Sony’s intent on purchasing FromSoftware parent, Kadokawa, has taken a bizarre turn. Instead of purchasing the studio outright, it appears the two are partnering up, with the Japanese console maker becoming the FromSoft parent’s biggest shareholder.
A recent press release shared what this means, and while it’s not a cut-and-dry purchase, it seems Sony will have a lot of sway here. Approximately 10% of the Japanese game media company’s shares are now owned by the PlayStation maker. With the news comes the doors opening up to further adaptations beyond games.
Sony notes that films, TV dramas, and co-producing anime are all on the table, as is expanding the publishing of Kadokawa games.
This is what Sony’s COO and CFO — Hiroki Totoki — had to say about this new partnership:
“Through this capital and business alliance, we will become the largest shareholder of KADOKAWA, which consistently creates a wide variety of IP, including publications and books, such as light novels and comics, as well as games and anime. By combining KADOKAWA’s extensive IP and IP creation ecosystem with the strengths of Sony, which has promoted the global expansion of a wide range of entertainment, including anime and games, we plan to work closely together to realize KADOKAWA’s ‘Global Media Mix’ strategy, aimed at maximizing the value of its IP, and Sony’s long-term vision, ‘Creative Entertainment Vision.’”
What do you think? Is Kadokawa’s partnership with Sony going to bolster the various IPs further? Let us know below!