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{{Quotebox|title=Take-Two 10-K (2000)|width=365px|quote="In June 2000, the Company sold its 19.9% equity interest in Bungie Software (“Bungie”) to Microsoft Corporation for approximately $5,000[,000] in cash. The Company did not realize any gain or loss on this transaction. Separately, the Company sold its exclusive Halo publishing and distribution rights to Bungie for $4,000[,000] in cash, a royalty free license to Bungie’s Halo technology in connection with the development of two original products and all right, title and interest to the Myth franchise and the PC and PlayStation(R) 2 game, | {{Quotebox|title=Take-Two 10-K (2000)|width=365px|quote="In June 2000, the Company sold its 19.9% equity interest in Bungie Software (“Bungie”) to Microsoft Corporation for approximately $5,000[,000] in cash. The Company did not realize any gain or loss on this transaction. Separately, the Company sold its exclusive Halo publishing and distribution rights to Bungie for $4,000[,000] in cash, a royalty free license to Bungie’s Halo technology in connection with the development of two original products and all right, title and interest to the Myth franchise and the PC and PlayStation(R) 2 game, | ||
Oni. The Company recorded this transaction as net sales of $5,500[,000] after giving effect to the receipt of $9,000[,000] in cash and $5,800[,000] of assets (consisting of $2,800[,000] relating to Oni, $1,500[,000] relating to Myth and $1,500[,000] relating to the license to use Halo game engine technology for two original products), net of $9,300[,000] of assets sold."}} | Oni. The Company recorded this transaction as net sales of $5,500[,000] after giving effect to the receipt of $9,000[,000] in cash and $5,800[,000] of assets (consisting of $2,800[,000] relating to Oni, $1,500[,000] relating to Myth and $1,500[,000] relating to the license to use Halo game engine technology for two original products), net of $9,300[,000] of assets sold."}} | ||
Bungie had seemed to enjoy great success as an independent publisher ever since they released [[wikipedia:Pathways into Darkness|Pathways into Darkness]] in 1993. However, Bungie was initially a Macintosh developer, and the Mac's limited market share meant that their sales never went above 200,000 units<ref>"200,000 units" figure taken from [http://books.google.com/books?ei=A1mlT672KIG29QSbz-HyDQ&id=sJi2AAAAIAAJ&dq=Opening+the+xbox&q=200%2C000#search_anchor page 238] of Dean Takahashi's book "Opening the Xbox", which also provided some of the details for the Apple story given below.</ref>, even after releasing [[wikipedia:Marathon Trilogy|Marathon 2]] for both Mac and Windows. Bungie also took advantage of their indie status to | Bungie had seemed to enjoy great success as an independent publisher ever since they released [[wikipedia:Pathways into Darkness|Pathways into Darkness]] in 1993. However, Bungie was initially a Macintosh developer, and the Mac's limited market share meant that their sales never went above 200,000 units<ref>"200,000 units" figure taken from [http://books.google.com/books?ei=A1mlT672KIG29QSbz-HyDQ&id=sJi2AAAAIAAJ&dq=Opening+the+xbox&q=200%2C000#search_anchor page 238] of Dean Takahashi's book "Opening the Xbox", which also provided some of the details for the Apple story given below.</ref>, even after releasing [[wikipedia:Marathon Trilogy|Marathon 2]] for both Mac and Windows. Bungie also took advantage of their indie status to avoid the strict deadlines which are normally enforced by video game publishers, refusing to release their games until they were completely finished. | ||
It is believed that Bungie began suffering from a shortage of cash around 1998 when the Myth II uninstaller bug was discovered and cost them at least $1 million to correct<ref>See Bungie's 20th Anniversary documentary, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtG6--4r_qk O Brave New World]'', 6 minute mark.</ref>. This might have been difficult to absorb for a studio not accustomed to a disciplined release schedule. The next game to release after Myth II was to be Oni in 1999, but as Oni's release date began to slide more and more, it became clear that Bungie had underestimated the time required to finish the game by more than usual. In the meantime, Bungie was bankrolling two studios instead of one. Thus, the decision was made to partner with Take-Two Interactive; on August 13, 1999, it was announced that Take-Two would acquire 19.9% of Bungie in exchange for the publishing rights to Oni and the upcoming Halo<ref>[http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/946581/0000891554-00-000145.txt SEC 10-K filing for Take-Two Interactive, 10/31/99].