In January 2022, Sony revealed plans to acquire Bungie. This was a huge deal that was seen as a retaliation for Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard takeover and a chance for Sony studios to expand their live service game expertise. But Bungie, the company that created Destiny 2, appears to be disappointing Sony after investing $3.6 billion in them.
Sony and Bungie are seemingly having a major internal conflict, reveals insider email
A video shared by a popular Destiny 2 content creator “Aztecross” reveals an alarming email he received from a purported Sony insider.
According to the email, Sony and Bungie are having a major internal conflict right now over an investment that hasn’t paid off and is even viewed internally as “a failed investment.” Sony seems frustrated with Bungie for this and they are therefore discussing replacing Bungie’s leadership. Sony is further concerned since pre-orders for Bungie’s planned DLC aren’t as high as anticipated.
The email indicates that Sony is particularly dissatisfied with Bungie’s leadership, citing missed financial targets and difficulties in coordinating meetings. Sony believes that acquiring Bungie completely might benefit both parties. The email suggests that while Sony aims to make Destiny more financially viable, they are against adopting overly aggressive monetization strategies.
Basically, the email asserts that there is a great deal of disagreement between Sony and Bungie, which may have an impact on Destiny’s and other Bungie projects’ futures.
Here is what the complete email says:
Hey there, I'm writing this on a throwaway. Please use this info to corroborate other sources you may have. Internal perspective at Sony is very negative towards Bungie right now. It is seen as a failed investment and strategies being discusses[sic] revolve around more of recouping losses. One internal leader from US is fighting to take over to right the ship, while many others across the Pacific want a much harsher method. The former US leader holds a lot of respect from overseas leadership, so it is likely (s)he will get their way. That person's perspective is that there are a many 'gluttonous' executives at Bungie who are not doing their jobs and are hindering the organization. It is believed that the workers are skilled, but the leadership is unable to perform their duties. Bungie is in a hard spot, because pre-order numbers are lower than anticipated. I apologize, I do not have details on actual numbers. Sony believes that the finances will not allow Bungie to avoid a takeover even with another round of layoffs, as that would cannibalize development and future revenue. Overall, Sony has been very upset at Bungie leadership. They have not been able to successfully advise Sony teams, and while Lightfall hit internal revenue targets, every target since has been missed at an escalating decline. Bungie leadership regularly reschedule meetings with Sony leadership, know that the next timeslot can be months away. I hope this sheds light for ongoings from Sony's side. It is believed that the takeover would allow Sony to turn Destiny into a more profitable game. This sounds bad, but it is being treated as 'lightning in a bottle'. Sony leadership wants to nurture the game, and understand that more aggressive monetization would not be healthy. There would be a monetization model switch, though, as it is believed the current model is too confusing. The main difference between the US leader vs Japan leaders getting their way matters more for Bungie's in-development titles. If Japan leadership gets their way, teams for future titles will be gutted and reformed.
It’s important to note that the email shared by Aztecross is purely a rumor as there is no report or official material that can validate the internal conflict between Sony and Bungie.
The only information that has been known in advance is the poor pre-orders for Destiny 2’s upcoming expansion and the email also highlights a key point, which is the absence of results when advising other teams.
While it is true that PlayStation acquired Bungie in early 2022 for $3.6 billion, this was done as an independent SIE subsidiary to keep its management team in place. The email has now called this into doubt, as Sony may eventually take total control.
However, it’s crucial to approach these Sony and Bungie conflict rumors with caution, as there is currently no additional information available to corroborate the claims made in the email.
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