Sony Reportedly in Talks to Acquire Elden Ring Maker Kadokawa Corp

Of course they are!!!

If you can’t beat them… 😛

If ever there was a purchase that was a good Sony buy its this. And capcom.
I think square enix is on its way out

Finally a good purchase, enough of Bungie, let’s get Bloodborne 2!

Bungie, Haven and Firewall turned out to be idiotic, self-defeating acquisitions.

But they were also walled-off targets, unproven in output and quality (Earlier iterations of Bungie were proven, but the current Bungie seems drained for talent) and ultimately irrelevant when brought to the fold.

I would like it to be a studio who can make the games I like, but I think From software's track record is great and they're the most 'relevant' group of Devs in these past few years not counting CDR Projekt Red and Larian (who makes my dream games).

@EfYI

(Earlier iterations of Bungie were proven, but the current Bungie seems drained for talent)

Bungie are still the absolute kings of FPS gameplay. It’s just the things outside of the core gameplay they are struggling to get right. The Final Shape is a 91 on OpenCritic, released just this year.

Given the multiple media's involved, this would make a good fit for Sony's portfolio...

All this to make Bloodborne run at 60...

Hopefully (if goes through) Sony keep things like ER/AC multi platform in future. They deserve to be played by as many as possible.

But Sony want to expand outside of gaming so this deal makes sense.

@Voltan

I was happy the acquisition race had slowed down due to the competive random nature of it. However, if Sony is going to spend big, this is one to spend big on, it provides on several levels, plus on the games front they've had a long standing (if bumpy) relationship with From.

This is sounds like Nishino or Totoki idea because Hermen would buy another western devs.

But i think it's a smart choice not just they get From Soft and Spike Chunsoft for games but they also got Kadokawa which is one of the biggest company in Japan or in the world when comes to manga, anime, and movies.

This sounds like a much more sensible and targetted aquisition than others.
Activision has not proved good for Xbox (game pass price hikes, games on PS5 to appease shareholders etc etc), but this is smaller scale and feels like a much better fit.

@PuppetMaster Hermen was the one behind the Physint deal with Kojima so I wouldn’t write off his influences for this, but this is more about the Manga side of Kadokawa so is more the money side of the CEO partnership.

So... I think we should all draw breath... and chill... because these sorts of rumours often circulate for a few days, then disappear. Even if they are in discussions, that doesn't mean it's both parties are wanting to do this. It also doesn't mean that other parties are aren't also in discussions.
Edit - I'd also be a little surprised... just that they've addressed this previously by saying they had no interest in acquisition, and after ER, I would think they could do whatever they wanted (From Soft that is... but of course the parent company, Kadokawa, is a different story altogether).

I can see it making sense for Sony... on many different counts. All I can say however... if this didn't produce a Bloodborne 2, I think the world truly is a cruel simulation.

@EfYI soorry... did I catch you right? Bungie was unproven... wow, that's some high standards.

>"Spike Chunsoft is also owned by the Kadokawa Corporation, the studio behind titles like Danganronpa."
And Dragon Quest I to V, when it was just Chunsoft.

Dark Souls Live Service incoming.

RIP Acquire and Spike Chunsoft if this is true and the acquisition happens.

@Rich33 : "but this is smaller scale"

I wouldn't call a purchase of Kadokawa, one of the world's big (if not the biggest) anime/manga/light novels companies, a 'smaller scale'. I get your point otherwise though.

@get2sammyb: Agreed, I feel the same tbh.

Kadokawa Shoten is huge. Well when I was younger their name was on everything manga.

From is the cherry on top. This is all about solidifying their Anime business which is growing rapidly.

Would be a great get for Sony, not so much for From Software.

That means that T-T-T-Tenchu would be a F-F-First Party IP........I need to sit down O__O

@Voltan exactly what went through my head. Probably the only way to sort all the legalities to make a Bloodborne Remaster PS5 Ultimate Patched Edition.
@breakneck on a more serious note, I agree. FromSoftware is most likely just a nice bonus here, but anime juggernaut that Sony has become is producing so much "healthy" profit that it makes sense to acquire additional proven properties.

Hoo boy, remember when Xbox was looking at Actiblizz and people were crying "monopolies" all over the place? Good times.

On one hand, Sony increasing its portfolio of Japanese developers would be very welcome news, on the other, I never like seeing multiplatform studios getting the acquisition treatment. All things considered I hope this remains a rumour.

Hopefully this is real and if it's it'll sail through no problem despite what the haters want people to believe then they can go after CD Project Red next.

@ThatOneSneak Not even remotely comparable of course, but nonetheless it wouldn't be great for the market.

@Coolmusic
I may be misreading but I was going on $2.7bn vs circa $70bn. Comparatively much smaller, but not small. Targetted, not monopolising (at least not in the game space - manga / anime, I cant say).

I know I'm among Sony diehards, but I still have to ask the question: does anybody really profit from this!?

If they were struggling and couldn't continue independently, sure! But I think they've done well for themselves to avoid consolidation.

@ThatOneSneak People were crying "monopoly" after Microsoft bought Zenimax and ABK.

This isn't comparable.

@PuppetMaster
Or it could be not related to games at all

People often forget that Sony owns Aniplex, which helps in anime production, and that Kadokawa is the main client of Aniplex.
Getting FromSoftware is just a bonus, the money is at Kadokawa's anime portfolio.

@Shepherd_Tallon Agree, but I guess they could end up with quite a few IPs if not the developers/studios, depending on legal arrangements.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the rumours of Uncle Phil wanting to buy another Japanese studio

I hope this is nonsense and if not nonsense it all falls through.

Nobody benefits from this other than Sony.

PS gamers will be in the same position and all other gamers lose out.

I know it’s not as big as Danganronpa, but Spike Chunsoft also makes AI: The Somnium Files.

And all of you guys of course agree with thís acquisition.

Because of course.

@MrPeanutbutterz With how much stake Sony's gonna have in the Anime/Manga side of things, it's gonna be a fairly big acquisition.

@Mikey856 remember the closure of 5 Sony studios just this year? Because I do.

With the sony we know during the last years, this is concerning.

It makes a lot of sense why but I don't want to see it happen. There's been enough consolidation in the industry.

I'm only in support of things like this if the company being acquired is in deep financial trouble. I can't imagine Kadokowa is in a situation like that but maybe I'm wrong.