In a move that, if it actually happens, will be sure to spark questions and concerns among players across the globe, a new report has suggested that in service of expanding their entertainment offerings, PlayStation parent company Sony is currently in talks to acquire Japanese media conglomerate Kadokawa Corporation.
Word of Sony’s apparent active interest in Kadaokawa Corporation was first reported in the early evening hours of November 19th Tokyo Standard Time courtesy of Reuters reporters Anirban Sen and Sam Nussey.
Having supposedly learned of this development via “two sources familiar with the matter”, the pair further noted that per said sources, “The talks between the two sides are ongoing and, if successful, a deal could be signed in the coming weeks.”
When pressed for comment by Reuters, Sony declined to answer any questions, while Kadokawa Corporation said that it “could not comment”.
Founded in 1945 before evolving into its current form by way of a merger with Japanese media company Dwango in 2014, Kadokawa Corporation currently owns a notable collection of IPs and production companies relating to such entertainment mediums as anime, manga, and video games.
In terms of anime, the holding company is currently a full-or-partial owner of three well-known studios: Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!/ω animators ENGI (53%), The Rising of the Shield Hero studio Kinema Citrus (32%), and Oshi no Ko team Doga Kobo (100%).
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As for manga, readers may recognize Kadokawa Corporation as the parent company of such manga magazines as Young Ace and Monthly Shonen Ace, the former hosting such popular series as Bio Booster Armor Guyver and Bungo Stray Dogs and the latter treating its audience to the likes of Sgt. Frog and Welcome to the N.H.K.
Further, they also publish the long-running anime-industry-centric news magazine Newtype, as well as the Mobile Suit Gundam-specific Gundam Ace, wherein fans of the franchise can find various exclusive manga including Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and the Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam sequel series, The Steel Seven.
But in terms of where Sony’s interest in Kadokawa Corporation may lie, one need look no further than their resident trio of video game studios.
These include Octopath Traveler and Tenchu series developer Acquire, Danganronpa franchise and Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO studio Spike Chunsoft, and, perhaps most worryingly given Sony’s recent track record, FromSoftware, the Hidetaka Miyazaki-led company behind the Armored Core and Souls lines, as well as Elden Ring.
Notably, though Kadokawa Corporation does not fully own FromSoftware, they do hold a majority stake in the company with roughly 70% of shares. The remaining amount is divided between Tencent subsidiary Sixjoy Hongkong (16%) and Sony Interactive (14%).
While all three of these developers are powerhouses in their own right, given Sony’s fumbling of their larger video game operations, speculation suggests that FromSoftware may be the apple of the company’s eye.
Given the studio’s current popularity, as provided to them by the sheer quality of their titles, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Sony is looking to boost their own reputation by essentially enveloping FromSoftware and attempting to pass their good will off as their own.
Ultimately, whether or not this move actually goes through remains to be seen.
However, what can be guaranteed is that until such time as they either confirm or deny such plans, both companies’ moves will be heavily monitored by their fans (or in Sony’s case, their critics).