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Apple Almost Acquired 'Halo' Developer Bungie in 2000

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Apr 12, 2001
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It seems Steve Jobs had good reason for his angry reaction to Microsoft's acquisition of game developer Bungie in 2000. It wasn't just because Microsoft had managed to swipe up a prominent Mac developer. Apparently, Apple had also been working to acquire Bungie at that time. Develop cites an ex-Bungie employee about what might have been.
His account of the circumstances was that Phil Schiller – Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing – then had a meeting with Steve Jobs to discuss if the Macintosh manufacturer should proceed with acquiring Bungie.

"Schiller asked Steve, who said no," Deniz tells Develop. "[But] after a week, Steve said yes. Schiller calls Bungie, but Bungie had already consummated the deal with Microsoft".
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It's interesting to speculate how events would have played out if Apple had managed to acquire Bungie at the time. Halo, of course, became a massive success and has been the Xbox's flagship title since its launch.

Article Link: Apple Almost Acquired 'Halo' Developer Bungie in 2000
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/10/27/apple-almost-acquired-halo-developer-bungie-in-2000/
I'd like to know what Jobs' plan would have been for Bungie had Apple acquired them. From Bungie's perspective, the acquisition by MS really propelled them into the stratosphere.
 
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Wow, that sucks. I wonder if we would have apple consoles nowadays if apple had succeeded in buying Bungie.
 
It seems Steve Jobs had good reason for his angry reaction to Microsoft's acquisition of game developer Bungie in 2000.
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No he doesn't, he had his chance and turned it down. If he had said yes and they sold to MS he would have a reason.
 
I really doubt that Apple in 2000 could have done with Bungie what Microsoft did with them at the time. Even before Halo, Bungie's games were excellent, but that didn't translate into gamers buying Macs just so they could play Marathon II.

Had the deal gone through, those of us gaming on Macs would have undoubtedly been happier between 2000 and now and maybe there would have been fewer Mac gamers giving up on the Mac, but I'd really doubt owning Bungie would have had any seismic influences on the course of Apple history.
 
smirking said:
I really doubt that Apple in 2000 could have done with Bungie what Microsoft did with them at the time. Even before Halo, Bungie's games were excellent, but that didn't translate into gamers buying Macs just so they could play Marathon II.

Had the deal gone through, those of us gaming on Macs would have undoubtedly been happier between 2000 and now and maybe there would have been fewer Mac gamers giving up on the Mac, but I'd really doubt owning Bungie would have had any seismic influences on the course of Apple history.
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I agree completely. I think Bungie did far more with MS than they would have been able to achieve with Apple.
 
At least it would have meant that we would have more games, instead of playing second-fiddle to that console...
 
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Imaging how different the gaming world would be if Apple had acquired Bungie.
I don't think the Xbox would be half as big, and there may have been a much bigger market for Mac gaming. I'm deliberately leaving out an "iGame" console, I think they would have made it a Mac game.
 
I think this thread lacks fanboys who should call Steve a winner and criticize Halo as a really bad game.
 
why does this "news" appear today, after almost 10 years?

BTW I play Halo Trial almost everyday on my mac (multiplayer)
 
Fixed!

Dae said:
I think this thread lacks fanboys who should call Steve a winner and criticize Halo as a really bad game.
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Steve is a winner and Halo is a really bad game.

[The above is total nonsense - Bungie needed more resources than Apple could give at the time, and Halo is awesome enough that I have been tempted to buy an Xbox in addition to my PS3]
 
have to agree i can not see what apple could have done with bungie. Microsoft had the cash flow and ablity to ram halo down every media channel going and it worked apple had and still has a small stake in gaming and hell this is 10 year old news rumors who gives a frack its the same as bill gates taking no notice of the internet for years
 
I still think you can’t play Halo properly on a damn CONTROLLER on the Xbox. It smells ridiculous.
 
Bungie and Halo wouldn't be the same without Microsoft and Xbox, and the Xbox certainly would not be the same without Halo.
So, as an Xbox gamer, I think this was for the best.

Apple would probably keep Bungie from truly shining, seeing as gaming never was one of their main concerns.
Now that Bungie is going multiplatform, I hope they can bring their new title to the Mac!
 
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