What Can Fans Expect from Sony Acquiring FromSoftware Owner Kadokawa?

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As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, I find myself eagerly watching the potential Sony-Kadokawa merger unfold. Having grown up playing God of War and Final Fantasy on PlayStation consoles, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of more exclusive titles from this collaboration.

Over time, Sony has been successful in securing a competitive edge by releasing blockbuster intellectual properties such as God of War and Final Fantasy exclusively for PlayStation systems.

Recently, there have been rumors surfacing about Sony potentially buying out Kadokawa, which is well-known for being the umbrella company of FromSoftware. Although no solid information regarding the progress of negotiations has been released yet, certain sources hint that one party might be keen on a merger.

Kadokawa Employees on the Possible Sony Acquisition

Based on reports by Bunshun through Automaton, there’s a strong desire among some insiders at Kadokawa for Sony to take control, primarily due to Sony’s approach towards a recent cyber-incident. An employee expressed this sentiment.

Many people around here are excited about the possibility of our company being bought by Sony. This is due to some employees being unhappy with the leadership under President Takeshi Natsuno, who didn’t respond at all after a data breach exposed personal information. They believe that if Sony takes over, they might replace the president first.

Although the staff were eager for a change, economic expert Takahiro Suzuki argued that Sony’s acquisition of the studio wouldn’t bring significant benefits. He warned that Kadokawa could face a substantial loss of independence and stricter work environment, potentially limiting employees’ creativity in handling the intellectual properties they had developed.

What Does Sony Seek to Gain from Kadokawa

Kadokawa Corporation holds a significant presence in the industry, managing multiple video game studios and animation production companies. This conglomerate includes the creators of “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero”, and they’ve recently taken over the development teams responsible for the “Octopath Traveller” series as well.

Undeniably, one of the most valuable assets under the Kadokawa umbrella is FromSoftware, a titan in the soulslike genre known for creating beloved franchises such as Bloodborne, Armored Core, Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and more recently, Elden Ring.

If Sony proceeds with the merger, some game enthusiasts worry that upcoming FromSoft titles might become exclusive to PlayStation initially, but may eventually become available on other platforms as well – a trend we’ve seen recently with exclusives being released first on specific platforms.

Initially, games like “The Last of Us” and “Horizon Zero Dawn” were exclusive only to PlayStation systems. However, they have now been released on PC platforms as well. It’s possible that in the future, these games might be adapted for Xbox too.

Touch Grass

In terms of mergers, people often get excited about increased investment in intellectual property, yet this frequently leads to significant job cuts initially. While there are certainly benefits and drawbacks to such acquisitions, if the workers are dissatisfied with the current leadership, Sony’s involvement might aid in shaping a more harmonious company culture.

It’s been reported that a potential merger between Sony and Kadokawa hasn’t been confirmed yet. However, there might be talks developing over the course of the next year.

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2024-12-12 23:42