Who wants a bombshell to shake them out of their Monday slumber? Sony Online Entertainment, the company behind EverQuest, has announced that it has been acquired by a New York-based investment company named Columbus Nova, meaning that the internally founded outfit will be going multiplatform in the future.
The specifics of the acquisition are shrouded in secrecy right now, but the firm has been rebranded Daybreak Game Company as a result of the split. It recently released a beta for PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4, which won't be affected. The firm is also planning console versions of survival game H1Z1 and the forthcoming EverQuest Next.
"Sony Online Entertainment, newly rebranded as Daybreak, is a great addition to our existing portfolio of technology, media, and entertainment focused companies," said a chuffed Columbus Nova partner, Jason Epstein. "We see tremendous opportunities for growth with the expansion of the company's game portfolio through multiplatform offerings."
In a statement, the studio said that it will be business as usual for all of its existing projects. "All SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation," a spokesperson said. "In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games."
It's an unexpected announcement, but it perhaps makes sense for both parties. SOE has always seemed like an outsider when it comes to PlayStation's internal teams, and we're not sure that the platform holder was gaining an enormous amount by flaunting the likes of DC Universe Online as console exclusives – especially when most of them launched first on the PC.
Still, wrap your head around that one. A legitimate shock on an otherwise quiet Monday – who would have thought it?
[source forums.station.sony.com, via neogaf.com]
Comments 19
Does anyone even care? I've never even thought of SOE as a Playstation developer anyway seen as most of the titles from the studio are PC only with only a small handful making their way to console
@MadchesterManc It's a bit of a weird one, but I think you hit the nail on the head. Name aside, they never really seemed like they were integral to Sony Computer Entertainment at all - they were just sort of there.
I think H1Z1 and EverQuest Next are probably going to be good, but they're also both at least a couple of years away.
Selling so many assets over the past few years.
@Punished_Boss_84 Trimming that fat.
Wow! Sonys really cutting the fat! Ps4 is really becoming a major player at Sony. Just keep investing in games Sony! The money will follow!
@get2sammyb
You could call it that, it's not what I'm thinking of at all. There's only so much fat to trim before you end up skinny.
This doesn't seem like much of a lose looking at the big picture.
@Punished_Boss_84 I dunno. They still seem like an overly bloated company to me. I've always felt there are just way too many 'Sony' products and divisions — such a disjointed company.
Intersting
@get2sammyb I agree there's still a lot of fat that most be trimmed
When I was working for SCEA in San Diego, I drove by SOE on my way to work each day. They're that close to each other. Yet the divide between the two companies was palpable. This was like eight years ago, but I doubt it's any different now.
Maybe these increased resources will get the patches out that the PlanetSide 2 PC players are always talking about.
gonna be sad about Everquest Next and Planetside 2 being part of the acquisition, meaning they won't be exclusive anymore. Otherwise, I'd be fine.
@NomNom It'll still come to PS4, what does it matter if it's multiplatform?
@get2sammyb
Right, well I just remembered they completely scaled back on their PC division and this is a natural extension I guess.
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-02-02-soe-acquired-becomes-daybreak-game-company
@Shellybird27 exclusives are what make the console experience worth while. If there were no exclusives, I'd just run my gaming PC through the tv. But I doubt Everquest Next will ever leave PC anyways. It looks great, but SOE was always good on visuals, just not on long term playability.
@Shellybird27 with it being PC and PS4 there is the potential for cross platform play (or even switching from PC to PS4 and back, with the same characters, depending on your mood that day). If it comes to the Xbox it's not likely that, that will ever happen because MS won't allow cross platform play with competing consoles, so it will cater to the lowest factor.
@NomNom they already said that Everquest Next will be on the PS4. "We will absolutely be bringing EQN to the Playstation 4," said John Smedley in an interview.
Does it matter? All this subsidiary did was bad pc and mobile games...
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