Potatomilk

[Y2Khailey.exe @HaileyEira]

It's crazy how Bungie laid off Mike Salvatori, who's been with them for over 25 years. This industry is blind. They don't care about retaining top talent and think they're expendable. It's disgusting.

I'm going to reveal something all journalists and fans should know...

It's widely believed that a lot of the original Bungie team had willingly left Bungie, but the truth is that Bungie executives had actually made decisions that led to the firing of Marcus Lehto, Jaime Griesemer, Paul Bertone, Joe Staten, and many others. None of them were officially fired. They accepted separation agreements rather than being fired, except Marcus, who simply got fed up and resigned.

A few months ago I said I'll be telling everyone some untold Bungie/Microsoft history. I've been told I'm not allowed to tell it yet for reasons I can't say, but here's something I'll share now. This all comes directly from my friends at MS or those who once worked for MS.

After Microsoft acquired Bungie in 2001, Harold Ryan (MS Test) and Pete Parsons (MS Marketing, now CEO of Bungie) were introduced to the Bungie team to help Bungie with Halo: Combat Evolved.

Sometime in 2003 during the development of Halo 2, Bungie felt their profit share of Halo was insufficient and thought of leaving MS and start a new company (go pirate). Bungie then convinced Pete (who became Studio Manager in 2002) to help them begin negotiations with MS about changing their deal. MS agreed to share but told them that it'll take time to work out the details and requested that they continue making Halo 2.

Bungie could sense bad things were going on behind the scenes, since their biggest ally at MS, @Ed_Fries (founder of Microsoft Game Studios and who made the Bungie acquisition) suddenly resigns.

Bungie agreed to get 11% of the profits of Halo 2 for the studio. In 2004, Bungie ship Halo 2 and MS tells them they get 11% of the first few million in profits and then the more money MS makes, the more the percentage to Bungie drops to 2%.

On the day Bungie ship Halo 2, they blow through the 11% and by the end of that day they're only at 2% from then on. At that point they decide to leave MS and start negotiating to become independent. Either MS makes a deal or Bungie goes pirate. There were 7 members of the Bungie team who led the charge to leave and speak with MS brass, who at that time was @Robbie_Bach.

Pete Parsons was the intermediary. He talked with Bungie, takes what they want to MS, then returns to inform them of what MS said. This went on for several months. Eventually, both Jason Jones and Marcus Lehto became frustrated and threatened to resign. Pete informed them that he told MS that he too will resign if MS don’t budge.

Bungie then hold a group meeting. It is asked that anyone who threatened to quit should leave the room. Those left in the room decide what they want to do. There were five people in the room (I won't mention their names at this time). At this point, it was suggested that all decisions should be unanimous.

They ask Marcus what they would need to do to get him to stay, to which he comes to an agreement. They do the same for Jason. Then the whole group is asked if they should do the same for Pete — it's not unanimous. Many of them believed that Pete had been double-dealing — playing both sides and not being entirely honest with either.

Bungie say goodbye to Pete and thank him for resigning. They believe that his resignation will get the attention of MS.

Bungie decide that Harold Ryan will run the business side and Marty O'Donnell will oversee the people side. Bungie then hire Don Leeds to be their negotiator. He becomes their strategist in dealing with MS, which at this point is Shane Kim. Bungie basically says, "MS give us Bungie and we'll give MS Halo 3."

It takes more than a couple of years until Bungie make the deal, and on 07/07/07 they get their official independence. Shane is there to offer positions at 343 for anyone who would rather stay safe in the arms of MS.

It was at this point that Bungie found out Pete Parsons didn't resign from MS but was simply given a different executive position; he had deceived them.

This is all I can share for now, and this begins another long part of the saga, one in which Bungie loses the aforementioned employees and many others.

The main reason Bungie changed was because of Harold Ryan and Pete Parsons. These two pretty much ruined Bungie. Someone at 343 Industries had also been bad-mouthing the Bungie team and saying they're difficult to work with. I'll let you figure out who that person was.

[Last City Radio @LastCityRadio]

To clear up misconceptions,

Michael Salvatori and Michael Sechrist's music for "The Final Shape" expansion has already been written and recorded.

The Final Shape's (internal name: Warp) orchestra recording sessions took place at Ocean Way Nashville Studio in July of this year.

[Paul Tassi @PaulTassi]

More, from other sources:

[pete parsons @pparsons]

Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio. What these exceptional individuals have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of Bungie long into the future.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@destiny_thememe I remember ratchet and clank having some insane stuff in the series like the sheepinator/duckinator, which turns enemies into sheep and ducks.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@UhKnope This shader is just too good

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@DestinyTheGame If we already have the catalyst unlocked for the exotic mission weapons, will we have to earn them again or will they be already available to be selected at the enclave?

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@DestinyTheGame It would be nice if the change to winter’s guile and penumbral blast also applied to pocket singularity, in other words, make the volatile applied detnonate automatically. It would make that melee feel so much better to use.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@Destiny2Team I don't like how kickstart mods barely work if you have an ability that can store multiple charges. It makes having multiple charges feel like a downside rather than a benefit.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@Sweatcicle Remember when they said this?

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@Destiny2Team I kinda wish worldline had a third powerful blink attack to make it feel like a complete combo since it feels like something is missing after doing only 2 blink attacks. Other than that, it's been a lot of fun to use after the buff.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@falloutplays TWID doesn't sound right. TWIDdy on the other hand....

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@BungieHelp or lorentz driver

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@BungieHelp I wonder if there's gonna be any synergy with darci

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@Zavallr Is this what no destiny does to a person?

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@DestinyTheGame This holiday ain't big enough for the both of us ese

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@evanf1997_ It was a cute little event. I wouldn't mind if we had more of these gun oddities in the future as long as it's handled better. I understand why it rubbed people the wrong way. That's expectations for ya. I'd prefer if it was more contained within the game and not social media.

[Potatomilk @potato_kaz]

@DestinyTheGame It's all Telesto?