Activision seals 10-year deal with Halo developer

Computer game publishing giant Activision Blizzard has signed an exclusive partnership with Bungie, the group which split from Microsoft three years ago and developed the top- selling game Halo.

The 10-year deal means Activision has exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all the new games Bungie develops. While no financial details were disclosed, the tie-up will allow Bungie, which remains an independent company, to "significantly broaden its global reach," it said in a statement. Thomas Tippl, chief operating officer of Activision Blizzard, called Bungie one of the "premier studios" in the gaming industry. "Our unprecedented partnership with Bungie will enable us to broaden our pipeline of exciting new games as we continue to strengthen our industry position." Bungie was founded in 1991, and now has 180 employees. The developer's most popular titles include Myth and the Marathon Trilogy.

The Halo series has generated about $1.5bn, according to industry figures.