I'm betting on there being some truth to it for one simple reason: nobody from MS or Bungie has come out and denied the rumour.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] halvie If they leave Halo 3 will be the last Bungie game I ever purchase. I seriously cannot believe how childish they are acting..."yeah I don't want to make any more games that break sales records" ....good luck repeating the success without MS marketing and money. [/quote] You are forget Bungie made the game, not microsoft. So inturn if bungie made another game, it will be just as good as halo if not better.

As much as I don't want this to happen, Bungie can rest assured if they keep making great games I'll keep buying them, but Bungie, don't leave us in the dark.

If they leave Halo 3 will be the last Bungie game I ever purchase. I seriously cannot believe how childish they are acting..."yeah I don't want to make any more games that break sales records" ....good luck repeating the success without MS marketing and money.

Where are they? Why are they not coming clean about this? It's not cool to keep your fans in the dark. If it's going to happen, just tell us. [Edited on 10.02.2007 5:40 PM PDT]

I have a slight feeling this is some sad little rumor started up by a circle of geeks and that's exactly why Microsoft aren't going to even bother saying anything about it.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] just another fan [i]Microsoft official announcement[/i]: "Bungie isn't leaving us, we're leaving Bungie. When we found out the truth, Bungie's actual plan, we decided we had to abandon them as soon as possible. We are very fond of Micorosft, and Bungie too, but we don't want to be taken over by them. Microsoft is known for it's software, world domination, Bungie's at least, doesn't fit in our policy. We wish Bungie all the luck, but we won't be the company that will help them with step 6." [i]Frank O'Connor stated[/i]: "It's true, Microsoft left us. They found out the truth earlier than we had hoped, and we can no longer use them to dominate the world. Despite our great partnership, we will have to launch them into the sun. It's a sad happening, but that's how things go. What Bungie will do from this point on? We're not quite sure, we might set our sights on Sony, or Nintendo instead. Or we just skip step 6 all together, the slingshot is almost done anyway. I can't really tell, only the future can." :P[/quote] NNNNOOOOOOOOooooooo! Bungie still [i]can[/i] make games for xbox....right? Whats step 6!? DON'T set sights for sony! This sucks. I liked bungie and microsoft together.

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Anton P Nym Firstly, platform fanboiism is just sad. Play the game, not the console/PC. Secondly, I think the source (singular, note, and going with a "single source" in journalism is almost as bad as making up the story) of this rumour is highly unreliable given what little he/she/it has given us. Thirdly, it doesn't make sense. -- Steve won't dismiss it out of hand, but the way to bet is that this is just another rumour made up by a sad panda with too much time on his/her/its hands.[/quote] Yea, fanboyism is sad. But i hate the playstation's controller so much, would not like halo as much if it was on the PS3. I wouldn't mind if it was on the wii or something, that might be kewl. But i really like the xbox alot. And xbox live. i sure hope its a fake though. It deffinatly looks like one.

I know this might be crazy, but what if this is about MS buying into Weta and then merging Bungie and Weta to form a development house that can develop movies and games along side each other????? More crazy talk I know

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] GHOSTRIDERJP [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] EL Pleased to see [url=http://marathon.bungie.org/Story/_images/bungielinglingback.jpg]step 6[/url] commencing.[/quote] This man is correct.[/quote] freaked out when l saw this lol but hey if M$ is really asking for H4 then they really full of crap Bungie must be tired of Halo right now and DLC is probably the last thing theyll do with Halo personally l think Bungie should stay but make a new series or continue and old one

Alright, I'll assume this is true. I won't bother to wait for some glorified press release because MS hasn't really been great at keeping secrets anyway. I want to say this to Bungie: The timing of this little publicity stunt is very inconsiderate not only to Microsoft but to your fans as well. The game just got released and is doing quite well everywhere around the world. The last thing that the fans need right now is worry about corporate drama like this. There will be fans out there who do want to see a Halo 4 and there are those that don't (I'm one of those that don't). Despite our differences in opinion regarding the series, this kind of confusing, uncertain scenario being presented as some kind of rumor to fuel the flames of internet speculation is quite irresponsible, particularly by this 'source' that is not being specific about anything. I think the intent here is very clear: it's to pressure MS by making the public go on the side of Bungie. But it's such an irresponsible and inconsiderate thing to do. I think Microsoft has done a great deal to bring Bungie to the success that it has today. Bungie should be grateful to them; without MS's financial backing, Halo would have been just another FPS in a sea of FPS games that won't get the degree of success that it has today. For Bungie to just have these rumors floating around [b][i]is just a slap in the face of their current 'parent company' and it speaks volumes about the ethics of the people working in the company.[/b][/i] At the very least, Bungie, the best you could have done in this situation is to delay Microsoft in their pressure for Halo 4. To put this issue out in the public eye is hurting your business 'partners' and is just mutually assured destruction (For both your company and for MS).

