Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed major acquisitions in the gaming industry. Microsoft and Xbox took control of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, while Sony invested in Bungie, Haven Studios, and other companies to strengthen PlayStation.
It seems that the acquisitions and consolidation phase will continue, as a recent report suggests that Japanese companies are in talks to finalize one of their most significant acquisitions.
According to Reuters, Sony aims to purchase Kadokawa Corporation. In case you didn’t know, Kadokawa is the parent company of prominent Japanese studios, including FromSoftware, the creators of ELDEN RING, Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, ARMORED CORE, and other renowned franchises.
Sony and PlayStation might buy Kadokawa, owners of FromSoftware
The Reuters report states that Sony is currently negotiating to acquire Kadokawa Corporation, a conglomerate with several subsidiaries related to entertainment, including numerous video game studios.
The information was disclosed by two anonymous sources allegedly familiar with the talks between the companies. According to their insights, if negotiations succeed, the deal could close and be announced within the next few weeks.
It’s worth noting that Sony already holds 2% of Kadokawa’s shares and 14.09% of FromSoftware's shares. Kadokawa remains the majority shareholder of the studio and thus controls it.
News of a potential acquisition caused Kadokawa’s stock to rise by 23%, while Sony’s shares increased by 0.6%. The companies declined to comment on the potential deal. Although the information comes from a highly reliable source, it’s essential to emphasize that this remains a rumor for now. We’ll need to be patient and wait for more details about this intriguing deal.
What would Sony and PlayStation gain by acquiring Kadokawa?
Acquiring Kadokawa would benefit several of Sony’s business divisions. For one, it would strengthen PlayStation with FromSoftware and its acclaimed franchises. The studio has received praise for all its recent releases, making it a valuable addition to PlayStation Studios.
Additionally, Sony would gain control of Spike Chunsoft, a studio known for Danganronpa, Zero Escape, and popular anime-based fighting games such as Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO.
Kadokawa also owns ACQUIRE, known for franchises like Octopath Traveler, Akiba’s Trip, No Heroes Allowed!, and Way of the Samurai. On top of that, Sony would take control of Gotcha Gotcha Games, the studio behind RPG Maker.
Kadokawa also has a robust anime distribution business, an area of interest to Sony as the owner of Crunchyroll. Furthermore, it operates Famitsu and Dengeki, prominent media outlets for video games and anime, respectively.
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