According to new reports, it looks like Sony is planning to make more investments, read acquisitions, between 2023 and 2024. This has certainly been a bombshell in the hearts of many video game enthusiasts as they wait for the PlayStation division to properly respond to Microsoft. . Recall that in recent years, Microsoft has made major acquisitions such as Bethesda and Activision Blizzard. While the latter has yet to be approved, Bethesda already owns Xbox. Thanks to this, we can find most studio wallets in Gamepass. In addition, highly anticipated titles like Starfield will be exclusive to the Xbox platform.
Sony plans to make more acquisitions
The Sony PlayStation has also made some important acquisitions, but they don’t compare to what Microsoft has done. The latest acquisitions of the Japanese company were Bungie and Housemarque. Bungie was an exciting purchase. It might not be the best choice for old PS fans, but it gave Sony ownership of the Destiny series. Although the company excelled in single player, it lacked exciting multiplayer games. Now he has control of the Destiny studio. Housemarque is a longtime partner of the manufacturer PS. Most recently, the studio introduced Returnal, a PS5 exclusive. The game seems to have served as a test. Eventually, Sony acquired the studio shortly after the game’s launch.
These were important acquisitions, but not on the same level as MS. Once the deal is approved, MS will become the owner of the COD series. This is what Sony is trying to break, fearing future COD exclusivity on Xbox consoles. The Xbox giant has denied it will make COD exclusive. Call of Duty is currently the best selling game on PlayStation consoles. For this reason, Sony has every reason to fear the loss of this franchise.
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With all the steps taken by MS, it’s only natural that PlayStation fans would expect Sony to acquire a major studio. For this reason, Square-Enix has been the focus of PS fans. At the moment, there are no hints of a deal between the two parties, but rumors continue to circulate.
In 2021, Sony revealed that it plans to invest about $18.4 billion in the entertainment industry. Hiroki Totoki’s SFO recently gave some details during a Q&A session for Morgan Stanley. According to him, years after the launch of this program, Sony has spent about 1.3 trillion yen. Now he has about 5 billion dollars for the future. These movements will continue until 2024. It is worth noting that Sony can allocate more money if necessary. But there is a catch! Sony is more than a division of PS.
Square-Enix could be one of the PlayStation targets.
It’s currently impossible to tell if Sony’s money will go to the PlayStation division. However, if we consider the past and the importance of this division, the possibilities are great. Since last year, gaming insiders have been speculating about buying Square-Enix.
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The studio has an ongoing history of partnerships with PlayStation. Starting with PS1, Square-Enix and PlayStation have formed a strong partnership with the Final Fantasy series. More recently, this partnership has been bolstered by the exclusivity of Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XVI. In fact, Sony is rumored to have helped Square improve and optimize Final Fantasy XVI for PS5.
Last year, Square-Enix sold some of its IPs, such as Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, and Hitman, to the Embracer Group. Right now, Square-Enix’s market value is about $5 billion. A good history between the companies could make this acquisition something entirely logical. Of course, this would be great for all fans of the Final Fantasy series and other RPG franchises. However, we must treat it as a rumor.
For now, it’s best to wait and see what Sony has in store.