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The detailed contracted between publisher Activision and Halo developer Bungie has been made public, revealing plans for a mammoth new franchise from the shooter specialist and a launch date for Microsoft’s next Xbox hardware.
Bungie’s contract with Activision covers a sci-fi shooter currently codenamed Destiny, with the publisher agreeing to fund the initial title, three sequels, due every other year, and stacks of additional downloadable content, mirroring the strategy that saw Halo power Microsoft’s Xbox consoles to success for a decade.
Also rather interesting is that the game is scheduled to arrive on Xbox 360 and a machine the contract refers to as Xbox 720 in late 2013. Not only that, but a version for PlayStation3 will arrive a year later, plus the sequels will also hit PS4. It’s the most extraordinary gaming leak of the year. Enjoy the full contract with its mentions of Xbox 720 and PS4 here.
Plus there’s good news for rather old Bungie fans. The terms of the contract state that the developer is allowed to put up to five per cent of its workforce on a project known as Marathon, which is presumably a next-next-generation update of its much-loved Apple Mac shooter.
In the wake of the publication of the contract, Bungie’s put up a little statement on its web site, saying: “While we’re not ready to show you what we’ve been working on, we can reconfirm that we are hard at work on our new universe. We can’t wait for you to see it. See you starside in 2013.”
And there’s a little bit of extra pressure on Bungie to deliver, as Activision’s agreed to pay a $2.5m bonus should the first of the new games average 90/100 or higher on game review score aggregator GameRankings.com. [LA Times via CVG]
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Sir Paul McCartney + Bungie = ???
Is it just me or is “Xbox 720″ the worst ever product name? Even if it is just a codename (which I am praying that it is!) then they could have literally chosen anything. I doubt I will be able to handle a whole year of 720 references without being physically sick or garroting myself.
I’m not even sure it is even a code name. I think it is a name invented by the internet that makes a good placeholder name for an unnamed product (like iPhone 5 was last year, before the 4S was announced). I agree the 720 name is stupid. 360 workrd as it was meant to cover everything (Games/movies/internet) but 720 implies your going to be going round in circles.
or you are doubly covering everything. just for when it crashes and burns.
Maybe that’s it. It will get the RROD twice as much, thus it will need to complete the YOU-REPAIRER-YOU circle twice.
Yeh, I get that Darrell. Some lazy, uncreative person has a lot to answer for.
Round and round in circles,
Red ring of death follows me.
Round and round in circles,
I wish it would kill me so I don’t have to hear 720 EVER again.
Game Over
Personally I don’t think anything else would sound right considering they called their previous model the Xbox 360.
Xbox 360 was a fantastic name for the console for “covering everything” and also for keeping with the PS3′s version number.
However, they screwed themselves over as this next console is going to be extra difficult to name and so far the only direction I see it going is the 720.
While this is a pretty cool leak I would’t be surprised if it was just Activision covering their own backs. These contracts have to be watertight.
i am excite
They should use the original Wii codename – Revolution. I could stomach “Xbox Revolution” and the marketing campaigns write themselves!