As a long-time gaming enthusiast with a keen interest in Japanese media and its rich history, I find myself intrigued by the latest developments surrounding Kadokawa Corporation. Having grown up on classics like Tenchu and Way of the Samurai, it’s heartening to see this conglomerate thrive over the years.
Last week, it was confirmed by Kadokawa Corporation – the parent company behind Elden Ring developer FromSoftware – that Sony has expressed interest in acquiring them. This news was announced by Takeshi Natsuno, CEO of Kadokawa, in a press release dated November 20th. In this statement, he revealed that they had received an initial letter of intent from Sony Group Inc., indicating their plan to acquire all of Kadokawa’s outstanding shares.
Recently, Bloomberg has offered further insights into the ongoing discussions. It appears that Kadokawa and Sony have been considering an acquisition for quite some time now. However, Sony seems to be focusing on making “strategic investments” in Kadokawa’s anime and video game assets. On the other hand, Kadokawa is reportedly seeking a full buyout by Sony. Furthermore, Microsoft, Tencent, and South Korea’s Kakao Corp are also rumored to be potential suitors interested in acquiring Kadokawa, although not all in the same capacity.
Kadokawa, based in Japan, generally opts for deals with local entities instead of foreign corporations, with Sony being one of the preferred choices among them.
Who is the Kadokawa Corporation?
Established in 1945, Kadokawa Corporation is a prominent Japanese media conglomerate recognized primarily for its extensive anime library. Although FromSoftware is their best-known game developer, Kadokawa also owns Acquire (creators of Tenchu and Way of the Samurai), Spike Chunsoft, Gotcha Gotcha Games, and FromNetworks.
As a passionate fan, I’d like to share that not only do they possess Kadokawa Daiei Studio, one of the giants in Japan’s film industry, but also NicoNico Douga, a streaming titan in Japan. Their collection is simply irresistible, yet Sony seems to be captivated solely by their anime and gaming archives.
The latest developments with Kadokawa are creating complexities in Sony’s proposed acquisitions, as the company’s market worth has soared to a staggering $4.1 billion. To put this into perspective, Sony bought Bungie for approximately $3.7 billion last year. However, it is important to note that this figure is dwarfed by Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda for $7.5 billion in the same year and the mind-boggling $68.7 billion deal for Activision Blizzard King.
2024 has been a tough year for Sony, marked by studio shutdowns and job reductions. In February, they let go of 8% of their PlayStation employees. Among these layoffs, the London Studio – part of the PlayStation family – was closed. More recently, the entire team behind the live-service game “Concord,” known as Firewalk studios, was disbanded.
As a gamer and someone who understands the industry, opting for the acquisition of an established powerhouse like FromSoftware could significantly boost your company’s profitability compared to investing in high-risk, expensive live-service games. However, if you have a whopping $4 billion at your disposal, I’d say it’s wiser to employ strategies that could potentially prevent the devastating shutdowns we often see in the gaming world.
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2024-11-26 23:08