The Japanese giant Kadokawa confirms approaches from Sony to buy them

It should be remembered that in addition to the division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which is focused on gaming through PlayStation, the Japanese company also owns CrunchyRoll, the streaming service specialized in anime content.

Reuters reported that talks between both sides are ongoing and, if successful, a deal could be signed in the coming weeks, the sources said. On the same day these approaches were announced, Kadokawa shares closed up 23%.

Sony already has a 2% stake in Kadokawa, as well as a stake in FromSoftware, a subsidiary of Kadokawa and developer of the hit fantasy role-playing game, which also includes “Dark Souls” and “Elden Ring.”

The acclaimed title is a collaboration between veteran video game director Hidetaka Miyazaki and George RR Martin, author of “Game of Thrones.” It has sold 25 million units, with an expansion, “Shadow of the Erdtree,” selling 5 million units within three days of its release in June.

Kadokawa began as a publisher in 1945, but has expanded franchises such as “Re:Zero” into games, anime, events and collectible figures. Its other franchises include “Delicious in Dungeon,” a manga series adapted into an anime about adventurers who explore dungeons and eat the monsters they find.

In the video game sector it also has other studios, such as Spike Chunsoft, which worked on Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, in collaboration with Bandai Namco, as well as owning Acquire, which was responsible for the latest Nintendo game, Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

Acquisitions continue in gaming

This would be the next big acquisition in the video game industry, after Microsoft spent $69 billion to buy the conglomerate Activision Blizzard King.

So far, the amount that Sony could spend to acquire Kadokawa is not known, but it is one of the companies that has also opted for the purchase of studios to increase its game portfolio. In 2022, for example, it bought Destiny creator Bungie for $3.6 billion.

These types of movements will become increasingly common in the gaming industry, according to statements that Jorge Lizárraga, CEO of the Gaming Partners agency, mentioned to Expansión.

According to the specialist, these mergers are a sign that the video game sector is consolidating. “Now the big fish are starting to eat the smaller ones,” he explained.

(With information from Reuters)