Destiny Composer Marty O'Donnell Wins Against Bungie in Court

Destiny and Halo composer, Marty O’Donnell, won big against Bungie as a court-appointed arbitrator issued a final ruling in his favor following a lengthy legal dispute. Last year, he was awarded a large sum of money when the court found that he was fired without a reason. Then, the developer was asked in a later ruling to return his founders’ shares. Now, another ruling has been issued, ordering Bungie to honor its agreements with O’Donnell. In other words, Bungie will have to let him hang on to his share of stock in the company.

VentureBeat reports that under this agreement, O’Donnell will not be able to publish his work on Destiny without permission from the copyright owners. While it’s unclear exactly how much Bungie owes him now, just the first payment from the profit-sharing award that he’s entitled to sits at $142,500. Throughout the legal fight, the court heard about Destiny‘s troubled development and O’Donnell’s firing, which Bungie followed up by forcing him to forgo his stock and removing him from the company’s profit-sharing scheme.

“I’m happy this is over, and I’m ready to move on,” he told GamesBeat. O’Donnell joined Bungie in 2000 and is most known for his work on the Halo franchise. A dispute between both parties broke out following Activision’s partnership with Bungie to work on Destiny. O’Donnell an Audio Director at the time, was tasked with creating music for the game, but his interests apparently conflicted with Activision’s who he believed wanted to assume control over the creative process. He said he wanted to preserve Bungie’s “creative process, artistic integrity, and reputation” but Bungie alleges that O’Donnell’s conduct hurt the company, and eventually led to his termination.

Following arguments from both sides, the court sided with O’Donnell. If you’re interested in seeing the full ruling, click here.

[Source: VentureBeat]

Essential Reading:

PS4 Open World Games

15 PS4 Open World Games You Need to Play
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the most massive RPGs ever made. It is easy to get lost in its open world full of side quests. If you're looking for one game to spend hundreds of hours on then this is it.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor

One of the biggest surprises of 2014 was Monolith Production's Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. Not only did it bring Mordor to life, it managed to be one of the most fun open world games to play thanks to its fantastic Nemesis system. Shadow of Mordor may end up changing how open world games are made forever.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain did not disappoint. In fact, moving to an open world seems to have only helped the game. Stealth has never felt this good, and the ability to take down enemies from any direction is incredibly freeing.
Batman: Arkham Knight

Batman: Arkham Knight is the conclusion of the Arkham trilogy, and thankfully Rocksteady went out with a bang. This visual showpiece is a must play for fans of the caped crusader.
Far Cry 4

Despite feeling a little bit too familiar, Far Cry 4 is still an excellent game. The shooting is still top notch, and the new land of Kyrat is a blast to explore.
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected

Saints Row IV: Re-Elected is the best way to experience Volition's latest game on a console. It is easily the most absurd, and ridiculous open world game on the market. Get ready to use your superpowers all across Steelport.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

If you are looking for a shooter to play with friends, then look no further than Borderlands : The Handsome Collection. This compilation includes two great first-person shooters that will allow players to explore both Pandora and the moon!
Dragon Age: Inquisition

Bioware's Dragon Age: Inquisition is absolutely massive. In fact, several players never ventured out of the first area of the game due to how many quest lines there are! If you do go on an inquisition outside of the first area, there is an amazing open world to explore and wonderful characters to meet.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

If you have ever wanted to sing sea shanties while sailing across beautiful seas then you need to play Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Even if you are not a fan of Ubisoft's stealth series, there is so much fun to be had in just living the life of a pirate.
Grow Home

Ubisoft's Grow Home is a the most cheery open world game on the market. Bud's adventure is a pure joy to go on, and since it is free on PlayStation Plus this month there is no reason not to!
Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar is perhaps the king of open world games and Grand Theft Auto V shows why. Not only is the game the evolution of the gameplay that popularized the genre, but it adds a ton of new twists, thanks to features such as being able to play it in first-person. You can even go on heists with friends thanks to its online mode.
Watch Dogs

While it may have been a disappointment to some, Watch Dogs is still pretty fun to play. Hacking the environment in real-time is still incredibly innovative. As long as you have your expectations in check, you should be able to have a blast in what is the framework for what could become something really special in a sequel.
inFAMOUS Second Son

One of Sony's first major titles for PlayStation 4 is still one of its best. inFAMOUS Second Son takes the series in an interesting new direction with new abilities, a new protagonist and a gorgeous city to explore. Delsin's growth as a character is one of the most interesting parts of this open world gem.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

Very few games take place in Hong Kong, but Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is a good argument to why there should be more. The vibrant city is the star of Sleeping Dogs and it is brought to life in Square Enix's open world undercover game. Throw in some of the best melee combat in any game, period, and you have quite an enjoyable game to play!
Dying Light

Techland's latest zombie killing game, Dying Light, combines the fun gameplay of Dead Island and combines it with parkour action. If you are not sick of killing zombies already (and we understand if you are), then Dying Light is worth checking out.