Bungie facts for kids
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| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | May 1991 in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Products | List of Bungie video games |
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1,100 (2023) |
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Bungie, Inc. is an American company that makes video games. It's located in Bellevue, Washington, and is now part of Sony Interactive Entertainment. Alex Seropian started Bungie in May 1991. Later, he teamed up with programmer Jason Jones after helping publish Jones's game, Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete.
At first, Bungie was in Chicago, Illinois. They focused on making games for Macintosh computers. During this time, they created two popular game series: Marathon and Myth. In 2000, Microsoft bought Bungie. Their game Halo: Combat Evolved became a launch title for Microsoft's Xbox console. Halo was a huge success, selling millions of copies and starting the famous Halo game series.
In 2007, Bungie became an independent company again, though Microsoft kept the Halo games. Bungie then signed a deal with Activision in 2010. Their first big game from this partnership was Destiny in 2014, followed by Destiny 2 in 2017. In 2019, Bungie decided to end its partnership with Activision and started publishing Destiny games themselves.
Sony Interactive Entertainment bought Bungie in July 2022. Bungie still makes games for different platforms, not just PlayStation. One of Bungie's other projects is Bungie.net, their official website. It has company news, forums, and tracks player statistics for their games. The website also sells Bungie merchandise and supports other projects like a charity called The Bungie Foundation.
Contents
The Story of Bungie
How Bungie Started (1990–1993)
In the early 1990s, Alex Seropian was studying math at the University of Chicago. Instead of getting a regular job after college, he decided to start his own game company.
Seropian's first game was Gnop!, a game similar to Pong. He made it in 1990, before Bungie officially became a company. Gnop! was given away for free, but players could buy the game's code for $15.
Bungie Software Products Corporation officially began in May 1991. Its first published game was Operation: Desert Storm. Seropian got money from friends and family to start. He even put the game disks into boxes himself! Operation: Desert Storm sold 2,500 copies.
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Seropian met programmer Jason Jones at the University of Chicago. Jones was working on bringing his game, Minotaur, from an Apple II computer to the Macintosh. Seropian and Jones teamed up to release the game as Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete in 1992. Jones did the coding, and Seropian handled the design and marketing. This game used internet modems and AppleTalk for players to connect, which was new at the time. It sold about 2,500 copies and gained a dedicated fan base. Both Seropian and Jones are seen as the co-founders of Bungie.
The team focused on Macintosh computers because that market was more open. Jones loved the Mac, and Seropian was good at business. They even put together Minotaur game boxes by hand in Seropian's apartment! The success of Minotaur gave them enough money to make another game.
Inspired by the game Wolfenstein 3D, Jones created a 3D game engine for the Mac. Their next game was supposed to be a 3D version of Minotaur. However, they decided to create a new story for a first-person shooter game called Pathways into Darkness, released in 1993. Jones did the coding, and his friend Colin Brent created the art. The game was a big hit, winning awards like "Adventure Game of the Year."
Pathways sold better than expected and was Bungie's first major success. Bungie moved from an apartment to a studio in Chicago. Doug Zartman joined in 1994 as their first full-time employee. He started in support but became Bungie's public relations person, known for the company's fun and playful humor.
Marathon, Myth, and Oni (1994–2001)
Bungie's next game, Marathon, started as a sequel to Pathways into Darkness. It became a futuristic first-person shooter. Bungie learned from Pathways that story was important. Marathon had computer terminals where players could learn more about the game's world. The team worked long hours, eating lots of pizza and drinking soda, for six months to finish the game.
After showing Marathon at the Macworld Expo, Bungie received many orders. The game was finished on December 14, 1994. Jones and others spent a day assembling boxes to ship some orders before Christmas. Marathon was a huge success. It was a popular alternative to PC-only games like Doom. The demand for Marathon was so high that Bungie had to hire another company to handle the tens of thousands of orders.
The success of Marathon led to a sequel, Marathon 2: Durandal. This game added new features like co-op mode, which appeared in later Bungie games. It was released on November 24, 1995, and sold even more copies than the first. When Bungie announced they would release the game for Windows 95, some Mac players felt upset. However, Seropian saw the importance of reaching new markets. The Windows 95 version came out in September 1996. 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 battle, unlike other strategy games that focused on gathering resources. The Myth games won several awards and 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 move to new offices in Chicago. They also opened a new studio in San Jose, California, called Bungie West, in 1997. Bungie West's only game was Oni, an action game for Mac, PC, and PlayStation 2.
