Disney hires Bungie co-founder Alex Seropian, acquires Wideload Games

by Justin McElroy { Sep 8th 2009 at 11:00AM }

The story of Alex Seropian is a perfect reminder of why it's a good career move to help make one of the most popular game franchises in history. Because when you co-found Bungie, it's OK if you make Stubbs the Zombie followed by Hail to the Chimp -- you can still be hired to oversee creative development for Disney's video game development arm!

Seropian's company, Wideload Games, which is also being acquired by Disney, had used an interesting model where game programming was contracted out after his team had designed the title. We'll be interested to see if the business plan re-emerges in some way at the House of Mickey.

Tags: alex-seropian, bungie, disney, disney-interactive, hail-to-the-chimp, halo, stubbs-the-zombie, wideload-games

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Bradwart @ Sep 8th 2009 11:07AM

And Disney writes another check.

Wouldn't Seropian have learned not to sell his company after the Bungie/Microsoft debacle?

Wes @ Sep 8th 2009 11:18AM

How so? Last I checked, this guys' stinkin' filthy rich from the Bungie/Microsoft 'fiasco' as you call it and Bungie is still a very profitable company.

Since most companies success is measured by profit and not humanitarism, I think Bungie is doing pretty well.

False @ Sep 8th 2009 3:26PM

Yeah, he really should have learned from making millions of dollars. But he fell for it again. What an idiot.

Womble @ Sep 8th 2009 7:49PM

"Wouldn't Seropian have learned not to sell his company after the Bungie/Microsoft debacle?"

Maybe you should show him how its done. Set up a multi-million dollar, award-winning company, sell it to a global corporation for some tens of millions.

Let us know how you get on with that project.

Bradwart @ Sep 8th 2009 8:38PM

It's not the money, people. It's the old tale of 'big company buy little one. assimilate little one in Borg-like fashion. Destroy little company in process."

Examples? FASA, Ensemble, Rare, Red Octane, Visual Concepts,

Considering how close Bungie was to ending up in the same boat (they gave up their billion dollar franchise in exchange for freedom from Microsoft), Seropian should have first-hand experience as to what will happen.

Womble @ Sep 8th 2009 10:04PM

"Considering how close Bungie was to ending up in the same boat (they gave up their billion dollar franchise in exchange for freedom from Microsoft), "

No they didn't.

Bungie were not doing well prior to the Microsoft buy-in. They had an expensive, long-term product still half-way through its development, after going through years of work. They had no solid publisher relationship, and were racking up debts fast.

As Seropian stated at the time, getting the MS deal basically saved Bungie as a commercial entity.

This is entirely up to Seropian. No-one is in the position to second-guess him, as he's been in the both independent and buy-out situations before. If he thinks its better for Wideload to snapped up, good on him.

Bradwart @ Sep 9th 2009 1:42AM

Marty states that the deal wasn't necessary for Bungie's survival-it was just the disc pressing issue that had made things a little tight. The MS partnership was made for more than just the money.

Redpill101 @ Sep 8th 2009 11:10AM

new marvel games are coming!

SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 8th 2009 11:12AM

Stubbs the Zombie 2: With A Vengeance
Please make it happen.

copa @ Sep 8th 2009 11:16AM

What's wrong with Stubbs the Zombie?

Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Sep 8th 2009 11:20AM

Just about everything.

baby sea tuna @ Sep 8th 2009 12:13PM

Nah, it had some issues but was still pretty fun.

Thief @ Sep 8th 2009 11:18AM

Maybe we'll start getting Disney games that don't suck balls.

Neuromancer @ Sep 8th 2009 12:06PM

Yeah man Pure was awful...

Wait what the hell are you talking about?

dark_inchworm (stronger than never, ever before) @ Sep 8th 2009 11:22AM

Stubbs the Zombie vs. Marvel Zombies?

Oh shit, my winmeter broke again.

fuzzynyanko @ Sep 8th 2009 11:26AM

Wideload's model sounds a lot like Mistwalker's

Bryan @ Sep 8th 2009 12:34PM

What would you call his haircut?

alixandermcfly @ Sep 8th 2009 4:48PM

I think its called NXE Avatar shit bob!

Dale @ Sep 8th 2009 1:14PM

Joystiq writer in "Pictures of game developer in an article that isn't about Jade Raymond" shocker.

I'm interested to see what comes out of this deal. They already have Warren Spector, it sounds like Disney is getting very, very serious about video games.

Derick @ Sep 8th 2009 3:01PM

With good reason, I think. They probably realized that Kingdom Hearts sells a lot better than their other games. They might be thinking that having more great games with their mascot's faces on them would do them some good.

iTzDaKroniK @ Sep 8th 2009 2:13PM

I guess i can forget about a Stubbs the Zombie sequel.

The Dark Wayne @ Sep 8th 2009 2:28PM

what the hell? why? because it's disney? People need to stop bitching about Disney thinking all the shit they buy is automatically going to become childish and tame. Disney owns a whole shitload of subsidiaries, many of which are responsible for some incredibly violent films. Remember starship troopers? remember how stupidly graphic that was? What about King Arthur, where people were raped and decapitated? Or Gangs of New York, i dont even need to describe those. Those were all made by disney subsidiaries, so neither this company nor Marvel Comics are going to be kidified

Derick @ Sep 8th 2009 2:58PM

I think maybe he was saying that Disney would be putting these guys to work on Disney franchises instead of letting them work on their own things...

Wow, I've never heard such a bizarre pet-peeve. Anger about Disney's child friendly face in the market might be misplaced...

iTzDaKroniK @ Sep 8th 2009 5:51PM

what Derick said.

Derick @ Sep 8th 2009 2:54PM

It seems like Disney put on an old coat and found a 20(00,000) dollar bill they forgot about.

Maxx the Slash @ Sep 8th 2009 3:36PM

RIP Stubbs the Zombie. May you rest in peace... again, since Disney will do everything in it's power to prevent soiling it's image with gore.

WRYYYYYY @ Sep 8th 2009 4:53PM

Stubbs was already dead. He's a zombie.

Maxx the Slash @ Sep 8th 2009 4:56PM

No, he was undead sir. Do some research.

Bradwart @ Sep 9th 2009 1:48AM

Read up on what The Walt Disney Company actually owns and then say that again.

You don't think anything gory has come out of Miramax, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, etc?

Maxx the Slash @ Sep 9th 2009 3:29AM

1. Read up on what a horror movie zombie is and how they work.

2. Disney doesn't produce movies or games that depict reanimated corpses eating people's brains.

Womble @ Sep 9th 2009 11:13PM

"2. Disney doesn't produce movies or games that depict reanimated corpses eating people's brains."

Disney is a huge corporation, with many subsidiaries. Some of those subsidiaries would have no problem at all making a game or movie with brain-munching-zombies.

Neither would the majority of shareholders.

Why do you think these other subsidiary labels exist in the first place? They're there so that Disney can sell zillions of products without the consumer attaching the product to the "Disney brand".