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Kadokawa (Metal Max, Demon Gaze) purchases From Software

I'm currently playing Demon Gaze and I really like it, and their upcoming games from Kadokawa like Jeff's Adventure and Lili Bergamo looks interesting, so at least I know they're investing in traditional handheld/console market rather than pushing everything towards Mobile. so I'm okay with this. :D
 

Beth Cyra

Member
Sony should have jumped on this..

Sony is already in cutback mode and has closed multiple stuidos over the last few years. Them jumping and buying a studio that only has one semi large franchise, and the rest of their recent work being Japanese exclusive titles probably isn't a smart move.
 

wapplew

Member
I'm currently playing Demon Gaze and I really like it, and their upcoming games from Kadokawa like Jeff's Adventure and Lili Bergamo looks interesting, so at least I know they're investing in traditional handheld/console market rather than pushing everything towards Mobile. so I'm okay with this. :D

Isn't that Gungho games? Kadokawa did publish Grasshopper stuff before acquired.
 

Lost Fragment

Obsessed with 4chan
I don't like change, and the Souls games are my favorite games in the past 15 years, so I'm really hoping it works out for the best. Trying to be cautiously optimistic about this business.

The really harsh "criticisms" seem to be coming from a very vocal minority coming from Miyazaki evangelists. Dark Souls 2 rules in it's own right.

Yeah, the impressions some have gleaned about Dark Souls 2's reception are really out of touch with reality at times. Some people seem too hung up on the game not being considered as good as the first by many to realize that most of those people still think it's an amazing game.

If Dark Souls 2 was only half as good as 1, it would still be better than almost everything out there.
 

HeelPower

Member
how do you just get bought out ?

Pardon my ignorance but why would From Software want to get bought when they are doing so well independently ?

Someone explain the mechanics of how or why these things happen.

It doesn't really sound good.This company doesn't seem to be specialized in gaming let alone a hardcore series such as Dark Souls.
 

Lost Fragment

Obsessed with 4chan
how do you just get bought out ?

Pardon my ignorance but why would From Software want to get bought when they are doing so well independently ?

Someone explain the mechanics of how or why these things happen.

It doesn't really sound good.This company doesn't seem to be specialized in gaming let alone a hardcore series such as Dark Souls.

There's always room for doing well-er, and Fromsoft is a hot commodity at the moment. Might as well strike while the irons hot.
 
What would this mean for a hypothetical Demon's Souls 2, developed in tandem between From and Sony Japan Studios?

how do you just get bought out ?

Pardon my ignorance but why would From Software want to get bought when they are doing so well independently ?

Someone explain the mechanics of how or why these things happen.

Could be lots of reasons really. Financial stability to ensure they are able to pay their staff, the funds needed to do ambitious projects (e.g. next gen Souls IP), the previous owners make a lot of money, or any combination of the above.
 

HeelPower

Member
There's always room for doing well-er, and Fromsoft is a hot commodity at the moment. Might as well strike while the irons hot.

What would this mean for a hypothetical Demon's Souls 2, developed in tandem between From and Sony Japan Studios?



Could be lots of reasons really. Financial stability to ensure they are able to pay their staff, the funds needed to do ambitious projects (e.g. next gen Souls IP), the previous owners make a lot of money, or any combination of the above.

is kadokawa some major rich corporation in Japan ? does this acquisition mean that From will be better equipped to make souls over the coming years ?
 

Datschge

Member
Kadokawa Shoten is most certainly a better fit for From Software than the previous majority shareholder was. Trans Cosmos appears to be a huge outsourcing service company completely unrelated to the games or general media industry.

Unfortunately I can't find any historic info about how that ownership came about and who might have been majority shareholders before them. Anyone?
 
I really don't know what to make of this. I'm guessing Kadokawa wants to make more of a big impact in the video game industry so scooping up an established developer like From Software would be a wise choice.

I'm hoping this gives From more freedom to create new IP. I love the Souls games but I would also love to see what new ventures they can make.
 

batfax

Member
Well, I liked Metal Saga. Gonna be cautiously optimistic on that alone.

It'd also be good if this gave From more resources to do more than one game at a time. Maybe they could do the guaranteed success (Souls) and some more interesting stuff (3D Dot Game Heroes) at the same time now.

edit: Oh. Well, these are also the guys that have a completed Yuji Naka game just sitting around that they aren't actually releasing for some reason. I am significantly less optimistic now.
 

Pooya

Member
kadokawa has no international publishing presence, Namco owns all the trademarks to Dark Souls in west too. I think not much is going to change as far as that series is concerned.
 

Parakeetman

No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Oh man

Oh maaan

I'd love this! There's already a lot of Berserk references in the Souls games

Im not sure if they exactly "own" the rights for games, but the last group to do a berserk game was Sega / Sammy here in Japan back on the PS2.
 

Orayn

Member
Wow that is some garbage tier publisher who picked them up.

For the sake of argument, this is the kind of stuff their previous majority shareholder did.

Di7x3TT.jpg


I'd think a game publisher, even a mediocre one, would be better at understanding From Software's needs and wants than these guys.
 

Vilam

Maxis Redwood
Strange purchase. If FROM was open to acquisition, I'm surprised a bigger player in the game industry didn't scoop them up.
 

Trevelyon

Member
Tell me what this means so I know how to feel.

At best, business as usual for FROM. At worst, they start siphoning off the Souls teams and shackle them onto some abysmal animu franchises for Vita.

When "How can my little hollow possibly be this cute?!" appears, you know things went to shit.
 

2+2=5

The Amiga Brotherhood
I don't understand the hate, Kadokawa and Experience make lots of good dungeon crawlers, this is their last one
Stranger-of-the-Village-of-the-Sword-2903-2.jpg


I don't see why Kadokawa shouldn't let From make other good Souls games...
Add that Kadokawa seems to like Vita so this can only mean Souls games on Vita! XD
One can hope right?
 

UrbanRats

Member
I have really no idea who they are, but whatever, we'll see how it goes.

EDIT: How much did they pay for FROM again? doesn't say in the OP.

Assuming they were cheap enough, someone looking for some gamer cred like, say, Microsoft and such, should've bought them.
 
I don't understand the hate, Kadokawa and Experience make lots of good dungeon crawlers, this is their last one
Stranger-of-the-Village-of-the-Sword-2903-2.jpg


I don't see why Kadokawa shouldn't let From make other good Souls games...
Add that Kadokawa seems to like Vita so this can only mean Souls games on Vita! XD
One can hope right?

I NEED that game.
 

p3tran

Banned
souls fans, kneel before your new kadowaka overlords!

now, what does this mean for the possibility of a new chromehounds on the xbox, I'd guess slim chance just got slimmer....
 
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