</ref>. Take-Two also began work on a port of Oni for the upcoming PlayStation 2 console. | It is believed that Bungie began suffering from a shortage of cash around 1998 when the Myth II uninstaller bug was discovered and cost them at least $1 million to correct<ref>See Bungie's 20th Anniversary documentary, ''[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtG6--4r_qk O Brave New World]'', 6 minute mark.</ref>. This might have been difficult to absorb for a studio not accustomed to a disciplined release schedule. The next game to release after Myth II was to be Oni in 1999, but as Oni's release date began to slide more and more, it became clear that Bungie had underestimated the time required to finish the game by more than usual. In the meantime, Bungie was bankrolling two studios instead of one. Thus, the decision was made to partner with Take-Two Interactive; on August 13, 1999, it was announced that Take-Two would acquire 19.9% of Bungie in exchange for the publishing rights to Oni and the upcoming Halo<ref>[http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/946581/0000891554-00-000145.txt SEC 10-K filing for Take-Two Interactive, 10/31/99].</ref>. Take-Two also began work on a port of Oni for the upcoming PlayStation 2 console. | ||
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===Oni=== | ===Oni=== | ||
Clearly Take-Two expected big things from Oni (see their valuation of Oni above, as well as their promotional efforts under the "Hype" section). They had assigned Rockstar Canada (later known as Rockstar Toronto) to work on a PlayStation 2 port of Oni around the end of 1999, and released it alongside the Windows and Mac versions of Oni; however, the port | Clearly Take-Two expected big things from Oni (see their valuation of Oni above, as well as their promotional efforts under the "Hype" section). They had assigned Rockstar Canada (later known as Rockstar Toronto) to work on a PlayStation 2 port of Oni around the end of 1999, and released it alongside the Windows and Mac versions of Oni; however, the port has been considered to be an inferior version of the game due to technical limitations and control issues. | ||
At first, Take-Two seemed intent on investing in Oni as a franchise. Shortly after Oni's release, a simple game billed as an Oni prequel<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20020221045402/http://www.fgnonline.com/pc/news/17352.html Fastest Game News Online, "Oni Prequel Announced"].</ref> (developed by Quantum Sheep) was released for [[wikipedia:Wireless_Application_Protocol|WAP]]-enabled cell phones. It was then rumored around April of 2001 that Take-Two intended to make an Oni 2<ref>[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/apr01.html Oni Central News Archives, Apr. 2001].</ref> (developed for PS2 by Angel Games<ref>[http://www.lostlevels.org/wordpress/2007/11/07/such-things-that-never-was/ Lost Levels article, "Such Things That Never Was"].</ref>, later known as Rockstar San Diego), but the game was apparently canceled at an early stage of development, possibly because Oni did not meet Take-Two's expected sales quotas. | At first, Take-Two seemed intent on investing in Oni as a franchise. Shortly after Oni's release, a simple game billed as an Oni prequel<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20020221045402/http://www.fgnonline.com/pc/news/17352.html Fastest Game News Online, "Oni Prequel Announced"].</ref> (developed by Quantum Sheep) was released for [[wikipedia:Wireless_Application_Protocol|WAP]]-enabled cell phones. It was then rumored around April of 2001 that Take-Two intended to make an Oni 2<ref>[http://oni.bungie.org/newsarchives/2001/apr01.html Oni Central News Archives, Apr. 2001].</ref> (developed for PS2 by Angel Games<ref>[http://www.lostlevels.org/wordpress/2007/11/07/such-things-that-never-was/ Lost Levels article, "Such Things That Never Was"].</ref>, later known as Rockstar San Diego), but the game was apparently canceled at an early stage of development, possibly because Oni did not meet Take-Two's expected sales quotas. | ||
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==The future of the property== | ==The future of the property== | ||
[[Image:Kon_valentine_print_art.jpg|thumb|Many | [[Image:Kon_valentine_print_art.jpg|thumb|Many players still fondly remember Oni.]] | ||
Take-Two has sold off some dormant franchises to outside developers, although there is no evidence that Oni is one of them. Upon the separation of Bungie from Microsoft, there was fervent speculation about Bungie returning to their older franchises. In an interview, Bungie's CEO, Harold Ryan, was asked specifically about Oni: | Take-Two has sold off some dormant franchises to outside developers, although there is no evidence that Oni is one of them. Upon the separation of Bungie from Microsoft, there was fervent speculation about Bungie returning to their older franchises. In an interview, Bungie's CEO, Harold Ryan, was asked specifically about Oni: | ||