Earlier this year, Sonyincreased its ownership stake in Kadokawa, the parent company of FromSoftware. It seems Sony isn’t done dipping its toes in other company pools, as this time around, it’s Bandai Namco Entertainment.
The press release by Sony announces how the two companies have signed a “strategic partnership,” which is not unusual for Japanese companies.
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The deal encompasses more than just games as well, according to the press release.
Sony Buys Into Bandai Namco Entertainment
In the press release bySony, it mentions that the electronics giant has acquired 16 million Bandai Namco shares held by shareholders for approximately 68 billion yen, which amounts to over $463 million in US currency at today’s exchange rate.
This buy-in equates to Sony owning 2.5% of the total shares of Bandai Namco Entertainment.
Per the agreement, Bandai Namco and Sony will focus on expanding the “fan community” for IP such as anime and manage around the world. The partnership aims to strengthen engagement in the “anime field where rapid market growth is anticipated, while merging their strengths to create new and emotionally moving experiences for fans, and as a result of these efforts maximize the value of IP.”
When it comes to games, nothing was mentioned, so don’t expect Bandai Namco games to suddenly be exclusive to PlayStation devices. That said, given the two companies have mostly worked hand-in-hand for decades now, it’s not like Sony needs to do anything more to ensure Bandai Namco’s games appear on PlayStation platforms.
The press release takes note of this, and mentions how the two companies have “historically collaborated on various projects in the fields such as games, anime and music, and they plan to extend this collaboration to a broader range of areas.”
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When it comes to full-on acquisitions, a rumor surfaced last month claiming thatSony is looking to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, which includes streaming and the gaming division. Nothing has come out of it yet, though these things usually just happen without much build up, so if itdoeshappen, expect an announcement about the acquisition more than new rumors about it.
Sony is also attending this year’s ChinaJoy 2025 event, and given the success of the China Hero Project, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sony adds one of the many talented Chinese studios under its PlayStation label.
Will Sony increase its stake in Bandai Namco slowly but surely, which is what it has done with Kadokawa? I wouldn’t be surprised if so. But based on the press release, this announcement seems to be more about Bandai Namco’s anime than its games.
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