The Halo Era and Microsoft (2001–2007)
In 1999, Bungie announced its next big project, Halo: Combat Evolved. It was first planned as a third-person shooter for Windows and Macintosh. Halo was shown to the public at the Macworld Expo 1999 by Apple's CEO Steve Jobs.
On June 19, 2000, Microsoft announced it had bought Bungie. Bungie became part of the Microsoft Game Division. Halo would now be an exclusive first-person shooter for the Xbox console. Bungie agreed to Microsoft's offer for several reasons. One reason was the chance to work on the Xbox and with a company that took games seriously. Also, a glitch in Myth II had caused a costly recall of games, creating some financial uncertainty for Bungie.
When Microsoft bought Bungie, the rights to Myth and Oni went to Take-Two Interactive. Most of the original Oni developers continued working on Oni until it was released in 2001. Halo: Combat Evolved became a huge hit, selling over 6.5 million copies. It became the main game for the Xbox.
Halos success led Bungie to create three sequels. Halo 2 came out on November 9, 2004, earning over $125 million on its first day. Halo 3 was released on September 25, 2007, and earned $170 million in its first day, breaking Halo 2s record.
Becoming Independent (2007–2022)
On October 1, 2007, Microsoft and Bungie announced that Bungie was splitting off to become an independent company called Bungie, LLC. Microsoft kept a small share and continued to work with Bungie on Halo games. However, Microsoft owned the Halo game series.
Bungie planned to show a new game at E3 2008, but it was canceled. Later, Bungie announced a prequel and expansion to Halo 3 called Halo 3: Recon, which was later renamed Halo 3: ODST. At E3 2009, Bungie and Microsoft revealed another Halo game, Halo: Reach, which came out in 2010. Reach was the last Halo game Bungie developed.
Bungie continued to grow, from about 120 employees in 2008 to 165 in 2009. They moved into new, larger offices in Bellevue, Washington, which used to be a movie theater.
In April 2010, Bungie announced a 10-year publishing deal with Activision Blizzard. Under this deal, Bungie would own any new game ideas they created, not Activision.
In 2011, Bungie started "Bungie Aerospace." This project helps independent game developers with publishing and support, including access to the Bungie.net platform. In November 2011, Bungie Aerospace published its first game, Crimson: Steam Pirates, for iOS.
In 2013, Bungie announced Destiny, which launched on September 9, 2014, for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. In January 2016, Pete Parsons, who had been a chief operating officer since 2002, became Bungie's chief executive officer.
In 2018, Chinese game company NetEase invested $100 million in Bungie.
Bungie ended its publishing deal with Activision in 2019. Bungie kept all rights to Destiny and decided to publish future games and expansions themselves. This included moving Destiny 2 from Activision's Battle.net to Steam. Bungie said the split was friendly because both companies had different ideas for the future of the Destiny series.
In February 2021, Bungie announced a big expansion. They planned to more than double their headquarters space in Bellevue, Washington. They also planned to open a new studio in Amsterdam by 2022. This would help them work on more Destiny content and a new game series not related to Destiny, expected by 2025.
Joining Sony (2022–Present)
On January 31, 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced its plan to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion. Bungie would become part of the PlayStation family of studios but would remain independent in how it develops and publishes games. Sony's investment would help Bungie hire more developers to expand the Destiny series and other planned games. Both companies said the deal would not change where Destiny 2 is available. Instead, it would help Bungie create other types of media beyond video games. Sony also said Bungie would help them grow in the "games as a service" market, where games are updated over time.
The acquisition was completed by July 15, 2022, making Bungie a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment.
In October 2023, Bungie had to lay off about 100 employees. This was part of a larger plan to cut costs across Sony studios. Reports said that money from Destiny 2 had gone down, and work on the next big expansion, The Final Shape, was not going as well as expected. Because of this, The Final Shape was delayed from February 2024 to June 2024, and their next game, Marathon, was pushed to 2025.
Bungie.net
Bungie.net is the main website where Bungie staff and the game community interact. When Microsoft bought Bungie, some saw the site as competing with Microsoft's Xbox.com. However, managing the community became the bigger focus. The site has been updated many times.
When Bungie made Halo games, the site recorded statistics for each game played. This included details about each player and "heatmaps" showing where kills happened on game levels. On January 31, 2012, Bungie announced that it would stop updating Halo game statistics and player records on March 31, 2012. This completed the transfer of all Halo game data to 343 Industries. Bungie.net now records player statistics for their Destiny games. The website also helps Bungie communicate with its community.
Bungie has always provided places for fans to talk about games and released new information on Bungie.net. More recently, Bungie has tried to share more about its internal workings. They hired well-known community members, like writers Luke Smith and Eric Osborne, to help connect with fans.
