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[Mibu no ookami]

They announced in the fiscal year earnings that they plan on spending 11.5 billion USD on strategic investments (including music catalog purchases and buypack plans).

This is significantly more than what they actually spent in the previous mid range strategy. Who knows if this involves Paramount or not, it wouldn't really make much sense if it did.

Depending on whether that is the case, it would be pretty easy to assume that SIE will spend as much or more than they did acquiring Bungie on other publishers/developers in the next 3 years.

I think the most likely candidates would be

• FromSoftware/Kadokawa
  • Current Market Cap: 2.78 Billion USD
  • Sony already owns 14.09% of FromSoftware and 1.93% of Kadokawa
  • Fully owns Elden Ring now, Sony already owns Demon's Souls and Bloodborne, and Armored Core has shown to be a much stronger IP now
  • Buying a Japanese company makes sense because of the currency rate
• Sega
  • Current Market Cap: 3.7 Billion USD
  • If they are successful in buying Paramount, this would give them the full rights to the Sonic IP
  • Persona exclusivity
  • Transmedia opportunities for Sonic, Persona, and Yakuza
  • Virtual Fighter for EVO
  • Again, currency is favorable
• Arrowhead
  • Private Company
  • Build and expand out on Helldivers 2
• NCSoft
  • Working with Sony on Horizon online MMO
  • Significant experience in GaaS, MMO, and Mobile

Honorable Mentions: Playrix and Bandai Namco. Both for mobile, but Bandai Namco especially for synergies in anime. Bandai Namco might be a bit too large to take on without private equity involved, I could also see maybe a stock swap rather than an all cash deal, especially since they're doing stock buybacks.

 

[feynoob]

Becarefull buying too much stuff. It doesnt end very well. Ask MS about it.

 

[Hardensoul]

Horizon online MMO? Why! Has part 2 even sold 1/2 as first game?

 

[Dr.brain64]

Sony already owns 14.09% of FromSoftware

I did not know this

 

[rm082e]

Let's hope they don't Embrace too much of the market...

 

[FalsettoVibe]

After everything that has happened over the past year or so, are we still promoting acquisitions?

 

[Loomy]

I will be very surprised if Sony ends up acquiring any of the publishers/corporations you've listed. Arrowhead, I can see.

On the gaming side, I think you're more likely to see Sony buy up independent studios, or forming new ones. There's a lot of talent out there right now.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

After everything that has happened over the past year or so, are we still promoting acquisitions?

Not all acquisitions are the same.

Sony has a significantly better track record of managing studios than Microsoft does. Multiple studios have flourished under the PlayStation Studios umbrella... you really can't say the same for Microsoft or Embracer.

 

[Sleepwalker]

After everything that has happened over the past year or so, are we still promoting acquisitions?

OP moonlights as Sony CEO here in gaf for fun, let him do his thing.

 

[tmlDan]

Horizon online MMO? Why! Has part 2 even sold 1/2 as first game?

it was on the same trendline till they gave it away for free on PSPlus.

Horizon is insanely popular, for some reason gamers are pretending its trash, gotta deal with it.

Kinda like how i think mario party is trash, it sells like crazy

 

[feynoob]

Not all acquisitions are the same.

Sony has a significantly better track record of managing studios than Microsoft does. Multiple studios have flourished under the PlayStation Studios umbrella... you really can't say the same for Microsoft or Embracer.

Not really.

Sony has not acquired 5b+ publisher.

The one they did was a mess and had to layoff people.

 

[feynoob]

it was on the same trendline till they gave it away for free on PSPlus.

Horizon is insanely popular, for some reason gamers are pretending its trash, gotta deal with it.

Kinda like how i think mario party is trash, it sells like crazy

It's mostly due to dinosaur robots.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Not really.

Sony has not acquired 5b+ publisher.

The one they did was a mess and had to layoff people.

Sony ramped up hiring and then they had layoffs due to delays. Hardly the same thing. I think they're still larger now than when Sony bought them... or at least similar size.

 

[StereoVsn]

Sony will spend $1,000 on Executive lunches and $11bil on stock buyback.

 

[RoboFu]

99% tv and movies.

It won't be a publisher purchase. They can see how that is helping MS.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Microsoft would probably be a good investment.

 

[feynoob]

Sony ramped up hiring and then they had layoffs due to delays. Hardly the same thing. I think they're still larger now than when Sony bought them... or at least similar size.

So Bungie situation didn't happen then.

There is a huge risk in the market buying those big publishers.

MS can afford to screw around, because they have azure. Sony can't risk that much because they don't have a cash cow revenue.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

So Bungie situation didn't happen then.

There is a huge risk in the market buying those big publishers.

MS can afford to screw around, because they have azure. Sony can't risk that much because they don't have a cash cow revenue.

