of games count?
What was the nature of Bungie as part of Microsoft as opposed to say Double Fine?
Can Tim Shafer next week make an announcement that they are going back to being independent?
Can Bethesda take starfield and say 'Toodalooo' ?

I doubt Bungie wishes that, but only they know.

Owned studios cannot just up and leave no. Bungie negotiated their exit. Bethesda cannot up and leave and take Starfield with it.

Tim Schafer cannot take away Double Fine, but he could quit as an individual. My guess is as part of their purchase MS put in stipulations that he can't leave and make another game studio however. But again, total guess on that one.

 

[ReBurn]

Do Bungie wish they had stayed with Microsoft? Are they wishing to come back or something?
Now I got to know. Can any studio just up and leave whenever they want? Or is there a contract time? Number of games count?
What was the nature of Bungie as part of Microsoft as opposed to say Double Fine?
Can Tim Shafer next week make an announcement that they are going back to being independent?
Can Bethesda take starfield and say 'Toodalooo' ?

It's probably an answer to one of those stupid rear looking questions games journalists love to ask.

 

[BadBurger]

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

Any company in their right mind that could buy Nintendo should buy Nintendo. Them cats print money.

 

[Magic Carpet]

My guess is as part of their purchase MS put in stipulations that he can't leave and make another game studio however

This must have been the biggest negotiation point on Bungie exit.

 

[VAVA Mk2]

Rumors over the last year or two Microsoft tried to buy them again but talks fell through.

 

[pqueue]

given current Bungie, why would you want them?

 

[Barakov]

Spoiler

Nintendo would never sell.

Yeah, it does, Theon.

 

[Ghost of Caelid]

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

for the right asking price.

 

[Sleepwalker]

given current Bungie, why would you want them?

Doesnt destiny make a ton of cash? Although im not sure another sci fi shooter is what MS need. Maybe they wanted them to do Halo again.

But youre right, makes no sense getting them from a portfolio perspective.

 

[TidusYuna]

Spoiler

Nintendo would never sell.

Not everything is for sale Theon.

 

[ParaSeoul]

 

[lh032]

This Wednesday - Sega Bungie

 

[Bridges]

Even keeping in mind their long series of total fuck ups during that era, letting go of Bungie has got to be the biggest mistake ever made at Xbox. How the leadership allowed this to happen I will never understand. Xbox arguably would've never taken off without Bungie, whatever they needed to stick around should've been given to them. Of course hindsight is always 20/20 but how do you let something like that happen?

 

[I'm nobody]

Nintendo's market cap is over 50 billion.

Nintendo (7974.T) - Market capitalization

As of February 2025 Nintendo has a market cap of $85.40 Billion USD. This makes Nintendo the world's 223th most valuable company according to our data.

companiesmarketcap.com

The price would go up with an acquisition.

And based on history, MS would likely run it into the ground. It would be the most expensive disaster of a purchase ever made. Nintendo and Microsoft's culture's could not be more different.

So yeah, there is no price tag for this idea.



I doubt Bungie wishes that, but only they know.

Owned studios cannot just up and leave no. Bungie negotiated their exit. Bethesda cannot up and leave and take Starfield with it.

Tim Schafer cannot take away Double Fine, but he could quit as an individual. My guess is as part of their purchase MS put in stipulations that he can't leave and make another game studio however. But again, total guess on that one.

Talent can up and leave tho. Imagine if Mark Carney left playstation

 

[nush]

Talent can up and leave tho. Imagine if Mark Carney left playstation

Like he left Sega...

 

[lh032]

Talent can up and leave tho. Imagine if Mark Carney left playstation

imagine if Phil left Microsoft and rehire Don xD

 

[Bernd Lauert]

Any company in their right mind that could buy Nintendo should buy Nintendo. Them cats print money.

I just thought about it and there's basically no company that can buy Nintendo. Nintendo has a $50b market cap which means the selling price would likely exceed $100b. It would literally be the biggest tech deal of all time.

 

[MrFunSocks]

After seeing/playing the shitshow that was destiny, and seeing them get dumped by the next publisher that they did a deal with, I think losing them didn't really matter. IMO Bungie were already on the way down with their last halo releases. Halo 5 and Infinite play much better than anything Bungie ever put out IMO.

 

[Mattyp]

If anything I would say Bungie wish they where still with today’s Microsoft they would of ended up with a lot more freedom then they have now.

Sadly when they parted Microsoft wasn’t what it is today, hindsight is a beautiful thing.

Wouldn’t be worth their asking price on what they’ve recently dished out but.

 

[Inviusx]

What do Bungie even do these days? Expansions for a 5 year old game on life support?

 

[6502]

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

After Rare that is not something I want to see.

