|
First, I must date myself. It is Sunday, June 18th,
2000, and according to quite a number of "reputable" gaming news pages,
Microsoft is scheduled to buy Bungie tomorrow, Monday the 19th. This is,
quite obviously, the biggest, most viscious, worst-case-scenario possible
for Bungie, a developer who has always prided themselves on equal (and
often greater) support of non-MS platforms; a company which made its name
by repeatedly and successfully going off the beaten path, with a horde of
followers beating a new path behind them. Bungie, this very same Bungie,
now to be bought out by MS, a company which has made its name by storming
down the beaten path and claiming it as their own territory?
In as harsh words as permissable on a PG-13 website: bullshit.
Lets take a look at the facts:
(1) Bungie would never outright sell out to MS. I am 100% proof
positive of this.
(2) Take Two, however, owns 19.9% of Bungie - a non-controlling interest,
mind you. Take Two can make suggestions, and they profit when Bungie
profits, but they can't dictate what Bungie does.
(3) Take Two is in the business of selling things other people make. Thus,
they would welcome a buyout from a big rich company that sells more than
anybody else.
It is logical to conclude, therefore, that MS may be buying Take Two come
Monday, and thus coming into possession of 19.9% of Bungie's stock. Bungie,
however, still owns FOUR TIMES that much of themselves - 80.1% is still
owned by Jason and Alex. They have the controlling interest. No matter how
much Microsoft may kick and scream and bitch and moan, Jason and Alex
always have the final say, unless they decided to give that up. But then,
see point #1.
To the point: Microsoft may come into posession of some Bungie stock, but
that does not a buyout make. Microsoft owns a couple million dollars worth
of Apple stock too, but nobody who knows anything would say that Microsoft
owns Apple.
So unless the universe has turned completely upside down and I'm somehow
wrong about point #1, there's nothing to worry about. But in that case,
John Leguizamo better look out for that omniscient, omnipotent, and
omnivorous Matt Soell running around. (You might be a Bungie fan if you can
place that refference).
The MS Buyout Rumor
By Forrest
|