There are definitely some things wrong with the story that has been coming out. Microsoft wants to continue the Halo franchise because they have to recoup the money that they put in the XBOX platform and internally there are several groups within Microsoft that want to discontinue the XBOX platform or the Home Entertainment Division in favor of Windows and other PC software based products. But come on, Bungie...if this news is even true what a great time of going about it. Halo 3 makes a ton of money then you're going to announce that you're leaving because you're feeling pressured by Microsoft? While the community loyalist here might just cheer you on despite everything that you do, for casuals (who also play Halo) might find the whole thing to be drama-queen esque. Fine, you don't want to make another Halo...couldn't there have been other ways to talk to Microsoft rather than leaving? Geeze...its sounds like Bungie didn't try other options and just went for the 'gung-ho' way. If ever Bungie does leave, you wonder if their other games will be successful. Halo was a phenomena compounded with massive marketing. While word of mouth is there, I don't think the game would have been as big as it is now without the marketing that was poured into it by Microsoft. There are lots of other great games out there which is better than Halo but remain in th shadows simply because they have no marketing. As for the name...well what is 'Bungie' without Halo these days? Even without Bungie, Halo has a shot of surviving just like Guitar Hero 3 is alive and kicking even without its original developers, Harmonix. As for Bungie being bossed around...because Halo 4 was requested out of them. Because they had to put their games on the XBLA Marketplace where it can be bought alongside other? Because they were pressured to finish Halo 2 back then when they were too busy eating pizza to flesh out the whole story? Were there other instances of them being bossed around? Seriously, Bungie...if this is true its bad news for everyone and not just MIcrosoft. I don't know if other VCs are willing to make you guys continue your games at your own pace or will shower as much money in marketing your game. Let's not sell Microsoft short now...Bungie is where it is today thanks to the Halo franchise...that's the truth. Bungie without Halo or Bungie without the financial muscle of Microsoft, will just be another company in a sea of developers all looking for attention. The Halo franchise isn't just Bungie's alone, its a shared effort. If you people in Bungie fail to realize this, then you're really screwed by your egos. [Edited on 10.02.2007 4:28 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] EL Pleased to see [url=http://marathon.bungie.org/Story/_images/bungielinglingback.jpg]step 6[/url] commencing.[/quote] This man is correct.

this is getting crazy ,, if bungie was tired of making halo games that much, surely they could set up to devellop a new IP while still being a part of Microsoft Game Studios. this rumor might sound true enough but it just makes no sence to me. Microsoft really needs to get off their backs and let them be innovative and creative but having to split up like this is too much... Rare should be the studio that gets pressure to perform well these days (where the hell is killer instinct 3 ?).... Bungie deserves a huge thank you and maybe an apology or two about being bosed around ... Halo games already have been diverted to other studios... namely Esemble studios (halo wars) and the peter jackson thing ( whatever that is) Bungie did say this was the end of the master chiefs story .... So , cool, go on making other games ... And Im still a little soar from the whole FASA dismemberment..... come on,, let this rumor be unfounded ,,, pretty please ....