Look at the companies I listed and shine a light on the risk.

 

[rhodesianshepard]

Becarefull buying too much stuff. It doesnt end very well. Ask MS about it.

The blowback on Microsoft is totally warranted, but Microsoft's recent changes are trying to emulate what Sony's current strategy has been the past decade. Develop really big AAA blockbuster games and close down smaller AAA/AA studios. The difference is Sony has slowly built up 6-7 studios that are actually capable of releasing blockbuster GOTY contending games, while Microsoft is struggling to do that. Sony also didn't lie to everyone for years about actually caring about indie/smaller developers

I'd rather Sony just continue to invest in their own studios, but I don't think we would see a big shift in strategy if Sony bought a massive publisher. I think it would probably hurt their support network, which would not be good, but not too much else

 

[adamsapple]

Sony, not Playstation. They have other industry too.

 

[VolticArchangel]

Square:

We're shifting to a multiplatform strategy.

Sony:

 

[feynoob]

Look at the companies I listed and shine a light on the risk.

Let me put this in simple term.

If Sony buys them, they would have to shoulder the expense of that publisher. If those games don't sell that much, Sony would not earn that much. And would be at risk of financial issues because of the expense of that company.

It's why MS can afford to buy or close as much as they can. They aren't worried about funding those companies.

Small studios make sense, billion studios don't make sense.

 

[Kilau]

Put some money into expanding countries PSN is available.

 

[squarealex]

The money is for Paramount...

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Let me put this in simple term.

If Sony buys them, they would have to shoulder the expense of that publisher. If those games don't sell that much, Sony would not earn that much. And would be at risk of financial issues because of the expense of that company.

It's why MS can afford to buy or close as much as they can. They aren't worried about funding those companies.

Small studios make sense, billion studios don't make sense.

That's a pretty generic analysis.

FromSoftware/Kadokawa barely publish their own games and in the case of Sega you assume that they keep their publishing apparatus intact rather than shutter the publishing in favor of their own, gaining massive cost savings.

The most important thing is the IP, the talent, and the development pipeline.

None of these companies would fundamentally change SIE the way that ABK and Bethesda have changed Sony.

Again, they bought Bungie for 3.6 billion dollars, it looks very much like they're going to spend even more on gaming going forward.

 

[feynoob]

The blowback on Microsoft is totally warranted, but Microsoft's recent changes are trying to emulate what Sony's current strategy has been the past decade. Develop really big AAA blockbuster games and close down smaller AAA/AA studios. The difference is Sony has slowly built up 6-7 studios that are actually capable of releasing blockbuster GOTY contending games, while Microsoft is struggling to do that. Sony also didn't lie to everyone for years about actually caring about indie/smaller developers

I'd rather Sony just continue to invest in their own studios, but I don't think we would see a big shift in strategy if Sony bought a massive publisher. I think it would probably hurt their support network, which would not be good, but not too much else

Sony were smart to have in-house development that can be shared around, which keeps all studios at the same pace.

MS main mistake was buying 2 mega purchases in span of 3 years. Bethesda still hasn't settled down with Xbox. And now with Activision, they were bound to have several issues. Their studios aren't on the same page and smaller Xbox studios are suffering from booty ignorance.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

The money is for Paramount...

Doesn't add up.

 

[FUBARx89]

Dunno why people are getting excited. Around the time they bought Bungie they where saying they had put aside funds for more purchases and investments.

It was for the whole Sony Corp. Not just PS.

 

[StereoVsn]

99% tv and movies.

It won't be a publisher purchase. They can see how that is helping MS.

Sony is going to hire this guy next!

 

[adamsapple]

Put some money into expanding countries PSN is available.

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Dunno why people are getting excited. Around the time they bought Bungie they where saying they had put aside funds for more purchases and investments.

It was for the whole Sony Corp. Not just PS.

Reading is your friend. Read the first couple paragraphs...

 

[R6Rider]

Sony, not Playstation. They have other industry too.

Yes, the Walkman.

 

[feynoob]

That's a pretty generic analysis.

FromSoftware/Kadokawa barely publish their own games and in the case of Sega you assume that they keep their publishing apparatus intact rather than shutter the publishing in favor of their own, gaining massive cost savings.

The most important thing is the IP, the talent, and the development pipeline.

None of these companies would fundamentally change SIE the way that ABK and Bethesda have changed Sony.

Again, they bought Bungie for 3.6 billion dollars, it looks very much like they're going to spend even more on gaming going forward.

Again, Sony will have to shoulder all these expenses.

It's great that you can buy talent and IPs, but sooner or later you will have issues on how to manage them financially. Especially with more first party games being sold on your platform cannibalizing sales from other first party games.

