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Forums - Sony Discussion - Herman Hulst confirms that PlayStation is not done with acquisitions yet

brute on 02 October 2021
Tridrakious said:
brute said:

Square Enix is too big and also it wouldnt make sense for Sony to purchase them when Square releases all its big games with Playstation as the main platform (except maybe DQ but we'll see what the future holds for that).
Xbox has no benefits whatsoever from Square Enix.

Also doesnt Kojima Productions have an upcoming game/deal with Microsoft? I recall hearing something on that around E3.

I don't agree, I think Microsoft would gain MASSIVE benefits from a Square-Enix acquisition. It would provide them with the opportunity to gain even more traction in the west Asian market, most importantly Japan. Having Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest focused on Windows/Xbox would be a huge blow to Sony and even Nintendo.

I was referring to them not having any benefits the way things are now, not if Microsoft decides to purchase them.



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src on 02 October 2021
Robert_Downey_Jr. said:

What Arc System works? Seems like a natural match with Sony being the kings of anime in the west now that they own crunchy and funi. Imagine Sony getting the license to bring an exclusive game like fighterZ to PS but with One Piece, MHA, or even just all the anime characters. Hell they could make a Shonen Smash bros! I know they don't own those IP but it would be so natural when arcsys has the skills to make that type of game

Bandai Namco have the anime licenses though. It wouldn't make much sense, I think the anime world would be better if Arc could continue using BN's licenses. Would be maybe seen as a predatory move (Sony) against a long time partner (BN).

Like eventually third parties might get upset if you take away their support or outsourcing studios.



G2ThaUNiT on 02 October 2021

Square has been friendly with Xbox as of late, so idk if they would ever consider outright selling. If Guardians of the Galaxy flops and with Crystal Dynamics getting cozy with The Initiative, I can see Square selling their Western division to Microsoft. It’ll then drop the price of Square if Sony decides to purchase the rest of the company outright.



Mbolibombo on 02 October 2021

Yeah Sony wont be buying Square Enix or Kadokawa

It sounds more like a Sony fan dream than reality



src on 02 October 2021
gtotheunit91 said:

Square has been friendly with Xbox as of late, so idk if they would ever consider outright selling. If Guardians of the Galaxy flops and with Crystal Dynamics getting cozy with The Initiative, I can see Square selling their Western division to Microsoft. It’ll then drop the price of Square if Sony decides to purchase the rest of the company outright.

FF16 - timed exclusive

FF7R - timed exclusive

Forspoken - timed exclusive

Babylon - console exclusive

KH and Nier could also be timed exlcusive.

Pretty much their entire Japanese division is all in on Playstation. How can anyone call this close with Xbox LOL

SE would never sell Crystal Dynamics, they make Tomb Raider an incredibly strong IP.

Sony has $40B in cash. They can buy SE in cash the next day lol



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G2ThaUNiT on 02 October 2021
src said:
gtotheunit91 said:

Square has been friendly with Xbox as of late, so idk if they would ever consider outright selling. If Guardians of the Galaxy flops and with Crystal Dynamics getting cozy with The Initiative, I can see Square selling their Western division to Microsoft. It’ll then drop the price of Square if Sony decides to purchase the rest of the company outright.

FF16 - timed exclusive

FF7R - timed exclusive

Forspoken - timed exclusive

Babylon - console exclusive

KH and Nier could also be timed exlcusive.

Pretty much their entire Japanese division is all in on Playstation. How can anyone call this close with Xbox LOL

SE would never sell Crystal Dynamics, they make Tomb Raider an incredibly strong IP.

Sony has $40B in cash. They can buy SE in cash the next day lol

Microsoft could buy Sony and SE the next day, what's your point? lol

I like how you actually pointed out that all the TIMED exclusivity making your point pretty useless lol

I'm obviously not meaning in the same way Sony is, but Square has been bringing a lot of unexpected games to Game Pass, which is great to see a partnership in some capacity. It's pretty awesome seeing Xbox embracing more of the Japanese market. 

Obvious



vonny on 02 October 2021
gtotheunit91 said:
src said:

FF16 - timed exclusive

FF7R - timed exclusive

Forspoken - timed exclusive

Babylon - console exclusive

KH and Nier could also be timed exlcusive.

Pretty much their entire Japanese division is all in on Playstation. How can anyone call this close with Xbox LOL

SE would never sell Crystal Dynamics, they make Tomb Raider an incredibly strong IP.

Sony has $40B in cash. They can buy SE in cash the next day lol

Microsoft could buy Sony and SE the next day, what's your point? lol

They couldn't, it would never be approved. The sell of a Japanese company would never be approved for a foreign takeover



VAMatt on 02 October 2021
brute said:

Square Enix is too big and also it wouldnt make sense for Sony to purchase them when Square releases all its big games with Playstation as the main platform (except maybe DQ but we'll see what the future holds for that).
Xbox has no benefits whatsoever from Square Enix.

Also doesnt Kojima Productions have an upcoming game/deal with Microsoft? I recall hearing something on that around E3.

Sometimes acquisitions take place just to make sure a competitor can't buy the company out from under you.  In a case like that, it could make sense for Sony to buy Square Enix.  But, I doubt we'll see Sony making an acquisition of that size.  It wouldn't surprise me if Microsoft did it though. 



mjk45 on 02 October 2021
Kyuu said:

Sony buying one huge group like Capcom, Square Enix or Kadokawa is possible if the acquisition craziness continues. It's definitely not something they wish to do (too expensive for them in normal circumstances), but the risk of multiple publishers skipping Playstation platforms in favor of promoting other platforms or services might be high enough and can cause some serious damage to PS5's potential. I doubt Sony likes the sound of this. It's a shitty trend, but the more get into it, the more the established players will want a piece of the pie to secure their future in a world where Google, Amazon, Tencent, and Netflix are part of the game.

I'm in the opinion that they'll be safe and remain quite dominant without any major acquisitions, I think most companies acquired by 3rd parties won't skip Playstation. But a little bit of paranoia could be enough to push Sony in joining this madness. They CAN buy significantly bigger groups than Zenimax, but they have to be very careful about it and be sure the price is worth it.

What needs to be considered is the reason behind any acquisition if it to protect themselves from losing access to 3rd party titles then a full acquisition isn't the only option. they could hold enough stock to prevent a takeover whether that's by owning a 51% stake or make alliances, another strategy would be to lengthen existing publishing deals and for non published content the use of more general contracts based on ensuring future content.



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PotentHerbs on 03 October 2021

In terms of independent studios, I can see Sony being interested in:

- Camoflaj
- Creative Vault Studios
- Ember Labs
- Hello Games
- MiHoYo
- Arc Systems Work

As well as Deviation, Firewalk & Haven, depending on the success & reception of their projects. I wouldn't count out Sony buying a massive publisher like Capcom or Square either. I mean, Sony buying a publisher is a massive undertaking for them, but they're also in the best position financially than they've ever been, and they have the capital to make strategic investments to weather the consolidation storm that is about to hit the video game industry. 

Last edited by PotentHerbs - on 03 October 2021