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Gnop!
May 1991- 20 years after the first commercial video games were brought to market, Bungie is founded by Alex Seropian and Jason Jones. The company is created a year after they developed a Pong clone for Macintosh computers. Alex founded the company in order to self-publish his game, “Operation: Desert storm," that he wrote and funded with support from family and friends. Source: Bungie.net -
On the Pathway to Success
After pioneering online gameplay with 1992 release “Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete” Bungie releases “Pathways into Darkness,” a game that mixed traditional combat roles with science fiction. The game can be said to be a foreshadowing of Bungie’s future productions, with heavy notes of mythology and science fiction. Source: IGN -
Running a Marathon
After a few demonstrations and several tweaks later, Bungie releases a sequel to “Pathways into Darkness" with a new franchise called "Marathon." The game was made possible due to Bungie’s earlier success with Pathways, and continued the sci-fi shooter trend established early on. Developing on Marathon 2 begins shortly after release. Source: Bungie.net -
Bungie Continues to Grow
After the release of Marathon 2 and it having been well received, Bungie grew in size and acquired more programmers while experiencing a near 500% sales growth. Bungie releases the third game in the Marathon franchise. Bungie also creates Bungie Publishing and publishes “Abuse” and “Weekend Warrior” for the Mac OS. This same year Bungie announces plans for a new franchise “Myth”, which strayed from the previous theme of science fiction shooters. -
Myth
Bungie builds off the success of the first Myth game, released in 1997. At the E3 expo, Bungie announces two games in development; sequel Myth II, and new property “Oni.” The Myth series receives great attention and shows Bungie’s ability to tell a story with deep fantasy lore while providing an experience of a mystical journey. Source: Bungie.net -
Bungie Joins Forces With Microsoft
After Steve Jobs announced at the 1999 Macworld Expo that Bungie’s new property “Halo” would be released on all platforms, Microsoft announces its purchase of Bungie Studios. Instead of being released for the Mac, PC and XBOX the game is moved to only be released for Microsoft’s new XBOX console. Source: Polygon -
Halo: Bungie Evolved
“Halo: Combat Evolved” takes the world by storm, launching in tandem with Microsoft’s new XBOX console. Within five months nearly a million copies were sold, and fans were treated to novels and action figures alongside the game. The game shows bungie’s ability to continue to tell a story rich with history and lore, mixing religious and sci-fi tones, while maintaining a gritty first person shooter experience. Source: IGN -
Moving Along
By now the Halo franchise has become a staple in the gaming community and Halo 2’s 2004 release was met with great acclaim. Bungie releases Halo 3 breaking records, making over $300 million in the first week. While the game is well received, Bungie announces that they will be separating from Microsoft, leaving fans to wonder what would become of their beloved Halo franchise. Halo continues to be a role-model for online multiplayer. Source: Polygon, IGN -
What Next?
Microsoft continues to publish Halo games with assistance from Bungie. “Halo 3: ODST” and “Halo Wars” are released, with a main series game “Halo: Reach” is planned for release in the following year. During this time it is unclear what will become of Bungie’s future, and whether the company will make a new property or continue to work with Microsoft. Source: Halo.Bungie.net -
Bungie's Destiny
Shortly after the release of "Halo: Reach," Bungie begins working on a new property called “Destiny.” 343 Industries takes over the development of the Halo franchise while Bungie begins development of their new project. The game is planned to release on both major console platforms, the Xbox and Playstation families. Game publisher Activision, known for the major "Call of Duty" franchise, locks Bungie into a 10 year publishing agreement to support the development of "Destiny." Source: IGN -
Broken Record
Bungie releases their new original property, Destiny, for the Playstation and Xbox family of consoles. The game is met with mixed reviews, but quickly gains a large base of dedicated fans. The game breaks records, earning over $500 million in the first week, making it the biggest launch of a new franchise in video game history. Over 16 million players register in destiny, spending an average time of three hours a day in game. Destiny mixes the influences of bungies past to bring players on a sci