I bought my original Xbox because I was curious what all the Halo hubbub was all about (Bungie can thank EGM and their game of the year award) and I absolutely loved the game. Halo quickly became one of my favorite games and Bungie became my favorite developer. I loved Halo 2 and I am currently loving Halo 3 but if Bungie decided to never make a Halo title ever again, I would be completely fine with that (as long as they properly support Halo 3 for a decent amount of time). I would love to see them work on other projects and bring the quality of Halo to brand new IPs. I really don't care where their next title ends up but I would assume their knowledge of the Xbox 360 is unparalleled so I would be surprised if they threw away that experience and started from scratch with a new platform. [Edited on 10.02.2007 3:53 PM PDT]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Sir Fragula [quote][b]Posted by:[/b] Zeroeffect00 According to a few other websites this is indeed true but more complex than this. I believe GI said [b]Bungie shareholders[/b] bought the stock back from M$ BUT M$ has the first right of refusal and publishing rights on whatever upcoming Ips they have. So it sounds like they're going to get the freedom they want but M$ will still be publishing their titles if they want? Kinda like what Bioware does with M$. Can't say that I blame them.[/quote] Has Bungie EVER had shares or stock? I'm fairly certain they were a private company and not a publicly traded one. And just... don't use "M$". It went out of fashion years ago.[/quote] From what I understand, Take 2 held a 19.9 (I think that was the number) percent stock in Bungie before the MS buyout. I was also under that impression that Bungie had always been a private company, but it doesn't actually appear to be true. [EDIT]: I just found this quote from an old IGN article: "Take Two, in return for their 19.9% stake in Bungie (which will become Microsoft's), is acquiring the complete rights to Bungie's Myth and Oni franchises" From that, it looks like it's possible that BUngie has had stock all along, and that Microsoft has simply owned the majority of it. As far as I understand, that would make Bungie owned by MS. [End edit] Also, even if Bungie left Microsoft, there is a very strong probability that they will continue to develop for the 360. They have a huge fanbase already installed there, so leaving it just would not make any sense. So any fears that we might be asked to buy a new console should be quieted now, in my opinion. I'd also like to say that Bungie leaving Microsoft would mean nothing but good news for Bungie's fans, as far as I can see. Bungie has a history of being much kinder to its fanbase than any corporation. For example, Marathon has been free for some time now. Yet there are other games, such as Pathways into Darkness, that have still not been released. That in itself is not the problem; the problem is that it [i]can't[/i] be released. Doing so would require word from MS's lawyers, and they never say anything unless something gets really big, then they might send out a cease and desist letter. Maybe with Bungie independent again, we could simply ask Bungie what we are allowed to do with the game. Then they might even have an answer for us. I'm only using one game as an example. Bungie being free would also give us fans more freedom, and at the very least, we would know what freedoms we don't have. And who knows? Maybe with MS out of the way, they could hold a competition every once in a while they 95% of the world isn't excluded from. To be honest, at first I was fairly sure that this rumor was not true. However, after exploring the internet for a while, it just seems to be stacking up rather high. The main article that caught my attention is from 1up. It's not based on "I have a source" or anything like that; it's actually based on using their knowledge about the industry, combined with some logic, to provide an idea of what could happen. If you haven't done so, please read [url=http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163310]this article[/url] before coming to a conclusion. The GI article is also worth a read, at the very least. To me, it isn't the individual articles or what they say that is starting to swing my opinion the other way, but the fact that no one has come out with a source to say that it [i]isn't[/i] true. Wouldn't you want to be the first to be able to say that you know it's not true? I mean, that would have to be worth quite a few hits. So, while I'm not saying that it's true, I will say that it really does appear to me that it has some merit. [Edited on 10.02.2007 4:06 PM PDT]

[url]http://www.8bitjoystick.com/archives/jake_bungie_leaving_micr osoft_you_heard_it_here_first_folks.php[/url]

[quote][b]Posted by:[/b] waters I think we can agree MS wouldn't cut Bungie. No one would cut Bungie, seriously. But Bungie probably wants to work on new IP and maybe wants to develop on other platforms. So whatever the announcement is, it likely isn't a complete split or Bungie going from exclusively MS to exclusively Sony. My money is on one of these three possibilities 1) Bungie stays MS owned but is free to work on any IP as they see fit 2) Bungie divides in two. One works Halo, while one works on new IP 3) Bungie goes multiplatform, new IP certainly still in the mix. I certainly feel that Bungie wants more freedom, but I don't think we're talking permenant split here. [/quote] My money is on number 2. With them hiring a new lead designer, as I mentioned previously, they might be working on Halo and a new IP now, with two seperate teams.

I believe Bungie no longer holds rights to Oni, as they would lose any rights to Halo after leaving MS. I would love to see some new IP from Bungie, but saying that MS pressures a developer that needs a 100 person team to get a game out every 3 years is a bit too much.

You know all this is probably just a few of the devs going off to do other projects, i.e. Stubbs the Zombie. It's been what like 8 years working on Halo? got to be pretty tired of it by now. Just pass the franchise on to another dev team Bungie and give us somthing new, you guys have proved yourselves in this gaming arena, so give us a new IP.

I'm sure Bungie know where their fanbase is - and that didn't actually start with Halo for those who have actually followed them. I'm pleased if they get to make the games they want once again - now bring on a sequel to Oni

According to a few other websites this is indeed true but more complex than this. I believe GI said Bungie shareholders bought the stock back from M$ BUT M$ has the first right of refusal and publishing rights on whatever upcoming Ips they have. So it sounds like they're going to get the freedom they want but M$ will still be publishing their titles if they want? Kinda like what Bioware does with M$. Can't say that I blame them. Bungie you better not screw your fans over. I'm no fanboy but I don't believe in multiple systems, too much gaming. I bought a 360 for Halo 3, you guys better remember where you fanbase is. This is like the Linux community made over again, we put you on the map as one of the most successful companies ever. Its time show some respect to your community. I don't care if you develop games for the PS3/Wii but you better be tossing them towards a Xbox 360 too because this is where you fanbase is. You could go PS3 exclusive and completely destroy your rep as a money hungry mongrel. M$ has held Bungie back, its apparent. I have faith that they won't screw this community over. I have to believe some of the choices they made in Halo was because of M$. Can't say I blame them for this movement just as long as you guys continue to make games for your 360 fans. Regardless of how Bungie feels about M$ they have to realize they needed them just as much as M$ needed Bungie. Where would Halo have been without the marketing campaigns, tools and resources to develop it? Freedom for development? Go for it Bungie, can't wait to see your next IP, just don't screw us over please.