After an initial rumor gave way to speculation, Japanese media conglomerate Kadokawa has now publicly reportedSony’s interest in an acquisition. The prospect ofSonyacquiring Kadokawa has sparked plenty of discussion surrounding the merits of such a merger, but the economics of corporate mergers and acquisitions are just part of the equation, as Sony stands to become an even bigger force in both gaming and anime should it successfully acquire Kadokawa.
The most obvious “big get” for Sony from an acquisition of Kadokawa is majority ownership of FromSoftware. The success of FromSoftware’s games over the last decade has seen a one-time niche developer become one of the major creative forces in the industry, spearheaded by its president andDark Soulscreator Hidetaka Miyazaki. Further, Sony’s ownership of Crunchyroll and Funimation gave the company a strong foothold in anime, which would only become further solidified by acquiring all of Kadokawa’s many anime studios. Beyond these two obvious wins for Sony, though, several noteworthy game studios under Kadokawa’s umbrella would make the potential acquisition an industry-changing force.
Every Game Studio Sony Stands to Gain From the Kadokawa Acquisition
FromSoftware
Arguably the most significant acquisition to be made from Sony’s plans to purchase Kadokawa is majority ownership of FromSoftware. Though the studio was originally formed well before the success ofDark Souls, the modern era of FromSoftware has seen it rise to become one of the most important developers working today. Sony already has a 14% stake in FromSoftware, but its potential purchase of Kadokawa would give it another 70% ownership of the company, potentially leading tofuture FromSoftware releaseshaving timed exclusivity on Sony hardware.Elden Ring’s place as 2022’s Game of the Year and the most commercially successful FromSoftware game to date, among a plethora of other accolades, would make this a huge pick up for Sony.
Spike Chunsoft
Spike Chunsoft is another prominent studio owned by Kadokawa and a major merged studio similar to Square Enix. Chunsoft was formed in 1984 and would eventually be the studio responsible for helping to bringDragon Questinto the world before going on to produce several other noteworthy series, including the hugely popularShiren the WandererandMystery Dungeonfranchises. Chunsoft would merge with Spike in 2012, with the company later producing the popular detective games in theDanganronpaandAI: The Somnium Filesseries. Notably,Spike Chunsoftis also a major player in publishing Western games in Japan, helping to bring hits likeBaldur’s Gate 3to the East. Sony’s acquisition of Kadokawa would make them Spike Chunsoft’s owner, which in turn, would give them a major stake in Japanese game publishing.
Acquire
Kadokawa also happens to own Acquire, which got its start developing the acclaimed first twoTenchugames for PS1. More recently, Acquire has been busy assisting on theOctopath Travelerfranchise, as well as partnering with Nintendo on the development of this year’sMario & Luigi: Brothership. Acquire’s output in the last several years positions it as a major force when it comes to contracted development with other major studios. This stands to make the studio a valuable asset for Sony in the wake of the Kadokawa acquisition, which could divert Acquire and its resources to assist on different first-party projects.
Gotcha Gotcha Games
The studio behind theRPG Makerfranchise, Gotcha Gotcha Games, is another developer in whichKadokawahas majority ownership. While theRPG Makerfranchise is far from the only IP in the studio’s portfolio, it is one of the most successful. Unlike Spike Chunsoft (which is owned by one of Kadokawa’s subsidiaries, Dwango), Gotcha Gotcha Games is a direct holding of Kadokawa.
