Kadokawa Confirms Sony Acquisition Intent

Kadokawa Confirms Sony Acquisition Intent

Key Takeaways

  • Kadokawa has received an acquisition offer from Sony but hasn’t made a decision yet.
  • Concerns arise about Sony potentially limiting FromSoftware games to PlayStation platforms.
  • Sony might be eyeing Kadokawa’s anime catalog for its Crunchyroll service.

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of gaming under my belt and no loyalty to any specific platform, I must say that the potential Sony-Kadokawa acquisition has piqued my curiosity, not to mention my concern. Having grown up playing games on a variety of consoles, I’ve always cherished the freedom to explore different worlds without being confined by platform exclusivity.


Yesterday, a rumor emerged that Sony might be planning to purchase Kadokawa Corporation, which owns the studio responsible for Elden Ring, FromSoftware Inc. Although Sony hasn’t commented on this matter yet, Kadokawa has confirmed it today.

According to a recent announcement by Kadokawa CEO Takeshi Natsuno, the firm acknowledges receiving an expression of interest from Sony. However, it’s important to note that no final decisions have been reached as of now.

Kadokawa Has Not Decided On Sony’s Acquisition Offer

Kadokawa Confirms Sony Acquisition Intent

Here’s the company statement released by Kadokawa in full:

While rumors circulate about Sony Group Inc.’s potential acquisition of KADOKAWA Corporation (referred to as “the Company” hereafter), it’s essential to note that the Company has not officially confirmed this news yet. The Company has received a preliminary proposal for share purchase, but no final decision has been made at present. If there are any updates to be disclosed in the future, we will make sure to do so promptly and appropriately.

At the moment, gamers are left in anticipation as to whether Sony’s potential acquisition of Kadokawa will result in anything or not. As an impartial gamer, I can only express my hope that, should Sony acquire FromSoftware, they won’t restrict their releases exclusively to PlayStation platforms. Though Sony has allowed Bungie to release Destiny 2 expansions on other platforms, it’s worth noting that Destiny 2 is a live service game, which relies heavily on a massive player base for its survival.

Regarding future games from FromSoftware, it seems likely that they will continue to prioritize single-player gameplay. To encourage more players to switch to their console platform, Sony might make these games exclusive to their system. Interestingly, LEGO Horizon Adventures was released on PC and Nintendo Switch but not Xbox. If I were Microsoft, I would be exploring strategies to prevent Sony from following the expected course of action.

Remember, Kadokawa also owns a sizable catalog of anime shows, so Sony could consider adding those to its Crunchyroll streaming service as another incentive to acquire FromSoftware’s parent company.

Are you considering the possibility of Sony purchasing Kadokawa? If you are, do you have concerns that upcoming titles from FromSoftware might become exclusive to PlayStation consoles in the future?

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2024-11-20 18:41