 

[ToTTenTranz]

I don't think the Japanese government would ever let Nintendo be controlled by a foreign company, let alone Microsoft.

 

[RoyalLaFlame]

I still have a feeling that Bungie eventually will go back to Microsoft. They're not too hot and I think Destiny, as a franchise, it's losing its appeal.

Hope the best for them though.

 

[M1chl]

If Microsoft could buy Nintendo then Microsoft would buy Nintendo.

What a terrible waste of money, would that be.

Just an opinion, mods.

 

[I'm nobody]

imagine if Phil left Microsoft and rehire Don xD

Xbox fans would turn to dust lol

 

[GulfCoastZilla]

I mean he is probably right. It's a different Microsoft now.

Bungie needs the money, they should go back. Maybe we finally get Forsaken size expansions again.

 

[Banjo64]

Love Bungie’s core gameplay still but Destiny is an average franchise and Halo Infinite is already better than either Destiny game. Not to mention MS added Doom and the rest of Bathesda’s FPS games - they really don’t need Bungie today. Shame it happened but Bungie got what they wanted in the end and MS haven’t suffered so good for all parties.

 

[SSfox]

That's a long run though, MS didn't have it, but Sony did and all I hope is they'll keep it.

Can't imagine how way less exciting Sony be today if they didn't aquire Polyphony Digital or Santa Monica, just to name those, Hermen and Jimbo better stick this in their head and be full aware of it 24h/24 7D/7.

 

[SEGA_2012]

MS and Bungie are made to each other. Phill, please, you know what to do. Just go there, kick the door and say, "let's make up for the lost time!".

Then you drop millions and buy them, Kiryu Kazuma style !

DO IT PHILL !

 

[anthony2690]

What a terrible waste of money, would that be.

Just an opinion, mods.

If it got me Nintendo games at 4k 60-120fps it would be amazing.
I would PREFER Nintendo to just make a more powerful system though, that can hit 60fps and have basic online social features like being able to message a online friend if they are up for games or in most game cases, being able to invite them to a game in the first place.

 

[Shmunter]

Holy, you reminisce about your old GF just as your new one takes dinner out of the oven

 

[Nickolaidas]

Bungie? How about Insomniac?

 

[Deerock71]

I just thought about it and there's basically no company that can buy Nintendo. Nintendo has a $50b market cap which means the selling price would likely exceed $100b. It would literally be the biggest tech deal of all time.

Does that market cap even factor in TPC? I thought they were seperate. It would prctically be double that if it wasn't.

 

[GulfCoastZilla]

Bungie? How about Insomniac?

Why bother? They don't make fun multiplayer games they make disposable single player games.

It's not like you would get Spider-Man with that deal.

 

[Calverz]

Microsoft don't need bungie and they don't need Nintendo.

 

[TheGodfather07]

Why bother? They don't make fun multiplayer games they make disposable single player games.

It's not like you would get Spider-Man with that deal.

Disposable single player games? Do you work for EA or Activision?

 

[mansoor1980]

Holy, you reminisce about your old GF just as your new one takes dinner out of the oven

its like a slap to the face of 343i , in my opinion

 

[Flintty]

I could see MS buying Bungie again and either alternating Halo games between them and 343i, or even have Bungie doing campaign and story universe whilst 343i cover multiplayer/GAAS.

 

[Nickolaidas]

Why bother? They don't make fun multiplayer games they make disposable single player games.

It's not like you would get Spider-Man with that deal.

Multiplayer can go fuck itself in the ass and choke on a dildo until it vomits its lungs out.

As for Inomniac they don't need Marvel to make amazing games. Microsoft not getting them when they had the chance was a huge miss and Phil is definitely regretting it now.

And if he doesn't, he fucking should be.

 

[Graciaus]

343 hasn't made a great game yet. But Bungie created Destiny which was even worse then anything 343 made. Could have been for the best.

 

[Snake29]

Why bother? They don't make fun multiplayer games they make disposable single player games.

It's not like you would get Spider-Man with that deal.

If a studio can make a game only fun with a MP component, then the studio is weak imo.

 

[FUBARx89]

Would they really want Bungie these days? I mean, it's not the same Bungie that did Halo.

 

[FingerBang]

I'm happy that wasn't the case. They would have forced them to basically be a Halo factory, so many of the creative minds behind the games would have left anyway.

343 hasn't made a great game yet. But Bungie created Destiny which was even worse then anything 343 made. Could have been for the best.

And yet Destiny, with all of its issues, has been extremely influential on the industry, whereas Halo 4 and 5 have been quickly forgotten

 

[fermcr]

Oh the irony!

Bungie left Microsoft because they got fed up of doing the same thing, Halo... now that they are independent, they only work on Destiny. LOL.