Apparently there was conversations with MS. Maybe they didn't want to be a Halo studio all over again. And Sonys terms keeps them "independent" but with the security and resources of a 1st party studioWonder if Microsoft even tried to acquire them. Sony must have offered them something Microsoft couldn't and it seems like it was probably being its own entirety. No way the previous rumors of Microsoft attempting to buy them last year is just smoke and mirrors. Microsoft music not have wanted them enough.