Bungie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bungie, Inc.

Logo used as of 2009
Formerly	Bungie Software Products Corporation (1991–2000) Bungie Studios (2000–2007) Bungie, LLC (2007–2011)
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Video games
Founded	May 1991; 34 years ago (1991-05) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Founders	Alex Seropian Jason Jones
Headquarters	Bellevue, Washington , U.S.
Key people	Pete Parsons (chairman and CEO) Jonny Ebbert (CCO) Jason Jones (CVO)
Products	List of Bungie video games
Number of employees	850 (2024)
Parent	Microsoft Game Studios (2000–2007) Sony Interactive Entertainment (2022–present)

Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company located in Bellevue, Washington. It is currently part of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company started in May 1991. It was founded by Alex Seropian, who later teamed up with programmer Jason Jones.

Bungie first focused on games for Macintosh computers. They created popular game series like Marathon and Myth. In 2000, Microsoft bought Bungie. This led to the creation of Halo: Combat Evolved. This game became a huge hit for Microsoft's Xbox console. The Halo series sold millions of copies.

In 2007, Bungie became an independent company again. Microsoft kept the Halo game rights. Bungie then partnered with Activision in 2010. This partnership led to the creation of the game Destiny in 2014. Its sequel, Destiny 2, came out in 2017. In 2019, Bungie decided to publish Destiny games themselves.

In July 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment bought Bungie. Bungie continues to make games for many different platforms. They also publish their own games. Bungie also runs Bungie.net, their official website. This site offers company news, forums, and game statistics. It also sells merchandise and supports charity work.

The Start of Bungie (1990–1993)

In the early 1990s, Alex Seropian was studying at the University of Chicago. He decided to start his own game company. His first game was Gnop!, a game similar to Pong. He released it in 1990, before Bungie officially started. He gave the game away for free.

Seropian officially founded Bungie Software Products Corporation in May 1991. His goal was to publish Operation: Desert Storm. He got money from friends and family. He even put the game boxes together himself. This game sold 2,500 copies.

Logo used from 1992 to 1994

Seropian met Jason Jones at the University of Chicago. Jones was working on a game called Minotaur. Seropian and Jones teamed up to release it as Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete in 1992. This game used early internet connections for players. It sold about 2,500 copies and gained a loyal fan base. Both Seropian and Jones are seen as Bungie's co-founders.

They focused on games for the Macintosh computer. This market was more open for new companies. Jones handled the creative and technical parts. Seropian managed the business and marketing. They worked hard, even assembling game boxes by hand. The success of Minotaur helped them fund their next game.

Logo used from 1994 to 2009

Inspired by the game Wolfenstein 3D, Jones created a 3D game engine. Bungie's next game was Pathways into Darkness, released in 1993. Jones did the coding, and his friend Colin Brent created the art. The game was a big success. It won awards and sold very well.

Pathways helped Bungie grow. They moved from an apartment to a studio in Chicago. Their first full-time employee, Doug Zartman, joined in 1994. He became their public relations person.

Popular Games: Marathon, Myth, and Oni (1994–2001)

Bungie's next big project was Marathon. It was a futuristic first-person shooter. Bungie learned that story was important. Marathon let players learn more about the game's world. The team worked very long hours to finish it.

When they showed the game, many people were interested. Marathon was released in December 1994. It was a huge success. It became a popular alternative to PC games like Doom. The game's popularity was so high that Bungie needed help with orders.

The success of Marathon led to a sequel, Marathon 2: Durandal. This game added new features like co-op mode. It was released in November 1995 and sold even more copies. Bungie decided to release the game for Windows 95 too. This upset some Mac players. But Seropian saw the value of reaching new markets. Marathon Infinity was released the next year.

After Marathon, Bungie made a strategy game called Myth: The Fallen Lords. This game focused on managing units in battles. The Myth games won many awards. They also created a large online community. Myth: The Fallen Lords was the first Bungie game released for both Mac and Windows at the same time.

The success of Myth allowed Bungie to open a new studio. Bungie West was started in San Jose, California in 1997. Their only game was Oni. It was an action game for Mac, PC, and PlayStation 2.

Joining Microsoft and the Halo Era (2001–2007)

In 1999, Bungie announced their next game, Halo: Combat Evolved. It was first planned as a third-person shooter for Windows and Macintosh. Halo was first shown to the public at the Macworld Expo in 1999.

On June 19, 2000, Microsoft announced it had bought Bungie. Bungie became part of the Microsoft Game Division. Halo was then made into an exclusive first-person shooter for the Xbox. Bungie agreed to the deal for several reasons. They wanted to work with a company that took games seriously. Also, a bug in their previous game, Myth II, cost them a lot of money. This made them consider Microsoft's offer.

As part of the deal, the rights to Myth and Oni went to Take-Two Interactive. Halo: Combat Evolved became a massive hit. It sold over 6.5 million copies. It became the most important game for the Xbox.

Halos success led to three sequels. Halo 2 came out in November 2004. It made over $125 million on its first day. Halo 3 was released in September 2007. It broke Halo 2s records, making $170 million in its first day.

