Sony Funds FromSoftware Parent Company, Could Mean Exclusive Games

by

Summary

  • Sony will help fund and publish future game projects from FromSoftware parent company Kadokawa.
  • Kadokawa will use Sony’s funding to expedite development and distribution of new IPs for games, movies, and TV shows.
  • Only time will tell whether future Kadokawa games will carry PlayStation branding and possibly even serve as console exclusives.

It’s been confirmed by Kadokawa (FromSoftware’s parent company) that Sony will assist financially and publish future game ventures from FromSoftware, as well as any projects from the three other game studios owned by Kadokawa. These upcoming projects may involve close cooperation with Sony in their development process.

In November 2024, news broke that Sony might acquire Kadokawa Corporation, a significant Japanese media company. The move was apparently fueled by Kadokawa’s thriving anime sector, although PlayStation enthusiasts were more intrigued by the potential game studios Sony could bring into its exclusive in-house development team. Kadokawa controls several game developers such as Gotcha Gotcha Games (creator of RPG Maker), Spike Chunsoft (developer of Danganronpa), Acquire (responsible for Tenchu), and, of course, FromSoftware, the studio behind Elden Ring and Dark Souls.

A month after swirling rumors and conjecture, Sony Corporation and Kadokawa Corporation officially announced a partnership whereby Sony, parent company of PlayStation, would invest $318 million to acquire a 10% stake in Kadokawa, making it the largest shareholder. Simultaneously, Kadokawa agreed to collaborate with Sony to bring several of its intellectual properties (IPs) onto a global stage. In their latest Q3 FY2025 financial report, Kadokawa disclosed more details about this partnership, emphasizing that they would receive funding from Sony to speed up the creation and distribution of new IPs across various mediums such as video games, films, and television shows.

Future FromSoftware Games May Sport PlayStation Branding Thanks to Sony and Kadokawa Publishing Deal

Kadokawa Corporation indicated that Sony’s financial support has allowed them to significantly enhance the production of their video game development projects, including major titles. In particular, they are eagerly anticipating FromSoftware’s upcoming game, Elden Ring Nightreign, published by Bandai Namco. It’s plausible that future projects from FromSoftware might receive some funding and potentially be published by Sony. However, whether this partnership means PlayStation exclusivity for these games or not remains uncertain at the present time. Previous games such as Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin were developed under similar circumstances and ultimately debuted as timed exclusives on the PS5.

Contrarily, FromSoftware’s games are quite popular on PC platforms, so it’s only wishful thinking that Sony is aware of this desire and won’t go for exclusive PS5 releases right away. Aside from FromSoftware, it will be intriguing to learn what other game studios owned by Kadokawa have been developing. Gotcha Gotcha Games is planning to release “Action Game Maker” on PC in June 2025, while Acquire and Spike Chunsoft are currently working on unannounced projects.

Read More

2025-02-07 22:54