As Bungie, the studio behind the MMO shooter Destiny, announced, they have a new CEO and lost a president.
Last night, Bungie announced on their website that the longtime president of the studio, Harold Ryan, is stepping down. Pete Parsons will take on the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO). This is the head of the studio. With this change at the top, they are not only changing the personnel but also the management form from “President” to “CEO.”
Parsons has also been on board since 2002 and previously served in a role as “Chief Operating Officer” (COO) – essentially the operations manager.
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In a letter, Parsons thanks Ryan for his work and passion. To the Destiny players, he specifically states that he sees it as his top priority to create great games that can be shared together. Parsons believes that Destiny is a unique experience. But he also believes: The players haven’t seen Bungie’s best work yet.
And that they will still deliver it, Parsons promises.
The outgoing president could have told you if there was a 6th chest – but he didn’t
In recent years, there hasn’t been much heard about the leadership at Bungie. The “highest position” that was usually visible was Jason Jones, the project lead of Destiny. Harold Ryan was jokingly referred to as the person who knows all the secrets. Only he could have told players, they joked at Bungie, if there was a sixth chest in the Glass Chamber. Of course, he never did.
In the “big stories” about the creation or history of Destiny, Parsons or Ryan only appear in passing when it comes to negotiations with Activision.
Whether Ryan, who has been at Bungie since 2000, will remain with the company is not yet known. The reasons behind the leadership change are also unclear. The fact that only Parsons, the “new one,” is allowed to speak suggests that Ryan may not have left voluntarily. Initial speculations point to a restructuring of Bungie’s organizational form, moving from a president model to a CEO model, also because recent difficulties seemed apparent.
The challenges of managing a live game like Destiny had already led to significant changes in Bungie’s structure last year, with little information leaking out.