Sony as a whole organization (picture, music and psn) does not have a guaranteed revenue stream right now. They don't have the luxury to expand themselves beyond their capabilities.

The new CEO would not allow this.

 

[Euler007]

If they buy FROM I hope they cushion the blow by releasing a BB remaster on PC + PS5.

 

[SHA]

Gaas
Gaas
Gaas
Gaas

 

[Gp1]

Sega and Larian. Just do it.

 

[FalsettoVibe]

Another thing.....if Sony is serious about the Paramount thing then all that M/A money is gone.

 

[feynoob]

Another thing.....if Sony is serious about the Paramount thing then all that M/A money is gone.

That is another angle with this spending.

All this money isn't going to Sony entertainment. It will be shared around each division. Sony picture and music would need to compete with other players.

 

[Bernoulli]

Sony semiconductors will use all that

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

Sony PS is not buying any big or medium-sized studios. First, they have to shut down at least 3 of their own and decide what to do on a couple more. Lot of work for the new CEOs before even thinking of making it harder.

 

[Hardensoul]

it was on the same trendline till they gave it away for free on PSPlus.

Horizon is insanely popular, for some reason gamers are pretending its trash, gotta deal with it.

Kinda like how i think mario party is trash, it sells like crazy

I never brought up Horizon being trash, not sure why you brought up Mario.

I’m not too sure about insanely popular. Maybe popular to PS players. But Horizon part 2 sales doesn’t suggest insanely popular.

But the issue is MMOs, how many dead MMOs are there now? I lost count. Final Fantasy online and WoW is the current biggest. But after that it’s tough to name a recent successfully launch MMO.

 

[Buggy Loop]

GAAAAASSS

Try not to get burned again

Spoiler

 

[Mibu no ookami]

Again, Sony will have to shoulder all these expenses.

It's great that you can buy talent and IPs, but sooner or later you will have issues on how to manage them financially. Especially with more first party games being sold on your platform cannibalizing sales from other first party games.

Sony as a whole organization (picture, music and psn) does not have a guaranteed revenue stream right now. They don't have the luxury to expand themselves beyond their capabilities.

The new CEO would not allow this.

There's definitely a point in which you start to cannibalize sales. I don't think there is any evidence that Sony is near that point, especially as they look to diversify the type of games they make.

PlayStation is as guaranteed a revenue stream as any in entertainment at this point, especially with the shape and condition of Xbox.

 

[Angry_Megalodon]

I never brought up Horizon being trash, not sure why you brought up Mario.

I’m not too sure about insanely popular. Maybe popular to PS players. But Horizon part 2 sales doesn’t suggest insanely popular.

But the issue is MMOs, how many dead MMOs are there now? I lost count. Final Fantasy online and WoW is the current biggest. But after that it’s tough to name a recent successfully launch MMO.

If 24 million copies, many games and an upcoming TV show is not popular, we have to redefine the word. It's an already established AAA IP, one of PS bigs, like it or not. It's not my cup of tea, but there's definitely a mass appeal.

Zelda BOTW, a core gaming franchise, sold 31-32 million. So it's not insanely popular, either?

 

[tmlDan]

I never brought up Horizon being trash, not sure why you brought up Mario.

I’m not too sure about insanely popular. Maybe popular to PS players. But Horizon part 2 sales doesn’t suggest insanely popular.

But the issue is MMOs, how many dead MMOs are there now? I lost count. Final Fantasy online and WoW is the current biggest. But after that it’s tough to name a recent successfully launch MMO.

What are you talking about, I was making a comparison.

Who cares where its popular, its damn popular. It sold 24MM copies as of 2023.

I feel like im reading sentences by someone with severe ADHD lol

 

[Hardensoul]

If 24 million copies, many games and an upcoming TV show is not popular, we have to redefine the word. It's an already established AAA IP, one of PS bigs, like it or not. It's not my cup of tea, but there's definitely a mass appeal.

Zelda BOTW, a core gaming franchise, sold 31-32 million. So it's not insanely popular, either?

Where did I say it’s not popular. How many copies did part 2 sell?

 

[Atrus]

Strategic investment targets are not a good indicator of acquisitions and could amount to anything.

Not enough to go on to warrant dreaming about who gets bought up.

 

[Solidus_T]

Please, no publisher acquisitions.

 

[Hardensoul]

What are you talking about, I was making a comparison.

Who cares where its popular, its damn popular. It sold 24MM copies as of 2023.

I feel like im reading sentences by someone with severe ADHD lol

You said insanely popular! If it was insanely popular why hasn’t part 2 sold as much as part 1. Last report I saw was under 10m(correct me if there was update over that) vs over 21m part 1.

Also address my comments about it being MMO. There was no need to compare Mario, there is no MMO Mario game.

 

[Crayon]

Buy a bunch of shit, organically.