Bungie also has an app for iOS and Google Play. This app lets players check news, manage their game items, and find groups for Destiny games while on the go.
Bungie's Culture
Martin O'Donnell described Bungie's workplace as having a "slightly irreverent attitude" and not being too formal. Artist Shi Kai Wang felt that when he interviewed at Bungie, he was "over-dressed," which made him realize it was the right place for him. Frank O'Connor, Bungie's content manager, joked that at a GameStop conference, the Bungie team was told to wear business casual clothes, but he replied, "We [Bungie] don't do business casual."
This informal and creative culture was one reason Microsoft wanted to buy Bungie. However, game designer Jordan Weisman said Microsoft almost ruined Bungie's creative culture. Studio head Harold Ryan said that even after Microsoft bought Bungie, the team remained independent. They even tore down walls in a Microsoft building to create an open workspace, unlike other teams.
In 2007, Microsoft moved the studio to Kirkland, Washington, where it became Bungie, Inc. Despite the move, some thought the Bungie-Microsoft partnership would fail due to these differences. Bungie also felt tired of new game ideas being put aside to work only on the Halo series. Edge magazine described Bungie employees as "simultaneously irreverent and passionately loyal; fiercely self-critical; full of excitement at the company's achievements... [and] recruited from its devoted fanbase."
Bungie's workplace is very informal. New and old staff can challenge each other on game ideas. Staff can even publicly criticize their own games and each other. To encourage teamwork and friendly competition, Bungie holds events like the "Bungie Pentathlon." In this event, staff teams play games like Halo, Pictionary, Dance Dance Revolution, and Rock Band. Bungie also played against professional eSports teams and other game studios in Halo during "Humpdays," with results posted on Bungie.net.
Bungie's staff and fans, known as the "Seventh Column," have worked together for charity. After Hurricane Katrina, Bungie donated money from special T-shirts to the American Red Cross. After the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bungie sold "Be a Hero" T-shirts and donated money for every Halo 3 or ODST player on Xbox Live who wore a special heart-shaped emblem. Other charity work included auctioning off art and working with Child's Play charity. In 2011, Bungie created its own nonprofit organization called the Bungie Foundation.
In December 2021, a report mentioned some past issues with workplace culture at Bungie, especially concerning female employees. However, the company has been working hard to improve these issues. CEO Pete Parsons apologized to any employee who had a negative experience and stated that Bungie is committed to making the workplace safe, fair, and professional for everyone. They are working to remove any "rockstar" attitudes that might have existed.
Games Developed by Bungie
| Year | Title | Platform |
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| 1990 | Gnop! | Classic Mac OS |
| 1991 | Operation: Desert Storm | |
| 1992 | Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete | |
| 1993 | Pathways into Darkness | |
| 1994 | Marathon | Apple Pippin (as Super Marathon), Classic Mac OS |
| 1995 | Marathon 2: Durandal | Apple Pippin (as Super Marathon), Classic Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 |
| 1996 | Marathon Infinity | Classic Mac OS |
| 1997 | Myth: The Fallen Lords | Classic Mac OS, Microsoft Windows |
| 1998 | Myth II: Soulblighter | Classic Mac OS, Microsoft Windows, Linux |
| 2001 | Oni | Classic Mac OS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 |
| Halo: Combat Evolved | macOS, Microsoft Windows, Xbox | |
| 2004 | Halo 2 | Microsoft Windows, Xbox |
| 2007 | Halo 3 | Xbox 360 |
| 2009 | Halo 3: ODST | |
| 2010 | Halo: Reach | |
| 2014 | Destiny | PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One |
| 2017 | Destiny 2 | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Stadia |
| TBA | Marathon | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
| TBA | Untitled Team-Based Action Game | TBA |
Bungie also created its own game engine, first called the Blam Engine for the Halo games. It was later greatly changed and renamed the Tiger Engine for Destiny.
Other Companies Started by Former Bungie Employees
Many people who worked at Bungie have left to start their own game studios. For example, Double Aught was a company started by former Bungie team members. Alex Seropian left to create Wideload Games and later co-founded Industrial Toys. Other companies include Giant Bite and Certain Affinity. Certain Affinity even worked with Bungie on maps for Halo 2 and Halo: Reach.
343 Industries, a game studio formed by Microsoft to manage the Halo series after Halo: Reach, also has some former Bungie employees. In 2015, long-time Bungie employee Martin O'Donnell started a new game studio called Highwire Games. In 2016, former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan founded a new game studio called ProbablyMonsters.
See also
In Spanish: Bungie Studios para niños