Becoming Independent and the Destiny Series (2007–2022)

On October 1, 2007, Microsoft and Bungie announced that Bungie was becoming an independent company again. It was named Bungie, LLC. Microsoft kept a small share in Bungie. They also continued to work together on Halo games. Microsoft kept the rights to the Halo series.

Bungie then developed Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach. Reach was released in 2010. It was the last Halo game made by Bungie.

Bungie continued to grow. They moved into larger offices in Bellevue, Washington. In April 2010, Bungie signed a 10-year deal with Activision Blizzard. This deal allowed Bungie to own any new games they created.

In 2011, Bungie started "Bungie Aerospace". This project helps independent game developers. It gives them support and access to the Bungie.net platform.

In 2013, Bungie announced Destiny. It launched in September 2014 for PlayStation and Xbox consoles. In 2016, Pete Parsons became Bungie's CEO.

Chinese game company NetEase invested $100 million in Bungie in 2018. In January 2019, Bungie ended its deal with Activision. Bungie took over publishing Destiny themselves. This included moving Destiny 2 to Steam. Both companies said the split was friendly. They had different ideas for the future of Destiny.

In February 2021, Bungie announced big expansion plans. They planned to double their office space. They also planned to open a new studio in Amsterdam. This was to support Destiny and new game ideas.

Joining Sony Interactive Entertainment (2022–Present)

On January 31, 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced it would buy Bungie. The deal was for $3.6 billion. Bungie would remain an independent studio under Sony. They would continue to make games for many platforms. Sony's investment helps Bungie hire more developers. This helps them expand the Destiny series and other games.

The deal was completed by July 15, 2022. Bungie officially became part of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

In October 2023, Bungie made some changes to its staff. This was part of a larger effort to make the company stronger. The game Destiny 2 had seen some changes in popularity. Work on the next big expansion, The Final Shape, was also adjusted. The Final Shape was moved from February 2024 to June 2024. Their next game, Marathon, was moved to 2025.

In July 2024, Bungie made more staff changes. This left about 850 employees. CEO Pete Parsons said these decisions were made to help the studio focus. The main focus is now on Destiny and Marathon. Some unannounced games were moved to other PlayStation Studios.

Bungie.net

Bungie.net is the main website for Bungie. It helps the company talk with its fans. When Microsoft bought Bungie, there was some concern. Microsoft had its own website, Xbox.com. But Bungie.net continued to be important for the community. The site has been updated many times.

When Bungie made Halo games, the site tracked game statistics. It showed details about each player. It even showed "heatmaps" of where kills happened on game levels. In 2012, Bungie stopped updating Halo statistics. This was because 343 Industries took over managing Halo data.

Bungie.net now records player statistics for the Destiny games. It also helps manage Destiny player accounts. The website is a key way Bungie communicates with its community.

Bungie also has a mobile app for iOS and Google Play. This app provides news and helps players manage their game items. It also helps players find groups for Destiny.

Bungie's Culture

The "Seven Steps for World Domination", an example of the work culture of Bungie

Many people describe Bungie's workplace as fun and informal. Artist Shi Kai Wang said he felt comfortable there. He noticed everyone was dressed casually. Bungie's content manager, Frank O'Connor, joked that Bungie doesn't "do business casual."

Microsoft was interested in Bungie's creative culture. However, some felt Microsoft almost changed it too much. Studio head Harold Ryan said Bungie worked hard to stay independent. Even when they moved into a Microsoft building, they kept their own open office style.

In 2007, Bungie moved to Kirkland, Washington. They became Bungie, Inc. again. Bungie also felt they were always working on Halo. They wanted to create new games. Edge magazine described Bungie employees as passionate and self-critical. Many employees were once fans of Bungie's games.

Bungie's workplace is very open. New and old staff can challenge ideas. They can even criticize their own games. Bungie also holds fun events like the "Bungie Pentathlon." Staff compete in games like Halo and Pictionary.

Bungie's staff and fans, called the "Seventh Column," also do charity work. After Hurricane Katrina, Bungie donated money from special T-shirts. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, they sold "Be a Hero" T-shirts. They also donated money for players who wore a special emblem in Halo 3. In 2011, Bungie started a nonprofit organization called the Bungie Foundation.

In December 2021, a report mentioned some past workplace issues. These included a male-dominated culture and long working hours. However, the company has been working to improve these issues. CEO Pete Parsons apologized to any employee who had a bad experience. He said Bungie is committed to a safe and fair workplace.

Games Developed by Bungie

Bungie also created its own game engine. It was first called the Blam Engine for Halo games. Later, it was updated and renamed the Tiger Engine for Destiny.

Other Companies Started by Former Bungie Employees

Many people who worked at Bungie later started their own game studios. For example, Alex Seropian left to form Wideload Games. He also helped start Industrial Toys. Other companies include Giant Bite and Certain Affinity.

Certain Affinity worked with Bungie on maps for Halo 2 and Halo: Reach. 343 Industries, a studio Microsoft created to manage the Halo series, also has former Bungie employees. In 2015, long-time Bungie employee Martin O'Donnell started Highwire Games. In 2016, former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan founded ProbablyMonsters.

See also

In Spanish: Bungie Studios para niños